VGC Full Steam Ahead! (VGC 2020)

Hello everyone!

I'm here once again with another team I thought up that has a chance to dominate in the VGC 2020 format. Since I have a VGC 2020 team on Pokemon Shield, I figured why not have one in Pokemon Sword as well? It can make your brain tick when you test each and every Pokemon team you can think of. The team I thought up is mostly built around Coalossal, a fiery behemoth who stops at nothing when the Steam Engine's up and running. After thinking what Pokemon are best suited for the job, here's the result I present to you. Here they are!

- THE TEAM -

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Dragapult
Nature: Jolly
IVs: 31/31/31/0/31/31
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Ability: Clear Body
Held Item: Life Orb/Focus Sash
Phantom Force
Dragon Darts
Surf
Dragon Dance


Dragapult proved to all us that it brings Dragonite to shame with its real immense Speed and does not falter when it comes to sonic booms! I mean hello, it's a stealth bomber Pokemon for crying out loud! Strong in both Single battles and Double battles, many few Pokemon would ever have a chance to outspeed it or not at all after a Dragon Dance. This Dragapult takes the role as a lead, physical sweeper with its limited choice of moves unfortunately. You may be asking why it knows Surf, correct? Well, read the paragraph down and I'll tell you why.

Phantom Force may take a turn to set up to deliver a strong hit, but it has great use when it comes to strategies. When it Dynamaxes, Max Phantasm lowers the opponent's guard, making Escavalier and Arcanine deal more damage. Power Herb could be an optional choice, but that involves a bit of rethinking. Dragon Darts was chosen for wide sweeps, increasing the chances of KO'ing weakened opponents and Dragon Dance is what makes it a powerhouse to begin with. Now Surf is an interesting choice after my experience in the previous competition I've joined. It may have petite power, but it has a big use not on my opponents but for Coalossal when paired up with it. On the first turn, the main thing to do is to set up Coalossal when it Gigantamaxes. Dragapult goes for the Surf, hits its partner, activating its dangerous Steam Engine ability which maximizes its Speed, then Weakness Policy comes into effect, sharply increasing its power. After the set up, Coalossal begins its demolition spree! It has 0 IVs in Special Attack because I want Coalossal to take as less damage as possible.

With its spectacular supersonic speed, it becomes EXTREMLY vulnerable to Trick Room Pokemon. Have you ever watched these moments on television where everything goes slow-mo for special effects? Well, it pretty much what would happen when Trick Room's up and the result wouldn't be favorable. It also has trouble against Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Togekiss and the worst out of them, Grimmsnarl with any set. I make it go for an emergency bailout if it faces any of these threats.


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Coalossal
Nature: Modest
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 Sp. Atk
Ability: Steam Engine
Held Item: Weakness Policy
Heat Wave
Ancient Power
Solar Beam
Earth Power


Ah, Coalossal. The main star of the team and a good reason why. This Pokemon relies on all-out sweeps once its been set up thanks to Dragapult. With great type-variety and destructive power, it's gonna be real tough throwing this powerhouse off the rails. It'll be like that one scene form The Unstoppable when 777 smashed a truck to smithereens.

If by any chance Coalossal does not Gigantamax or returns to normal, Heat Wave is a handy move for hitting both opponents at once. Hitting both targets is the key to victory. Ancient Power unfortunately is its only special-attacking Rock move but it still comes in handy when it Gigantamaxes, especially when the secondary effect kicks in. Solar Beam for it to learn Max Overgrowth to counter what its weakness against such as opposing Gastrodon, Seismitoad and Quagsire and Earth Power to win against mirror-matches and more type coverage.

It's very strong ability comes with a cost, it has tons and TONS of type weaknesses but that's the purpose for Weakness Policy. But it also becomes susceptible to Fake Out users right on the first turn. Oh wait, Gigantamaxed Pokemon do not flinch. Hmm, if I know what Colossal will have trouble with...it's Rain Dance teams and Choice Scarf users such as Dracovish. The Fishous Rend doubles in power when the user moves after the opponent, which can OHKO Coalossal if my Gastrodon is not out on the field. Plus, Rain Dance can leave it rusting after a powerful Water-type move, even when it Gigantamaxes so if I ever see a team that would rely on Rain Dance, Gastrodon's the answer.


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Escavalier
Nature: Brave
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP/84 Atk/44 Def/128 Sp. Def
Ability: Overcoat
Held Item: Occa Berry/Life Orb
Megahorn
Iron Head
Swords Dance/Knock Off
Substitute/Protect


I feel like this bug knight in shining armor definitely needs more attention due to how dangerous it is in Trick Room. Escavalier is what I thought would be awesome to counter other Trick Room teams and when paired with Dusclops. Not only is it strong, its bulky as well and it can successfully take on the likes of Hatterenes and Indeedees if I play my cards right. Back in the days of Pokemon Black 2, I've encountered a SubSword Escavalier so I thought the role would be effective in this meta game. So I chose a more defensive EV spread for this one to handle attacks more. Rhyperior did it so why can't Escavalier?

Both Megahorn and Iron Head are needed for this Pokemon to charge in and strike! No questions asked on those. The third option can be either Swords Dance for some extra oomph or Knock Off to get rid of Eviolites. Galarian Corsola is a concern that's been on my mind so I wondered if by getting rid of items, result would be in my favor. The fourth option is either Substitute to keep it safe from status-afflicting move or Protect for Speed priority. It all comes down to which moveset has the best synergy for this team.

Even though its a brave, insect warrior who fights for honor, a single, Fire-type attack turns it to a crisp. Not only that, it becomes very weak when burned as it cripples its Attack by half. Those two are the main drawbacks of this Pokemon. Basically, any Fire-type Pokemon or knows who know a Fire-type move wouldn't have any trouble going up against Escavalier. Sunny Day teams are its worst nightmare when the sun's out and the skies are clear, which is why I was in a bit of a pickle picking either Substitute or Protect as a fourth option. The Occa Berry can help it take just one Fire-type attack but even after that, it becomes more susceptible to being KO'd. Nevertheless, it's a great Pokemon if used correctly.


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Dusclops
Nature: Relaxed
IVs: 31/0/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP/96 Def/160 Sp.Def
Held Item: Eviolite
Night Shade
Will-o-Wisp
Trick Room
Imprison


This old-school Pokemon back in the Hoenn days is here again with its Eviolite bulk and Trick Room support. It provides great synergy with Gastrodon and Escavalier because let's face it, they're gonna need it when it comes to Speed advantages and disadvantages. This team member's role is to disrupt opposing plays whether they would be hyper physically offensive, relies on Trick Room or bringing fast opponents to a stand still. Dusclops is the mummy now!

It doesn't have to worry about how much Attack it has since Night Shade does a fixed amount of damage. The number 50 can be a big game-changer. Will-o-Wisp shuts down opposing physical sweepers such as Gyarados, Mimikyu and Tyranitar. It's own Trick Room can either bring support to Gastrodon and Escavalier or stop similar setups on the other side of the field. Lastly, Imprison. Imprison is to completely shut down Trick Room setters such as Hatterene and Clefable. Want to make YOUR slow Pokemon outspeed mine? Too bad!

As it is a bulky supporter, it becomes Trick and Taunt-bait against the likes of Grimmsnarl, Sableye and Whimsicott and weak to Knock Off users. In my opinion, the worst Pokemon it would face is Obstagoon. Obstagoon has a type advantage against Dusclops, learns Knock Off and if it has Guts, becomes stronger when burnt by the Will-o-Wisp. So I better watch out for it if I ever get to pick Dusclops.


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Gastrodon
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 168 HP/252 Sp.Atk/88 Sp.Def
Ability: Storm Drain
Held Item: Leftovers
Earth Power
Scald
Icy Wind
Recover


This Pokemon is the best answer for Rain Dance teams. The Storm Drain ability is SO good as it draws in Water-type moves and make them increases its Special Attack instead. A great partner for Coalossal and Dragapult when it comes to leading the team to victory. This Pokemon ain't no slug in the arena, it's a formidable Pokemon that goes all the way!

Earth Power and Scald are its main STAB moves which have good coverage combined. Any Fire-types such as Charizard, Centiskorch shall be washed up! Icy Wind is used to slow down opponents for its partner to gain the upper hand. A useful move to have in these circumstances. Lastly, we can't have a bulk sweeper with Recover now, can't it? It needs the move with the combination of Leftovers for it to play the long game and wear down enemies.

Since it's not holding a Rindo Berry, a Grass-type move marks doom for this Pokemon. Even Icy Wind cannot save it since it relies on Trick Room due to having no Speed IVs. It is also another team member that can be Trick and Taunt-bait due to the role it plays. If it's holding any kind of Choice item, its plays will be limited. A Trick or Taunt Grimmsnarl is the main threat to watch out for due to how it plays out.

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Arcanine
Nature: Adamant
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Ability: Intimidate
Held Item: Muscle Band
Flare Blitz
Wild Charge
Extreme Speed
Morning Sun/Protect


For the last team member, I had to think carefully. I looked at my team and felt it's lacking in the physical-attacking department particularly weak to Corviknights when Coalossal's not around. So I wonder what other physical attacker would be good for this team and my answer...is Arcanine. This loyal companion provides Intimidate support while packing a heavy punch. I've found out that this Pokemon does work well with Coalossal so with its physical moveset along with Muscle Band, it can really heat up battles. Still need to wonder why it's called a "Legendary Pokemon" even though its not really classified as a legendary.

Flare Blitz is a must-have for this Pokemon. It hits hard against those who have a disadvantage against it. Wild Charge is need to take on the likes of Gyarados, Mantine, Pelipper and Barraskewda. Nothing like putting a shock to your opponents. Extreme Speed is to finish off opponents who are at low HP as long as Psychic Terrain's not up and the last slot is another crossroad. I could either go for Morning Sun to play the long-game just like Gastrodon or Protect to keep it safe from some fatal attacks. Protect always plays a big part in Double Battles so I want to make sure Arcanine is prepared for anything.

Since Arcanine's the most-recent last member I could think of, I believe there is still some work to be done. But I can say is it can have trouble going up against Dragapults, Coalossals, Hydreigons, Gastrodons, Rhyperiors, Dracovishs, Dracozolts and other physically-defensive Pokemon I haven't mentioned. So when it comes to using Arcanine, careful considerations must be made so that this team member can be the top dog in the team. Since it suffers recoil damage form Flare Blitz and Wild Charge, it can make it tired and become a sitting duck to others. When it comes to Pokemon battles, it doesn't like to play dead.

- TEAM OVERVIEW -

By looking by my team as a whole, I can say it could go all the way but I still feel it could need some improvements. I feel as though Arcanine may not be the best choice for this team but I needed another kind of Pokemon that can get through the likes of Corviknight and provide better synergy. So far, I don't know what other Pokemon would replace Arcanine but nevertheless, it's a team that has great potential.

If I were to think which Pokemon this team would have the most trouble with, I would say Chandelure and probably Galarian Darmanitan if I don't have Coalossal out and definitely Rain Dance teams if Gastrodon's not selected. Swords Dance and Will-O-Wisp Mimikyus could also be concerns as they can cause trouble by dealing great dents and disrupt my plays if I'm not careful.

- CONCLUSION -

And that's my VGC 2020 for my Pokemon Sword version. I hope you liked the strategies I've implemented into this. Are there any changes I need to make in order to improve this team to it's maximum efficiency. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated. Don't worry, I don't bite like I'm a Pokemon myself. Heh heh.

Hope you have a great day and enjoy what Pokemon battles are heading ya way! ;)

Pokepaste version: https://pokepast.es/46ff10353d82efed
 
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Hi there!

I like your unique take on tech options for a common strategy :D That said, one of the first things that jumped out to me was that you said that you wanted an answer to Corviknight; my guess is that you wanted an Electric- or Fire-type attacker, right? My advice, if you want a counter to Corviknight, is to have a Special Attacker - not only is Corviknight much more Physically bulky, it also commonly runs Iron Defence (as far as I've seen, anyway). Arcanine is awesome and I think you could still use Arcanine; my suggestion would be to go with a Special set. You could run Snarl/Flamethrower and other coverage moves of your choosing. I think they can learn T-bolt and Energy Ball, right? Morning Sun is only conditionally good, I feel. Morning Sun/Protect don't have much use on a Choice Pokémon either, right? Perhaps you could go with Expert Belt?

Was going to ask about Escavalier as well - about the Ability, I mean. But I think Overcoat is good vs. Sleep Powder. But is Escavalier your answer to, say, Venusaur? I worry that Torkoal is frequently out there with Venusaur, so what is the game plan in such an instance? If it's not then, why Overcoat? (Well, probably Rage Powder, but having a plan for Sun teams is probably still good)

With these thoughts in mind, I hope you can work something out!
 
Hi there!

I like your unique take on tech options for a common strategy :D That said, one of the first things that jumped out to me was that you said that you wanted an answer to Corviknight; my guess is that you wanted an Electric- or Fire-type attacker, right? My advice, if you want a counter to Corviknight, is to have a Special Attacker - not only is Corviknight much more Physically bulky, it also commonly runs Iron Defence (as far as I've seen, anyway). Arcanine is awesome and I think you could still use Arcanine; my suggestion would be to go with a Special set. You could run Snarl/Flamethrower and other coverage moves of your choosing. I think they can learn T-bolt and Energy Ball, right? Morning Sun is only conditionally good, I feel. Morning Sun/Protect don't have much use on a Choice Pokémon either, right? Perhaps you could go with Expert Belt?

Was going to ask about Escavalier as well - about the Ability, I mean. But I think Overcoat is good vs. Sleep Powder. But is Escavalier your answer to, say, Venusaur? I worry that Torkoal is frequently out there with Venusaur, so what is the game plan in such an instance? If it's not then, why Overcoat? (Well, probably Rage Powder, but having a plan for Sun teams is probably still good)

With these thoughts in mind, I hope you can work something out!
Thank you for your feedback on this team. I agree that a Special attacking Arcanine would fit better than a physical one.
 
Hey, was looking at your team, and thought it might have some use in a Torkaol to support your Coalossal.

Torkoal @ Leftovers
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Lava Plume
- Body Slam
- Solar Beam

Should you find yourself not having a water type attack to soak (pun not intended), Lava plume is a great way to spread burns on the enemy while also guaranteeing the a team engine proc. You're free to tweak the set how you like... And I'm not sure what you would want to replace with Torkaol... But this mon (or another plume user, I picked Torkaol for the sun) can help your team gimmick be a bit more self sustaining.
 
Hey, was looking at your team, and thought it might have some use in a Torkaol to support your Coalossal.

Torkoal @ Leftovers
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Lava Plume
- Body Slam
- Solar Beam

Should you find yourself not having a water type attack to soak (pun not intended), Lava plume is a great way to spread burns on the enemy while also guaranteeing the a team engine proc. You're free to tweak the set how you like... And I'm not sure what you would want to replace with Torkaol... But this mon (or another plume user, I picked Torkaol for the sun) can help your team gimmick be a bit more self sustaining.
Torkoal, eh? Hmmm...I'll make sure to keep that Pokemon in mind. Thanks.
 

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Hey christopher_ 1942! Sorry about this somewhat belated reply :)

Unfortunately I'm not super confident about the VGC 2020 meta, but I think your team looks pretty good for a start! There's a few tweaks I would make off the top of my head to hopefully make it more solid:
  • :dragapult: I obviously haven't experienced this team myself so I could be completely off on this but it seems like this set might not get to use Dragon Dance much. Maybe try Protect over DD on this set?
  • :coalossal: Even though Steam Engine does give +6 Speed, running no speed EVs at all on Coalossal is rather risky, since there are plenty of threats that still outrun you at +6. I'd suggest running either 164 or 220 Speed EVs to let you outrun Adamant or Jolly Sand Rush Excadrill respectively. I recognize that you're probably going for some form of flexibility with the Trick Room option, but I think the increased immediate threat from the Surf combination is more valuable (and it's something you'd be going for more often, since guaranteeing the Weakness Policy proc is the best way to make Coalossal into a threat).
    Separately, I think going for Protect over Earth Power might give you a better chance of keeping Coalossal alive through important turns and give you better positioning in general, whereas Earth Power's coverage doesn't seem all that necessary to me.
    (Also, I think you want G-Max Coalossal, since G-Max Volcalith's side effect is really good? This could just be an error in the Pokepaste, but if you're not using G-Max Coalossal I'd suggest giving it a try.)
  • :escavalier: Escavalier is a cool Pokemon for a TR role on a team, but this particular set doesn't seem to fit with the overall tempo of the team, which looks more like it's setting up for big hits from the get-go. I'd suggest looking for other TR sweepers, (Conkeldurr and Torkoal, for example), or if you really want to use Escavalier, an Assault Vest or Choice Band set is probably better than a Substitute/SD build.
  • :dusclops: I've never tried Imprison, so it could be good for all I know, but I think on a HO team like this Ally Switch sounds too good to pass up, since even a single free turn bought for one of your huge sweepers could be game-changing. I feel like a lot of the time when Dusclops is out you'd probably want Trick Room to go up anyway because Dusclops being out means you brought your Trick Room mode.
  • :arcanine: Arcanine doesn't really seem offensive enough to be used offensively on a Coalossal team; perhaps consider going for a more supportive Intimidate option like Hitmontop or Parting Shot Incineroar? Having Fake Out also seems like it would be very useful for supporting a potential Coalossal sweep.
Unfortunately I'm probably not the person best suited for rating this team since I haven't been much into VGC (especially post-home), but these are just some impressions based on what I do know about this team build in general. It's worth noting that Dave Cognetta (DesuVGC) just won the Rose Tower Open #2 with a Coalossal team of Venusaur / Coalossal / Primarina / Conkeldurr / Dragapult / Mimikyu, which looks like it has a similar fast-slow mode split to this team, so perhaps you could consider some of these Pokemon -- Venusaur in particular looks kind of interesting since it can definitely make use of the Sun set by Coalossal's Max Flare.

I hope this helps, and good luck with the team!
 
Hey christopher_ 1942! Sorry about this somewhat belated reply :)

Unfortunately I'm not super confident about the VGC 2020 meta, but I think your team looks pretty good for a start! There's a few tweaks I would make off the top of my head to hopefully make it more solid:
  • :dragapult: I obviously haven't experienced this team myself so I could be completely off on this but it seems like this set might not get to use Dragon Dance much. Maybe try Protect over DD on this set?
  • :coalossal: Even though Steam Engine does give +6 Speed, running no speed EVs at all on Coalossal is rather risky, since there are plenty of threats that still outrun you at +6. I'd suggest running either 164 or 220 Speed EVs to let you outrun Adamant or Jolly Sand Rush Excadrill respectively. I recognize that you're probably going for some form of flexibility with the Trick Room option, but I think the increased immediate threat from the Surf combination is more valuable (and it's something you'd be going for more often, since guaranteeing the Weakness Policy proc is the best way to make Coalossal into a threat).
    Separately, I think going for Protect over Earth Power might give you a better chance of keeping Coalossal alive through important turns and give you better positioning in general, whereas Earth Power's coverage doesn't seem all that necessary to me.
    (Also, I think you want G-Max Coalossal, since G-Max Volcalith's side effect is really good? This could just be an error in the Pokepaste, but if you're not using G-Max Coalossal I'd suggest giving it a try.)
  • :escavalier: Escavalier is a cool Pokemon for a TR role on a team, but this particular set doesn't seem to fit with the overall tempo of the team, which looks more like it's setting up for big hits from the get-go. I'd suggest looking for other TR sweepers, (Conkeldurr and Torkoal, for example), or if you really want to use Escavalier, an Assault Vest or Choice Band set is probably better than a Substitute/SD build.
  • :dusclops: I've never tried Imprison, so it could be good for all I know, but I think on a HO team like this Ally Switch sounds too good to pass up, since even a single free turn bought for one of your huge sweepers could be game-changing. I feel like a lot of the time when Dusclops is out you'd probably want Trick Room to go up anyway because Dusclops being out means you brought your Trick Room mode.
  • :arcanine: Arcanine doesn't really seem offensive enough to be used offensively on a Coalossal team; perhaps consider going for a more supportive Intimidate option like Hitmontop or Parting Shot Incineroar? Having Fake Out also seems like it would be very useful for supporting a potential Coalossal sweep.
Unfortunately I'm probably not the person best suited for rating this team since I haven't been much into VGC (especially post-home), but these are just some impressions based on what I do know about this team build in general. It's worth noting that Dave Cognetta (DesuVGC) just won the Rose Tower Open #2 with a Coalossal team of Venusaur / Coalossal / Primarina / Conkeldurr / Dragapult / Mimikyu, which looks like it has a similar fast-slow mode split to this team, so perhaps you could consider some of these Pokemon -- Venusaur in particular looks kind of interesting since it can definitely make use of the Sun set by Coalossal's Max Flare.

I hope this helps, and good luck with the team!
Hello there! Thank you for your feedback on the team.

I do understand why you think running no Speed IVs on Coalossal is too risky. I've tried it myself and it still runs slower than my Dragapult. I thought maybe by putting max EVs on HP, there's less chance it goes get KO'd after a Surf. However, putting the right amount of Speed EVs to me is a better idea for it to win the speed game.

I originally thought about Escavalier until another Pokemon came to my mind when I was doing Max Raid battles: Copperajah. It's slow but very powerful thanks to its ability. I thought up the best possible moveset for it:

Copperajah
Nature: Brave
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Sp.Def
Ability: Heavy Metal
Held Item: Life Orb
Heavy Slam
Heat Crash
Power Whip
Protect


By having the ability that doubles its weight, Copperajah can dish out "heavy" hits thanks to Life Orb and the moves are for both maximum type coverage and team efficiency. So I believe this Pokemon is a better choice than Escavalier.

I haven't tried Ally Switch on Dusclops yet but I see where you're coming from. If Trick Room's up and the Pokemon uses Ally Switch, it can play mind games to my opponent. This includes those who target it with Will-O-Wisp. Ally Switch for Coalossal or Arcanine to take its place. It could work so I'll give it a whirl.

Following the previous feedback I got, I believe Arcanine is better off as a special-attacking supporter with Snarl and Will-O-Wisp. So I've decided to choose the Smogon moveset for this Pokemon instead:

Arcanine
Nature: Timid
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP/56 Def/200 Speed
Ability: Intimidate
Held Item: Sitrus Berry
Flamethrower
Snarl
Will-O-Wisp
Protect


This set will help Arcanine support its team members in the long run before the DLC introduces itself. Once that happens, I might go for Intimidate Incineroar or something different.

Even so, I appreciate your thoughts on this team and hopefully these changes will make it stronger than ever before. Don't worry, I'll look into DesuVGC's team and see what I can learn from it. Knowledge is power after all.
 

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