Gen4 Savage Swarm (Beta version)

[Uthanak]

So here is my first ever try at a generation 4 team. It has many problems which I will list later and is based around scizor/heracross combo.

Swampert (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP/212 Def/48 SpDef
Relaxed nature (+Def,-Spd)
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Roar
- Stealth Rock

Okay this is my lead, he is mainly here because being ground he will ward off electric attacks and can also absorb fire attacks, because he is water. He creates 1 sort of big problem that my team has trouble with: Electric pokemon that are fast and wielding grass attacks. Or just grass pokemon.

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn

Standard scizor, not much to say about him. He is here mainly for taking out the massive threat that is rotom. I did not want to use tyranitar because the sandstorm would damage my heracross, which I do not want to happen.

Heracross (M) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd,-SpAtk)
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Megahorn
- Swords Dance

the main point of the team, I tried to build the team around him. He needed threats remove like rotom, which scizor provided. He also needs faster sweeper gone, which I went down the thunder wave road to help, dont know if it was the best idea.

Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP/44 Spd/212 SpDef
Careful nature (+SpDef,-SpAtk)
- Dragon Claw
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Thunder Wave

Okay, here is the first thunder wave support, main problem is he has so far performed extremely sub par, since everyone and their uncle seem to carry an ice move, which even if not stab, crushes him. I don't know how to make this guy work.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP/32 Spd/228 SpDef
Calm nature (+SpDef,-Atk)
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt

Here is another good thunder wave support, which also provides the ONLY fire type move of the team. Which is starting to be somewhat of a problem regarding steel typed pokemon and grass to an extent.

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SpAtk
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Thunderbolt


This one was a natural fit into the team as the best rapid spinner that could also provide decent support to my heracross. Rapid spin to remove the despicable hazard entry.


Here we are, main problem is no true Fire move beside zapdos to deal with steel and grass pokemons. Electric sweeper with grass moves, I have no true counter for. Help and suggestion appreciated!

 

[MasterX]

You should change your support dragonite into a mixed one since you say it has a tough time taking ice attacks you should be more on the offensive switch to scizor when necessary and u turn back to dragonite for more damage. You'll love firing off draco meteors with this set when you get the chance.

Dragonite (M) @ Life orb/Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 128 Att/188 Sp att/192 Speed
Rash nature (+SpAtt,-Spdef) (Mild if you don't like losing special defense)
- Draco meteor
- Fire blast
- extremespeed
- Superpower

this is a wall breaking/mixed attacker dragonite it gives you a fire move outside of zapdos. Extremespeed gives you the speed you need so you can finsh off that weakened electric sweeper like jolteon who will take a lot from extreme speed.

 

[Uthanak]

Thank you for your reply, I will. After careful playtesting, more problems have arose. Heracross is nearly always dead weigh, he rarely has a good opening to set up. Scizor is not taking care of rotom properly, at all. He takes care of injured rotom, but he does not destroy them completely like I had hoped he would. Rotom-H has to be lured into using overheat on a scizor that will switch to starmie/swampert and then he can be somewhat weakened and dealt with. Substitute users are also a problem, I have no way of stopping their setup. Also an electyvire that gets it's moterdrive activated nearly always sweeps my team. Other setup based sweeper I have problems stopping, mainly gyarados and kingdra's outrage.

 

[BKC]

The descriptions of each Pokemon are lacking, making it hard for a proper rate; I'd recommend making them more detailed or this thread will get locked.

 

[Jackbot]

Scizor just can't really do anything to Rotom-A, as he is slower (especially with HP EVs invest) and can be KOed by Overheat, while the best thing Scizor can do is a priority move (Bullet Punch), making laughable damage to Rotom. You said you don't want Tyranitar because of sandstorm, and you need a powerful Fire type move, so...
I'd say that Heatran would be a nice addition to your team, providing you a much needed fyre immunity and making a nice counter to rotom, as he can switch in on Overheat. Try a choice scarf set, maybe over your dragonite if u say that doesn't work =) he will also outspeed timid jolteon, which, as u said, may cause trouble. Or maybe try a lead set over your swampert.

 

[Thorns]

i think this team could be improved if you switched heracross to lucario. lucario has defined counters, meaning you can build a team around a lucario sweep, if you just eliminate his counters.

tyranitar is a good partner, so i'd go with ttar over dragonite to guarantee that you'll take out rotom. lucario is immune to sandstorm damage so it'll just help you with your sweep. gliscor is countered by swampert and starmie, but i would switch starmie to a defensive set just to make sure you can get rocks off the field.

starmie @ leftovers
timid
252 hp/4 def/252 spd
- rapid spin
- hydro pump
- thunderbolt
- recover

the last thing i would suggest is maybe a heatran over your zapdos, but thunder wave seems pretty important to this team so i wouldn't worry about it too much

 

[Uthanak]

Well with heracross gone, this team is no longer a savage swarm. And if heracross is gone, thunderwave is not as necessary as it used to be.

 

[Jebus McAzn]

Solid team. Your team does, however, seem to have an issue with Rotom, as you said, especially Rotom-H. I suggest one of two things to include in your team:

-Defensive Rotom-H, possibly dual status. This gives you a much needed Fire move on your team as well as still being able to Thunder Wave, also countering other Rotoms with Shadow Ball.
-Blissey. That way you retain the status curing from Heal Bell Dragonite and still have the ability to punish and cripple Rotom. You are left, however, with difficulty against Restalk sets.

As you said, Dragonite does seem to perform in a rather sub par fashion, so I recommend replacing him.

 

[Uthanak]

A flamethrower blissey is gonna take out a rotom? Im skeptical, also healbell cures my heracross which is anti synergy, so its not needed on my team. Dragonite has to go, maybe gengar can be my rotom counter?

 

[Siegrin]

Suggesting Waterfall or Surf over Ice Beam. A STAB move is definitely more useful than Ice Beam imo. It hits harder against most foes, and Dragons already expect you to have Ice Beam so they won't be coming in. Even if they do end up setting up, you can always phaze them.

I also suggest Hydro Pump > Surf on Starmie, because the extra power lets you 2HKO stuff like Swampert, Jirachi, specially defensive Scizor, and the occasional miss is not that big of a deal. When I used Hydro Pump, a miss never caused me a loss, so I'd say its definitely worth the try.
Good luck.

 

[Uthanak]

Suggesting Waterfall or Surf over Ice Beam. A STAB move is definitely more useful than Ice Beam imo. It hits harder against most foes, and Dragons already expect you to have Ice Beam so they won't be coming in. Even if they do end up setting up, you can always phaze them.

I also suggest Hydro Pump > Surf on Starmie, because the extra power lets you 2HKO stuff like Swampert, Jirachi, specially defensive Scizor, and the occasional miss is not that big of a deal. When I used Hydro Pump, a miss never caused me a loss, so I'd say its definitely worth the try.
Good luck.

Occasional? How is 20% occasional?

 

[Frieddimsum]

Its 15% and starmie probably risks too much from a missed hydro pump. The additional power is great but starmie isnt exactly bulky. I would suggest using a gengar possibly a substitute set if you do decide to put in tyranitar. Pain split would help with blissey but if you do run a wallbreaking tyranitar (which you probably should) you can use a sub + 3 attacks negating the damage from sandstorm with your sub. Holding a black sludge under this is also fairly helpful so you can switch on a predicted trick and heal up. A spin blocker in gengar is also helpful as your team really benefits from stealth rocks.

 

[Uthanak]

http://www.smogon.com/dp/moves/hydro_pump

80% accuracy, so unless i'm missing something, it misses 20%