Hello everyone! This is my first ever competitive build for OU. I built it around an unusual concept with a few unusual choices and am hoping for some advice on how to best improve it. So without further ado, let’s check out the team.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spe / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
The pokemon that I wanted to build around while using the rare Nasty Plot set. While this set does not have the ferocious power of Close Combat and is admittedly inferior, the major goal of this Lucario set is the same: a late game sweeper. After the rest of my team has set up the speed control and/or taken out the standard Lucario checks and counters, this guy comes out to finish the job.
Lucario’s EVs are used to make the most out of what little speed it has and its decent amount of power. As a glass cannon, I found it important that Lucario hit things as fast and as hard as it possibly can.
· Aura Sphere: Lucario’s main special attack. It provides great coverage, doesn’t miss, and will be one of our main methods of scoring 2HKOs and OHKOs after a Nasty Plot boost.
· Flash Cannon: Lucario’s final method of dealing out damage. Hits surprisingly hard and allows Lucario to be slightly less of a sitting duck in match ups against flying and fairy type pokemon.
· Nasty Plot: Lucario’s boosting move. It’s definitely needed for it to take out more durable threats.
· Shadow Ball: While I acknowledge that the flinching factor of Dark Pulse is extremely valuable in a match where Lucario can actually outrun its enemies, priority is pretty common this generation, so I have traded in flinching for perfect neutral coverage in fighting and ghost.
Potential fixes: As far as the move-set goes, I could see Dark Pulse being chosen over Shadow Ball. The chance to flinch over coverage can make or break a match. It’s also possible to consider Vacuum Wave over Aura Sphere for some priority.
Known problems: Lucario does not like priority. Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Talonflame in particular stand a pretty high chance of taking Lucario out the turn they come in. Additionally, Zapdos and both forms of Thundurus do an excellent job of taking any one hit from Lucario and proceeding to hit it back for the OHKO. Landorus is also much faster and very capable of knocking it down with a single Earth Power. The same can be said of an Excadrill wearing Choice Scarf. Bulky attackers like Dragonite and Azumarill also laugh in Lucario’s face before wrecking it with Earthquake and Superpower respectively.
Charziard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze / Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
Mega Charizard X is the physical offensive presence of this team and his respectable bulk and incredible power really lend to the cause. As one might have guessed, Mega Charizard X’s role on this team is that of the physical breaker. While Mega Charizard X’s physical power allows him to take out Breloom and squishy special walls with relative ease, it is also a reliable method of taking out Zapdos and a semi-reliable method of taking out Thundurus-I.
For the EVs, I debated going with the more durable 248 HP / 84 SDef / 176 Spe set up, but decided against it after evaluating that Mega Charizard X requires much more time to set up in that situation to be a threat to larger annoyances for Lucario. Since Mega Charizard X is not the focus of this team, it is also undesirable for him to be taking a while to start hurting things.
· Dragon Claw: I considered Outrage, but that leaves Mega Charizard X vulnerable to a free fairy switch for my opponent. Dragon Claw still yields an excellent amount of damage and allows me to keep a fair amount of pressure on slower dragon types, especially if Mega Charizard X does manage to get a boost in.
· Dragon Dance: Mega Charizard X’s boosting move. With a boost or two, Mega Charizard X suddenly gains an incredible boost in speed and his attacks become much more potent.
· Flare Blitz: My fire STAB move of choice. While this will be Mega Charizard X’s main method of breaking down walls, it is great for taking out more durable defenses like Ferrothorn and Forretress while killing annoying offenses like Scizor and its mega.
· Roost: Initially, I thought of choosing Earthquake to round out my coverage, but Flare Blitz’s recoil was a problem for longer matches, so I ultimately decided to stick Roost here as a method of keeping Mega Charizard X in the game for a bit longer.
Potential fixes: For the moveset, I think Earthquake over Roost is still a plausible option, but it does come with that risk of leaving out my reliable recovery. This change does however come with the benefit of being much less vulnerable to Aegislash, which is also a potent Lucario threat. Outrage is also plausible for extra attacking power.
Known problems: First and foremost, Mega Charizard X doesn’t like Stealth Rocks. While he sure doesn’t hate them as much as Mega Charizard Y and regular Charizard do, it will still take a pretty decent bite out of his HP. Mega Charizard X also has a problem with pokemon that are known to carry a strong rock and ground type attack. This means that Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and an Excadrill wearing Choice Scarf are problems for it. Additionally, without Earthquake, Mega Charizard X is set-up bait for an Aegislash.
Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
Gardevoir is perhaps an even more unusual decision than Lucario. Gardevoir serves the team as the special attack breaker. With a Choice Scarf, she can reach appreciable speeds and is capable of dealing significant damage to faster dragons that Mega Charizard X does not want to deal with like Garchomp and Latios. For pokemon Lucario specifically has a problem with, she is a reliable means of taking down Conkeldurr and Gyarados.
EVs on Gardevoir are similar to Lucario’s: maximized power and maximized speed to make the most out of her choice scarf.
· Moonblast: Gardevoir’s stab of choice. I’ve mainly been using it for taking down troublesome dragon type pokemon, but I’ve discovered in play testing that Keldeo and Terrakion really do not like taking one of these either.
· Psyshock: I was actually shocked at how useful this move is. While this and psychic both allow the player to take out a Gegnar that doesn’t have a choice scarf, this also gives the added bonus of not completely being a sitting duck when more specially-bulky pokemon take the stage.
· Thunderbolt: Great coverage move and helps with taking out Gyarados and Starmie. Pretty useful back up plan in the event that I don’t want to send Rotom-W out yet.
· Will-O-Wisp: A last resort move of sorts. Using this basically guarantees that Gardevoir will die against most hard-hitters, but the idea behind this move choice is to either wear down a pokemon I cannot kill regardless of speed control, or to lower its offensive presence to make it more manageable.
Potential fixes: Aside from Will-O-Wisp, something I considered was Shadow Ball, but I decided against it since Will-O-Wisp can provide last minute residual damage and has useful mechanics that can work more in my favor. Not quite a fix for this pokemon, but many may argue that Clefable outclasses Gardevoir in everything it tries to do for this team. I would be inclined to say that’s true, but Gardevoir has the benefit of being able to outrun things and hit them hard without setting up.
Known problems: For a fact, Gardevoir is frailer than Lucario in the physical department. This means that anything with a sufficient base power STAB for super effective damage will probably take her down. Additionally, while she helps in taking care of Conkeldurr, Gyarados, Starmie, Garchomp, and Latios, she is just as defenseless against the likes of Landorus-T. Gardevoir also comes with the added drawback of being locked into one move, so careful prediction could easily mean her untimely demise.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 232 SDef
Nature: Calm
- HP Ice
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
This little guy’s so important that I had to mention him early. Rotom-W is my main special defensive force and serves as my pivot. Leftovers was chosen to allow Rotom-W some reliable recovery. It's a pretty normal set, though I did tech in HP Ice as an extra means of offense against pokemon like Gliscor.
On the topic of EVs, this EV spread was chosen to give Rotom-W as much survivability as possible while still allowing it to hurt things. Rotom-W also benefits from the lack of speed by increasing its chances of Volt Switch being the second move to land, allowing the next mon to come with a somewhat safe switch.
· HP Ice: I hesitated to give Rotom this, but found it necessary after finding that having HP Ice allowed it to swing at more things for a decent amount of damage. In a bad situation where Rotom-W may be my last pokemon, having more options at my disposal seemed like a more pleasing situation.
· Hydro Pump: One of Rotom-W’s standard attacks. Allows it to hit ground, rock, and fire types mainly for some heavy damage. Useful in dealing with either incarnation of Landorus.
· Thunder Wave: Rotom is one of three speed control units with Thunder Wave being his method of speed control.
· Volt Switch: Provides momentum and still lets Rotom-W land a hit on water types. All in all a very useful move and one that tends to put in a lot of work during matches.
Possible fixes: It can be argued that Will-O-Wisp would still be a useful tool for Rotom-W. The reason for that being I do in fact have a second and third method of speed control on this team. They may not be as reliable, but they are still options. If not Will-O-Wisp, we can take out Thunder Wave for Discharge, which has a chance of Paralysis and put Assault Vest on Rotom-W as well. A third fix I can see right off the bat is Rotom-W’s EVs. In hindsight, taking a few EVs out of SDef and putting them into SAtk for the guaranteed KO on Landorus is a valid suggestion.
Known problems: Rotom-W is afraid of Excadrill. That leaves me with four pokemon that are put in a pretty compromising situation whenever Excadrill pops into the game. If it’s just an Excadrill that's not wearing Choice Scarf, Lucario and Mega Charizard X can take it down. If it isn’t? Then we have four pokemon who are in big, big trouble. Other problems for Rotom-W on this team specifically include Mega Venusaur, who I cannot one-shot with anyone on my team, and Dragonite, who can also survive at least one of my main offenses' hits and hit back pretty hard.
Mandibuzz @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Nature: Bold
- Defog
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Tailwind
With the special defensive pivot out of the way, we now have our physically defensive utility mon, Mandibuzz. Mandibuzz makes excellent use of Leftovers to keep itself in the game a bit longer while its typing makes it one of the only things that won’t turn pale at the sight of something packing Earthquake. It can also deal significant damage to an Excadrill not carrying Rock Slide and has the potential to outlive a Dragonite that isn’t carrying Stone Edge or Thunder Punch in a standstill.
The EVs are notes I took from the 6th Gen analysis, having tested them out and finding them to be the most appropriate for this set up. It lets Mandibuzz take a decent amount of hits from the physical end of the spectrum while keeping it in good enough condition to do what it needs to do.
· Defog: Mandibuzz’s ultimate goal on this team is to get those pesky pebbles out of the way so that the battle can go on hazard-free. This is especially helpful in the event of a sticky web setter. Defog helps it accomplish this task well.
· Foul Play: Mandibuzz’s only method of offense and a darn useful one at that. It’s a great method for dealing with Aegislash and helps my team deal a good amount of damage in a pinch.
· Roost: Standard recovery on Mandibuzz, who needs it more than anyone else as the team’s resident support and defense mon. I need to keep this thing alive and in good health for most of the match, especially if Talonflame is alive and Rotom-W is dead.
· Tailwind: This is what I meant earlier by additional speed control. While there is definitely nothing wrong with Rotom-W paralyzing things, Tailwind allows me to instantly speed my entire team up for a little while. Of course, this does come with a problem. I have no method of safely pulling Mandibuzz out in a close match, so this is a pretty debatable move.
Possible fixes: In hindsight, if I am in a match where ground types are not plentiful, then U-Turn is an excellent option over Tailwind. It would at least let Mandibuzz and Rotom-W keep momentum going and forms a VoltTurn defensive core to make use of.
Known problems: Mandibuzz is helpful and all, but it has a problem with taking really heavy special attackers, so a well-timed Thundurus puts it in a compromising situation. Additionally, it does nothing to Azumarill and Mega Venusaur, problem pokemon for most of the team who can both presently tank its hits and proceed to take it out. Additionally, while it can just barely outlast a Dragonite in a 1-on-1 if luck is on my side, it only takes the occasional Thunder Punch to throw that plan out the window.
Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Def / 208 SDef
Nature: Relaxed
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
Here we have the final member of the team: Ferrothorn. He is not only my third method of speed control, he is my third line of defense and my safest answer to Mega Venusaur. He comes with a wonderful set of resistances and comes with one of my only two forms of residual damage: Leech Seed. While I know rocks to be superior, since I am going to be defogging, I figured this to be the better way to go.
EVs are the standard EVs from the Black and White era, made to allow Ferrothorn to function at what he does best: mixed bulk. Since I have only one pokemon that can use ice-type attacks, his defenses are invaluable against pokemon like Dragonite, who may I have to wear down to win the match.
· Gyro Ball: One of Ferrothorn’s two main methods of offense, allowing it to go head to head with things like Mega Venusaur and inflict decent amounts of damage.
· Leech Seed: One of two means of residual damage and is invaluable on a team that needs to wear things like Dragonite and Azumarill down to be within sniping range.
· Power Whip: My second method of attack and is especially reliable against annoying water type pokemon and durable ground types. Helps against the uncommon but occasional Quagsire.
· Thunder Wave: My third method of speed control. I find this to be helpful in a match where Ferrothorn can afford to take it slow and may be an option to consider in the event of altering Rotom-W’s move set since three methods of speed control is plenty.
Possible fixes: The one I can see a lot of people suggesting is Stealth Rock. While speed control is great and all, the sneaky pebbles are still useful for racking up damage. Another thing may come from Ferrothorn’s item choice. Leftovers may or may not be a superior item to Rocky Helmet. As another tech choice, I also considered the possibility of foregoing Thunder Wave for Bulldoze, which would mess with speed while also dealing damage.
Known problems: Fire. Anything that happens to be named Mega Charizard something will be eating Ferrothorn for breakfast. No questions asked. Additionally, while Ferrothorn loves setting hazards, he hates getting status-inflicted, so that’s something to be careful of.
Problems for my team: Mega Charizard X has a powerful presence against my team and will be hard to stop since I can’t weaken it with burn. Mega Charizard Y also has a strong presence because of its intense damage outputs and annoying typing. One of the other larger problems is Dragonite, who I cannot reliably kill without burning or risking the loss of one or two pokemon.
Alrighty. I think that about does it. This is the team I've been testing lately and I hope you enjoyed it. Please do rate and offer advice!
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spe / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
The pokemon that I wanted to build around while using the rare Nasty Plot set. While this set does not have the ferocious power of Close Combat and is admittedly inferior, the major goal of this Lucario set is the same: a late game sweeper. After the rest of my team has set up the speed control and/or taken out the standard Lucario checks and counters, this guy comes out to finish the job.
Lucario’s EVs are used to make the most out of what little speed it has and its decent amount of power. As a glass cannon, I found it important that Lucario hit things as fast and as hard as it possibly can.
· Aura Sphere: Lucario’s main special attack. It provides great coverage, doesn’t miss, and will be one of our main methods of scoring 2HKOs and OHKOs after a Nasty Plot boost.
· Flash Cannon: Lucario’s final method of dealing out damage. Hits surprisingly hard and allows Lucario to be slightly less of a sitting duck in match ups against flying and fairy type pokemon.
· Nasty Plot: Lucario’s boosting move. It’s definitely needed for it to take out more durable threats.
· Shadow Ball: While I acknowledge that the flinching factor of Dark Pulse is extremely valuable in a match where Lucario can actually outrun its enemies, priority is pretty common this generation, so I have traded in flinching for perfect neutral coverage in fighting and ghost.
Potential fixes: As far as the move-set goes, I could see Dark Pulse being chosen over Shadow Ball. The chance to flinch over coverage can make or break a match. It’s also possible to consider Vacuum Wave over Aura Sphere for some priority.
Known problems: Lucario does not like priority. Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Talonflame in particular stand a pretty high chance of taking Lucario out the turn they come in. Additionally, Zapdos and both forms of Thundurus do an excellent job of taking any one hit from Lucario and proceeding to hit it back for the OHKO. Landorus is also much faster and very capable of knocking it down with a single Earth Power. The same can be said of an Excadrill wearing Choice Scarf. Bulky attackers like Dragonite and Azumarill also laugh in Lucario’s face before wrecking it with Earthquake and Superpower respectively.
Charziard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze / Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
Mega Charizard X is the physical offensive presence of this team and his respectable bulk and incredible power really lend to the cause. As one might have guessed, Mega Charizard X’s role on this team is that of the physical breaker. While Mega Charizard X’s physical power allows him to take out Breloom and squishy special walls with relative ease, it is also a reliable method of taking out Zapdos and a semi-reliable method of taking out Thundurus-I.
For the EVs, I debated going with the more durable 248 HP / 84 SDef / 176 Spe set up, but decided against it after evaluating that Mega Charizard X requires much more time to set up in that situation to be a threat to larger annoyances for Lucario. Since Mega Charizard X is not the focus of this team, it is also undesirable for him to be taking a while to start hurting things.
· Dragon Claw: I considered Outrage, but that leaves Mega Charizard X vulnerable to a free fairy switch for my opponent. Dragon Claw still yields an excellent amount of damage and allows me to keep a fair amount of pressure on slower dragon types, especially if Mega Charizard X does manage to get a boost in.
· Dragon Dance: Mega Charizard X’s boosting move. With a boost or two, Mega Charizard X suddenly gains an incredible boost in speed and his attacks become much more potent.
· Flare Blitz: My fire STAB move of choice. While this will be Mega Charizard X’s main method of breaking down walls, it is great for taking out more durable defenses like Ferrothorn and Forretress while killing annoying offenses like Scizor and its mega.
· Roost: Initially, I thought of choosing Earthquake to round out my coverage, but Flare Blitz’s recoil was a problem for longer matches, so I ultimately decided to stick Roost here as a method of keeping Mega Charizard X in the game for a bit longer.
Potential fixes: For the moveset, I think Earthquake over Roost is still a plausible option, but it does come with that risk of leaving out my reliable recovery. This change does however come with the benefit of being much less vulnerable to Aegislash, which is also a potent Lucario threat. Outrage is also plausible for extra attacking power.
Known problems: First and foremost, Mega Charizard X doesn’t like Stealth Rocks. While he sure doesn’t hate them as much as Mega Charizard Y and regular Charizard do, it will still take a pretty decent bite out of his HP. Mega Charizard X also has a problem with pokemon that are known to carry a strong rock and ground type attack. This means that Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and an Excadrill wearing Choice Scarf are problems for it. Additionally, without Earthquake, Mega Charizard X is set-up bait for an Aegislash.
Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
Gardevoir is perhaps an even more unusual decision than Lucario. Gardevoir serves the team as the special attack breaker. With a Choice Scarf, she can reach appreciable speeds and is capable of dealing significant damage to faster dragons that Mega Charizard X does not want to deal with like Garchomp and Latios. For pokemon Lucario specifically has a problem with, she is a reliable means of taking down Conkeldurr and Gyarados.
EVs on Gardevoir are similar to Lucario’s: maximized power and maximized speed to make the most out of her choice scarf.
· Moonblast: Gardevoir’s stab of choice. I’ve mainly been using it for taking down troublesome dragon type pokemon, but I’ve discovered in play testing that Keldeo and Terrakion really do not like taking one of these either.
· Psyshock: I was actually shocked at how useful this move is. While this and psychic both allow the player to take out a Gegnar that doesn’t have a choice scarf, this also gives the added bonus of not completely being a sitting duck when more specially-bulky pokemon take the stage.
· Thunderbolt: Great coverage move and helps with taking out Gyarados and Starmie. Pretty useful back up plan in the event that I don’t want to send Rotom-W out yet.
· Will-O-Wisp: A last resort move of sorts. Using this basically guarantees that Gardevoir will die against most hard-hitters, but the idea behind this move choice is to either wear down a pokemon I cannot kill regardless of speed control, or to lower its offensive presence to make it more manageable.
Potential fixes: Aside from Will-O-Wisp, something I considered was Shadow Ball, but I decided against it since Will-O-Wisp can provide last minute residual damage and has useful mechanics that can work more in my favor. Not quite a fix for this pokemon, but many may argue that Clefable outclasses Gardevoir in everything it tries to do for this team. I would be inclined to say that’s true, but Gardevoir has the benefit of being able to outrun things and hit them hard without setting up.
Known problems: For a fact, Gardevoir is frailer than Lucario in the physical department. This means that anything with a sufficient base power STAB for super effective damage will probably take her down. Additionally, while she helps in taking care of Conkeldurr, Gyarados, Starmie, Garchomp, and Latios, she is just as defenseless against the likes of Landorus-T. Gardevoir also comes with the added drawback of being locked into one move, so careful prediction could easily mean her untimely demise.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 232 SDef
Nature: Calm
- HP Ice
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
This little guy’s so important that I had to mention him early. Rotom-W is my main special defensive force and serves as my pivot. Leftovers was chosen to allow Rotom-W some reliable recovery. It's a pretty normal set, though I did tech in HP Ice as an extra means of offense against pokemon like Gliscor.
On the topic of EVs, this EV spread was chosen to give Rotom-W as much survivability as possible while still allowing it to hurt things. Rotom-W also benefits from the lack of speed by increasing its chances of Volt Switch being the second move to land, allowing the next mon to come with a somewhat safe switch.
· HP Ice: I hesitated to give Rotom this, but found it necessary after finding that having HP Ice allowed it to swing at more things for a decent amount of damage. In a bad situation where Rotom-W may be my last pokemon, having more options at my disposal seemed like a more pleasing situation.
· Hydro Pump: One of Rotom-W’s standard attacks. Allows it to hit ground, rock, and fire types mainly for some heavy damage. Useful in dealing with either incarnation of Landorus.
· Thunder Wave: Rotom is one of three speed control units with Thunder Wave being his method of speed control.
· Volt Switch: Provides momentum and still lets Rotom-W land a hit on water types. All in all a very useful move and one that tends to put in a lot of work during matches.
Possible fixes: It can be argued that Will-O-Wisp would still be a useful tool for Rotom-W. The reason for that being I do in fact have a second and third method of speed control on this team. They may not be as reliable, but they are still options. If not Will-O-Wisp, we can take out Thunder Wave for Discharge, which has a chance of Paralysis and put Assault Vest on Rotom-W as well. A third fix I can see right off the bat is Rotom-W’s EVs. In hindsight, taking a few EVs out of SDef and putting them into SAtk for the guaranteed KO on Landorus is a valid suggestion.
Known problems: Rotom-W is afraid of Excadrill. That leaves me with four pokemon that are put in a pretty compromising situation whenever Excadrill pops into the game. If it’s just an Excadrill that's not wearing Choice Scarf, Lucario and Mega Charizard X can take it down. If it isn’t? Then we have four pokemon who are in big, big trouble. Other problems for Rotom-W on this team specifically include Mega Venusaur, who I cannot one-shot with anyone on my team, and Dragonite, who can also survive at least one of my main offenses' hits and hit back pretty hard.
Mandibuzz @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Nature: Bold
- Defog
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Tailwind
With the special defensive pivot out of the way, we now have our physically defensive utility mon, Mandibuzz. Mandibuzz makes excellent use of Leftovers to keep itself in the game a bit longer while its typing makes it one of the only things that won’t turn pale at the sight of something packing Earthquake. It can also deal significant damage to an Excadrill not carrying Rock Slide and has the potential to outlive a Dragonite that isn’t carrying Stone Edge or Thunder Punch in a standstill.
The EVs are notes I took from the 6th Gen analysis, having tested them out and finding them to be the most appropriate for this set up. It lets Mandibuzz take a decent amount of hits from the physical end of the spectrum while keeping it in good enough condition to do what it needs to do.
· Defog: Mandibuzz’s ultimate goal on this team is to get those pesky pebbles out of the way so that the battle can go on hazard-free. This is especially helpful in the event of a sticky web setter. Defog helps it accomplish this task well.
· Foul Play: Mandibuzz’s only method of offense and a darn useful one at that. It’s a great method for dealing with Aegislash and helps my team deal a good amount of damage in a pinch.
· Roost: Standard recovery on Mandibuzz, who needs it more than anyone else as the team’s resident support and defense mon. I need to keep this thing alive and in good health for most of the match, especially if Talonflame is alive and Rotom-W is dead.
· Tailwind: This is what I meant earlier by additional speed control. While there is definitely nothing wrong with Rotom-W paralyzing things, Tailwind allows me to instantly speed my entire team up for a little while. Of course, this does come with a problem. I have no method of safely pulling Mandibuzz out in a close match, so this is a pretty debatable move.
Possible fixes: In hindsight, if I am in a match where ground types are not plentiful, then U-Turn is an excellent option over Tailwind. It would at least let Mandibuzz and Rotom-W keep momentum going and forms a VoltTurn defensive core to make use of.
Known problems: Mandibuzz is helpful and all, but it has a problem with taking really heavy special attackers, so a well-timed Thundurus puts it in a compromising situation. Additionally, it does nothing to Azumarill and Mega Venusaur, problem pokemon for most of the team who can both presently tank its hits and proceed to take it out. Additionally, while it can just barely outlast a Dragonite in a 1-on-1 if luck is on my side, it only takes the occasional Thunder Punch to throw that plan out the window.
Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Def / 208 SDef
Nature: Relaxed
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
Here we have the final member of the team: Ferrothorn. He is not only my third method of speed control, he is my third line of defense and my safest answer to Mega Venusaur. He comes with a wonderful set of resistances and comes with one of my only two forms of residual damage: Leech Seed. While I know rocks to be superior, since I am going to be defogging, I figured this to be the better way to go.
EVs are the standard EVs from the Black and White era, made to allow Ferrothorn to function at what he does best: mixed bulk. Since I have only one pokemon that can use ice-type attacks, his defenses are invaluable against pokemon like Dragonite, who may I have to wear down to win the match.
· Gyro Ball: One of Ferrothorn’s two main methods of offense, allowing it to go head to head with things like Mega Venusaur and inflict decent amounts of damage.
· Leech Seed: One of two means of residual damage and is invaluable on a team that needs to wear things like Dragonite and Azumarill down to be within sniping range.
· Power Whip: My second method of attack and is especially reliable against annoying water type pokemon and durable ground types. Helps against the uncommon but occasional Quagsire.
· Thunder Wave: My third method of speed control. I find this to be helpful in a match where Ferrothorn can afford to take it slow and may be an option to consider in the event of altering Rotom-W’s move set since three methods of speed control is plenty.
Possible fixes: The one I can see a lot of people suggesting is Stealth Rock. While speed control is great and all, the sneaky pebbles are still useful for racking up damage. Another thing may come from Ferrothorn’s item choice. Leftovers may or may not be a superior item to Rocky Helmet. As another tech choice, I also considered the possibility of foregoing Thunder Wave for Bulldoze, which would mess with speed while also dealing damage.
Known problems: Fire. Anything that happens to be named Mega Charizard something will be eating Ferrothorn for breakfast. No questions asked. Additionally, while Ferrothorn loves setting hazards, he hates getting status-inflicted, so that’s something to be careful of.
Problems for my team: Mega Charizard X has a powerful presence against my team and will be hard to stop since I can’t weaken it with burn. Mega Charizard Y also has a strong presence because of its intense damage outputs and annoying typing. One of the other larger problems is Dragonite, who I cannot reliably kill without burning or risking the loss of one or two pokemon.
Alrighty. I think that about does it. This is the team I've been testing lately and I hope you enjoyed it. Please do rate and offer advice!
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