Hi Smogoners! I am Leethoof, and I usually play CAP ASB, though I've recently forayed into real competitive battling, beginning with the RU tier at the suggestion of #capasb. I've tried out multiple teams, but this is my most successful one so far. Thus, I present to the RMT Forum: Girthful Earth.
What does Girthful Earth even mean? Absolutely nothing.
Overview
Girthful Earth is a bulky team focused on easily setting up, and keeping up, hazards, then forcing as many switches as possible with its unique plethora of immunities and resistances. Once the opposing team is low enough, several members of the team are capable of turning the game around in a surprise sweep, taking advantage of the multitude of hazards damage. The triple ground-type core leans the team towards an over-saturation of an already powerful attacking type, and many teams have enough checks to defend against the ground-type spam from both sides of the offensive spectrum.
Some Quick Notes
-I try to avoid mentioning specific threats in each of the descriptions, as I will cover them in the threatlist.
-Due to living in Siberia, I disconnect in about 70% of my battles. I try to test this as much as I can, but I believe this as far as I'll get without your help, RMT forum. This also leads to my super low ladder rating -.-
The Team
Accelgor @ Life Orb
Trait: Sticky Hold
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature (+Spe, -Def)
- Spikes
- Bug Buzz
- U-Turn
- Hidden Power [Rock]
Surprisingly enough for its usual reputation as lead, Accelgor usually doesn't begin the battle for Girthful Earth. The bulkier Seismitoad or Camerupt is usually more suited to this position, but be assured, as soon as Accelgor finds a chance to get in, it will get some Spikes layers up. And after Accelgor has laid down some Spikes, it can quickly U-Turn its way out of danger, leaving it free to place another layer in the same manner later in the match. The offensive EVs, Life Orb, powerful STAB in Bug Buzz, and extra coverage in Hidden Power allow Accelgor to function as an endgame revenge killer, or even sweeper if the situation is correct. Typingwise, Accelgor may not have much synergy with the rest of Girthful Earth, but its momentum-keeping fast U-Turn and easy Spikes solidly keep it on the team.
Switch-Ins:
:
,
:
,
,
: I'll get to that later...
Camerupt @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Rock Polish
Camerupt, hailing from NU, is actually a formidable Pokemon even in the tier above where it belongs. Camerupt uses its unique typing and fair bulk to switch in safely multiple times during the match (Will-O-Wisps are easy to see from a mile away). Once it is in, sustaining either minor or no damage, Camerupt has a disproportionate amount of options for only having four moves. It can set up an easy Stealth Rock to chip away the enemy team, or blast predicted switch-ins with a monstrously strong STAB Earth Power or Flamethrower. If the opposing team seems weak enough to this combination (an large amount are, its not a common 2-move attacking combo that people prepare for), I'll even go for an unexpected Rock Polish, as Camerupt's only real downside is its horrible speed. Often, the opponent realizes what is happening too late, and I'll get in another Rock Polish, almost sealing the game right there. Camerupt's powerful versatility earns it a spot as the first ground-type of Girthful Earth.
Switch-Ins
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,
:
,
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 SpA
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earth Power
- Toxic
What? Two Rocks users? Are you crazy, noobish ASB player? Yeah, probably, but I never leave home without a backup user of Stealth Rock. Losing your primary user to a random crit or a bad predict before they get rocks up hurts a lot more than hurting any other Pokemon - Rocks are that valuable. Besides, neither Seismetoad nor Camerupt are hurting for 4MSS.
Anyways, onto Seismetoad itself. It is a specially defensive behemoth, easily on par with Gastrodon way up in OU. Using its two immunities well, Seismitoad works similarly to Camerupt. Though it doesn't have near as much of an offensive presence, Seismetoad's Toxic is critical to shutting down opposing walls. Having both Scald and Earth Power allow for good versatility when attacking whatever Seismitoad happens to be walling (fire-types and Nidoking, usually), allowing it to choose the more appropriate move for possible switch-ins. In addition, having Water Absorb often catches many players off guard, as most Seismitoad are self-sufficient Swift Swim sweepers, rather than a bulky pivot. This exceptional combination of bulk and typing let Seismetoad function as the second ground-type of Girthful Earth.
Switch-Ins:
:
,
Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Substitute
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Focus Punch
Golurk is one of the tier's best physical attackers, despite being trapped in NU like the other ground-types on this team. Setting up a Substitute on one of its three immunities, and then proceeding to slam into any non-ghost, non-Tangrowth switch-in with an Iron Fist Focus Punch, Golurk is capable of massive damage. Earthquake is a reliable and powerful STAB to crush things with. Shadow Punch goes from zero to hero with Iron Fist and STAB, allowing Golurk to take advantage of its ghost typing and maul Cresselia (and other psychic-types, but let's be honest, its all about Cresselia). As one of my two physical attackers, Golurk's fantastic offense gained its place on Girthful Earth, summing up the trio of ground-types.
Switch-Ins:
:
:
,
:
,
,
:
: I'll get to that later...
Slowking @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Surf
- Psyshock
- Flamethrower
- Thunder Wave
Slowking certainly deserves its title as one of the kings of RU (its on the hub banner!!!). Slowking is capable of sponging many attacks, even able to forgo a recovery move due to Regenerator, and hitting back hard with a high special attack. Surf is both powerful and reliable; I don't like relying on low accuracy moves. I opted for Psyshock over Psychic on the principle that my team already leans more towards the special side, so naturally I have more trouble with special walls. Flamethrower adds extra coverage and roasts several common switch-ins to Slowking, while Thunder Wave cripples sweepers who rely on their speed, while also adding a nice dose of hax for troublesome walls immune to poison (Clefabe .-. ). Slowking is such a fantastic mon in general; its easy to fit onto any team, and Girthful Earth is no different.
Switch-Ins:
:
,
,
,
:
,
:
:
,
: I'll get to that later...
Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Trait: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power [Earthquake]
- Return
Sap Sipper Sawsbuck takes advantage of my team's apparent grass weakness and turns into a flurry of setup opportunities. Being a sleep absorber for everything except the odd Hypnosis Spiritomb or Yawn Uxie, Sawsbuck uses its two immunities and lots of resistances to switch in, rather than any sort of bulk. Sawsbuck can then use the free turn to get up to +3 attack with Swords Dance, and begin smacking things left and right with its excellent STAB combination of Horn Leech and Return. The coverage move, Nature Power, also has the side effect of bypassing powerful Sucker Punches from many terrifying threats. Sawsbuck rounds out Girthful Earth nicely by adding a late-game cleaner.
Switch-Ins:
:
,
,
:
,
:
:
,
,
: I'll get to that later...
Closing Thoughts/Suggested Changes
So, this is my first RMT (I think, at least the first one I can remember, definitely my first RU one) and I think its been quite succesful. It has no awe-inspiring ladder ranking due to my lack of reliable internet, but perhaps some good RU player could take it there :3 . This is Girthful Earth.
Some changes I've already been mulling over in my mind:
-Accelgor feels like the odd one out. I can't quite think of anything that serves the same strange role it does, though. Perhaps the potential Accelgor replacement could help cover either my current Dark or Flying weakness...
-Slowking's fourth slot. I've tried Toxic, Trick Room, Nasty Plot, Light Screen/Reflect, so many things, and yet I can never seem to find the right one.
-Maybe, just maybe, switching out one of my Stealth Rocks for a different fourth move on Camerupt or Seismitoad.
-Learning how to spell Seismaosojmtoad correctly on a regular basis.
Thanks for reading! I'll get up a threatlist soonish, as my ways of dealing with some threats are kind of odd.
What does Girthful Earth even mean? Absolutely nothing.
Overview
Girthful Earth is a bulky team focused on easily setting up, and keeping up, hazards, then forcing as many switches as possible with its unique plethora of immunities and resistances. Once the opposing team is low enough, several members of the team are capable of turning the game around in a surprise sweep, taking advantage of the multitude of hazards damage. The triple ground-type core leans the team towards an over-saturation of an already powerful attacking type, and many teams have enough checks to defend against the ground-type spam from both sides of the offensive spectrum.
Some Quick Notes
-I try to avoid mentioning specific threats in each of the descriptions, as I will cover them in the threatlist.
-Due to living in Siberia, I disconnect in about 70% of my battles. I try to test this as much as I can, but I believe this as far as I'll get without your help, RMT forum. This also leads to my super low ladder rating -.-
The Team
Accelgor @ Life Orb
Trait: Sticky Hold
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature (+Spe, -Def)
- Spikes
- Bug Buzz
- U-Turn
- Hidden Power [Rock]
Surprisingly enough for its usual reputation as lead, Accelgor usually doesn't begin the battle for Girthful Earth. The bulkier Seismitoad or Camerupt is usually more suited to this position, but be assured, as soon as Accelgor finds a chance to get in, it will get some Spikes layers up. And after Accelgor has laid down some Spikes, it can quickly U-Turn its way out of danger, leaving it free to place another layer in the same manner later in the match. The offensive EVs, Life Orb, powerful STAB in Bug Buzz, and extra coverage in Hidden Power allow Accelgor to function as an endgame revenge killer, or even sweeper if the situation is correct. Typingwise, Accelgor may not have much synergy with the rest of Girthful Earth, but its momentum-keeping fast U-Turn and easy Spikes solidly keep it on the team.
Switch-Ins:
Camerupt @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Rock Polish
Camerupt, hailing from NU, is actually a formidable Pokemon even in the tier above where it belongs. Camerupt uses its unique typing and fair bulk to switch in safely multiple times during the match (Will-O-Wisps are easy to see from a mile away). Once it is in, sustaining either minor or no damage, Camerupt has a disproportionate amount of options for only having four moves. It can set up an easy Stealth Rock to chip away the enemy team, or blast predicted switch-ins with a monstrously strong STAB Earth Power or Flamethrower. If the opposing team seems weak enough to this combination (an large amount are, its not a common 2-move attacking combo that people prepare for), I'll even go for an unexpected Rock Polish, as Camerupt's only real downside is its horrible speed. Often, the opponent realizes what is happening too late, and I'll get in another Rock Polish, almost sealing the game right there. Camerupt's powerful versatility earns it a spot as the first ground-type of Girthful Earth.
Switch-Ins
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 SpA
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earth Power
- Toxic
What? Two Rocks users? Are you crazy, noobish ASB player? Yeah, probably, but I never leave home without a backup user of Stealth Rock. Losing your primary user to a random crit or a bad predict before they get rocks up hurts a lot more than hurting any other Pokemon - Rocks are that valuable. Besides, neither Seismetoad nor Camerupt are hurting for 4MSS.
Anyways, onto Seismetoad itself. It is a specially defensive behemoth, easily on par with Gastrodon way up in OU. Using its two immunities well, Seismitoad works similarly to Camerupt. Though it doesn't have near as much of an offensive presence, Seismetoad's Toxic is critical to shutting down opposing walls. Having both Scald and Earth Power allow for good versatility when attacking whatever Seismitoad happens to be walling (fire-types and Nidoking, usually), allowing it to choose the more appropriate move for possible switch-ins. In addition, having Water Absorb often catches many players off guard, as most Seismitoad are self-sufficient Swift Swim sweepers, rather than a bulky pivot. This exceptional combination of bulk and typing let Seismetoad function as the second ground-type of Girthful Earth.
Switch-Ins:
Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Substitute
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Focus Punch
Golurk is one of the tier's best physical attackers, despite being trapped in NU like the other ground-types on this team. Setting up a Substitute on one of its three immunities, and then proceeding to slam into any non-ghost, non-Tangrowth switch-in with an Iron Fist Focus Punch, Golurk is capable of massive damage. Earthquake is a reliable and powerful STAB to crush things with. Shadow Punch goes from zero to hero with Iron Fist and STAB, allowing Golurk to take advantage of its ghost typing and maul Cresselia (and other psychic-types, but let's be honest, its all about Cresselia). As one of my two physical attackers, Golurk's fantastic offense gained its place on Girthful Earth, summing up the trio of ground-types.
Switch-Ins:
Slowking @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Surf
- Psyshock
- Flamethrower
- Thunder Wave
Slowking certainly deserves its title as one of the kings of RU (its on the hub banner!!!). Slowking is capable of sponging many attacks, even able to forgo a recovery move due to Regenerator, and hitting back hard with a high special attack. Surf is both powerful and reliable; I don't like relying on low accuracy moves. I opted for Psyshock over Psychic on the principle that my team already leans more towards the special side, so naturally I have more trouble with special walls. Flamethrower adds extra coverage and roasts several common switch-ins to Slowking, while Thunder Wave cripples sweepers who rely on their speed, while also adding a nice dose of hax for troublesome walls immune to poison (Clefabe .-. ). Slowking is such a fantastic mon in general; its easy to fit onto any team, and Girthful Earth is no different.
Switch-Ins:
Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Trait: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power [Earthquake]
- Return
Sap Sipper Sawsbuck takes advantage of my team's apparent grass weakness and turns into a flurry of setup opportunities. Being a sleep absorber for everything except the odd Hypnosis Spiritomb or Yawn Uxie, Sawsbuck uses its two immunities and lots of resistances to switch in, rather than any sort of bulk. Sawsbuck can then use the free turn to get up to +3 attack with Swords Dance, and begin smacking things left and right with its excellent STAB combination of Horn Leech and Return. The coverage move, Nature Power, also has the side effect of bypassing powerful Sucker Punches from many terrifying threats. Sawsbuck rounds out Girthful Earth nicely by adding a late-game cleaner.
Switch-Ins:
Closing Thoughts/Suggested Changes
So, this is my first RMT (I think, at least the first one I can remember, definitely my first RU one) and I think its been quite succesful. It has no awe-inspiring ladder ranking due to my lack of reliable internet, but perhaps some good RU player could take it there :3 . This is Girthful Earth.
Some changes I've already been mulling over in my mind:
-Accelgor feels like the odd one out. I can't quite think of anything that serves the same strange role it does, though. Perhaps the potential Accelgor replacement could help cover either my current Dark or Flying weakness...
-Slowking's fourth slot. I've tried Toxic, Trick Room, Nasty Plot, Light Screen/Reflect, so many things, and yet I can never seem to find the right one.
-Maybe, just maybe, switching out one of my Stealth Rocks for a different fourth move on Camerupt or Seismitoad.
-Learning how to spell Seismaosojmtoad correctly on a regular basis.
Thanks for reading! I'll get up a threatlist soonish, as my ways of dealing with some threats are kind of odd.
