Thanks for clicking :D
(Skip if impatient :P)
First of all I'd like to introduce myself as this is my very first post on Smogon. But make no mistake I'm not a newcomer to this site as I've been lurking around these forums for quite a long time, using it as the basis for furthering my development as a competitive battler. What I present to you today is a semi-refined team that I have already tweaked and changed over the course of numerous test battles. But I feel that the potential of this team is alot higher than the state at which it stands right now. I hope with the expertise and knowledge of the members here, I can polish my team and use it to its full potential.
At A Glance:
Visual Overview of the Team's Weaknesses and Resistances:
Introduction:
Long story short: the majority of the battling styles were too slow and boring for me. While effective, the teams that I made failed to grasp my interest for extended periods of time. And so, this offensive team was born. Surprisingly, the team is without stealth rocks, the reason for this being that my unusual Salamence lead takes out at least 2 Pokemon on average, leaving the opponent's team severely dented and within striking range. I tried to combine a team with excellent typing synergy, with each Pokemon able to hold its own but also reliable on its teammates. The lack of an Exploder does irk me as an Explosion at the right time could have easily won some of the battles that I lost with this team. One thing you may notice:
1) Every Pokemon barring Tyranitar is immune to Toxic Spikes. Although during my tests I didn't encounter many teams carrying a Toxic Spiker, this proved very effective against the teams that did.
2) 4 Pokemon are immune to Spikes.
3) 3 Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock, but actually Salamence is relatively unaffected by Stealth Rock damage in the strategy of this team, so only 2 Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock.
In Depth Look:
Salamence @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EV's: 232 ATK / 24 SP.ATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Naughty
~ Dragon Dance
~ Dragon Claw
~ EarthQuake
~ Fire Blast
______________________________
Description:
Salamence has gotta be my favourite OU Pokemon by far. It's power and versatility (especially with the Mix Mence set) is just amazing and without this guy, I would of lost numerous battles (with this team and previous ones.) But his achilles heel is his fraility to Stealth Rocks and at times, Residual damage (i.e. Sandstorm). What I've done to escape that is I've made him my lead pokemon.
I start of the game most of the time with a DD, as the opposing lead sets up stealth rocks or hits me with an attack that doesn't do much. After that boost up, it allows me to outspeed almost every lead out there along with whatever switches in to counter my Mence. The surprise factor and its diverse movepool allow him to get me a great start to the game most of the time. I run a Naughty nature on him as Ice Shards, Ice Punches and Avalanche are much more popular among leads. 24 SP ATK EV's give just enough push to make Fire Blast effective, though the attack's accuracy has sometimes cost me a kill.
VS. Common Leads
1. Azelf - I DD and it's smooth sailing from there. If it chooses to Explode, my focus sash saves me it and I out speed on the next turn to finish it off.
2. Metagross - Bullet Punch is abit of a problem. I DD and they SR or explode. Problem Solved.
3. Swampert - This guy is a little tricky. I'll DD and he'll SR or Avalanche or Ice Beam. Dragon Claw will finish him usually afterwards, if not, oh well.
4. Tyranitar - DD and EQ. Easy to handle. Only met one of these and he wasn't a issue.
5. Aerodactyl - He'll sometimes Taunt, but I punish him next turn by Clawing him to death. His Stone Edge hurts but I survive or focus sash so no biggie.
6. Bronzong - Surprisingly, didn't meet one of these during testing. But I expect I would DD and then Fire Blast it.
7. Hippowdon - His Stone Edge and occasional Ice Fang hurts and the Sand Stream actually knocked me out once. With prediction I'm sure I can handle it better next time.
8. Ninjask - forget the DD, I hit this mother - hard cuz those subs and protects get annoying as hell. No issue tho.
9. Heatran - His Explosion is the only thing that can really hurt me. I DD and EQ him.
10. Infernape - Simple to kill. Was stupid and got encored into a DD before. But nontheless very frail and easy to kill.
11. Mamoswine - Holy crap I get pissed when I see these things. I really can't do anything about it as they Ice Shard me. Gotta switch or just sacrifice at that point.
Team Work:
Depending on who it is, I'll sometimes forego the DD and attack right away if I can OHKO, as not having to worry about Stealth Rocks does help my team. In conclusion, I usually keep this guy in until he dies, cause chances are, he'll take a few of my opponent's pokemon with him. All in all, a pretty reliable lead that tears apart the opponent's unprepared team and lets my other Pokes get to work.
*************
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EV's: 248 HP / 252 ATK / 8 SPE
Nature: Adamant
~ Bullet Punch
~ Pursuit
~ U-Turn
~ SuperPower
__________________________
Descripton:
The set that continues to grow in popularity is the one that I've chosen for my Scizor. Will usually come in after my Salamence has fainted to scout anything with U-Turn. I can also rely on it as a sponge for any Ice attacks directed at Salamence. The two work really well together, covering each other's weaknesses. In addition, if i predict well enough, I can switch into the Mamoswine lead that troubles my Salamence so much and take it out quite effectively.
Everybody knows what this guy can do on top of that. Revenge killing, finishing off crippled pokemon, and a very dangerous sweeper. Simply put, he's just worked wonders for me and is a very simple and effective Pokemon for my team. I'll usually scout and then retreat to save him for mid game, but he can stay in depending on the circumstances. The standard Adamant nature + STAB Bullet Punch + Technician + Choice Band = Godly. The 8 EV's in speed allow me to outspeed opposing CB Scizor.
Team Work:
Versatile. He can scout, sweep, revenge kill and most importantly win the game for me. His Ice resistance has proved useful to me countless times in trying to have Salamence wreak as much havoc as possible. If he manages to live till the end of the game, he can come in and clean up with Bullet Punch.
*************
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EV's: 252 ATK / 252 SPE / 4 DEF
Nature: Adamant
~ Dragon Dance
~ Waterfall
~ Stone Edge
~ Bounce
___________________________
Description:
I started out with a Life Orb set, but I failed to really feel the difference in power and my Gyarados fainted alot more times than I liked. I took out Ice Fang because Garchomp ceases to be a problem now that it's been shunned to Uber, and replaced it with Bounce which does just as much damage to Celebi while racking up Leftovers regeneration.
If i fit a Dragon Dance in, he becomes very dangerous. If the opponent is somehow stupid enough to let me fit two DD's in, it's over. He's extremely bulky for a offensive Pokemon of his caliber and I strongly advice anyone who hasn't tried this beast out to go and make a team with Gyarados. He'll come in mid to late game to hopefully add upon the damage my Lead Mence created and blow the game open.
Team Work:
He'll gladly take and Fire or Ground moves directed at Scizor and hit back with lots of power. A great pokemon who works very well with this team. He really capitalizes on the damage that Salamence causes. A good deal of prediction is needed to effectively use him though. I've used Gyarados so many times that I'm a little bored with him. I've been desperate to try out CroCune but adding one to this team proved difficult.
*************
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 80 HP / 252 ATK / 176 SPE
Nature: Lonely
~ Outrage
~ EarthQuake
~ Stone Edge
~ Fire Blast
___________________________
Description:
This was my first time using a Flygon. I was a big Garchomp user before it was banned to Uber, so I was eager to try out its little brother as it provided the immunity to Electricity I needed to support my Gyarados.
At first it dissapointed me but as I started to get used to it, it really opened my eyes to how powerful this thing really is. Using it in a similar way to Garchomp resulted in a very capable revenge killer with enough power in its moves to complete a sweep. While I have rarely completed a sweep with Flygon (though I'm sure it could), it almost always takes out a Pokemon or damages it beyond hope before it leaves the battle field. I ran a Lonely nature because I was hit by many more Surf's and Ice Beam's then I was by Waterfall's and Avalanches. The given EV's give Fire Blast enough "oomph" to take out necessary Pokemon.
Team Work:
The Electric immunity is great for synergy with my Gyarados. Its Levitate ability has been extremely useful when switching to avoid a EarthQuake. When in doubt, go to Flygon. It really has been that way during my testing. This guy will come in literally whenever needed. The point is, he gets the job done and well. He's a great role Pokemon that compliments my major sweepers.
*************
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EV's: 248 HP / 228 DEF / 32 SPE
Nature: Bold
~ ThunderBolt
~ Heat Wave
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Roost
_______________________________
Description:
A standard Physically Defensive Zapdos that makes sure the table is set for my final Pokemon to come in and end the game in decisive fashion (Tyranitar). The decision between him and Magnezone was tough and after testing out both of them, Zapdos proved to be more effective and my Magnezone was constantly pounded by EarthQuake's or something else. If Magnezone fainted without taking out the opponent's Tyranitar counter, it usually resulted in a loss. Zapdos was much more adept at taking out TTar's counters while acting as a stable offensive force.
I chose the Physical Tank version as it helps me deal with many of the Pokemon that trouble my team (Eg. Metagross, Heracross, Lucario, Gyarados and Scizor, and various tanks and walls such as Skarmory, Hippowdon and Gliscor). Nonetheless it is the Pokemon that I'm least confident about on my team. I chose Hidden Power Grass over Ice to aquire the triple coverage of Electricity, Fire, and Grass. I've tried both Roost and Roar, each to varying success. Advice and critique on how I should better use Zapdos would be greatly appreciated. A completely different Pokemon may also be suggested. The 32 Speed EV's let me barely outrun the threats that I deal with.
Team Work:
It has great synergy with Tyranitar and work very well as a duo. Zapdos also worked very well with Gyarados but switching back and forth between them caused SR damage to rack up like crazy. Overall, without it, I couldn't use Tyranitar effectively and it's a very sturdy and reliable Pokemon to fall back on.
*************
Tyranitar @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Stream
EV's: 116 ATK / 144 SP ATK / 248 SPE
Nature: Naive
~ Dragon Dance
~ Crunch
~ Fire Blast
~ Ice Beam
_______________________________
I tried out countless diffrent Tyranitar sets during testing and this one turned out to be the most effective to clean up late game. After Zapdos takes care of its counters, it comes in and Dragon Dances, once or twice if I get lucky and closes out the game. The type coverage lets it effectively break walls while fainting any remaining Pokemon.
At all costs, I try and leave this guy to the very end. The sandstorm whipped up by Sand Stream is very annoying to my team and really benefits only Tyranitar. I've got a Naive nature on it so I can outrun as many things as possible with the DD boosts and the SpD drop is redundant as the Sandstorm raises TTar's SpD by 50% if I'm not mistaken. The EV set works well to capitalize on maximum damage. This set has recently been the most effective, but I'm very open to suggestions and changes.
Team Work:
The majority of my team is actually built to support and ensure a late game sweep by Tyranitar. Should my other Pokemon faint, it comes out and makes sure that I still have a good chance of winning the game. Tyranitar on any team is a formidable force, and after the beatings that my team has placed on my opponent, it's difficult for them to handle a closer like TTar.
(Skip if impatient :P)
First of all I'd like to introduce myself as this is my very first post on Smogon. But make no mistake I'm not a newcomer to this site as I've been lurking around these forums for quite a long time, using it as the basis for furthering my development as a competitive battler. What I present to you today is a semi-refined team that I have already tweaked and changed over the course of numerous test battles. But I feel that the potential of this team is alot higher than the state at which it stands right now. I hope with the expertise and knowledge of the members here, I can polish my team and use it to its full potential.
At A Glance:
Visual Overview of the Team's Weaknesses and Resistances:
Introduction:
Long story short: the majority of the battling styles were too slow and boring for me. While effective, the teams that I made failed to grasp my interest for extended periods of time. And so, this offensive team was born. Surprisingly, the team is without stealth rocks, the reason for this being that my unusual Salamence lead takes out at least 2 Pokemon on average, leaving the opponent's team severely dented and within striking range. I tried to combine a team with excellent typing synergy, with each Pokemon able to hold its own but also reliable on its teammates. The lack of an Exploder does irk me as an Explosion at the right time could have easily won some of the battles that I lost with this team. One thing you may notice:
1) Every Pokemon barring Tyranitar is immune to Toxic Spikes. Although during my tests I didn't encounter many teams carrying a Toxic Spiker, this proved very effective against the teams that did.
2) 4 Pokemon are immune to Spikes.
3) 3 Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock, but actually Salamence is relatively unaffected by Stealth Rock damage in the strategy of this team, so only 2 Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock.
In Depth Look:
Salamence @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EV's: 232 ATK / 24 SP.ATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Naughty
~ Dragon Dance
~ Dragon Claw
~ EarthQuake
~ Fire Blast
______________________________
Description:
Salamence has gotta be my favourite OU Pokemon by far. It's power and versatility (especially with the Mix Mence set) is just amazing and without this guy, I would of lost numerous battles (with this team and previous ones.) But his achilles heel is his fraility to Stealth Rocks and at times, Residual damage (i.e. Sandstorm). What I've done to escape that is I've made him my lead pokemon.
I start of the game most of the time with a DD, as the opposing lead sets up stealth rocks or hits me with an attack that doesn't do much. After that boost up, it allows me to outspeed almost every lead out there along with whatever switches in to counter my Mence. The surprise factor and its diverse movepool allow him to get me a great start to the game most of the time. I run a Naughty nature on him as Ice Shards, Ice Punches and Avalanche are much more popular among leads. 24 SP ATK EV's give just enough push to make Fire Blast effective, though the attack's accuracy has sometimes cost me a kill.
VS. Common Leads
1. Azelf - I DD and it's smooth sailing from there. If it chooses to Explode, my focus sash saves me it and I out speed on the next turn to finish it off.
2. Metagross - Bullet Punch is abit of a problem. I DD and they SR or explode. Problem Solved.
3. Swampert - This guy is a little tricky. I'll DD and he'll SR or Avalanche or Ice Beam. Dragon Claw will finish him usually afterwards, if not, oh well.
4. Tyranitar - DD and EQ. Easy to handle. Only met one of these and he wasn't a issue.
5. Aerodactyl - He'll sometimes Taunt, but I punish him next turn by Clawing him to death. His Stone Edge hurts but I survive or focus sash so no biggie.
6. Bronzong - Surprisingly, didn't meet one of these during testing. But I expect I would DD and then Fire Blast it.
7. Hippowdon - His Stone Edge and occasional Ice Fang hurts and the Sand Stream actually knocked me out once. With prediction I'm sure I can handle it better next time.
8. Ninjask - forget the DD, I hit this mother - hard cuz those subs and protects get annoying as hell. No issue tho.
9. Heatran - His Explosion is the only thing that can really hurt me. I DD and EQ him.
10. Infernape - Simple to kill. Was stupid and got encored into a DD before. But nontheless very frail and easy to kill.
11. Mamoswine - Holy crap I get pissed when I see these things. I really can't do anything about it as they Ice Shard me. Gotta switch or just sacrifice at that point.
Team Work:
Depending on who it is, I'll sometimes forego the DD and attack right away if I can OHKO, as not having to worry about Stealth Rocks does help my team. In conclusion, I usually keep this guy in until he dies, cause chances are, he'll take a few of my opponent's pokemon with him. All in all, a pretty reliable lead that tears apart the opponent's unprepared team and lets my other Pokes get to work.
*************
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EV's: 248 HP / 252 ATK / 8 SPE
Nature: Adamant
~ Bullet Punch
~ Pursuit
~ U-Turn
~ SuperPower
__________________________
Descripton:
The set that continues to grow in popularity is the one that I've chosen for my Scizor. Will usually come in after my Salamence has fainted to scout anything with U-Turn. I can also rely on it as a sponge for any Ice attacks directed at Salamence. The two work really well together, covering each other's weaknesses. In addition, if i predict well enough, I can switch into the Mamoswine lead that troubles my Salamence so much and take it out quite effectively.
Everybody knows what this guy can do on top of that. Revenge killing, finishing off crippled pokemon, and a very dangerous sweeper. Simply put, he's just worked wonders for me and is a very simple and effective Pokemon for my team. I'll usually scout and then retreat to save him for mid game, but he can stay in depending on the circumstances. The standard Adamant nature + STAB Bullet Punch + Technician + Choice Band = Godly. The 8 EV's in speed allow me to outspeed opposing CB Scizor.
Team Work:
Versatile. He can scout, sweep, revenge kill and most importantly win the game for me. His Ice resistance has proved useful to me countless times in trying to have Salamence wreak as much havoc as possible. If he manages to live till the end of the game, he can come in and clean up with Bullet Punch.
*************
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EV's: 252 ATK / 252 SPE / 4 DEF
Nature: Adamant
~ Dragon Dance
~ Waterfall
~ Stone Edge
~ Bounce
___________________________
Description:
I started out with a Life Orb set, but I failed to really feel the difference in power and my Gyarados fainted alot more times than I liked. I took out Ice Fang because Garchomp ceases to be a problem now that it's been shunned to Uber, and replaced it with Bounce which does just as much damage to Celebi while racking up Leftovers regeneration.
If i fit a Dragon Dance in, he becomes very dangerous. If the opponent is somehow stupid enough to let me fit two DD's in, it's over. He's extremely bulky for a offensive Pokemon of his caliber and I strongly advice anyone who hasn't tried this beast out to go and make a team with Gyarados. He'll come in mid to late game to hopefully add upon the damage my Lead Mence created and blow the game open.
Team Work:
He'll gladly take and Fire or Ground moves directed at Scizor and hit back with lots of power. A great pokemon who works very well with this team. He really capitalizes on the damage that Salamence causes. A good deal of prediction is needed to effectively use him though. I've used Gyarados so many times that I'm a little bored with him. I've been desperate to try out CroCune but adding one to this team proved difficult.
*************
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 80 HP / 252 ATK / 176 SPE
Nature: Lonely
~ Outrage
~ EarthQuake
~ Stone Edge
~ Fire Blast
___________________________
Description:
This was my first time using a Flygon. I was a big Garchomp user before it was banned to Uber, so I was eager to try out its little brother as it provided the immunity to Electricity I needed to support my Gyarados.
At first it dissapointed me but as I started to get used to it, it really opened my eyes to how powerful this thing really is. Using it in a similar way to Garchomp resulted in a very capable revenge killer with enough power in its moves to complete a sweep. While I have rarely completed a sweep with Flygon (though I'm sure it could), it almost always takes out a Pokemon or damages it beyond hope before it leaves the battle field. I ran a Lonely nature because I was hit by many more Surf's and Ice Beam's then I was by Waterfall's and Avalanches. The given EV's give Fire Blast enough "oomph" to take out necessary Pokemon.
Team Work:
The Electric immunity is great for synergy with my Gyarados. Its Levitate ability has been extremely useful when switching to avoid a EarthQuake. When in doubt, go to Flygon. It really has been that way during my testing. This guy will come in literally whenever needed. The point is, he gets the job done and well. He's a great role Pokemon that compliments my major sweepers.
*************
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EV's: 248 HP / 228 DEF / 32 SPE
Nature: Bold
~ ThunderBolt
~ Heat Wave
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Roost
_______________________________
Description:
A standard Physically Defensive Zapdos that makes sure the table is set for my final Pokemon to come in and end the game in decisive fashion (Tyranitar). The decision between him and Magnezone was tough and after testing out both of them, Zapdos proved to be more effective and my Magnezone was constantly pounded by EarthQuake's or something else. If Magnezone fainted without taking out the opponent's Tyranitar counter, it usually resulted in a loss. Zapdos was much more adept at taking out TTar's counters while acting as a stable offensive force.
I chose the Physical Tank version as it helps me deal with many of the Pokemon that trouble my team (Eg. Metagross, Heracross, Lucario, Gyarados and Scizor, and various tanks and walls such as Skarmory, Hippowdon and Gliscor). Nonetheless it is the Pokemon that I'm least confident about on my team. I chose Hidden Power Grass over Ice to aquire the triple coverage of Electricity, Fire, and Grass. I've tried both Roost and Roar, each to varying success. Advice and critique on how I should better use Zapdos would be greatly appreciated. A completely different Pokemon may also be suggested. The 32 Speed EV's let me barely outrun the threats that I deal with.
Team Work:
It has great synergy with Tyranitar and work very well as a duo. Zapdos also worked very well with Gyarados but switching back and forth between them caused SR damage to rack up like crazy. Overall, without it, I couldn't use Tyranitar effectively and it's a very sturdy and reliable Pokemon to fall back on.
*************
Tyranitar @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Stream
EV's: 116 ATK / 144 SP ATK / 248 SPE
Nature: Naive
~ Dragon Dance
~ Crunch
~ Fire Blast
~ Ice Beam
_______________________________
I tried out countless diffrent Tyranitar sets during testing and this one turned out to be the most effective to clean up late game. After Zapdos takes care of its counters, it comes in and Dragon Dances, once or twice if I get lucky and closes out the game. The type coverage lets it effectively break walls while fainting any remaining Pokemon.
At all costs, I try and leave this guy to the very end. The sandstorm whipped up by Sand Stream is very annoying to my team and really benefits only Tyranitar. I've got a Naive nature on it so I can outrun as many things as possible with the DD boosts and the SpD drop is redundant as the Sandstorm raises TTar's SpD by 50% if I'm not mistaken. The EV set works well to capitalize on maximum damage. This set has recently been the most effective, but I'm very open to suggestions and changes.
Team Work:
The majority of my team is actually built to support and ensure a late game sweep by Tyranitar. Should my other Pokemon faint, it comes out and makes sure that I still have a good chance of winning the game. Tyranitar on any team is a formidable force, and after the beatings that my team has placed on my opponent, it's difficult for them to handle a closer like TTar.
