Tsukuyomi (Zoroark)
-Nasty Plot
-Grass Knot (formerly U-turn)
-Flamethrower
-Night Daze
@Focus Sash
Modest Nature
EVs: Sp.A 252, Spe 252, HP 4
First things first, I chose the image of the shiny one because I was unbelievably lucky and hatched a shiny Zorua with the right nature (shame nobody ever gets to see it though :P)
Zoroark, as always, is there to deceive them. She will be leading the battle, disguised as Skarmory in order to either scout their team with U-turn, or take advantage of them attempting to use something like taunt by hitting them in the face with Night Daze or Flamethrower. Nasty plot is there if I were to come against something like Gliscor, who can do almost nothing against Skarmory and will likely switch out, giving Zoroark a massive power boost. In the event that they decide to just hit "Skarmory" with everything they've got, the focus sash is there to make sure I haven't lost a pokemon out of the failure.
Amaterasu (Infernape)
-Close Combat
-Flare Blitz
-Mach Punch
-U-turn
@Choice Band
Adamant Nature
EVs: Att 252, Spe 252. HP 4
Infernape is in the side as my physical sweeper. Initially he was given the Life Orb to inflict as much damage as he could, but through experience I've discovered that it is very rare that I keep Infernape out for more than one turn, as he is primarily there to land the finishing blow, or, if I suspect that they are going to switch Pokemon, he has U-turn on offer to land a hit and then let me send out somebody better equipped to deal with the threat. His fighting type also pairs him well with Zoroark, as I have discovered on more than one occassion, he is often assaulted with psychic moves, something which literally gives Zoroark a free hit.
Skarmory (Skarmory) Imaginative, I know :P
-Spikes
-Brave Bird (formerly Stealth Rock)
-Whirlwind
-Roost
Ability: Sturdy
@Shed Shell
Impish
EVs: 252 HP,252 Def,4 SpD
I have forgone any means of direct attack with my Skarmory in order to be able to set up a potentially game changing set of entry hazards in spikes. Once the entry hazards are in place, Skarmory's job is then to either Whrlwind and whittle down their team, or retreat so that I have a strong physical wall that can be switched in to take a hit on a team mate's behalf. Skarmory's biggest problem is in Magnezone, yet if all goes to plan, Zoroark should have taken care of this problem at the start of the game with a boosted flamethrower. However, should Zoroark have failed for whatever reason in bringing down Magnezone, the Shed Shell is in place to make a hasty retreat. Skarmory isn't designed to be doing any fighting itself, but should the situation arise, Brave Bird has been added to the set at the cost of Stealth Rock to land a heavy hit.
Shimura (Dusknoir)
-Earthquake
-Ice Punch
-Pain Split
-Will O Wisp
Impish
@Wide Lens
Evs: 252 HP, 68 Atk, 188 Def
Whilst they are both part of a tag team tank, Dusknoir serves mainly to cripple potential sweepers on the other team. With Pain Split as a way of recovering lost health, Dusknoir can take on almost every kind of physical attacker. Will O Wisp is present to take the edge off of their attacks and is improved in its accuracy by the wide lens, as I have discovered how frustrating it can be when Will O Wisp misses 3 times in a row. I have invested a few extra EVs into her attack stat in order to give her an extra punch, something which can be devastating should Ninjask pass on the speed and attack boosts to Dusknoir. Chandelure is the major problem for Dusknoir, as with its monstrous SpA it can take her out with a single hit on most occassions.
Thoros (Ferrothorn)
-Leech Seed
-Protect
-Power Whip
-Thunder Wave
@Rocky Helmet
Relaxed
Evs: 252 HP, 126 Atk, 130 Def
Ferrothorn utilises a generic set, with Protect and Leech Seed there to steadily drain their health whilst providing an efficient means of recovery. However in order to enhance Ferrothorn's offensive capabilities, I have equipped him with the rocky helmet instead of the the usual leftovers. By switching in to a physical attack, Ferrothorn will deal 25% of their health and (hopefully) take very little damage himself. Ferrothorn has Power Whip available to deal out some high damage, particularly to the ever irritating bulky water types such as Vaporeon or Jellicent. Thunder Wave is thrown in as another way of allowing Ferrothorn to damage teams on the switch, particularly useful if a special sweeper is sent in to take Ferrothorn out of action and ends up being permanently crippled.
Rhaegar (Haxorus)
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Outrage
@Choice Band
Jolly
Evs: 4 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Spe
Rhaegar has only one purpose. Out and out destruction. I've maximised his EVs in Attack and Speed and provided him with a Choice Band to ensure that he deals as much damage as possible. Haxorus however is frail, and cannot afford to endure too solid a hit, so in order to get the most out of his speed I opted for the Jolly nature over Adamant. Dragon Claw is the move of choice due to the STAB bonus, but Earthquake and Rock Slide are in there for coverage. Outrage is there as a wallbreaker, so that even pokemon like Skarmory cannot escape withouta significant chunk of their health being removed.
So there you have my team with analysis. Rip it apart please everyone :)
Former Members:
Soi Fon (Ninjask)
-Swords Dance
-X-Scissor
-Baton Pass
-Substitute
Jolly
@Liechi Berry
EVs:252 HP, 216 Atk, 40 Spe
My Ninjask isn't pretentious or original by any means. Soi Fon is there to utilise the time provided by Umbreon sending a pokemon to sleep in order to set up a devastating sweep based around either Infernape or Dusknoir (sometimes even Zoroark). In the event that Ninjask gets caught in the cycle of them continually battering down her Substitutes, the Liechi Berry will activate in order to give her something more than boosted speed to pass on. In a pinch, she can also strike at them herself with her X-Scissor.
Ulquiorra (Umbreon)
-Yawn
-Wish
-Mean Look
-Baton Pass
@Leftovers
Careful
EVs: 252 HP, 128 SpD, 128 Spe
Umbreon has multiple uses in my team. First and foremost, when combined with Dusknoir, they have no weakness and can each take a powerful hit without much trouble. Umbreon's secondary purpose is to set up for the late game sweep. By combining Yawn with the ability to baton pass Mean Look, Umbreon gives Ninjask the perfect opportunity to get a Substitute in place and perhaps even a Swords Dance which, when passed on to Infernape or even Dusknoir, can usually bring about the end of game sweep. Umbreon's third use is to provide Wish support, which is fairly self explanatory.
