Hello everybody. This is a team based around attempting to counter weather affects as many of my other teams have been swept or outstalled by them. I'm not too sure if it is a good team, but that's what the RMT is for.
Team Building
Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Spd/252 SpAtk/252 SpDef
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Pain Split
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Rotom is a decent anti-lead, whose job is to trick-scarf set-up pokemon Hippowdon. It scares Uxie, Mesprit, and does enough damage to Cloyster and Omastar. I usually swap Rotom out around Turn 2, and it will come in later to trickscarf someone else. Has pain split to deal with bulkier pokemon, after trick scarfing them. He is specially defensive because I need a specially defensive pokemon aside from Clefable.
Clefable (F) @ Flame/Toxic Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
Careful nature (+SpDef,-SpAtk)
- Double-Edge
- Heal Bell
- Trick
- Wish
I don't take recoil from double-edge, so everyone is going to cop 180 base power. I use trick to get leftovers off bulky pokemon, and give them toxic orb. Clefable uses heal bell to heal any pokemon on its team thats crippled, and wish to heal them. With Arcanine, Tangrowth and Donphan able to check physical attackers, Clefable is my specially defensive pokemon. It doesn't need to trick Flame Orb, as there's enough adequate ways to check pysical attackers, and because it reduces double-edges damage output.
Golduck (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Cloud Nine
EVs: 76 Def/232 Spd/200 SpAtk
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power (Grass)
- Ice Beam
- Surf
All of Golduck's moves, nature and ev spread is from Smogon. His role is simply to run into any weather condition, removing Cradily's 1.5x special defense boost, Ludicolo's double speed, Walrein's healing etc. Golduck boosts his stats on a predicted switch, or attacks. He is fast enough to outrun a 252spd neutral Arcanine, so Golduck can sweep. I don't know about having a life orb, but Golduck is quite frail anyway. His power was truly demonstrated, when, as the last pokemon left, he calm minds three times on a Registeel rest, then proceeds to sweep the Registeel and his 2 amigos.
Arcanine (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 SpDef
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Sunny Day
Typical Arcanine set with Intimidate, but with Sunny Day. Sunny Day boost Morning Sun, makes Water neutral effectiveness, and Flare Blitz more powerful, and more recoil! Usually I use him to scare someone, and Morning Sun, then switch to Tangrowth to handle the counter. On weather teams, I would use him after Golduck or Clefable has rendered one of Arcanine's threats useless.
Tangrowth (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 48 HP/252 Atk/208 Def
Impish nature (+Def,-SpAtk)
- Earthquake
- Power Whip
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis
Tangrowth is awesome. Leaf Guard lets him absorb status, then get Arcanine to Sunny Day, curing Tangrowth of status when he jumps back in to whip them. The HP evs to get maximum leftovers number, but it could be better if i get max Synthesis 50% and 66%. Rest in Attack and Defence. I can sleep powder set up threats, like nasty plot houndoom. Earthquake for coverage, but maybe leech seed would be good.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 232 HP/24 Atk/252 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge
Donphan hasn't been pulling the weight I wished he could. Golduck is outstalling him. I rarely get a chance to Rapid Spin, because Donphan dies to early, or the threat is too imminent. Ice Shard is good, but not doing enough. The EVs are for maximum Leftovers. He walls alright, but Donphan is fast becoming a dead weight.
Changes I am considering:
Switching Rotom and Donphan out of this team for someone else.
A different weather changer, as Arcanine doesn't have the bulkiness or the opportunity to change it.
Arcanine's ability, Flash Fire or Intimidate, and his hold item.
Tangrowth having Leech Seed or Earthquake
Having a different Fire of my F/W/G core, Houndoom? Moltres?
Clefable's moveset?
Not having a rapid spinner?
I havn't found many weather stall teams on Pokelab, so I don't know if enough testing was done and this is my first RMT.
Team Building
I started with Clefable and Golduck. Clefable doesn't take damage from hail, completing nulling Stallrein's ability to outstall (it would still stall), as Clefable would never die. Golduck removes Stallrein's beloved hail's effects, so it heals half as much. Golduck resists Brine too, and common rain dance sweepers, bar Ludicolo, STAB. Golduck scares Sandstorm stall teams, completing removing their 1.5x special defense boost.
I needed someone who could remove permanent weather, so I used Arcanine with Sunny Day. His Fire-typing isn't ideal for coming onto rock types, Walrein or rain dance sweepers however. And to solve that, a Tangrowth with Synthesis. Hits the types that scares Arcanine, as well as capitalizing on the Sunny Day. Its ability to wall and hit hard with its high attack is appreciated, as well as sleep powdering stallers.
I needed a lead who could handle Hippowdon and Snover, so I decided to use a TrickScarf pokemon. This also helped against stall. I chose Rotom, who could come in on Clefable's weakness to Close Combat. Rotom also scares Uxie and Mesprit, and could Thunderbolt water type leads such as Qwilfish (whose Explosion does nothing), and Omastar.
I chose Donphan as a Rapid Spinner, and is bulky enough to semi-stall. He also doesn't take damage from Sandstorm too.
I needed someone who could remove permanent weather, so I used Arcanine with Sunny Day. His Fire-typing isn't ideal for coming onto rock types, Walrein or rain dance sweepers however. And to solve that, a Tangrowth with Synthesis. Hits the types that scares Arcanine, as well as capitalizing on the Sunny Day. Its ability to wall and hit hard with its high attack is appreciated, as well as sleep powdering stallers.
I needed a lead who could handle Hippowdon and Snover, so I decided to use a TrickScarf pokemon. This also helped against stall. I chose Rotom, who could come in on Clefable's weakness to Close Combat. Rotom also scares Uxie and Mesprit, and could Thunderbolt water type leads such as Qwilfish (whose Explosion does nothing), and Omastar.
I chose Donphan as a Rapid Spinner, and is bulky enough to semi-stall. He also doesn't take damage from Sandstorm too.
Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Spd/252 SpAtk/252 SpDef
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Pain Split
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Rotom is a decent anti-lead, whose job is to trick-scarf set-up pokemon Hippowdon. It scares Uxie, Mesprit, and does enough damage to Cloyster and Omastar. I usually swap Rotom out around Turn 2, and it will come in later to trickscarf someone else. Has pain split to deal with bulkier pokemon, after trick scarfing them. He is specially defensive because I need a specially defensive pokemon aside from Clefable.
Clefable (F) @ Flame/Toxic Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
Careful nature (+SpDef,-SpAtk)
- Double-Edge
- Heal Bell
- Trick
- Wish
I don't take recoil from double-edge, so everyone is going to cop 180 base power. I use trick to get leftovers off bulky pokemon, and give them toxic orb. Clefable uses heal bell to heal any pokemon on its team thats crippled, and wish to heal them. With Arcanine, Tangrowth and Donphan able to check physical attackers, Clefable is my specially defensive pokemon. It doesn't need to trick Flame Orb, as there's enough adequate ways to check pysical attackers, and because it reduces double-edges damage output.
Golduck (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Cloud Nine
EVs: 76 Def/232 Spd/200 SpAtk
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power (Grass)
- Ice Beam
- Surf
All of Golduck's moves, nature and ev spread is from Smogon. His role is simply to run into any weather condition, removing Cradily's 1.5x special defense boost, Ludicolo's double speed, Walrein's healing etc. Golduck boosts his stats on a predicted switch, or attacks. He is fast enough to outrun a 252spd neutral Arcanine, so Golduck can sweep. I don't know about having a life orb, but Golduck is quite frail anyway. His power was truly demonstrated, when, as the last pokemon left, he calm minds three times on a Registeel rest, then proceeds to sweep the Registeel and his 2 amigos.
Arcanine (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 SpDef
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Sunny Day
Typical Arcanine set with Intimidate, but with Sunny Day. Sunny Day boost Morning Sun, makes Water neutral effectiveness, and Flare Blitz more powerful, and more recoil! Usually I use him to scare someone, and Morning Sun, then switch to Tangrowth to handle the counter. On weather teams, I would use him after Golduck or Clefable has rendered one of Arcanine's threats useless.
Tangrowth (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 48 HP/252 Atk/208 Def
Impish nature (+Def,-SpAtk)
- Earthquake
- Power Whip
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis
Tangrowth is awesome. Leaf Guard lets him absorb status, then get Arcanine to Sunny Day, curing Tangrowth of status when he jumps back in to whip them. The HP evs to get maximum leftovers number, but it could be better if i get max Synthesis 50% and 66%. Rest in Attack and Defence. I can sleep powder set up threats, like nasty plot houndoom. Earthquake for coverage, but maybe leech seed would be good.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 232 HP/24 Atk/252 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge
Donphan hasn't been pulling the weight I wished he could. Golduck is outstalling him. I rarely get a chance to Rapid Spin, because Donphan dies to early, or the threat is too imminent. Ice Shard is good, but not doing enough. The EVs are for maximum Leftovers. He walls alright, but Donphan is fast becoming a dead weight.
Changes I am considering:
Switching Rotom and Donphan out of this team for someone else.
A different weather changer, as Arcanine doesn't have the bulkiness or the opportunity to change it.
Arcanine's ability, Flash Fire or Intimidate, and his hold item.
Tangrowth having Leech Seed or Earthquake
Having a different Fire of my F/W/G core, Houndoom? Moltres?
Clefable's moveset?
Not having a rapid spinner?
I havn't found many weather stall teams on Pokelab, so I don't know if enough testing was done and this is my first RMT.
