Iron Man
Sup guys. SS234 here with my best rmt to date(hopefully)! This team is a bulky offense team, that relies on entry hazards and extremely powerful wallbreakers to smash through defensive cores so that one of my 3 sweepers is capable of sweeping. The team has both strong offensive synergy, in that the team all works together to bring down specific threats, but also solid defensive synergy in that p much every relevant threat is checked at least twice somewhere in the team. Despite not having an amazing ladder ranking(>implying that a ladder ranking on the ru ladder shows anything anyway), it is probably the team I am most proud of and that's why I want to share it with you guys :)
Btw, the team is named after the song iron man by black sabbath, not the film / comic book. The song is here and definitely worth a listen:
[youtube]cdfFgR4CO-s[/youtube]
The team started when someone said that moltres should be a rank in the ru viability ranking thread. Lots of people were saying 'wtf moltres for a-moltres is amazing', and since I hadn't used moltres at all prior to this, I decided to build a team around it. Obviously, Kabutops was a must because it is by far the best rapid spinner in the tier and moltres is definitely at its best when sr is off the field. I then added rotom-c to cover the electric weakness, as well as complete the fwg core. Next I added Smeargle, for spikes because moltres and rotom-c and tops all love spikes(but especially molt / rotom-c). Then I added arbok and klinklang to cover sceptile / grass types, fighting types, and psychic types such as mesprit. Overall, this version of the team was ok, but nothing too spectacular. I left the team for a few weeks, and chose to focus on hail and bulkier spikes abusing teams.
However, I really liked the team and I knew there was potential there. I decided to change around some of the mons in hopes of making it become more solid. Arbok was changed to a scarf haunter, and I made rotom-c into a lilligant for a while, but quickly changed back to rotom-c and made it a specs set(which is really good btw). Scarf haunter helped vs. durant a ton, and also gave a valuable fighting immunity. I also changed klinklang to rp aggron, which worked really well apart from the fact I could never get a rp off.
For the final edition of the team, I realised after I played the quasar for rupl(RIP rupl)that I was really much weaker to hitmonlee than I thought because scarf haunter was piss weak. I decided to change haunter back to arbok because arbok actually filled everything wrong with the team(sceptile weak without scarf haunter, lee weak and could bust through wrath after tops / aggron). Aggron was also changed to CB because rp LO was just eating away at its health and I never even used rp. The extra power is nice as well.
However, I really liked the team and I knew there was potential there. I decided to change around some of the mons in hopes of making it become more solid. Arbok was changed to a scarf haunter, and I made rotom-c into a lilligant for a while, but quickly changed back to rotom-c and made it a specs set(which is really good btw). Scarf haunter helped vs. durant a ton, and also gave a valuable fighting immunity. I also changed klinklang to rp aggron, which worked really well apart from the fact I could never get a rp off.
For the final edition of the team, I realised after I played the quasar for rupl(RIP rupl)that I was really much weaker to hitmonlee than I thought because scarf haunter was piss weak. I decided to change haunter back to arbok because arbok actually filled everything wrong with the team(sceptile weak without scarf haunter, lee weak and could bust through wrath after tops / aggron). Aggron was also changed to CB because rp LO was just eating away at its health and I never even used rp. The extra power is nice as well.
In depth look:
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Explosion
Set: The set is standard for explosion smeargle. 252 Spe because fast smeargle can't take hits anyway and its speed is its main weapon against setting up entry hazards. 252 Att because this makes Explosion surprisingly strong(around 85% to gallade iirc). The first three moves are very standard, but boom is rarely seen on smeargle. I really don't kno why tho, since it is a great move to break subs and stop spinning for one turn.
Why this mon?: Smeargle is arguably the best offensive hazard lead in the tier. It is just so good at getting up entry hazard's it is almost unreal. If I can get sr and spikes up, as well as have no entry hazards on my side of the field then it becomes so much easier to win as defensive mons become so easy to wear down. Of course, offensive mons get worn down as well, and sr and spikes makes a huge number of ko's happen-for example, moltres almost always 1HKO's kabutops with hurricane after sr and spikes. The ability to sleep a mon is also really, really useful in that it basically incapacitates a mon for the rest of the match. Overall, smeargle is a brilliant hazard setter and is crucial in getting the team off to a good start.
Moltres @ Choice Specs
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Flamethrower
- Sleep Talk
- U-turn
Set: Specs is incredibly powerful on moltres, and makes blasting through special walls / bulky mons much easier. Being locked into a move doesn't matter that much when your STAB's 2HKO resists the vast majority of the time. Flamethrower is a reliable STAB, and of course mashes grass types and p much everything that doesn't resist it. Hurricane is good either when I need the extra boost in power or there is something that resists flamethrower, eg. druddigon. U-turn is cool for allowing me to switch out of moltres counters such as regirock and lanturn and into rotom-c / aggron, racking up hazard damage all the while. This makes u-turn better than HP Grass p much every time, as it doesn't allow mons like subroost moltres or rock polish aggron to get free set-up after hp grass has killed something. Sleep talk, being the ultimate filler move that it is, found use in the last slot, and turns moltres into an amazing switch into amoonguss, jynx and other sleep users.
Why this mon?: Moltres is so good in the metagame right now. It just takes a huge dump on almost every single defensive team, and hits insanely hard. Moltres is my go to special wallbreaker and my primary answer to defensive teams alongside entry hazards and kabutops. Specs molt is such a great set, and is capable of many more 1 and 2HKO's than the LO set-for example, druddigon, bouffolant, kabutops and specially defensive slowking are all 1 or 2HKO'd in slowking's case by specs hurricane after sr and spikes. Defensively, moltres is capable of handling gallade, aforementioned sleep users, steelix and some blizzspammers as well. Due to moltres' good bulk and amazing power, it is also capable of checking mons like kangaskhan, absol and golurk as long as sr isn't up. Most durants are also checked by moltres, since a +1 thunder fang doesn't 1HKO as long as no sr. Rock slide wrecks tho :(
Kabutops @ Life Orb
Trait: Weak Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
Set: The moveset is a standard SD spinner. It's only the nature which is different to normal. Seeing as jolly 1HKO's all the spinblockers after sr and spikes, as well as still get p much every other relevant 1HKO taking spikes and sr into account, there wasn't much point in running adamant. The extra speed is useful vs. jolly / naive absol, modest magmortar, opposing kabutops and smeargle to name a few.
Why this mon?: Kabutops is bar none the best spinner in the tier without a doubt. It is so incredibly good at destroying spin blockers, and it synergises so well with moltres that I just had to include it for this team. Obviously, spinning away entry hazards plays a big part in why tops is in the team, but kabutops does other things as well. SD and Ajet allows it to be a potent late game cleaner, and tops's amazing typing allows it to check numerous deadly pokes, such as subroost moltres, entei and most hail abusers. Tops is also capable of checking swellow and drifblim etc. and although aggron is my primary counter to them, having a second one is nice because drifblim sux.
Rotom-Mow @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Set: Standard set for scarf really, bar HP Ice over HP Fire. HP Ice 2HKO's offensive drudd after sr and spikes, as well as hit opposing rotom-c for the 2HKO before they can 2HKO me. Still hits p much everything of relevance bar ferroseed and esca, which get murked by moltres and aggron. I don't run trick because rotom-c really needs its scarf to be of use against offensive teams, and against defensive teams I'm already covered with aggron / tops / moltres / smeargle.
Why this mon?: Rotom-c is the best scarfer in ru imo, thanks to its solid bulk, volt switch and great typing both offensively and defensively. Therefore, rotom-c is my main cleaner as well as revenge killer, and thanks to its good coverage and powerful STAB's it can revenge kill all kinds of mons, from tauros to feraligatr. Against offense, rotom-c is a crucial component of the team, keeping many sweepers in check and volt switching left and right, all the while racking up hazard damage. On the defensive side of things, obviously rotom-c is my scarfer and therefore checks a huge number of dangerous mons-rp aggron, rp rhydon, sceptile, tauros etc. are all checked by rotom-c. The typing also makes rotom-c my primary switch in to bulky waters such as lanturn, slowking etc. although ice beam / fire blast can hurt.
Arbok @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake
Set: Standard coil set for arbok, with jolly over adamant because again with sr and spikes I get all of the KO's that adamant scores with sr. Gunk shot for powerful STAB, eq to hit rock and steel types that gunk shot misses out on and sucker punch for powerful priority and to hit ghost types such as rotom.
Why this mon?: Arbok is a very useful mon defensively, checking sceptile, lilligant and a vast majority of fighting types such as hitmonlee. Arbok isn't only here because of its defensive traits, otherwise I'd be using something like defensive amoonguss. Arbok is a p solid physical sweeper, and really capitalises on either breaking down mons like poliwrath, or finishing physical walls after aggron / tops has happened. This means that arbok is either an early game wallbreaker, or a sweeper late game once physical walls are weaker. Alternatively, if it looks like arbok is not going to get a sweep sucker punch and intimidate can be used to weaken dangerous mons. All in all, arbok is nowhere near a top tier poke, but it gets the job done. If anyone has a replacement for arbok I would be happy to hear it :)
Aggron @ Choice Band
Trait: Rock Head
EVs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Heavy Slam
- Head Smash
- Low Kick
Set: Almost as standard as it get lol, just with low kick over eq for the stronger hit vs. steelix(2HKO after spikes). It still gets all of the relevant kills as far as I'm concerned as well. Fire Punch > Aqua Tail because ferroseed is a shit and aqua tail is hitting literally nothing that heavy slam doesn't.
Why this mon?: Aggron is manly af. CB Head Smash just decimates everything that doesn't resist it and a lot of pokes that do-it's just that powerful. Only the sturdiest physical walls that resist head smash can withstand its powerful attacks, and most of these get crushed by a coverage move. Aggron is my main physical wallbreaker thanks to its good coverage and ridiculous power with head smash. Although aggron has a shockingly bad defensive typing, it has the physical bulk and steel typing that allows it to check some mons really well. Ferroseed, clefable, escavalier, some entei, sd tops(without waterfall) and cinncino are a few of the mons that aggron can check well. Against more offensive teams, aggron doesn't see that much use but generally there is one mon that aggron can easily get a head smash off against and therefore kill something because of its mental power.
Threatlist:
Omastar: It's a good thing that people don't use this as much anymore, as if it sets up it can quite easily 6-0 this team. The only thing it can set-up on though is smeargle, as everything else deals a large enough amount of damage that tops / arbok can revenge kill with priority. But if it can set-up, then it is basically gg right there.
Tauros: Tauros is very hard to switch into, and also really fast and quite bulky on the physical side. As you can see, this makes tauros a huge pain to check. I have to rely on rotom-c leaf storm, which is really easy to take advantage of. So ya it's a good thing not many people use this.
Cryogonal: Fast cryo is capable of outspeeding smeargle and spinning my hazards away, as well as dealing major damage to everything with its ice / ground coverage. I have to stop sr going up so that moltres can check, but if sr is up it becomes really hard to deal with.
Ty for reading :)
