Keldeo Gang or Die: A Smogon Doubles RMT
INTRODUCTION:
Hey everyone, my name is Pinoy Pwnage, and this is my first ever RMT! You might recognize me as a guy who loves to rate Doubles and VGC teams around the RMT forum. :] Anyway, a little background about myself; I was introduced to the world of Double Battles in a 2010 VGC Regional in Dallas where I managed to place top 16! I've been playing VGC ever since, but as I was practicing for an upcoming VGC tournament last year, I stumbled across an interesting new metagame: Smogon Doubles! Instantly, I was hooked. I loved the concept of a full 6 vs 6 Double Battle, and to this day I enjoy playing this metagame as much as I did when I first started. But going back to this team, I have been using it for about 2 months now, and I'm happy to say it has been extremely consistent for me. I managed to take the #1 seed in the Doubles Spring Seasonal with this team, and also managed to peak #1 on the Smogon Doubles Current ladder just recently. Without further ado, let's get dive into the RMT!
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
Keldeo @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Quick Guard
- Protect
Keldeo, the star of the show! Probably one of the most underrated threats in the Smogon Doubles metagame; I'm surprised he isn't utilized more. Keldeo provides great offense with superior Special Attack and Speed, and he had the ability to sweep teams if left unchecked. He OHKOs common threats such as Jolly Kangaskhan and Max HP Kyurem-B with Secret Sword and I opted for Scald over Hydro Pump due to the fact I found the 100% accuracy more reliable, not to mention I had the possibility of burning my opponent in the process. Quick Guard shielded my team from incoming Fake Outs, as well as annoying Prankster Thunder Waves and priority attacks such as Talonflame's Brave Bird and Azumarill's Aqua Jet. I can't tell you how many matches Quick Guard has saved in the clutch moments of the game, and it allowed my next member, Talonflame, to safely pull off a Tailwind for a potential sweep.
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Talonflame made for an amazing lead when paired with Keldeo, and it provided my team with a solid check against the likes of Hitmontop, Amoonguss, and the occasional Mega-Venusaur. He also allowed me to deal significant damage to the opponent even inside Trick Room thanks to Gale Wings STAB Brave Bird. Talonflame can be surprisingly bulky, surviving multiple non-super effective attacks before being taken down with 132 HP EVs invested. I figured I didn't really need the Max Speed investment as he is already very fast and even carries the Gale Wings ability for his Flying-type moves. His dual STABs in Brave Bird and Flare Blitz provided me with some really great coverage, and priority Tailwind allowed me to gain the speed advantage and even shift the momentum to my side late in the game. Keldeo's Quick Guard almost guarantees Tailwind is put up in the beginning of the match, allowing me to outspeed my opponent early.
Kangaskhan (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
Kangaskhan is probably one of the biggest threats in the Smogon Doubles metagame, and I opted to use her as my Mega-Evolution as she is extremely versatile with a vast movepool to work with. MegaMom gave my team a huge offensive boost, and her Fake Out enabled me to disrupt the opponent while allowing other members of my team to set up or dish out damage. She is also a useful anti-lead when paired with Thundurus, combining for a Fake Out + Thunder Wave/Taunt/Substitute combo. STAB Return is obvious, but I decided to use Drain Punch to increase Kangaskhan's survivability during battle with a source of recovery, while also giving me coverage against the likes of Heatran, Tyranitar, and other various threats. Ice Punch, however, is extremely useful, allowing me to OHKO Landorus-T, Salamence, and Garchomp, even at -1. I can't tell you how surprised my opponent was to see his Lando-T get instantly taken out, even with the attack drop.
Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 28 SDef / 228 HP / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Man, I really love Substitute Kyurem. I'll give credit to Nollan for this set because apparently he's the one who made it cool. :P The 228 HP EVs helps Kyurem-B recover as much HP as possible with Leftovers and the Modest nature with Max Special Attack Investment allows him to inflict a huge amount of damage against many common threats with STAB Ice Beam. Earth Power, when paired with his Teravolt ability, hits the Rotom appliances, and also OHKOs Heatran without a Shuca Berry. Substitute is great; I can predict the opponent not attacking by protecting or switching out, giving me a free decoy. Sub + Protect assists Kyurem-B in retaining as much HP as possible before attacking, increasing his durability for further use.
Heatran @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SAtk / 20 Spd
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Protect
Heatran is a huge threat in Doubles, providing my team resistance against Fairy-type moves and an immunity to Fire allowed me to hold my ground against various types of Sun teams. The 20 Speed EVs invested lets Heatran outspeed Timid Skymin in Tailwind (credit to Electrolyte for this nice EV spread I saw in a rate he did for another Doubles team :D). STAB Heat Wave is a staple to any Heatran, but STAB Flash Cannon was great for 2HKOing most Fairy-types, notably Sylveon and Mega-Gardevoir. The Shuca Berry enabled Heatran to survive a Ground-type move and strike back hard, but it's most useful use is against opposing Heatrans. Most Heatrans run Leftovers (usually a SubTran set), so my ShucaTran can survive an incoming Earth Power and simply counter and OHKO with his own Earth Power. Heatran also had amazing synergy with Keldeo as Heatran covered Keldeo's weakness to Grass-types.
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Substitute
Finally, for the last member of my team: Thundurus. I chose a bulky set due to the fact Thundurus was utilized mainly as a support Pokemon with Thunder Wave for speed control and Taunt to disrupt multiple setups. Taunt could also shutdown teams who relied on gimmicks, not to mention the Fake Out + Taunt combo with Kangaskhan made for a very effective anti-lead. The Max HP investment + Sitrus Berry allowed Thundurus to take various hits before being taken down, and he could survive a Stone Edge from Max Attack Jolly Landorus-Therian 75% of the time. Prankster Substitute was effective as I was able to put up a decoy before taking a potentially devastating hit (Rock Slide, Ice Beam, Stone Edge, etc.), allowing my partner to take care of that certain threat as he shielded himself from those attacks.
SHOUTOUTS
finally - FANLY. :D You were one of the first people I met when the Doubles room first started, and we've become good buddies since then. Thanks for always helping me out when I needed it, friend :] You've also become pretty popular among the Doubles community.
KyleCole - KALEE. :D Me, you, and finally all began playing Smogon Doubles at about the same time and man glad to see you started your own YouTube channel! You're a great Dubz player, and I hope your channel grows; it would be great for the Doubles community. :]
Dashspin - Dashhhh. It's always fun when you're in the Doubles chatroom, and you were also one of the first ones there when I arrived! You've become a solid Doubles player and congrats on placing second in the dubers tour. :D
fangame10 - fangameeee. I hate playing against you and your annoying Trick Room teams; it's always really tough getting matched up with you. :P Hopefully you become more active in the Doubles community here at Smogon :o
Memoric - Memoriesss. My fellow Filipino brother, you've improved a lot in Doubles, and I had the honor of playing against you in a really tough series for BOTW. I'm expecting you to make noise in the Doubles circuit man. :]
Shaian - Shaiaannn. You hate battling me cause I always seem to have the perfect team to counter yours. :P You're a solid Doubles player man, always tough playing against you and you're pretty funny in the Doubles chatroom, friend. :D
champetero - champpp. I love battling against your based semi-perish trap team, and you've actually improved a lot from what I've seen. :] Keep it up, friend!
Pocket - Packet. You're probably one of the nicest guys ever, and you helped me ease into the Doubles community. Thanks a ton! :D
Haruno - Harunooo. Man, I just want to say hax really hates you lolol. But you've become a great Doubles player and you gotta teach me how to play Ubers. :]
Electrolyte - Electrooo. I just want to say thanks for helping me learn how to rate better, it's really helped me a ton! You're also a pretty good Doubles player yourself :]
Laga - Lagalaga. You were one of my first mentors for Smogon Doubles when I started, and since then I've improved a lot thanks to your help. :D
Pwnemon - Pwnemonn. You're a really good Dubz player, and I learned a lot battling against you. :D
Shoutout to the rest of the #doubles community (sorry if I missed you, lol)! Thank you guys for all your support, and for any future rates that may come, I really appreciate it. That's my team, hope you guys like it. :D
INTRODUCTION:
Hey everyone, my name is Pinoy Pwnage, and this is my first ever RMT! You might recognize me as a guy who loves to rate Doubles and VGC teams around the RMT forum. :] Anyway, a little background about myself; I was introduced to the world of Double Battles in a 2010 VGC Regional in Dallas where I managed to place top 16! I've been playing VGC ever since, but as I was practicing for an upcoming VGC tournament last year, I stumbled across an interesting new metagame: Smogon Doubles! Instantly, I was hooked. I loved the concept of a full 6 vs 6 Double Battle, and to this day I enjoy playing this metagame as much as I did when I first started. But going back to this team, I have been using it for about 2 months now, and I'm happy to say it has been extremely consistent for me. I managed to take the #1 seed in the Doubles Spring Seasonal with this team, and also managed to peak #1 on the Smogon Doubles Current ladder just recently. Without further ado, let's get dive into the RMT!
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
Keldeo @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Quick Guard
- Protect
Keldeo, the star of the show! Probably one of the most underrated threats in the Smogon Doubles metagame; I'm surprised he isn't utilized more. Keldeo provides great offense with superior Special Attack and Speed, and he had the ability to sweep teams if left unchecked. He OHKOs common threats such as Jolly Kangaskhan and Max HP Kyurem-B with Secret Sword and I opted for Scald over Hydro Pump due to the fact I found the 100% accuracy more reliable, not to mention I had the possibility of burning my opponent in the process. Quick Guard shielded my team from incoming Fake Outs, as well as annoying Prankster Thunder Waves and priority attacks such as Talonflame's Brave Bird and Azumarill's Aqua Jet. I can't tell you how many matches Quick Guard has saved in the clutch moments of the game, and it allowed my next member, Talonflame, to safely pull off a Tailwind for a potential sweep.
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Talonflame made for an amazing lead when paired with Keldeo, and it provided my team with a solid check against the likes of Hitmontop, Amoonguss, and the occasional Mega-Venusaur. He also allowed me to deal significant damage to the opponent even inside Trick Room thanks to Gale Wings STAB Brave Bird. Talonflame can be surprisingly bulky, surviving multiple non-super effective attacks before being taken down with 132 HP EVs invested. I figured I didn't really need the Max Speed investment as he is already very fast and even carries the Gale Wings ability for his Flying-type moves. His dual STABs in Brave Bird and Flare Blitz provided me with some really great coverage, and priority Tailwind allowed me to gain the speed advantage and even shift the momentum to my side late in the game. Keldeo's Quick Guard almost guarantees Tailwind is put up in the beginning of the match, allowing me to outspeed my opponent early.
Kangaskhan (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
Kangaskhan is probably one of the biggest threats in the Smogon Doubles metagame, and I opted to use her as my Mega-Evolution as she is extremely versatile with a vast movepool to work with. MegaMom gave my team a huge offensive boost, and her Fake Out enabled me to disrupt the opponent while allowing other members of my team to set up or dish out damage. She is also a useful anti-lead when paired with Thundurus, combining for a Fake Out + Thunder Wave/Taunt/Substitute combo. STAB Return is obvious, but I decided to use Drain Punch to increase Kangaskhan's survivability during battle with a source of recovery, while also giving me coverage against the likes of Heatran, Tyranitar, and other various threats. Ice Punch, however, is extremely useful, allowing me to OHKO Landorus-T, Salamence, and Garchomp, even at -1. I can't tell you how surprised my opponent was to see his Lando-T get instantly taken out, even with the attack drop.
Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 28 SDef / 228 HP / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Man, I really love Substitute Kyurem. I'll give credit to Nollan for this set because apparently he's the one who made it cool. :P The 228 HP EVs helps Kyurem-B recover as much HP as possible with Leftovers and the Modest nature with Max Special Attack Investment allows him to inflict a huge amount of damage against many common threats with STAB Ice Beam. Earth Power, when paired with his Teravolt ability, hits the Rotom appliances, and also OHKOs Heatran without a Shuca Berry. Substitute is great; I can predict the opponent not attacking by protecting or switching out, giving me a free decoy. Sub + Protect assists Kyurem-B in retaining as much HP as possible before attacking, increasing his durability for further use.
Heatran @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SAtk / 20 Spd
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Protect
Heatran is a huge threat in Doubles, providing my team resistance against Fairy-type moves and an immunity to Fire allowed me to hold my ground against various types of Sun teams. The 20 Speed EVs invested lets Heatran outspeed Timid Skymin in Tailwind (credit to Electrolyte for this nice EV spread I saw in a rate he did for another Doubles team :D). STAB Heat Wave is a staple to any Heatran, but STAB Flash Cannon was great for 2HKOing most Fairy-types, notably Sylveon and Mega-Gardevoir. The Shuca Berry enabled Heatran to survive a Ground-type move and strike back hard, but it's most useful use is against opposing Heatrans. Most Heatrans run Leftovers (usually a SubTran set), so my ShucaTran can survive an incoming Earth Power and simply counter and OHKO with his own Earth Power. Heatran also had amazing synergy with Keldeo as Heatran covered Keldeo's weakness to Grass-types.
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Substitute
Finally, for the last member of my team: Thundurus. I chose a bulky set due to the fact Thundurus was utilized mainly as a support Pokemon with Thunder Wave for speed control and Taunt to disrupt multiple setups. Taunt could also shutdown teams who relied on gimmicks, not to mention the Fake Out + Taunt combo with Kangaskhan made for a very effective anti-lead. The Max HP investment + Sitrus Berry allowed Thundurus to take various hits before being taken down, and he could survive a Stone Edge from Max Attack Jolly Landorus-Therian 75% of the time. Prankster Substitute was effective as I was able to put up a decoy before taking a potentially devastating hit (Rock Slide, Ice Beam, Stone Edge, etc.), allowing my partner to take care of that certain threat as he shielded himself from those attacks.
SHOUTOUTS
finally - FANLY. :D You were one of the first people I met when the Doubles room first started, and we've become good buddies since then. Thanks for always helping me out when I needed it, friend :] You've also become pretty popular among the Doubles community.
KyleCole - KALEE. :D Me, you, and finally all began playing Smogon Doubles at about the same time and man glad to see you started your own YouTube channel! You're a great Dubz player, and I hope your channel grows; it would be great for the Doubles community. :]
Dashspin - Dashhhh. It's always fun when you're in the Doubles chatroom, and you were also one of the first ones there when I arrived! You've become a solid Doubles player and congrats on placing second in the dubers tour. :D
fangame10 - fangameeee. I hate playing against you and your annoying Trick Room teams; it's always really tough getting matched up with you. :P Hopefully you become more active in the Doubles community here at Smogon :o
Memoric - Memoriesss. My fellow Filipino brother, you've improved a lot in Doubles, and I had the honor of playing against you in a really tough series for BOTW. I'm expecting you to make noise in the Doubles circuit man. :]
Shaian - Shaiaannn. You hate battling me cause I always seem to have the perfect team to counter yours. :P You're a solid Doubles player man, always tough playing against you and you're pretty funny in the Doubles chatroom, friend. :D
champetero - champpp. I love battling against your based semi-perish trap team, and you've actually improved a lot from what I've seen. :] Keep it up, friend!
Pocket - Packet. You're probably one of the nicest guys ever, and you helped me ease into the Doubles community. Thanks a ton! :D
Haruno - Harunooo. Man, I just want to say hax really hates you lolol. But you've become a great Doubles player and you gotta teach me how to play Ubers. :]
Electrolyte - Electrooo. I just want to say thanks for helping me learn how to rate better, it's really helped me a ton! You're also a pretty good Doubles player yourself :]
Laga - Lagalaga. You were one of my first mentors for Smogon Doubles when I started, and since then I've improved a lot thanks to your help. :D
Pwnemon - Pwnemonn. You're a really good Dubz player, and I learned a lot battling against you. :D
Shoutout to the rest of the #doubles community (sorry if I missed you, lol)! Thank you guys for all your support, and for any future rates that may come, I really appreciate it. That's my team, hope you guys like it. :D
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