Having a good team strategy with multiple pokemon coming together to do a job is more important that having a group of general counters. There are more than a finite number of types of teams and calling some "stall teams" or "offensive teams" misses the point entirely. Enter Team V/L's bend but don't break mentallity.
At a Glance:
Team V/L has a 2 stage strategy. Stage 1 begins immediately after Bronzong's job is done. Bronzong sleeps one and lays the rocks. Next, it is time to play the defensive game. I deal portions of dammage with Snorlax, Swampert, and Scizor--scouting and uturning out for wearing foes down. Swampert's presence should be felt. The idea is to cause dammage when necessary and take advantage of the opportunities my teammates open up. Stage 2 begins after Swampert has been taken out or mortally wounded. This stage is a series of quick finishers with Scizor vanguarding the strike along Jolteon and Gengar.
Bronzong@Leftovers
Levitate
Relaxed(252 HP, 24 Atk, 24 SpAtk, 208 Sp.D)
-Stealth Rock
-Hypnosis
-Grass Knot
-Gyro Ball
Sleep, Rock, escape. Grass Knot hits Swampert for a 2HKO. Hopefully there aren’t Magnezone. Magnezone walls me outright without shed shell. I MAY change Gyro Ball for Explosion--I have never been in a situation where Gyro Ball was necessary. If I do that, I will swap Leftovers for Shed Shell
Gengar@Life Orb
Levitate
Timid(252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 HP)
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
-Thunderbolt
-Destiny Bond
Designed to hit hard. Life Orb will take its toll eventually, but it offers good power. On my last team I used Gengar and I was able to Destiny Bond my foe 1/3 of the time (surprisingly). So rather than a filler move, I went with that. HP fire is also being considered. I've been able to predict Azelf Explosions to suprising accuracy and absorb them with Gengar.
Snorlax@Leftovers
Thick Fat
Sassy(244 HP, 28 Def, 236 SpDef)
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Body Slam
-Fire Blast
Res-Talking Snorlax. With this combination, I can switch him freely into status-inducing moves without worry. Body Slam over Return because I have a good probability of paralyzing foes since this set is designed to tank. Fire Blast hits ghosts and steels who otherwise wall me out into submission. I chose Fire BLAST because it hits Skarmory (and basically every steel in existance) harder than Fire Punch
Scizor@Leftovers
Technician
Adamant(92 HP, 252 Atk, 164 Spd
-Bullet Punch
-U Turn
-Superpower
-Pursuit
I changed the EV spread so that it’s JUST fast enough to outspeed Cresselia. I like Pursuit because it allows me to pick off pokemon that flee—60 power with technician if they stay and 80 if they flee. One U Turn does over 50% to Bold 252 Def EV Cresselia--crippling it. I used to have a Swords Dancer here--what do you think?
Jolteon@ChoiceSpecs
Volt Absorb
Timid(252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 HP)
-Thunderbolt
-HP Ice
-Shadowball
-Trump Card
I can’t choose between Specs or Life Orb. I WANTED an Eevee with HP Grass, but I can't for the life of me breed one, so I took this beast. I will enter battle with only one PP of Trump Card remaining--that 200 base dammage power running off Specs will do up to 93% to Swampert. I know this is a problem, but I have a Swampert problem otherwise. That move is the only reason I don’t go with Choice Specs right off the bat. I can switch into electrical moves freely. Is Signal Beam a better choice? Or perhaps Baton Pass.
Swampert@Leftovers
Torrent
Relaxed(240 HP, 216 Def, 52 SpAtk)
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Earthquake
-Roar
Mixpert with Roar. I shuffle foes I don't like and engage the ones I do for some dammage. With this set, I cover a lot of my potential problems. When he is mortally wounded, its time to pick up the pace and finish off my weakened foes.
THREATS
Infernape
Jolteon can:
- switch into Grass Knot (if ‘nape gets in on Swampert) and take 27% at most (46 % with one Nasty Plot)
-switch into Fire Blast and take 84% at most (if ‘nape gets in on Scizor or Bronzong)
-switch into Flamethrower and take 67% at most (same)
-switch into Vacuum wave and take 34% at most (67% after one Nasty Plot)
-OHKO 65% of the time against neutral Sp.Def ‘nape with Thunderbolt before Stealth Rock damage (100% with it factored in)
--Vacuum wave’s priority and Close Combat’s power give problems
Gengar can:
-switch into Grass Knot and take menial damage
-OHKO without worrying about vacuum wave’s priority
Cresselia
Magnezone
Breloom
Gyarados
The only potential problems I forsee are Hypnosis' accuracy failing me (as it has before) and Jolteon's lack of HP Grass which I want for Swampert insurance.
Hypnosis is not as bad as one might think. Over 2 turns, it has a probability of sleeping a foe 87% of the time. It HAS failed thrice in a row before and I have been able to deal with it--but a fully incapacitated foe is hard to give up. Bronzong has the resilience to take a hit, sleep the second turn and lay rocks. I might want Explosion over Gyro Ball--I have not ever been in a situation where it has been necessary or even desirable on my movelist. I might want Explosion instead.
Do you see any potential problems I may have overlooked? Or any advice you have on the Jolteon problem?
At a Glance:
Team V/L has a 2 stage strategy. Stage 1 begins immediately after Bronzong's job is done. Bronzong sleeps one and lays the rocks. Next, it is time to play the defensive game. I deal portions of dammage with Snorlax, Swampert, and Scizor--scouting and uturning out for wearing foes down. Swampert's presence should be felt. The idea is to cause dammage when necessary and take advantage of the opportunities my teammates open up. Stage 2 begins after Swampert has been taken out or mortally wounded. This stage is a series of quick finishers with Scizor vanguarding the strike along Jolteon and Gengar.
Bronzong@Leftovers
Levitate
Relaxed(252 HP, 24 Atk, 24 SpAtk, 208 Sp.D)
-Stealth Rock
-Hypnosis
-Grass Knot
-Gyro Ball
Sleep, Rock, escape. Grass Knot hits Swampert for a 2HKO. Hopefully there aren’t Magnezone. Magnezone walls me outright without shed shell. I MAY change Gyro Ball for Explosion--I have never been in a situation where Gyro Ball was necessary. If I do that, I will swap Leftovers for Shed Shell
Gengar@Life Orb
Levitate
Timid(252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 HP)
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
-Thunderbolt
-Destiny Bond
Designed to hit hard. Life Orb will take its toll eventually, but it offers good power. On my last team I used Gengar and I was able to Destiny Bond my foe 1/3 of the time (surprisingly). So rather than a filler move, I went with that. HP fire is also being considered. I've been able to predict Azelf Explosions to suprising accuracy and absorb them with Gengar.
Snorlax@Leftovers
Thick Fat
Sassy(244 HP, 28 Def, 236 SpDef)
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Body Slam
-Fire Blast
Res-Talking Snorlax. With this combination, I can switch him freely into status-inducing moves without worry. Body Slam over Return because I have a good probability of paralyzing foes since this set is designed to tank. Fire Blast hits ghosts and steels who otherwise wall me out into submission. I chose Fire BLAST because it hits Skarmory (and basically every steel in existance) harder than Fire Punch
Scizor@Leftovers
Technician
Adamant(92 HP, 252 Atk, 164 Spd
-Bullet Punch
-U Turn
-Superpower
-Pursuit
I changed the EV spread so that it’s JUST fast enough to outspeed Cresselia. I like Pursuit because it allows me to pick off pokemon that flee—60 power with technician if they stay and 80 if they flee. One U Turn does over 50% to Bold 252 Def EV Cresselia--crippling it. I used to have a Swords Dancer here--what do you think?
Jolteon@ChoiceSpecs
Volt Absorb
Timid(252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 HP)
-Thunderbolt
-HP Ice
-Shadowball
-Trump Card
I can’t choose between Specs or Life Orb. I WANTED an Eevee with HP Grass, but I can't for the life of me breed one, so I took this beast. I will enter battle with only one PP of Trump Card remaining--that 200 base dammage power running off Specs will do up to 93% to Swampert. I know this is a problem, but I have a Swampert problem otherwise. That move is the only reason I don’t go with Choice Specs right off the bat. I can switch into electrical moves freely. Is Signal Beam a better choice? Or perhaps Baton Pass.
Swampert@Leftovers
Torrent
Relaxed(240 HP, 216 Def, 52 SpAtk)
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Earthquake
-Roar
Mixpert with Roar. I shuffle foes I don't like and engage the ones I do for some dammage. With this set, I cover a lot of my potential problems. When he is mortally wounded, its time to pick up the pace and finish off my weakened foes.
THREATS
Infernape
Jolteon can:
- switch into Grass Knot (if ‘nape gets in on Swampert) and take 27% at most (46 % with one Nasty Plot)
-switch into Fire Blast and take 84% at most (if ‘nape gets in on Scizor or Bronzong)
-switch into Flamethrower and take 67% at most (same)
-switch into Vacuum wave and take 34% at most (67% after one Nasty Plot)
-OHKO 65% of the time against neutral Sp.Def ‘nape with Thunderbolt before Stealth Rock damage (100% with it factored in)
--Vacuum wave’s priority and Close Combat’s power give problems
Gengar can:
-switch into Grass Knot and take menial damage
-OHKO without worrying about vacuum wave’s priority
Cresselia
Magnezone
Breloom
Gyarados
The only potential problems I forsee are Hypnosis' accuracy failing me (as it has before) and Jolteon's lack of HP Grass which I want for Swampert insurance.
Hypnosis is not as bad as one might think. Over 2 turns, it has a probability of sleeping a foe 87% of the time. It HAS failed thrice in a row before and I have been able to deal with it--but a fully incapacitated foe is hard to give up. Bronzong has the resilience to take a hit, sleep the second turn and lay rocks. I might want Explosion over Gyro Ball--I have not ever been in a situation where it has been necessary or even desirable on my movelist. I might want Explosion instead.
Do you see any potential problems I may have overlooked? Or any advice you have on the Jolteon problem?
