Some of you may remember me from Gen 4, I had a few RMT's. Most of you won't.
Ambipom (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Double Hit
- Pursuit
My lead: Ambipom does a pretty good job at starting off the battles. Fake Out does 90 after Technician and STAB boosts, and helps break any sashes (although those are a lot less common in Gen 5). Double Hit is effective in taking out weaker-defensive leads. For leads with higher defense, U-Turn allows me to switch out to something that can beat the opposing pokemon. Pursuit helps when I expect a switch. Often, after KO'ing a lead, U-Turn out and Ambipom canbe used to finish off some opponents with Speed and Fake Out.
Against opposing leads:
Deoxys-S: Fake Out to start, then U-Turn usually KO's it, but it's Speed allows it one move.
Mienshao: Mienshao is outsped, letting me Fake Out and Double Hit for the KO.
Politoed: Too bulky to KO with a Fake Out/Double Hit combo. Bulkier leads cannot OHKO Ambipom (unless a Hydro Pump is used, which is very rare), while more offensive sets are KO'd by Fake Out/Dobule Hit
Ninetales: Too weak to survive Fake Out/Dub-Hit combo. Scarf sets using Fire Blast can KO Ambipom.
Hippowdon: Probably use a simple Fake Out, then U-Turn to Sazandora, which is immune to Earthquake (if they try for the KO and not Stealth Rock)
Tauros (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Encourage
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rock Climb
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
- Rock Slide
Physical Attacker 1: Tauros is my secret weapon. No one expects it, and with Encourage ability boosting 3 of its attacks, 350 speed, and Life Orb to aid its 100 base attack stat, Tauros can cause some problems for other teams. Rock Climb has 179 power after Encourage and STAB, while Zen Headbutt reaches 106 power and helps greatly against Fighting types. Rock Slide does 99 base damage and helps vs. Flying and Ice types. (Stone Edge isn't an option here, don't suggest it. I have enough problems with missing right now.). Earthquake gets no boosts, but helps with coverage. The other great thing about Sheer Force, when I use a move boosted by it, Life Orb doesn't cause recoil
Suicune @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rest
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Surf
Wall 1: Suicune, I absolutely love this thing. Calm Mind as many times as possible, Rest to recover HP, Chesto Berry to wake up, then Wall like crazy and hope to possibly sweep. Surf is for STAB, while Ice Beam is to sto Grass types, and is also useful in KO'ing Dragons with 4x weakness to it. The EV's give Suicune incredible Defensive bulk, making it able to survive strong physical attacks. Thanks to its Bulk, it can even survive some boosted attacks after one (or even 2 sometimes) swords dance(s) and sometimes stopping sweeps before they start. I've also found that Suicune is almost the perfect scarf-Ditto counter, which can be very useful in defeating Ditto and setting up a sweep.
F.Lord Sazan (Sazandora) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Surf
- Flamethrower
Special Attacker 1: Sazandora has been my most effective Special Attacker in Gen 5, so here it is. 324 speed is decently fast, and Life Orb gives it a high Special Attack stat at the loss of some HP. Dragon Pulse is for STAB. Earth Power is useful for some Steel types, electric types and Rock types. Surf tkes care of Ground (like Hippowdon) and Fire types. Flamethrower helps with a bit of coverage, beating Bug types, but more importantly beats Nattorei, Scizor and Genusect who otherwise could cause problems. Has become much less common recently, much to my advantage.
Dusknoir (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 Att/ 252 Def / 252 SpDef
Impish Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Shadow Punch
Wall 2: Dusknoir, like Suicune, helps to stop some sweeps before they start. Taunt is very important here, as its my main way of dealing with the ever-annoying Whimsicott and Sableye, who will annoy the shit out of me otherwise. Will-O-Wisp can weakne opposing attackers, and helps greatly in slowly chipping away at the HP of other pokemon. Pain Split is Dusknoir's main recovery move, and Shadow Punch helps get rid of some HP, as well as giving me a non-struggle option under Taunt (it also beats other Ghot types and Psychics). Dusknoir can survive for a long time, while slowly draining HP from others by absorbing hits and evening out the HP levels.
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- ThunderPunch
- Earthquake
Physical Attacker 2: For those who know me over on Neoseeker, this was expectd, a Steel-type: Metagross. Speed raises to 430 after a Agility, allowing me to outspeed Neutral Natured-Base 100's when scarfed. Meteor Mash gives STAB and raises attack sometimes. Thunderpunch beats Flying types and is my only Super-effective move avaiable for Water types. Earthquake takes out opposing Steel types, Rock types, and Electric types. This set is completely walled by Zapdos since it got LightningRod in Gen 5, but other than that it works well.
Problems:
Exadrill: If Suicune is gone and Will-O-Wisp misses, this can destroy me. Jolly nature isn't too hard though, but Adamant is bad.
Conkelldor: Suicune is my best Counter, since it can sometimes carry the 'Guts' ability and so Will-o-Wisp isn't useful in lowering attack. Dusknior can still hurt itsignificantly, but without naything else it can't win.
Fighting types: 3 weak to it, and only 1 resistance. Hasn't been a huge problem so far, but I can see it happening.
Whismicott/Sableye: After Dusknoir, I can't really do much about them.
Lack of Hazards: Not too big of a problem, but things like Charizard, Yanmega, and Moltres, usually cripped by SR, can freely move in and out and attack.
Breloom: Swords Dance sets can be annoying once they get one SD set up. Main problem here is I have nothing fully resisting the Grass/Fighting type combination. Clearly a problem that needs fixed.
Skarm/Bliss: This comination has been messing with me since I started out in Gen 4.
Stall: Some might've seen this trend with the Pransksters and Skarm/Bliss, but stall teams always give me a hard time.
Vulcarona: After a Quiver dance, this thing can esily sweep my team.
So far on PO, I've got between a 40% and 50% win percentage, hardly an acceptable record against random battlers. I've tried 5 teams, and this one did much better than the others, but I'm just not doing nearly as good as I was in Gen 4. When it comes to battles against opponents I know to be good, I'm 0-2, losing by an average of 2.
Ambipom (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Double Hit
- Pursuit
My lead: Ambipom does a pretty good job at starting off the battles. Fake Out does 90 after Technician and STAB boosts, and helps break any sashes (although those are a lot less common in Gen 5). Double Hit is effective in taking out weaker-defensive leads. For leads with higher defense, U-Turn allows me to switch out to something that can beat the opposing pokemon. Pursuit helps when I expect a switch. Often, after KO'ing a lead, U-Turn out and Ambipom canbe used to finish off some opponents with Speed and Fake Out.
Against opposing leads:
Deoxys-S: Fake Out to start, then U-Turn usually KO's it, but it's Speed allows it one move.
Mienshao: Mienshao is outsped, letting me Fake Out and Double Hit for the KO.
Politoed: Too bulky to KO with a Fake Out/Double Hit combo. Bulkier leads cannot OHKO Ambipom (unless a Hydro Pump is used, which is very rare), while more offensive sets are KO'd by Fake Out/Dobule Hit
Ninetales: Too weak to survive Fake Out/Dub-Hit combo. Scarf sets using Fire Blast can KO Ambipom.
Hippowdon: Probably use a simple Fake Out, then U-Turn to Sazandora, which is immune to Earthquake (if they try for the KO and not Stealth Rock)
Tauros (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Encourage
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rock Climb
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
- Rock Slide
Physical Attacker 1: Tauros is my secret weapon. No one expects it, and with Encourage ability boosting 3 of its attacks, 350 speed, and Life Orb to aid its 100 base attack stat, Tauros can cause some problems for other teams. Rock Climb has 179 power after Encourage and STAB, while Zen Headbutt reaches 106 power and helps greatly against Fighting types. Rock Slide does 99 base damage and helps vs. Flying and Ice types. (Stone Edge isn't an option here, don't suggest it. I have enough problems with missing right now.). Earthquake gets no boosts, but helps with coverage. The other great thing about Sheer Force, when I use a move boosted by it, Life Orb doesn't cause recoil
Suicune @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rest
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Surf
Wall 1: Suicune, I absolutely love this thing. Calm Mind as many times as possible, Rest to recover HP, Chesto Berry to wake up, then Wall like crazy and hope to possibly sweep. Surf is for STAB, while Ice Beam is to sto Grass types, and is also useful in KO'ing Dragons with 4x weakness to it. The EV's give Suicune incredible Defensive bulk, making it able to survive strong physical attacks. Thanks to its Bulk, it can even survive some boosted attacks after one (or even 2 sometimes) swords dance(s) and sometimes stopping sweeps before they start. I've also found that Suicune is almost the perfect scarf-Ditto counter, which can be very useful in defeating Ditto and setting up a sweep.
F.Lord Sazan (Sazandora) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Surf
- Flamethrower
Special Attacker 1: Sazandora has been my most effective Special Attacker in Gen 5, so here it is. 324 speed is decently fast, and Life Orb gives it a high Special Attack stat at the loss of some HP. Dragon Pulse is for STAB. Earth Power is useful for some Steel types, electric types and Rock types. Surf tkes care of Ground (like Hippowdon) and Fire types. Flamethrower helps with a bit of coverage, beating Bug types, but more importantly beats Nattorei, Scizor and Genusect who otherwise could cause problems. Has become much less common recently, much to my advantage.
Dusknoir (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 Att/ 252 Def / 252 SpDef
Impish Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Shadow Punch
Wall 2: Dusknoir, like Suicune, helps to stop some sweeps before they start. Taunt is very important here, as its my main way of dealing with the ever-annoying Whimsicott and Sableye, who will annoy the shit out of me otherwise. Will-O-Wisp can weakne opposing attackers, and helps greatly in slowly chipping away at the HP of other pokemon. Pain Split is Dusknoir's main recovery move, and Shadow Punch helps get rid of some HP, as well as giving me a non-struggle option under Taunt (it also beats other Ghot types and Psychics). Dusknoir can survive for a long time, while slowly draining HP from others by absorbing hits and evening out the HP levels.
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- ThunderPunch
- Earthquake
Physical Attacker 2: For those who know me over on Neoseeker, this was expectd, a Steel-type: Metagross. Speed raises to 430 after a Agility, allowing me to outspeed Neutral Natured-Base 100's when scarfed. Meteor Mash gives STAB and raises attack sometimes. Thunderpunch beats Flying types and is my only Super-effective move avaiable for Water types. Earthquake takes out opposing Steel types, Rock types, and Electric types. This set is completely walled by Zapdos since it got LightningRod in Gen 5, but other than that it works well.
Problems:
Exadrill: If Suicune is gone and Will-O-Wisp misses, this can destroy me. Jolly nature isn't too hard though, but Adamant is bad.
Conkelldor: Suicune is my best Counter, since it can sometimes carry the 'Guts' ability and so Will-o-Wisp isn't useful in lowering attack. Dusknior can still hurt itsignificantly, but without naything else it can't win.
Fighting types: 3 weak to it, and only 1 resistance. Hasn't been a huge problem so far, but I can see it happening.
Whismicott/Sableye: After Dusknoir, I can't really do much about them.
Lack of Hazards: Not too big of a problem, but things like Charizard, Yanmega, and Moltres, usually cripped by SR, can freely move in and out and attack.
Breloom: Swords Dance sets can be annoying once they get one SD set up. Main problem here is I have nothing fully resisting the Grass/Fighting type combination. Clearly a problem that needs fixed.
Skarm/Bliss: This comination has been messing with me since I started out in Gen 4.
Stall: Some might've seen this trend with the Pransksters and Skarm/Bliss, but stall teams always give me a hard time.
Vulcarona: After a Quiver dance, this thing can esily sweep my team.
So far on PO, I've got between a 40% and 50% win percentage, hardly an acceptable record against random battlers. I've tried 5 teams, and this one did much better than the others, but I'm just not doing nearly as good as I was in Gen 4. When it comes to battles against opponents I know to be good, I'm 0-2, losing by an average of 2.
