I've been tinkering and playing with this team for a week now, although not too much, and it's been doing great. It's currently up around 1150, which is good for about 80th/about 3000, which I think is pretty good. The original team is hidden at the bottom, and while I tried other Pokemon (Cradily, Torkoal, Druddigon, Lickitung, and more), this combination has worked quite well.
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Spore -
- Spikes -
- Rapid Spin -
- Magic Coat -
This team needed a way to deal with entry hazards, and Smeargle has been a godsend. He can be played straight-up or he can really play some mind-games. ALWAYS check Team Preview for Pokes immune to Spore (usually just Magmortar, but beware of Sap Sippers and Insomnia too), Heal Bell/Aromatherapy users, and if the opponent has a spinner of their own. Depending on what they have, Spore to cripple something and get as many layers of Spikes as you can. Magic Coat can be used to get extra status or hazards while your opponent leaves in his lead to Spore-fodder, but it's very situational. However, it's important to keep Smeargle alive after he sets a layer of Spikes so he can Spin later. Not the easiest Poke to play with, but he's a lot of fun, and surprisingly effective as a Spiker/Spinner.
Camerupt @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock -
- Lava Plume -
- Earth Power -
- Roar -
Camerupt is the other half of the entry hazards abuse. He's basically Torkoal, but A LOT better (although he doesn't have Rapid Spin, which is obviously the main draw to Torkoal). He's a great lead against Hail teams, as he can choose to get Stealth Rocks up (usually the first option) or try to hit Snover or any other Ice-type with a quick Lava Plume. Earth Power provides great coverage, and he's bulky enough to survive just about any non-Water attack and phaze out something if it got one too many boosts in. He works great with Smeargle, and he can play some serious mind-games with Roar too.
Cinccino @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Technician
EVs: 136 Def / 252 Atk / 120 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Tail Slap -
- Rock Blast -
- Bullet Seed -
- U-Turn -
This may be my most surprising member (other than Mothim I guess). Everyone assumes Life Orb Cinccino (which is fantastic), but one iteration of this team was EXTREMELY weak to Scarf Sawk. This set just outspeeds Jolly Scarf Sawk, and while I still need a lucky Tail Slap to take it out, the KO is more comfortable if I get my hazards up. The extra speed EVs made available by the Scarf go into "bulk" (it still doesn't survive much). U-turn is great with the Scarf and Magneton, as they can be used as scouting leads, which gives me 4 legitimate options at lead. Cinccino also serves as a Sub-breaker/Stallrein-breaker with the multi-hit moves, and works well with Camerupt, as both can deal with Subs effectively.
Magneton @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt -
- Flash Cannon -
- HP Ground -
- Volt Switch -
At the suggestion of shnen, I tried Scarf Magneton, and it's been pretty great. It can be a great scouter, and an awesome answer to bulky non-Ground Water types and Steels. I've actually found that its mostly been used to trap and kill other Magnetons. They either have to use Volt Switch or predict my Magneton switch-in to survive. If they're non-Scarf, I'll outspeed and KO. If they are, they can't switch their move. It eliminates all Steels, and once other Magneton and Ground-types are eliminated, it can basically just spam T-bolts until it dies. Flash Cannon isn't usually used, but it works against Hail teams decently well.
Kingler @ Life Orb
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Agility -
- Swords Dance -
- Crabhammer -
- Frustration -
Along with Mothim, this is another Pokemon I believe is quite underrated. I loved him in the original season of the anime, and he's surprisingly about that good (maybe that's an exaggeration, but he's very good). He's played a lot like Rock Polish Torterra, which I've used on this team before. Bring him in on something that can't do much to him (usually after something faints) and Agility on the switch/weak attack. Now he outspeeds just about everything in NU (citation needed: I copied the EVs from the DPP analysis, and I was wondering if there would be a more optimal spread) and can go to town with his 394 Attack. If an obvious switch or Protect is coming (Sub-seeders, Wish users), Swords Dance up and unless they have very strong priority or Crabhammer misses, that's pretty much the game. When it gets to that point, I try to use Frustration as much as possible, as nothing's going to live it anyway unless they resist it. I suppose a Water Absorb Frillish walls the coverage, but other than that, it's pretty beastly. Also, its defenses are high enough to survive a couple attacks from Sawk. It's unfortunate that he can't really use Sheer Force with anything other than Rock Slide, but at least Hyper Cutter protects him from Intimidate.
Mothim @ Life Orb
Trait: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance -
- Substitute -
- Bug Buzz -
- Air Slash -
Oh Mothim. I love shiny Mothim, and I thought he had potential with Quiver Dance, but there aren't many posts about him other than "he's not as good as Venomoth". Well if no one wants to use him, I will. He's performed above even my expectations. I thought about the Choice Specs set, but this set has been great. Bring him in on something that doesn't threaten him (usually a defensive Pokemon that relies on status like Tangela), set up a Sub while they either try to status him or switch, Quiver Dance until the Sub is down (unless something threatens with priority or a multi-hit move), and sweep. No one understands how fast he is or how hard he hits after a Quiver Dance. Add in perfect STAB coverage with Tinted Lens and flinch chances with Air Slash, and he's a monster. As I've been getting higher on the ladder, fewer people underestimate him, but he's still very useful. He's the only Pokemon on this team I won't replace (as I kinda tried to build it around him).
Gardevoir @ Leftovers
Trait: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Magic Coat -
- Will-O-Wisp -
- Heal Bell -
- Psychic -
Gardevoir has been very valuable to this team so far. Originally, she was running a SubCM set with Psychic and Focus Blast, which was effective, but as you'll see, my team already had plenty of set-up sweepers, and it needed support badly. Gardevoir is usually my lead, as Magic Coat (which was a great suggestion by someone on the server) basically nets free status or hazards on the first turn, as most leads try to spread status or set-up their own hazards. Unfortunately, it's usually only good for one turn, but it usually deters the opponent from trying it again. Depending on what happened the first turn, Gardevoir can try to cripple a threat with Will-O-Wisp, do very respectable damage to non-Dark types/specially bulky walls, or switch out to try it all again later. Heal Bell hasn't been used too much yet, but she does a fine job.
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Trait: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spe)
- Toxic -
- Recover -
- Scald -
- Earthquake -
Unaware Quagsire doesn't have any surprise factor, but he does his job pretty well. He serves the purpose as the physically defensive wall on the team, and an obvious check to set-up sweepers and baton pass teams. He also spreads status on walls and physical attackers with Toxic and Scald, respectively. Unfortunately, a lot of those stat-boosting Pokemon that he's meant to check run a Grass move, and he gets Toxic'd all the time. He hasn't impressed me as much as I'd hoped, so he may be a candidate for replacement.
Torterra @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Rock Polish -
- Earthquake -
- Seed Bomb -
- Stone Edge -
Another recommendation from someone on the servers, Rock Polish Torterra has done pretty well. He was originally a support version with Stealth Rock and Leech Seed, but this set allows him to eliminate threats rather than just annoy them. Definitely my bulkiest attacker, he serves to sponge resisted attacks, Rock Polish on the switch, and pick whichever attack is appropriate for what's in front of him. Stone Edge is Stone Edge. It wins matches and loses matches. As my last set-up physical sweeper, he's pretty valuable to the team and usually puts a decent dent in the opponent.
Magmortar @ Life Orb
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Fire Blast -
- Focus Blast -
- Thunderbolt -
- HP Grass -
As you may be able to tell by now, I put the team together myself, but I copied some sets off the site. For this reason, I'm not sure about the Speed number as it pertains to NU, so any input there would be appreciated. I didn't have Magmortar on this team originally, but I found I had a lot of trouble with bulky grasses, and I needed something that hit hard on the special side right off the bat. The fact that he's a Fire-type was a bonus, as other than Mothim, I didn't have anything else for Grass, Bug, or Steel. The coverage is great, as Thunderbolt and HP Grass take care of Water switch-ins and Focus Blast takes out Rock and helps a lot with Normal-types like Miltank and Lickilicky. He's a little frail, but usually gets a kill or two before going down.
Slaking @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Truant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Retaliate -
- Giga Impact -
- Night Slash -
- Earthquake -
Yet another suggestion from someone on the server, Choice Scarf Slaking is the newest addition to the team, and he has not disappointed yet. I originally had Quick Feet Ursaring here, and he was pretty hit-and-miss. He took so much damage from entry hazards, poison, and whatever attacks he took, that he rarely got a Swords Dance up, and when he did, he'd only last a few turns anyway. He did very well when set-up, but lacked any staying power. Slaking is amazing. I haven't had to use anything other than Retaliate yet, and I don't think anything has lived it. I had a lot of problems with Braviary, Swellow, and Tauros before, but he's solved most of them. Let something die, switch-in Slaking, kill anything that isn't a Ghost, switch Slaking out, repeat. Again, I'm not sure if he needs max Speed EVs, but he's usually not in long enough to take a hit anyway.
I've fixed most of the problems with this team, but obviously I'm not undefeated, so it could always use work. The only thing I'd love to have that I don't is a priority move, but it's not really needed most of the time. Also, Smeargle could always use some tinkering, as Focus Sash on a Spinner usually isn't the best move, but it has come in handy in a few matches. The other semi-issue is that this team is quite offensive, with only Camerupt to take Special hits and Magneton and Kingler to take a few Physical ones, but not every Pokemon can sweep and tank hits all day lol.
I have found something by going through the team-building process though: redundancy is king. I had problems with Scarf Sawk before, and now, Kingler, Cinccino, hazards, and Magneton/Mothim (force him out if he uses Rock-move/Close Combat, respectively) can all deal with him. I have two ways to deal with Subs that gave me problems before (Cinccino and Camerupt). I also have two Scarfers to deal with Braviary/Swellow/Tauros, and a few answers for Hail as well. This allows for a less concern over losing a Pokemon, as, other than spinning for Smeargle and special walling with Camerupt, their job can be done by someone else.
So there it is. All suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your time!
AT A GLANCE
IN DEPTH LOOK
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Spore -
- Spikes -
- Rapid Spin -
- Magic Coat -
This team needed a way to deal with entry hazards, and Smeargle has been a godsend. He can be played straight-up or he can really play some mind-games. ALWAYS check Team Preview for Pokes immune to Spore (usually just Magmortar, but beware of Sap Sippers and Insomnia too), Heal Bell/Aromatherapy users, and if the opponent has a spinner of their own. Depending on what they have, Spore to cripple something and get as many layers of Spikes as you can. Magic Coat can be used to get extra status or hazards while your opponent leaves in his lead to Spore-fodder, but it's very situational. However, it's important to keep Smeargle alive after he sets a layer of Spikes so he can Spin later. Not the easiest Poke to play with, but he's a lot of fun, and surprisingly effective as a Spiker/Spinner.
Camerupt @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock -
- Lava Plume -
- Earth Power -
- Roar -
Camerupt is the other half of the entry hazards abuse. He's basically Torkoal, but A LOT better (although he doesn't have Rapid Spin, which is obviously the main draw to Torkoal). He's a great lead against Hail teams, as he can choose to get Stealth Rocks up (usually the first option) or try to hit Snover or any other Ice-type with a quick Lava Plume. Earth Power provides great coverage, and he's bulky enough to survive just about any non-Water attack and phaze out something if it got one too many boosts in. He works great with Smeargle, and he can play some serious mind-games with Roar too.
Cinccino @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Technician
EVs: 136 Def / 252 Atk / 120 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Tail Slap -
- Rock Blast -
- Bullet Seed -
- U-Turn -
This may be my most surprising member (other than Mothim I guess). Everyone assumes Life Orb Cinccino (which is fantastic), but one iteration of this team was EXTREMELY weak to Scarf Sawk. This set just outspeeds Jolly Scarf Sawk, and while I still need a lucky Tail Slap to take it out, the KO is more comfortable if I get my hazards up. The extra speed EVs made available by the Scarf go into "bulk" (it still doesn't survive much). U-turn is great with the Scarf and Magneton, as they can be used as scouting leads, which gives me 4 legitimate options at lead. Cinccino also serves as a Sub-breaker/Stallrein-breaker with the multi-hit moves, and works well with Camerupt, as both can deal with Subs effectively.
Magneton @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt -
- Flash Cannon -
- HP Ground -
- Volt Switch -
At the suggestion of shnen, I tried Scarf Magneton, and it's been pretty great. It can be a great scouter, and an awesome answer to bulky non-Ground Water types and Steels. I've actually found that its mostly been used to trap and kill other Magnetons. They either have to use Volt Switch or predict my Magneton switch-in to survive. If they're non-Scarf, I'll outspeed and KO. If they are, they can't switch their move. It eliminates all Steels, and once other Magneton and Ground-types are eliminated, it can basically just spam T-bolts until it dies. Flash Cannon isn't usually used, but it works against Hail teams decently well.
Kingler @ Life Orb
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Agility -
- Swords Dance -
- Crabhammer -
- Frustration -
Along with Mothim, this is another Pokemon I believe is quite underrated. I loved him in the original season of the anime, and he's surprisingly about that good (maybe that's an exaggeration, but he's very good). He's played a lot like Rock Polish Torterra, which I've used on this team before. Bring him in on something that can't do much to him (usually after something faints) and Agility on the switch/weak attack. Now he outspeeds just about everything in NU (citation needed: I copied the EVs from the DPP analysis, and I was wondering if there would be a more optimal spread) and can go to town with his 394 Attack. If an obvious switch or Protect is coming (Sub-seeders, Wish users), Swords Dance up and unless they have very strong priority or Crabhammer misses, that's pretty much the game. When it gets to that point, I try to use Frustration as much as possible, as nothing's going to live it anyway unless they resist it. I suppose a Water Absorb Frillish walls the coverage, but other than that, it's pretty beastly. Also, its defenses are high enough to survive a couple attacks from Sawk. It's unfortunate that he can't really use Sheer Force with anything other than Rock Slide, but at least Hyper Cutter protects him from Intimidate.
Mothim @ Life Orb
Trait: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance -
- Substitute -
- Bug Buzz -
- Air Slash -
Oh Mothim. I love shiny Mothim, and I thought he had potential with Quiver Dance, but there aren't many posts about him other than "he's not as good as Venomoth". Well if no one wants to use him, I will. He's performed above even my expectations. I thought about the Choice Specs set, but this set has been great. Bring him in on something that doesn't threaten him (usually a defensive Pokemon that relies on status like Tangela), set up a Sub while they either try to status him or switch, Quiver Dance until the Sub is down (unless something threatens with priority or a multi-hit move), and sweep. No one understands how fast he is or how hard he hits after a Quiver Dance. Add in perfect STAB coverage with Tinted Lens and flinch chances with Air Slash, and he's a monster. As I've been getting higher on the ladder, fewer people underestimate him, but he's still very useful. He's the only Pokemon on this team I won't replace (as I kinda tried to build it around him).
Gardevoir @ Leftovers
Trait: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Magic Coat -
- Will-O-Wisp -
- Heal Bell -
- Psychic -
Gardevoir has been very valuable to this team so far. Originally, she was running a SubCM set with Psychic and Focus Blast, which was effective, but as you'll see, my team already had plenty of set-up sweepers, and it needed support badly. Gardevoir is usually my lead, as Magic Coat (which was a great suggestion by someone on the server) basically nets free status or hazards on the first turn, as most leads try to spread status or set-up their own hazards. Unfortunately, it's usually only good for one turn, but it usually deters the opponent from trying it again. Depending on what happened the first turn, Gardevoir can try to cripple a threat with Will-O-Wisp, do very respectable damage to non-Dark types/specially bulky walls, or switch out to try it all again later. Heal Bell hasn't been used too much yet, but she does a fine job.
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Trait: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spe)
- Toxic -
- Recover -
- Scald -
- Earthquake -
Unaware Quagsire doesn't have any surprise factor, but he does his job pretty well. He serves the purpose as the physically defensive wall on the team, and an obvious check to set-up sweepers and baton pass teams. He also spreads status on walls and physical attackers with Toxic and Scald, respectively. Unfortunately, a lot of those stat-boosting Pokemon that he's meant to check run a Grass move, and he gets Toxic'd all the time. He hasn't impressed me as much as I'd hoped, so he may be a candidate for replacement.
Torterra @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Rock Polish -
- Earthquake -
- Seed Bomb -
- Stone Edge -
Another recommendation from someone on the servers, Rock Polish Torterra has done pretty well. He was originally a support version with Stealth Rock and Leech Seed, but this set allows him to eliminate threats rather than just annoy them. Definitely my bulkiest attacker, he serves to sponge resisted attacks, Rock Polish on the switch, and pick whichever attack is appropriate for what's in front of him. Stone Edge is Stone Edge. It wins matches and loses matches. As my last set-up physical sweeper, he's pretty valuable to the team and usually puts a decent dent in the opponent.
Magmortar @ Life Orb
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Fire Blast -
- Focus Blast -
- Thunderbolt -
- HP Grass -
As you may be able to tell by now, I put the team together myself, but I copied some sets off the site. For this reason, I'm not sure about the Speed number as it pertains to NU, so any input there would be appreciated. I didn't have Magmortar on this team originally, but I found I had a lot of trouble with bulky grasses, and I needed something that hit hard on the special side right off the bat. The fact that he's a Fire-type was a bonus, as other than Mothim, I didn't have anything else for Grass, Bug, or Steel. The coverage is great, as Thunderbolt and HP Grass take care of Water switch-ins and Focus Blast takes out Rock and helps a lot with Normal-types like Miltank and Lickilicky. He's a little frail, but usually gets a kill or two before going down.
Slaking @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Truant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Retaliate -
- Giga Impact -
- Night Slash -
- Earthquake -
Yet another suggestion from someone on the server, Choice Scarf Slaking is the newest addition to the team, and he has not disappointed yet. I originally had Quick Feet Ursaring here, and he was pretty hit-and-miss. He took so much damage from entry hazards, poison, and whatever attacks he took, that he rarely got a Swords Dance up, and when he did, he'd only last a few turns anyway. He did very well when set-up, but lacked any staying power. Slaking is amazing. I haven't had to use anything other than Retaliate yet, and I don't think anything has lived it. I had a lot of problems with Braviary, Swellow, and Tauros before, but he's solved most of them. Let something die, switch-in Slaking, kill anything that isn't a Ghost, switch Slaking out, repeat. Again, I'm not sure if he needs max Speed EVs, but he's usually not in long enough to take a hit anyway.
I've fixed most of the problems with this team, but obviously I'm not undefeated, so it could always use work. The only thing I'd love to have that I don't is a priority move, but it's not really needed most of the time. Also, Smeargle could always use some tinkering, as Focus Sash on a Spinner usually isn't the best move, but it has come in handy in a few matches. The other semi-issue is that this team is quite offensive, with only Camerupt to take Special hits and Magneton and Kingler to take a few Physical ones, but not every Pokemon can sweep and tank hits all day lol.
I have found something by going through the team-building process though: redundancy is king. I had problems with Scarf Sawk before, and now, Kingler, Cinccino, hazards, and Magneton/Mothim (force him out if he uses Rock-move/Close Combat, respectively) can all deal with him. I have two ways to deal with Subs that gave me problems before (Cinccino and Camerupt). I also have two Scarfers to deal with Braviary/Swellow/Tauros, and a few answers for Hail as well. This allows for a less concern over losing a Pokemon, as, other than spinning for Smeargle and special walling with Camerupt, their job can be done by someone else.
So there it is. All suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your time!
