Ok, so this is my first official competitive team in a long while. I say first official, because it's the first one I've gone out of my way to build from scratch with a theme that I wasn't already fairly used to. Quite often previously, I've simply been using teams that other players had built the cores of, and i had simply modified the pokemon, maybe switching one or two and occasionally continuing to test and progress the teams from there.
So I've been working on this team for a while now (since I started working with the B/W metagame after I beat B/W a couple weeks after release). So far, it's been working out so far well enough. I have a couple of things I want to work on that I'll go into detail in later, but all in all it's been fairing well.
(EVERY TIME I UPDATE THIS THREAD'S TEAM, IT WILL BE WITH A BUMP POST AND A FULL EDIT & EXTENSION TO THIS POST)
That being said, this is my team:
The Team Building Process:
This is where I wanted my entire team to start from, a passing Mew. I find Mew to be a very enjoyable pokemon to play, and it has fairly decent all around stats. Also, it's one of the few pokemon that can learn a plethora of booster moves along with Baton Pass.
What I needed to directly go with Mew was a sweeper to pass his main boost, Nasty Plot, over to. Volcarona seemed to fit the bill quite nicely, being able to either boost itself on the switch or simply sweep with powerful stabs (one of which, Fiery Dance, can boost SpAtk).
I needed another special sweeper to send out if Volcarona's types didn't match up quite right. I decided first to go with Nidoking to see if Mew's boosts could make up for it's limitation on how it can use its variety.
I wanted something that could harass and stall if need be, especially if I needed something to fall back on a bit if something phased one of my primary three. What I decided to go with from past experience was Ferrothorn. He's easy to switch in, plus he can put a big strain on the opponent's team if he's not dealt with immediately.
Vaporeon was the next addition to my team. He covers a major Ground weakness, and he can support Mew's passing with passing of his own.
Quagsire just seemed to be such a simple choice for my final slot. I was looking for one more solid wall, and in a metagame populated by setup sweepers, Quagsire is the go to guy with his new Unaware ability. He also gives me a backup for covering ground, as well as common Fires.
AND SO THEY SET FORTH...
--------------------------------------->
It didn't take long for me to make this switch on my team. Volcarona was amazing WHEN he got in, but he was to frail to ever last on this team. Thus, was born the reign of Eelektross. He has amazing coverage with his moveset, and covers his ground weakness with his Levitate ability.
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This change happened gradually after I switched over to Eelektross. I no longer needed Nidoking for his coverage, since Eelektross covered much of the same, and at the cost of some speed gained versatility. Reuniclus was naturally bulky and had a solid recovery move, so it fit the bill now for second sweeper. Various changes were made to Mew as well to support a slightly slower set.
They Plodded Onwards!
---------------------------------------->
The most recent change that has been finalized on my team as of now (remember, this won't be done for a few more months). I didn't like the drag in the endgame, and swapped out Reuniclus for Latias. Since then, things have been decent sailing. A couple changes were made to Eelektross to support Latias better.
AT A FINAL (CURRENT LOOK)...
Ok, for a more in-depth look at what's here let's take a closer look over the course of my team and where it is today.
In The Beginning...
Changes, Stuff, and More Stuff...
Change, Change, Chan- Wait, That's All?
The Team At A Final Glance
Mew @ Focus Sash
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish / Amnesia
- Nasty Plot
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Grass/Ice]
Latias @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Psychic
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
My Bench
Pokemon on the "Bench" are pokemon that aren't usually on the running version of the team, but still pokemon that I haven't rejected.
Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Bold / Magic Guard
224Hp 252Def 32SpAtk
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
To be blunt, Reuniclus can get away with wiggling his way onto pretty much any standard OU team. He has bulk, can set up easily, heal himself... he can do a bit of everything and he can do it all well. This set was designed to give him coverage and survivability with this team, and for all purposes it's still very much viable.
REJECTED
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Timid / Swarm
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Quiver Dance
Ultimately, the downfall of this set (and this pokemon) for me on this team was the fact that it's so fragile. Many common types hit it hard, so it can be difficult to get in except in odd or unique circumstances, and it's not frequently usable enough to merit keeping. I could use it as a setup sweeper, devoid of the BP aspect however. If I feel the need is calling I may revive it's place on the team
Nidoking @ Focus Sash
Modest / Sheer Force
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
Outclassed in every way by Eelektross in my opinion. It's far to hard to get Nidoking in on a BP, and Eelektross covers the gap much more nicely.
TESTING
Hydreigon @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Draco Meteor
Ok, this is a set for Hydreigon that I'm currently in the middle of testing with this team. However that being said, this would be a replacement for either Latias or Eelektross. Eelektross is a bit slow for him to have grown on me totally, but I don't like the idea of both pure sweepers on my team having an Ice weakness. I'll continue to play with this set until I find a partner that I like with Hydreigon, or until I decide it's not viable for my team for whatever reason. He may end up on my bench in the end rather than my final team, but I like the versatility and speed, together with its good SpAtk.
What I Want To Work On:
So I've been working on this team for a while now (since I started working with the B/W metagame after I beat B/W a couple weeks after release). So far, it's been working out so far well enough. I have a couple of things I want to work on that I'll go into detail in later, but all in all it's been fairing well.
(EVERY TIME I UPDATE THIS THREAD'S TEAM, IT WILL BE WITH A BUMP POST AND A FULL EDIT & EXTENSION TO THIS POST)
That being said, this is my team:
The Team Building Process:
This is where I wanted my entire team to start from, a passing Mew. I find Mew to be a very enjoyable pokemon to play, and it has fairly decent all around stats. Also, it's one of the few pokemon that can learn a plethora of booster moves along with Baton Pass.
What I needed to directly go with Mew was a sweeper to pass his main boost, Nasty Plot, over to. Volcarona seemed to fit the bill quite nicely, being able to either boost itself on the switch or simply sweep with powerful stabs (one of which, Fiery Dance, can boost SpAtk).
I needed another special sweeper to send out if Volcarona's types didn't match up quite right. I decided first to go with Nidoking to see if Mew's boosts could make up for it's limitation on how it can use its variety.
I wanted something that could harass and stall if need be, especially if I needed something to fall back on a bit if something phased one of my primary three. What I decided to go with from past experience was Ferrothorn. He's easy to switch in, plus he can put a big strain on the opponent's team if he's not dealt with immediately.
Vaporeon was the next addition to my team. He covers a major Ground weakness, and he can support Mew's passing with passing of his own.
Quagsire just seemed to be such a simple choice for my final slot. I was looking for one more solid wall, and in a metagame populated by setup sweepers, Quagsire is the go to guy with his new Unaware ability. He also gives me a backup for covering ground, as well as common Fires.
AND SO THEY SET FORTH...
It didn't take long for me to make this switch on my team. Volcarona was amazing WHEN he got in, but he was to frail to ever last on this team. Thus, was born the reign of Eelektross. He has amazing coverage with his moveset, and covers his ground weakness with his Levitate ability.
This change happened gradually after I switched over to Eelektross. I no longer needed Nidoking for his coverage, since Eelektross covered much of the same, and at the cost of some speed gained versatility. Reuniclus was naturally bulky and had a solid recovery move, so it fit the bill now for second sweeper. Various changes were made to Mew as well to support a slightly slower set.
They Plodded Onwards!
The most recent change that has been finalized on my team as of now (remember, this won't be done for a few more months). I didn't like the drag in the endgame, and swapped out Reuniclus for Latias. Since then, things have been decent sailing. A couple changes were made to Eelektross to support Latias better.
AT A FINAL (CURRENT LOOK)...
Ok, for a more in-depth look at what's here let's take a closer look over the course of my team and where it is today.
In The Beginning...
Mew @ Focus Sash
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Amnesia
- Nasty Plot
This set is here to set up for the rest of my team. After a Nasty Plot at the lead of a match, most people that don't counter mew switch to a counter, allowing me either a free Substitute. Followed by BP to a counter or another NP/Amnesia and I can pass away with my speed against most.
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Timid / Swarm
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Quiver Dance
Standard Volcarona set. Quiver Dance then Fiery Dance, Bug Buzz, or Hidden Power. Rock is purely for added coverage against common types. This set doesn't need the BP from Mew to sweep you away, Mew just makes him more devastating or a bit resilient.
Nidoking @ Focus Sash
Modest / Sheer Force
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
Nidoking was always the weak link in my chain. Not overwhelming, his speed with the CS offset by the fact that CS doesn't allow him to use his variety. A nifty gimmick place holder for starting my team.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
I've suggested this to so much since B/W came out that I can type it's entire entry without even looking at the pokemon for reference. Leech Seep + Thunder Wave + Protect is lethal and can force many switch. A slightly less standard stall set, this is the pokemon that I turn to in almost any dire straight.
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
This is the second passer on this team, and helped to cover common grounds. Scald is also a nice STAB move that can burn and cripple physical sweepers. Acid Armor is a nice pump on it's high defenses that can be passed off with the Sub. If they don't happen to have a phaser, and let Mew set 1-2 setup moves before passing to Vaporeon he can sweep entire teams without even passing off his Sub. Also nice to be able to pull out a sub midway through and pass it off again.
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
Quagsire is amazing in the current OU metagame, and that's because so much of the metagame at the moment revolves around setups (the rest being TR/Weather etc). With Unaware as his ability, Quagsire ignores these setup pokemon. Scald is a STAB w/ a burn effect, which is nice. Recover keeps you up while Stockpile helps bulk you. Earthquake is for everything that isn't resistant to it.
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Amnesia
- Nasty Plot
This set is here to set up for the rest of my team. After a Nasty Plot at the lead of a match, most people that don't counter mew switch to a counter, allowing me either a free Substitute. Followed by BP to a counter or another NP/Amnesia and I can pass away with my speed against most.
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Timid / Swarm
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Quiver Dance
Standard Volcarona set. Quiver Dance then Fiery Dance, Bug Buzz, or Hidden Power. Rock is purely for added coverage against common types. This set doesn't need the BP from Mew to sweep you away, Mew just makes him more devastating or a bit resilient.
Nidoking @ Focus Sash
Modest / Sheer Force
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
Nidoking was always the weak link in my chain. Not overwhelming, his speed with the CS offset by the fact that CS doesn't allow him to use his variety. A nifty gimmick place holder for starting my team.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
I've suggested this to so much since B/W came out that I can type it's entire entry without even looking at the pokemon for reference. Leech Seep + Thunder Wave + Protect is lethal and can force many switch. A slightly less standard stall set, this is the pokemon that I turn to in almost any dire straight.
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
This is the second passer on this team, and helped to cover common grounds. Scald is also a nice STAB move that can burn and cripple physical sweepers. Acid Armor is a nice pump on it's high defenses that can be passed off with the Sub. If they don't happen to have a phaser, and let Mew set 1-2 setup moves before passing to Vaporeon he can sweep entire teams without even passing off his Sub. Also nice to be able to pull out a sub midway through and pass it off again.
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
Quagsire is amazing in the current OU metagame, and that's because so much of the metagame at the moment revolves around setups (the rest being TR/Weather etc). With Unaware as his ability, Quagsire ignores these setup pokemon. Scald is a STAB w/ a burn effect, which is nice. Recover keeps you up while Stockpile helps bulk you. Earthquake is for everything that isn't resistant to it.
Changes, Stuff, and More Stuff...
Mew @ Focus Sash
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish
- Nasty Plot
Switching over to two bulky pokemon for sweepers could be hard for this team to pull off fully. I switched Amnesia out for Rock Polish so I could pass a bit more speed.
Volcarona (REPLACED)
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This is the Eelektros that I replaced Volcarona with. EVs are for bulkyness over speed. Has a wide range of moves with good coverage, supplemented by HP [Ice] so that I could take Acid Spray so that I can force switches since it sharply lowers the opponent's SpDef.
Nidoking (REPLACED)
Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Bold / Magic Guard
224Hp 252Def 32SpAtk
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
Reuniclus is very, VERY bulky for a sweeper, and if NP is passed to him it could easily be game over. His speed isn't great, so be he needs to be careful about being out sped most of the time. Recover lets him keep going, and Energy Ball is added coverage (most useful versus a Tyranitar counter).
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish
- Nasty Plot
Switching over to two bulky pokemon for sweepers could be hard for this team to pull off fully. I switched Amnesia out for Rock Polish so I could pass a bit more speed.
Volcarona (REPLACED)
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This is the Eelektros that I replaced Volcarona with. EVs are for bulkyness over speed. Has a wide range of moves with good coverage, supplemented by HP [Ice] so that I could take Acid Spray so that I can force switches since it sharply lowers the opponent's SpDef.
Nidoking (REPLACED)
Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Bold / Magic Guard
224Hp 252Def 32SpAtk
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
Reuniclus is very, VERY bulky for a sweeper, and if NP is passed to him it could easily be game over. His speed isn't great, so be he needs to be careful about being out sped most of the time. Recover lets him keep going, and Energy Ball is added coverage (most useful versus a Tyranitar counter).
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
Change, Change, Chan- Wait, That's All?
Mew @ Focus Sash
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish
- Nasty Plot
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Grass]
HP [Grass] seemed to fit better with Latias than HP [Ice]. Latias already HAS Draco Meteor, as well as Ice Beam, so it seemed a bit repetitive.
Reuniclus (REPLACED)
Latias @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Psychic
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
Latias is what this team has accumulated all it's strength into. After a NP pass, Latias has a field day with most things since it already boasts a high natural speed. This set has FS for a bit of survivability, but Latias is bulky enough to BP in anyways.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish
- Nasty Plot
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Grass]
HP [Grass] seemed to fit better with Latias than HP [Ice]. Latias already HAS Draco Meteor, as well as Ice Beam, so it seemed a bit repetitive.
Reuniclus (REPLACED)
Latias @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Psychic
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
Latias is what this team has accumulated all it's strength into. After a NP pass, Latias has a field day with most things since it already boasts a high natural speed. This set has FS for a bit of survivability, but Latias is bulky enough to BP in anyways.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
The Team At A Final Glance
Mew @ Focus Sash
Timid / Synchronize
252Hp 4SpDef 252Spd
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Rock Polish / Amnesia
- Nasty Plot
Eelektross @ Life Orb
Modest / Levitate
252Hp 4Def 252SpAtk
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Acid Spray
- Hidden Power [Grass/Ice]
Latias @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Psychic
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Sassy / Iron Barbs
252Hp 60def 196SpDef
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold / Hydration
252Hp 152Def 104SpDef
- Acid Armor
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Scald
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Relaxed / Unaware
252Hp 252Def 4Spd
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stockpile
- Recover
My Bench
Pokemon on the "Bench" are pokemon that aren't usually on the running version of the team, but still pokemon that I haven't rejected.
Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Bold / Magic Guard
224Hp 252Def 32SpAtk
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
To be blunt, Reuniclus can get away with wiggling his way onto pretty much any standard OU team. He has bulk, can set up easily, heal himself... he can do a bit of everything and he can do it all well. This set was designed to give him coverage and survivability with this team, and for all purposes it's still very much viable.
REJECTED
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Timid / Swarm
4Def 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Quiver Dance
Ultimately, the downfall of this set (and this pokemon) for me on this team was the fact that it's so fragile. Many common types hit it hard, so it can be difficult to get in except in odd or unique circumstances, and it's not frequently usable enough to merit keeping. I could use it as a setup sweeper, devoid of the BP aspect however. If I feel the need is calling I may revive it's place on the team
Nidoking @ Focus Sash
Modest / Sheer Force
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
Outclassed in every way by Eelektross in my opinion. It's far to hard to get Nidoking in on a BP, and Eelektross covers the gap much more nicely.
TESTING
Hydreigon @ Focus Sash
Timid / Levitate
4Hp 252SpAtk 252Spd
- Flamethrower
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Draco Meteor
Ok, this is a set for Hydreigon that I'm currently in the middle of testing with this team. However that being said, this would be a replacement for either Latias or Eelektross. Eelektross is a bit slow for him to have grown on me totally, but I don't like the idea of both pure sweepers on my team having an Ice weakness. I'll continue to play with this set until I find a partner that I like with Hydreigon, or until I decide it's not viable for my team for whatever reason. He may end up on my bench in the end rather than my final team, but I like the versatility and speed, together with its good SpAtk.
What I Want To Work On:
Mew seems to be a bit off for me, and I'm looking for a way to tilt the EVs a bit more defensive and get an attacking move onto him.
Eelektross is a great sweeper, and even more deadly with a Sub passed to him, but I want to try and see if there's anything out there that (while fitting with this team) might not fit this slot better and give me some things I don't already have.
If I abandon Sub passing then I may dump Vaporeon, and I'd be in the market for a new slotter along with Eelektross.
Eelektross is a great sweeper, and even more deadly with a Sub passed to him, but I want to try and see if there's anything out there that (while fitting with this team) might not fit this slot better and give me some things I don't already have.
If I abandon Sub passing then I may dump Vaporeon, and I'd be in the market for a new slotter along with Eelektross.
