My First Self-Made Shoddy Team

[Althouse]

I have been playing on shoddy for probably about a month now, and I am soo happy Astamatitos gave me a team and told me to try it. Cause I love it.

Anyway, this is my first attempt at my own team, and it has been quite successful after lots of practice. I have finally been able to get on my laptop and retrieve my team =)

Team At A Glance:

Just realized, holy BLUE. All I need is Rotom-W....not

A Closer Look:

Swampert (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP/216 Def/52 SAtk
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Roar
---

My bulky lead. I usually get SR in on first turn unless its a fast taunter like aerodactyl. Switches to Rotom-H usually on azelf, EQs tars, Ice beam leads like Hippowdon, Sometimes I run from infernape due to grass knot, and sometimes I dont. Not sure what to do there. EQ jirachi, Roar brongzong, EQ gross, and Ice Beam/Roar jask. Roar for phazing and SR damage.

NOTE: I need a good way to stop Gengar leads and Infernape Leads. They can cause massive trouble for me.

Lucario (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Extremespeed
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
---

Usually my Finisher. Jolly makes it quite fast, If the opponent did not get SR in, then I can get a free SD. Crunch for all the psychics and ghosts. Close Combat for some nasty STAB damage and Extremespeed for priority.

Salamence (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/60 Atk/196 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Outrage
---

Beastly Mence. I can usually get a good predict in or else come in for revenge, and get a DD in. Roost away any SR damage. Outrage if I can KO, and then even on a switch sometimes Outrage ends after 2 and Lum Berry heals the confusion. Lum also helps with status...especially them brelooms. EQ any steels.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Surf
---

This is probably the heart and soul of my team. CM cune is incredibly powerful. HP electric for gyarados and vaporeon, along with other waters. Rest after a few CMs, take damage, wake up and sweep. Bold for max defense.

Azelf @ Lum Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
---

Very cool pokemon. I just replaced Yanmega for it, and it has done well. Lum berry for those celebi t-wavers and whatnot. Nasty Plot up and sweep. Levitate ftw. Predict EQs and switch then set up as they switch.

Rotom-h @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/136 Spd/64 SAtk/58 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Overheat
---

This can stop so many pokemon from setting up. Can switch in to take azelf explosions and EQs. Tricks things that will use a stat booster. Usually I like to keep my scarf till closer to the end of the match. It outspeeds a 1 DD gyarados and KOs Gengar and starmie easily. Beatrs other rotoms. Can take bullet punches and overheat to KO scizor.




Let me know what you think. It has served me well so far, although I miss my flying and bug moves. and Hypnosis accuracy =(

 

[Heysup]

Two physical walls seems kind of reduntant, even though they do different things. You could put a Blissey over Swampert, as it can SR and wall Sp Attackers. If you make it a cleric, you can also use more useful items on Mence/Azelf if you like, because you can cure status. But, im no one to talk, i stick to DP UU...

 

[Imran]

I don't think that lead Infernape carry Grass Knot, usually its a combination of Endeavor, Vacuume Wave, Fake Out, Close Combat and Fire Blast, so you should be safe just earthquaking there, remember to finish them off with Ice beam though, to stop them from switching in a Flying type for free though ;) Gengar leads tend not to be _too_ common these days due to the Hypnosis accuracy drop, but I'll come back to him later.

On Lucario, Life Orb really is a must. Without it you really do lose the sheer power of the set, redering it a lot less useful, you don't have large anti-Stealth Rock support either so really you're better off trying to work out the free turn to get the boost. Azelf works as great fodder for this, attracting CB Tar and locking it into Pursuit. Also you should put Ice Beam over Hidden Power Electric on Suicune, you have better coverage against Bulky waters than against things like Dragon Dance Salamence, Suicune will serve as a nice check to those Salamence that Rotom doesn't cover as well as he covers Gyarados.

Now, this opens up a small weakness to Bulky Waters, who although being not too common, wall you quite well, especially lighter ones like Vaporeon who will do "OK" against Azelf. But to be honest I think that Azelf can be reaplced anyway, all it really does is add another member who is going to be walled by Blissey (she can Thunderwave and switch out.) Now my answer to think would be to put in a Scarfed Gengar, here is the set:

Gengar @ Choice Scarf
Rash Nature / Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Ice
~ Thunderbolt
~ Explosion / Focus Blast

Explosion is for Blissey who therefore cannot switch into this safely, and hopefully you will be able to take it out. If you want to be hitting Tyranitar, then Focus Blast is the move of Choice, although the Tyranitar wekaness isn't too bad here, as they will fear Focus Blast anyway and even if a CB Tar does pursuit you, you can utilise it to Lucario's ends. Thunderbolt ensures oyu against GYarados, HP Ice against Salamence, it's your all purpose revenge killer if you will.

Now what this does is make Rotom-h a little obsolete, but I have a solution, simply change Rotom to a Zapdos, the EV spread that I tend to run on Zapdos is 188 HP / 176 Speed / 144 SpA with a Timid Nature. This way you outspeed Jolly Lucario and IIRC do about 70% to him which is enough to prevent him gaining a full sweep (especaily as you will be running Gar as well.) If it gets a Def drop from CC you pretty much OHKO considering it will have take Life Orb Damage too. This alongside a moveset of Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass / Heat Wave / Roost, possibly even with the life orb will make for a more offensive version of the Rotom you have, but with the ability to hit Swampert hard, it will still counter similar things.

Sorry I am a little tired, if any of my reasoning is unclear then I'll be happy to answer any questions you have in this thread or by PM, whichever you prefer. I hope that some of this helped, and good luck testing it out!

 

[Matthew]

Hey, let's get rating!

First we'll look at your Swampert lead. Now Swampert isn't anything special and he'll lose to most of the standard leads because they like to Explode or trick a choice Scarf. So, what I'm thinking is moving your Azelf to the lead position so you can then at least get rocks up and then perhaps get a kill (if the other team isn't carrying Roto).

Azelf @ Focus Sash
Jolly Nature
252 Atk 252 Spe 6 HP
- Stealth Rocks
- Taunt
- Explosion
- U-Turn

This Azelf lead is fairly common and shuts down most leads. It does have a few counters (like scarf Jirachi and Aerodactyal) but that is why I've placed U-Turn on it. U-Turn will let you switch out of Aerodactyal leads as they Taunt you and lets you see if Jirachi is going to Trick the Scarf to you or is going to try to flinch you to death, the latter has a 60% chance of not working though. Explosion is the normal thing to do once your rocks are down. Or maybe he can even come in later in the game to explode on something that's giving you trouble. Taunt is for slower leads, like Hippo, and Stealth Rocks is obvious.

If you decide to take my advice on Azelf you now have a Swampert just sitting on your team, not doing much. I ahd to stare at your team for a few minutes before I realized that you don't have quite the solid "wall-breaker". So, I guess replacing Swampert with a wall breaker would help benefit your Salamence, softening things up so you can get Sweep with him, ot Lucario. There are two mixed wall breakers, Nidoking(Crush-King) or Infernape. Infernape is definatly the better choice out of these two pokemon, so I'm only going to list his set, unless you want Crush-Kings set.

Infernape @ Life Orb
Naive Nature
24 Atk 252 SpAtk 232 Spe
- Close Combat
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast
- Nasty Plot

After a Nasty Plot only certain pokemon can switch in on you, the most dominant pokemons being Gyarados and Vaporeon. This is no issue as you carry Roto and can hurt them severely. His moveset is pretty standard, Close Combat will OHKO Blissey, Boosted Grass Knots will handle most Water Types along with Ground types. Fire Blast is to handle Steels with Grasses.

On Salamence I feel that you only have Lum Berry because of breloom, but your Roto is probably the best Breloom counter that could exist. Letting one pokemon take a sleep then going to Roto wouldn't be a poor idea since Breloom's STAB Focus Punch won't hit you and Seed Bomb will not do as noicible damage. So Replace Salamence's Lum Berry with Life Orb since he needs all the power he can get if he wants to pull off an effictive sweep.

I also do notice a slight Zapdos and Salamence weakness after he gets a Dragon Dance in. Maybe giving up Trick on Roto for Hidden Power [ICE] could help you, and keeping him as a revenge killer. It is up to you though.

 

[Althouse]

Yes I have thought about using Zapdos over Rotom Goldfan, but then I would have no ghost. Your idea fills both slots. I will have to try this.

Gen Emp I have almost been in love with Infernape since coming to shoddy, but I thought him and Lucario was too much on one team due to the weaknesses and frailty, but I will try what you have said as well.