Hey everyone, I’ve been browsing these forums for a while now, and thought I’d finally join in. Anyway a while ago I had an idea for a team originally based around what I consider to be a very effective trio of Pokémon: Tyranitar, Gengar, and Magnezone. I’m not going to go into the whole team building process as most of my members stayed the same and it takes more effort to create but the whole point of my team is to create one that can compete both in the metagame’s OU environment as well as with my friends who don’t use “legendaries” (Latias, Heatran, Rotom, etc.). I feel like this is a fairly good team overall but I can’t help thinking that I’m not covering something or whatnot anyway here it is!
Parts I’d like suggestions on will be in blue, parts I definitely want help on are in red.
At a glance:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swampert @ Leftovers
Relaxed
252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
-Stealth rocks
-Earthquake
-Ice beam
-Roar
The very reliable MixPert lead almost always gets stealth rock up and is an excellent opening scouter for my team, racking up stealth rock damage as well. Swampert also helps by providing more resistances that my team needs. Its solid defenses also allow it to switch into physical based and mixed Salamence attacks and usually take another hit as it counters for an OHKO with ice beam as long as it has enough of its health left. As common as this lead is, it’s common for a very good reason. Although I haven’t used roar all too often since I usually try to save Swampert after it puts stealth rocks up to make use of its great typing and defense, so another move for that slot would be taken into consideration, maybe protect.
Synergy:
Grass- Magnezone, Empoleon, Gengar
----------------------------------------------------
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Jolly
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
-Stone edge
-Earthquake
-Pursuit
-Crunch
I originally thought I came up with the set for a Scarfed Tyranitar all by myself until I looked it up and found it on Smogon and then it started popping up on just about every team and I can understand why, Tyranitar does a lot of great things, especially ScarfTar, while he acts as a great revenge killer, he can also help to scout for exactly which threats to him and others are on the opponent’s team as they usually send out their strongest pokemon or revenge killer to counter Tyranitar. With a choice scarf, not only does he outrun many of his previous threats, he can also take the Trick pokemon with ease. Trick pokemon are also generally psychic or ghost type which easily allows Tyranitar to pursuit them to death, making him the premier Rotom and Gengar counter.
Synergy:
Ground- Gengar, Togekiss, Swampert
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Water- Magnezone, Empoleon
Steel- Magnezone, Swampert, Empoleon
Grass- Magnezone, Empoleon, Gengar
--------------------------------------------------------
Gengar @ Life orb:
Levitate
Timid
6 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
-Shadow ball
-Hidden power (fire)
-Focus blast
-Protect
Gengar is literally the perfect partner for a ScarfTar, it can switch in to two of Tyranitar's major and common weaknesses and take zero damage from the attack, only to outrun and kill the next turn. Hidden power ice is used here because of the common ground enemies it will allow me to kill like Gliscor while the rest of the set is pretty basic. Focus blast is there for the Tyranitar or CB Scizor who will inevitably switch in and try and trap my Gengar. Hidden power ice also works well on dragons who Gengar can outrun with ease as long as they haven’t danced. I originally considered Hypnosis over Explosion but missing an attack is usually not an option for a frail Gengar and explosion generally works wonders. I had also considered the new Sub + Pain Split version of Gengar but didn’t choose that one because of all the switching in Gengar would need to do means it racks up a lot of stealth rock damage. I have also tried making a custom Dusknoir especially to couple with Tyranitar, but the more I worked on it and the better it got, it just turned into a BaitNoir (which doesn’t exist, I know), who could counter his counters and get one kill easy, maybe two but at the cost of falling out of synergy with my team that coupled with his low speed led me to scrap that idea.
Synergy:
Ghost- Itself, Tyranitar, Empoleon
Dark- Not much at the moment
Psychic- Itself, Tyranitar,
-----------------------------------------------------
Magnezone @ leftovers
Magnet Pull
Naive
40 Atk/252 SpA/216 Spe
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden power (grass)
-Substitute
-Explosion
Magnezone completes this Tyranitar trio by being able to counter two more of Tyranitar's big weaknesses. It can switch into Scizor's Bullet punch for little damage, then trap it, outrun it, and kill it. Also Scizor is a danger to Gengar as well, helping him out too. More generally, Hidden power fire hits all steels and the grassy Celebi super effectively except for Heatran who is probably Magnezone’s single biggest threat. In addition to that, it is also an incredibly hard hitter on water types like Suicune and Vaporeon who could also potentially try and attack my Tyranitar or wall me. Being a steel type allows it to switch into dragon attacks more easily, making it one of my go to’s for dragon elimination. HP fire kills Scizor in one hit instead of two from Thunderbolt, it 2HKOs opposing Magnezone and Metagross (AgiliGross does a number on this team but I’ll explain that further in my threat list). I’ve also considered using either HP grass for Tyranitar and other rock/ground or HP ice to kill the dragons quicker but so far HP fire has proved the most useful.
Synergy:
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Fire- Swampert, Tyranitar
Ground- Gengar, Togekiss Swampert
--------------------------------------------------
Empoleon @ Petaya berry
Torrent
Modest
12 HP/12 Def/232 Spe/252 SpA
-Substitute
-Agility
-Surf
-Ice beam
Originally I had a specs version of Salamence here (since I’m not allowed to use Latias with my friends) until I ran into this set for Empoleon. After using this set for a while, I was amazed at how completely it could sweep a team once it got set up correctly. It 2HKOs almost every single OU pokemon after boost and OHKOs very many as well, and that’s at full HP and by the time late game sets in, most opposing pokemon won’t have that advantage. Its large amount of resistances allows it to switch into multiple pokemon to start setting up, while forcing the switch. Since I generally use it as my late game sweeper, it doesn't bring much to the table besides for its resistances that allow some countering in case I run into a Heatran of something else of equal threat (like a big dancing or banded dragon of some sort). Unfortunately, Suicune pretty much walls this set, but that’s what I have Magnezone for.
Synergy:
Electric- Swampert
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Ground- Togekiss, Gengar
---------------------------------------------
Togekiss @ leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid
252 HP/20 Def/236 Spe
-Encore
-Wish
-Air slash
-Aura sphere
Togekiss's main purpose is to provide Wish support mainly to Tyranitar who should be switching in and out fairly often for damage that adds up. It also can mess up Dragon dancers and other set up pokemon with Encore, however I have considered replacing this slot for Heal bell instead so statuses don’t give me too much trouble or even for Roost as stealth rocks are a problem for Togekiss allowing it to only get a minimal switch in. Aura sphere is a great counter for rock types who try to switch in to kill Togekiss with a Stone edge, namely Tyranitar. Air slash is a great stab for grass and flying types and has a great flinch chance with Serene Grace. This spot on my team has been the most undecided and is where I am looking for the most help on, I have been considering the wishers of Salamence (part of the FatMence set I believe) or the ever so standard Vaporeon. In actuality the contest is probably mostly between Togekiss and Vaporeon, the only real advantage Togekiss has is the extra ground resistance that normally allows for a free switch in.
Synergy:
Rock- Swampert, Tyranitar, Magnezone
Electric- Swampert, Magnezone, Tyranitar
Ice- Magnezone, Tyranitar
----------------------------------------------------------
I feel that I have some major trouble with two things, Fighting types (especially since my Gengar tends to die early) and that I only have two physically based pokemon so these would be some of the first issues that need fixing
All changes will be made in bold
Thank you to those who take the time to edit my team, I realize how standard most of this is, but as I said with Swampert, these sets are standard for a reason, their effectiveness. Hopefully I will be able to help you out in the future too.
Parts I’d like suggestions on will be in blue, parts I definitely want help on are in red.
At a glance:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swampert @ Leftovers
Relaxed
252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
-Stealth rocks
-Earthquake
-Ice beam
-Roar
The very reliable MixPert lead almost always gets stealth rock up and is an excellent opening scouter for my team, racking up stealth rock damage as well. Swampert also helps by providing more resistances that my team needs. Its solid defenses also allow it to switch into physical based and mixed Salamence attacks and usually take another hit as it counters for an OHKO with ice beam as long as it has enough of its health left. As common as this lead is, it’s common for a very good reason. Although I haven’t used roar all too often since I usually try to save Swampert after it puts stealth rocks up to make use of its great typing and defense, so another move for that slot would be taken into consideration, maybe protect.
Synergy:
Grass- Magnezone, Empoleon, Gengar
----------------------------------------------------
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Jolly
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
-Stone edge
-Earthquake
-Pursuit
-Crunch
I originally thought I came up with the set for a Scarfed Tyranitar all by myself until I looked it up and found it on Smogon and then it started popping up on just about every team and I can understand why, Tyranitar does a lot of great things, especially ScarfTar, while he acts as a great revenge killer, he can also help to scout for exactly which threats to him and others are on the opponent’s team as they usually send out their strongest pokemon or revenge killer to counter Tyranitar. With a choice scarf, not only does he outrun many of his previous threats, he can also take the Trick pokemon with ease. Trick pokemon are also generally psychic or ghost type which easily allows Tyranitar to pursuit them to death, making him the premier Rotom and Gengar counter.
Synergy:
Ground- Gengar, Togekiss, Swampert
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Water- Magnezone, Empoleon
Steel- Magnezone, Swampert, Empoleon
Grass- Magnezone, Empoleon, Gengar
--------------------------------------------------------
Gengar @ Life orb:
Levitate
Timid
6 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
-Shadow ball
-Hidden power (fire)
-Focus blast
-Protect
Gengar is literally the perfect partner for a ScarfTar, it can switch in to two of Tyranitar's major and common weaknesses and take zero damage from the attack, only to outrun and kill the next turn. Hidden power ice is used here because of the common ground enemies it will allow me to kill like Gliscor while the rest of the set is pretty basic. Focus blast is there for the Tyranitar or CB Scizor who will inevitably switch in and try and trap my Gengar. Hidden power ice also works well on dragons who Gengar can outrun with ease as long as they haven’t danced. I originally considered Hypnosis over Explosion but missing an attack is usually not an option for a frail Gengar and explosion generally works wonders. I had also considered the new Sub + Pain Split version of Gengar but didn’t choose that one because of all the switching in Gengar would need to do means it racks up a lot of stealth rock damage. I have also tried making a custom Dusknoir especially to couple with Tyranitar, but the more I worked on it and the better it got, it just turned into a BaitNoir (which doesn’t exist, I know), who could counter his counters and get one kill easy, maybe two but at the cost of falling out of synergy with my team that coupled with his low speed led me to scrap that idea.
Synergy:
Ghost- Itself, Tyranitar, Empoleon
Dark- Not much at the moment
Psychic- Itself, Tyranitar,
-----------------------------------------------------
Magnezone @ leftovers
Magnet Pull
Naive
40 Atk/252 SpA/216 Spe
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden power (grass)
-Substitute
-Explosion
Magnezone completes this Tyranitar trio by being able to counter two more of Tyranitar's big weaknesses. It can switch into Scizor's Bullet punch for little damage, then trap it, outrun it, and kill it. Also Scizor is a danger to Gengar as well, helping him out too. More generally, Hidden power fire hits all steels and the grassy Celebi super effectively except for Heatran who is probably Magnezone’s single biggest threat. In addition to that, it is also an incredibly hard hitter on water types like Suicune and Vaporeon who could also potentially try and attack my Tyranitar or wall me. Being a steel type allows it to switch into dragon attacks more easily, making it one of my go to’s for dragon elimination. HP fire kills Scizor in one hit instead of two from Thunderbolt, it 2HKOs opposing Magnezone and Metagross (AgiliGross does a number on this team but I’ll explain that further in my threat list). I’ve also considered using either HP grass for Tyranitar and other rock/ground or HP ice to kill the dragons quicker but so far HP fire has proved the most useful.
Synergy:
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Fire- Swampert, Tyranitar
Ground- Gengar, Togekiss Swampert
--------------------------------------------------
Empoleon @ Petaya berry
Torrent
Modest
12 HP/12 Def/232 Spe/252 SpA
-Substitute
-Agility
-Surf
-Ice beam
Originally I had a specs version of Salamence here (since I’m not allowed to use Latias with my friends) until I ran into this set for Empoleon. After using this set for a while, I was amazed at how completely it could sweep a team once it got set up correctly. It 2HKOs almost every single OU pokemon after boost and OHKOs very many as well, and that’s at full HP and by the time late game sets in, most opposing pokemon won’t have that advantage. Its large amount of resistances allows it to switch into multiple pokemon to start setting up, while forcing the switch. Since I generally use it as my late game sweeper, it doesn't bring much to the table besides for its resistances that allow some countering in case I run into a Heatran of something else of equal threat (like a big dancing or banded dragon of some sort). Unfortunately, Suicune pretty much walls this set, but that’s what I have Magnezone for.
Synergy:
Electric- Swampert
Fighting- Gengar, Togekiss
Ground- Togekiss, Gengar
---------------------------------------------
Togekiss @ leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid
252 HP/20 Def/236 Spe
-Encore
-Wish
-Air slash
-Aura sphere
Togekiss's main purpose is to provide Wish support mainly to Tyranitar who should be switching in and out fairly often for damage that adds up. It also can mess up Dragon dancers and other set up pokemon with Encore, however I have considered replacing this slot for Heal bell instead so statuses don’t give me too much trouble or even for Roost as stealth rocks are a problem for Togekiss allowing it to only get a minimal switch in. Aura sphere is a great counter for rock types who try to switch in to kill Togekiss with a Stone edge, namely Tyranitar. Air slash is a great stab for grass and flying types and has a great flinch chance with Serene Grace. This spot on my team has been the most undecided and is where I am looking for the most help on, I have been considering the wishers of Salamence (part of the FatMence set I believe) or the ever so standard Vaporeon. In actuality the contest is probably mostly between Togekiss and Vaporeon, the only real advantage Togekiss has is the extra ground resistance that normally allows for a free switch in.
Synergy:
Rock- Swampert, Tyranitar, Magnezone
Electric- Swampert, Magnezone, Tyranitar
Ice- Magnezone, Tyranitar
----------------------------------------------------------
I feel that I have some major trouble with two things, Fighting types (especially since my Gengar tends to die early) and that I only have two physically based pokemon so these would be some of the first issues that need fixing
All changes will be made in bold
Thank you to those who take the time to edit my team, I realize how standard most of this is, but as I said with Swampert, these sets are standard for a reason, their effectiveness. Hopefully I will be able to help you out in the future too.
