There have been a lot of offensive teams flittering about lately, so I went ahead and got on the offensive band wagon in an effort to compete with said teams. Turns out that didn't work out so well...I have never been able to create a standout offensive team, let alone any kind of standout team. But I have always admired the opposite strategy to offensive: The Stall team. I think it fits my patient and methodical attitude towards my pokemon battles. I have also forever been intrigued by Hail, one of the lesser seen weather conditions, and I think its ability to hit many more pokemon than Sand can hit could be utilized as an especially effective tool for stalling. The article on Hail Stall inspired me to create my first Stall team, and thus far, it has been my most effective team on Shoddy. That being said, there are many kinks to work out, and weaknesses to patch up. This is why I post my team here. I am still relatively new to the style of the staller, but I believe I am catching on fairly well.
This is my first RMT. I have read the rules, and have tested/modified my team for the past few weeks. I follow the rules to the best of my ability....if this RMT is to be locked, someone please PM me specifically why, as I will have no idea.
Thoughts and current tests will be in black. Problems will be in red. Changes will be in italics.
Bringer of Freezing Doom!!
Obamasnow @ Leftovers
Snow Warning :D
EVs: 76 Spd / 252 SAtk / 182 HP
Sassy
Blizzard
Substitute
Focus Punch
Leech Seed
Here he is!! Taken straight from the Strategy Dex (sort of). His primary role is little more than to bring in the Hail, and he rarely stays in more than one or two turns, especially if there is a Hippo stomping in front of me. However, Aboma does have his uses. I like to switch him in on certain special attacking threats...particularly water pokemon who like to use the Water / Electric combination. Suicune, Starmie, and Vaporeon come to mind. Abomasnow can take on these guys with proper prediction. Leech Seed is around to hurt walls, and to recover off SR and Sub damage. Sassy nature over Gentle because I will be sending Aboma in on many more special attacks than physical.
Testing him as my lead. Originally put here to make sure Walrein isn't a "dead weight"....ok, Walrein's not around, but we'll make do. I run the Speed-reducing Nature in order to make sure I have my Hail when faced with the exceedingly rare Tyranitar lead (or if I switch in at the same time as one). Can't be too careful...or can I? Anyway, I will test both him as a lead and Swampy as a lead with this new team, and see which works better.
The Rocker / Tank
Swampert @ Leftovers
Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SAtk
Relaxed
Earthquake
Ice Beam
Protect
Stealth Rock
Swampert used to be my lead. But no longer...at least not right now. Still, I keep him as a strong member of the team. He is one of the most reliable users of Stealth Rock, gets solid coverage and the ability to hit on either side of the spectrum with his two offensive attacks, and finds an incredible utility move in Protect. Protect is useful in Stalling teams for its ability to scout for choice attacks, scout for Grass attacks, block Explosions, allow for Leftovers recovery (if there is no Hail), and allow for another deadly turn of Hail and Status damage. Swampert is not a pokemon I see going anywhere anytime soon.
Will be testing as the lead again soon.
The Toxic Spiker
Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 138 SDef
Calm
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Knock Off / Hidden Power Electric
Surf
Tentacruel is almost a necessity on a stall team as one of the most famed Toxic Spikers in OU. Rapid Spin support is a crucial role to fill, because my team can't afford to be taking any unnecessary damage, even if it's just Rocks (and it helps my Ice pokemon considerably). Knock Off ruins the item-centric strategies that plague the offensive pokemon, and allows walls, as well as near all others with Leftovers, to be hurt by the Hail. Surf is preferred over Blizzard because I will not often have Hail up at the time Tentacruel is most active, and it destroys Infernape. Hidden Power Electric is an option to get rid of Gyarados, but Tentacruel makes an iffy counter after a DD
Why Tentacruel? He and Forretress are the two primary Toxic Spikers in OU. I needed someone who could take a special hit or two. I also value the Fire, Fighting, and Steel resistances that he comes packaged with. Tentacruel is also my sole Infernape counter, able to soak up whatever Infernape has other than the rare Thunderpunch, or Stone Edge.
The Spiker / Physical Wall
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Atk
Impish
Spikes
Roost
Whirlwind
Drill Peck
Totally not mentioned in the Hail Stall article, but in this humble player's opinion, that's exactly where Skarm belongs. He is my best friend. Without a doubt the most reliable spiker in the game, but valued most for the Whirlwind. Pseudo-Hazing is one of the most valued aspects of the Stall team, because a staller wants to know as much about the opponent's team as early as possible, to maximize informed predictions, and rely less on the blind predicting that can ruin so many games. Not to mention the obvious damage that adds up over time from entry hazards.
I chose Drill Peck over Brave Bird, because should Hail be present, I don't want Skarm to be taking any more secondary damage than he has to, as the primary physical wall. I suppose I could run Brave Bird with Leftovers at the risk of Magnezone dropping in. I only think of this because I haven't seen a lot of Magnezones lately. Thoughts?
The Spin Blocker / Special Wall
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 98 Def / 160 SDef
Calm
Shadow Ball
Sucker Punch
Pain Split
Will-O-Wisp
My team hates gengar, and hates a lot of special attackers in general. I needed a Gengar counter badly, and the Rotom-H I had here simply wouldn't cut it, as it would die to Shadow Ball. Spiritomb is one of the best Gengar counters there is. He is the newest member of the team, and as such, is constantly changing as I test it out. The current moveset is the best one I have found so far. I chose Shadow Ball and Sucker Punch as my two offensive moves for a couple of reasons. One, the Ghost-Dark coverage still hits every type for neutral damage other than Steel (and Steels other than Heatran suffer from WoW). Also, most people I play against tend to try and deal with Spiritomb offensively, and nobody expects the surprise first strike from the 'Tomb. I like using SP after Shadow Ball...catches all the Gengars by surprise :)
I started out by having a Rest-Talking variant using Shadow Ball and HP Elec, but for whatever reason, it wasn't quite working out as I liked, so I replaced HP Elec with Sucker Punch. Yeah...Sleep Talking Sucker Punch...smart. ::Slaps self:: I finally decided I would have to sacrifice its permanent status-absorbing potential in exchange for another moveslot. I got rid of Sleep Talk for Will-O-Wisp to hurt Physical threats, as well as walls. I couldn't ask for a more welcome change, and Spiritomb still absorbs status decently...just not as well as it used to.
And now, Rest has been replaced by Pain Split. I have another status absorber now, so I am free to run Leftovers. Still counters what it needs to counter. Although I now have an additional Gengar counter, Spiritomb remains necessary as my Spin Blocker. I suppose I may be free to toy with a Calm Mind set to deal with those other CMers? More playing around to do :)
The EVs I gave it were taken from the Strategy Dex to counter Gengar, as his Shadow Ball is a 3KO.
The Healer / Professional Fat Bitch
Blissey @ Leftovers
Natural Cure
EVs: 176 SDef / 252 Def / 80 SAtk
Calm
Wish
Protect
Flamethrower
Toxic
My team just got heavier.
I swore to myself a long time ago I would not use Blissey. But times have changed. WishBliss is here to recover those teammates who don't have a way to recover themselves. At last, my Swampert and Tentacruel can perform their roles in comfort knowing they have a second chance, should their HP drop too low. Flamethrower has been chosen over all other offense to predict the all-too-common Scizor switchins. Toxic is the idea I got not only from BrodericKK, but also from Obi, as this provides Toxicity for all the flyers and Levitators that think they snuck away from the poison.
I got rid of Stallrein...the heart of my team. Why the hell would I get rid of the heart and soul of my team for the pokemon I swore I would not use? Simple...I got 6-0'd by a lead Zapdos who never had to switch out. I've simply had enough. Not one more day of suffering at the hands of Zappy. >_> Blissey is here because she is the only reliable counter to Zapdos I could think of, and is also a Wish-Passer.
Walrein @ Leftovers
Ice Body
EVs: 220 HP / 244 Def / 46 Spd
Bold
Blizzard
Substitute
Protect
Roar
Stallrein has pulled me out of so many fights. Blizzard was chosen over Surf to lay waste to the faster pseudo-hazers that are lured in to deal with him. Sub Protect gives him that infamous stalling combo we all love so much. Roar removes anything that poses a severe threat to him, and allows for entry hazards to do their thing.
Removed in lieu of Blissey to patch up a monumental Zapdos weakness. (Funny...I haven't seen a single Zapdos yet since I made this change)
And with that, my team is complete...at least it is the best that I alone can make it. But there are still notable weaknesses in the team. I will lay them out as I see them.
This is a pure stall team. I have no speed, and have no standout power, as the only pokemon I have given any offensive EVs to are bad with offense. Taunt rapes me if I don't have the right pokemon out. Should a nice bulky sweeper come along, and I am unable to pseudo-haze, I'm dead, and even if I can, those who pseudo-haze will suffer from whatever attack is chosen to be thrown at them on the way out. I need a response to this. Can I break the stallbreakers?
No priority moves outside of Sucker Punch, and we can't exactly call that reliable now, can we? But I don't have a problem dealing with opponents' priority moves per se, so perhaps this isn't too much of a weakness(?)
I have now but one Pseudo-Hazer. The loss of Stallrein means Skarmory is my only option to get rid of any stat-uppers. Calm minders immune to Toxic pose an incredible threat to my team...or really, any special Stat-uppers for that matter.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure my team is weak to a lot of pokemon, but those I have suffered most from are listed here. I will add to this list should more consistent threats pop up.
1.
Gyarados (Taunting): Taunt screws over my team in general, but none more than the Taunting DD Gyarados. I don't have any attacks that pose a threat to it, and he's simply faster. This team just says "Hi Gyara! Come sweep my entire team!!"
2.
Jirachi: She has the potential to make my life hell. I have nothing to stop this thing from Calm Minding and taking out my entire team if it wields a Thunderbolt.
3.
Obviously, this team needs a hell of a lot of work. I am still sort of new to stalling, so perhaps my skill as a staller has something to do with this as well. At any rate, any suggestions of any kind would be most appreciated. Thanks very much :)
This is my first RMT. I have read the rules, and have tested/modified my team for the past few weeks. I follow the rules to the best of my ability....if this RMT is to be locked, someone please PM me specifically why, as I will have no idea.
Thoughts and current tests will be in black. Problems will be in red. Changes will be in italics.
Stranded in the Snow (at a glance)!
Recent Changes:
swapped out for
Recent Changes:
The Details
Bringer of Freezing Doom!!
Obamasnow @ Leftovers
Snow Warning :D
EVs: 76 Spd / 252 SAtk / 182 HP
Sassy
Blizzard
Substitute
Focus Punch
Leech Seed
Here he is!! Taken straight from the Strategy Dex (sort of). His primary role is little more than to bring in the Hail, and he rarely stays in more than one or two turns, especially if there is a Hippo stomping in front of me. However, Aboma does have his uses. I like to switch him in on certain special attacking threats...particularly water pokemon who like to use the Water / Electric combination. Suicune, Starmie, and Vaporeon come to mind. Abomasnow can take on these guys with proper prediction. Leech Seed is around to hurt walls, and to recover off SR and Sub damage. Sassy nature over Gentle because I will be sending Aboma in on many more special attacks than physical.
Testing him as my lead. Originally put here to make sure Walrein isn't a "dead weight"....ok, Walrein's not around, but we'll make do. I run the Speed-reducing Nature in order to make sure I have my Hail when faced with the exceedingly rare Tyranitar lead (or if I switch in at the same time as one). Can't be too careful...or can I? Anyway, I will test both him as a lead and Swampy as a lead with this new team, and see which works better.
The Rocker / Tank
Swampert @ Leftovers
Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SAtk
Relaxed
Earthquake
Ice Beam
Protect
Stealth Rock
Swampert used to be my lead. But no longer...at least not right now. Still, I keep him as a strong member of the team. He is one of the most reliable users of Stealth Rock, gets solid coverage and the ability to hit on either side of the spectrum with his two offensive attacks, and finds an incredible utility move in Protect. Protect is useful in Stalling teams for its ability to scout for choice attacks, scout for Grass attacks, block Explosions, allow for Leftovers recovery (if there is no Hail), and allow for another deadly turn of Hail and Status damage. Swampert is not a pokemon I see going anywhere anytime soon.
Will be testing as the lead again soon.
The Toxic Spiker
Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 138 SDef
Calm
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Knock Off / Hidden Power Electric
Surf
Tentacruel is almost a necessity on a stall team as one of the most famed Toxic Spikers in OU. Rapid Spin support is a crucial role to fill, because my team can't afford to be taking any unnecessary damage, even if it's just Rocks (and it helps my Ice pokemon considerably). Knock Off ruins the item-centric strategies that plague the offensive pokemon, and allows walls, as well as near all others with Leftovers, to be hurt by the Hail. Surf is preferred over Blizzard because I will not often have Hail up at the time Tentacruel is most active, and it destroys Infernape. Hidden Power Electric is an option to get rid of Gyarados, but Tentacruel makes an iffy counter after a DD
Why Tentacruel? He and Forretress are the two primary Toxic Spikers in OU. I needed someone who could take a special hit or two. I also value the Fire, Fighting, and Steel resistances that he comes packaged with. Tentacruel is also my sole Infernape counter, able to soak up whatever Infernape has other than the rare Thunderpunch, or Stone Edge.
The Spiker / Physical Wall
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Atk
Impish
Spikes
Roost
Whirlwind
Drill Peck
Totally not mentioned in the Hail Stall article, but in this humble player's opinion, that's exactly where Skarm belongs. He is my best friend. Without a doubt the most reliable spiker in the game, but valued most for the Whirlwind. Pseudo-Hazing is one of the most valued aspects of the Stall team, because a staller wants to know as much about the opponent's team as early as possible, to maximize informed predictions, and rely less on the blind predicting that can ruin so many games. Not to mention the obvious damage that adds up over time from entry hazards.
I chose Drill Peck over Brave Bird, because should Hail be present, I don't want Skarm to be taking any more secondary damage than he has to, as the primary physical wall. I suppose I could run Brave Bird with Leftovers at the risk of Magnezone dropping in. I only think of this because I haven't seen a lot of Magnezones lately. Thoughts?
The Spin Blocker / Special Wall
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 98 Def / 160 SDef
Calm
Shadow Ball
Sucker Punch
Pain Split
Will-O-Wisp
My team hates gengar, and hates a lot of special attackers in general. I needed a Gengar counter badly, and the Rotom-H I had here simply wouldn't cut it, as it would die to Shadow Ball. Spiritomb is one of the best Gengar counters there is. He is the newest member of the team, and as such, is constantly changing as I test it out. The current moveset is the best one I have found so far. I chose Shadow Ball and Sucker Punch as my two offensive moves for a couple of reasons. One, the Ghost-Dark coverage still hits every type for neutral damage other than Steel (and Steels other than Heatran suffer from WoW). Also, most people I play against tend to try and deal with Spiritomb offensively, and nobody expects the surprise first strike from the 'Tomb. I like using SP after Shadow Ball...catches all the Gengars by surprise :)
I started out by having a Rest-Talking variant using Shadow Ball and HP Elec, but for whatever reason, it wasn't quite working out as I liked, so I replaced HP Elec with Sucker Punch. Yeah...Sleep Talking Sucker Punch...smart. ::Slaps self:: I finally decided I would have to sacrifice its permanent status-absorbing potential in exchange for another moveslot. I got rid of Sleep Talk for Will-O-Wisp to hurt Physical threats, as well as walls. I couldn't ask for a more welcome change, and Spiritomb still absorbs status decently...just not as well as it used to.
And now, Rest has been replaced by Pain Split. I have another status absorber now, so I am free to run Leftovers. Still counters what it needs to counter. Although I now have an additional Gengar counter, Spiritomb remains necessary as my Spin Blocker. I suppose I may be free to toy with a Calm Mind set to deal with those other CMers? More playing around to do :)
The EVs I gave it were taken from the Strategy Dex to counter Gengar, as his Shadow Ball is a 3KO.
The Healer / Professional Fat Bitch
Blissey @ Leftovers
Natural Cure
EVs: 176 SDef / 252 Def / 80 SAtk
Calm
Wish
Protect
Flamethrower
Toxic
My team just got heavier.
I swore to myself a long time ago I would not use Blissey. But times have changed. WishBliss is here to recover those teammates who don't have a way to recover themselves. At last, my Swampert and Tentacruel can perform their roles in comfort knowing they have a second chance, should their HP drop too low. Flamethrower has been chosen over all other offense to predict the all-too-common Scizor switchins. Toxic is the idea I got not only from BrodericKK, but also from Obi, as this provides Toxicity for all the flyers and Levitators that think they snuck away from the poison.
I got rid of Stallrein...the heart of my team. Why the hell would I get rid of the heart and soul of my team for the pokemon I swore I would not use? Simple...I got 6-0'd by a lead Zapdos who never had to switch out. I've simply had enough. Not one more day of suffering at the hands of Zappy. >_> Blissey is here because she is the only reliable counter to Zapdos I could think of, and is also a Wish-Passer.
Old Members:
Walrein @ Leftovers
Ice Body
EVs: 220 HP / 244 Def / 46 Spd
Bold
Blizzard
Substitute
Protect
Roar
Stallrein has pulled me out of so many fights. Blizzard was chosen over Surf to lay waste to the faster pseudo-hazers that are lured in to deal with him. Sub Protect gives him that infamous stalling combo we all love so much. Roar removes anything that poses a severe threat to him, and allows for entry hazards to do their thing.
Removed in lieu of Blissey to patch up a monumental Zapdos weakness. (Funny...I haven't seen a single Zapdos yet since I made this change)
And with that, my team is complete...at least it is the best that I alone can make it. But there are still notable weaknesses in the team. I will lay them out as I see them.
This is a pure stall team. I have no speed, and have no standout power, as the only pokemon I have given any offensive EVs to are bad with offense. Taunt rapes me if I don't have the right pokemon out. Should a nice bulky sweeper come along, and I am unable to pseudo-haze, I'm dead, and even if I can, those who pseudo-haze will suffer from whatever attack is chosen to be thrown at them on the way out. I need a response to this. Can I break the stallbreakers?
No priority moves outside of Sucker Punch, and we can't exactly call that reliable now, can we? But I don't have a problem dealing with opponents' priority moves per se, so perhaps this isn't too much of a weakness(?)
I have now but one Pseudo-Hazer. The loss of Stallrein means Skarmory is my only option to get rid of any stat-uppers. Calm minders immune to Toxic pose an incredible threat to my team...or really, any special Stat-uppers for that matter.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure my team is weak to a lot of pokemon, but those I have suffered most from are listed here. I will add to this list should more consistent threats pop up.
1.
2.
3.
Obviously, this team needs a hell of a lot of work. I am still sort of new to stalling, so perhaps my skill as a staller has something to do with this as well. At any rate, any suggestions of any kind would be most appreciated. Thanks very much :)
