My first team thats done well. Need help adjusting to platinum

speedwobbles225

dpmfa149.png
dpmfa068.png
dpmfa134.png
dpmfa145.png
dpmfa143.png
dpmfa481.png


Basically I made this team awhile back. Did pretty well but so much has changed since then. It already had some huge weaknesses that still need fixing. Every poke here is replaceable except the last. A spinner would be nice. I could really use an end all bulky water counter.

THINGS THAT PWN THIS TEAM
-Cressalia
-Bulkywaters/SUICUNE ahhhh
-Lucario if it SD's
-Dusknoir
-Platinum stuff I am not updated on. Lots more.

Any advice is really appreciated, tear the team apart :P

dpmfa149.png

Dragonite@ Life Orb
Mild - Inner Focus
30 Hp/112 Attack/116 Speed/252 Special Attack
-Thunderbolt
-Fireblast
-Focus Punch?
-Draco Meteor

The original lead I had was a CS typhlosion which did well. Just EQ against a lead zong and then bam, dead heatran. I soon found out Focus punch wasn't all that useful on it but needed something similar. Mixnite does an ok job filling the gap but loses stab on the fire move which I miss. Can score a lot of KO's but I don't know if its best used as a lead. I also heard focus punch has been basically replaced by superpower. If thats true, how do I need to change the EV spread? Replaceable.

dpmfa068.png

Machamp@Leftovers
Adamant - No Guard
188 Hp/96 Attack/216 Defense/8 Speed

-Dynamic Punch
-Ice Punch
-Rest
-Sleep Talk

I love this thing. I can't help but put it on teams as it is such a good T-Tar counter. I feel it has been underperforming as of late thouygh, as its hard to absorb sleep from gengar and such. Replaceable


dpmfa134.png

Vaporeon@Leftovers
Bold - Water Absorb
252 Hp/178 Defense/80 Spec Attack

-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Wish
-Hp Electric

I thought this was a good counter to gyrados, and it can be, but boosted EQ's can still do damage before HP electric kills it. Sometimes Ice beam puts them offguard thinking I run 2 offensive moves.

dpmfa145.png

Zapdos@Leftovers
252 Hp/220 Defense/38 HP

-Thunderbolt
-HP Ice
-Thunderwave
-Roost

I know this thing has changed a lot since platinum. I don't think ice is as needed anymore without chomp. Any suggestions are welcome.

dpmfa143.png

Snorlax@Choice Band
252 Attack/252 Specdef/6 Hp

-Bodyslam
-Earthquake
-Crunch/Self Destruct
-Pursuit

This thing can do ALOT of unexpected damage. Seriously, CB Adamant bodyslam really hurts, and the paralysis is very handy. It can be hard to use as crunch is the only reliable move and pursuit isn't fullproof against gengar focus blast and hypnosis needs to be absorbed. Owns every starmie and frail psychic though. Stealth rock realllllllly hurts it.

dpmfa481.png

Mesprit@leftovers
Bold -
252 Hp/176 Defense/80 Special Attack

-Psychic
-Thunder Wave
-Stealth Rock
-Uturn

This is a creation of my own and the only non replaceable on my team. It works INCREDIBLY well and I cannot believe how underused/rated it is. Awesome counter to many things, and psychics do surprisingly decent damage. Amazing support poke.
 
First off I think you need a lead that is going to accomplish more in todays Metagame. Lead tars _may_ fear superpower, but they may just stay in to Stone Edge you anyway. So I'd reccomend putting Superpower on it instead. It is also sad to say that you don't even OHKO lead Hippowdon, but its not that I worry about (you could FF First and then SuperPower as they switch to Blissey etc...) its the suiciders, Dragonite is the perfect lead for them and you dont even have anything that resists explosion, so I'm really starting to think a ghost type will be very useful for you, but where to put it?

I think vap is the one that can go the most, shes doing the least amount of a job here, and could easily be replaced by a Rotom or something that, Rotom H would be useful as it provides you something useful against Metagross, Scizor, Lucario or something you could ven use it to trick a scarf if you wanted. SO try TrickScarf Rotom out for size in Vappys PLace and see whether you like it or not, it would look something like this:

Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Timid or Modest Nature / Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
~ Overheat
~ Shadow Ball
~ Discharge
~ Trick

The EV spread for Nite can look something like this: 112 Atk / 200 SpA / 196 Spe This is the new standard for Mix Nite anbd all of the resons for it are explained on the analysis if you would like to poruse on over there. I would also change Body Slam to Return on Snorlax, I always figured that on the CBer power was more nessecary simply because you will OHKO most sweepers that hate the paralysis, but you will want to do more damage to walls who don't really care _that much_ about paralysis anyway.

Anyway thats all I really have time for so I hope I helped a little bit, feel free to come back if you need any more help =D
 
If you miss the STAB Fire-move on your lead, but still are interested in a mixed Pokémon, Infernape might just be the thing for you. Which Infernape to use depends on what you want it to do:

1) Leadape
Infernape@Focus Sash
[Naïve]
192 Speed, 252 Spatt, 64 Attack
- Close Combat
- Fire Blast
- Fake Out
- Stealth Rock

2) MixApe
Infernape@Life Orb
[Naïve]
252 Spatt, 232 Speed, 24 attack
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power Ice

The first Ape is a standard leadape, and works very well. Including having powerful STAB-moves that severly hurt or kill any opposing lead, that Ape can also put up early Stealth Rocks for you. The second Ape is an all-out attacker, that has Super Effective moves on almost any lead.

Also, on Machamp. Machamp is a very good status-absorber in general, but the use of sleep-inducing moves have been severly reduced after Platinum reduced Hypnosis' accuracy to 60. So if the purpose of Machamp is to absorb sleep, I think you can either revise the set, or remove the entire Pokémon.

As of Zapdos, Heat Wave was a great addition to the legendary bird. It makes a great counter for a lot of common Steel-Pokémon, among them Lucario, so I would remove Thunder Wave in favor of Heat Wave, and if you still want some paralysis flying around, then change Thunderbolt to Discharge, which has a 30% Paralyze-rate.

As your team is very slow, the paralyze from Body Slam is quite useful, and with Discharge/TWave on Zapdos, you might just cripple a lot of the opposing Pokémon. However, Goldfan has a good point in the added power in Return, as you might just get the KO that Body Slam doesn't. But that is just a matter of preferences, and is entirely up to the user, which is you.

Since you apparently won't have Mesprit rated, I won't, and will therefore skip to an overall view.
On your team, I think a Ghost Pokémon would be the good. It will help out with your problems with Dusknoir and Cresselia, and if you carry a Fighting/Ground/Fire move on it, it will also be great against Lucario. I think perhaps Mismagius or Gengar are the ones you benefit from the most, and between those, I think you should pick Mismagius, with this set:

Mismagus@Leftovers
[Timid]
220 Speed, 180 Spatt, 108 HP
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- HP Fighting

With this Mismagius, you can put up a Substitute on Cresselias and Dusknoirs status-moves, and start setting up. Dusknoir doesn't have many powerful STAB-moves, but be aware of Shadow Sneak. If it doesn't carry SS, Mismagius is free to set up, and Fighting/Ghost provides excellent coverage, so you might as well pull off a sweep! :)
 
You could always go with Hidden Power Grass over Hidden Power Ice on Zapdos to take care of the inevitable bulky Water-Ground switchins. You're right, there's not that much need for Hidden Power Ice, especially with Vaporeon packing Ice Beam.

I'd go with Selfdestruct over Crunch on Snorlax. He scares away a lot of mons, and a Banded physical Pursuit makes it viable on its own. Not to mention Selfdestruct has STAB. :)
 
I think LeadApe would work very well on your team as it would give you something fast that can do a horrendous amount of damage at the same time. Whatever is first, just Fake Out to remove the Sash/scout a switch in, then wreak havoc or set up Stealth Rock, whichever is most beneficial (like if you Fake Out and they switch to a Heatran expecting Fire Blast on a Bronzong or something, Close Combat it while it takes you down to a Sash and remove a huge, fast threat from your team, or just sacrifice Ape to set up Rocks. If it's choiced, you can switch to an appropriate Pokemon once Rocks are up, and if its not, just kill it).

That now frees you up to take off Stealth Rocks on Mesprit. I'd suggest Thunderbolt on it so that you can take out Gyarados (you can Thunder Wave Mence without fear of Taunt).

On Zapdos, replace HP Ice for HP Grass and Thunder Wave for Heat Wave. If you really need the Paralysis, go with Discharge over Thunderbolt.

Definitely go with Self-Destruct over Crunch on Snorlax, since you can Pursuit Ghosts, then suicide un-opposed once they have no immunities to you.

I would suggest a Gyarados such as this over Vaporeon:

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Impish Nature
252 HP/236 Defense/20 SpD
-Waterfall
-Stone Edge
-Rest
-Sleep Talk

This accomplishes a few things on your team. First off all, it is a great Salamence counter (better than Vaporeon who can be OHKO'd by +1 Outrage), it counters Scizor and then can absorb sleep so that Snorlax can destroy Gengar unopposed (make sure Snorlax is Adamant and Zapdos is bold).

I don't really see Machamp doing too much on your team now that Infernape has the potential to take out Tyranitar (as does Snorlax, but that's risky), I think you can replace it. If you want a foolproof Tyranitar counter that can also spread paralysis, use a Hariyama.

Hariyama @ Leftovers
Impish Nature
Thick Fat
76 HP/180 Attack/252 Defense
-Force Palm
-Knock Off
-Payback
-Whirlwind/Ice Punch/Fire Punch

Since Scizor is now countered, you could always change Zapdos to this:

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Calm Nature
252 HP/220 Special Defense/36 Speed
-Discharge
-Heat Wave
-Hidden Power Grass
-Roost

This would allow you to take out Skymin who somewhat troubles your team. Swampert is also taken care of by this, and you have something that can actually take special hits on your team.
 
Thanks so much for all the advice so far.

I will DEFINITELY try the anti-lead ape. Sounds very good so far. And as for a ghost, I'm thinking rotom H will be the one I try because missy switch in to cress all that safe because of t-wave.

Yeah, I agree that sadly vaporeon isn't carrying much weight, and champ could be replaced too.

and to orion, I would actually like to hear your opinion or anyones on mesprit. I know its not as good as I claim but its just something that I like using. I'd love to hear your opinion

@Wedge

I have only played like one skymin lol so it hasn't really ran through my head as much. I will test rest talk gyra.
 
speedwobbles225 said:
and to orion, I would actually like to hear your opinion or anyones on mesprit. I know its not as good as I claim but its just something that I like using. I'd love to hear your opinion
Click to expand...
Mesprit is an awesome Pokémon that sadly lacks a reliable recoverymove, but with Wish-passing from Vaporeon, that is not a big issue. Secondly, Mesprit is a good sweep-blocker to Gyarados, Infernape and Salamence, three of the most dangerous Pokémon in the metagame. Then, you obviously need to carry Ice Beam, Thunderbolt and Psychic. If you use the lead-ape, that means you don't need Stealth Rock. U-Turn is a good move, but can also be sacrificed, but if you want to keep it, remove Thunder Wave. That means you suddenly can fit all the moves onto Mesprit!
The second issue is the EVs. With Bold 252 Hp / 252 Def, you can live an Adamant Life Orb +1 Salamences Outrage.
Ice Beam will always OHKO 4 HP-Salamence, and Thunderbolt will OHKO Gyarados if it has taken damage from Stealth Rock. You won't OHKO 100% if the opponent has removed the Rocks that Ape laid, but still, you do a minimum of 87%, meaning you will most likely win anyway. Psychic obviously kills Infernape too, just beware that with all that Defense-investment, Mesprit only has 246 SpDef.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top