Hey guys, I was eliminated from SPL today so I wanted to make this team dump as a thank-you to all the people who cheered me on during my matches and gave kind words of encouragement when I was feeling down. This was a fantastic SPL for me and possibly my best tournament performance ever, ending with a record of 8-2 which even managed to exceed my unrealistic expectations. I'd like to share the teams that helped me find success this year. A quick note before diving in, GSC is a very old tier and most teams have been done before. I do think some of the teams you are about to see are completely original creations but I will do my best to give credit where credit is due. Shoutouts in advance to my friends dice, choolio, sulcata, and Earthworm for helping me out when I needed an expert opinion. Ok let's dive in!
Week 1 vs Jimmy Turtwig
The idea behind this team was to abuse Light Screen to set up a Charizard sweep on the unsuspecting opponent. To enable this I used a ton of para spam with BSlam Lax, Stun Egg and BSlam Steelix which is not commonly seen. This combined with the threat of 3 explosions was meant to put my opponent on the back foot and force them to show their hand early. Some notable techs are LS Zap, LK/Curse/EQ Lax which destroys teams from the lead slot, Icy Wind Cloy to scare out Elecs switching in, and of course MiracleBerry on Zard which ended up winning me the game as Nido tried to sleep it from behind LS. My execution in this game was pretty poor and despite being in a big lead it came down to one turn with odds slightly in my favor, luckily I was able to come away with the win.
Week 2 vs d0nut
Everyone's favorite Baton Pass in the gen where it is by far the weakest. However I used lead Exeggutor to throw my opponent off and make them fall under the illusion that I was using a normal team, since I use Egg lead a lot in my history. SubSeed forces switches and lets me scout the phazer, then I can simply Explode and start setting up. Jolteon was another huge factor here as it let me bluff out Cloy and get a safe pass into Smeargle. Pretty standard from there, the one other cool tech I thought of is Protect Snorlax, which ended up blanking my opponent's Cloy boom and won me the game. It's safe to say my opponent misplayed this pretty hard by going Vap on the Smeargle, but I think my odds were pretty good after the opener no matter what happened. Nice quick win for me.
Week 3 vs idiotfrommars
My opponent for this game was IFM and he is a player who almost always brings some sort of boom offense. This type of team is usually focused on offensive synergies rather than defensive, and neglects some coverage. Additionally most of the pokemon on it are slower than Jynx and are weak to one of its STABs, not to mention Jynx fares really well against boom staples like Cloy and Egg, so it made perfect sense to bring it here. The matchup went how you would expect, I spread some paras with my para spreaders and then Jynx steamrolled. He did bring Kou instead of Zap which was a little unexpected, but I managed to break through it with a freeze after some turns spent chipping it down. Another solid win for me, did not feel pressured in this one.
Week 4 vs giara
Ok this team is hilarious I think. It has a bunch of weird techs that work together great. Lead Spore/Spike/Mcoat/Dbond Smeargle can be so annoying to face, often times it will trade 2 for 1, worst case scenario it still gets off a Sleep and Spikes which is often worth it for a fast paced offense like this one. 4 attacks Egg because I don't need status and it helps to shock Steels. Dbond Gar provides insurance against sweepers like Curselax which really came in handy this game. God what a heart attack...turn 1 he Thunders my Smeargle and I nail him with Mcoat. Then turn 2 he sends Gar, freezes my Lax, turn 3 tbolt paras my zap, t4 I miss Thunder. I was mortified. Thankfully was able to play my way out of the hole. Would recommend you watch the replay, it's very entertaining. Close game but another win and one that I enjoyed getting.
Week 5 vs Century Express
Well, I'm not proud of this team or this game. It's the completely standard NidoChamp, nothing in the world could be more boring. My thinking at the time was that I don't know my opponent (he had just been purchased at mids in fact) and I don't want to bring anything risky, so here's this tried and true team. Unfortunately he was prepared for it and had Heracross, the ultimate Nido check and a total pain for my team, as well as Raikou to spikes-shuffle me and Gengar pressure to boot. I can complain about the matchup, but it was probably my first truly bad matchup of the tournament and those are bound to happen. There is nothing else to say here, I was outplayed fair and square, and a really strong first impression from CE. This was my first loss of the SPL and it worried me since my next few opponents were very strong.
Week 6 vs choolio - Game 1
First of all shoutouts to the beautiful and talented user dice for this amazing team idea. Second, I think this was without a doubt, the best GSC game to happen in SPL 9. I was using the newly "fixed" Present Blissey, which deals massive damage to pokemon with certain typings, but almost no damage to others. Additionally this was my first time hard stalling in this tournament and my opponent also brought a stall team with double electrics. It was a very back-and-forth match, he was ahead for a bit and so was I, but in the end we both ran out of PP on all our relevant moves and the game was called a tie. Honestly I think this team is excellently geared towards offensive teams with a solid backbone in SkarmBliss + Cune. It does not exactly thrive in the stall mirror but there is room to outplay with DrumLax and using your Sing wisely. Funny story, I had changed from Flamethrower to Sing like an hour before the match, thinking Sing would be more widely useful...then he brings double Steels and leaves Forry in on Bliss at turn 11. Man that was depressing. Amazing game, you should watch. Not sure if I would recommend the team though.
Week 6 vs choolio - Game 2
In the fateful rematch I went the complete opposite route, hard offense with no phazer and super risky Tentacruel. Boom Lax, 4 attacks Egg, the works...I even took a risk on Nido again, though my winrate with it is complete shit, I can never switch it in at the right times. Unfortunately the Cloy set of Clamp+Screech, which I meant to check CurseLax since I did not have a phazer, ended up being a complete liability against his Forretress. I couldn't Surf it so I had to pivot Tenta and try to win that route. It almost singlehandedly won the game for me, happened to be really good despite his double elec (my opponent brought the same 6 as in first game but changed some sets to trip me up). Came down to whether his Lax could para my Tenta with 1 body slam, and it couldn't so I won. This game was not as high quality as the first one, and I'm not happy with how I played the early game, simply wasn't expecting him to bring the same 6 Pokemon again and got punished for it. But a win is a win, improving my record to 5-1 and helping my team take home the week.
Week 7 vs Conflict
Ok, this idea had been floating around in my head for a long time, and what better enemy to use it against than the guy who boasted of being 49-0 against BP teams? I was pretty sure that a full Growth Passing team could be viable in GSC, if only there were some way to reliably get rid of the enemy's phazer. Enter lead Umbreon, ML/BP/C-Ray/Sand Attack, @ BrightPowder for the extra 20/255 miss chance of course. Shoutouts choolio for the BrightPowder idea, it is genius for this strategy. Basically every time Umbreon comes in the opponent is obligated to send their phazer immediately. You trap with ML on the switch, then use Confuse Ray and BP out to whatever can OHKO the phazer (in this case, it was Rhydon). Each time your opponent has around an 18% chance of being unable to phaze you out, and you get 8 chances of Mean Look PP. Do the math and the odds of killing the enemy phazer are greater than hitting a Hydro Pump. Once the phazer is dead it's a piece of cake, just lay your trap and boost up while putting the enemy to sleep over and over. I want to be clear, I made several big mistakes in this game. First I should have boosted to +5 instead of +4, since +5 Starmie Surf in the rain will always OHKO Lax. The fact that it lived (it's a close 50/50 roll) almost cost me the game. I also didn't know that Encore failed once the enemy's move hit 0 PP, so I wasted a ton of turns and almost threw the game away completely letting his Lax get to +6. Luckily I was able to salvage the win with Jolteon. The scariest part of this team is that it doesn't even need SleepTrap to function, even if that's banned soon, it'll still be threatening with Haxbreon and the chain gang. Watch out and bring 2 phazers!
Week 8 vs sulcata
I really like this team, but it isn't mine. I stole it from one of choolio's replays from wcop, not sure if it's his or if he got it from someone as well. Anyways, the synergies are great. Rhydon and Meganium are practically unbreakable together, and Houndoom is a surprisingly scary offensive threat that can also clean up stuff like Gengar/Missy to make way for broken LK Drumlax to sweep. The original version had boom on Cloy but I changed to spin because sulc tends to favor Toxic boom Cloy, which this set counters, and he also doesn't run a ton of ghosts. I wouldn't use this team against everyone but it fit the bill for my opponent. One thing to watch out for is Machamp, it's really scary for this team, and so is Heracross to an extent, but I was confident that my opponent wouldn't bring them. The game was a pretty good one, Rhydon did tons of work and we each lost an important Pokemon to crits, I came out on top with the late game dog reveal.
Week 9 vs ABR
Ok, first off, I don't think this is a very competitive team. It relies on a lot of very shaky defensive synergies and some luck on top of that to actually work as intended. However, it was the last week of the regular season, my team and my opponent's team had already clinched playoffs, and I wanted to showcase this cool team that sulcata made, in part to show the community that SleepTrap needs to be banned soon. Same Haxbreon as before except with Moonlight for a little longevity, and then a more defensive approach to SleepTrap overall, with Stalk Lax for setup along with Wak, Star to keep Spikes off and allow for safe chain passing, and Missy for trapping and insurance against sweepers. Sadly I ran into a Heracross which this team simply can't deal with, and I put myself in a great position to beat it, but my opponent crit Megahorn on the first try and that was that. However I did get his Kou on the first try with my SleepTrap shenanigans, although it should have been a matter of time. I can only blame myself for the loss, because if I had predicted the Boomlax from him and gone Missy, it would have been over on the spot. Anyways, this week didn't matter to the tournament overall, and as such I wouldn't suggest this team, but try it out if you want to see how stupid SleepTrap can get.
Semifinals vs choolio
My third time playing choolio in this SPL, and unfortunately the final game I would end up playing. I decided to bring JynxChamp offense because he had stalled me twice before and I figured there was no way he'd do it again. I was wrong, he brought a very defensively oriented team and I had trouble early breaking his Raikou. I was getting shuffled around by Spikes and couldn't find an opening, not to mention I stupidly let my Rhydon eat Toxic, which I wasn't expecting at all from Skarm even though in hindsight it was obvious. However, this is when HP Flying Machamp decided to make its entrance. Earthworm had suggested this change the night before my game, since I was pretty safe against Missy/Gengar and we didn't think he'd bring Starmie, plus he noticed my team was super weak to Heracross. Thank my lucky stars he had that idea because it worked perfectly, +1 OHKOing the Hera and finally giving me a window to break through his defenses. I ended up benefiting from some more luck with a freeze on Kou which more or less ended things. Freeze is so strong in GSC and with the coverage that Jynx provides against most teams I really feel like it is becoming a top tier threat. I was confident that my team would win semifinals, but we tied 6-6 and I didn't get to play in the tiebreak, which we ended up losing, so this game concluded my SPL season.
I had an incredible time building and playing GSC this year. Never have my first impressions about a tier been so wrong. When I first started to pick up this tier in 2012 I thought "oh, how boring, there are only 20 or so viable mons, everything has a tiny amount of defined movesets, how could this be fun for anyone?" Now it is my firm belief that GSC is the most competitive and skill-intensive metagame, with all the miniscule mindgames that go into each turn, the deep micromanagement of teams to make them just barely good enough against a wide array of threats while still leaving outplay potential for tough matchups, and most of all the fucking ocean of options available to every player to tailor how they choose to play GSC in their own particular style and flavor. What a positively wonderful experience. I can't wait for my next SPL to find out what shimmering undiscovered gems of GSC wait in store for me. I try to stay versatile and keep with the times, but this generation will always hold the most precious of places in my heart.
I hope you found some of these teams interesting, and that you will use them to success in the future.
Above all else, I hope you enjoyed watching me play in SPL this year, and that I may continue to entertain the audience for years to come.
Thanks for reading! - Lavos
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Lovely Kiss
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Icy Wind
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Light Screen
- Thunder
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Explosion
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
- Stun Spore
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Explosion
Charizard @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Blaze
- Belly Drum
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Ability: Immunity
- Lovely Kiss
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Icy Wind
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Light Screen
- Thunder
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Explosion
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
- Stun Spore
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Explosion
Charizard @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Blaze
- Belly Drum
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Psychic
- Explosion
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Spider Web
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk / 26 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Hidden Power [Water]
Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
Happiness: 0
- Protect
- Belly Drum
- Frustration
- Earthquake
Machamp @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Guts
Happiness: 0
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Meditate
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Ability: Chlorophyll
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Psychic
- Explosion
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Spider Web
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk / 26 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Hidden Power [Water]
Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
Happiness: 0
- Protect
- Belly Drum
- Frustration
- Earthquake
Machamp @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Guts
Happiness: 0
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Meditate
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Explosion
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Explosion
Jynx @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
- Substitute
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Gengar @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Dynamic Punch
- Destiny Bond
Ability: Pressure
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Explosion
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Explosion
Jynx @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
- Substitute
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Gengar @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Dynamic Punch
- Destiny Bond
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 192 SpD / 252 Spe
- Spore
- Spikes
- Mirror Coat
- Destiny Bond
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 24 Def
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Gengar @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Thunder
- Ice Punch
- Dynamic Punch
- Destiny Bond
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 192 SpD / 252 Spe
- Spore
- Spikes
- Mirror Coat
- Destiny Bond
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 24 Def
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Gengar @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Thunder
- Ice Punch
- Dynamic Punch
- Destiny Bond
Nidoking @ Leftovers
Ability: Poison Point
- Lovely Kiss
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Toxic
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Curse
- Body Slam
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
- Rock Slide
- Pursuit
- Roar
- Fire Blast
Ability: Poison Point
- Lovely Kiss
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Toxic
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Curse
- Body Slam
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
- Rock Slide
- Pursuit
- Roar
- Fire Blast
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Illuminate
- Surf
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
- Rest
- Curse
- Drill Peck
- Whirlwind
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Surf
- Toxic
Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
- Present
- Sing
- Ice Beam
- Soft-Boiled
Miltank @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
- Body Slam
- Growl
- Heal Bell
- Milk Drink
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Illuminate
- Surf
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
- Rest
- Curse
- Drill Peck
- Whirlwind
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Surf
- Toxic
Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
- Present
- Sing
- Ice Beam
- Soft-Boiled
Miltank @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
- Body Slam
- Growl
- Heal Bell
- Milk Drink
Nidoking
Ability: Poison Point
- Thief
- Lovely Kiss
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Screech
- Clamp
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 24 Def
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Sludge Bomb
Ability: Poison Point
- Thief
- Lovely Kiss
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Screech
- Clamp
- Explosion
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Exeggutor @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 24 Def
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Sludge Bomb
Umbreon @ BrightPowder
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Mean Look
- Baton Pass
- Confuse Ray
- Sand Attack
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Spider Web
Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Growth
- Hydro Pump
Mr. Mime @ Leftovers
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Encore
- Barrier
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk / 26 Def
- Growth
- Baton Pass
- Hidden Power [Water]
- Thunder
Starmie @ Mystic Water
Ability: Illuminate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Mean Look
- Baton Pass
- Confuse Ray
- Sand Attack
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Agility
- Spider Web
Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Growth
- Hydro Pump
Mr. Mime @ Leftovers
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Encore
- Barrier
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk / 26 Def
- Growth
- Baton Pass
- Hidden Power [Water]
- Thunder
Starmie @ Mystic Water
Ability: Illuminate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Rapid Spin
Rhydon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Roar
Houndoom @ Leftovers
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Pursuit
- Solar Beam
- Fire Blast
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Lovely Kiss
- Return
Meganium (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Reflect
- Leech Seed
- Razor Leaf
- Synthesis
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Rapid Spin
Rhydon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Roar
Houndoom @ Leftovers
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Pursuit
- Solar Beam
- Fire Blast
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Lovely Kiss
- Return
Meganium (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Reflect
- Leech Seed
- Razor Leaf
- Synthesis
Umbreon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
- Moonlight
- Baton Pass
- Confuse Ray
- Mean Look
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Spikes
- Spider Web
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Illuminate
- Surf
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Curse
- Double-Edge
Misdreavus @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Protect
- Perish Song
- Mean Look
- Destiny Bond
Ability: Synchronize
- Moonlight
- Baton Pass
- Confuse Ray
- Mean Look
Smeargle @ Miracle Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
- Spore
- Baton Pass
- Spikes
- Spider Web
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Illuminate
- Surf
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
IVs: 26 Atk / 26 Def
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Curse
- Double-Edge
Misdreavus @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
- Protect
- Perish Song
- Mean Look
- Destiny Bond
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Explosion
Rhydon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Roar
Jynx @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
- Substitute
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk / 26 Def
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Flying]
Ability: Pressure
IVs: 26 Def
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder
Cloyster @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
IVs: 14 HP / 28 Atk
- Spikes
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Explosion
Rhydon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Roar
Jynx @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
- Substitute
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
- Rest
- Curse
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
Machamp @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk / 26 Def
- Curse
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Flying]
I had an incredible time building and playing GSC this year. Never have my first impressions about a tier been so wrong. When I first started to pick up this tier in 2012 I thought "oh, how boring, there are only 20 or so viable mons, everything has a tiny amount of defined movesets, how could this be fun for anyone?" Now it is my firm belief that GSC is the most competitive and skill-intensive metagame, with all the miniscule mindgames that go into each turn, the deep micromanagement of teams to make them just barely good enough against a wide array of threats while still leaving outplay potential for tough matchups, and most of all the fucking ocean of options available to every player to tailor how they choose to play GSC in their own particular style and flavor. What a positively wonderful experience. I can't wait for my next SPL to find out what shimmering undiscovered gems of GSC wait in store for me. I try to stay versatile and keep with the times, but this generation will always hold the most precious of places in my heart.
I hope you found some of these teams interesting, and that you will use them to success in the future.
Above all else, I hope you enjoyed watching me play in SPL this year, and that I may continue to entertain the audience for years to come.
Thanks for reading! - Lavos
