My Very First Competitive Team

[Omnifarious]

First let me start by saying that I'm something of a n00b. Yes, I've been playing Pokemon since Yellow version, but up until the Sixth Generation, I haven't touched a pokemon game since Gen-III, so I don't claim to be an expert on competitive battling.

That said however, I HAVE been doing my homework on the competitive scene, experimented with some mons on Pokemon Showdown, and I think I've got a pretty viable team. But, I'll let the Smogon Elders be the judge of that, as that is what this board is for, and they are no doubt more experienced than I.

Mienshao (F) @ Shell Bell
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Rock Slide

My usual opener, this build is designed to make Mienshao a versatile opener. Drain Punch for the obligatory Fighting STAB as well as help Mienshao get health back (this, combined with Regenerator, helps mitigate her squishiness). Rock Slide to help against flying types of course (except Talonflame. Nothing is faster than Talonflame).
Swords Dance makes an excellent choice as many pokemon in OU (particular Tyranitar) are definitely going to switch out when faced with a fighting type with base 125 attack power, or could try to set up on Mienshao, thinking they can take whatever hits she can give. Either way, it's an opportunity to get an SD off. From there, Mienshao has two options: Either A, stay in and put that attack boost to good use herself, or B, Baton Pass it to a more appropriate physical attacker.

Togekiss (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Flamethrower
- Roost

When it comes to bulky fairy types, Togekiss wins hands down. He's got both good physical and special defense stats, as well as a good special stat. Air Slash + Serene Grace = Lots of flinching, Dazzling Gleam for the Fairy STAB and Flamethrower for when people start thinking that bringing in a steel type would be a good idea. Roost helps Togekiss stay in the game and compliments his bulk nicely.

Magnezone @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Thunder Wave
- Reflect

Magnezone was originally brought in to counter a specific set / build that left me terrified; Belly Drum Azumarill. Up until Magnezone came along, I was helpless before that blasted bunny. The plan is simple. Take that souped-up aqua jet like a boss, guarantee that you'll survive it via sturdy, and then strike back with a STAB Thunderbolt. I've also found that this strategy makes a good counter against Talonflame as well. As for his other moves, Flash Cannon is there because hey, why not take advantage of that Steel STAB? Thunder Wave because drastically lowering your enemy's speed is always a good idea. And Reflect to give the team a bit more support because hey, why not?

Drapion (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Taunt
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Ice Fang

Kind of the odd one out here. Drapion's a rare sight in OU, but I view that as a strength rather than a weakness. His rarity in the tier means that he's difficult for an enemy to predict, and in the pokemon metagame, the last thing you want to be is predictable.
Anyway, Drapion is my designated Wall-Breaker. Smeargle, Gliscor, Rotom-W, Honedge, a taunt followed by a STAB Knock Off is usually enough to end any stalling shenanigans. Poison Jab for the Poison Stab (rhyming!) because I'm paranoid about fairies (between Magnezone and Drapion, Gardevoir don't stand a chance). Cross Poison may arguably be the better option when paired with Sniper, but crits aren't exactly dependable. I prefer Poison Jab for its reliability. Finally, Ice Fang for the coverage move to deal with Drapion's only real weakness: Ground types. Also, Ice Fang can make an unpleasant surprise if Garchomp or Dragonite switch in, thinking Drapion is easy prey.

Blastoise (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere

The team's designated Mega, Blastoise is a bulky special tank with a plethora of attacking moves at his disposal, three of which are boosted thanks to his Mega Launcher ability. Ice Beam also benefits from Mega Blastoise's awesome special attack stat, capable of easily one-shotting the likes of Garchomp and Dragonite. Couple that with his excellent defenses, and he will not go down without hurting SOMETHING.

Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Thunder Fang
- Fire Fang

For a time, both Blastoise and Donphan had rapid spin, because I hated toxic spikes and stealth rocks THAT much. But eventually I realized that that was just silly and paranoid and that you really only needed one rapid spinner to deal with SR, and Drapion can easily deal with TS. So I replaced Rapid Spin with Ice Beam and Blastoise, making good ol' Donphan the team's designated spinner.
Earthquake is pretty much a must for any offensive ground-type, so obviously he's got that. In addition to that however, he's also got Thunder Fang and Fire Fang as coverage moves to deal with his weaknesses. Thunder Fang also gives him something to use against those smug flying-types that think that they're safe just because Donphan can't hit them with an EQ.

So there you have it. My team. It's worked out well for me in PS about half the time, and now that I've finally picked up Pokemon Y, I'm ready to start raising up this team in-game. However, I'm under no delusions that this team is perfect, so I'm welcome to any suggestion be it altering EVs, move sets, or replacing some pokemon with a pokemon better suited for the role.

 

[skies]

Err, what tier is this?

 

[Omnifarious]

Err, what tier is this?

OU.

 

[skies]

OU.

Oh ok, well a few changes I see:

• Mienshao

That set is really bad, run a Choice Scarf set with Jolly 252 Speed / 252 Attack / 4 HP. Run High Jump Kick / U-Turn / Stone Edge / Knock Off.

• Togekiss

Looks good.

• Magnezone

Very bad set, run Choice Specs with Flash Cannon / Thunderbolt / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice [or Fire]. With Modest 252 HP/252 SpA / 4 Spe.

• Drapion

Eh, I don't like Drapion in OU, but if anything, use Earthquake over Ice Fang.

• Blastoise

The whole reason to use Mega Blastoise is a Rapid Spinner who can beat Ghost-types, use Rapid Spin over Aura Sphere.

• Donphan

That set is horrible, honestly. If you insist on using Donphan (which I strongly dislike), use a set of Earthquake / Stealth Rock / Rapid Spin / Ice Shard. Since you have Blastoise though, Donphan seems redundant and just plain bad, I'd recommend Landorus-Therian over it. Run a set of U-Turn / Earthquake / Knock Off / Stealth Rock with a Jolly 252 Speed / 252 Attack / 4 SpD spread.

 

[Omnifarious]

Oh ok, well a few changes I see:

• Mienshao

That set is really bad, run a Choice Scarf set with Jolly 252 Speed / 252 Attack / 4 HP. Run High Jump Kick / U-Turn / Stone Edge / Ariel Ace.

• Togekiss

Looks good.

• Magnezone

Very bad set, run Choice Specs with Flash Cannon / Thunderbolt / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice [or Fire]. With Modest 252 HP/252 SpA / 4 Spe.

• Drapion

Eh, I don't like Drapion in OU, but if anything, use Earthquake over Ice Fang.

• Blastoise

The whole reason to use Mega Blastoise is a Rapid Spinner who can beat Ghost-types, use Rapid Spin over Aura Sphere.

• Donphan

That set is horrible, honestly. If you insist on using Donphan (which I strongly dislike), use a set of Earthquake / Stealth Rock / Rapid Spin / Ice Shard. Since you have Blastoise though, Donphan seems redundant and just plain bad, I'd recommend Landorus-Therian over it. Run a set of U-Turn / Earthquake / Knock Off / Stealth Rock with a Jolly 252 Speed / 252 Attack / 4 SpD spread.

Mienshao and Magnezone

Normally I'm not a huge fan of choice sets; I like move-sets with some wiggle room. But, for the sake of experimentation, I'll give it a go. Who knows; maybe I'll be a choice convert.
Yeah, Mienshao is kind of the weak link in the party, isn't she? Truth be told, I don't really run her as the scout I probably should. And she DOES faint a lot. If this set doesn't work out, I'll replace her with something sturdier. Conkeldurr maybe. Might toy around with Drain Punch more than Hi Jump Kick though. I likes me some survivability.
As for Magnezone, I really only gave him Thunder Wave and Reflect because I wasn't sure what else to give him. Although I have to ask, what kind of IVs would Magnezone need to get a fire or ice HP?

Drapion

Fair enough. I barely ever use Ice Fang anyway.

Blastoise

Eeeehhhh.......I dunno. I really like aura sphere. It makes Blastoise a great switch-in on steel and ice types. If he must have Rapid Spin, I'd prefer Ice Beam be replaced.

Donphan

This one may be a problem. As I said, I haven't played a Pokemon game since Gen III, so I don't have any of the Gen-V games. As a result, a Unova Legendary isn't really an option for me (unless I get a Landorus via Wonder Trade, which is very unlikely for obvious reasons). Any other ideas on a Donphan replacement? Preferably one that I can actually obtain in-game? I was thinking Mamoswine. If I'm going to replace Ice Beam on Blastoise, I could use an ice attacker in addition to an EQ user.

 

[skies]

Mienshao and Magnezone

Normally I'm not a huge fan of choice sets; I like move-sets with some wiggle room. But, for the sake of experimentation, I'll give it a go. Who knows; maybe I'll be a choice convert.
Yeah, Mienshao is kind of the weak link in the party, isn't she? Truth be told, I don't really run her as the scout I probably should. And she DOES faint a lot. If this set doesn't work out, I'll replace her with something sturdier. Conkeldurr maybe. Might toy around with Drain Punch more than Hi Jump Kick though. I likes me some survivability.
As for Magnezone, I really only gave him Thunder Wave and Reflect because I wasn't sure what else to give him. Although I have to ask, what kind of IVs would Magnezone need to get a fire or ice HP?

Drapion

Fair enough. I barely ever use Ice Fang anyway.

Blastoise

Eeeehhhh.......I dunno. I really like aura sphere. It makes Blastoise a great switch-in on steel and ice types. If he must have Rapid Spin, I'd prefer Ice Beam be replaced.

Donphan

This one may be a problem. As I said, I haven't played a Pokemon game since Gen III, so I don't have any of the Gen-V games. As a result, a Unova Legendary isn't really an option for me (unless I get a Landorus via Wonder Trade, which is very unlikely for obvious reasons). Any other ideas on a Donphan replacement? Preferably one that I can actually obtain in-game? I was thinking Mamoswine. If I'm going to replace Ice Beam on Blastoise, I could use an ice attacker in addition to an EQ user.

Well don't replace Ice Beam on Blastoise, but why not play this on Showdown where you don't need the games to play? Besides that I'd say maybe Tyranitar as a Stealth Rock setter.

 

[Omnifarious]

Well don't replace Ice Beam on Blastoise, but why not play this on Showdown where you don't need the games to play? Besides that I'd say maybe Tyranitar as a Stealth Rock setter.

I dunno. I guess I just wanna raise a team in-game. I never really had the chance to seriously do that, even when I was a little kid.

I'll try out both Mammoswine and Tyranitar. See which one works better.

 

[fish6067]

Ok what Chesnaught said seems pretty much right, but I'll try to offer a bit of help too. Your main problem is your sets, the pokemon are not too bad. As you're just starting off I'd recommend using the sets on this site. For gen 6 pokemon (or pokemon like togekiss that have changed heaps this gen) you can find recommended sets on this site. For example - Standard Magnezone set here: http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/magnezone Anyway, I'll go through changes I'd make.

Let's start with mienshao. It's a good pokemon, but it's best in a volt turn core (due to it's wonderful ability regenerator and hit and run stats). And you do have magnezone, plus the spare donphan slot. But your set is not very good. Firstly, let's get something straight. Mienshao's bulk isn't good even on full health, so drain punch and shell bell are useless on it. I'd recommend using a scarf, or, if you really don't want to, put a life orb on it. Scarf is good because at the moment you don't have a revenge killer. The set recommended by chesnaught is standard, go with that.

BUT if you want to replace it with something bulkier, you could go for either scrafty or conkeldurr. I really like both this gen. If you go with scrafty, you're getting a late game ddance sweeper that most teams aren't preparing for. Conkeldurr is a more common threat in OU, but for a good reason. With the new item assault vest, this thing is scary, and it can run so many coverage moves, making it almost impossible to find a hard counter. But, if you don't have a gen 5 game, you can't get a conkeldurr with the elemental punches, so I'd go for a set with bulk up, knock off, drain punch and stone edge, with 252 HP 252 attack 4 SpD. If you are interested in scrafty, run this dragon dance set at the top here: http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/scrafty/ou

Togekiss looks good, but I'd just change the evs a little, taken from this thread: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/togekiss.3489948/ The evs were done by a person called alexwolf who is very experienced and much better than I will ever be: 248 HP / 208 SAtk / 52 Spe. There is another set to outspeed jolly ttar, but I don't think that's a huge problem for you. This set allows you to outspeed rotom-w, which is really important. The other good evs are: 248 HP / 68 SpA / 192 Spe. The 248 HP is better for stealth rocks.

I love magnezone, and with togekiss it is wonderful (especially when they were both OU in late gen 4, oh those were the days...) But your set is lacking. I'd go with chesnaught's set, but use hp fire to trap and kill big threats like scizor and ferrothorn.

Drapion is good, and blastoise is mostly good, just add rapid spin over aura sphere and you're set.

I personally don't like donphan, and if you want to keep mienshao, I'd really strongly recommend lando-t, to play on showdown as part of the aforementioned volt-turn core, though I'd recommend a bulkier ev spread than chesnaught's, the standard spread for rocks sets: 248 HP, 172 Def, 88 Speed. If you want to run HP Ice for coverage, run naive nature, but otherwise jolly is good. In game, if you can get your hands on celebi, that would also be a good pokemon, as it can run stealth rocks and u-turn, but obviously that'll be hard to get too (maybe an option on showdown). If you go with conk, or just want a rock setter who is obtainable easily, I'd suggest garchomp, with either a bulkier set or a more offensive one. Both sets can be found here (once again using the smogon sets because to start off they are very good): http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/garchomp
That's about it from me, if you have any questions or requests just ask.

 

[Omnifarious]

Blastoise is mostly good, just add rapid spin over aura sphere and you're set.

But Aura Sphere is awesome. Can't I just replace Ice Beam instead? I don't really need an ice attack, as I've already got fairy, electric, flying and water moves to deal with all the stuff that ice is super-effective against.
Like I said in my last comment, Aura Sphere is great on Blastoise because it makes it an even better switch in against steel and ice types. The way you and Chesnaught have talked about it, it sounds like nobody really runs an Aura Sphere Blastoise. That suddenly explains why it's so good: Nobody expects it.

As for Mienshao, yeah, it sounds like I really should replace her with something bulkier, as she evidently works best with Landorus which, again, isn't exactly an option for me. I'll follow your advice and give both Conk and Scraft a try. Leaning towards Conk right now, if only because of Knock Off, which is awesome for wall-breaking. It lacks Drapion's STAB, but it makes up for that with its ridiculous attack stat. If nothing else, he can make a good back-up in case anything happens to Drapion. Two Knockers are better than one.

Wow that sounded inappropriate.

Next, Magnezone. Don't know how he'd be able to trap Scizor or Ferrothorn: His ability is Sturdy, not Magnet Pull. I brought in Magnezone almost exclusively to deal with Talonflame and Belly Drum Azumarill, to whom I would be helpless against otherwise. First he takes the Flare Blitz / Aqua Jet like a champ, lives with 1hp, then strikes back with Thunderbolt, effectively ending their sweeps. As for Scizor and Ferrothorn, Togekiss can easily take them both by surprise with Flamethrower. He'll take a super-effective hit, but he's usually bulky enough to take it.

As for Garchomp, that is a pretty good suggestion. That brings it up to three possible replacements for Donphan.

Finally yes, I am well aware of the existence of Smogon's builds for pokemon. And honestly? I use them as guidelines more than strict rules. I don't want to adhere too closely to those builds because if I did, my team would become too predictable, and I fervently believe that predictability is boring. I prefer the road less traveled, and the move-set that my opponent least expects. That's why my move-sets were initially so bad; I tried to build them myself, pretty much ignoring whatever Smogon would've suggested, hoping that whatever move-set I came up with would blindside most players; a philosophy that sadly only works about half the time.

 

[fish6067]

sorry I assumed your ability was magnet pull. In that case yes run hp ice. I see where you are coming from. And yes it's kinda cool how he works as a surprise revenge killer against stuff like talon flame, though for that to work you need one pokemon to die and another goes onto 1% (and isn't fast). I'm sure you can see how that is really not ideal. But if you really want to run sturdy, keep leftovers and don't run a choice set, and also yeah keep thunder wave, maybe just add in the hidden power, ice is probably best.

Reconsidering, you actually probably should run aura sphere over ice beam. I was tired when I made the last post, and when I use mega-toise (in UU but still) I use aura sphere lol. So yeah. But do run rapid spin, he does it really well.

I don't like conk in pre-bank ou style, but you can try it. Otherwise scrafty is a beast.

 

[Omnifarious]

Okay, so I've been doing a little experimenting with all the suggestions in this thread, and I MAY be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Quick question though to fish: Why do you recommend Garchomp if I choose to go with Conkelldurr? I actually looked at the Smogon articles, and as far as I can tell, the two of them don't have particularly notable synergy with each other.

 

[fish6067]

I was suggesting garchomp just because you couldn't get lando-t and if you were still running mienshao lando-t would complete a volt turn core, but without shao u don't really need lando-t

 

[Omnifarious]

So Conky and Chompy don't necessarily need to be on the same team at the same time? Gotcha.

As for Mienshao, I think I've all but written her off by now. Without Lando-T, she's only really good as a scout / choice sweeper, which I'm guessing isn't really a good fit on a bulky offensive team.