Need Help (with a First-Timer's Team)

Colossus

Colossus

Hi! I'm fairly new to competitive battling/Showdown/etc., but I made a team recently and I think it could use some tweaking. Without further adue....

Thundurus-I
Timid@Leftovers
Prankster
4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spd
Thunderbolt
HP Ice
Thunder Wave
Taunt

I usually lead with this, and dang, is he good at what he does. Thunderbolt/HP Ice offer a pseudo BoltBeam combo that hits the vast majority of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Thunder Wave is a must on a Prankster set- it allows me to slow down the opposing side while crippling troublesome Pokemon that could ruin my fun. It is especially important as my ace, Mawile, really appreciates the support. Finally, Taunt is incredibly useful, whether it be preventing hazards or stopping opposing statusing/boosting Pokemon. Hazards (Stealth Rock primarily) are an annoyance to not just Thundurus but to Talonflame as well, and preventing them in the first place is definitely ideal. As for weaknesses, Rock and Ice are resisted by two Pokemon apiece, which I guess isn't bad synergy-wise. A support Pokemon that packs a punch- that's Thundurus-I.

Mawile
Adamant@Mawilite
Intimidate
132 HP/252 Atk/124 Spd
Play Rough
Sucker Punch
Fire Fang/Iron Head (currently FF)
Substitute Swords Dance

Using this little monster in game was a blast, so I wanted to build a team that could let it shine. The first three moves are pretty well standard on every Mawile set I've seen, although I was curious as to why Iron Head wasn't used as often. The last move is a spot of genius (in my mind, anyway)- I know the massive threat a SD set is, but status can generally ruin it's day. With Sub, I can avoid burns and paralysis, as well as have a buffer if I mispredict a Sucker Punch. Getting a Sub up isn't too difficult, since seeing a Mawile makes most people run for their Ground type (I'm looking at you, Gliscor/Landorus-T). Fire and Ground are pretty easily covered, with 3 resists for Fire and 3 immunities to Ground. With no form of recovery on it's own, however, makes prediction a key factor in the success of this set. Speaking of recovery.....

Edit: swapped Sub for Swords Dance (experimental)- Mawile forces enough switches that SD works, but Substitute is more useful in certain situations.

Sylveon
Bold@Leftovers
Pixillate
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpA
Hyper Voice
Calm Mind
Heal Bell
Wish

Meet the team's cleric-Sylveon! This Pokemon is much more than a pretty face. Hyper Voice hits hard after a few Calm Minds, a lot harder in fact that I'd expected. Calm Mind serves to not only boost it's power, but to increase its already formidable Special bulk. Heal Bell provides valuable status recovery, allowing my team to function at it's best. Wish is my favorite move on this Pokemon at the moment. With a well-predicted switch, I can give a second life to one of my sweepers (most notably Mawile, which in turn also allows it a chance to Sub again if the timing's right). Sylveon's weaknesses to Poison and Steel can be covered without much fuss (1 immunity and resist to Poison, and 3 resists for Steel). Moving along...

Rotom-W
Bold@Chesto Berry
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Hydro Pump
Volt Switch
Will-O-Wisp
Rest


Arguably one of the best bulky pivots in the metagame right now, Rotom-W finds a place on my team for a few reasons. First, it hits hard with Specs, and seeing as how the only other specially oriented Pokemon I have is Sylveon, it's important for taking on certain physical walls (as per notice below, no longer holds Specs). Volt Switch is a must to maintain momentum, and to exit situations where it finds itself at a disadvantage. Will-O-Wisp helps it and other teammates withstand hits from the physical side, and finally Trick helps me get past troublesome walls I could't take down otherwise (replaced with Rest, which allows for increased longevity on the new set). A solitary Grass weakness is resisted by 2 (maybe three-not sure if Steel resists Grass, but it's not a huge deal) Pokemon. Next on the list is....

Edit: changed set to Physically Defensive ChestoRest, as per Death The Cat's suggestion. ChoiceTrick just wasn't cutting it.

Talonflame
Careful@Leftovers
Gale Wings
248 HP/184 SpD/76 Spd
Brave Bird
Roost
Taunt
Bulk Up

The kamikaze bird! This is honestly my favorite new-gen Pokemon, even if the stats aren't all stellar (barring Speed- I know, duh). This set is different from the conventional "Let's CB this thing and spam Brave Bird!" mentality, but it is by no means any less effective. Generally speaking, it's easier to set up with teammate support (i.e. Taunt from Thundurus to prevent SR, WoW form Rotom-W to soften physical blows, etc.) but it does darn good on it's own too. Brave Bird and Roost are inseparable, both gaining priority from Gale Wings. Taunt stops status, which would otherwise shut this set down completely. Bulk Up is the crux of the set, boosting BB's power, increasing Defense, and alongside the SpD investment, make Talonflame surprisingly hard to take down. With one resist for Water, two for Rock, and an Electric immunity, it fits well enough on the team without burdening it overmuch.

Garchomp
Jolly@Choice Scarf
Rough Skin
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Outrage Stone Edge
Dragon Claw
Eathquake
Poison Jab

The last (but certainly not least) team member- CB Garchomp (now Scarf). With Fairies/Steels out of the picture, this cleans up rather well. Dragon Claw for STAB over Outrage, . Earthquake pairs with Dragon for a fairly effective two-type coverage (although it was nerfed a bit this gen). Poison Jab is nice for Fairies, but that leaves me completely walled by Skarmory and a handful of other physically bulky walls. Stone Edge rounds out the set, completing the "EdgeQuake" combo. Finally, there are not one but TWO Dragon immunities, two Ice resists, and two Fairy resists on my team, which makes Chomp's life a little easier.

Edit: switched to ScarfChomp, as per Death The Cat's suggestion. Outrage was dropped for Stone Edge, and although the power drop from Band is noticeable, I've found Scarf is more reliable overall. I'm still experimenting though, so nothing's set in stone.

And that's all folks! Looking forward to all of your suggestions/critiques/opinions. Thanks in advance!

Here's the team in Showdown format-
=== [ou] Untitled 1 ===

Thundurus (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt

Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest

Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 184 SDef / 76 Spd
Careful Nature
- Brave Bird
- Taunt
- Bulk Up
- Roost

Mawile @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 128 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Fire Fang
- Swords Dance

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Stone Edge

Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Heal Bell
Click to expand...
 
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For a rookie, this team is pretty good. Trust me, when I started playing competitively, I was terrible.
You need a bulkier lead, or at least some kind of support. I'll leave you to decide who to choose.
Thundorus-I and Garchomp should invest in speed, not sp. defense, as they will be prone to being out-speed and murdered with Ice Beam.
Thundorus should have an expert belt to hit harder than usual, and I think you should use Thundorus-t instead, as it has an insane 145 sp attack while the incarnate form's good attack goes to waste with this movepool.
Talonflame should use swords dance as it helps it hit harder after one setup. Boosting defense doesn't really help since it has low bulk anyways, so its better to use it as a glass cannon.
Mega Mawile should have a move other than Substitute for good super-effective coverage, since its weaknesses can be easily exploited, but you can still keep it if you want.
Hope this helps.
 
First of all, thanks for your time and input. There are a few things I'd like to point out-
1. Prankster TWave is the main reason I use Thundurus Incarnate. My team really appreciates the support
2. Speed is listed as "Spd" while SpDef is listed as "SpD". Sorry if that wasn't clear.
3. The Talonflame set I use is for more of a surprise factor than anything- it actually works better than it looks. I'll try the standard out if it starts performing poorly.
4. Sub is mostly there on Mawile to prevent a burn, but I'm open to switching it up for coverage if the situation demands.

Thanks again!
 
I'm using up my bump(?) since I really want to know if this team has any potential to get me out of the ~1100 rating I'm sitting at on Showdown. Thanks in advance!
 
Hello Colossus. As a refined (Handheld Wi-Fi) tournament player, I can say that this team is very well thought out and prepared.

My first note is that Choice Band Chomp almost seems overkill. Why not use ScarfChomp? It outspeeds a large majority of what it needs to, and OHKOs in return. Just from experience, that would be my first suggestion. But who knows, maybe CB Chomp works better for you. My next concern is the use of both Outrage and Dragon Claw. While a good tactic to avoid always being locked into Outrage, Dragon Claw is the safer bet this generation with the threat of Fairies coming in to cancel you midway through. I would run Stone Edge over Outrage for insurance against Charizard-Y, should Rotom-W fall to an untimely Drought powered SolarBeam.

While I see the logic in running two taunt users, could it not be better to maybe run Flare Blitz as not to rely solely on Mawile for your Fire type coverage? Also, STAB Flare Blitz always end in a cataclysmic conflagration of the other team. It may seem to predictable, but the tried and true often hold some key that keeps them running the way they do.

Not to nitpick, but I am highly curious. Have you tried the new 6th Gen Bold Physically Defensive Rotom-W? It works amazingly no matter the situation. Special Rotom-W is fine, but it seemed that you could lock down the defensive cores of your team if you made Sylveon the signature special wall and Rotom-W the physical side.

Anyway, good job again on the team.
 
Thanks for the rate Death The Cat!
I think running CS over CB could help immensely, so I'll definitely try that- my worst loss was to a MegaLuke that critted me when I needed to revenge it, and that could have been done only via Choice Scarf. I would assume retaining Jolly for Scarf is important? As for Outrage/Dragon Claw, I feel like Chomp could use the power when Fairies/Steels/bulky walls are removed to clean up better. Other than that, I have noticed that I missed having another coverage move, so I'll give Stone Edge a try and see how that goes.
The set I run on Talonflame has its use as a surprise, but on a few occasions I found it up against something that Taunt doesn't hurt or stop. I think adding FB would be feasible, with Roost negating recoil somewhat. I'll think about working that into the set as well.
As for Rotom-W, having Trick as an option to cripple a wall or get a Leftovers or something is incredibly handy, and with Specs I can hit stuff harder if I don't Trick right away. I have noticed, however, that relatively powerful physical attacks are a pain for it to take normally, so I would have no problem swapping the set around.

Note: with two thirds of my team holding Leftovers, is that a problem by any means?

Thanks again for the input, and I'll edit the team and any issues I come up against as soon as I can.
 
To respond to the biggest issue of note first, Leftovers is usually a lot better than Life Orb (for those are the two most standard items) when it comes to survivability. So leftovers on an entire team is not always the worst if it seems ridiculous to run them with other common items.

As for the nature of the Garchomp, it depends how far you need its speed tier to go. I will leave that choice to you, but if you want my vote, Jolly is the best way to go in order to outspeed all that can. This list does include some other important Choice Scarf users and some Dragon Dancers.

As for the rest, it seems you have it under control. And you are very welcome, if there is anything else you need a rating on or need to test, feel free to contact me.
 
I've updated the team (thanks to myusernamesucks and Death The Cat for the input!):

-Mawile now has SD over Sub
-Rotom-W is now Physically Bulky ChestoRest. It works so much better than the old ChoiceTrick set!
-Garchomp is now Scarf over Band, and Stone Edge replaces Outrage

Here's a replay as to why ChestoRest Rotom is so much better on my team than ChoceTrick (I'm DraconusTyrannus):

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-82064659

I know I'm not very experienced (it probably shows in my prediction) but I thought I did well considering the circumstances. Thanks for looking, and I'm still very much open to suggestions/critiques/ideas.
 
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