Need some changes to my main team for Shoddy...

Maluigi1

Alright so this team is one of my favorites I've ever used. Yes, it is laking in originality (All are probably carbon copies of Smogon suggestions for the pokemon if I remember correctly, so sorry if the team seems dull and boring...), and some help in making this team both more effective, and maybe even more original would be greatly appreciated!

SALAMANCE@Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 120 Atk / 252 SpA / 136 Spe
Nature: Mild
-Brick Break
-Draco Meter
-Fire Blast
-Dragon Claw

Good opener. Thinking about putting Choice Scarf on as a change up and to surprise some people. It's pretty crazy how often I've thought how handy it would have been if he had that for an item.

SKARMORY@Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 156 Def / 4 Spe
Nature: Impish
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Spikes
-Whirlwind

Just an amazing defensive wall. Spike up against any physical threat.

DONPHAN@Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 6 Atk / 252 Def
Nature: Impish
-Rapid Spin
-Earthquake
-Ice Shard
-Stealth Rock

Stealth Rock the spikes is pretty deadly. Ice shard comes in handy every now and then, but almost not enough for me to like it, but I don't see many better options. Definitley the last spot filled on the team, which means the spot I'm really unsure about...

CRESSELIA@Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe
Nature: Timid
-Moonlight
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Ice Beam

This thing hates sandstorm, but without that in play or paralysis, this thing can sweep nicely, even as a tank.

DUGTRIO@Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
-Earthquake
-Night Slash
-Aerial Ace
-Rock Slide

I really enjoy the satisfaction of switching this thing in and just getting a kill no matter what in most cases. Revenge kills a ton of things, and is here for Raikou and Magnezone mostly (unless the thing has that horrid attack magnet rise, but in that case, I usually switch to Salamance and use fire blast anyway).

GENGAR@Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
-Nature: Timid
-Shadow Ball
-Thunderbolt
-Focus Blast
-Explosion

LOVE this pokemon. Explosion hasn't seemed super useful, but that's mostly because the other three moves do their job so well. But a switch to Hidden Power ice is a maybe at this point...

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Some major weak points are... Ice Attacks/ pokemon for sure. Especially with Cresselia struggling to do much to them with just Psychic and Ice type attacks. Porygon-Z can sweep through the team well if it gets past Dugtrio, but I don't know if thats the teams fault or my stupidity. Bulky waters also pose a pretty big threat a lot of the time (milotic is a monster...). Really want a way to put heal bell or aromatherapy on this team cuz conditions can kill me some games. There are some other really big dangers but I can't remember them at this time... It's late... lol. All i know is I have never really feared Garchomp, Salamance, or Tyranitar with this team, which is pretty sweet. But feel free to critique my pokemon and tell me if I should switch some out for better options for this team. Thanks a million and ten for your help!
 
Something I quickly noticed is the fact that you are Gengar weak. Can come in and tear apart almost everything. You need something like Blissey or Snorlax to wall special attackers in general. Cresselia seems like the primary thing to be replaced, since you have Garchomp/Gyarados/Infernape covered decently. Something like 252 Def/236 Sp.Def/24 HP would be a nice fit to sponge special attacks.

Just some minor edits. Salamence want's Roost IMO over Dragon Claw. On Mixmence, Draco Meteor is the primary attack, and Brick Break accomplishes everything from the physical spectrum.

IMO, Dugtrio wants Sucker Punch over Night Slash to trap the rare Alakazam or revenge kill something like a weakened ScarfChomp, etc.
 
I really, really dislike Donphan as a Spinner. Not only does it get hit by all 3 entry hazards, it gets hit permanantly. I think Forretress fits this team better because it can do similar things and counter Weavile, who your team is really weak to.

Are those HP EV's there on Gengar for any particular reason? If not I'd just switch to HP Ice and max speed. The speed tie lowers that chances of a Gengar sweep, but that's no way to fix it.

ToF, I'm really not seeing how he's beating Gyrados. 1 Water resist, who's weak to Rock, 0 pokemon who outspeed a well EV'd one after a DD and 3 Pokemon that are complete set-up fodder.

I suggest switching Gengar to Scarf, to make Weavile think twice before switching in, handle a 2 DD Gyrados, and at least tie with all Gengars.

Cressy really has to run RestTalk to be an effective wall, but RestTalk hinders its coverage abilities. I seriously think you should switch for a Blissey, which I hate to say, to cover alot of special threats including Gengar and that Porygon-Z you mentioned.
 
Thanks on the comments. So far these are the possible changes I've come up with from what you've both said...

- Salamance: Roost over Dragon Claw
Covers: recovery for life orb/ damage in general.

-Dugtrio: Sucker Punch over Night Slash
Covers: Alakazam, revenge kill quick pokes.

- Donphan: to Forretress
Covers: Weavile, not as hazard weak.

-Gengar: to Scarf, switch to HP Ice and max speed
Covers: 2 DD Gyrados, and at least tie with all Gengars.

-Blissey/Snorlax over Cresselia?
Covers: Gengar, Porygon-Z, Better special sweeper coverage.

-Sound good so far you think?
 
Watch out for sub-plot @ salac porygon-z... it owns teams. Blissey comes in on plot, it subs to block T-wave, then plots again, then it subs, blissey breaks it. Then it plots as blissey thinks it will break a sub. Now it has +4 satk and a salac boost.

Oh no! The team!!

Scarfgar... If you decide on scarfgar, make it modest for pete's sake. All timid outruns is jolly scarfchomp and ties with timid scarfgar. Slap in tangrowth or porygon2 over skarmory, it isn't as viable as it was in advance.

Tangrowth: puts the whoopin on physical electivire, physical chomps, gyarados, feraligator, DDtar, and many others. It can status the team for massive damage. Power whip does massive damage to vaporeon and other grass weak enemy personna. it cannot be OHKOd by swords dance lucario (it comes close though)and can either kill it off with earthquake or sleep it. It is pretty much the toughest physical wall in OU.

Porygon2: Could replace salamence as the lead. It counters physical mence, gyarados, elevtivire, yanmega, jolteon, heatran, togekiss, can come in on vaporeon easy, can trace natural cure if it gets statused, or bounce back hypnosis onto gengar and bronzong. It can also use magic coat on breloom if it comes in on revenge. It gets sleep rather than poisoned. A lum berry could work as an item incase you mispredict a status. They will probably try to status it again... Works like magic on togekiss. Magic coat that is... has bolt-beam for coverage, and has an aura of coolness due to it's BL status.

Should you chose to use blissey, get a wishbliss. It is the best kind IMO.

Skarmory and fortress are both steels and both weak to fire. In my oppinion, you should keep cressilia in there because of mixinfernape's tendancy to lean towards hidden power ice these days. Porygon2 kills any other fire type not part fight.
 
Or you could just combine the Skarmory and Donphan together to use Forretress, therefore definitely opening another room for another Poke. You can add a Gyarados there, who would further more help out with whatever physical attacker with double Intimidate, and just useful resistances. Always having another Garchomp/Heracross switch in is nice, and it'll help against Infernape as well and would beat most other bulky waters.
 
I sort of forgot about hera for a but there...

If gyarados goes in the last slot, what counters another gyarados?
 
Skarmory covers Gyarados decently, as less and less use Taunt nowadays, though I like MoP's suggestion of Forretress as a backup counter and a better spinner/spiker.
 
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