NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THE BEGINNING OF A SMOGON JOURNEY
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Team Building Process
3. The Team
4. Team Usage Tips
5. Threat List
6. Conclusion
7. Importable
Introduction
Hi everyone, I'm here with my first ever RMT. While I didn't initially plan on making a RMT, I thought this was an appropriate way to take the next step in my Smogon journey. I first started playing on Pokemon Showdown! a little under two years ago, and while I knew basically nothing about competitive pokemon I was enthralled with the maths and game theory at work in competitive battling. For a long time I was pretty bad at the game but the amount of joy it gave me led me to spending countless hours playing the game and eventually becoming a competent player. That brings us to today where, despite being an active player on ladder, I’ve never actually posted in the forums. Because of this, this RMT is not only the first competitively viable team I have made, but it is also the first contribution I’ve made to the Smogon community, and an ode to one of my favourite anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion. This team has a few initial sources of inspiration which led to its creation. One was the desire to build with Scizor as I hadn’t had the chance to use it since it had dropped down to UU and it seemed to fit in well to the UU metagame, while another was that whenever I looked at Scizor I saw a mini Evangelion Unit-02. On top of this I also wanted to build a team that I could use to ladder effectively and that was most importantly of all, fun to play. I'm currently sitting at 1473 and still climbing on the UU ladder, but I'm sure a more skilled player than me could reach higher.
Team Building Process
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While I didn't initially know what style of team I wanted to build, I knew that I wanted to use. The variety of sets that it can use left me with a lot of different options, but it ultimately felt like it would fit in best as the glue guy for this team by holding it together and compressing some needed role, so I decided to pick some other potential team members before coming back to its moveset and IVs.
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was the next member of the team. It benefits from being brought in safely by Scizors slow U-Turn, especially against walls like 
and 
, as well as creating a solid framework for a VoltTurn core which can constantly pressure opposing teams and create opportunities to land crucial KOs. Thundurus is also one of the best wall breakers in UU with the coverage needed to pick and choose its checks to best suit the needs of its team.
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With the VoltTurn core in place and the team beginning to place emphasis on gaining momentum, I wanted something that could set up stealth rocks without being too passive. Nihilego fulfils this role by boasting a massive special attack stat which combined with power gem lets it threaten all the common defoggers in the tier such as
, , , and 
. Furthermore, also has excellent natural bulk which lets it switch into resisted attacks and creates a solid defensive backbone for the team as , and share no type weaknesses.
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, 
(before it was banned), and some other steel types gave this core some trouble so came in as the obvious answer offering STAB fire moves and defensive utility in Flame Body which is useful for spreading burns which helps the team to better deal with miscellaneous physical attackers and further pressure with chip damage.
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was added with the intent of acting as speed control as well as a secondary check (once again before it was banned), and a 
and 
check as I felt the team was quite weak to them. 
is able to act as a revenge killer, being able to switch in and claim a KO or alternatively U-Turn on the switch to bring in another offensive threat. also synergizes well with and as a part of a VoltTurn core. It was at this point that I knew I wanted to run a defensive set on Scizor in order to act as a bulky pivot to sponge hits and create opportunities for breakers to deal massive damage.
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Initially I had as the final member of the team however I found it was often deadweight and a momentum drain, doing nothing for the majority of the game except spinning away rocks once or twice. There were also some threats which were difficult to deal with and I felt that was the most replaceable pokemon as the team slot could be used for some better utility.
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The notable weaknesses that needed to be addressed included
which was extremely difficult to switch into as feared Earthquake and crumbled to Rock Slide. was also difficult to deal with as had to be careful not to switch in on Secret Sword. I also wanted to maintain hazard removal in the last team slot as U-Turn on was proving to be very valuable in slowing wearing down its checks and not giving free switch ins to opposing rock types such as which would be difficult to switch into without . Because of this was changed to which provided more defensive utility and momentum while still providing hazard removal. also completes a Fire-Water-Grass core with and , letting them cover each other's weaknesses.
The Team
“Evangelion Unit-02, Asuka Langley Sohryu”
EVA-02 (Scizor) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost
I saw this set on the UU viability ranking thread so I can't take credit for it. The special defence EVs gives you only a 9% chance to 2HKO with Power Gems after rocks which is needed for to act as a check because nothing else on the team likes switching in on . The defence EVs also ensure you live 2 Darkest Lariats from after rocks, and lastly the attack EVs with an Adamant nature hit a jump point. Bullet Punch gives the team some priority to revenge kill weakened setup sweepers like 
and KO fast rock types like and 
that would otherwise give the team trouble. Knock off is a valuable utility as removing 
and 
makes it easier to chip opposing teams down. Lastly U-Turn and Roost are used to let act as a defensive sponge, switching into resisted attacks, recovering the damage, and giving a teammate an easy opportunity to get onto the field without taking damage. 
is the item of choice. or are also solid options for greater longevity, but the additional chip from :Rocky HelmetL leads to more opportunities for and to claim KOs which IMO is more important for an offensive team.
Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Nihilego Power Gem vs. 248 HP / 140 SpD Scizor: 132-156 (38.4 - 45.4%) -- 9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 248 HP / 104 Def Scizor: 118-141 (34.4 - 41.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
16+ Atk Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Nihilego: 326-386 (90.8 - 107.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
16+ Atk Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lycanroc-Dusk: 258-306 (88.6 - 105.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
“The 6th Angel, Roaring Beast of God”
Gaghiel (Thundurus-Therian) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Focus Blast
is the main wallbreaker on this team with a stellar special attack and speed stat combined with amazing coverage. 252 special attack is needed to maximise damage, while 252 speed and a timid nature is needed to not get beaten by max speed 
, 
, , 
, and a few other mons' around the same speed tier, as well as tying with other . Volt Switch is mandatory to maintain momentum as well as a source of damage as it is boosted by STAB. I’ve found psychic to be the most useful coverage move as it 2HKOs , mixed 
, and can OHKO 
. Psychic is also the most effective way for this set to hit opposing . Grass Knot is also quite impactful hitting 
, , and . Focus Miss is the last move I've been running to hit , 
, , and some less common pokemon, although it has a tendency to miss when you need it most. also has other options in Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, or Knock Off, but at the moment I've found Grass Knot and Focus Blast to be the most useful. Finally, mean doesn't need to care about Stealth Rocks and can freely come in and spam Volt Switch without placing pressure on to defog more often.
Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 232-274 (71.8 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 252 HP / 88 SpD Amoonguss: 230-272 (53.2 - 62.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Conkeldurr: 302-356 (86 - 101.4%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Krookodile: 252-298 (76.1 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Hippowdon: 252-298 (60 - 70.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swampert: 292-348 (72.2 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
“The 4th Angel, Lonely Conqueror of God”
Shamshel (Nihilego) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Bomb
- Stealth Rock
- Grass Knot / Knock Off
acts as the rock setter for the team as well as a valuable defensive piece and potential sweeper. 252 speed with a Timid Nature lets revenge kill which would otherwise be difficult to check. 252 special attack combined with Power Gem threatens out all relevant defoggers and force rocks up which is important for accruing chip damage throughout the game. Sludge Bomb lets hit grass types that may try to switch in on Power Gem like 
, as well as threatening fairy types. Sludge Bomb is chosen over Sludge Wave as the slight damage increase doesn't turn any 3HKOs into 2HKOs or 2HKOs into 1HKOs, so the greater chance to poison is much more impactful. Grass Knot was chosen as the final move to deal significant damage to ground types who resist its STAB combination, such as , , and . Knock Off could be used instead of Grass Knot to improve the matchup, however this leaves unable to hit a few common ground types in the metagame and teams aren’t very common. 
was the chosen item to give some additional longevity and let it better switch into resisted attacks, especially fire type moves targeted at .
Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Nihilego Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 210-248 (51.9 - 61.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Hippowdon: 228-270 (54.2 - 64.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swampert: 268-316 (66.3 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Krookodile: 230-272 (69.4 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“The 8th Angel, Ingenuity of God”
Sahaquiel (Moltres) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 88 HP / 156 SpA / 28 SpD / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Roost
acts as both an offensive pivot and defensive check on this team. 88 HP EVs let always be able to switch in and survive 2 Darkest Lariats from , while the Special Defence EVs let it always live a Scald from Calm Mind so it can OHKO with Hurricane. 236 Speed EVs hit 275 so can out run 252+ speed 
, 252 speed 
, and 252 speed 
outside of sun. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack with a Modest nature so that can dish out massive amounts of damage off of 357 Special Attack. are the mandatory item as without them it's essentially dead on the switch in. Flamethrower and Hurricane are STAB moves of choice that for to smash through steel, grass, and fighting types which removes common switch ins to and . Hurricane is chosen despite its low accuracy as Air Slash has pitiful damage. U-Turn is helpful for maintaining momentum against common switch ins to like . Roost is the final move which helps to act as a defensive pivot without being worn down too much over the course of the game.
Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 88 HP / 0 Def Moltres: 144-171 (41.9 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Keldeo Scald vs. 88 HP / 28 SpD Moltres: 288-342 (83.9 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
156+ SpA Moltres Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 390-462 (120.7 - 143%) -- guaranteed OHKO
156+ SpA Moltres Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-252 (52.4 - 62.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji Ikari”
EVA-01 (Zarude) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing
- U-turn
While the team is relatively fast with and , additional speed was needed to improve the match up against other scarfers as well as faster wall breakers and sweepers like 
, , and . 252 Speed EVs with a jolly nature and let hit 508 speed which puts it ahead of pretty much all common scarfers in the tier and provides great speed control. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack for the highest possible damage output. This can let revenge kill DD , DD , and 
. Power Whip and Darkest Lariat are both STAB moves for damage, while U-Turn lets act as a speedy pivot to slowly wear down its checks over the course of the game. As is susceptible to Stealth Rocks and chip as well as Flame Body burns from , Jungle Healing is chosen as the last move so that it can come in and recover health as well as remove status conditions which allows it to continue acting as a pivot with less concern about gradual chip damage.
Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gyarados: 160-189 (48.3 - 57%) -- 91.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gyarados: 226-267 (68.2 - 80.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 159-187 (48 - 56.4%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 408-480 (126.3 - 148.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Darmanitan: 211-250 (60.1 - 71.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“The 5th Angel, Thunder of God”
Ramiel (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Defog
- Thunder Wave
gives the team another form of speed control in Thunder Wave and hazard removal in Defog. is the only form of hazard removal on this team, however the constant momentum that the VoltTurn core provides means that Stealth Rocks can generally be prevented from going up by pivoting into wall breakers that can force opposing stealth rockers out. This places less pressure on to defog, and lets it focus on acting as a defensive check. The 52 speed EVs are to outspeed 252 speed 
, 252+ speed 
, and 96 speed . The rest of the EVs are put into HP and then Defence for the most overall and physical bulk. This lets switch into semi-reliably. Volt Switch is to easily bring in a wall breaker and maintain momentum after defogging, while Hydro Pump is STAB which gives a way to deal damage and prevents it from being too passive. Thunder Wave is the last move and is a way to slow down faster offensive teams. Paralyzed and are significantly easier to revenge kill which is useful in addressing the bad match up against these mons'. are chosen over because the passive recovery is needed without Pain Split.
Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Rotom-Wash: 96-114 (31.5 - 37.5%) -- 86.7% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Rotom-Wash: 100-118 (32.8 - 38.8%) -- 5.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Keldeo Scald vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Wash: 61-72 (20 - 23.6%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
Team Usage Tips
1. Always try to make use of Volt Switch and U-Turn to gradually chip your opponent down over the course of the game as this team focuses on momentum to find a way to win.
2. You will need to make reads and hard switches occasionally to stop wall breakers like and getting free switch ins on mons’ that don't threaten them back out.
3. Teams with both and are difficult for scizor to deal with as it needs to click Bullet Punch to KO but that leaves it open to Flame Body burns on a switch to . To deal with this, try to Knock Off on the switch and get Stealth Rocks to prevent from freely switching in.
4. can take a Guts boosted Mach Punch from so it may be necessary in some scenarios to sacrifice to get Sludge Bomb chip
5. Against stall aim to always pivot in on . Knock Off threatens to remove 
which makes easier to wear down with . This forces to make a hard switch, getting Stealth Rock chip damage and preventing it from using Soft-Boiled
Threat List
and both threaten a OHKO, while and can both deal significant damage, however nothing really switches into . The best way to handle it is to try and prevent it getting into the game freely, although this is easier said than done. If it does get in then using to chip it down with and Bullet Punch before revenge killing it is probably your best option.
can deal a massive amount of damage and has enough speed to avoid being revenge killed. and can both switch in on Hydro Pump but get 1HKOed and 2HKOed by Secret Sword respectively. Because of this you can be forced to make a prediction or to sac something and try and revenge kill with or depending if they lock into Hydro Pump or Secret Sword. Alternatively, if you can get a paralysis off on it with it becomes much easier to handle.
This thing is so bulky and so strong at +1 that it can be difficult to avoid being swept. Neither nor 
can take a Meteor Beam, and they both fall just short of OHKOing . can also deal significant damage with Power Gem but loses to Heavy Slam or Earthquake sets, while can chip it down with Volt Switch but can’t beat Giga Drain sets.
SD
Sets without Stone Edge are walled by, but if they do have Stone Edge they’re able to set up and become near impossible to switch into. also fails to revenge kill with both its STABs being resisted. Your best option is to use to paralyse it so that it can be revenge killed by or .
Conclusion
Thanks to anyone who read this and made it all the way to the end as a lot of time and effort went into making this RMT. I hope you try out the team and enjoy it as much as I have and are able to successfully make use of it on ladder. As with any RMT, any suggestions for improvements are more than welcome, and I hope you all have a great day :)
Importable
With nicknames: Neon Genesis Evangelion (pokepast.es)
Without nicknames: Neon Genesis Evangelion (pokepast.es)
| | | | | Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Team Building Process
3. The Team
4. Team Usage Tips
5. Threat List
6. Conclusion
7. Importable
Introduction
Hi everyone, I'm here with my first ever RMT. While I didn't initially plan on making a RMT, I thought this was an appropriate way to take the next step in my Smogon journey. I first started playing on Pokemon Showdown! a little under two years ago, and while I knew basically nothing about competitive pokemon I was enthralled with the maths and game theory at work in competitive battling. For a long time I was pretty bad at the game but the amount of joy it gave me led me to spending countless hours playing the game and eventually becoming a competent player. That brings us to today where, despite being an active player on ladder, I’ve never actually posted in the forums. Because of this, this RMT is not only the first competitively viable team I have made, but it is also the first contribution I’ve made to the Smogon community, and an ode to one of my favourite anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion. This team has a few initial sources of inspiration which led to its creation. One was the desire to build with Scizor as I hadn’t had the chance to use it since it had dropped down to UU and it seemed to fit in well to the UU metagame, while another was that whenever I looked at Scizor I saw a mini Evangelion Unit-02. On top of this I also wanted to build a team that I could use to ladder effectively and that was most importantly of all, fun to play. I'm currently sitting at 1473 and still climbing on the UU ladder, but I'm sure a more skilled player than me could reach higher.
Team Building Process
| | | | | While I didn't initially know what style of team I wanted to build, I knew that I wanted to use
. The variety of sets that it can use left me with a lot of different options, but it ultimately felt like it would fit in best as the glue guy for this team by holding it together and compressing some needed role, so I decided to pick some other potential team members before coming back to its moveset and IVs. | | | | | was the next member of the team. It benefits from being brought in safely by Scizors slow U-Turn, especially against walls like and , as well as creating a solid framework for a VoltTurn core which can constantly pressure opposing teams and create opportunities to land crucial KOs. Thundurus is also one of the best wall breakers in UU with the coverage needed to pick and choose its checks to best suit the needs of its team. | | | | | With the VoltTurn core in place and the team beginning to place emphasis on gaining momentum, I wanted something that could set up stealth rocks without being too passive. Nihilego fulfils this role by boasting a massive special attack stat which combined with power gem lets it threaten all the common defoggers in the tier such as
, , , and . Furthermore, also has excellent natural bulk which lets it switch into resisted attacks and creates a solid defensive backbone for the team as , and share no type weaknesses. | | | | | , (before it was banned), and some other steel types gave this core some trouble so came in as the obvious answer offering STAB fire moves and defensive utility in Flame Body which is useful for spreading burns which helps the team to better deal with miscellaneous physical attackers and further pressure with chip damage. | | | | | was added with the intent of acting as speed control as well as a secondary check (once again before it was banned), and a and check as I felt the team was quite weak to them. is able to act as a revenge killer, being able to switch in and claim a KO or alternatively U-Turn on the switch to bring in another offensive threat. also synergizes well with and as a part of a VoltTurn core. It was at this point that I knew I wanted to run a defensive set on Scizor in order to act as a bulky pivot to sponge hits and create opportunities for breakers to deal massive damage. | | | | | Initially I had
as the final member of the team however I found it was often deadweight and a momentum drain, doing nothing for the majority of the game except spinning away rocks once or twice. There were also some threats which were difficult to deal with and I felt that was the most replaceable pokemon as the team slot could be used for some better utility. | | | | | The notable weaknesses that needed to be addressed included
which was extremely difficult to switch into as feared Earthquake and crumbled to Rock Slide. was also difficult to deal with as had to be careful not to switch in on Secret Sword. I also wanted to maintain hazard removal in the last team slot as U-Turn on was proving to be very valuable in slowing wearing down its checks and not giving free switch ins to opposing rock types such as which would be difficult to switch into without . Because of this was changed to which provided more defensive utility and momentum while still providing hazard removal. also completes a Fire-Water-Grass core with and , letting them cover each other's weaknesses.The Team
“Evangelion Unit-02, Asuka Langley Sohryu”
EVA-02 (Scizor) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost
I saw this set on the UU viability ranking thread so I can't take credit for it. The special defence EVs gives you
only a 9% chance to 2HKO with Power Gems after rocks which is needed for to act as a check because nothing else on the team likes switching in on . The defence EVs also ensure you live 2 Darkest Lariats from after rocks, and lastly the attack EVs with an Adamant nature hit a jump point. Bullet Punch gives the team some priority to revenge kill weakened setup sweepers like and KO fast rock types like and that would otherwise give the team trouble. Knock off is a valuable utility as removing and makes it easier to chip opposing teams down. Lastly U-Turn and Roost are used to let act as a defensive sponge, switching into resisted attacks, recovering the damage, and giving a teammate an easy opportunity to get onto the field without taking damage. is the item of choice. or are also solid options for greater longevity, but the additional chip from :Rocky HelmetL leads to more opportunities for and to claim KOs which IMO is more important for an offensive team.Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Nihilego Power Gem vs. 248 HP / 140 SpD Scizor: 132-156 (38.4 - 45.4%) -- 9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 248 HP / 104 Def Scizor: 118-141 (34.4 - 41.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
16+ Atk Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Nihilego: 326-386 (90.8 - 107.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
16+ Atk Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lycanroc-Dusk: 258-306 (88.6 - 105.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
“The 6th Angel, Roaring Beast of God”
Gaghiel (Thundurus-Therian) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Focus Blast
is the main wallbreaker on this team with a stellar special attack and speed stat combined with amazing coverage. 252 special attack is needed to maximise damage, while 252 speed and a timid nature is needed to not get beaten by max speed , , , , and a few other mons' around the same speed tier, as well as tying with other . Volt Switch is mandatory to maintain momentum as well as a source of damage as it is boosted by STAB. I’ve found psychic to be the most useful coverage move as it 2HKOs , mixed , and can OHKO . Psychic is also the most effective way for this set to hit opposing . Grass Knot is also quite impactful hitting , , and . Focus Miss is the last move I've been running to hit , , , and some less common pokemon, although it has a tendency to miss when you need it most. also has other options in Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, or Knock Off, but at the moment I've found Grass Knot and Focus Blast to be the most useful. Finally, mean doesn't need to care about Stealth Rocks and can freely come in and spam Volt Switch without placing pressure on to defog more often.Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 232-274 (71.8 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 252 HP / 88 SpD Amoonguss: 230-272 (53.2 - 62.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Conkeldurr: 302-356 (86 - 101.4%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Krookodile: 252-298 (76.1 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Hippowdon: 252-298 (60 - 70.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swampert: 292-348 (72.2 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
“The 4th Angel, Lonely Conqueror of God”
Shamshel (Nihilego) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Bomb
- Stealth Rock
- Grass Knot / Knock Off
acts as the rock setter for the team as well as a valuable defensive piece and potential sweeper. 252 speed with a Timid Nature lets revenge kill which would otherwise be difficult to check. 252 special attack combined with Power Gem threatens out all relevant defoggers and force rocks up which is important for accruing chip damage throughout the game. Sludge Bomb lets hit grass types that may try to switch in on Power Gem like , as well as threatening fairy types. Sludge Bomb is chosen over Sludge Wave as the slight damage increase doesn't turn any 3HKOs into 2HKOs or 2HKOs into 1HKOs, so the greater chance to poison is much more impactful. Grass Knot was chosen as the final move to deal significant damage to ground types who resist its STAB combination, such as , , and . Knock Off could be used instead of Grass Knot to improve the matchup, however this leaves unable to hit a few common ground types in the metagame and teams aren’t very common. was the chosen item to give some additional longevity and let it better switch into resisted attacks, especially fire type moves targeted at .Relevant Calcs:
252 SpA Nihilego Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 210-248 (51.9 - 61.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Hippowdon: 228-270 (54.2 - 64.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swampert: 268-316 (66.3 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Nihilego Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Krookodile: 230-272 (69.4 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“The 8th Angel, Ingenuity of God”
Sahaquiel (Moltres) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 88 HP / 156 SpA / 28 SpD / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Roost
acts as both an offensive pivot and defensive check on this team. 88 HP EVs let always be able to switch in and survive 2 Darkest Lariats from , while the Special Defence EVs let it always live a Scald from Calm Mind so it can OHKO with Hurricane. 236 Speed EVs hit 275 so can out run 252+ speed , 252 speed , and 252 speed outside of sun. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack with a Modest nature so that can dish out massive amounts of damage off of 357 Special Attack. are the mandatory item as without them it's essentially dead on the switch in. Flamethrower and Hurricane are STAB moves of choice that for to smash through steel, grass, and fighting types which removes common switch ins to and . Hurricane is chosen despite its low accuracy as Air Slash has pitiful damage. U-Turn is helpful for maintaining momentum against common switch ins to like . Roost is the final move which helps to act as a defensive pivot without being worn down too much over the course of the game.Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 88 HP / 0 Def Moltres: 144-171 (41.9 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Keldeo Scald vs. 88 HP / 28 SpD Moltres: 288-342 (83.9 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
156+ SpA Moltres Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 390-462 (120.7 - 143%) -- guaranteed OHKO
156+ SpA Moltres Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-252 (52.4 - 62.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji Ikari”
EVA-01 (Zarude) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing
- U-turn
While the team is relatively fast with
and , additional speed was needed to improve the match up against other scarfers as well as faster wall breakers and sweepers like , , and . 252 Speed EVs with a jolly nature and let hit 508 speed which puts it ahead of pretty much all common scarfers in the tier and provides great speed control. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack for the highest possible damage output. This can let revenge kill DD , DD , and . Power Whip and Darkest Lariat are both STAB moves for damage, while U-Turn lets act as a speedy pivot to slowly wear down its checks over the course of the game. As is susceptible to Stealth Rocks and chip as well as Flame Body burns from , Jungle Healing is chosen as the last move so that it can come in and recover health as well as remove status conditions which allows it to continue acting as a pivot with less concern about gradual chip damage. Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gyarados: 160-189 (48.3 - 57%) -- 91.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gyarados: 226-267 (68.2 - 80.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 159-187 (48 - 56.4%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 408-480 (126.3 - 148.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Darmanitan: 211-250 (60.1 - 71.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
“The 5th Angel, Thunder of God”
Ramiel (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Defog
- Thunder Wave
gives the team another form of speed control in Thunder Wave and hazard removal in Defog. is the only form of hazard removal on this team, however the constant momentum that the VoltTurn core provides means that Stealth Rocks can generally be prevented from going up by pivoting into wall breakers that can force opposing stealth rockers out. This places less pressure on to defog, and lets it focus on acting as a defensive check. The 52 speed EVs are to outspeed 252 speed , 252+ speed , and 96 speed . The rest of the EVs are put into HP and then Defence for the most overall and physical bulk. This lets switch into semi-reliably. Volt Switch is to easily bring in a wall breaker and maintain momentum after defogging, while Hydro Pump is STAB which gives a way to deal damage and prevents it from being too passive. Thunder Wave is the last move and is a way to slow down faster offensive teams. Paralyzed and are significantly easier to revenge kill which is useful in addressing the bad match up against these mons'. are chosen over because the passive recovery is needed without Pain Split.Relevant Calcs:
252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Rotom-Wash: 96-114 (31.5 - 37.5%) -- 86.7% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Rotom-Wash: 100-118 (32.8 - 38.8%) -- 5.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Keldeo Scald vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Wash: 61-72 (20 - 23.6%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
Team Usage Tips
1. Always try to make use of Volt Switch and U-Turn to gradually chip your opponent down over the course of the game as this team focuses on momentum to find a way to win.
2. You will need to make reads and hard switches occasionally to stop wall breakers like
and getting free switch ins on mons’ that don't threaten them back out.3. Teams with both
and are difficult for scizor to deal with as it needs to click Bullet Punch to KO but that leaves it open to Flame Body burns on a switch to . To deal with this, try to Knock Off on the switch and get Stealth Rocks to prevent from freely switching in.4.
can take a Guts boosted Mach Punch from so it may be necessary in some scenarios to sacrifice to get Sludge Bomb chip5. Against stall aim to always pivot
in on . Knock Off threatens to remove which makes easier to wear down with . This forces to make a hard switch, getting Stealth Rock chip damage and preventing it from using Soft-BoiledThreat List
and both threaten a OHKO, while and can both deal significant damage, however nothing really switches into . The best way to handle it is to try and prevent it getting into the game freely, although this is easier said than done. If it does get in then using to chip it down with and Bullet Punch before revenge killing it is probably your best option. can deal a massive amount of damage and has enough speed to avoid being revenge killed. and can both switch in on Hydro Pump but get 1HKOed and 2HKOed by Secret Sword respectively. Because of this you can be forced to make a prediction or to sac something and try and revenge kill with or depending if they lock into Hydro Pump or Secret Sword. Alternatively, if you can get a paralysis off on it with it becomes much easier to handle.This thing is so bulky and so strong at +1 that it can be difficult to avoid being swept. Neither
nor can take a Meteor Beam, and they both fall just short of OHKOing . can also deal significant damage with Power Gem but loses to Heavy Slam or Earthquake sets, while can chip it down with Volt Switch but can’t beat Giga Drain sets.SD
Sets without Stone Edge are walled by
, but if they do have Stone Edge they’re able to set up and become near impossible to switch into. also fails to revenge kill with both its STABs being resisted. Your best option is to use to paralyse it so that it can be revenge killed by or .Conclusion
Thanks to anyone who read this and made it all the way to the end as a lot of time and effort went into making this RMT. I hope you try out the team and enjoy it as much as I have and are able to successfully make use of it on ladder. As with any RMT, any suggestions for improvements are more than welcome, and I hope you all have a great day :)
Importable
With nicknames: Neon Genesis Evangelion (pokepast.es)
Without nicknames: Neon Genesis Evangelion (pokepast.es)
