Newbie's First LC Team (PS Rating: 1904 and Counting)

[Skarm™]

A Newbie's First LC Team​

Hey Smogon, it's Skarm, back again with my first Little Cup RMT. I've had great success with this RMT, currently at 1904 on the LC ladder. I think I just had pure luck with this team, and I used the 3 most popular Pokemon in the LC tier, Murkrow, Misdreavus, and Mienfoo. I also incorporated Hail, and Snover is also one of the greatest revenge killers I have seen in LC, without a Scarf. Anyways, on to the teambuilding process:

First we start with our 3 overused mons in LC. They make an excellent core that can KO so many threats.

Next we have a little weather core I made up in the form of Snover and Magic Guard Abra, which can check a variety of mons.

Wailmer was added because it was an excellent tank and to hold the team together, like glue.

Now, to look at the team a bit closer.

Snover (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Snow Warning
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 36 HP / 104 Atk / 36 Def / 184 SAtk / 148 SDef
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Leech Seed

Here we have the star of the team, Snover. This mixed set can really rip teams apart. It packs Blizzard spam, priority, and reliable recovery in the form of Leech Seed AND Giga Drain. I have never NOT gotten a kill with Snover, and that's because he's just that good. He might not be the biggest in LC, but if you use him correctly, he seems like he should be the KING of LC. The EVs are made so he can get lots of power in all his attacks.

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Murkrow @ Eviolite
Trait: Prankster
Level: 5
EVs: 196 HP / 180 Def / 100 SDef / 32 Spd
Impish Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Brave Bird
- Confuse Ray
- Roost

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Credits to Electrolyte for this set, Parafusion Murkrow is a great and dominant force in LC. With confusion and paralysis, people with be trolled every day by Murkrow. Roost is to heal up, and Brave Bird is for just ruining Pokemon like Mienfoo. Prankster just adds to this, allowing for a priority Parafusion. The defensive EVs just help in letting it tank hits. Let me just say that there is a reason Murkrow is so used in LC.

Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 240 Spd / 80 SDef / 120 Def / 68 HP
Timid Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Pain Split

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Misdreavus with Eviolite is such a tank for both physical and special hits, and Will-O-Wisp ruins physical mons. Shadow Ball and HP [Psychic] have great coverage and can cover a lot of commonly used mons in LC. Pain Split is not reliable recovery, but it's okay as long as the opponent has a good amount of health. Levitate helps in taking hits from something like Drilbur, and Timid nature lets it outspeed more Pokemon for getting a KO.

Mienfoo @ Life Orb
Trait: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Hi Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Fake Out

Mienfoo isn't a dominant force in LC for no reason. I usually come in on a mon, fire off a Fake Out, and then either KO them or U-turn away to a better check. If the opponent is faster (Abra specifically), I'll switch to Murkrow or Wailmer, because it's awesome, let me tell you. Stone Edge is for coverage against flying and fire types, and Hi Jump Kick is for awesome damage. U-turn is instant 33% recovery because of Regenerator, and that ability has saved me from losing multiple times.

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Wailmer @ Eviolite
Trait: Water Veil
Level: 5
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 96 SDef / 64 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Scald
- Roar
- Sleep Talk

Wailmer is an excellent tank that I decided to use. It's ability to tank SO many hits with an out-of-this-world HP stat (in LC) and eviolite amazes me. Rest is instant recovery, and Sleep Talk lets me use moves. The only thing I have to fear is Chinhou, because of Water Absorb. I've crippled many physical attackers with Scald, and roar lets me scout and move threats out of the away. Against the Pokemon Wailmer is used on, it's surprisingly fast, and that's very handy. Without Wailmer, this team would not be where it is right now.

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Abra @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Shadow Ball
- Protect

Abra is a great sweeper in LC, with flawless coverage. Protect has well, protected, me from many Fake Outs. Psychic lets me hit Mienfoo after the Fake Out is protected from. HP [Fighting] hits rock types such as Tirtouga, and Shadow Ball hits Misdreavus, other Abra, Ghastly and stuff. Magic Guard protects me from entry hazards, poison, burn, and so many other things. Focus Sash gives it extra time to sweep, and that's pretty much it for Abra.

Anyways, that's my team. Again, I've peaked at 1904 (and still counting) and had great success with my first LC team. I'd appreciate a rate and maybe a Luvdisc for a guy that finally got his first time on the ladder in his life, and I take criticism well. Thanks for viewing my rather short RMT, and I look forward to seeing your rates!

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​

 

[Rowan]

Hello! A team consisting of Murkrow/Misdreavus/Mienfoo/Snover can almost always succeed in Little Cup, but this team has a few issues; all of which can be sorted out pretty easily though!

Firstly, Scraggy can do well against this team. It can set up on Misdreavus or Wailmer and then sweep your team. It also has access to Shed Skin to heal a burn. There is a very simple solution to this problem though, and that is Eviolite Mienfoo>Life Orb Mienfoo. That way you can still survive an attack from +1 Scraggy and KO back with Drain Punch.

The next issue with your team is Murkrow, specifically Offensive SubRoost. Murkrow can outspeed all your team (ties with Missy + Abra) and KO them with ease. For this reason, I'd suggest RestTalk Chinchou>Wailmer. Chinchou beats all the things that Wailmer beats except Hippopotas (who is beaten by Snover anyway) and also counters flying-types that give your team trouble. With Murkrow in the tier, it is very dangerous to run a team without a flying resist.

Next up is just a simple moveset change. HP Psychic isn't doing a lot for Misdreavus, (Misdreavus gets Psychic anyway) as Timburr and Croagunk are easily beaten by your Murkrow. I'd run HP Fighting, as it offers better coverage, or even Thunderbolt, to hit Murkrow switch-ins.
I'd probably not use Leech Seed on Snover as if the opponent realises you're not running Scarf Snover, he will realise that he can sweep through your team easily with Drilbur. Personally, I'd just run the standard scarf set. The Eviolite set can be a good bluff I suppose, but also very risky against sand. It's up to you in the end though.

Good Luck!

sets

Chinchou @ Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 132 Def / 228 SDef / 60 Spd
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Scald
- Dischage / Heal Bell ~ Discharge will help you beat Murkrow easily but Heal Bell is cool too so you don't need to worry about status as much.

Mienfoo @ Eviolite
Trait: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 76 Atk / 196 Def / 76 Spd
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Fake Out / Stone Edge
- Knock Off
- U-turn

~ Stone Edge can mess with Larvesta or Murkrow switch-ins, but Fake Out offers you a way to deal with weakened threats like Drilbur. Alternatively you could run both and remove Knock Off

 

[Skarm™]

Thanks for the rate! To handle Scraggy, I generally either send in Mienfoo over and over again with a Fake Out/U-turn combo (most Scraggies I see are Bulk Ups for some reason), or confuse it with Murkrow and hope for the best. For offensive Murkrow, even though it involves a lot of correct prediction, is not TOO much of a problem as long as I have Snover. I either hit it with a Fake Out from Mienfoo, Scald it with Wailmer, or (if it's below 50%), Ice Shard it with Snover. And the reason I don't run Scarf Snover is because of bluffing. I can bluff a Blizzard, then when they switch into something like Chinchou, I Giga Drain and land a KO. Basically the same strategy I did with Keldeo in OU! Although Misdreavus would really do better with HP Fighting, so yes that will be changed. Thanks for the rate!

 

[Superpowerdude]

hey Skarmory7 good to see you get into little cup my friend :)

Ok this team uses heaps of the tiers top offensive threats (haha) so there isn't really to much that has to be changed. However I think a big flaw that this team has is that is lacks a rapid spinner. being able to get Stealth Rock off the field would be great for this team to run since it carries both Snover and Murkrow.

I am thinking of Staryu>Wailmer while using Wailmer is quite cool to do in LC and it may be effective, Staryu would support your team so much better being able to get rid of hazards with Rapid Spin. Having identical typing to Wailmer and having recovery in Recover, losing Wailmer shouldn't be that much of an issue tbh. Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt provide you with two great moves with Hydro Pump gaining Stab and Thunderbolt letting you hit Water-types not names Chinchou and Murkrow super effectively.

Sets

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Staryu @ Eviolite | Natural Cure
Timid | 36 HP / 200 SpA / 240 Spe
Hydro Pump | Thunderbolt | Recover | Rapid Spin

TL;DR

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Staryu-->Wailmer

~Superpowerdude

 

[Skarm™]

Thanks Superpowerdude, I'll definitely look into Starmie. The only problem with this is that I lose a reliable wall can take a bunch if hits. Ill try it out though, thanks!