Hey guys, this is a team I have been working on since Pokemon X came out, I'm completely new to the competitive scene so go easy if I get anything wrong :) I have done pretty well with this team, but the biggest threats seem to be teams that can magic bounce / fake out my Smeargle, or maybe it's just my inexperience in not predicting they'll use these moves or abilities to block him. My team was all based around Scizor, he is the only pokemon that I would want in my team for sure because he's been my favorite since Pokemon gen 2, along with Hitmonchan, but he's trash :(
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Sticky Web
- Spore
I like Smeargle because my team is offensive and I believe we are entering a more defensive orientated meta, so with his 3 entry hazards he can really help my sweepers and bulky attackers clean up. My biggest concern is the use of magic bounce, taunt and fake out users which seem to completely block him. I usually open with Smeargle but if they have a blocker I find myself only being able to switch to Rotom-W or Scizor as the bulkier of my team to take the hit. I considered getting something besides spore because some people predict spore and block with grass, but nothing else seems viable.
Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Low Sweep
- Mach Punch
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
Breloom is my physical sweeper and is just used to clean up the trash, I find even against pokes with resistances, bullet seed still takes a large chunk of health. The spore is kept just incase he comes up against a poke that may be slower but a threat, that way he can bullet it to death. Low sweep is great if I can predict the switch, so that the switched in pokemon takes a slow.
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Disable
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Gengar was chosen as my spinblocker, especially if i can mega evolve him prior to setting traps I can shadow tag the spinner and kill him. The actual moveset I haven't experimented much with and just got it from what was suggested on smogon. I'm not sure about focus blast just because I miss with it a lot, but as I said I am not sure how this guy is played properly, with sub n disable. I have had some luck with gengar, but maybe there is a more viable spinblocker?
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
Starmie was chosen as an offensive spinner with good type coverage to sweep other potential sweepers, I have found Starmie particulars useful against offensive teams. I was considering Psyshock over thunderbolt just because I already have Rotom covering electric weaknesses with Volt Turn, but not entirely sure. I went Natural cure only because I could not get analytic, but have found it very useful vs Blissey, Klefki, etc, there seems to be a lot of pokes who want to slow down Starmie with Para.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Brick Break
First and foremost I picked Scizor because he is my favorite, so I wanted to make a team that complimented him well, and from doing some research I decided to go with his flagship U-Turn set. I considered a bulky roost Scizor but thought that would be a role better left to Skarmory. Since he can't get Superpower I went with Brick Break to break down wallers. Pursuit was chosen over quick attack because of the rising number of ghosts this gen, and so I can punish pokes more for switches.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 232 HP / 56 SAtk / 220 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
Rotom-W was picked to complete the Volt-Turn core with Scizor, these two seem to work well together and he covers Scizors terrible weakness to fire. Rest was chosen as I could not get pain split, and a chesto berry to wake him from rest. Although pain split is the normal way to go, I like rest because it also removes status problems, which I seem to run into a lot. I chose Will-O-Wisp for tankier pokemon that may not take much of a hit vs his other 2 moves or for when I can predict a switch.
Tell me what you guys think, am I crazy or is this a decent team :) I managed to beat a 1750 rated player with it, but again I am new and have only used this team 10 or so times so far.
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Sticky Web
- Spore
I like Smeargle because my team is offensive and I believe we are entering a more defensive orientated meta, so with his 3 entry hazards he can really help my sweepers and bulky attackers clean up. My biggest concern is the use of magic bounce, taunt and fake out users which seem to completely block him. I usually open with Smeargle but if they have a blocker I find myself only being able to switch to Rotom-W or Scizor as the bulkier of my team to take the hit. I considered getting something besides spore because some people predict spore and block with grass, but nothing else seems viable.
Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Low Sweep
- Mach Punch
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
Breloom is my physical sweeper and is just used to clean up the trash, I find even against pokes with resistances, bullet seed still takes a large chunk of health. The spore is kept just incase he comes up against a poke that may be slower but a threat, that way he can bullet it to death. Low sweep is great if I can predict the switch, so that the switched in pokemon takes a slow.
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Disable
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Gengar was chosen as my spinblocker, especially if i can mega evolve him prior to setting traps I can shadow tag the spinner and kill him. The actual moveset I haven't experimented much with and just got it from what was suggested on smogon. I'm not sure about focus blast just because I miss with it a lot, but as I said I am not sure how this guy is played properly, with sub n disable. I have had some luck with gengar, but maybe there is a more viable spinblocker?
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
Starmie was chosen as an offensive spinner with good type coverage to sweep other potential sweepers, I have found Starmie particulars useful against offensive teams. I was considering Psyshock over thunderbolt just because I already have Rotom covering electric weaknesses with Volt Turn, but not entirely sure. I went Natural cure only because I could not get analytic, but have found it very useful vs Blissey, Klefki, etc, there seems to be a lot of pokes who want to slow down Starmie with Para.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Brick Break
First and foremost I picked Scizor because he is my favorite, so I wanted to make a team that complimented him well, and from doing some research I decided to go with his flagship U-Turn set. I considered a bulky roost Scizor but thought that would be a role better left to Skarmory. Since he can't get Superpower I went with Brick Break to break down wallers. Pursuit was chosen over quick attack because of the rising number of ghosts this gen, and so I can punish pokes more for switches.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 232 HP / 56 SAtk / 220 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
Rotom-W was picked to complete the Volt-Turn core with Scizor, these two seem to work well together and he covers Scizors terrible weakness to fire. Rest was chosen as I could not get pain split, and a chesto berry to wake him from rest. Although pain split is the normal way to go, I like rest because it also removes status problems, which I seem to run into a lot. I chose Will-O-Wisp for tankier pokemon that may not take much of a hit vs his other 2 moves or for when I can predict a switch.
Tell me what you guys think, am I crazy or is this a decent team :) I managed to beat a 1750 rated player with it, but again I am new and have only used this team 10 or so times so far.
