On the Ball
Hello Smogon! I've been around on RU for quite some time but I've never done particularly well in it. My first (fairly) successful team was a heavily offensive rain team a few rounds back when durant was still kicking ass. Since then, I've been messing around with bulky offense to limited success. This team is based around the most effective tool I discovered in that time, sub-rise aggron. I named the team this because I had a clear picture of applying constant pressure on my opponent and make him play the way I want to, much like in basketball, I realised. This team is the most successful team I have made in RU by quite a lot, but is by no means perfect (hint: that's why it's here). So without further ado, I present to thee, On the Ball!
Peak here (sorry I couldn't get it any larger, I peaked at 1387 if you can't see it well)
The Team at a Glance
A Closer Look:
Rotom-C @choice Scarf
EVs: 252 sp. atk, 252 spe, timid
Levitate
-Volt Switch
-Leaf storm
-Trick
-Hidden power Ice
Rotom-C is just fantastic. His main job is to set the momentum for the team and keep my constantly one step ahead of my opponent as well as revenge killing a lot of threats making him a key player in the team. Volt switch are clearly in there for momentum and power. Trick is a godly move which pretty much permanently puts an opponent's wall out of play. Hidden Power Ice isn't used much but has saved me against threats like the ever dangerous sceptile and opposing rotom-c. In short, Rotom-C is a great go-to offensive guy who can tackle a lot of threats with his great offensive and defensive typing.
Lanturn @leftovers
EVs: 96 HP, 160 sp. atk, 252 sp. def, Calm
Volt Absorb
-Volt Switch
-Scald
-Heal Bell
-Ice Beam
EVs: 96 HP, 160 sp. atk, 252 sp. def, Calm
Volt Absorb
-Volt Switch
-Scald
-Heal Bell
-Ice Beam
Lanturn is just one of those pokemon that everyone can't just help but like, seriously, I'll congratulate you if you find someone in there right mind who dislikes lanturn. Anyway, Lanturn is without a doubt in my mind, the best bulky pivot in the tier, and who would've thought two electric types could have such great synergy? Basically, Lanturn is part two of my volt-turn core if you like but is also great for stealing opposing momentum by completely stopping the likes of manetric and galvantula completely. Volt Switch and scald are obvious, STABs that can still do respectable damage with the given investment. Heal bell is my only response to the likes of sleep powder and other pesky status. Ice beam is nice for nailing druddigon or grass types on the switch. Lanturn also makes a really good stop to typhlosion who's eruption would otherwise massacare this team. The EVs let it tank 3 eruptions quite reliably from typhlosion I believe while still retaining some decent offensive presence.
Sigilyph @life orb
EVs: 252 spe, 252 sp. atk, timid
Magic Guard
-Calm Mind
-Air slash
-Hidden Power Ground
-Roost
EVs: 252 spe, 252 sp. atk, timid
Magic Guard
-Calm Mind
-Air slash
-Hidden Power Ground
-Roost
It's everyone's favourite flying totempole... thing. Sigilyph is a perfect example of a pokemon that has been unjustly labeled. In this case, it's typically "an annoying tank that will make you rage if you don't have a phazer" but in reality, sigilyph makes one of the most fearsome sweepers in RU. Calm mind boosts its great special attack which, with a life orb, makes sigilyph hit like two trucks powered by nuclear rockets as well as boosting its respectable special defense, making it extremely difficult for common special walls such as slowking to beat it. Roost gives it instant recovery and lets it win CM wars against a lot of things that lack it (or rarely carry it) such as lilligant. Air slash and HP ground give solid coverage and allow it to beat common counters like drapion. Sigilyph also shares great synergy in every form with aggron, which was the primary reason it was chosen.
Qwilfish @black sludge
EVs: 132 HP, 200 def, 176 spe, jolly
Intimidate
-Spikes
-Taunt
-Waterfall
-Destiny Bond
EVs: 132 HP, 200 def, 176 spe, jolly
Intimidate
-Spikes
-Taunt
-Waterfall
-Destiny Bond
Suicide hazards smeargle used to be here, but I found myself too weak to CB Entei so he was replaced with Qwilfish. While I do find myself missing SR and a layer of spikes up really early, qwilfish's solid typing and handy little moves easily counter balance it. Spikes is my only type of hazard on the team and qwilfish will typically get up two layers of them quite reliably which really help sigilyph and particularly aggron nab several important KOes. Taunt, when combined with the speed investment, let me beat opposing smeargle leads. Waterfall is a good STAB option and hits entei fairly hard. Destiny bond was used over toxic spikes as qwilfish would never have the time to set them up and is funny for trolling things that like to set up on me and let me set up 3 layers of spikes and bring them down too and functions quite well given that this spread makes qwilfish pretty fast.
Spiritomb @Spooky Plate
EVs: 252 atk, 172 HP, 84 sp. atk, Brave
Pressure
-Sucker Punch
-Shadow Sneak
-Shadow Ball
-Will-o-Wisp
EVs: 252 atk, 172 HP, 84 sp. atk, Brave
Pressure
-Sucker Punch
-Shadow Sneak
-Shadow Ball
-Will-o-Wisp
Spiritomb, like just about every spiritomb in RU, was my replacement to Cofagrigus. Spiritomb is actually a lot more than just an inferior cofagrigus, and is actually very under-rated in today's metagame. Not only does he do a great job of smacking opposing OTR cofagrigus, he also revenge kills a lot of threats that rotom-c doesn't like, mostly other choice scarfers, as well as making a solid spin-blocker. Sucker punch and shadow sneak form a deadly dual STAB priority combo which will smack a lot of stuff hard. Seeing as Pursuit has very little value other than nabbing cryogonal and the odd rotom, I took shadow ball to replace it and it's actually done very well, getting cofagrigus setting up the second boost predicting a sucker punch into KO range for shadow sneak. Will-o-wisp is to stop aggron and kling klang from coming in for free and messes up fighting types. Overall, solid spin blocker who can take about any random hit in an emergency and bring a dangerous threat down. The EVs is basically the typical spread with the speed evs moved over to special attack. I'm considering putting pursuit back on over will-o-wisp for dealing with the odd offensive sigilyph, though aggron may take over as a very big threat instead...
Aggron @leftovers
EVs: 252 atk, 204 spe, 52 HP, Adamant
Rock Head
-Head Smash
-Substitute
-Focus Punch
-Magnet Rise
EVs: 252 atk, 204 spe, 52 HP, Adamant
Rock Head
-Head Smash
-Substitute
-Focus Punch
-Magnet Rise
The Bad boy who the team was originally built around. Seriously, if there was one happy bunny after gligar's ban, it was aggron. This set is so dangerous with gligar gone and people haven't seemed to notice yet. Pretty much, when aggron is behind a green very convincing decoy, the opponent can be sure they will lose something, almost no matter what they do. Head Smash flattens everything bar extremely bulky tangrowth that doesn't resist it, and quite a lot that does too. Focus punch gives it solid coverage and smashes apart the likes of steelix while magnet rise makes steelix and sandslash helpless (unless steelix is carrying the boss set of curse with gyro ball). The EVs are pretty standard though I'm open to speed creep a bit. This thing can quite solidly smash at least of two of the opponent's members each game if I play my cards right. What a boss. What a boss.
Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed reading it! C&C (and luvdisc) are appreciated and thankyou for reading :)
Threat List Will Come Later:
