I built this team for the mid rounds of the DPP global tournament and it did fairly well. The concept was build around Kingdra being kind of an awkward lead to play around which typically forces out water resists early. Then, the path should be clearer for sub-petaya empoleon to clean the game. The meta has kind of shifted to expose the flaws of the team and I was wondering what improvements could be made.
https://pokepast.es/888460534cf4250d
real and fake (Kingdra) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Surf
- Hydro Pump
This is a fairly standard specs kingdra set. In a lot of situations it is either forcing a switch from the lead position or getting an OHKO in exchange for rocks. Given the mono-weakness, Kingdra is good at surviving at least one hit and coming back in later if rain is active. Specs Kingdra in the rain can win games on its own in the right conditions and is generally one of the most satisfying clicks in the game on 100% accurate surf.
Limitations: Even in the rain Kingdra lacks a bit of power and in a lot of situations its forced to make trade-offs that involve relying in inaccurate moves with consequences that remove or severely limit Kingdra. For instance, Kingdra needs hydro to get rid of Jirachi in the rain, but missing is usually followed by paralysis. Two hydro pumps are needed to remove lead bronzong (I think Surf is a 3HKO) but obviously missing the second is usually a boom opportunity. Removal of Kingdra early without any good trades is usually an annoyance for this team. Azelf in particular gets to have its rocks and then boom if they don't taunt T1.
cons of fame (Bronzong) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Rain Dance
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Payback
Bronzong helps resist dragons and enable Kingdra. Occa berry lets Bronzong safely set up rain, which effectively creates another occa berry for five turns. It isn't always 100% necessary to switch to Kingdra after setting rain if the additional fire resistance can help Bronzong pick off the likes of Heatran, Infernape, etc. I prefer payback over Gyro Ball because Sub-Split Gengar is very threatening to the rest of my team.
Limitations: Bronzong typically comes in early for me but exploding without knowing the rest of the opposing team is usually detrimental to checking things like Specs Latias and Dragonite. This set is also prone to letting in too many set-up threats like Gyarados and Breloom. Using occa berry also limits Bronzong's longevity which can limit its utility if I'm sacrificing more than 30% to get up rain. I just think I need it to do a little too much for me.
devil's story (Tyranitar) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 48 HP / 144 Atk / 52 SpA / 184 SpD / 80 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Pursuit
Tyranitar sets rocks and removes a lot of blockades for agility Empoleon. Sand is very inconvenient for opposing Suicune, Tyranitar chomps Latias, and it can help mitigate losses if an opposing kingdra is accidentally enabled by setting rain. Tyranitar also helps manage Starmie, Zapdos and Scarf Rotom, both of which are problems for Empoleon later if left alive. The EV spread is the standard Tar so it could probably be improved to the specific team needs.
Limitations: Tyranitar sometimes struggles to come in and relies a bit too much on prediction. Breloom is also just kind of a problem for me which has a pretty easy time coming in on this.
from heaven (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 208 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpD / 28 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Reflect
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
This is a fairly standard set for defensive Latias. Reflect + T-wave really hampers a lot of physical threats (tyranitar included) and Lati is the Lone Ranger against the very dangerous infernape. I don't exactly remember what the SpDef is but the speed outpaces all non scarf breloom. I like Latias as a wall because it isn't affected by spikes. Thunder wave is also critical for paralyzing jirachi (which likes to come in here), which creates great opportunity for Empoleon later.
Limitations: Latias is both my water resist and my fighting resist, which is great that it can counter both but bad in the sense that losing Latias early is usually a death sentence if I'm playing against any sort of offense. This is amplified by its susceptibility to pursuit from either Scizor (who threatens u-turn, could be SD and resists dragon pulse all at once) or band tar. While Latias is key in stopping infernape, it's not always easy to switch into given the potential for a U-turn into a counter. Latias also cannot check +1 Dnite, which really puts a hole in my name without a healthy Bronzong.
but you love war (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Focus Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Superpower
Breloom was brought in to deal with Clef and Swampert. The speed investment outpaces most of what its tasked with dealing with, while the HP Evs are close to where you want to be to maximize poison heal recovery at that range. Focus Punch + Superpower is great for surprising things like Skarmory or Clef that think they can attack to prevent a fighting move. Poison heal also can help block status and is robust to whatever weather environment is desired for the game.
Limitations: Breloom can invite powerful special attackers in, which I don't really have great methods of resisting. Breloom also finds a difficult time coming in, which ideally it likes to do so poison heal is set immediately and its status blocking abilities are enabled. It's generally a defensive liability and skarmory has an easy time setting up after spore is burned.
the vultures came (Empoleon) @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Surf
- Agility
- Ice Beam
The penguin of the hour! Sub-petaya is pretty old school and self explanatory. It's great at reversing the outcome of games single-handedly given that it generally comes out last, and really just requires good knowledge of the opposing team to determine the win path. Surf is preferred over pump given the accuracy and the level of overkill at +1 + Torrent. Ice beam is necessary to remove dragons, grass, and zapdos.
Limitations: Empoleon needs the turn of set-up to be threatening, which extra turns are often at a premium. Running modest means that even after +2 it isn't outspeeding Flygon or Scarf Rotom. If stealth rock isn't set up, Empoleon is not getting past any form of healthy Zapdos. The lack of bulk also makes it somewhat susceptible to priority after setting up Agility and petaya. There is a lot of correct play required to get Empoleon in a position to win, even if there is usually a pretty good match-up to be found in most games.
Threats
-Breloom/Sleep. Every mon plays its part here and nobody really likes to be put to sleep. Bronzong is usually the best candidate but then you miss out on rain and could potentially be hindering your best answer to later game threats, where Loom is usually more of an early/mid game threat.
-Specs Latias: It can be a bit of a guessing game here. I don't have a lot of resistance for special, and nothing likes to come in on even a resisted move besides bronzing. It also creates a dilemma for Kingdra on whether to click Water or Dragon move, especially when paired with...
-Jirachi: Ugly ugly mon to have a systemic problem with. In theory bronzong handles it well enough but usually something is getting paralyzed. Be it Kingdra or Latias, you're usually dropping a key cog to slow down Jirachi. Given the structure of this team that doesn't usually play out the best. The standard Jirachi set can be a candidate for Empoleon set up later if paralyzed though.
-Infernape: Wins if Latias is down. Infernape is really truly vexing because its generally not worth planning a ton around because its infrequent enough and Latias handles it well, but it can also be an insta-lose if it comes out late enough. This reduces the consistency of the team which is really what you want to shoot for.
-Hydro Pump/Draco: Kingdra hates missing. Hates it. These moves suck and I hate them but they're usually necessary to blast holes big enough for Empoleon.
https://pokepast.es/888460534cf4250d
real and fake (Kingdra) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Surf
- Hydro Pump
This is a fairly standard specs kingdra set. In a lot of situations it is either forcing a switch from the lead position or getting an OHKO in exchange for rocks. Given the mono-weakness, Kingdra is good at surviving at least one hit and coming back in later if rain is active. Specs Kingdra in the rain can win games on its own in the right conditions and is generally one of the most satisfying clicks in the game on 100% accurate surf.
Limitations: Even in the rain Kingdra lacks a bit of power and in a lot of situations its forced to make trade-offs that involve relying in inaccurate moves with consequences that remove or severely limit Kingdra. For instance, Kingdra needs hydro to get rid of Jirachi in the rain, but missing is usually followed by paralysis. Two hydro pumps are needed to remove lead bronzong (I think Surf is a 3HKO) but obviously missing the second is usually a boom opportunity. Removal of Kingdra early without any good trades is usually an annoyance for this team. Azelf in particular gets to have its rocks and then boom if they don't taunt T1.
cons of fame (Bronzong) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Rain Dance
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Payback
Bronzong helps resist dragons and enable Kingdra. Occa berry lets Bronzong safely set up rain, which effectively creates another occa berry for five turns. It isn't always 100% necessary to switch to Kingdra after setting rain if the additional fire resistance can help Bronzong pick off the likes of Heatran, Infernape, etc. I prefer payback over Gyro Ball because Sub-Split Gengar is very threatening to the rest of my team.
Limitations: Bronzong typically comes in early for me but exploding without knowing the rest of the opposing team is usually detrimental to checking things like Specs Latias and Dragonite. This set is also prone to letting in too many set-up threats like Gyarados and Breloom. Using occa berry also limits Bronzong's longevity which can limit its utility if I'm sacrificing more than 30% to get up rain. I just think I need it to do a little too much for me.
devil's story (Tyranitar) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 48 HP / 144 Atk / 52 SpA / 184 SpD / 80 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Pursuit
Tyranitar sets rocks and removes a lot of blockades for agility Empoleon. Sand is very inconvenient for opposing Suicune, Tyranitar chomps Latias, and it can help mitigate losses if an opposing kingdra is accidentally enabled by setting rain. Tyranitar also helps manage Starmie, Zapdos and Scarf Rotom, both of which are problems for Empoleon later if left alive. The EV spread is the standard Tar so it could probably be improved to the specific team needs.
Limitations: Tyranitar sometimes struggles to come in and relies a bit too much on prediction. Breloom is also just kind of a problem for me which has a pretty easy time coming in on this.
from heaven (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 208 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpD / 28 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Reflect
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
This is a fairly standard set for defensive Latias. Reflect + T-wave really hampers a lot of physical threats (tyranitar included) and Lati is the Lone Ranger against the very dangerous infernape. I don't exactly remember what the SpDef is but the speed outpaces all non scarf breloom. I like Latias as a wall because it isn't affected by spikes. Thunder wave is also critical for paralyzing jirachi (which likes to come in here), which creates great opportunity for Empoleon later.
Limitations: Latias is both my water resist and my fighting resist, which is great that it can counter both but bad in the sense that losing Latias early is usually a death sentence if I'm playing against any sort of offense. This is amplified by its susceptibility to pursuit from either Scizor (who threatens u-turn, could be SD and resists dragon pulse all at once) or band tar. While Latias is key in stopping infernape, it's not always easy to switch into given the potential for a U-turn into a counter. Latias also cannot check +1 Dnite, which really puts a hole in my name without a healthy Bronzong.
but you love war (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Focus Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Superpower
Breloom was brought in to deal with Clef and Swampert. The speed investment outpaces most of what its tasked with dealing with, while the HP Evs are close to where you want to be to maximize poison heal recovery at that range. Focus Punch + Superpower is great for surprising things like Skarmory or Clef that think they can attack to prevent a fighting move. Poison heal also can help block status and is robust to whatever weather environment is desired for the game.
Limitations: Breloom can invite powerful special attackers in, which I don't really have great methods of resisting. Breloom also finds a difficult time coming in, which ideally it likes to do so poison heal is set immediately and its status blocking abilities are enabled. It's generally a defensive liability and skarmory has an easy time setting up after spore is burned.
the vultures came (Empoleon) @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Surf
- Agility
- Ice Beam
The penguin of the hour! Sub-petaya is pretty old school and self explanatory. It's great at reversing the outcome of games single-handedly given that it generally comes out last, and really just requires good knowledge of the opposing team to determine the win path. Surf is preferred over pump given the accuracy and the level of overkill at +1 + Torrent. Ice beam is necessary to remove dragons, grass, and zapdos.
Limitations: Empoleon needs the turn of set-up to be threatening, which extra turns are often at a premium. Running modest means that even after +2 it isn't outspeeding Flygon or Scarf Rotom. If stealth rock isn't set up, Empoleon is not getting past any form of healthy Zapdos. The lack of bulk also makes it somewhat susceptible to priority after setting up Agility and petaya. There is a lot of correct play required to get Empoleon in a position to win, even if there is usually a pretty good match-up to be found in most games.
Threats
-Breloom/Sleep. Every mon plays its part here and nobody really likes to be put to sleep. Bronzong is usually the best candidate but then you miss out on rain and could potentially be hindering your best answer to later game threats, where Loom is usually more of an early/mid game threat.
-Specs Latias: It can be a bit of a guessing game here. I don't have a lot of resistance for special, and nothing likes to come in on even a resisted move besides bronzing. It also creates a dilemma for Kingdra on whether to click Water or Dragon move, especially when paired with...
-Jirachi: Ugly ugly mon to have a systemic problem with. In theory bronzong handles it well enough but usually something is getting paralyzed. Be it Kingdra or Latias, you're usually dropping a key cog to slow down Jirachi. Given the structure of this team that doesn't usually play out the best. The standard Jirachi set can be a candidate for Empoleon set up later if paralyzed though.
-Infernape: Wins if Latias is down. Infernape is really truly vexing because its generally not worth planning a ton around because its infrequent enough and Latias handles it well, but it can also be an insta-lose if it comes out late enough. This reduces the consistency of the team which is really what you want to shoot for.
-Hydro Pump/Draco: Kingdra hates missing. Hates it. These moves suck and I hate them but they're usually necessary to blast holes big enough for Empoleon.