BW LC Overwhelming Power (peaked 1st)

dcae

plaza athénée
is a defending SCL Championis a Past SCL Champion

Overwhelming Power




Introduction


Hello Smogon community, this is Dcae/Galvatron, here with my 5th RMT on Smogon and my first LC RMT. Some of you may know me from Pokemon Showdown, some of you may not. LC is a tier I had always wanted to join, so the voice challenge gave me an opportunity to do so. Here is a short summary of my competitive background because I like to rant.

I first came to know of Smogon and competitive battling at the onset of Gen V. I lurked for a good while, playing through Round 1 all the way until Deoxys S was banned on Pokemon Online. I joined Smogon quite a while back, and played OU back in the day. I had quit, and finally came back about a month ago, where I saw Smogon moved to Pokemon Showdown, a new, online server. I immediately joined and lurked around a bit, coming to terms with BW2 and the new server. I noticed quickly the ranks of authorities, and came to know of the voice challenge. I decided to test myself by taking the challenge, and, at the same time, enter a tier I had always wanted to play: LC.


To familiarize myself with the meta, I hopped over to the LC forums and checked out the viability rankings as well as the usage statistics. I then read a few analyses, and from there, gained a general idea of the meta game. I set about building my first team with this information. I decided to focus my team on abusing Scraggy’s immense sweeping potential. I tinkered with many pokemon through my teambuilding process, until at last, I found the team I was most happy with. Following this, I began to ladder, and to my great surprise, streaked out to win my first twenty games in a row. This led me to peak first on the LC ladder for a bit, before I was knocked down by user Crescendo, who then snatched first place. That was the highest I was to get on the ladder, but in the end, this team got me voiced. I was very happy with the team, and it led me to continue playing and contributing to LC, and thus it then led me to create this RMT. I was not aware that I had achieved first place during my laddering, I only noticed that I had been first on the ladder after I lost to Crescendo and dropped about 50 ACRE. Thus, I do not have any solid proof that I ever peaked first.

Team Building Process:



I began with the DD Scraggy set that wrecks so many teams thanks to wonderful STABs and an excellent ability in Moxie.



To partner Scraggy I added the NP Misdreavus set that hit hard on the special side, and also provided decent synergy with Scraggy.


With my main offensive core complete, I chose to add a third set-up sweeper, Shell Smash Dwebble. I picked it over Tirtouga for one main reason: most people assume it is a lead set, so it can setup easier and cause more damage overall.



I then decided to throw in bulky Murkrow in order to take on setup sweepers my opponent may have. Also, it could revenge kill with Sucker Punch.



With two SR weak pokemon and no hazards, I picked Mold Breaker Drilbur to provide offensive pressure and spinning/hazards laying.



Completing the team, I put in Mienfoo, former king of LC. I ran the defensive set in order to sponge hits and support the team with Knock Off and priority Fake Out.



The team was decent, but I had bad synergy, with no water resists whatsoever, and this caused me to lose a lot of games. I replaced Drilbur with Staryu and changed Dwebble to a hazard lead.



I got swept by Scraggy a couple times, and so I experimented with Choice Scarf Murkrow, finding its combination of speed and power impeccable. Since I changed its set, I haven’t been swept by a Scraggy, which shows its effectiveness. Staryu wasn’t offering much, and was being pretty useless most of the time, and I was getting torn apart by Sand, so I dropped it in favor of a bulky Snover set, so I could still tank water and electric attacks now. I also switched Dwebble back to Shell Smash.



At this point I started laddering, and won a few games, but it was too close to call. Several people I battled suggested Scarfed Snover, so I switched the set to Scarf Snover, which allowed me to check sand even better, and have a dual Scarf core that really hurt the opponent.



This team led me to peak first, but after I lost a few battles and started going downhill, I realized I had to get it together, and find the problem. After dropping about fifteen matches and a record of 41-15, I switched Mienfoo out for bulky attacker Chinchou. Chinchou offered so much for the team, namely a strong electric immunity, a powerful attacker with decent speed, a Murkrow counter and flying resist in general. Chinchou was a great addition, and since adding him, my fortunes turned back up and I finished strong with 80-19-1 at 100 battles.







The Team









Dwebble



Dwebble @Oran Berry

Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Shell Smash | Rock Blast | X-Scissor | Stealth Rock


Ah yes, Dwebble. Dwebble is the least used pokemon on this team on the usage statistics, but is one of the most vital of the team. Dwebble is almost always my lead, to keep Sturdy intact and start off with an advantage. Almost everyone assumes this is a typical lead set, and try to set up on it, only to be shocked as it Shell Smashes and proceeds to rampage through the team. Dwebble sports flawless coverage, and generally permits me to start games 5-4, or even sweep outright. After a Shell Smash, its speed allows only priority to revenge kill it, and with its high defense stat, it is sometimes tough. This pokemon oftentimes wears down my opponents team a lot as they rush to defeat it, and is honestly a five star member of the team. It has swept outright countless times, and is overall a worthy part of this team.

Moves and EVs: Pretty standard moves here, Shell Smash is the obvious boosting move, along with strong, consistent STAB with X-Scissor. Rock Blast is preferred over Stone Edge to bypass Sturdy and Sash users, such as Sash Abra or other Dwebble. Earthquake rounds off the coverage, hitting Steels hard and taking out Chinchou and pokemon that resist the STAB moves. EVs are used for maximum offensive potential, with Jolly nature in order to beat out other Dwebble and all Scarfers after a boost. Very standard, not much to mention.



Snover



Snover @Choice Scarf

Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 104 Atk / 204 SpA / 200 Spe
Nature: Naïve
Blizzard | Giga Drain | Ice Shard | Hidden Power Fire


Snover is a top 10 pokemon in LC right now, and justly so. It is the best Sand check in the tier, by setting up Hail and cutting Drilbur sweeps short. With Blizzard boosted to 100% accuracy, it can smash pokemon to pieces with powerful 120 BP STAB. That is the move I almost always click, rarely do I use anything else. This pokemon allows me to take on Sand teams without a problem, and helps revenge dangerous pokemon like Misdreavus and Murkrow thanks to the Scarf. It is a pretty vital part of the team, because it helps cover many threats to the team that would otherwise tear me apart.

Moves and EVs: The moves are fairly self-explanatory: Blizzard is the OP SPAM ALL THE TIME move that hits everything that doesn’t resist hard. Giga Drain is the other STAB move that hits Water types that resist Blizzard, along with providing useful recovery to keep Snover healthy longer. Ice Shard may seem an unusual move on a Scarf pokemon, but provides great utility by knocking out very weakened pokes who have a higher number of boosts, and allows it to bypass priority moves other pokemon may use, like Murkrow. Hidden Power Fire covers the Steel types that wall Snover, along with opposing Snover that are hit 4x by it. EVs attempt to maximize mixed stats and speed, so it can outspeed more threats and still hit hard on both sides of the spectrum.



Chinchou



Chinchou @Eviolite

Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 224 Spe
Nature: Modest
Hydro Pump | Thunderbolt | Volt Switch | Heal Bell


Chinchou was the last pokemon that I added to my team, but it was an addition of utmost importance. Chinchou is the glue of this team: without it, it would not function as well. It takes all the dirty hits no other pokemon wants to take, and shrugs it off with excellent bulk. I chose the bulky attacker set as it fit the team more than the RestTalk variant, which killed offensive momentum. This one helps offensive momentum and scouts through the use of Volt Switch, and hits very hard. Its excellent typing and ability allow it to check a wide range of pokemon, such as Staryu and Murkrow. It is also a cleric, and heals burns and paralyze that can potentially cripple my sweepers. This guy plays a huge role in the success of my team, and is thus very important.

Moves and EVs: This is the standard bulky attacker set that works so well. Hydro Pump is the most powerful move here, hitting many pokemon in the tier hard and dealing strong damage overall. Thunderbolt is the more reliable STAB move, used to finish off opponents when they are weak. Volt Switch is chosen over Hidden Power Grass to provide momentum. Chinchou has great speed in the fact that it outspeeds defensive pokemon but is slower than offensive ones, which allows Volt Switch to bring in my sweepers unharmed from opposing attacks, while hitting defensive pokemon hard on the switch. Heal Bell heals status, obvious really. The EVs are standard, maximizing SpA to hit hard, while putting in some bulk to take Brave Birds. Max Speed actually outspeeds a lot, and provides utility.



Murkrow




Murkrow @Choice Scarf

Trait: Insomnia
EVs: 236 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe
Nature: Naughty
Brave Bird | Sucker Punch | Heat Wave | Hidden Power Grass


Murkrow is my main revenge killer. This bird is the reason why I never get swept by Scraggy, period. With speed that allows it to outspeed practically all of LC with a boost and an Atk stat with such a great STAB attack, this is a gift from the heavens. Brave Bird is the go to move here, taking out Fighting types like they were never there. Sucker Punch takes out problematic Shell Smashers, and the last two coverage moves grant hits on Magnemite and Chinchou respectively. This pokemon is a great slap-on poke that helps out teams deal with fast threats, and completes my dual Scarf offensive core with Snover. Most people assume only one Scarf, so either pokemon can catch them offguard by outspeeding threats and eliminating them. It is the second most used pokemon in LC right now, and boy is it good.

Moves and EVs: Touched on a bit, the moves are pretty obvious: Brave Bird to beat up stuff, Sucker Punch for useful priority, and two coverage moves to hit its counters on the switch and KO them. Very self-explanatory. However, one notable thing here is the use of Insomnia. This ability is extremely useful in the fact that it allows Murkrow to switch into Shroomish and Foongus with impunity, immune to their Spore, and then KO them with a powerful Brave Bird. EVs allow me to hit a benchmark for speed, while maxing out Brave Bird’s power. 80 SpA allows Hidden Power Grass to 2HKO RestTalk Chinchou, allowing Murkrow to beat it.



Misdreavus




Misdreavus @Eviolite

Trait: Levitate
EVs: 28 HP / 240 SpA / 240 Spe
Nature: Timid
Nasty Plot | Shadow Ball | Taunt | Hidden Power Fighting


Good old queen of LC. Misdreavus usurped Mienfoo during March and stole the #1 spot, but it was not unforeseeable. Misdreavus is a top pokemon in the tier, able to run several sets effectively. It also manages to wall Mienfoo and certain other Fighting types like Croagunk. I chose the Nasty Plot set over the others because my team was very offensive, and Nasty Plot provided a quick, hard-hitting sweeper that also has tremendous bulk. Misdreavus is lightning fast, hitting 19 Speed with this spread, and obtains flawless coverage with two moves. I typically use her as a mid game sweeper, carving holes into my opponent’s team and making way for Scraggy sweeps or Murkrow cleanup. Misdreavus is a five star pokemon because honestly put, Fighting types would give me a hard time if she were to go down.

Moves and EVs: The moves are straightforward for the Nasty Plot set. Nasty Plot, obviously, is the set-up move of choice here, and Shadow Ball is the main STAB. Coupled with Hidden Power Fighting and you garner perfect coverage. Thunderbolt allows me to hit bulky waters harder and also Murkrow is taken on more easily. EVs are standard fair, maxxed out Special Attack and Speed, with the rest dumped into HP to increase bulk marginally.



Scraggy




Scraggy @Eviolite

Trait: Moxie
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Dragon Dance | Hi Jump Kick | Crunch | Knock Off


And here is the final pokemon of my team, the indomitable, invincible Scraggy. This little gangster is the deadliest sweeper in the entire LC tier. Any team lacking a Scarfed flyer or some way of statusing him is going to feel very sad as their entire team is swept. All it takes is one DD, and Scraggy is on its way to victory. Excellent bulk permits him to set up on common walls like Lileep, and then using high powered STAB to quickly rack up Moxie boosts. This is my third sweeper, and the one that generally sweeps the most. This pokemon is deadly when left unchecked and every team in LC must have a way to deal with it. I built the team around this guy, and all the concerted efforts of the rest of the team culminates in a final sweep by this lizard.

Moves and EVs: The moves here are pretty common, using Dragon Dance as the boosting move of choice, allowing it to outspeed the unboosted metagame after a single boost. The hard hitting STAB is Hi Jump Kick, which hits exponentially harder than Drain Punch but comes with its drawbacks. However, it is too powerful to pass up on, as it notches OHKOs that Drain Punch can’t. Crunch is the reliable STAB used, hitting Ghosts and weakened opponenets reliably. Zen Headbutt is the final move, picked over Knock Off, due to two reasons: One is that it hits Croagunk, who could stop Scraggy’s sweep, and second is that it allows Scraggy to beat Riolu one on one. If Riolu protects on the Zen Headbutt hoping to copy Drain Punch/Hi Jump Kick, they are instead left with a move that Scraggy is immune to. This makes it a very useful move to use. EVs max out sweeper stats, while the rest are dumped into Defense to protect from priority moves.

Conclusion

Well there you have it. This team was much more successful than I ever thought it would be, and has really made me get into the LC tier. Shoutout to Dr Ciel for supporting me, and all the LC voices who also got voiced in this wonderful tier. Shoutout to Electrolyte for convincing me to write this RMT. I hope I can contribute more to these forums and that anyone reading this will enjoy it and try the team out for themselves, and hopefully have the same success I had with it.

Here is a replay, I will try to add more after I get some good battles:
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc13720500
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc-14090038
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc13913072


Threat List:


Offensive:

Tirtouga: This is the only offensive threat to my team that scares me. If I see Tirtouga on Team Preview, I play my scarfers more cautiously, so I don’t get stuck on Brave Bird with Murkrow and give Tirtouga a free switch-in.

Defensive:

None. The strategy of this team involves overwhelming walls, and all of the defensive threats listed are 2HKOd by one of my pokemon, making them relatively easy to beat. Shelmet was annoying the first time I faced it, because I didn’t know what it did, but since then it’s been fine.

Importable:
Code:
Chinchou (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 232 SAtk / 52 Def / 224 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Heal Bell

Scraggy (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hi Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt

Murkrow (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Insomnia
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 80 SAtk / 188 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Brave Bird
- Heat Wave
- Sucker Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Snover (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
Level: 5
EVs: 104 Atk / 204 SAtk / 200 Spd
Naive Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Misdreavus (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 28 HP / 240 SAtk / 240 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Dwebble (M) @ Oran Berry
Trait: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- X-Scissor


 

Electrolyte

Wouldn't Wanna Know
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Nice team, as expected, Galv!

TBolt is p useless on Misdreavus imo; you shouldn't be dealing with Krow anyway and Chinchou and Frillish are hit harder by Shadow Ball. I think you could try Taunt instead to help keep hazards off your side or to weaken opponents to open up more setup opportunities. Your team's biggest weakness is the lack of hazard control, and Taunt would definitely help. However, I'm short in time now so I'll see if I can add more later. Nice job~

EDIT: Yes I agree with Corkscrew's idea of Stealth Rock over EQ or X-Scissor on Dwebble. Stealth Rock is pretty much mandatory on all offensive teams such as yours, as it prevents anti-offensive sweepers such as Snover or Tirtouga from dealing too much damage. Stealth Rock also makes it easier for you to beat some notable problematic fast attackers such as Choice Scarf or LO Murkrow.
 

Rowan

The professor?
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I definitely agree with Taunt on Misdreavus as you have no way of dealing with hazards which is dangerous when you have 2 Stealth Rock weak Scarfers. It's not the best way of dealing with Hazards but you're team doesn't really fit a spinner.

You mentioned that you're weak to Tirtouga. One of the best way to deal with Tirtouga is entry hazards as that breaks its sturdy meaning it can't set up. I'd suggest running Spikes > X-Scissor or Earthquake. For me, Shell Smash lead Dwebble isn't much of a surprise anymore as many people use it as a 'surprise' lead. However if you're opponent sees you setting up Spikes, they won't consider it an offensive threat meaning that when you do Smash it will be a surprise. You can also choose whether to set up Spikes or Shell Smash depending on your opponent's team. Another advantage of Spikes is that Scraggy will OHKO Mienfoo at +1 after 3 layers and has a 50% chance to OHKO after 2 layers with HJK so Scraggy will have a much easier sweeping.

EDIT: Actually on second thoughts I can also see a well played Snover doing well against your team, so it might be a thought to put Stealth Rock instead of Spikes on Dwebble. This will help to wear it down meaning you can beat it with some clever switching. You still do the job of breaking Tirtouga's Sturdy but miss out on Spikes helping Scraggy take out Mienfoo. Also Stealth Rock is probably better if you're smashing as it only takes one turn to set up.
 
I have one change man, and it's something I've suggested to you before. Knock Off over Zen Headbutt on Scraggy. The only thing Zen Headbutt hits is Croagunk, which is relatively uncommon. You mention that your Scraggy beats Riolu, but this is also false. Riolu beats Scraggy by survivng and then using Drain Punch. +1 Scraggy cannot kill Riolu at 100%
+1 236 Atk Scraggy Hi Jump Kick vs. 196 HP / 196+ Def Eviolite Riolu: 16-21 (69.56 - 91.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 236 Atk Scraggy Zen Headbutt vs. 196 HP / 196+ Def Eviolite Riolu: 14-18 (60.86 - 78.26%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Riolu beats Scraggy by surviving, using Drain Punch, and then copying his own attack with priority.

Knock Off allows you to remove the Eviolite from Croagunk, Mienfoo, and Riolu or even the Scarf on Murkrow and Mienfoo as they switch in, allowing you to either sweep easier in the late-game against Mienfoo, Riolu, or Murkrow, or kill Croagunk with another poke.

In conclusion, please use Knock Off, it really is the best move when used right.
 
I actually run a misdreavus set similar to yours with great success. You kill so many murkrows with t-bolt it's unbelievable. I'd keep the t-bolt on misdreavus, since you said your team is all about breaking walls, and t-bolt can help you do just that.
 

Electrolyte

Wouldn't Wanna Know
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I still disagree. T-Bolt is not supposed to be used to hit Murkrow, nor is it actually able to. Not only does Murkrow outspeed and OHKO with Dark Pulse, even if it doesn't outspeed, it can simply OHKO with Sucker Punch instead. Nasty Plot Misdreavus that lack WiloWisp can not (and should not attempt to) defeat offensive Murkrow without a hit on the switch in. There's a reason why you have Chinchou.
 
I have to agree with Electrolyte on this one. Unless you make a killer prediction and anticipate Murkrow coming in, thunderbolt is useless against the devil bird. Sub or WoW should definitely be used over Thunderbolt.
 
Hi there!
This team looks quite good as i would expect from you Galvatron.
You might recall that we battled earlier today, and so after being 1-1, i think i can see the flaws to this team and the positive aspects of it much better.

Before i go through the individual weaknesses and threats to the team ill just point of a few things that i think you will need to watch out for. Firstly, yes, tirtouga certainly is a problem to your team and after a shell smash, you are in a alot of trouble. I think a really good solution to Tirtouga is Lileep; having the ability Storm Drain is immune to its main STAB, and it can take a +2 stone edge as well.
+2 212+ Atk Tirtouga Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 220+ Def Eviolite Lileep: 15-18 (57.69 - 69.23%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

when ever a tirtouga sets up or is about to set up, i always send in my lileep, if its at good health or also another great check to tirtouga although not as reliable and not as good as lileep; Timburr. Now timburr can possibly take a hit, or otherwise Deal damage with a priority mach punch.

Also notice your team is quite weak to rock type attacks, with the exception of Scraggy.

Okay now, may i suggest you change your Scraggy set, this is from personal experience, having used the set you are currently now and changing it to this later; I recommend using Drain punch instead of HJK, and Shed Skin instead of Moxie. This is only because that With drain punch you have the freedom of knowing that even if you dont predict right, you wont be losing that health that scraggy needs to pull of a sweep. With drain punch, if the opponent can only hit you with priority (due to you being faster) along with the damage that you can dish out, you also get much needed recovery, an enables you to live that extra hit. Moxie, yeah its tempting and that, but again, Scraggy doesnt desperately need extra attack boosts, after a DD. It easily does enough damage with drain punch and or Crunch, Zen Headbutt. If you are statused, eg Paralyzed or burned, Scraggy is completely crippled, unless in rare situations when all pokemon are at low health or are slower anyway. trust me i learned this the hard way haha :)

I like the fact that you are using a Scarfed mukrow, meaning unless something else is at +2 or such, eg. Scraggy after a DD, or scarfed snover, they wont be a problem at all, and hence you should stick with that set.

Snover, nothing much to say other than i think Scarfed Snover is the most effective snover.
With Chinchou, i dont really agree to your choice of moves or better said as i think you could possibly change the set slighty as you are complete walled by other chinchou's it self.as also Totally walled by lileep. Maybe try either HP ground or ice beam as a replacement. And i'd say use either one of Thunderbolt/ Volt switch; or take out heal bell and do the same. This is your choice, but let me tell you lileep can be annoying if your scraggy is gone. Snover cant OHKO it as well from full HP and it can retaliate with an ancient power.

There are so many different sets that Misdreavus runs, and i think yours is fairly orthodox and it should work out well.

Here are the sets you might wanna try:
Scraggy
Broom (Scraggy) @ Eviolite
Trait: Shed Skin
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 Def / 212 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt

Chinchou is up to your personal preference, so play around with the different sets and see how it goes.


I hope I've helped, and ask me anything, and if you need me to clarify anything, im here to help!
Alright well take care and good luck!
 

dcae

plaza athénée
is a defending SCL Championis a Past SCL Champion
Nice team, as expected, Galv!

TBolt is p useless on Misdreavus imo; you shouldn't be dealing with Krow anyway and Chinchou and Frillish are hit harder by Shadow Ball. I think you could try Taunt instead to help keep hazards off your side or to weaken opponents to open up more setup opportunities. Your team's biggest weakness is the lack of hazard control, and Taunt would definitely help. However, I'm short in time now so I'll see if I can add more later. Nice job~

EDIT: Yes I agree with Corkscrew's idea of Stealth Rock over EQ or X-Scissor on Dwebble. Stealth Rock is pretty much mandatory on all offensive teams such as yours, as it prevents anti-offensive sweepers such as Snover or Tirtouga from dealing too much damage. Stealth Rock also makes it easier for you to beat some notable problematic fast attackers such as Choice Scarf or LO Murkrow.
Hi Electrolyte, thanks for the rate! So I've been testing all the changes for a while, and found Taunt to be absolutely amazing, so I made the switch immediately. Regarding Stealth Rock, I also implemented it over Earthquake, thanks to the reasons Corkscrew and you pointed out. It definitely helps against Murkrow and Tirtouga.


I definitely agree with Taunt on Misdreavus as you have no way of dealing with hazards which is dangerous when you have 2 Stealth Rock weak Scarfers. It's not the best way of dealing with Hazards but you're team doesn't really fit a spinner.

You mentioned that you're weak to Tirtouga. One of the best way to deal with Tirtouga is entry hazards as that breaks its sturdy meaning it can't set up. I'd suggest running Spikes > X-Scissor or Earthquake. For me, Shell Smash lead Dwebble isn't much of a surprise anymore as many people use it as a 'surprise' lead. However if you're opponent sees you setting up Spikes, they won't consider it an offensive threat meaning that when you do Smash it will be a surprise. You can also choose whether to set up Spikes or Shell Smash depending on your opponent's team. Another advantage of Spikes is that Scraggy will OHKO Mienfoo at +1 after 3 layers and has a 50% chance to OHKO after 2 layers with HJK so Scraggy will have a much easier sweeping.

EDIT: Actually on second thoughts I can also see a well played Snover doing well against your team, so it might be a thought to put Stealth Rock instead of Spikes on Dwebble. This will help to wear it down meaning you can beat it with some clever switching. You still do the job of breaking Tirtouga's Sturdy but miss out on Spikes helping Scraggy take out Mienfoo. Also Stealth Rock is probably better if you're smashing as it only takes one turn to set up.
Thanks for the rate Corkscrew. I tested out Stealth Rock over X-Scissor first, then Earthquake, and decided to drop Earthquake in favor of the hazard. I also made the switch to Taunt, because it is incredibly useful.

I have one change man, and it's something I've suggested to you before. Knock Off over Zen Headbutt on Scraggy. The only thing Zen Headbutt hits is Croagunk, which is relatively uncommon. You mention that your Scraggy beats Riolu, but this is also false. Riolu beats Scraggy by survivng and then using Drain Punch. +1 Scraggy cannot kill Riolu at 100%
+1 236 Atk Scraggy Hi Jump Kick vs. 196 HP / 196+ Def Eviolite Riolu: 16-21 (69.56 - 91.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 236 Atk Scraggy Zen Headbutt vs. 196 HP / 196+ Def Eviolite Riolu: 14-18 (60.86 - 78.26%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Riolu beats Scraggy by surviving, using Drain Punch, and then copying his own attack with priority.

Knock Off allows you to remove the Eviolite from Croagunk, Mienfoo, and Riolu or even the Scarf on Murkrow and Mienfoo as they switch in, allowing you to either sweep easier in the late-game against Mienfoo, Riolu, or Murkrow, or kill Croagunk with another poke.

In conclusion, please use Knock Off, it really is the best move when used right.
Hey Nebu, thanks for rating. I used to be worried about Riolu, but now I play around it more easily thanks to switches, so I tested out Knock Off, and it is amazing. I especially enjoy switching Scraggy in on Lileep, Knock Offing the switch-in (Murkrow or Mienfoo or something), then switching out to set up a late game sweep to easily pound them. Thanks for the advice, it was useful.

Hi there!
This team looks quite good as i would expect from you Galvatron.
You might recall that we battled earlier today, and so after being 1-1, i think i can see the flaws to this team and the positive aspects of it much better.

Before i go through the individual weaknesses and threats to the team ill just point of a few things that i think you will need to watch out for. Firstly, yes, tirtouga certainly is a problem to your team and after a shell smash, you are in a alot of trouble. I think a really good solution to Tirtouga is Lileep; having the ability Storm Drain is immune to its main STAB, and it can take a +2 stone edge as well.
+2 212+ Atk Tirtouga Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 220+ Def Eviolite Lileep: 15-18 (57.69 - 69.23%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

when ever a tirtouga sets up or is about to set up, i always send in my lileep, if its at good health or also another great check to tirtouga although not as reliable and not as good as lileep; Timburr. Now timburr can possibly take a hit, or otherwise Deal damage with a priority mach punch.

Also notice your team is quite weak to rock type attacks, with the exception of Scraggy.

Okay now, may i suggest you change your Scraggy set, this is from personal experience, having used the set you are currently now and changing it to this later; I recommend using Drain punch instead of HJK, and Shed Skin instead of Moxie. This is only because that With drain punch you have the freedom of knowing that even if you dont predict right, you wont be losing that health that scraggy needs to pull of a sweep. With drain punch, if the opponent can only hit you with priority (due to you being faster) along with the damage that you can dish out, you also get much needed recovery, an enables you to live that extra hit. Moxie, yeah its tempting and that, but again, Scraggy doesnt desperately need extra attack boosts, after a DD. It easily does enough damage with drain punch and or Crunch, Zen Headbutt. If you are statused, eg Paralyzed or burned, Scraggy is completely crippled, unless in rare situations when all pokemon are at low health or are slower anyway. trust me i learned this the hard way haha :)

I like the fact that you are using a Scarfed mukrow, meaning unless something else is at +2 or such, eg. Scraggy after a DD, or scarfed snover, they wont be a problem at all, and hence you should stick with that set.

Snover, nothing much to say other than i think Scarfed Snover is the most effective snover.
With Chinchou, i dont really agree to your choice of moves or better said as i think you could possibly change the set slighty as you are complete walled by other chinchou's it self.as also Totally walled by lileep. Maybe try either HP ground or ice beam as a replacement. And i'd say use either one of Thunderbolt/ Volt switch; or take out heal bell and do the same. This is your choice, but let me tell you lileep can be annoying if your scraggy is gone. Snover cant OHKO it as well from full HP and it can retaliate with an ancient power.

There are so many different sets that Misdreavus runs, and i think yours is fairly orthodox and it should work out well.

Here are the sets you might wanna try:
Scraggy
Broom (Scraggy) @ Eviolite
Trait: Shed Skin
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 Def / 212 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt

Chinchou is up to your personal preference, so play around with the different sets and see how it goes.


I hope I've helped, and ask me anything, and if you need me to clarify anything, im here to help!
Alright well take care and good luck!
Hey ABfloww, thanks for the rate. I have not gotten to testing out the Shed Skin Scraggy set yet, but I will. Status isn't so much an issue thanks to the presence of Chinchou, but I hate the fact that I am always terrified to use HJK for the recoil. Also, the fact that my set gets no recovery is pretty annoying as well. However, Moxie has won me many games thanks to the attack boosts stacking, and allows me to take out Hippowdon, among others. I'll have to test it out further. Regarding Chinchou, I'll try Ice Beam and then HP Grass over Thunderbolt. I really like Volt Switch, Heal Bell, and Hydro Pump, and Thunderbolt is my least used move. Ice Beam especially sounds interesting because yes, Lileep is a tank that takes everything else easily, and is the best lure, switching in automatically once Chinchou is seen.
 

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