Passing the Pain

Cesterp

First of all, this team is based loosely on an RMT (the first thread I ever clickied on, I believe) for a team that peaked #1 (believe the title of the thread was "Bringing the Pain," thus my title). I used the team as I got used to competitive stuff, but it just wasn't my favorite, even though I certainly did some major damage with it and certainly played better than I should have been able to. Anywho, I took the philosophy of screens and multiple different ways to end the game and improved on it a bit (in my opinion).

Team building process was not all that interesting. Slapped on the thing has Taunt, Dual Screens, and Explosion, aka Azelf, a Venomoth, a Gorebyss, two special attackers, and a Kingdra (later to be replaced by a Sceptile, who had more valuable typing and more unpredicability).

More in-depth analyses-

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Azelf @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Explosion
- Taunt
Alright, so this is a bit of a unique set. The suicide dual screens are what really set the stage for the serious pain. Explosion just provides a free turn, and kills a lot of things. Bronzong isn't a problem, just Taunt on Turn 1, Reflect on Turn 2, and Light Screen then Explode. That's pretty much what it's here for. Speed to beat pretty much every other lead, HP to avoid being killed too terribly easily (it's a suicide lead anyway, surviving one and only one hit is the real goal). Seriously, without screens support, this team WILL fall apart. If the opponent has a phazer, pull a hard switch and don't explode. Having screen support for later is always very important.

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Gorebyss @ White Herb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 200 Spd / 252 HP / 56 SDef
Timid Nature
- Shell Smash
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Hydro Pump
A bit more standard. Pretty sure the EVs are taken from the standard Smogon set. Basically, if there's no phazer, you go to this baby once you have screens up, sub, SS, pass to one of the three attackers, and say gg.

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Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 Spd / 248 HP / 8 SDef
Calm Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Substitute
- Sleep Powder
- Baton Pass
Venomoth is a failsafe for if your first run through their team somehow fails or if they have a phazer (yay for Sleep Powder). Sometimes I prefer to go to it because people panic if their phazer is asleep and switch it out as I start setting up before it's too late, but either way it does generate a couple free turns to switch back to Azelf with or at least weaken their phazer with some unboosted attacks. Yeah, it gets shut down by Taunt. Baton Pass if you think Taunt is a possibility.

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Sceptile @ Flying Gem
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Earthquake
- Acrobatics
Sceptile exists as the failsafe if for whatever reason Baton Passing doesn't like you or the opponent has a full-health Snorlax despite your best efforts to hurt it. It also does a great job if your opponent is paranoid with their phazer and actually plays to not lose. Sceptile can force switches (hi Blastoise), and before they realize you're an SD variant, you've already gotten to +3 and are ready to activate Unburden as you KO their phazer. After 2 Swords Dances and an Unburden activation, you're outspeeding and OHKO'ing everything in the tier that isn't named Bronzong. Not to mention Sceptile appreciates receiving Shell Smashes, as the water typing of Gorebyss and grass of Sceptile complement each other nicely, and if your opponent is playing weaknesses, you get another free turn to SD and raise your attack more. Priority users checked: Azumarill, Empoleon

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Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
This is called Nidoking. It has coverage, power, and speed that is unmatched when at +2. I'm sure you've all seen it before. If your opponent fails to pack priority, a Snorlax, and a phazer, Nidoking is a win condition if it gets on the field at +2. It's just so powerful and the coverage can't be beaten. I went with the high-accuracy moves on it because you don't need to miss when you're at +2 and killing anything anyway. Priority users checked: Hitmonlee

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Chandelure @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Chandelure exists because you need a ghost type to receive the Shell Smash if the opponent packs all the common priority users. HP Fighting does its best to deal with Snorlax, though it does not really muscle through all that well. Energy Ball KO's all bulky waters when at +2, and Shadow Ball and Flamethrower are obligatory STAB moves that kill a lot of things. Priority users checked: Mienshao, Ambipom, Hitmonlee, Weavile, Abomasnow, Arcanine
Basically if your opponent packs some priority but not the right kinds.


No, this team does not require much skill to use. Yes, it probably ruins some form of the competitive gameplay. Sure, it's a cheap tactic. Yes, I have been called virtually every swear word in the book after kicking people's arses with this team. I think I've laddered to about #15 with this team by my side, and that being my highest journey up the ladder in any tier in my entire year of competitive pokemon stuffs. Anywho, any fixes or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

ALSO ALSO: My last RMT got zero rates. Sadface for me. I'm open to any suggestion as long as it isn't "l0lz u sux hav 2 yuse b4tn pa55 te3m"

EDIT: Updated Azelf, changed the word "spinner" to "phazer." No, I do not know what was going through my mind when I wrote spinner in this thread fifteen thousand times. I don't even have hazards ;_;
 
Adamant Azelf gets countered hard by Focus Sash Timid Froslass. Since Explosion is your only attacking move, Froslass can Taunt you first and live with a Focus Sash, and then you wouldn't have Screens up and would be forced to switch out, letting Froslass set up Spikes. I'd switch to Jolly. If you do decide to go boom wihout Screens (don't know why), it'd live with the Focus Sash, then Destiny Bond someone else. Outspeeding other leads is crucial, and when you're not running a Speed nature, that tends to go in the opponent's favor.
 
Updated the Azelf, you're totally right.. Though I don't think Froslass minds me going boom, it doesn't even have a sash to fall to due to normal vs. ghost and whatnot. But Moth does a good job at dealing with it, just sleep it and then set up, and probably Baton Pass out to Gorebyss so you can safely kill it without having to worry about DBond (if first turn wake happens, Gorebyss can just Baton Pass back to Moth for more sleepy time).
 
Am i the only one noticing how Myst failed to recognize that Explosion doesn't even hit Frosslass at all? Just be careful exploding with the high usage of Cofagrigus nowadys. Anywhom I like the flow of this BP team and it isn't overly standard thanks to you not using a Ninjask, which I commend you for. The main problem that i have for This team right off the bat is Defensive Roar Swampert. Although You do have Sceptile to deal with it which is a huge thing. also since Sceptile is your only actual physical team, your team may also have a hard time with Whirlwind Snorlax which means you really have to commit to keeping your sceptile alive otherwise your opponent can just continuously shuffle your team around so as long as you keep Sceptile around, you should be in good shape. All in all i really like this team. it takes one of the most hated play styles in BP and employs actual strategy which is always awesome to see. Good job ^_^
 
Blastoise/Empoleon/Swampert/Milotic are not really problems. If you haven't already revealed Swords Dance to your opponent, they'll switch fearing the Leaf Storm, watch you SD, Acrobatics, and then destroy their team.

Snorlax is Snorlax. However, most Snorlax that exist now are banded or curseresttalk, or something similar. The team doesn't really have a slot for a fighting type unless I get something really obscure like Emboar, simply because I have to base off the special attackers thanks to Venomoth, which is slightly better at the whole Baton Pass thing than Gorebyss. Quite simply, Whirlwind Snorlax is uncommon, and it is really the only true counter to this team if played well. Yeah, you'll probably lose if the opponent has one.
 
Your team doesn't ruin competitive gameplay, I don't think any skilled players whine at baton pass teams anymore. As the other guy said, snorlax pisses all over your team. Snorlax is pretty common, and you don't want there to be a pokemon that constitutes an auto-lose when your opponent has one. It might be a good idea to give nidoking focus blast over thunderbolt, but that's up to you.

A pokemon such as virizion could be a good replacement for sceptile, as if you want you can make it a special attacker and it wouldn't get walled by snorlax. It can also go physical and own snorlax even harder while still checking bulky waters.

I'd get rid of chandelure, as not only is it weak to lots of priority (sucker punch/aqua jet) but it is just another pokemon that snorlax manhandles. It'd be up to you what to replace it with. Maybe a scarf user? If you do keep it I'd suggest giving it a modest nature since it is designed to receive speed boosts anyway, and the power boost would be noticeable.
 
So, well, there is a thing that annoy me a little in your team, and it is that your sweepers don't work well without a Baton Pass: Sceptile lacks an attack stat high enough to hit hard, while Lefties Chandelure won't do many things since it lacks both Specs power and Scarf speed, and Nidoking isn't a great sweeper, but still is a great wallbreaker.

I do love Nidoking+Venomoth, being able to at least 2HKO almost everything; this way I think that you should swap Thunderbolt for Focus Blast, mainly because this is the only way Nido have to 2HKO Snorlax with a +1 without hazards support, even though the accuracy is a pain. Also, most bulk water can't be OHKO by Thunderbolt (the only one that deserves note is Blastoise, since it can phaze Nido), while Earth Power do the same 2HKO. Also, with Focus Blast, Nidoking can OHKO even Curselax (which packs the best spcecial bulk) 37% of the times if it gets a Shell Smash; pretty much everything else is OHKOed by Earth Power or a super-effective move. Ice Beam can be taken down too since Earth Power + Flamethrower get similar coverage than the ice move, but without it you wouldn't have a realiable way to deal with Flygon (reling in Focus Blast is enough to deal with Snorlax in my opinion).

Next is Sceptile: even though I really like the idea of it dealing with Swampert, it does lacks the power to deal with everything else that would trouble you: even at +2 Snorlax can't be OHKOed; Blastoise can only be OHKO with a +2 25% of the times, while it can easily Roar it way meanwhile; Scarfers can easily deal with it as long as Unburden didn't activate. Virizion can really be a better option: even it doesn't pack as much speed as Unburden Septile, Virizion is still quite fast and run all kinds of set: a physical, covering the lack of physical power of the team, a not recommended special set or a mixed set which could enjoy a Shell Smash, while being able to hit hard both Snorlax and Swampert.

Without Unburden speed your team would get a little more vulnerable to strong Scarf users if you miss a Shell Smash or double Quiver pass. To cover this you could try a Scarf Chandelure instead. It seems odd to run a Scarfed mon in a BP team, but, trust me, Chandelure will become a monster after a single Quiver Dance, while still being able to deal a lot of damage even without it. If this Chand is chosen Flame Body instead of Flash Fire can be useful, since Porygon2 wouldn't be able to stop a Flamethrower sweep. Also, Fire Blast can be used instead of Flamethrower, making Chandelure being able to sweep more confortably with a single Quiver Dance, even though the accuracy can become an issue here too.

So, this is what I can say about your team. Keep in mind that most of the times you won't be able to get more than a single boost (yeah, you have screens, but s**t happens), and since this isn't a BP chain team, your team must be able to work even without the BP boosts (I've made team a quite similar to yours in OU, but without screens). i hope I was of some help, and good luck with your team!

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Nidoking: swap Thunderbolt for Focus Blast
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Sceptile: swap for Virizion (either physical or mixed):
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Mixed Virizion @ Leftovers/Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 152 SAtk / 252 Spe / 104 Atk
Hasty Nature
- Giga Drain
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power Ice
- Work Up
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Physical Virizion @ Leftovers/Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4SDef / 252 Spe / 252 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
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Chandelure: change to a Choice Scarf set
Trait: Flash Fire/Flame Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Fighting]/Trick
 
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