Hey guys
Thanks for coming to check out my Team. I have been playing showdown for years, and I am certainly not a top player, but at the same time I have been getting more and more competent as time has gone on. I posted a team just over a couple of weeks ago which I had been having success with, however I have made various alterations to it as time has gone on, and I would like to get some feedback about its current state.
So first of all, my main rule is that anything I use I have to be able to attain myself on Pokemon Sword/Shield. I now have a rather impressive collection of bred pokemon, which is kind of a hobby of mine. Anyway an example of something I wouldn't use is a Wish Blissey, as that gen 3 event has long gone, and I feel its kind of stupid that its allowed on Showdown, especially before hyper training became a thing, as it was essentially impossible to obtain a competitively viable one without hacking.
Anyway moving onto the team. My main aim was essentially to create a team of Pokemon that I like and also enjoy using, while trying to keep it as balanced as I possibly can.
Pokepaste: Click Here
Ok so I will now break down each Pokemon individually:
Cinderace (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- Zen Headbutt
- U-turn
So everybody knows Cinderace by now, no real suprises. I was previously using a Bulk Up set however the versatility of this 4 attack set is superior on my team in my opinion. Gunk Shot allows me to deal major damage to Clefable and Primarina, while U-Turn is essentially a cheap way of building up Offensive Momentum thanks to Heavy Duty Boots and is very low risk due to Cinderace's speed in the meta. Zen Headbut is for Toxapex on the switch in and Pyro Ball decimates Amoongus and Magearna. I have used a Jolly nature due to my team lacking speed control.
Hippowdon (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off
So I was originally running an Excadrill for an Electric Immunity and as a check to Magearna, I then switched to AV Tangrowth which can also check Mag and provide Knock Off Support, as well as provide a bit more resistance against Rain teams, however it left my team weak to opposing Cinderace.
Hippowdon was brought in as a Check to most Physical Attackers in the tier. The rocky helmet means that Cinderace cant u-turn away for free, and also due to its Electric type immunity, Zeroara isn't able to volt switch out to build up Momentum, this is my main check to both of those mons seeing as Zeroara very rarely seems to carry Grass Knot these days. Hippowdon also provides Stealth Rock Support and Whilwind Support.
I originally ran Hippowdon with Sand Force as I didn't feel as though Sandstorm synchronised well with my team, as Clefable is using Unaware Hippowdon and Corviknight are the only pokemon on the team that don't take sand damage, However I switched to Sand Stream to first of all give a little more chip damage to offensive threats, and secondly as a way of disrupting sun and rain teams.
Toxapex (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
So everybody knows Pex is an incredible wall. This is your standard Pex but has enough EV's in Special Defence to take 2 +0 Psychics after Black Sludge Recovery from Timid Volcorona, the reason being so that it is able to switch in to use toxic and then switch out to Unaware Clefable in order to safely take it down. The moves are standard, Scald to try and force a burn and give Pex a STAB attack, Toxic to spread status to the likes of Mandibuzz and hopefully Togekiss, Haze to give phasing support against things like Mag that I do not want my Clefable of Hippowdon in against, and Recover for longevity. All in all, this thing can sponge hits from both Physical and Special Attackers and recover the damage off for free with Regenerator.
Clefable (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
- Wish
Everybody hates Clefable, unless they are using one. This one is Unaware in order to deal with setup sweepers. Its EV's are split between Defence and Special Defence in order to allow it to deal with things like Azumarill, Gyarados, Hawlucha and Volcorona, The Defensive EV's also allow it to deal with Urshifru and also go for a paralysis on non gunk shot Cinderace.
Moonblast is used in order to give Clef a STAB attack, Thunder Wave is used to cripple non substitute using Setup pokes, as well as to paralyse Bisharp on the switch in. Protect is used to scout out things like Cinderace for Gunk Shot as well as Choice Users, and Wish in Combination with protect provides reliable recovery in conjunction with leftovers, and also allows Wish support for the rest of the team.
This is only in the 1400's and with a generous opponent, however this replay is a great example of why I use this set: Click here
Corviknight (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
Corviknight is here for primarily for Defog Support, however it is also extremely useful in long drawn out close matches where PP is an issue, it can stall out things late game. It also provides a switch in to Togekiss not using Sub and Nasty Plot. The EV's are split between each defence because it is required to switch into Rillaboom and pressure with Brave Bird, as well as being able to switch into the likes of Alakazam.
Brave Bird is there for a powerful STAB attack which does major damage to Rillaboom, U-Turn helps maintain offensive momentum while switching into a better option. Defog and Roost complete the set and are used for the obvious.
Hydreigon (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Flash Cannon
- Nasty Plot
Hydregion is the Wall Breaker of the team. A +2 Draco Meteor takes out Impish Mandibuzz and Bold Toxapex as well as Amoongus, and has extremely favourable odds of killing Calm 252/252 Pex and Careful 252/252 Mandibuzz (Don't think I have ever seen anybody run maximum Sp. Def on Mandibuzz) This is essentially used to put strong pressure on stall teams and general bulky teams.
It is also used because it's dark typing resists Ghost and also is immune to psychic, as well as being Immune to prankster, meaning Grimmisnarl can not paralyse you, and is threatened with Flash Cannon. Levitate allows it to come in almost for free and setup against Hippowdon lacking Toxic.
Draco Meteor is used for that Instant power which means Toxapex doesn't get a chance to run away when at +2, flamethrower hits Ferrothorn and Bisharp as well as Magearna on the switch in, and Flash Cannon threatens Clefable, Togekiss and any other Fairy's you happen to come up against.
So that's the team, which I feel is well balanced and has good defensive coverage. Below is a Defensive Coverage chart. I appreciate this isn’t as important as the matchup against certain Pokemon, however I feel there is plenty of coverage to deal with most things thrown my way.
Please let me know what you think and what suggestions you have. This team can still handle Mag, however seeing as its banning seems inevitable, its not quite as strongly equipped to deal with it as it usually would be. Other than that, I do wish that the team had more speed control, however you can't have everything.
I have considered swapping Hydregion for Hex Dragapult in order to gain more speed, however this would cost me a dark typing and Ghost Resistance, which makes me think I would need to change Corviknight for Mandibuzz which would then leave me a bit more vulnerable to Rillaboom and Alakazam with Dazzling Gleam.
Thanks for coming to check out my Team. I have been playing showdown for years, and I am certainly not a top player, but at the same time I have been getting more and more competent as time has gone on. I posted a team just over a couple of weeks ago which I had been having success with, however I have made various alterations to it as time has gone on, and I would like to get some feedback about its current state.
So first of all, my main rule is that anything I use I have to be able to attain myself on Pokemon Sword/Shield. I now have a rather impressive collection of bred pokemon, which is kind of a hobby of mine. Anyway an example of something I wouldn't use is a Wish Blissey, as that gen 3 event has long gone, and I feel its kind of stupid that its allowed on Showdown, especially before hyper training became a thing, as it was essentially impossible to obtain a competitively viable one without hacking.
Anyway moving onto the team. My main aim was essentially to create a team of Pokemon that I like and also enjoy using, while trying to keep it as balanced as I possibly can.
Pokepaste: Click Here
Ok so I will now break down each Pokemon individually:
Cinderace (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- Zen Headbutt
- U-turn
So everybody knows Cinderace by now, no real suprises. I was previously using a Bulk Up set however the versatility of this 4 attack set is superior on my team in my opinion. Gunk Shot allows me to deal major damage to Clefable and Primarina, while U-Turn is essentially a cheap way of building up Offensive Momentum thanks to Heavy Duty Boots and is very low risk due to Cinderace's speed in the meta. Zen Headbut is for Toxapex on the switch in and Pyro Ball decimates Amoongus and Magearna. I have used a Jolly nature due to my team lacking speed control.
Hippowdon (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off
So I was originally running an Excadrill for an Electric Immunity and as a check to Magearna, I then switched to AV Tangrowth which can also check Mag and provide Knock Off Support, as well as provide a bit more resistance against Rain teams, however it left my team weak to opposing Cinderace.
Hippowdon was brought in as a Check to most Physical Attackers in the tier. The rocky helmet means that Cinderace cant u-turn away for free, and also due to its Electric type immunity, Zeroara isn't able to volt switch out to build up Momentum, this is my main check to both of those mons seeing as Zeroara very rarely seems to carry Grass Knot these days. Hippowdon also provides Stealth Rock Support and Whilwind Support.
I originally ran Hippowdon with Sand Force as I didn't feel as though Sandstorm synchronised well with my team, as Clefable is using Unaware Hippowdon and Corviknight are the only pokemon on the team that don't take sand damage, However I switched to Sand Stream to first of all give a little more chip damage to offensive threats, and secondly as a way of disrupting sun and rain teams.
Toxapex (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
So everybody knows Pex is an incredible wall. This is your standard Pex but has enough EV's in Special Defence to take 2 +0 Psychics after Black Sludge Recovery from Timid Volcorona, the reason being so that it is able to switch in to use toxic and then switch out to Unaware Clefable in order to safely take it down. The moves are standard, Scald to try and force a burn and give Pex a STAB attack, Toxic to spread status to the likes of Mandibuzz and hopefully Togekiss, Haze to give phasing support against things like Mag that I do not want my Clefable of Hippowdon in against, and Recover for longevity. All in all, this thing can sponge hits from both Physical and Special Attackers and recover the damage off for free with Regenerator.
Clefable (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
- Wish
Everybody hates Clefable, unless they are using one. This one is Unaware in order to deal with setup sweepers. Its EV's are split between Defence and Special Defence in order to allow it to deal with things like Azumarill, Gyarados, Hawlucha and Volcorona, The Defensive EV's also allow it to deal with Urshifru and also go for a paralysis on non gunk shot Cinderace.
Moonblast is used in order to give Clef a STAB attack, Thunder Wave is used to cripple non substitute using Setup pokes, as well as to paralyse Bisharp on the switch in. Protect is used to scout out things like Cinderace for Gunk Shot as well as Choice Users, and Wish in Combination with protect provides reliable recovery in conjunction with leftovers, and also allows Wish support for the rest of the team.
This is only in the 1400's and with a generous opponent, however this replay is a great example of why I use this set: Click here
Corviknight (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
Corviknight is here for primarily for Defog Support, however it is also extremely useful in long drawn out close matches where PP is an issue, it can stall out things late game. It also provides a switch in to Togekiss not using Sub and Nasty Plot. The EV's are split between each defence because it is required to switch into Rillaboom and pressure with Brave Bird, as well as being able to switch into the likes of Alakazam.
Brave Bird is there for a powerful STAB attack which does major damage to Rillaboom, U-Turn helps maintain offensive momentum while switching into a better option. Defog and Roost complete the set and are used for the obvious.
Hydreigon (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Flash Cannon
- Nasty Plot
Hydregion is the Wall Breaker of the team. A +2 Draco Meteor takes out Impish Mandibuzz and Bold Toxapex as well as Amoongus, and has extremely favourable odds of killing Calm 252/252 Pex and Careful 252/252 Mandibuzz (Don't think I have ever seen anybody run maximum Sp. Def on Mandibuzz) This is essentially used to put strong pressure on stall teams and general bulky teams.
It is also used because it's dark typing resists Ghost and also is immune to psychic, as well as being Immune to prankster, meaning Grimmisnarl can not paralyse you, and is threatened with Flash Cannon. Levitate allows it to come in almost for free and setup against Hippowdon lacking Toxic.
Draco Meteor is used for that Instant power which means Toxapex doesn't get a chance to run away when at +2, flamethrower hits Ferrothorn and Bisharp as well as Magearna on the switch in, and Flash Cannon threatens Clefable, Togekiss and any other Fairy's you happen to come up against.
So that's the team, which I feel is well balanced and has good defensive coverage. Below is a Defensive Coverage chart. I appreciate this isn’t as important as the matchup against certain Pokemon, however I feel there is plenty of coverage to deal with most things thrown my way.
Please let me know what you think and what suggestions you have. This team can still handle Mag, however seeing as its banning seems inevitable, its not quite as strongly equipped to deal with it as it usually would be. Other than that, I do wish that the team had more speed control, however you can't have everything.
I have considered swapping Hydregion for Hex Dragapult in order to gain more speed, however this would cost me a dark typing and Ghost Resistance, which makes me think I would need to change Corviknight for Mandibuzz which would then leave me a bit more vulnerable to Rillaboom and Alakazam with Dazzling Gleam.
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