Hey everyone!
I've posted a couple of teams before, gotten great feedback and tried to improve them but I haven't had as much fun with a team until I made up this one from things I've learned from past RMTs and some on the side analysis.
Here's a quick overview of the team:
As you can see, I run priority moves on all but one of my Pokemon, the one being Scarf-Latios who is faster than almost everything. There's a lot of power here that can't really be avoided since everyone can hit very hard and there is a lot of type synergy working in my favour. Every Pokemon can contribute at all phases of the game which really helps win me a lot of fights. A major downside is that I need very careful prediction as there is not a lot of room for mistakes and almost all of my damage is physical. That being said, there are multiple ways that I can "checkmate" an opponent and guarantee a win if I play my cards right.
@ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Move Set:
Stealth Rock
Endeavor
Ice Shard
Earthquake
Purpose:
It seems Mamoswine is finding his way onto my teams no matter what these days and he happens to fit perfectly here with his super-useful Ice Shard and reliablity as a lead and late-game cleaner. Most people don't handle Mamoswine properly (maybe because I keep Mamoswine on my 5th slot) but he almost always gets at least Stealth Rock and cripples one Pokemon with a combination of Endeavor + Ice Shard or a solid Earthquake. Mamoswine doesn't let me down and can be either a suicide lead or kept a bit safe and comeback late game if the enemy has a lot of Ice weaknesses.
@ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Mach Punch
Bullet Seed
Focus Punch
Spore
Purpose:
Breloom is essential to my team, bringing much needed status, type coverage for bulky waters, and a killer mid-game wall-breaking move in Focus Punch which can cripple many counters (which are usually shared by Lucario). His damage output is pretty remarkable, even if it's slightly easy to wall. Breloom can usually cripple one Pokemon with sleep and another with Focus Punch and still be ready to clean up late game. I've considered a more defensive approach to make him a status absorber with Toxic Orb and Poison Heal, and relying on multiple switches to build up damage instead of Life Orb for raw damage right away but Technician Mach Punch is amazing.
@ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 SpD
Move Set:
Bullet Punch
Pursuit
Super Power
U-Turn
Purpose:
Scizor is on everyone of my teams since he always, always fits. He's the #1 most used for a reason, and has been for a long time. No other Pokemon can bring his combination of attributes to the table. He can scout, clean-up, and he's pretty bulky thanks to his typing and lack of reliance on speed. Scizor doesn't need much explanation at this point given his popularity and since my team relies on priority moves, Scizor was a natural choice. He loves the Rain meta since he's even tougher to kill straight up and he does good damage to a lot of Pokemon. With a minimal prediction, he pretty much is the checkmate king forcing KOs and switches like a boss.
@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Draco Meteor
Surf
HP Fire
Trick
Purpose:
I really needed a special attacker and check to some faster things that I can't OHKO with priority (like Starmie). Latios is pretty awesome since he can dent pretty much anything if I predict right (or just chuck a Meteor if I've killed enemy Steel types). Trick is great for those teams that only have one reliable check to Latios (like Ferrothorn or Blissey) and Surf is a reliable move in Rain. While my team doesn't really have major problems with speedy enemies, having that insurance against the few edge cases I can't handle is great. Latios' special side damage and useful typing is much needed on my team though I wonder if a more damage oriented set who function better on my team since I literally have only physical damage outside of Latios.
@ Lum Berry
Ability: Multi Scale
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 4HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Outrage
Extreme Speed
Fire Punch
Dragon Dance
Purpose:
Dragonite is a pretty nifty Pokemon for my team since he can do so much. He's a solid switch in to most things when Stealth Rocks isn't up, he has great immediate power, he can clean late game, and he can sweep. Thanks to Lum Berry, I can guarantee a Dragon Dance and either KO or cripple something severely. The great thing about my team is that if I can get the opponent's priority resistant Pokemon low, I can just clean them up later. While Dragonite is pretty useless against a few Pokemon and sometimes lacks the pop to KO things with Dragon Dance'd Extreme Speed, I really appreciate the flexibility he brings to the table. I've considered dropping him for Taunt-Gyarados, Garchomp, Salamence, and Heatran since I think I could use a bit more of a reliable check to some annoying things (Gyarados) or a bit more power to just break them (Garchomp/Salamence); Heatran is considered for typing and STAB coverage which I really do miss but he struggles in the Rain meta.
@ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 SpD/252 Spe
Move Set:
Close Combat
Extreme Speed
Ice Punch
Swords Dance
Purpose:
Lucario has two functions: mid game wall breaker leading into a late game cleaning with all my priority; or late game sweeper. Ice Punch is used over Crunch since I am not too afraid of Jellicent but very much afraid of Gliscor while maintaining coverage on Choice-Locked dragons. I can also get some surprise KOs on Landorus variants that I out predict (thought not a reliable counter obviously). Lucario is an expert at picking up surprise KOs mid-game against people who expect a Swords Dance on the switch but eat an unboosted attack instead. Most people have only one Lucario check, and it's usually and obvious one that I can make a play off of it. Lucario's resistance to entry hazards justifies random Life Orb recoil since I'm not afraid of switching in a few times a match. That being said, I've considered forgoing Lucario for Infernape since he can beat Skarmory easily and is a slightly better mid-game wall-breaker in exchange for less late game cleaning which my team has in spades.
Considerations:
Why: He keeps a good amount of bulk and makes for a solid late-game sweeper who can function mid-game as a stall breaker if he uses Taunt/Substitute. He does like Rain on his side but I think he can work without it and take advantage of enemy rain. I'd replace Dragonite with him for a bit more reliability for a bit less late game cleaning.
Why: He also works as a great mid-game wall-breaker and can clean up with his solid base speed if faster foes are gone. He can break stall with a mixed set, or he can sweep with either a physical or special set which is awesome. He's a bit more frail than Lucario, who he'd replace, but he has superior offense with his coverage and movepool.
Why: He adds a nice secondary-Ground type for when Mamoswine suicide leads and he can pack a scarf to open up Latios to go more offensive while taking the role of fast revenge killer and cleaner late game for himself. He's a great Pokemon and I think he can be considered for any team the way Scizor can.
Why: That fire STAB is really, really missed on this team for many of the bulky steels out there but the prevalence of Rain makes him sad. I usually run Heatran on my teams since he's a very solid option for a lot of reasons. I don't know where I'd fit him in on my team but I can't help but consider Heatran.
Why: He's a more offensive option than Dragonite as a sweeper but I'd probably use him as a Scarfed cleaner in the same way I would with Garchomp but with more offense and a bit less utility due to typing and speed tiers. I could also run him mixed to break stall similar to Infernape but while still being an awesome Dragon.
So there it is, I really like my team but I won't deny it has many problems and bad matchups. I think I go to far on the priority abuse and have redundant power on my team so that's why I'm bringing it here to get more awesome feedback.
Cheers and thanks for reading!
I've posted a couple of teams before, gotten great feedback and tried to improve them but I haven't had as much fun with a team until I made up this one from things I've learned from past RMTs and some on the side analysis.
Here's a quick overview of the team:
As you can see, I run priority moves on all but one of my Pokemon, the one being Scarf-Latios who is faster than almost everything. There's a lot of power here that can't really be avoided since everyone can hit very hard and there is a lot of type synergy working in my favour. Every Pokemon can contribute at all phases of the game which really helps win me a lot of fights. A major downside is that I need very careful prediction as there is not a lot of room for mistakes and almost all of my damage is physical. That being said, there are multiple ways that I can "checkmate" an opponent and guarantee a win if I play my cards right.
@ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Move Set:
Stealth Rock
Endeavor
Ice Shard
Earthquake
Purpose:
It seems Mamoswine is finding his way onto my teams no matter what these days and he happens to fit perfectly here with his super-useful Ice Shard and reliablity as a lead and late-game cleaner. Most people don't handle Mamoswine properly (maybe because I keep Mamoswine on my 5th slot) but he almost always gets at least Stealth Rock and cripples one Pokemon with a combination of Endeavor + Ice Shard or a solid Earthquake. Mamoswine doesn't let me down and can be either a suicide lead or kept a bit safe and comeback late game if the enemy has a lot of Ice weaknesses.
@ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Mach Punch
Bullet Seed
Focus Punch
Spore
Purpose:
Breloom is essential to my team, bringing much needed status, type coverage for bulky waters, and a killer mid-game wall-breaking move in Focus Punch which can cripple many counters (which are usually shared by Lucario). His damage output is pretty remarkable, even if it's slightly easy to wall. Breloom can usually cripple one Pokemon with sleep and another with Focus Punch and still be ready to clean up late game. I've considered a more defensive approach to make him a status absorber with Toxic Orb and Poison Heal, and relying on multiple switches to build up damage instead of Life Orb for raw damage right away but Technician Mach Punch is amazing.
@ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 SpD
Move Set:
Bullet Punch
Pursuit
Super Power
U-Turn
Purpose:
Scizor is on everyone of my teams since he always, always fits. He's the #1 most used for a reason, and has been for a long time. No other Pokemon can bring his combination of attributes to the table. He can scout, clean-up, and he's pretty bulky thanks to his typing and lack of reliance on speed. Scizor doesn't need much explanation at this point given his popularity and since my team relies on priority moves, Scizor was a natural choice. He loves the Rain meta since he's even tougher to kill straight up and he does good damage to a lot of Pokemon. With a minimal prediction, he pretty much is the checkmate king forcing KOs and switches like a boss.
@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Draco Meteor
Surf
HP Fire
Trick
Purpose:
I really needed a special attacker and check to some faster things that I can't OHKO with priority (like Starmie). Latios is pretty awesome since he can dent pretty much anything if I predict right (or just chuck a Meteor if I've killed enemy Steel types). Trick is great for those teams that only have one reliable check to Latios (like Ferrothorn or Blissey) and Surf is a reliable move in Rain. While my team doesn't really have major problems with speedy enemies, having that insurance against the few edge cases I can't handle is great. Latios' special side damage and useful typing is much needed on my team though I wonder if a more damage oriented set who function better on my team since I literally have only physical damage outside of Latios.
@ Lum Berry
Ability: Multi Scale
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 4HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Move Set:
Outrage
Extreme Speed
Fire Punch
Dragon Dance
Purpose:
Dragonite is a pretty nifty Pokemon for my team since he can do so much. He's a solid switch in to most things when Stealth Rocks isn't up, he has great immediate power, he can clean late game, and he can sweep. Thanks to Lum Berry, I can guarantee a Dragon Dance and either KO or cripple something severely. The great thing about my team is that if I can get the opponent's priority resistant Pokemon low, I can just clean them up later. While Dragonite is pretty useless against a few Pokemon and sometimes lacks the pop to KO things with Dragon Dance'd Extreme Speed, I really appreciate the flexibility he brings to the table. I've considered dropping him for Taunt-Gyarados, Garchomp, Salamence, and Heatran since I think I could use a bit more of a reliable check to some annoying things (Gyarados) or a bit more power to just break them (Garchomp/Salamence); Heatran is considered for typing and STAB coverage which I really do miss but he struggles in the Rain meta.
@ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 SpD/252 Spe
Move Set:
Close Combat
Extreme Speed
Ice Punch
Swords Dance
Purpose:
Lucario has two functions: mid game wall breaker leading into a late game cleaning with all my priority; or late game sweeper. Ice Punch is used over Crunch since I am not too afraid of Jellicent but very much afraid of Gliscor while maintaining coverage on Choice-Locked dragons. I can also get some surprise KOs on Landorus variants that I out predict (thought not a reliable counter obviously). Lucario is an expert at picking up surprise KOs mid-game against people who expect a Swords Dance on the switch but eat an unboosted attack instead. Most people have only one Lucario check, and it's usually and obvious one that I can make a play off of it. Lucario's resistance to entry hazards justifies random Life Orb recoil since I'm not afraid of switching in a few times a match. That being said, I've considered forgoing Lucario for Infernape since he can beat Skarmory easily and is a slightly better mid-game wall-breaker in exchange for less late game cleaning which my team has in spades.
Considerations:
Why: He keeps a good amount of bulk and makes for a solid late-game sweeper who can function mid-game as a stall breaker if he uses Taunt/Substitute. He does like Rain on his side but I think he can work without it and take advantage of enemy rain. I'd replace Dragonite with him for a bit more reliability for a bit less late game cleaning.
Why: He also works as a great mid-game wall-breaker and can clean up with his solid base speed if faster foes are gone. He can break stall with a mixed set, or he can sweep with either a physical or special set which is awesome. He's a bit more frail than Lucario, who he'd replace, but he has superior offense with his coverage and movepool.
Why: He adds a nice secondary-Ground type for when Mamoswine suicide leads and he can pack a scarf to open up Latios to go more offensive while taking the role of fast revenge killer and cleaner late game for himself. He's a great Pokemon and I think he can be considered for any team the way Scizor can.
Why: That fire STAB is really, really missed on this team for many of the bulky steels out there but the prevalence of Rain makes him sad. I usually run Heatran on my teams since he's a very solid option for a lot of reasons. I don't know where I'd fit him in on my team but I can't help but consider Heatran.
Why: He's a more offensive option than Dragonite as a sweeper but I'd probably use him as a Scarfed cleaner in the same way I would with Garchomp but with more offense and a bit less utility due to typing and speed tiers. I could also run him mixed to break stall similar to Infernape but while still being an awesome Dragon.
So there it is, I really like my team but I won't deny it has many problems and bad matchups. I think I go to far on the priority abuse and have redundant power on my team so that's why I'm bringing it here to get more awesome feedback.
Cheers and thanks for reading!
