ORAS NU Purple dreams

[Louna]

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Hey! That's been a long time since my last RMT! (well my last RMT was more like export +2/3 explanations)
Today, I want to RMT a team i've used a lot on the ladder, that's probably my favorite build actually. That's the kind of build i'm crazy about when laddering. I've wanted to rebuild around Malamar to see how it works now with the rise of Quagsire and the drop of Aggron/Smeargle/Gastrodon, and i'm pretty happy to see that Malamar works pretty well, of course thats the ladder, so thats not always the best way to know what will works in tour and what will not. I'm satisfied about how the teams works on the ladder, but i feel like there is some changes that can be made to improve the teams, so thats why i choose to post it. Let's begin!

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look at the beautiful purple title

As i said earlier, i've wanted to build around Malamar, but as i like a lot the Malamar+Skuntank core, i've started with this, Malamar like a lot the way how Skuntank deals easily with things like Mismagius or Rotom that can be annoying in long term.

Then, i've choose to play Musharna with these two, as Musharna enjoy the way how Skuntank and Malamar can deal with Ghost or Dark type, while Musharna works so well as defeating fighting type in addition, Musharna can help a lot Malamar to deal with Taunt Weezing.

Regarding to my team, bug type were annoying, as well as volt turn, and as all teams, i was going to put a rocker, I was thinking about Rhydon firstly, but regarding to my team, i haven't any ice check yet, so i've choose to run Steelix, because it's neutral against ice plus a steel type is pretty helpful defensively in this team.

Right, the problem at this point, was my fire and water weakness. As well as I needed something that can come against Aggron because i've build this like 2 or 3 days after these drops, so i was sure it will be hyped, so i've prefered building safely against him. Poliwrath was a good choice, because with Musharna's set, Poliwrath become useful in all matches. I've choose that set instead of the rest talk because i was searching some offensive pressure, even if it's not that huge.

After giving a look at my team, i was like "Oh yeah, i deal easily with dark/ghost, so an offensive Ghost type can be cool" after some times to doubt, i've choose Haunter, because i'm so affraid about Audino-mega in addition, Haunter also benefits of Musharna's set and transform him as an horrible wallbreaker.

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Now you know how the team has been built, let's give a look at my sets.

Malamar @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Superpower
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Sleep Talk​

Malamar has always been one of my favorite Pokemon while laddering, not only because that's an amazing win condition against a lot of teams, but also because due to his cool bulk, it can perform well in a lot of role it can be an amazing check to Acid Spray Skutank, an emergency button against fire type, a check to mono attack Musharna, defensive Mesprit or Heat Wave Xatu. There is a lot of set up folder that can be forced to come due to Malamar's teammate such as Skuntank or Gastrodon. (bar clear smog ofc) Malamar also help a lot to deal with things like Rotom even if it can be annoying at some point due to the 2/3 of sleep talk, but he can't really beat Malamar in 1v1 if Malamar hasn't been Knock'd Off before. Malamar also help a lot the team with absorbing statuts move such as wow or toxic. I've choose to run 16 Speed to creep these fast Weezing and win more easily the 1v1 against others Malamar. It benefit a lot about Steelix's ability to set up rocks as he can forces bug type to come in sometimes and then obligates them to takes rocks damages. Malamar also like a lot the way how Musharna can help him with CM + BP and turn it as an amazing special wall that can use things like Magmortar or Pyroar as set up folder.

Skuntank @ Lum Berry
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 132 HP / 232 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
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Skuntank is easily the Pokémon I use the most due to how splashable it is and the way how he can patch weakness pretty easily with trapping Ghost and Psychic or pressuring Fairy. But in this team, his primary role is to check Ghost and Psychic that run Signal Beam to faciliate Malamar's set up. That's a huge role for this team and Skuntank was just the best choice at this job. Taunt Skuntank is actually amazing on this team as it help Musharna to deal with Taunt Weezing to help Malamar to set up more easily later, while also helping the team to prevents the rock setter to do their job. Skuntank is also amazing as a grounded poison for this team as it help to absorb toxic spikes for Musharna and Poliwrath. In addition to all these amazing things Skuntank do, it also help a lot Poliwrath with pressuring grass type such as Shiftry, Lilligant & cie with its Lum Berry and Poison Jab. Skuntank is also an emergency button against Quiver Dance Vivillon that is pretty annoying for the team if Steelix is out.

Musharna @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Baton Pass
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I've never played CM Pass Musharna in a serious team before, and i'm pretty suprised due to the way how it works amazingly in this team, it's just perfect as it can works as a win condition or just a baton passer to turn another mon as a wallbreaker or a win condition. As said earlier Malamar enjoooooy this boost in Special Defense as it can set up sooo easily after only a CM. But in addition Musharna can turn Haunter as an amazing wallbreaker or Poliwrath as a huge late game cleaner. Musharna is one of the best fighting check currently as it only fear Choice Band Hariyama. Baton Pass is also amazing for this team even without passing a boost, the way how Musharna is slow is amazing to send another Pokemon safely, like sending Malamar against a set up folder, or just Baton Pass on a predicted switch to keep the momentum. Musharna's ability to deal with fighting type is just amazing for this team, as they are pretty annoying for Malamar, Skuntank and Steelix. But in addition Musharna also forces things like Mismagius, Rotom or Skuntank to comes that allow you to Baton Pass and send Skuntank if Ghost, Malamar if Skuntank to trap or set up on them.

Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 240 HP / 120 Atk / 128 SpD / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
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Well, I don't know if I have to introduce Steelix that much pretty standard set that is so useful in this team. I've choose to run Roar because some set up sweeper are pretty annoying for my team like Shell Smash Barbaracle. Steelix have so much utility in this team, it's the flying, normal and bug check i've choose to run 16 speed only because i've lost a game against a defensive lix with some speed, so i was sad and then i've just pick 16 EV. In addition to check normal, flying and bug type, Steelix is also an amazing answer to defensive CM mega audino that can be annoying otherwise after 2 or 3 CM. Steelix is also my only stop to volt turn archetype but its pressured pretty easily by Lanturn or Manectric so against this kind of team thats pretty much played at mindgame during all the game. It is amazing as an "offensive" rocker as he put a pretty cool offensive pressure against a lot of things as well as putting an amazing defensive presence at the same time.

Poliwrath @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Focus Blast
- Vacuum Wave
- Ice Beam
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As I said earlier, Poliwrath is here as my water check, I've choose the Wacan Berry to lure these electric type that are pretty annoying for my team and do some damages without losing too much HP. He's typing is actually pretty cool as he can put an offensive pressure on a lot of things as well as a defensive pressure due to Scald. Poliwrath is my only check to SD Samurott, Kabutops and Barbaracle, so I need to keep it at a decent purcent of HP if I face one of them. Again, as I said earlier with Vacuum Wave and Musharna's Calm Mind+Baton Pass, Poliwrath turn quickly as a cool sweeper or an amazing late game cleaner.

Haunter @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam
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Sub Haunter with Musharna CM Pass is just amazing as it forces so much switch and deal an amazing amount of damages with shadow ball or sludge wave+LO+CM even without CM, Haunter is pretty good as he put an amazing offensive pressure on the opposing team. There is not a lot of things that can switch in on Haunter, it's always helpful in game because it can forces some folder for Musharna or Malamar to come and then set up. In addition, Haunter is my only ground resist, thats pretty weak as a resist, but i mean Malamar and Musharna can deal with ground if not set up. (Steelix,defensive rhydon &cie)

Yes, this team looks so cool i agree, but there are some Pokemon that are annoying.

Offensive electric type in general are pretty annoying especially Manectric due to his fire coverage, i only have Malamar to take decently these hit and then Knock to deal with them more easily, but in general, it never stay against Malamar, so, I need to preserve Malamar at a decent purcent of HP during the match to deal with them.

Ice type are soooo threatening especially these with a coverage that can hit Poliwrath as i've nothing to take hit decently, in addition if they run Snow Warning they don't let Musharna Moonlighting as much as needed.

i love purple titles

Malamar @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Superpower
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Skuntank @ Lum Berry
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 132 HP / 232 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab

Musharna @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Baton Pass

Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 240 HP / 120 Atk / 128 SpD / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Stealth Rock

Poliwrath @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Focus Blast
- Vacuum Wave
- Ice Beam

Haunter @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam

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isn't the title above pretty cool?

davidTheMaster my puush hero <3
Exiline because he helped me for the name of the RMT<3
HJAD for all the help you gaves me when I was your tutee, you are an amazing tutor :)
all the NU community especially the ladder for helping me to test the team and the NU subforum for all this knowledge i earned while posting
frenchs friends :
Miang dfmetal Kenichaw Gastrik Uxali BlazingDark NeoZyX Givrix Sacri' Lionyx Panure i'm too lazy to continue but you're all so cool, just want to say Jedenn and speks are idiot and Tom0410 is a star. ^-^

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purple titles are cool

Thanks you for reading, have a good day :-)

 

[PrinceLucian]

Hi Holiano, I like teams like this that stand out from classic balanced builds, and sinergy between dark/fighting/ghost/psychic types is really strong. There isnt much id change here since everything works together but ill just drop few suggestions.

While cores that youre using work well together, your team is really vulnerable to sp.atkers mostly being magmortar/pyroar/zard which are huge threats to this team and poliwrath isnt the best fire/ice resist alone. This musharna set is one i like a lot recently, it evades 2-KO from magmortar fire blast after rocks and has very little to no chance to get 2 koed from LO pyroar, while still maintaining enough physical bulk to take on all fighting types in tier.

Set

Musharna @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 208 Def / 60 SpD
Calm Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Moonlight
- Baton Pass

-your team has no ways to deal with malamar except haunter with dazling gleam which is really shaky, and with quagsire gone to OU i can see malamar becoming more common, unfort only way to fix this is signal beam over baton pass on musharna which makes team function a bit differently but isnt that big of a loss, so its definitely worth trying (only an option)

Skuntank moveset is fine here, but i dont like the spread. Skuntank is pokemon with naturally high HP, so investing in its sp.def is usually better since it takes on psychic/ghost/grass types better. Investing fully in atk makes the best out of its trapping ability/priority move and speed creeping abomasnow by 1 point is crucial on this team since its ice weak.

set

Skuntank @ Lum Berry
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 Atk / 108 SpD / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab

Earthquake > ice beam , Poliwrath is really underrated pokemon that ive been using before aggron/gastrodon dropped, and I can say for sure that earthquake is almost always a great option to run over ice beam whenever you have a great checks to grass types like vileplume/lilligant,..(and your team has 2 good answers to them), it also hits lanturn for 2 KO most of the times while hitting electrics like manectric/evire on your threatlist(since you decided to run wacan, its a great lure as well)

-Thats pretty much it, and have fun with new drops man!

 

[Louna]

Hey Lucian, thanks for taking the time to write this rate!
All you said is right I'll definitely try all these changes, but to be completely honest, i'm not sure about changing Baton Pass on Musharna as it's really useful for the team, but i'll try Signal beam because as you said, Malamar can be annoying, even thought it never been a problem while laddering, but i mean thats the ladder, thats not always the best way to see how threatening some things can be. The spread looks definitely better on my team i'll just changes that actual for yours. For Skuntank i'm not sure too, as investing in HP help to take less damages against Shiftry's Knock Off, as I haven't a lot of things that like to switch on Shfitry but i'll try it as well. That Earthquake suggestion looks pretty cool as it can help to hit more easily these electric type that are soooooooo annoying for the team.

 

[PrinceLucian]

Yeah definitely man, I listed it as only optional since it kinda changes the main strategy of the team only to help you beat malamar, but it can be a good option for sure if youre fearing malamar!
Skuntank Ev spread will still check shiftry, altough knock off is gonna do more, but if you find shiftry annoying you can use 252 atk/108 Hp/148 speed which will still give it maximum atk/outspeed abomasnow and give it decent special bulk.

:)