Rate my OU all Normal-type team

[Lucario_Skywalker]

I was thinking that Normal is the most overlooked type of all, besides Bug. Here are some Normal Pokemon I decided to put into my team.

At a Glance:

In Depth:

Swellow (M)@Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Attack, 6 Sp. Defense, 252 Speed
-Brave Bird
-Facade
-U-Turn
-Protect
This is pretty straightforward. Use Protect to activate Toxic Orb and Guts, then use Facade to attempt a sweep. If I think I won't be able to do much, U-Turn to get out while doing some damage. Brave Bird is to hit Ghosts and others Facade won't hit very hard. With both Guts and Poisoning, Facade reaches a power of 210 (I think) and maxed Attack and Speed tries to hit hard.

Togekiss (F)@Lum Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Modest
Evs: 252 HP, 152 Sp. Attack, 104 Speed
-Aura Sphere
-Air Slash
-Nasty Plot
-Roost
This is a somewhat bulky special sweeper. It can take a hit or two to set up a couple Nasty Plots, then sweep with Aura Sphere or Air Slash. Serene Grace increases Air Slash's flinch rate, which is good, and Aura Sphere hits what Air Slash doesn't, like Rock or Steel. If health gets low, I use Roost to restore health.

Miltank (F)@Leftovers
Ability: Scrappy
Nature:Impish
EVs: 252 HP, 136 Defense, 120 Sp. Defense
-Curse
-Body Slam
-Heal Bell
-Milk Drink
I love this. It requires some setting up to do (using a bunch of Curses), but if I pull it off, the results are huge. After Curses, I use Body Slam. If my HP gets low, I use Milk Drink. If statuses are plaguing my team, I use Heal Bell. Simple as that. Scrappy hits Ghosts as well. It can take many hits, especially coupled with Milk Drink. After Curses, Body Slam does a lot, even to Rock and Steel types. If a strong special attacker comes in, I just switch to Snorlax. The 30% paralysis chance from Body Slam helps, and so does a little surprise factor.

Lickilicky (M)@Life Orb
Ability:Own Tempo
Nature: Brave
EVs: 116 HP, 252 Attack, 140 Sp. Attack
-Explosion
-Fire Blast
-Ice Beam
-Earthquake
Many don't expect this. The main purpose of this is to break down walls and for attacking diversity. Lickilicky can take a few hits with 116 HP, and kill with Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast (*coughSkarmorycough*). If Lickilicky can't go on anymore, Explosion. It seems pretty unusual, but works fairly well.

Staraptor (M)@Sharp Beak
Ability: Intimidate
Nature:Jolly
EVs: 4 HP, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
-Brave Bird
-Close Combat
-Roost
-Substitute
This aims to attack but with a bit more durability. Substitute it to avoid status, while Brave Bird and Close Combat hit hard. Roost is to recover damage from Brave Bird and from defense drops. Simple enough. (Note: I just found this to fill in the sixth spot, so if anybody has something better other than Blissey or maybe Porygon-Z, I'll consider it.)

Snorlax (M)@Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 4 HP, 252 Attack, 252 Sp. Defense
-Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Fire Punch
-Crunch
This is an offensive Snorlax that functions well enough as a Special wall. Maxed Attack and Sp. Defense ensures that the attacks hit hard and that Snorlax can take the hits. Crunch hits Ghosts that think they can switch in. Body Slam for STAB and paralysis. Earthquake and Fire Punch is for type variation. At first the ability was Thick Fat, but after some Toxic Spikes problems, I decided to change it to Immunity.

Conclusion:
So, there it is. Again, I wanted to use what I thought was a very overlooked type. Maybe I just want to make a point. Oh well, it doesn't matter. On Shoddy Battle, this team has had above-average success, mostly wins but more than a few losses. I have had trouble with Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, but I don't know of any Normal type with Rapid Spin. I also don't have any that set them up either. I have also had trouble with weather teams, like a rain team with Kingdra killing my entire team with just two Pokemon. Of course, there is a Fighting, Ice, Electric, and Rock weakness, but somehow, I haven't had any major problems with that. If Fighting comes in, I switch to one of my flyings, and if Ice, Rock, or Electric come in, I switch to my relatively bulky pure-Normals. That's about it, rate please!

 

[Neonian]

You are going to be destroyed by lucario, heracross and machamp, but cause of the typing there isn't much you can do.

One option you DO have is to switch staraptors EV set for the bulky spread, to stand a change against lucario. You may also want to try jolly CB staraptor with Brave bird/close combat/double edge/u-turn, this will let you outspeed jolly lucario, you can also scarf it and pour speed into HP to achieve similar results and also allow you to survive one lucario extremespeed, landing a good revenge kill.

But again, you can't do much against lucario which is the bane of all mono normal/steel teams.

 

[Lucario_Skywalker]

You are going to be destroyed by lucario, heracross and machamp, but cause of the typing there isn't much you can do.

Hmm... I have not encountered a Heracross yet, so I don't know about that. Usually with Lucario, I can use Togekiss's Aura Sphere or Lickilicky/Snorlax's Earthquake. I could even use Staraptors Close Combat. But you're right, fighting types do pose a big threat. I disagree with the Machamp, though. My Miltank has withstood two Dynamic Punches. Togekiss, Swellow, and Staraptor can beat Machamp since they all share a flying move and they resist fighting. Usually, if I switch in, I can use Brave Bird/Air Slash before it uses something like Stone Edge.

One option you DO have is to switch staraptors EV set for the bulky spread, to stand a change against lucario. You may also want to try jolly CB staraptor with Brave bird/close combat/double edge/u-turn, this will let you outspeed jolly lucario, you can also scarf it and pour speed into HP to achieve similar results and also allow you to survive one lucario extremespeed, landing a good revenge kill.

The bulky spread seems like a good idea, but I never liked any of the choice band/scarf/specs sets because I'll have to switch if I don't want to use the move locked in, which wastes a turn that could have been used for damage. I'll keep the bulky idea in mind.

But again, you can't do much against lucario which is the bane of all mono normal/steel teams.

I have already faced several lucarios and have not found too much difficulty. Thanks for the advice, though!

 

[Witnessed]

Uh, there is so many things wrong with this team. First of all, Mono-teams are allowed a wild card, so I suggest you use that to your advantage and use a Rotom appliance. Also, you new Stealth Rocks, and I think the only normal type to learn it is Blissey, or does Miltank learn it? I am not sure, but SR and the Rotom appliance are extremely nessacary. I would suggest a Choice Scarf Rotom-H, with Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Overheat and Trick. This will stop Scizor, Lucario, Heracross (watch for Night Slash) and Machamp, but you need to extremely wary of Payback. It also provides a check to DD Gyarados.

 

[Lucario_Skywalker]

Uh, there is so many things wrong with this team. First of all, Mono-teams are allowed a wild card, so I suggest you use that to your advantage and use a Rotom appliance.

I'd rather not. I can't really explain why, I just don't really want to. But if I have to, I would replace Staraptor with Tentacruel (toxic spikes AND rapid spin

Also, you new Stealth Rocks, and I think the only normal type to learn it is Blissey, or does Miltank learn it? I am not sure, but SR and the Rotom appliance are extremely nessacary.

Miltank does learn Stealth Rock, but I chose Curse over it and it has worked so much better than Stealth Rock would have. Again, I can replace Staraptor with Tentacruel because poisoning can work just as good as stealth rock, and I have had no real problem with not setting up Stealth Rock

I would suggest a Choice Scarf Rotom-H, with Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Overheat and Trick. This will stop Scizor, Lucario, Heracross (watch for Night Slash) and Machamp, but you need to extremely wary of Payback. It also provides a check to DD Gyarados.

I don't like using any choice sets, but I will keep Rotom in mind. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Witnessed]

I'd rather not. I can't really explain why, I just don't really want to. But if I have to, I would replace Staraptor with Tentacruel (toxic spikes AND rapid spin

What are you trying to say here?

Miltank does learn Stealth Rock, but I chose Curse over it and it has worked so much better than Stealth Rock would have. Again, I can replace Staraptor with Tentacruel because poisoning can work just as good as stealth rock, and I have had no real problem with not setting up Stealth Rock

Toxic Spikes do not work as well as Stealth Rock in OU, because only a half of the Pokemon in OU are affected by that, whereas Stealth Rock causes damage to everything with the exception of Magic Guard Clefable.

I don't like using any choice sets, but I will keep Rotom in mind. Thanks for the advice!

Why do you not like to use Choice sets? There is nothing wrong with them, the only problem you have is having to switch out after you attack.

 

[Lucario_Skywalker]

What are you trying to say here?

I just meant that if I'm going to make an all-Normal team, I should probably make them be all normal instead of having one as a wild card. A different type isn't bad, its just that I'd prefer not to.

Toxic Spikes do not work as well as Stealth Rock in OU, because only a half of the Pokemon in OU are affected by that, whereas Stealth Rock causes damage to everything with the exception of Magic Guard Clefable.

Poisoning causes residual damage while Stealth Rock just hits at the switch-in. If poisoning is up, then I can kill just as quickly as I can with Stealth Rock. I consider them to be of equal value. Even though Toxic Spikes don't affect Flyings, Steels, and Levitate, the only huge threats would be Scizor, Skarmory, Gyarados, etc. Most of them are covered except for Gyarados and Tentacruel, which absorbs the Toxic Spikes.

Why do you not like to use Choice sets? There is nothing wrong with them, the only problem you have is having to switch out after you attack.

I just don't. I would rather keep attacking while not switching than switch every time an attack I'm locked into becomes useless.

 

[afterburn]

Rate

Stealth Rock is a necessity because it allows you to get crucial 2HKOs into OHKOs. As it says in most of the analyses: the pokemon (so and so) is KOed by (so and so) AFTER Stealth rock damage. And to make a mono type team effective one must use type coverage to be able to hit most or all of the 17 types. So its not favoritism that counts.
Now to the rate:
A +1 DD Gyarados can give you quite a lot of problems with no Stealth Rock and/or Phazer
I suggest if you don't want to use a scarf Rotom-h then you might want to try out this Skarmory which can help set up Stealth Rock as well as Spikes limiting the amount of times Gyarados can switch in. (Note: See how important Stealth Rock is to check threats such as Gyarados because it loses 25% of its health everytime it switches in):

Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/64 Atk/176 Def/16 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
---
With this Skarmory you will have a strong defense core along with Snorlax blocking attacks from both spectrums. Now the fire attacks aimed at Skarmory can be diverted to Snorlax whom I suggest you give the ability Thick Fat to reduce the fire attacks damage output aimed at Skarmory as well as the super effective ice moves aimed at three of your flyers.
I would also suggest making Togekiss a scarf version to revenge kill Machamp who otherwise would give a lot of problems:

Togekiss (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Fire Blast
- Tri Attack
---
Since you have two Pokemon already using fire type moves you can switch Fire punch to Pursuit on Snorlax to kill of frail psychics.

 

[Lucario_Skywalker]

Stealth Rock is a necessity because it allows you to get crucial 2HKOs into OHKOs. As it says in most of the analyses: the pokemon (so and so) is KOed by (so and so) AFTER Stealth rock damage. And to make a mono type team effective one must use type coverage to be able to hit most or all of the 17 types. So its not favoritism that counts.

I guess that if it's that important, I can find some way of fitting it in.

Now to the rate:
A +1 DD Gyarados can give you quite a lot of problems with no Stealth Rock and/or Phazer
I suggest if you don't want to use a scarf Rotom-h then you might want to try out this Skarmory which can help set up Stealth Rock as well as Spikes limiting the amount of times Gyarados can switch in. (Note: See how important Stealth Rock is to check threats such as Gyarados because it loses 25% of its health everytime it switches in):

Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/64 Atk/176 Def/16 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
---
With this Skarmory you will have a strong defense core along with Snorlax blocking attacks from both spectrums. Now the fire attacks aimed at Skarmory can be diverted to Snorlax whom I suggest you give the ability Thick Fat to reduce the fire attacks damage output aimed at Skarmory as well as the super effective ice moves aimed at three of your flyers.

That seems like a good idea.

I would also suggest making Togekiss a scarf version to revenge kill Machamp who otherwise would give a lot of problems:

Togekiss (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Fire Blast
- Tri Attack
---
Since you have two Pokemon already using fire type moves you can switch Fire punch to Pursuit on Snorlax to kill of frail psychics.

All right, I didn't really use Fire Punch anyway. But why can't I use Crunch to kill Psychics?

 

[afterburn]

Pursuit is to get surprise kills because most of the time the psychic types will more likely be switching out for example Azelf, who'd think that your Snorlax does not have Pursuit as most don't until they get killed. And if they do switch out they'll send in their own counter to snorlax counter. It also gives you the oppurtunity to get surprise kills on Gengar,Mismagius and the like who would be expecting a crunch and then they'd take they're time to flee so you can KO them with Pursuit but its really your personal preferance. (although Gengar can KO you with Focus Blast)