Rate My Team For Pokemon X

[Dragon_Lord_Rayko]

Ok, so I just started getting into competitive battling when I got Pokemon X. I've worked really hard on this team and I've tried it in the Battle Spot and it's worked out pretty good, but I want the experts of Smogon to rate my team and tell me if I should change anything.

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpAtk/ 252 Spe/ 6 HP
Timid Nature
-Surf
-Dark Pulse
-Ice Beam
-Extrasensory

Greninja is the main sweeper on this team. Everyone else is used to get rid of Pokemon that threaten him and can get rid of him, such as Aegislash, Gyarados, and Azumarill. Greninja with Life Orb and Protean can wreck anything that attempts to switch in on him. Surf and Dark Pulse are his main STABs, while Ice Beam hits Dragon-types and Grass-types hard. Extrasensory is for hitting Fighting-types and Mega Venusaur, who would otherwise stop him. The best thing about this set is that with the EVs and a Timid Nature, Greninja hits hard and fast. Greninja for the win!!!

Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 6 HP
Adamant Nature
-Close Combat
-Bullet Punch
-Crunch
-Swords Dance

I tried gamer boy's suggestion of a Jolly Nature and it lacked the ability to KO a lot of the same Pokemon that Adamant Mega Lucario can. (le sad) So, I resolved to use Adamant Lucario. Lucario is my team's Mega and he is also my back-up sweeper should Greninja go down. He also has the ability to counter Florges, who would absolutely wall Greninja. Adaptability and STAB-boosted Close Combat HURTS, even if it's resisted. Bullet Punch has the ability to hit Fairy, Ice and Rock-Types for SE damage, something ExtremeSpeed can't do. Crunch hits Aegislash and Gengar hard, and after a Swords Dance, Lucario becomes a monster. max Atk and Spe makes Lucario as fast as possible and hit hard.

Espeon @ Expert Belt
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SpAtk/ 252 Spe/ 6 HP
Timid Nature
-Psychic
-Dazzling Gleam
-Shadow Ball
-Calm Mind

I love Espeon. :3 With Magic Bounce, it allows me to switch in on Pokemon such as the Uber Klefki and completely use it to set up Calm Minds. With max SpAtk and Spe, Espeon is a threat and with the addition of Dazzling Gleam to it's movepool, Espeon no longer has to worry about Tyranitar or the few Fighting-Types that resist Shadow Ball. *cough* Scrafty *cough* Psychic was chosen over Psyshock because Psyshock lacks the overall power of the former. Shadow Ball hits Steel-Types for neutral damage this gen, so it was added so Espeon wasn't walled by them.

Talonflame @ Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 124 HP/ 252 Atk/ 132 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Swords Dance

I took gamer boy's suggestion and changed my Talonflame. It is now officially a tank. I love it. It can massacre any Pokemon that tries to survive a Gale Wings Brave Bird, and Steel-Types are roasted by Flare Blitz. Roost also gets the Gale Wings priority, so it can heal off any damage before the opponent hits it with an Electric-Type move and with Swords Dance to back him up, Talonflame can get rid of many of my other Pokemon's counters.

Roserade @ Black Sludge
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/ 240 SpDef/ 22 Spe
Calm Nature
-Giga Drain
-Sludge Bomb
-Rest
-Spikes

Another one of gamer boy's suggestions, and an awesome one at that. Roserade with Spikes puts even more pressure on my opponents team, and with Giga Drain, Rest, Natural Cure, and Black Sludge, he'll be
around for a while. He's bulky, and annoying as heck, and he's awesome. Thank you again gamer boy!!!! Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-Types and Roserade even counters Milotic, should Galvantula go down. The EVs make sure that Roserade can get up at least one layer of Spikes.

Galvantula @ Focus Sash
Ability: Compoundeyes
EVs: 252 SpAtk/ 252 Spe/ 6 SpDef
Timid Nature
-Thunder
-Bug Buzz
-Energy Ball
-Sticky Web

I used Galvantula in Gen 5 and it wrecked in-game. I'm kind of mad that I don't have PokeBank because I wanted HP Ground on my Galvantula, but Sticky Web makes up for it by nerfing Scarfers, and non Levitate/ Flying-types. Galvantula is then free to attack with Compoundeyes boosted Thunders and STAB Bug Buzz. Energy Ball is on this set for one reason: Unaware Quagsire. That thing will wall my team until it's left in pieces. Galvantula also has the ability to kill Gyarados, Azumarill, and any other bulky Water-types that threaten my team and with Focus Sash, Galvantula is guarenteed to survive an Earthquake/ Aqua Jet and retaliate accordingly.

 

[Martin]

why have you got shell bell on talonflame? the item is competitively useless. I suggest using a life orb or sky plate for the boost in power. Also run Brave Bird over Acrobatics. When holding an item, it is laughably weak (serously? 55 bp?) Steel wing is terrible. replace it with roost. The EVs are a little pointless due to Gale Wings unless your plan is outpacing opposing Talonflame who won't come in on you in the first place. Try 132 Spd / 252 Atk / 124 HP as you don't need max speed.

Leftovers is more beneficial for Swampert. And put Stealth Rock over Rock Slide and a more physical set with Waterfall and Ice Punch or Waterfall and Toxic. Also give it an Impish nature.

Put Justified on Lucario. You could benefit from the boost and it's not like Inner Focus is going to do anything. Also give it a Jolly nature as it's only base 115 speed and it's not fast enough to even consider Adamant.

Focus Sash is required on Galvantula in OU and try putting the 4 EVs that are currently in HP into Special Defense for a stealth rock number should Galvantula switch in again on when his sash has no use anymore (ie if you're at less than 100% HP and can survive a switch-in)

Replace Waterfall for Surf or Hydro Pump on Greninja and change the item to a Life Orb for the consistent damage output. Alternitavely, run a fully physical set with Shadow Sneak and either Water Shuriken, Rock Slide or Night Slash, though such a set will make your team very physically oriented (I just wanted to make you aware before you choose something willy nilly), but has a better suprise value. Change the EVs (252 Spe / 252 SpAtk / 4 Atk for special set, 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 HP for physical set) and (possibly) nature accordingly (keep same for Special set and change to Jolly for the physical set).

Give reasons for the sets with detailed explanations about the moves, ability and EVs. That's one of the rules stated in the "required reading: how to make an RMT" make sure to read through that when you get the time.

Aside from my nitpicks, well done on the team. It's pretty good for a first team. Just make sure to make the changes I've put in my reveiw and you should be good to go with the team (just remember it will probably still need refining, but that's not too much of an issue as the team is now more competitive than it was before) Good luck with the rest of the RMT!

Edit: This team lacks a real way of dealing with water-types outside of Galvantula. May I suggest replacing Swampert or Greninja with a Grass-type (Offensive Venusaur if you replace Greninja, Defensive Celibi if you replace Swampert)