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RollerdinoGaming

RollerdinoGaming

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute
- King's Shield
I built this team with two cores, and Aegislash-Hydreigon was one of them. I decided to go with fast Substitute Aegislash because it counters most other Aegislash (other than faster Life Orb, which is not very common with this Speed tier). It also counters most Fairy-type Pokémon that Hydreigon is weak to. For the moves, Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are mandatory STAB options to hit things like Gardevoir and such. King's Shield is Aegislash' protection, which is also very valued in VGC. Substitute is the crux of this Aegislash set: it can be used while the opponent is not expecting Aegislash to stay in. The EVs are for a Substitute number HP, and the rest is put into Speed.

Hydreigon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
The other half of the first core, Hydreigon deals with Aegislash' checks and counters very well. I went with Modest Specs because my Suicune is carrying Tailwind to patch up the Speed problem anyway. Modest also secures the KO on other Aegislash and has a good chance of OHKOing Mega Kangaskhan. Hydreigon also checks Heatran, another threatening Pokémon to Aegislash. Of course, to achieve these results, I have Draco Meteor, Dark Pulse and Earth Power to threaten these Pokémon. I decided to go with Fire Blast over Flamethrower and Flash Cannon, mainly because I needed the extra power over accuracy and I already have Steel coverage on Aegislash.

Suicune @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 116 SpA / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
- Tailwind
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Protect
The second core in this team is Suicune-Breloom. This core relies on Tailwind to let Breloom get off fast Spores to make opponent's Pokémon useless for at least a turn. Between Scald and Ice Beam, Suicune gets the best two-move coverage it can get and Protect is mandatory in VGC. The EV spread looks a bit goofy at first, but the Defense EVs with the Bold Nature makes sure Salamence brings me into Sitrus Berry range with Double-Edge, and so 3HKOs while Suicune can OHKO back with Ice Beam and outspeeds under Tailwind. The leftover EVs are put into Special Defense for more bulk.

Breloom @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Spore
- Protect
Of course, Breloom was slapped on to complete the Suicune-Breloom core I talked about earlier. I'm still in doubt if I should run Jolly or Adamant, but I went with Adamant for now to maximize damage output. The moveset is pretty basic: Mach Punch in tandem with Technician for good damage with priority, Bullet Seed over Seed Bomb for the higher risk, higher reward option, and Spore and Protect.

Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- Protect
Here is where it gets interesting: Life Orb Landorus-Therian. I'm a big fan of Lando-T in general, and it fits this team very well as it hits Bisharp and other Dark-types (which Aegislash and Hydreigon have trouble with) very hard. A possible lead option for this team is Suicune / Lando-T. First turn, Suicune sets up Tailwind while Landorus Protects, a move not many opponents will see coming. After that, I outspeed the Scarf variant and I hit quite a lot harder because of the Life Orb. The moves and EV spread are generic, but I intend to mess around a bit after I've done some battles.

Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
The latest addition to this team, I noticed that Mega Kangaskhan fits surprisingly well as a replacement for Heatran (this was originally a no-Mega team). Because it was added such a short time ago, I haven't really seen the need to mess around with anything other than making an Adamant Double-Edge set. Because of the Tailwind, I don't really need to rely so much on Speed anymore which makes Adamant a perfectly viable option. Furthermore, it's prety basic: a simple 4 / 252 / 252 spread with a generic moveset. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
 
Well, some few nitpicks:
1) Well, i'm going to suggest running Wide Guard on that Aegislash. Reason being the HUGE Mega Gardevoir weakness this team has so far. And Aegislash dislikes facing the Scrafty Gardevoir is usually paired with. Same goes for Kangaskhan, not to mention Hydreigon and Breloom. And no, Fake Out + Substitute isn't the most optimal play against an Encore Gardevoir.
Also, faster Aegislash appreciate the LO so they have a better shot at OHKOing opposing Aegislash, but seeing that your Landorus has it, going with Spooky Plate is also an option.
2) Up to personal preference, but i'd go with 28 HP / 36 Def / 244 Sp.Atk / 4 Sp.Def / 196 Spe on that Hydreigon. Defense investment takes Garchomp's Dragon Claw, which is a good benchmark to hit with Hydreigon.
3) Breloom should be Jolly to creep Bisharp creeping Modest Heatran. Breloom will still hit pretty hard, so i think it's worth it.
4) LO Landorus-T should definitely be Jolly. It outspeeds the 100s, which is HUGE for outspeeding stuff like neutral Gardevoir, Kangaskhan and Charizard, Jolly Excadrill, etc.
5) I think that this team suits Charizard Y a lot more than Kangaskhan. It also completes the FGW core that Suicune and Breloom want for breaking Steels like Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross and to break Amoonguss.
6) If you decide to keep Kangaskhan, i'd go Return over Double-Edge. Kangaskhan hits still pretty hard with it, while not sacrificing that amazing bulk that lets you survive Conkeldurr's Drain Punch and Mega Metagross' Hammer Arm.
Overall, a pretty good team.
Have a nice day!
 
After looking this over, Skarm stole most of my thunder. Some points of his that I feel I absolutely must reiterate are as follows:

1.) LO Lando-T should be Jolly. Heck, all non Scarf/AV Lando-T should be Jolly. Being outspeed by the Charizard you're hoping to KO is never fun, and the added speed also allows you to catch Adamant Kang. Especially in bo3 play, Jolly is by far the best way to run LO Lando.

2.) Much like Skarm said, Jolly Breloom is infinitely more common than Adamant Breloom. I think I'll go into a little more depth here though. Mach Punch has priority and the things that Bullet Seed hits are usually slower than 252 speed Adamant Breloom anyway, so I certainly do see your logic. However, the thing to keep in mind here is Spore. When running Jolly you can Spore all manner of things that you would otherwise have to take a hit from (the main three being Heatran, Arcanine and Rotom-H, assuming no Safety Goggles). Jolly also allows you to avoid the Bisharp speed tie (which could be surprisingly important if it's Sucker Punching Breloom for the KO because it was brought down to Sash). Even with all of that said though, Adamant Breloom still seems fine. I'm merely presenting you with the benefits of both options here. I suggest you test both options and determine which you prefer to use, then stick with that. If you decide you like Adamant, don't let other people telling you "it's bad" get to you. For one their anger probably means they lost to it, and beyond that it's all about what you're comfortable with and can use successfully.

3.) Aegislash. Now this thing is a right mess. Not the Pokemon itself or your spread or anything. Much as Skarm said, Wide Guard would certainly benefit your team, however the win condition that Substitute provides is not to be underestimated. A fast Wide Guard LO Aegislash would make some sense, however it notably dents Aeg's bulk over the long run, especially when the item you're dropping is Leftovers. The issue here is that Aegislash has two roles it could fill and your team wants it to do both at the same time. With that said, Wide Guard/Substitute Aegislash is a thing. I believe it is a monstrosity that needs to be cleansed from this earth by excessive amounts of fire, but it's undeniably effective in the right situations. Should you decide to use it, I would keep your current spread and drop Flash Cannon for Wide Guard. One more thing of note here, Sub/WG is only advisable for bo1 like the Showdown ladder or Swiss at a tournament. I don't recommend the set for any bo3 event or any event where you suspect or know that knowledge about your team will be leaked to future opponents.

So, now time for my own thoughts. . . yeah, I don't have much. The main thing I really want to point out is that Aegislash can be EVed to take a Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse. If you rely on Hydriegon to take it out and that happens to be the case, the situation would play out somewhat like this:

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 156 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 138-164 (82.6 - 98.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

The opposing Aegislash's Weakness Policy Activated!

+2 100+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Flash Cannon vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 165-195 (98.2 - 116%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
 
Last edited:
Steven Stone said:
Well, some few nitpicks:
1) Well, i'm going to suggest running Wide Guard on that Aegislash. Reason being the HUGE Mega Gardevoir weakness this team has so far. And Aegislash dislikes facing the Scrafty Gardevoir is usually paired with. Same goes for Kangaskhan, not to mention Hydreigon and Breloom. And no, Fake Out + Substitute isn't the most optimal play against an Encore Gardevoir.
Also, faster Aegislash appreciate the LO so they have a better shot at OHKOing opposing Aegislash, but seeing that your Landorus has it, going with Spooky Plate is also an option.
2) Up to personal preference, but i'd go with 28 HP / 36 Def / 244 Sp.Atk / 4 Sp.Def / 196 Spe on that Hydreigon. Defense investment takes Garchomp's Dragon Claw, which is a good benchmark to hit with Hydreigon.
3) Breloom should be Jolly to creep Bisharp creeping Modest Heatran. Breloom will still hit pretty hard, so i think it's worth it.
4) LO Landorus-T should definitely be Jolly. It outspeeds the 100s, which is HUGE for outspeeding stuff like neutral Gardevoir, Kangaskhan and Charizard, Jolly Excadrill, etc.
5) I think that this team suits Charizard Y a lot more than Kangaskhan. It also completes the FGW core that Suicune and Breloom want for breaking Steels like Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross and to break Amoonguss.
6) If you decide to keep Kangaskhan, i'd go Return over Double-Edge. Kangaskhan hits still pretty hard with it, while not sacrificing that amazing bulk that lets you survive Conkeldurr's Drain Punch and Mega Metagross' Hammer Arm.
Overall, a pretty good team.
Have a nice day!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, I'm going to try some things to cover the MGardie weakness, and I'll definitely take your points into consideration. As for point 2 though, Garchomp is quite mediocre in the current VGC metagame, so I don't think it's worth it to EV to that benchmark. My friend thought of an alternative spread of 44 HP / 116 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 92 Spe to live Jolly Kangaskhan's Double-Edge 100% of the time, and outspeed Modest max speed Heatran. Also, Landorus is mainly there for taking advantage of Tailwind, and under it, it basically outspeeds the entire metagame, so I don't want to run Jolly.
 
Serapis said:
After looking this over, Skarm stole most of my thunder. Some points of his that I feel I absolutely must reiterate are as follows:

1.) LO Lando-T should be Jolly. Heck, all non Scarf/AV Lando-T should be Jolly. Being outspeed by the Charizard you're hoping to KO is never fun, and the added speed also allows you to catch Adamant Kang. Especially in bo3 play, Jolly is by far the best way to run LO Lando.

2.) Much like Skarm said, Jolly Breloom is infinitely more common than Adamant Breloom. I think I'll go into a little more depth here though. Mach Punch has priority and the things that Bullet Seed hits are usually slower than 252 speed Adamant Breloom anyway, so I certainly do see your logic. However, the thing to keep in mind here is Spore. When running Jolly you can Spore all manner of things that you would otherwise have to take a hit from (the main three being Heatran, Arcanine and Rotom-H, assuming no Safety Goggles). Jolly also allows you to avoid the Bisharp speed tie (which could be surprisingly important if it's Sucker Punching Breloom for the KO because it was brought down to Sash). Even with all of that said though, Adamant Breloom still seems fine. I'm merely presenting you with the benefits of both options here. I suggest you test both options and determine which you prefer to use, then stick with that. If you decide you like Adamant, don't let other people telling you "it's bad" get to you. For one their anger probably means they lost to it, and beyond that it's all about what you're comfortable with and can use successfully.

3.) Aegislash. Now this thing is a right mess. Not the Pokemon itself or your spread or anything. Much as Skarm said, Wide Guard would certainly benefit your team, however the win condition that Substitute provides is not to be underestimated. A fast Wide Guard LO Aegislash would make some sense, however it notably dents Aeg's bulk over the long run, especially when the item you're dropping is Leftovers. The issue here is that Aegislash has two roles it could fill and your team wants it to do both at the same time. With that said, Wide Guard/Substitute Aegislash is a thing. I believe it is a monstrosity that needs to be cleansed from this earth by excessive amounts of fire, but it's undeniably effective in the right situations. Should you decide to use it, I would keep your current spread and drop Flash Cannon for Wide Guard. One more thing of note here, Sub/WG is only advisable for bo1 like the Showdown ladder or Swiss at a tournament. I don't recommend the set for any bo3 event or any event where you suspect or know that knowledge about your team will be leaked to future opponents.

So, now time for my own thoughts. . . yeah, I don't have much. The main thing I really want to point out is that Aegislash can be EVed to take a Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse. If you rely on Hydriegon to take it out and that happens to be the case, the situation would play out somewhat like this:

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 156 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 138-164 (82.6 - 98.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

The opposing Aegislash's Weakness Policy Activated!

+2 100+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Flash Cannon vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 165-195 (98.2 - 116%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
Click to expand...

Also thanks for the reply. The thing with Aegislash is: I mainly want it to defeat other Aegislash (and fast LO definitely works for that), but I also want it to live as long as possible. And your last point: Aegis like those are REALLY uncommon, I don't even think I've seen one in competitive play. And, with the alternative spread, Hydreigon lives that Flash Cannon and still KOs.
 
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