Hi all, a month or so back I made a post about rating my team, and decided I didn't like it and tried to change it up a bit. I've kept a few bits and pieces the same, but I've re-designed my lead and would like your guys opinions on my new team, as I've almost finished making this team on my copy of OR, and would like feedback before I commit and seal the team. Apologies for lack of pictures, and shout-out to Thatwackycruton and a few others for giving me original feedback (I decided to start a new thread instead of trying to revive an old one).
So, here goes.
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
My new stealth rock lead. I'm toying with a focus sash for anyone who predicts the lead and switches in an ice/fairy pokemon. It can fairly reliably set up the rocks, and despite being Def trained it will have around 260, 270 attack (without IV's), so it can still pack a punch. Fire fang is there for a ferrothorn lead that I didn't clock (I'd lead with talonflame against a FT, because I can chip a huge chunk of the health with a flare blitz), and the other moves for standard STAB.
After testing, I like the addition of dragon over my old Tyranitar lead, and the removal of the huge fighting weakness really helps this team. Also, the defence invested G-chomp really throws people.
Gengar @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
Very standard sweeper. It has more speed than a mega-metagross, and since ghost hits it super-effectively it has no trouble dealing with that. Dazzling gleam is there to "troll" (seriously) dark type poke'mon that switch in, and to hit dragons unexpectedly. Seriously, no-one I've faced (and I've done a fair few battles on Showdown) expects this move. The other two are there for STABs, and the energy ball again for the enemies that my T-bolt can't hit, and to give it great overall coverage. Undecided about the life orb; I'm wary about the recoil damage, but it means it hits like a truck, so I guess I'll have to get over the damage and swallow the bitter damaging pill.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
Alright, this guy is the one I've had the most testing with, switching abilities, moves, items and EV's. I think I've settled on the one that fits this team the best; namely, the HP EV investment rather than Speed, making this team an even split to bulky/sweeper. Rapid spin obviously for threats since I don't have a defogger, Iron head for great reliable STAB, allowing me to shut down fairies (sylveons I'm coming for you) and providing back-up stable damage. EQ is there for the best STAB on this poke, and with Mold Breaker I can rip through Rotom-Ws, skarmorys and tanky dusklops that otherwise can throw up a reasonable wall, and the huge damage from the 380-ish attack allows me to burn through neutral physical walls. Rock slide for a bit of coverage, namely to bring down flying fires that threaten Exca, though my mold breaker EQ can hit land fires.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock
- Hyper Voice
- Focus Blast
My special sweeper. With a megastone this guy (gal) reaches an impressive spatk stat with decent speed, though comes up short against talonflames, metagrosses, gengars and a few other fairies. For this reason, I was wondering on the viability of speccing my Gardy, making it sweep far faster and outsweeping the threats and pokes listed above, and instead giving my gengar the mega stone, making that the fastest on the team, a tiny bit more bulk, and making it a little scarier. Thoughts on that?
The moveset is very standard, just for STABs. Psyshock over psychic so i don't get walled by Blissey, and focus blast for the (unreliable) coverage, hitting frighteningly hard.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- U-turn/roost
- Me First
Incredibly standard TF set, using choice band over choice scarf because of its huge speed stat and the galewings ability, meaning if i lock in a flying move i generally hit it, and hit harder because of it. I'm wondering of changing it to life orb, but I'm unsure with this, as the Band gives it a bit more survivability at the cost of versatility. This is my go-to physical sweeper, and can shut down mega-salamence, outspeeding it even after dragon dances, and using me-first to situationally use the dragon move against it, outspeeds gengar, ferrothorn, blaziken; basically anything that needs killing, this is my guy. As I said, unsure of the item, so a heads up on that would be appreciated.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 SpA / 136 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Reflect/volt switch
- Hydro Pump
And finally, my stabby, tanky, absurdly designed washing machine. This guy can safely switch in, tank, and shut down threats such as gyarados (brushing off intimidate straight away), burn physical threats such as the dragons, making it easier to sweep later on, and generally provide back-up for the team, covering those weak-spots and providing STAB electric attacks for those pesky water/grounds. Basic STAB moves, WOW for shutting down physical enemies, and the last slot is undecided; Volt switch would give it huge versatility, but reflect would provide huge support for the team.
*******
So, thanks for reading. My team covers most threats, and with smart play and predictions can really pull through. Its weaknesses are weather teams, as I have no weather inducers, anything that boosts as despite my sweepers strengths they have no boost capabilities, anything that can tank and wall, stall teams.
Just a bit of heads up on the choice of pokes, items and abilities would be appreciated :)
- MaChew94
So, here goes.
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
My new stealth rock lead. I'm toying with a focus sash for anyone who predicts the lead and switches in an ice/fairy pokemon. It can fairly reliably set up the rocks, and despite being Def trained it will have around 260, 270 attack (without IV's), so it can still pack a punch. Fire fang is there for a ferrothorn lead that I didn't clock (I'd lead with talonflame against a FT, because I can chip a huge chunk of the health with a flare blitz), and the other moves for standard STAB.
After testing, I like the addition of dragon over my old Tyranitar lead, and the removal of the huge fighting weakness really helps this team. Also, the defence invested G-chomp really throws people.
Gengar @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
Very standard sweeper. It has more speed than a mega-metagross, and since ghost hits it super-effectively it has no trouble dealing with that. Dazzling gleam is there to "troll" (seriously) dark type poke'mon that switch in, and to hit dragons unexpectedly. Seriously, no-one I've faced (and I've done a fair few battles on Showdown) expects this move. The other two are there for STABs, and the energy ball again for the enemies that my T-bolt can't hit, and to give it great overall coverage. Undecided about the life orb; I'm wary about the recoil damage, but it means it hits like a truck, so I guess I'll have to get over the damage and swallow the bitter damaging pill.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
Alright, this guy is the one I've had the most testing with, switching abilities, moves, items and EV's. I think I've settled on the one that fits this team the best; namely, the HP EV investment rather than Speed, making this team an even split to bulky/sweeper. Rapid spin obviously for threats since I don't have a defogger, Iron head for great reliable STAB, allowing me to shut down fairies (sylveons I'm coming for you) and providing back-up stable damage. EQ is there for the best STAB on this poke, and with Mold Breaker I can rip through Rotom-Ws, skarmorys and tanky dusklops that otherwise can throw up a reasonable wall, and the huge damage from the 380-ish attack allows me to burn through neutral physical walls. Rock slide for a bit of coverage, namely to bring down flying fires that threaten Exca, though my mold breaker EQ can hit land fires.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock
- Hyper Voice
- Focus Blast
My special sweeper. With a megastone this guy (gal) reaches an impressive spatk stat with decent speed, though comes up short against talonflames, metagrosses, gengars and a few other fairies. For this reason, I was wondering on the viability of speccing my Gardy, making it sweep far faster and outsweeping the threats and pokes listed above, and instead giving my gengar the mega stone, making that the fastest on the team, a tiny bit more bulk, and making it a little scarier. Thoughts on that?
The moveset is very standard, just for STABs. Psyshock over psychic so i don't get walled by Blissey, and focus blast for the (unreliable) coverage, hitting frighteningly hard.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- U-turn/roost
- Me First
Incredibly standard TF set, using choice band over choice scarf because of its huge speed stat and the galewings ability, meaning if i lock in a flying move i generally hit it, and hit harder because of it. I'm wondering of changing it to life orb, but I'm unsure with this, as the Band gives it a bit more survivability at the cost of versatility. This is my go-to physical sweeper, and can shut down mega-salamence, outspeeding it even after dragon dances, and using me-first to situationally use the dragon move against it, outspeeds gengar, ferrothorn, blaziken; basically anything that needs killing, this is my guy. As I said, unsure of the item, so a heads up on that would be appreciated.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 SpA / 136 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Reflect/volt switch
- Hydro Pump
And finally, my stabby, tanky, absurdly designed washing machine. This guy can safely switch in, tank, and shut down threats such as gyarados (brushing off intimidate straight away), burn physical threats such as the dragons, making it easier to sweep later on, and generally provide back-up for the team, covering those weak-spots and providing STAB electric attacks for those pesky water/grounds. Basic STAB moves, WOW for shutting down physical enemies, and the last slot is undecided; Volt switch would give it huge versatility, but reflect would provide huge support for the team.
*******
So, thanks for reading. My team covers most threats, and with smart play and predictions can really pull through. Its weaknesses are weather teams, as I have no weather inducers, anything that boosts as despite my sweepers strengths they have no boost capabilities, anything that can tank and wall, stall teams.
Just a bit of heads up on the choice of pokes, items and abilities would be appreciated :)
- MaChew94