So I've designed a very bulky stall team with well mixed defensive capabilities, able to set up all entry hazards and hit opponents with all status effects. However, I find myself having trouble with one pokemon more than anything else... the dreaded Reuniclus.
Anyway, here's the team:
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
252 HP
16 Atk
152 Def
88 Sp Def
Impish Nature, Sandstream
Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Roar, Slack Off
Lead Hippowdon serves to set up both sandstorm and stealth rocks for entry hazard damage and buffering, as the team thrives around the use of moves such as protect, roar, and whirlwind. That being said, roar is important in order to force pokemon out and others into entry hazards. Hippowdon does not serve as a sacrificial lead, but an essential survivable pokemon to tank electric attacks toward Tentacruel or Skarmory. Because it needs survivability, I run slack off in addition to leftovers.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
204 HP
96 Sp Atk
172 Sp Def
36 Spe
Calm Nature, Clear Body
Scald, Sludge Bomb, Rapid Spin, Toxic Spikes
Tentacruel's most prominent purpose on this team is for setting up toxic spikes. It is one of the most ideal toxic spikes choices as it provides water typing and a small bit of offensive power. It is easy to switch into other water types or special attackers due to its special defensive bulk, and is great for soaking up opposing toxic spikes or using rapid spin if against an opposing stall team. Scald and sludge bomb provide two useful STAB attacks, both with a minor chance of inflicting a status ailment (burn or poison) which is essential to the teams success.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
252 HP
96 Atk
156 Def
4 Spe
Impish Nature, Natural Cure
Spikes, Brave Bird, Roost, Whirlwind
Skarmory is one of the most crucial pokemon in this teams success, meant to set up spikes and whirlwind pokemon out and in to take the entry hazard damage. Brave bird is a solid STAB attack incase the pokemon is taunted (as you can see, all my pokemon have at least one attack to prevent taunt shut-down). Roost and leftovers are important for the pokemon's survivability--if Skarmory and Hippowdon die, it is impossible to force pokemon in and out.
Blissey @ Leftovers
252 HP
252 Def
4 SpDef
Calm Nature, Natural Cure
Ice Beam, Wish, Protect, Toxic
Blissey, as everyone knows, is an all-around brilliant special wall and a great counter to special sweepers or revenge killers like Starmie, Jolteon, etc. Wish + Protect allows Blissey the ability to heal either itself or any other pokemon, as teams generally react to Blissey by immediately switching in a physical attacker, I can wish and then switch into the proper counter. Toxic, of course, provides the status ailing damage necessary to slowly cripple teams through stalling, healing, and protecting.
Dusclops @ Eviolite
252 HP
128 Def
128 SpDef
Impish Nature, Pressure
Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Seismic Toss, Pain Split
Dusclops' main purpose on the team is to be a bulky spin blocker, as rapid spin can completely ruin the entry hazards necessary to win with a Stall + Roar/Whirlwind team. Since I wanted to cover all major status ailments (poison, burn, paralysis), Will-O-Wisp is featured to burn any strong physical attackers. Pain split is great when predicting a switch or when you can guarantee your pokemon will tank a hit to heal up and be survivable, and seismic toss provides offense and ability to kill a pokemon.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
252 HP
48 Def
208 SpDef
Relaxed Nature, Iron Barbs
Thunder Wave, Leech Seed, Power Whip, Protect
Ferrothorn is one of the most survivable physical walls imaginable, with leech seed/leftovers/protect. Thunder wave gives me the ability to paralyze any dragon dancers/etc. and thus cover all fronts of major status ailments. Power whip is the most powerful attack for this pokemon as it give STAB damage and provides an offensive typing the rest of the team lacks.
As you can see, the teams defensive capabilities are very strong and well rounded, however, the team does not feature much offensive power and relies on crippling the opposing team through entry hazards, status ailments, and roar/whirlwind. However, Reuniclus has been giving my team huge amounts of trouble, as Magic Guard blocks any status ailments and recover + leftovers helps it heal from entry hazards.
Another pokemon I sometimes have issues with is Jellicent, with its strong defensive capabilities and recover + leftovers.
How can I improve this team to deal with these threats? Possibilities I have pondered while creating this post include replacing Hippowdon with a more offensive Tyranitar, or swapping Dusclops for a more offensive Dusknoir, as my team clearly lacks offensive strength now. Please let me know what you think of these suggestions and feel free to add any new ones!
Anyway, here's the team:
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
252 HP
16 Atk
152 Def
88 Sp Def
Impish Nature, Sandstream
Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Roar, Slack Off
Lead Hippowdon serves to set up both sandstorm and stealth rocks for entry hazard damage and buffering, as the team thrives around the use of moves such as protect, roar, and whirlwind. That being said, roar is important in order to force pokemon out and others into entry hazards. Hippowdon does not serve as a sacrificial lead, but an essential survivable pokemon to tank electric attacks toward Tentacruel or Skarmory. Because it needs survivability, I run slack off in addition to leftovers.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
204 HP
96 Sp Atk
172 Sp Def
36 Spe
Calm Nature, Clear Body
Scald, Sludge Bomb, Rapid Spin, Toxic Spikes
Tentacruel's most prominent purpose on this team is for setting up toxic spikes. It is one of the most ideal toxic spikes choices as it provides water typing and a small bit of offensive power. It is easy to switch into other water types or special attackers due to its special defensive bulk, and is great for soaking up opposing toxic spikes or using rapid spin if against an opposing stall team. Scald and sludge bomb provide two useful STAB attacks, both with a minor chance of inflicting a status ailment (burn or poison) which is essential to the teams success.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
252 HP
96 Atk
156 Def
4 Spe
Impish Nature, Natural Cure
Spikes, Brave Bird, Roost, Whirlwind
Skarmory is one of the most crucial pokemon in this teams success, meant to set up spikes and whirlwind pokemon out and in to take the entry hazard damage. Brave bird is a solid STAB attack incase the pokemon is taunted (as you can see, all my pokemon have at least one attack to prevent taunt shut-down). Roost and leftovers are important for the pokemon's survivability--if Skarmory and Hippowdon die, it is impossible to force pokemon in and out.
Blissey @ Leftovers
252 HP
252 Def
4 SpDef
Calm Nature, Natural Cure
Ice Beam, Wish, Protect, Toxic
Blissey, as everyone knows, is an all-around brilliant special wall and a great counter to special sweepers or revenge killers like Starmie, Jolteon, etc. Wish + Protect allows Blissey the ability to heal either itself or any other pokemon, as teams generally react to Blissey by immediately switching in a physical attacker, I can wish and then switch into the proper counter. Toxic, of course, provides the status ailing damage necessary to slowly cripple teams through stalling, healing, and protecting.
Dusclops @ Eviolite
252 HP
128 Def
128 SpDef
Impish Nature, Pressure
Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Seismic Toss, Pain Split
Dusclops' main purpose on the team is to be a bulky spin blocker, as rapid spin can completely ruin the entry hazards necessary to win with a Stall + Roar/Whirlwind team. Since I wanted to cover all major status ailments (poison, burn, paralysis), Will-O-Wisp is featured to burn any strong physical attackers. Pain split is great when predicting a switch or when you can guarantee your pokemon will tank a hit to heal up and be survivable, and seismic toss provides offense and ability to kill a pokemon.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
252 HP
48 Def
208 SpDef
Relaxed Nature, Iron Barbs
Thunder Wave, Leech Seed, Power Whip, Protect
Ferrothorn is one of the most survivable physical walls imaginable, with leech seed/leftovers/protect. Thunder wave gives me the ability to paralyze any dragon dancers/etc. and thus cover all fronts of major status ailments. Power whip is the most powerful attack for this pokemon as it give STAB damage and provides an offensive typing the rest of the team lacks.
As you can see, the teams defensive capabilities are very strong and well rounded, however, the team does not feature much offensive power and relies on crippling the opposing team through entry hazards, status ailments, and roar/whirlwind. However, Reuniclus has been giving my team huge amounts of trouble, as Magic Guard blocks any status ailments and recover + leftovers helps it heal from entry hazards.
Another pokemon I sometimes have issues with is Jellicent, with its strong defensive capabilities and recover + leftovers.
How can I improve this team to deal with these threats? Possibilities I have pondered while creating this post include replacing Hippowdon with a more offensive Tyranitar, or swapping Dusclops for a more offensive Dusknoir, as my team clearly lacks offensive strength now. Please let me know what you think of these suggestions and feel free to add any new ones!
