So, oddly enough, playing with a different style has resulted in more wins. All this time, I thought Offensive teams difficult to play around, what with very little room for error. However, the sheer amount of power allotted allows me to play with almost no consequence to myself; with very little prediction, many hard hitters can come in and wreak havoc. I've had great success with this team, but there are problems to be solved. Hopefully, this team will be much better after the weaknesses are solved. Without further delay ...
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Adamant / Clear Body
252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
~ Bullet Punch - Very useful move, especially for revenging later on. The amount of times Smeargle, Breloom, etc leads attempt to Sleep me, only to be doomed by Lum Berry is not only hilariously fun, but helps gain momentum. The lack of hazards really helps switching.
~ Meteor Mash - Unreliable but necessary. Attack boosting is useful, but generally wasted given the mediocre coverage. Destroys Aero and Azelf leads, if I predict right. Good clean up move late game as well.
~ Earthquake - My only answer to Waters and Swampert leads. Does decent damage, but is ultimately only there to soften up opponents so my team can handle them better. Useful, if only as a support option. Anything that doesn't want to be hit by EQ generally has the advantage when facing against Metagross, unfortunately.
~ Stealth Rock - Laying down Rocks is hard but is absolutely necessary to kill what needs to be killed. It's a risky move to be used at anytime, considering that anything that switches in to Metagross will want to kill me immediately or set up along side me. I would relegate this duty to someone else, but everyone needs the moves they have.
I've never used a Lum Berry lead before, and I'm mightily impressed. Sleep leads are dealt with easily, the exception being Bronzong, who can't do much in return (he is still a nuisance, however). The absence of Explosion allows me to let Metagross come in later as death fodder, status absorber, and revenger. When I have Explosion, I tend to use it prematurely and at inopportune times. Maybe when I get better at gauging battles and playstyles, I'll test it. Oh and the EVs are to outspeed standard Metagross leads; that extra Speed certainly doesn't help, however, when I predicted a Skarmory Roosting, and EQ misses because I'm faster. Regardless, at the moment, Metagross is serving his purpose very well and is a highly valued member of the team.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Rash / Intimidate
80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
~ Roost - Surprisingly helpful. I didn't think I'd be using this move very often, but it has saved my butt numerous times. Salamence doesn't survive much unfortunately, but Roost has allowed me to stave off and eventually kill threats that would have been difficult to deal with otherwise. At times, I wish I had Outrage, but Roost always proves its utility in the end.
~ Draco Meteor - The unbelievably powerful Draco Meteor. Fire this off any time I can switch in freely and something is going to be seriously hurt. Latias does this better, but Salamence's ability to force switches allows me ample room to come in and kill something with this move. I don't know what they were thinking, putting a move this powerful in the game. Almost no prediction is needed when using this move, which really helps considering how fragile every member is; DM and Salamence itself forces the opponents hand, requiring them to reveal more of their team, giving me the foresight to make sure that some member of my team will be able to sweep.
~ Brick Break - Meh. I hardly use this move, but it does surprise Steels looking to Iron Head/Bullet Punch/whatever me to death. Doesn't get much use otherwise though. I know, however, that if I ran Outrage in it's place, I'd regret it at some point. If there are better alternatives, I'll consider them.
~ Fire Blast - A great revenging tool. Lets me deal with Bronzong easier and is much easier to fire this off first instead of a DM, especially in the first few turns. Too bad about the accuracy, but such are the ways of Pokemon.
Salamence, tear down that wall! And he does. With complete disregard to those that stand before him. The classic MixMence. A lot of stuff can revenge it and at the late game stages, predictions are much more difficult to make sure everything survives, but there are no regrets. Mence is simply too useful. If only he had Superpower ... I would run Dragonite, but not only is he fat, he's too slow (Mence is pretty fat too, I suppose). The EVs might need changing; I don't like losing to opposing Mences.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Brave / Technician
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
~ Bullet Punch - I can't believe I have to explain how this works. Revengin' stuff like no tomorra'! Also gives more insurance against Tyranitar.
~ U-turn - Scoutin' like no tomorra'! I wish Scizor was faster so I could kill things with U-turn and not just scout. But it's for the better, in the end.
~ Superpower - Haven't used it much but I'll be thankful when I do. Requires me to actually predict, a rarity with a team with Offensively oriented.
~ Pursuit - Almost my only defense against Ghost and Psychics and that's assuming they don't Protect. Again, wish Scizor was faster but, again, it's for the better.
Well, I don't know what to say. Just another Scizor. Because he's so good at what he does. Been thinking 'bout running some SpD EVs to survive Surfs. Not sure what the optimal amount would be though. And the Brave nature is to make sure I go second if it comes down to a Skarmory or Scizor battle. If you can convince me to change it, I will.
Latias @ Choice Scarf
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Draco Meteor - Scouting move. Preposterously powerful, becomes Pursuit bait, etc. Great for racking up SR damage though. Works essentially as Salamence does, only much faster.
~ Surf - My only Water attack. Also a good scouting move. Doesn't see much use, considering how much resists it. Thinking about switching it with Psychic.
~ Thunderbolt - My only Electric attack. I generally don't predict anything when using Latias; the only thing I do is use whatever attack will immediately kill whatever I'm facing. Leads to some odd mindgames. Very useful move, especially to revenge Gyara's and Mence's.
~ Trick - Screws up walls, assuming they don't die immediately afterwords. Gives me a free Leftovers or something equally useful. I like keeping my Scarf usually though. Latias really does allow me room to screw up. Might consider running Psychic in its place.
I needed some insurance in case something happens to suddenly get 2 DDs. The nature is to outspeed almost everything, but if there is a better spread, or if you could explain the one I'm running, that'd be great (the analysis was a bit vague). Machamp does a number on this team, hence the Psychic comments. Thoughts?
Heatran @ Choice Specs
Timid / Flash Fire
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Flamethrower - Scouting and late game sweeping move. Does great damage even against those that resist. Doesn't see much use, considering I usually bring out Heatran late game.
~ Hidden Power Grass - My only Grass move. Again, requires much prediction, and as such sees little use. Might consider replacing with HP Ice or Dragon Pulse; Suicune and Swampert might have a field day however.
~ Earth Power - Playing Heatran is entirely based around prediction, especially considering how many Pokes can stop it dead. As much as I like Earth Power, I would also like the safety of Dragon Pulse; at least then I could get some damage in before having to switch. I'll likely have to find room for DP elsewhere, however.
~ Overheat - A Flash Fire boost is some scary stuff. I don't like using this very often, but when I get a boost, I can't resist. Destroys walls early on, allowing many others to capitalize.
3 Choice users?! Blasphemy! Yeah, well, I like switching and playing pseudo-recklessly; it's just fun. Breathes new life into playing. With this many Choicers, prediction is key and allows me to make sure the opponent is struggling to find a good answer to this hyper offense. But with prediction comes misprediction; having a safety net like Dragon Pulse would be really beneficial to make sure I'm not switching so much as to completely wear out my team.
Tyranitar @ Babiri Berry
Jolly / Sand Stream
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Dragon Dance - The main reason I made this team: so that a DDBabiriJollyTar could sweep. Alas, some threats have been overlooked ...
~ Crunch - Good STAB and helps play mindgames as to what set I'm running. Defense dropping is cool too.
~ Fire Punch - To kill those dang Steelies. Doesn't get much use outside of that; using Fire moves is better left to Mence and Tran.
~ Stone Edge - Helps against Fliers that may plague my team and another good STAB. Like Heatran, Tyranitar is all mindgames. Aside from SR, my only Rock attack.
I based the entire team around making sure Tyranitar sweep uninhibited. I'll bring him in very late game to ensure very little can stop, but will bring him out if the opportunity arises, or circumstances call for it (e.g. something has 1%~ HP and no recovery, I bring in TTar to SS it to death). I find it surprising how little Tyranitar gets used; usually I can just clean up with some other member. I've always loved Tyranitar. So badass.
- You four-armed bastard. ResTalkin' is a beastly set. Thankfully, I'm not fully to blame, what with there being no full proof counter (aside from maybe Slowbro but he clearly wouldn't work well with the rest of the team). Nothing can switch-in safely and it will always kill something, usually Metagross or Scizor, if I have to. Sure, I can kill it with Draco Meteors or Overheats, but I hate losing a member all the time, no exceptions. I suppose I'm looking for a counter that doesn't exist, huh? I've considered a Rotom forme, but every member is so important to each other's success ...
- Ugh ... if it's Calm, then I have very little hope of breaking through and most of my team will be Stalled to death with proper set-up. Hopefully Scizor or Metagross is still alive. Bold, I have a small chance. Offensive versions can be revenged by Latias or Scizor. A Calm SubRoostRoar set would be abysmal to fight and would almost guarantee my loss. Considering running Scarf Starmie solely to deal with hazards; Toxic Spikes are no threat (one member is affected, who rarely sees the battlefield anyway) but Spikes can really hinder Scizor and Heatran; even one layer is extremely detrimental.
- Crocune is also beastly. I can try Trick it when it's Sleeping. If I can't, my demise is imminent. Offensive versions are bad too, but at least they won't end the match right there.
- Blegh. Scizor and Metagross can try BPing, considering they don't mind being TWave'd. It's otherwise a field day. Bring this in mid game and I've almost certainly lost.
- A standard wall set can destroy me. The only one that has a chance is Heatran. Latias doesn't mind being Burned however. A Charge Beam set would cause problems as well, but remains to be seen.
- This guy is here only for the Substitute based sets. Torment would be terrible with proper set up. My only defense is prediction.
I would like to deal with these threats easier but I wouldn't know how without messing with the synergy my members already give each other. Gyarados or Lucario might be helpful, what their useful abilities that don't change too much from the team I've created; a Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave would be really helpful as well, considering the only priority is one that is easily resisted. Help would be greatly appreciated. If you have no suggestions, thanks for simply reading the thread.
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Adamant / Clear Body
252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
~ Bullet Punch - Very useful move, especially for revenging later on. The amount of times Smeargle, Breloom, etc leads attempt to Sleep me, only to be doomed by Lum Berry is not only hilariously fun, but helps gain momentum. The lack of hazards really helps switching.
~ Meteor Mash - Unreliable but necessary. Attack boosting is useful, but generally wasted given the mediocre coverage. Destroys Aero and Azelf leads, if I predict right. Good clean up move late game as well.
~ Earthquake - My only answer to Waters and Swampert leads. Does decent damage, but is ultimately only there to soften up opponents so my team can handle them better. Useful, if only as a support option. Anything that doesn't want to be hit by EQ generally has the advantage when facing against Metagross, unfortunately.
~ Stealth Rock - Laying down Rocks is hard but is absolutely necessary to kill what needs to be killed. It's a risky move to be used at anytime, considering that anything that switches in to Metagross will want to kill me immediately or set up along side me. I would relegate this duty to someone else, but everyone needs the moves they have.
I've never used a Lum Berry lead before, and I'm mightily impressed. Sleep leads are dealt with easily, the exception being Bronzong, who can't do much in return (he is still a nuisance, however). The absence of Explosion allows me to let Metagross come in later as death fodder, status absorber, and revenger. When I have Explosion, I tend to use it prematurely and at inopportune times. Maybe when I get better at gauging battles and playstyles, I'll test it. Oh and the EVs are to outspeed standard Metagross leads; that extra Speed certainly doesn't help, however, when I predicted a Skarmory Roosting, and EQ misses because I'm faster. Regardless, at the moment, Metagross is serving his purpose very well and is a highly valued member of the team.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Rash / Intimidate
80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
~ Roost - Surprisingly helpful. I didn't think I'd be using this move very often, but it has saved my butt numerous times. Salamence doesn't survive much unfortunately, but Roost has allowed me to stave off and eventually kill threats that would have been difficult to deal with otherwise. At times, I wish I had Outrage, but Roost always proves its utility in the end.
~ Draco Meteor - The unbelievably powerful Draco Meteor. Fire this off any time I can switch in freely and something is going to be seriously hurt. Latias does this better, but Salamence's ability to force switches allows me ample room to come in and kill something with this move. I don't know what they were thinking, putting a move this powerful in the game. Almost no prediction is needed when using this move, which really helps considering how fragile every member is; DM and Salamence itself forces the opponents hand, requiring them to reveal more of their team, giving me the foresight to make sure that some member of my team will be able to sweep.
~ Brick Break - Meh. I hardly use this move, but it does surprise Steels looking to Iron Head/Bullet Punch/whatever me to death. Doesn't get much use otherwise though. I know, however, that if I ran Outrage in it's place, I'd regret it at some point. If there are better alternatives, I'll consider them.
~ Fire Blast - A great revenging tool. Lets me deal with Bronzong easier and is much easier to fire this off first instead of a DM, especially in the first few turns. Too bad about the accuracy, but such are the ways of Pokemon.
Salamence, tear down that wall! And he does. With complete disregard to those that stand before him. The classic MixMence. A lot of stuff can revenge it and at the late game stages, predictions are much more difficult to make sure everything survives, but there are no regrets. Mence is simply too useful. If only he had Superpower ... I would run Dragonite, but not only is he fat, he's too slow (Mence is pretty fat too, I suppose). The EVs might need changing; I don't like losing to opposing Mences.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Brave / Technician
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
~ Bullet Punch - I can't believe I have to explain how this works. Revengin' stuff like no tomorra'! Also gives more insurance against Tyranitar.
~ U-turn - Scoutin' like no tomorra'! I wish Scizor was faster so I could kill things with U-turn and not just scout. But it's for the better, in the end.
~ Superpower - Haven't used it much but I'll be thankful when I do. Requires me to actually predict, a rarity with a team with Offensively oriented.
~ Pursuit - Almost my only defense against Ghost and Psychics and that's assuming they don't Protect. Again, wish Scizor was faster but, again, it's for the better.
Well, I don't know what to say. Just another Scizor. Because he's so good at what he does. Been thinking 'bout running some SpD EVs to survive Surfs. Not sure what the optimal amount would be though. And the Brave nature is to make sure I go second if it comes down to a Skarmory or Scizor battle. If you can convince me to change it, I will.
Latias @ Choice Scarf
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Draco Meteor - Scouting move. Preposterously powerful, becomes Pursuit bait, etc. Great for racking up SR damage though. Works essentially as Salamence does, only much faster.
~ Surf - My only Water attack. Also a good scouting move. Doesn't see much use, considering how much resists it. Thinking about switching it with Psychic.
~ Thunderbolt - My only Electric attack. I generally don't predict anything when using Latias; the only thing I do is use whatever attack will immediately kill whatever I'm facing. Leads to some odd mindgames. Very useful move, especially to revenge Gyara's and Mence's.
~ Trick - Screws up walls, assuming they don't die immediately afterwords. Gives me a free Leftovers or something equally useful. I like keeping my Scarf usually though. Latias really does allow me room to screw up. Might consider running Psychic in its place.
I needed some insurance in case something happens to suddenly get 2 DDs. The nature is to outspeed almost everything, but if there is a better spread, or if you could explain the one I'm running, that'd be great (the analysis was a bit vague). Machamp does a number on this team, hence the Psychic comments. Thoughts?
Heatran @ Choice Specs
Timid / Flash Fire
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Flamethrower - Scouting and late game sweeping move. Does great damage even against those that resist. Doesn't see much use, considering I usually bring out Heatran late game.
~ Hidden Power Grass - My only Grass move. Again, requires much prediction, and as such sees little use. Might consider replacing with HP Ice or Dragon Pulse; Suicune and Swampert might have a field day however.
~ Earth Power - Playing Heatran is entirely based around prediction, especially considering how many Pokes can stop it dead. As much as I like Earth Power, I would also like the safety of Dragon Pulse; at least then I could get some damage in before having to switch. I'll likely have to find room for DP elsewhere, however.
~ Overheat - A Flash Fire boost is some scary stuff. I don't like using this very often, but when I get a boost, I can't resist. Destroys walls early on, allowing many others to capitalize.
3 Choice users?! Blasphemy! Yeah, well, I like switching and playing pseudo-recklessly; it's just fun. Breathes new life into playing. With this many Choicers, prediction is key and allows me to make sure the opponent is struggling to find a good answer to this hyper offense. But with prediction comes misprediction; having a safety net like Dragon Pulse would be really beneficial to make sure I'm not switching so much as to completely wear out my team.
Tyranitar @ Babiri Berry
Jolly / Sand Stream
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Dragon Dance - The main reason I made this team: so that a DDBabiriJollyTar could sweep. Alas, some threats have been overlooked ...
~ Crunch - Good STAB and helps play mindgames as to what set I'm running. Defense dropping is cool too.
~ Fire Punch - To kill those dang Steelies. Doesn't get much use outside of that; using Fire moves is better left to Mence and Tran.
~ Stone Edge - Helps against Fliers that may plague my team and another good STAB. Like Heatran, Tyranitar is all mindgames. Aside from SR, my only Rock attack.
I based the entire team around making sure Tyranitar sweep uninhibited. I'll bring him in very late game to ensure very little can stop, but will bring him out if the opportunity arises, or circumstances call for it (e.g. something has 1%~ HP and no recovery, I bring in TTar to SS it to death). I find it surprising how little Tyranitar gets used; usually I can just clean up with some other member. I've always loved Tyranitar. So badass.
THREATS
I won't list everything, just stuff that really stops everybody in their tracks.
I would like to deal with these threats easier but I wouldn't know how without messing with the synergy my members already give each other. Gyarados or Lucario might be helpful, what their useful abilities that don't change too much from the team I've created; a Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave would be really helpful as well, considering the only priority is one that is easily resisted. Help would be greatly appreciated. If you have no suggestions, thanks for simply reading the thread.
