Team Analysis:
Bronzong leads the team off setting up duel screens, then Heatran comes in and sets up Stealth Rock while scouting their teams Heatran counter, then I play out the match killing as many pokémon as I can and get rid of pokémon that can use Ice, Dragon r Rock attacks. Then I bring in my Salamence, who now has no reliable counter, and DD a few times then I use him to kill all my opponents remanning pokémon.
In Depth:
@ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/200 Def/56 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
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Description: Bronzong is a great duel screen user. He is my primary choice when I need to switch out and scout their moveset provided they don’t have a fire move. I chose this set over the more commonly used set as I got board of that set an wanted to try something new. This set not only helps the team more but, in my opinion, is the best zong there is as other pokémon can put things to sleep and set up rocks. Gyro Ball helps take out fast pokémon and Earthquake is for coverage.
EVs: 252HP is obvious. 200Def makes a Jolly +1 DD LO Outrage from a 252Atk mence a 3HKO. An Adamant Mence with the same boosts does a max 50.89% with Outrage. The SpD EVs make a Fire Blast from a LO Mence with a +SpA nature and 120 SpA EVs a 2HKO. With these EVs Bronzong can survive a lot more physical attacks and come in on more physical sweepers to set up screens. And with light screen up Fire Blast from a Modest, 252SpA non Life Orb Azelf is a 3HKO.
Team Work: Bronzong helps the team by setting up duel screens to give the teams defences a boost and can take a lot of hits thanks to his EV spread and thus set up screens.
Strategy: Bronzong starts the game off my setting up duel screens. Then he switches out, or if the opponent is fast, Gyro Balls.
(M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP/252 Def/68 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Wish
- Protect
---
Description: Vaporeon is a great counter to many threats in today’s metagame. Such as Infernape, Heatran and Gyarados. He is a great scouter with Protect and being able to counter a lot of major threats. Surf is the preferred move as it gets STAB. HP Electric is for hitting Gyarados and things that resist Surf.
EVs: The EVs allow him to counter threats like Infernape, Heatran and Gyarados while taking minimal damage in the process.
Team Work: Vaporeon provides Wish support for the team, which will heal Heatran, Swampert and to an extent Zapdos. He also scouts opponent’s movesets with Protect.
Strategy: The strategy for Vaporeon is to scout my opponent’s moveset with Protect, counter threats already mentioned, and heal the team with Wish.
@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP/200 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
- Sleep Talk
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Description: Sleep Talk makes Zapdos my sleep absorber and can also take tricks well. Heat Wave is Zapdos’ new toy in Platinum; it takes care of Steel types and pesky Grass types. HP Ice is for Dragons [mainly Salamence] but it also provides great coverage with Thunder Bolt and Heat Wave. Thunder Bolt is my primary move and has STAB to boot. The key to this set is that he is so fast there are only a handful of pokémon that can actually outspeed him.
EVs: 252SpA is for obvious reasons. 200Spe allows me to outspeed ScarfGar and everything below it. I won’t be able to outspeed anything else with 252Spe anyway. I then put the rest in HP.
Team Work: Zapdos helps this team basically by revenge killing and outspeeding threats and KOing them clearing the way for mence.
Strategy: Zapdos comes in for the revenge kill. Primarily he attacks 2 or 3 times then switches out.
(M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/6 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
---
Description: Swampert is my main physical sweeper. Choice Band gives him that extra kick that he needs. Swampert is useful as not only does he pack a punch a lot of teams are weak to him and can’t counter him properly.
EVs: 252HP EVs are for general bulkiness, as because Swampert is relatively slow he will be taking hits before he makes them. 252Atk is obvious and no the 6 Spe EVs aren’t just random. They allow me to outspeed other Swamperts [who Swampert can ware down with repeated CBed Earthquakes] and to at least speed tie with Empoleon who use 6 Spe EVs to outspeed Swampert.
Team Work: Swampert is a great asset to my team as he can counter Zapdos who do not carry HP Grass and his typing makes him the perfect physical sweeper for this team. Swampert helps to finish off weakened foes and he stops Blissey from walling me.
Strategy: Swampert’s strategy is to come in, deal hefty damage with a CBed attack and then switch out.
(M) @ Life Orb/Expert Belt
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 64 HP/192 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
---
Description: This is my version of RaikouLovers LureTran. Heatran is a great revenge killer and now that he doesn’t have a Choice item can be utilized as a normal special sweeper. Not many people realize the potential that Heatran has to be a LO Sweeper and just go with a Scarf revenge killer. He has the ability to sweep many pokémon without needing to switch every time he has to change moves.
EVs: 252SpA is for max power. 192Spe allows me to outspeed max Breloom down. The only thing more I would be outspeeding with 252Spe EVs is neutral Heracross and no ones uses that. 64HP gives me a bit of bulk.
Team Work: Heatran helps this team by setting up Stealth Rock and using his great movepool to eliminate threats to this team as Earth Power, Hidden Power [Ice] and Flamethrower provide excellent coverage.
Strategy: Heatran comes in after Bronzong has finished setting up screens and sets up Stealth Rock. I then switch out making my opponent think that I am scarfed, only to come back in later and do a bit of sweeping.
(M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 172HP / 252SpD / 80Spe / 4Atk
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Roost
---
Description: Salamence is my late game sweeper. He comes in when my opponent is down to his last few pokes for when he can do next to no damage to me. He is my late game clean up pokémon basically. Alternitavely, I can bring him in on enemy Zapdos, as these EVs allow [from the standard defensive Zapdos] Thunder Bolt to do a max 37.7%damage, and DD while they switch.
EVs: I use the more offensive EVs as because he comes in late game he shouldn’t be taking many hits.
Team Work: Salamence cleans up the mess that my other team members have made.
Strategy: Salamence comes in late game, gets in 6DDs then cleans up the mess that my other team members made.
Bronzong leads the team off setting up duel screens, then Heatran comes in and sets up Stealth Rock while scouting their teams Heatran counter, then I play out the match killing as many pokémon as I can and get rid of pokémon that can use Ice, Dragon r Rock attacks. Then I bring in my Salamence, who now has no reliable counter, and DD a few times then I use him to kill all my opponents remanning pokémon.
In Depth:
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/200 Def/56 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
---
Description: Bronzong is a great duel screen user. He is my primary choice when I need to switch out and scout their moveset provided they don’t have a fire move. I chose this set over the more commonly used set as I got board of that set an wanted to try something new. This set not only helps the team more but, in my opinion, is the best zong there is as other pokémon can put things to sleep and set up rocks. Gyro Ball helps take out fast pokémon and Earthquake is for coverage.
EVs: 252HP is obvious. 200Def makes a Jolly +1 DD LO Outrage from a 252Atk mence a 3HKO. An Adamant Mence with the same boosts does a max 50.89% with Outrage. The SpD EVs make a Fire Blast from a LO Mence with a +SpA nature and 120 SpA EVs a 2HKO. With these EVs Bronzong can survive a lot more physical attacks and come in on more physical sweepers to set up screens. And with light screen up Fire Blast from a Modest, 252SpA non Life Orb Azelf is a 3HKO.
Team Work: Bronzong helps the team by setting up duel screens to give the teams defences a boost and can take a lot of hits thanks to his EV spread and thus set up screens.
Strategy: Bronzong starts the game off my setting up duel screens. Then he switches out, or if the opponent is fast, Gyro Balls.
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP/252 Def/68 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Wish
- Protect
---
Description: Vaporeon is a great counter to many threats in today’s metagame. Such as Infernape, Heatran and Gyarados. He is a great scouter with Protect and being able to counter a lot of major threats. Surf is the preferred move as it gets STAB. HP Electric is for hitting Gyarados and things that resist Surf.
EVs: The EVs allow him to counter threats like Infernape, Heatran and Gyarados while taking minimal damage in the process.
Team Work: Vaporeon provides Wish support for the team, which will heal Heatran, Swampert and to an extent Zapdos. He also scouts opponent’s movesets with Protect.
Strategy: The strategy for Vaporeon is to scout my opponent’s moveset with Protect, counter threats already mentioned, and heal the team with Wish.
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP/200 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
- Sleep Talk
---
Description: Sleep Talk makes Zapdos my sleep absorber and can also take tricks well. Heat Wave is Zapdos’ new toy in Platinum; it takes care of Steel types and pesky Grass types. HP Ice is for Dragons [mainly Salamence] but it also provides great coverage with Thunder Bolt and Heat Wave. Thunder Bolt is my primary move and has STAB to boot. The key to this set is that he is so fast there are only a handful of pokémon that can actually outspeed him.
EVs: 252SpA is for obvious reasons. 200Spe allows me to outspeed ScarfGar and everything below it. I won’t be able to outspeed anything else with 252Spe anyway. I then put the rest in HP.
Team Work: Zapdos helps this team basically by revenge killing and outspeeding threats and KOing them clearing the way for mence.
Strategy: Zapdos comes in for the revenge kill. Primarily he attacks 2 or 3 times then switches out.
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/6 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
---
Description: Swampert is my main physical sweeper. Choice Band gives him that extra kick that he needs. Swampert is useful as not only does he pack a punch a lot of teams are weak to him and can’t counter him properly.
EVs: 252HP EVs are for general bulkiness, as because Swampert is relatively slow he will be taking hits before he makes them. 252Atk is obvious and no the 6 Spe EVs aren’t just random. They allow me to outspeed other Swamperts [who Swampert can ware down with repeated CBed Earthquakes] and to at least speed tie with Empoleon who use 6 Spe EVs to outspeed Swampert.
Team Work: Swampert is a great asset to my team as he can counter Zapdos who do not carry HP Grass and his typing makes him the perfect physical sweeper for this team. Swampert helps to finish off weakened foes and he stops Blissey from walling me.
Strategy: Swampert’s strategy is to come in, deal hefty damage with a CBed attack and then switch out.
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 64 HP/192 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
---
Description: This is my version of RaikouLovers LureTran. Heatran is a great revenge killer and now that he doesn’t have a Choice item can be utilized as a normal special sweeper. Not many people realize the potential that Heatran has to be a LO Sweeper and just go with a Scarf revenge killer. He has the ability to sweep many pokémon without needing to switch every time he has to change moves.
EVs: 252SpA is for max power. 192Spe allows me to outspeed max Breloom down. The only thing more I would be outspeeding with 252Spe EVs is neutral Heracross and no ones uses that. 64HP gives me a bit of bulk.
Team Work: Heatran helps this team by setting up Stealth Rock and using his great movepool to eliminate threats to this team as Earth Power, Hidden Power [Ice] and Flamethrower provide excellent coverage.
Strategy: Heatran comes in after Bronzong has finished setting up screens and sets up Stealth Rock. I then switch out making my opponent think that I am scarfed, only to come back in later and do a bit of sweeping.
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 172HP / 252SpD / 80Spe / 4Atk
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Roost
---
Description: Salamence is my late game sweeper. He comes in when my opponent is down to his last few pokes for when he can do next to no damage to me. He is my late game clean up pokémon basically. Alternitavely, I can bring him in on enemy Zapdos, as these EVs allow [from the standard defensive Zapdos] Thunder Bolt to do a max 37.7%damage, and DD while they switch.
EVs: I use the more offensive EVs as because he comes in late game he shouldn’t be taking many hits.
Team Work: Salamence cleans up the mess that my other team members have made.
Strategy: Salamence comes in late game, gets in 6DDs then cleans up the mess that my other team members made.
Major Threats:
SDLife Orb Lucario: Lucario can kill off all my team members with a combination of Close Combat and Ice Punch. Currently, only Zapdos and mence can come in on it but they are killed by Ice Punch. [Both 2HKOed] Does anyone have any suggestions to help combat this problem?Conclusion:
Overall the team works really well together. I have out a lot of effort into building and perfecting this team to the best of its ability but I think that it can still do a little bit better. Thank you for reading and I look forward to your rates.
