</p>Hey everyone!!! First of all, I'd just like to say that I'm having a great time here on smogon. All of you who contribute to this site have done a fantastic job and deserve a huge round of applause. You've made pokemon a huge craze amongst a lot of people who did not even bother to try out the games, and also shed light on a lot of aspects that people like me were never aware of, that actually make the job of training pokemon a lot more interesting than I originally thought it was. I've also started breeding, and that was something I didn't think was necessary unless it was required to complete the pokedex or something like that until I realised it's one of the keys to building a good solid team.
</p>On that note, I'd like to get to the main purpose of this thread. This is only the second thread started by me, after the first RMT thread that I posted a few days ago. Although I didn't get a very good response to it, it still managed to help me get some tips about team building and also key threats on smogon, which I needed to know as I plan on battling competitively soon. I'd also like to inform all those of you who have read my first thread, that I won't be posting in it anymore.
</p>So anyway, this is my second RMT thread and comes on the back of the first one as a new and improved version of my team. Although most of its members are retained, a few changes have been made based on all the feedback provided by the members on smogon, and I'm very grateful to you guys for the tips, since this combination seems to work a lot better. I also understand that my thread wasn't as appealing to read as it didn't have enough matter in it or wasn't presented well enough. I hope I've done a better job with this one and also hope to get a better response than last time.
ABOUT ME AND MY TEAM
</p>I'm a regular 15 year old who really likes to play games competitively. I've recently started with pokemon white and realised that a lot more features have been introduced in the game since the red version(which I had played earlier), making it rather interesting. I plan on battling competitively only after I dominate in battle subway so that I know I'm prepared.
</p> I'm not a fan of legendary pokemon as their power allows them to beat the other pokemon with relative ease, but I don't mind battling against them. So my team does not have any legendary pokemon in it, but I'm trying to make it strong enough to take on anything that is thrown at it. Also, it is strictly, a fifth generation team and does not have members from earlier generations.
N.B.: The pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses, etc. are all based on my own judgements and I hope to get some feedback on the same.
MY TEAM(Nickname in brackets)
</p>My team consists of a mix of attacking, defensive as well as support pokemon from fifth generation so as to maintain a balance which allows them to fare better as a team using their own individual skills and profiting from those of their team-mates. I've tried to cover as many types as possible and also taken the conditions normally seen in gameplay such as weather conditions, effects of abilities, etc. into consideration. So without further delay, I present to you all, MY POKEMON WHITE TEAM!!!
DEFENSIVE AND SUPPORTING POKEMON(WALLS, SUPPORT MOVE USERS, ETC.)
I'll begin with......
Ferrothorn(Howitzer)@Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
Nature: Sassy(+SDef, -Spe)
EV Spread: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 6 Def
Moveset:
-Curse
-Ingrain
-Toxic
-Power Whip
Purpose of set
</p>A simple set, nothing complex, to say the least, with nature and EV spread giving Ferrothorn as much bulk as possible and also boosting its already impressive Special Defense stat. In addition to this, the -spe nature allows ferrothorn to be one of the fastest pokemon if the opponent happens to use trick room and can be a surprise.
</p>Curse allows ferrothorn to raise its massive base 131 Defense and also raises its attack while lowering its speed, which is all the more better in trick room. Otherwise, ferrothorn is really slow anyway, so the speed drops don't matter that much. Ingrain serves two main purposes. First, it allows ferrothorn to recover a little HP at the end of every turn, and second, it ensures that ferrothorn cannot be Phazed out with moves like whirlwind or dragon tail. So its stat boosts from curse do not get reset very easily. Toxic works well as it allows ferrothorn to set up while its opponent loses more and more HP every turn. Power whip is on the set because my team misses grass type STAB so I have something to hit water types with, and base power 180 with STAB is pretty good, especially after a few curse boosts.
</p>Rocky helmet makes life really hard for physical based attackers and coupled with its ability iron barbs makes the opponent think twice before using a physical attack against ferrothorn. Pokemon that have strictly physical based attacks get KO'd without ferrothorn even having to hit them with an attack. This set lets ferrothorn do what it does best, that is wall and stall, and at the same time gives ferrothorn the opportunity to hit hard with a boosted attack after setting up with curse.
Role in the team
</p>Ferrothorn is known for its defensive capabilities and abilities as a stall pokemon, and that is exactly its job on my team as well. It not only breaks down physical attackers with ease, but also helps in countering fellow walls and stall pokemon. Special attackers also have a hard time against it, as long as they're not carrying focus blast, aura sphere, or fire type moves.
</p>Ferrothorn's entry becomes inevitable when the opponent gets the upper hand and sets up against my team, so that it can cripple and then slowly take out the opponent, and set up itself while doing so. Can be a great counter against many types as it resists a lot of attacks so the list of pokemon that it can counter is pretty long.
</p>Ferrothorn also carries out the task of switching in on status moves to protect the other pokemon who can't handle it as well as ferrothorn. Since it can handle status better than most pokemon, a predicted status move from the opponent can be diverted onto ferrothorn and although it does cause some problems, ferrothorn can still function pretty efficiently. In addition to being one of my two defensive pokemon, ferrothorn also hits pretty hard and can also be used as a set-up attacker and can even OHKO potential threats without taking much in return, if allowed to set-up with curse.
Strengths
Jellicent(Jelly)@Mystic Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Bold(+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread: 244 HP / 216 Def / 50 Spe
Moveset:
-Taunt
-Scald
-Rain Dance
-Recover
Purpose of set
</p>It's a slightly modified version of the utility counter jellicent. I've replaced will-o-wisp with rain dance to allow jelly to change weather to rain as and when required as scald has a 30% chance of burning anyway. Ferrothorn also benefits from rain as it allows the pokemon to take more hits from fire type moves by weakening them. The nature and EV spread increases defense and bulk while giving it a little bit of extra speed and that can come in handy sometimes.
</p>Taunt is a great move on this set. It allows jelly to force the opponent to use only attacking moves and prevent set-ups and HP recovery and also stops them from inflicting status problems on jelly. Rain dance lets jelly hit harder and also allows it to change to a weather my team is comfortable with. Scald has good base power of 120 with STAB and can be pretty powerful in the rain. It also has 30% chance of causing a burn and crippling opponents. Recover allows jelly to recover lost HP and then hit back while not having to worry about fainting very soon.
</p>I use mystic water to make its scald stronger. Its ability water absorb is excellent as it allows a free switch-in on water attacks. In addition to this, it can give jelly a free heal if a water move is predicted properly. Overall, I feel that this set gives defensive jelly a chance to not only stall, but also hit hard if given the chance.
Role in the team
</p>Jelly's role changes from time to time. It can either open the proceedings for me, or it can switch in on water types, both offensive and defensive. It's also my main counter to fire types and rock types. Can handle volcarona pretty well as jelly resists its STAB moves. Can also counter chandelure, but shadow ball can be a problem for jelly.
</p>It's an excellent staller at any point during a battle, and can really frustrate opponents. Immunity to fighting and normal type moves means that they have a tough time against jelly although a payback from something like conkeldurr can be pretty bad for jelly. Jelly also has rain dance so that it can change weather to rain as and when needed.
</p>Makes for a great defensive core with ferrothorn as both of them combined can wall out almost everything. It stands up to foe walls pretty well and taunts and scalds them into submission.
Strengths
Weaknesses
and......
Braviary(Tomahawk)@Expert Belt
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Careful(+SDef, -SAtk)
EV Spread: 192 HP / 58 Atk / 140 Def / 68 SDef / 52 Spe
Moveset:
-Tailwind
-Fly
-Rock Slide
-Defog
Purpose of set
</p>This is where a slight change can be seen from the normal flow of events observed in the earlier sets. The previous two pokemon are trained to do what they do best, while Braviary has a very different role from its usual sweeping duty. In other words, braviary, who is known for being a physical sweeper is functioning as a support pokemon, and bringing some balance in the form of type coverage.
</p>The set aims at making braviary very bulky and capable of taking hits so that it can support the team in different ways. The nature and EV spread give it considerable amount of bulk and just enough attack to be able to do damage that hurts the opponent and speed to outspeed base speed 85 pokemon without EVs invested in speed and not having a speed boosting nature.
</p>The moveset is very different from the conventional braviary sets used, with moves like tailwind and defog allowing it to support the team. Fly allows it to attack with base power 135 with STAB without losing HP in the form of recoil from brave bird. Although the power of brave bird is massive compared to fly, this set cannot allow for any recoil as braviary needs to last longer than it usually does. With tailwind, it can help counter scarf users by doubling the speed of all my pokemon for four turns. Tailwind also makes braviary fast enough to outspeed base speed 130 pokemon with maximum IVs and EVs in speed as long as the nature is not a speed boosting one. Defog helps get rid of entry hazards and also blows away screens that foe walls set up, and also reduces evasiveness making them easier to hit. Rock slide can hit the likes of dragonite and salamence for super-effective damage and also gives braviary some coverage against ice types.
</p>Expert belt makes super-effective moves 20% more effective so it can hit fighting types harder with fly and similarly rock slide can do more damage to those it is super-effective against. Also, its ability sheer force makes rock slide almost as powerful as stone edge and can 2HKO bulky dragonite with it.
Role in the team
</p>I felt my team was in need of a pokemon who can support as well as help counter certain types that I had not managed to cover earlier and Braviary seemed like a good choice for this job. With decent bulk, above average defenses and speed, it can do the job of a supporter by taking hits and setting up moves like tailwind, clearing obstacles like light screens, entry hazards like stealth rock and countering double team users by lowering their evasiveness, all using defog.
</p>It has a top tier base 123 attacking stat, so apart from supporting the team, it can also hit with a decent amount of power and is my main counter for fighting types. The expert belt allows it to 2HKO bulky conkeldurr with fly. Along with sheer force, it can 2HKO bulky dragonite having multiscale with rock slide.
</p>It also brings an element of surprise to the side as a lot of people do not expect braviary to be in such a role and can force a lot of switches allowing for a free tailwind set-up.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Here, I have......
Excadrill(Slash)@Leftovers
Ability: Sand Rush
Nature: Jolly(+Spe, -SAtk)
EV Spread: 132 HP / 74 Def / 52 SDef / 252 Spe
Moveset:
-Swords dance
-Rapid Spin
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
Purpose of set
</p>This set is pretty much like a swords dance excadrill set, but has some EVs invested in defenses instead of all in HP and speed. This helps balance out the defense to special defense ratio. This is so that excadrill can take hits while setting up with swords dance. Jolly nature makes excadrill as fast as pokemon with base speed 100 with 252 EVs and 31 IVs in speed as long as they do not have a speed boosting nature.
</p>Swords dance is the main move in this set, boosting excadrill's massive base 135 attack to scary heights after just a couple of uses. Earthquake hits base power 150 with STAB and hits everything but flying types and levitating pokemon, while rock slide hits the flying types for super-effective damage. Rapid spin support is something that excadrill can provide with excellent efficiency as excadrill forces a lot of switches and usually gets a chance to spin without taking anything in return.
</p>Leftovers increase excadrill's longevity on the field so it can do more damage by surviving longer. It is also my only pokemon, apart from ferrothorn, who does not lose HP in a sandstorm as excadrill has steel typing. In fact, its ability sand rush is something that can be exploited when the opponent brings up a sandstorm making excadrill 50% faster outspeeding any opponent as long as the opponent is not scarfed or hasn't boosted its own speed with any status move.
Role in the team
</p>Top tier attacking stats coupled with steel typing, good bulk and decent defenses, means that excadrill is one tough pokemon who can sweep entire teams, and is exactly its main role on my team. As a setup sweeper, it can take hits and then hit back really hard. Access to STAB earthquake and swords dance makes excadrill all the more dangerous and therefore does the job of sweeping with ease.
</p>But sweeping isn't all excadrill does. It also provides vital support to the team by clearing out entry hazards with rapid spin. It is also a great switch-in on poison type and electric type moves due to its immunity to both of them. Serves as an excellent counter to curse ferrothorn.
Strengths
Weaknesses
ATTACKING POKEMON(SWEEPERS)
Moving on to......
Volcarona(Firefly)@Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Bold(+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Spe
Moveset:
-Quiver Dance
-Fire Blast
-Bug Buzz
-Hidden Power(Rock)
Purpose of set
</p>Bulky volcarona is a pretty common set that I've seen people use and feel it is the best way to go with it. EV spread and nature increases bulk and defense stat so that volcarona can function as a set-up sweeper. It does so by allowing volcarona to take physical attacks better and then using boosting moves to set-up.
</p>That brings us to its moveset, beginning with quiver dance. An excellent move that boosts SAtk, SDef and Spe by one stage each. This not only allows volcarona to hit harder but also increases the number of hits it can take from the special side of things. But most importantly, it boosts volcarona's speed allowing it to outspeed almost anything after just a few uses of quiver dance. Fire blast has 180 Base power with STAB and is the move of choice letting volcarona hit pretty hard. Bug Buzz also gets a STAB boost to 135 base power and also has the chance of lowering the opponents SDef stat. Hidden power rock gives it coverage against other fire types as well as flying types so it has perfect neutral coverage.
</p>The sitrus berry lets volcarona regain some health after setting up with quiver dance so it can make the most of it. Its ability flame body acts as a bonus as it may burn physical attackers allowing volcarona to take even more hits from physical attacks.
Role in the team
</p>Volcarona can serve two purposes in the team. One, it can function as a special attacker and a counter to grass, steel, ice and bug types. Or it can function as a set-up sweeper as quiver dance turns it into one mean killing machine. Doesn't have any supporting role aside from providing coverage against certain types and maybe inflicting burns on physical attackers.
</p>Can switch in on fighting type moves and set-up in their face and can also help counter various threats like lilligant and other grass types, umbreon and other dark types, espeon and other psychic types, mamoswine and other ice types, etc., which can be a problem if left unchecked. Serves as an excellent counter to ferrothorn with fire blast and other volcarona with hidden power rock.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Hydreigon(Mutalor)@Shell Bell
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Modest(+SAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread: 6 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
-Surf
-Fire Blast
-Draco Meteor
-U turn
Purpose of set
</p>All out attack, is what this set screams out when anyone looks at it and I feel is the set of choice for this pseudo-legendary dragon from fifth generation. Nature and EV spread increases its impressive base 125 SAtk stat and its not so impressive but passable base 98 speed. It already has decent bulk with 92/90/90 HP and defenses.
</p>Draco meteor reaches a breathtaking 210 base power with STAB and coming off a massive SAtk stat like the one Hydreigon has, can OHKO anything but steel types and some special walls like chansey and blissey. Fire Blast gives excellent coverage against ice types and can also hit steel types that resist Draco meteor for super-effective damage. Surf can be used against fire/steel types that take neutral damage from fire blast like heatran. U-turn is simply on this set to allow hydreigon an additional scouting option so it can safely get out of battle while inflicting some damage and reset the drop in special attack due to Draco meteor. It is best used when the foe has very little HP left so that the opponent faints and the team-mate switching in does not take any damage.
</p>Shell bell increases hydreigon's longevity as it recovers HP everytime hydreigon attacks and since it has only attacking moves works pretty well on this set. Hydreigon's ability levitate grants it immunity to ground type moves and also spikes.
Role in the team
</p>With a set like this one, it is obvious what hydreigon's main task is. It has the potential to hit hard with its high Base power moves and excellent SAtk boosted by modest nature and EVs. Its above average speed can be a problem for it though. But the right kind of support, like a tailwind from braviary can really help hydreigon take out key pokemon that pose a threat to my team as it is the only pokemon who has the potential to OHKO almost anything without any set-up.
</p>So its job is pretty simple. Either OHKO or weaken opponents with draco meteor, u-turn and hope the opponent faints, come back again when given the chance and use Draco Meteor again with the stat drop reset due to switching out. Sounds simple but can be hard to execute. Anticipation is key for the hydreion strategy and a proper damage calculation can actually allow my team to have a lot of free switch-ins on U-turn.
</p>Being a dark type, hydreigon can switch-in on psychic and ghost types and also other dark types as it is immune to the first one and resists the others. It is also my main counter to Scarfchomp and other fast dragon types once tailwind is up. It can outspeed a jolly scarfchomp with 252 EVs and 31 IVs in speed when tailwind is up assuming chomp hasn't used dragon dance.
Strengths
KEY FEATURES OF THE TEAM(according to my analysis)
</p>After constantly tyring out the team under different conditions and battling with various opponents, both A.I. and human, I've come up with some key PROS and CONS that my team has.
PROS
CONCLUSION
</p>So that pretty much sums up my analysis of the team and all in all, I'm pretty happy with the way it is right now. But I would really appreciate an outsider's opinion, because every person tends to overlook his/her own shortcomings. I can't help it, I'm human after all.
</p>So I kindly request you guys to go through this thread and use your knowledge and experience to help me create a better team. Waiting in anticipation, I remain.
</p>On that note, I'd like to get to the main purpose of this thread. This is only the second thread started by me, after the first RMT thread that I posted a few days ago. Although I didn't get a very good response to it, it still managed to help me get some tips about team building and also key threats on smogon, which I needed to know as I plan on battling competitively soon. I'd also like to inform all those of you who have read my first thread, that I won't be posting in it anymore.
</p>So anyway, this is my second RMT thread and comes on the back of the first one as a new and improved version of my team. Although most of its members are retained, a few changes have been made based on all the feedback provided by the members on smogon, and I'm very grateful to you guys for the tips, since this combination seems to work a lot better. I also understand that my thread wasn't as appealing to read as it didn't have enough matter in it or wasn't presented well enough. I hope I've done a better job with this one and also hope to get a better response than last time.
ABOUT ME AND MY TEAM
</p>I'm a regular 15 year old who really likes to play games competitively. I've recently started with pokemon white and realised that a lot more features have been introduced in the game since the red version(which I had played earlier), making it rather interesting. I plan on battling competitively only after I dominate in battle subway so that I know I'm prepared.
</p> I'm not a fan of legendary pokemon as their power allows them to beat the other pokemon with relative ease, but I don't mind battling against them. So my team does not have any legendary pokemon in it, but I'm trying to make it strong enough to take on anything that is thrown at it. Also, it is strictly, a fifth generation team and does not have members from earlier generations.
N.B.: The pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses, etc. are all based on my own judgements and I hope to get some feedback on the same.
MY TEAM(Nickname in brackets)
</p>My team consists of a mix of attacking, defensive as well as support pokemon from fifth generation so as to maintain a balance which allows them to fare better as a team using their own individual skills and profiting from those of their team-mates. I've tried to cover as many types as possible and also taken the conditions normally seen in gameplay such as weather conditions, effects of abilities, etc. into consideration. So without further delay, I present to you all, MY POKEMON WHITE TEAM!!!
DEFENSIVE AND SUPPORTING POKEMON(WALLS, SUPPORT MOVE USERS, ETC.)
I'll begin with......
Ferrothorn(Howitzer)@Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
Nature: Sassy(+SDef, -Spe)
EV Spread: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 6 Def
Moveset:
-Curse
-Ingrain
-Toxic
-Power Whip
Purpose of set
</p>A simple set, nothing complex, to say the least, with nature and EV spread giving Ferrothorn as much bulk as possible and also boosting its already impressive Special Defense stat. In addition to this, the -spe nature allows ferrothorn to be one of the fastest pokemon if the opponent happens to use trick room and can be a surprise.
</p>Curse allows ferrothorn to raise its massive base 131 Defense and also raises its attack while lowering its speed, which is all the more better in trick room. Otherwise, ferrothorn is really slow anyway, so the speed drops don't matter that much. Ingrain serves two main purposes. First, it allows ferrothorn to recover a little HP at the end of every turn, and second, it ensures that ferrothorn cannot be Phazed out with moves like whirlwind or dragon tail. So its stat boosts from curse do not get reset very easily. Toxic works well as it allows ferrothorn to set up while its opponent loses more and more HP every turn. Power whip is on the set because my team misses grass type STAB so I have something to hit water types with, and base power 180 with STAB is pretty good, especially after a few curse boosts.
</p>Rocky helmet makes life really hard for physical based attackers and coupled with its ability iron barbs makes the opponent think twice before using a physical attack against ferrothorn. Pokemon that have strictly physical based attacks get KO'd without ferrothorn even having to hit them with an attack. This set lets ferrothorn do what it does best, that is wall and stall, and at the same time gives ferrothorn the opportunity to hit hard with a boosted attack after setting up with curse.
Role in the team
</p>Ferrothorn is known for its defensive capabilities and abilities as a stall pokemon, and that is exactly its job on my team as well. It not only breaks down physical attackers with ease, but also helps in countering fellow walls and stall pokemon. Special attackers also have a hard time against it, as long as they're not carrying focus blast, aura sphere, or fire type moves.
</p>Ferrothorn's entry becomes inevitable when the opponent gets the upper hand and sets up against my team, so that it can cripple and then slowly take out the opponent, and set up itself while doing so. Can be a great counter against many types as it resists a lot of attacks so the list of pokemon that it can counter is pretty long.
</p>Ferrothorn also carries out the task of switching in on status moves to protect the other pokemon who can't handle it as well as ferrothorn. Since it can handle status better than most pokemon, a predicted status move from the opponent can be diverted onto ferrothorn and although it does cause some problems, ferrothorn can still function pretty efficiently. In addition to being one of my two defensive pokemon, ferrothorn also hits pretty hard and can also be used as a set-up attacker and can even OHKO potential threats without taking much in return, if allowed to set-up with curse.
Strengths
- A true wall with excellent defensive capabilities
- Can stall and does pretty well against stall too
- Steel typing gives it a lot of resistances and a key immunity to poison
- The additional grass typing means that leech seed is also useless against it
- Can handle status pretty well
- Has the ability to counter Phazers who try to send ferrothorn back to annul its set-up
- Its attack boosted by curse is sometimes enough to knock out even physically defensive pokemon with no defensive boosts
- Probably one of the fastest pokemon in trick room and can be a surprise for many
- Has a 2x weakness to fighting and 4x weakness to fire pokemon
- Has no reliable healing moves aside from leech seed and ingrain
- Has no way of recovering from status problems unless holding a berry
- While ingrain allows ferrothorn to avoid being phazed out, it can also lead to its downfall as it cannot be switched out when it needs to be
- Other steel type walls like steelix resist toxic as well as power whip and can hit ferrothorn with earthquake without getting hurt by rocky helmet or iron barbs and ferrothorn cannot do much against them
- Other curse ferrothorn with an attack that does neutral damage to ferrothorn like bulldoze get the upper hand in battle
Jellicent(Jelly)@Mystic Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Bold(+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread: 244 HP / 216 Def / 50 Spe
Moveset:
-Taunt
-Scald
-Rain Dance
-Recover
Purpose of set
</p>It's a slightly modified version of the utility counter jellicent. I've replaced will-o-wisp with rain dance to allow jelly to change weather to rain as and when required as scald has a 30% chance of burning anyway. Ferrothorn also benefits from rain as it allows the pokemon to take more hits from fire type moves by weakening them. The nature and EV spread increases defense and bulk while giving it a little bit of extra speed and that can come in handy sometimes.
</p>Taunt is a great move on this set. It allows jelly to force the opponent to use only attacking moves and prevent set-ups and HP recovery and also stops them from inflicting status problems on jelly. Rain dance lets jelly hit harder and also allows it to change to a weather my team is comfortable with. Scald has good base power of 120 with STAB and can be pretty powerful in the rain. It also has 30% chance of causing a burn and crippling opponents. Recover allows jelly to recover lost HP and then hit back while not having to worry about fainting very soon.
</p>I use mystic water to make its scald stronger. Its ability water absorb is excellent as it allows a free switch-in on water attacks. In addition to this, it can give jelly a free heal if a water move is predicted properly. Overall, I feel that this set gives defensive jelly a chance to not only stall, but also hit hard if given the chance.
Role in the team
</p>Jelly's role changes from time to time. It can either open the proceedings for me, or it can switch in on water types, both offensive and defensive. It's also my main counter to fire types and rock types. Can handle volcarona pretty well as jelly resists its STAB moves. Can also counter chandelure, but shadow ball can be a problem for jelly.
</p>It's an excellent staller at any point during a battle, and can really frustrate opponents. Immunity to fighting and normal type moves means that they have a tough time against jelly although a payback from something like conkeldurr can be pretty bad for jelly. Jelly also has rain dance so that it can change weather to rain as and when needed.
</p>Makes for a great defensive core with ferrothorn as both of them combined can wall out almost everything. It stands up to foe walls pretty well and taunts and scalds them into submission.
Strengths
- A great staller as it has water absorb, taunt and recover.
- Can hit opponents hard with scald in the rain, which also has 30% chance of burning the target, and it seems to work pretty well
- Has immunity to normal and fighting type moves, and can handle rain offense with ease and hit back hard with its own form of offense in the rain
- Has the ability to change weather with rain dance to make itself at home and also help ferrothorn as rain reduces the power of fire type moves by 50%
- Pretty fast for a staller and access to taunt allows it to cripple other walls that may be trying to cripple jelly and also stops them from building up their own defenses
Weaknesses
- Has 2x weakness to electric, grass types and struggles to do anything significant against them, especially grass types
- Also has 2x weakness to dark and other ghost types
- Has no way of recovering from status problems unless holding a berry
- Struggles against other jellicent that have water absorb as their ability with its moveset(but I don't want to replace any moves)
and......
Braviary(Tomahawk)@Expert Belt
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Careful(+SDef, -SAtk)
EV Spread: 192 HP / 58 Atk / 140 Def / 68 SDef / 52 Spe
Moveset:
-Tailwind
-Fly
-Rock Slide
-Defog
Purpose of set
</p>This is where a slight change can be seen from the normal flow of events observed in the earlier sets. The previous two pokemon are trained to do what they do best, while Braviary has a very different role from its usual sweeping duty. In other words, braviary, who is known for being a physical sweeper is functioning as a support pokemon, and bringing some balance in the form of type coverage.
</p>The set aims at making braviary very bulky and capable of taking hits so that it can support the team in different ways. The nature and EV spread give it considerable amount of bulk and just enough attack to be able to do damage that hurts the opponent and speed to outspeed base speed 85 pokemon without EVs invested in speed and not having a speed boosting nature.
</p>The moveset is very different from the conventional braviary sets used, with moves like tailwind and defog allowing it to support the team. Fly allows it to attack with base power 135 with STAB without losing HP in the form of recoil from brave bird. Although the power of brave bird is massive compared to fly, this set cannot allow for any recoil as braviary needs to last longer than it usually does. With tailwind, it can help counter scarf users by doubling the speed of all my pokemon for four turns. Tailwind also makes braviary fast enough to outspeed base speed 130 pokemon with maximum IVs and EVs in speed as long as the nature is not a speed boosting one. Defog helps get rid of entry hazards and also blows away screens that foe walls set up, and also reduces evasiveness making them easier to hit. Rock slide can hit the likes of dragonite and salamence for super-effective damage and also gives braviary some coverage against ice types.
</p>Expert belt makes super-effective moves 20% more effective so it can hit fighting types harder with fly and similarly rock slide can do more damage to those it is super-effective against. Also, its ability sheer force makes rock slide almost as powerful as stone edge and can 2HKO bulky dragonite with it.
Role in the team
</p>I felt my team was in need of a pokemon who can support as well as help counter certain types that I had not managed to cover earlier and Braviary seemed like a good choice for this job. With decent bulk, above average defenses and speed, it can do the job of a supporter by taking hits and setting up moves like tailwind, clearing obstacles like light screens, entry hazards like stealth rock and countering double team users by lowering their evasiveness, all using defog.
</p>It has a top tier base 123 attacking stat, so apart from supporting the team, it can also hit with a decent amount of power and is my main counter for fighting types. The expert belt allows it to 2HKO bulky conkeldurr with fly. Along with sheer force, it can 2HKO bulky dragonite having multiscale with rock slide.
</p>It also brings an element of surprise to the side as a lot of people do not expect braviary to be in such a role and can force a lot of switches allowing for a free tailwind set-up.
Strengths
- Is one of the hardest hitters ever introduced with 123 base attack
- Has considerable amount of bulk for a normal/flying type with 100/75/75 bulk and defenses
- Has a mid-range speed(base 80) that allows it to make good use of tailwind
- Gets rock slide as a coverage move
- Has a pretty good ability in sheer force making rock slide a more accurate version of stone edge
- Does a pretty good job of supporting the team and can also hit the opponents pretty hard
- Forces switches which allow for a free tailwind set-up
Weaknesses
- Electric, ice and rock type moves do 2x damage to braviary
- It cannot take as many hits as I would like it to take, despite the training
- Although it does the tailwind set-up pretty well, bulkier flying types like mandibuzz do it better
- Doesn't fare very well against bulky sweepers who usually set up in its face
- Has limited coverage with the current set and chances of braviary failing to do its job are pretty high for my liking
Here, I have......
Excadrill(Slash)@Leftovers
Ability: Sand Rush
Nature: Jolly(+Spe, -SAtk)
EV Spread: 132 HP / 74 Def / 52 SDef / 252 Spe
Moveset:
-Swords dance
-Rapid Spin
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
Purpose of set
</p>This set is pretty much like a swords dance excadrill set, but has some EVs invested in defenses instead of all in HP and speed. This helps balance out the defense to special defense ratio. This is so that excadrill can take hits while setting up with swords dance. Jolly nature makes excadrill as fast as pokemon with base speed 100 with 252 EVs and 31 IVs in speed as long as they do not have a speed boosting nature.
</p>Swords dance is the main move in this set, boosting excadrill's massive base 135 attack to scary heights after just a couple of uses. Earthquake hits base power 150 with STAB and hits everything but flying types and levitating pokemon, while rock slide hits the flying types for super-effective damage. Rapid spin support is something that excadrill can provide with excellent efficiency as excadrill forces a lot of switches and usually gets a chance to spin without taking anything in return.
</p>Leftovers increase excadrill's longevity on the field so it can do more damage by surviving longer. It is also my only pokemon, apart from ferrothorn, who does not lose HP in a sandstorm as excadrill has steel typing. In fact, its ability sand rush is something that can be exploited when the opponent brings up a sandstorm making excadrill 50% faster outspeeding any opponent as long as the opponent is not scarfed or hasn't boosted its own speed with any status move.
Role in the team
</p>Top tier attacking stats coupled with steel typing, good bulk and decent defenses, means that excadrill is one tough pokemon who can sweep entire teams, and is exactly its main role on my team. As a setup sweeper, it can take hits and then hit back really hard. Access to STAB earthquake and swords dance makes excadrill all the more dangerous and therefore does the job of sweeping with ease.
</p>But sweeping isn't all excadrill does. It also provides vital support to the team by clearing out entry hazards with rapid spin. It is also a great switch-in on poison type and electric type moves due to its immunity to both of them. Serves as an excellent counter to curse ferrothorn.
Strengths
- The typing grants immunity to poison and electric type moves.
- Excellent stat distribution coupled with typing allows excadrill to sweep efficiently
- Can be used to counter many threats such as ferrothorn, electivire, staraptor, to name a few and resists dragon type moves as well
- Access to rapid spin increases the importance of excadrill on the team and is probably the best spinner around
- Has access to swords dance and can hit an attack of 600+ after just one use of swords dance
- Has the ability to be the fastest pokemon in sandstorms as long as opponents are not scarfed or haven't boosted their speed and doesn't take damage from sandstorms due to steel typing
Weaknesses
- Has 2x weaknesses to fire, fighting, water and ground type moves
- Cannot take super-effective damage as well as I would like it to and also takes considerable amount of damage from neutral hits
- Being a physical attacker, it becomes very easy to cripple with burn status
- Doesn't always get a chance to set-up and can be countered with moves like taunt and with status, meaning it has some problem with stall
ATTACKING POKEMON(SWEEPERS)
Moving on to......
Volcarona(Firefly)@Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Bold(+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Spe
Moveset:
-Quiver Dance
-Fire Blast
-Bug Buzz
-Hidden Power(Rock)
Purpose of set
</p>Bulky volcarona is a pretty common set that I've seen people use and feel it is the best way to go with it. EV spread and nature increases bulk and defense stat so that volcarona can function as a set-up sweeper. It does so by allowing volcarona to take physical attacks better and then using boosting moves to set-up.
</p>That brings us to its moveset, beginning with quiver dance. An excellent move that boosts SAtk, SDef and Spe by one stage each. This not only allows volcarona to hit harder but also increases the number of hits it can take from the special side of things. But most importantly, it boosts volcarona's speed allowing it to outspeed almost anything after just a few uses of quiver dance. Fire blast has 180 Base power with STAB and is the move of choice letting volcarona hit pretty hard. Bug Buzz also gets a STAB boost to 135 base power and also has the chance of lowering the opponents SDef stat. Hidden power rock gives it coverage against other fire types as well as flying types so it has perfect neutral coverage.
</p>The sitrus berry lets volcarona regain some health after setting up with quiver dance so it can make the most of it. Its ability flame body acts as a bonus as it may burn physical attackers allowing volcarona to take even more hits from physical attacks.
Role in the team
</p>Volcarona can serve two purposes in the team. One, it can function as a special attacker and a counter to grass, steel, ice and bug types. Or it can function as a set-up sweeper as quiver dance turns it into one mean killing machine. Doesn't have any supporting role aside from providing coverage against certain types and maybe inflicting burns on physical attackers.
</p>Can switch in on fighting type moves and set-up in their face and can also help counter various threats like lilligant and other grass types, umbreon and other dark types, espeon and other psychic types, mamoswine and other ice types, etc., which can be a problem if left unchecked. Serves as an excellent counter to ferrothorn with fire blast and other volcarona with hidden power rock.
Strengths
- Has one of the best SAtk stats in the game
- Access to quiver dance makes it an almost perfect set-up sweeper
- Can rip through opponents with ease if allowed to set-up properly
- Can even serve as a special wall and can be pretty hard to KO
- Can counter a lot of threats thanks to perfect neutral coverage, key resistances to some strong priority moves like mach punch and access to quiver dance
- Works pretty well in sun and can be a switch-in when opponent brings up sunny day
- Its ability allows it to burn physical attackers
- Has immunity to will-o-wisp
Weaknesses
- Has 2x weakness to flying and water types
- Has 4x weakness to rock types and therefore loses 50% of its HP to stealth rock
- Can get KO'd pretty easily even before it gets the chance to set-up
- Has a lot of counters and can fail to do its job on many occasions
- Doesn't do very well against walls that inflict status
Hydreigon(Mutalor)@Shell Bell
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Modest(+SAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread: 6 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
-Surf
-Fire Blast
-Draco Meteor
-U turn
Purpose of set
</p>All out attack, is what this set screams out when anyone looks at it and I feel is the set of choice for this pseudo-legendary dragon from fifth generation. Nature and EV spread increases its impressive base 125 SAtk stat and its not so impressive but passable base 98 speed. It already has decent bulk with 92/90/90 HP and defenses.
</p>Draco meteor reaches a breathtaking 210 base power with STAB and coming off a massive SAtk stat like the one Hydreigon has, can OHKO anything but steel types and some special walls like chansey and blissey. Fire Blast gives excellent coverage against ice types and can also hit steel types that resist Draco meteor for super-effective damage. Surf can be used against fire/steel types that take neutral damage from fire blast like heatran. U-turn is simply on this set to allow hydreigon an additional scouting option so it can safely get out of battle while inflicting some damage and reset the drop in special attack due to Draco meteor. It is best used when the foe has very little HP left so that the opponent faints and the team-mate switching in does not take any damage.
</p>Shell bell increases hydreigon's longevity as it recovers HP everytime hydreigon attacks and since it has only attacking moves works pretty well on this set. Hydreigon's ability levitate grants it immunity to ground type moves and also spikes.
Role in the team
</p>With a set like this one, it is obvious what hydreigon's main task is. It has the potential to hit hard with its high Base power moves and excellent SAtk boosted by modest nature and EVs. Its above average speed can be a problem for it though. But the right kind of support, like a tailwind from braviary can really help hydreigon take out key pokemon that pose a threat to my team as it is the only pokemon who has the potential to OHKO almost anything without any set-up.
</p>So its job is pretty simple. Either OHKO or weaken opponents with draco meteor, u-turn and hope the opponent faints, come back again when given the chance and use Draco Meteor again with the stat drop reset due to switching out. Sounds simple but can be hard to execute. Anticipation is key for the hydreion strategy and a proper damage calculation can actually allow my team to have a lot of free switch-ins on U-turn.
</p>Being a dark type, hydreigon can switch-in on psychic and ghost types and also other dark types as it is immune to the first one and resists the others. It is also my main counter to Scarfchomp and other fast dragon types once tailwind is up. It can outspeed a jolly scarfchomp with 252 EVs and 31 IVs in speed when tailwind is up assuming chomp hasn't used dragon dance.
Strengths
- An excellent attacker capable of punching holes in the opponent's team
- Can force switches which affect the opponent's strategy
- Has resistance to common elemental moves, namely fire, water, grass and electric
- Has immunity to psychic types and resists dark and ghost types
- Is my main counter for dragon types
- Has the ability to utilise U-turn which can be a very useful move if used properly
- Dark typing means fighting and bug type moves hit for 2x damage
- Due to presence of priority fighting type moves, it struggles against fighting types
- Has weakness to dragon type and ice type moves and its speed isn't that impressive without tailwind support
- Can get walled out by special walls
- Doesn't do too well against stall
KEY FEATURES OF THE TEAM(according to my analysis)
</p>After constantly tyring out the team under different conditions and battling with various opponents, both A.I. and human, I've come up with some key PROS and CONS that my team has.
PROS
- A well balanced team with most types covered
- Has a mix of physical based and special based attackers to give versatility
- Has decent amount of weather coverage
- Contains a mix of offensive, defensive and balance pokemon
- Most of my pokemon can take hits and set up on the opponents, if given the chance
- Has elements of surprise which can put an opponent off
- Each pokemon offers some form of support to the others
- Can also work if opponent sets up trick room due to presence of some slow movers on the team
- Although a lot of types are covered, I still feel some key moves are missing. For e.g., I can't manage to fit in a fighting type move to counter specially defensive normal type walls
- It has problems against faster sweepers when my support pokemon and walls fail
- None of my pokemon apart from hydreigon can attack right off the bat and can be a problem sometimes
- The members of my team are too relient on each other
- Has average sweeping potential overall and has defensive weaknesses too like ferrothorn's 4x weakness to fire type moves
- I'm also trying to fit in rest on the ferrothorn set but don't want to replace a move
CONCLUSION
</p>So that pretty much sums up my analysis of the team and all in all, I'm pretty happy with the way it is right now. But I would really appreciate an outsider's opinion, because every person tends to overlook his/her own shortcomings. I can't help it, I'm human after all.
</p>So I kindly request you guys to go through this thread and use your knowledge and experience to help me create a better team. Waiting in anticipation, I remain.
