Hello there! This is my first RMT as I'm reasonably new to competitive Pokemon (started playing at the butt-end of BW2), but I love teambuilding and I'm hoping to get some good feedback on my current team. While I have a good grasp of the broad strokes, it's the more nuanced things -- like when to use a niche move rather than a standard set or when to scrap a normally great mon for the sake of synergy -- that consistently trip me up. Also I'm a shit player, but a good team goes a long way! I'll skip the 'teambuilding process' bit because tbqh it mostly entails my drunkenly bastardizing someone else's team over a couple weeks until it became unrecognizable enough to call my own. Onto the glance~
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Edit: Importable
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PROBLEM MONS
Mega Venusaur: Since my team lacks consistent Flying or Psychic coverage Venusaur can switch into a bunch of things and stop me cold. Sets with EQ or Sleep Powder (ie all of them) render Aegislash useless against it; Deo-S can't come in, and forcing it out with the threat of Psycho Boost isn't exactly a primo way of handling it; thankfully Ferrothorn walls it completely, so it's set-up fodder to keep SR on the field and throw out paralysis. From there it's pretty much a matter of PP-stalling Synthesis and wearing it down.
Conkeldurr: This thing is especially nightmarish if it's on the same team as Venusaur, since combined they can pressure me all day. Prediction and switching around is key to getting in safely with Lando or Aegis and trying to drop it's attack. Really not sure if there's a quick fix to be made to make Conk and Venu more manageable without compromising the team elsewhere, but right now it's pretty much "keep the pressure on."
Mega-Zard Y: Zard Y is terrifying, especially because it roasts my SR setter so badly. This can work out, however, to my benefit: Zard Y likes to switch into Ferro as it sets up rocks, thinking he'll get a free nuke off, only to catch a Thunder Wave on the switch which allows +0 Tar and Lando-T to outspeed and OHKO. Also useful is to scout for Focus Blast, since for some reason I'm seeing hella people run Fire Blast/Solarbeam/Dragon Pulse/Air Slash, which makes it setup fodder for TTar.
Keldeo: My main answer to Keldeo is praying it stays weirdly unpopular.
Talonflame: Often neutered in the same way Zard is, with a T-Wave on the switch (big thanks, Ash Borer). Saving that, keeping SR up isn't terribly challenging with the way this team threatens common Defoggers.
Sticky Web: Actually a huge problem, despite this team's slowness. Deo-S loses a TON of its usefulness at -1 speed, while T-Tar's sweeping capabilities are hugely hindered, being as it -needs- to be at +1 to outspeed 70% of the tier. Thankfully it's uncommon enough that I suspect preparing for it specifically actually loses you expected value.
Lucario: If Lando-T/Conk (phys/spec) are weakened or can't handle it, it's important to keep TTar healthy and get it to +1 speed before Luc is in on you. This can be really tough, since Luc is usually paired with one or two other things keeping Tar from setting up, and if it's special and runs VW then Tar may not even save you then. Lucario is extremely dangerous and figuring out its set is imperative, but being careful around it goes a long way. A good opponent might eschew trying to set up altogether and use Luc as a wall breaker, which spells trouble as well. Thankfully this team is fairly prepared to handle it and doesn't present it with TOO many setup chances.
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The team's main goal is a Dragon Dance M-Tar sweep, though alternatively most of the team can function as mid-late game cleaners in their own right, which eases some of Tar's load if matchup is stacked against him. The team name comes from a crappy old reality/prank show that was a lot of fun to watch; here it refers to these mons' ability to force switches through intimidate or the threat of wallbreaking nukes, enabling lots of opportunities for mind games and setup.
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The team:
Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 HP
Nature: Jolly
-Dragon Dance
-Crunch
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
Mega Tyranitar is a huge force, and IMO right now pretty underrated. Its biggest advantage is its surprising bulk, which allows it to set up safely in the face of many pokemon who even boast a super effective attack. He's the perfect sweeper for a team that tries to make the most of the tanky nature of the metagame. Although he has his uses early game, it's best to play him conservatively. In a pinch he can eat a Brave Bird or Shadow Ball, which is very tempting, but the possibility of U-turn or Iron Head/SS should keep him benched until his few checks have been dismantled. Sometimes I lead with him for sash breaking and because he's one of four potential hazard setters on the team, which often allows him an early DD and hole-punching spree. Moveset is standard, Jolly max outspeeds a lot of things un-MEvo'd that don't expect it, and I opted for EQ over any punches because I like to watch Aegislash softly weep.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Nature: Relaxed
-Stealth Rocks
-Thunder Wave
-Gyro Ball
-Power Whip
I used Ferrothorn in every Gen V team I made. I lasted as long as I could this gen before deciding we were just made for each other and I had to use it. Talonflame notwithstanding, Ferrothorn is as great as ever. This team needed a hazard setter who actually had the time to set hazards, not to mention a mostly-safe Rotom-W counter (Conkeldurr is a lame switch-in to Rotom, and previously he had way too much pressure on him to beat up the washing machine while it would just Volt Switch on its merry fucking way). I'm strongly considering replacing Spikes for Leech Seed, since even though this team appreciates mad hazards there's just rarely time to set up multiple layers without getting schooled. In this meta I really like two-attack Ferrothorn: Gyro Ball mutilates a lot of hopeful switch-ins like Espeon and is good coverage against the dragons it's supposed to wall; and Power Whip lets it smack Azumarill, Rotom, and other bulky waters hard.
Aegislash @ Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Atk
Nature: Quiet
-King's Shield
-Shadow Ball
-Shadow Sneak
-Iron Head
Aegislash is truly the face of the metagame. More than even potentially-broken threats like Deo-S/D and Lucarionite, like Scizor before it, Aegislash is just a cool, powerful, versatile threat that easily qualifies as a staple. The set here is standard mixed wallbreaker, although with this team I've come to prefer Air Balloon over Spooky Plate/Life Orb. While Spooky Plate Aegi can nail bulky grounds/Skarmory on the switch, people have obviously wised up to that; and I find a lot of value in being able to switch at least once into Gliscor/Lando-T on a predicted EQ and threaten to maul it with Shadow Ball. With Air Balloon Aegis functions as a temporary pseudo-counter to these otherwise really troublesome mons (at least until T-Tar gets his Dragon Dance on, at which point he can do mad damage to both). I like Iron Head because the ladder is still filled with random Fairies and Fighting coverage is pretty well represented by Conkeldurr and Deo-S.
Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 SpD
Nature: Adamant
-Drain Punch
-Mach Punch
-Ice Punch
-Knock Off
BEHOLD CONKELDURR. Until I discovered Assault Vest Conkeldurr I honestly thought his now-most common item was super overrated. But damn, does he do work with it. Naturally bulky and aided by the SpD boost from the Vest, Conk can switch into a multitude of attacks, particularly enjoying Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, Deo-D's Thunder Wave, etc. And dude is strong. I very often lead with Conk, since he's able to force out a lot of opposing leads, clock the switch-in with Knock Off, and at least put a few dents in things before scooting back to the bench. Most of the time, though, he forms a tank core with Aegislash and M-Tar. His excellent coverage synergy with Aegis while touching both sides of the phys/special spectrum allows them to collectively blow enough holes through M-Tar's checks to enable a sweep. Just as importantly, both Conk and Aegis make up for their spectacular lack of speed with strong priority moves. Alongside Deo-S's pure outspeeding capabilities, this team, despite being relatively pretty slow, is never at a loss for revenge-killing options.
Landorus-T @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Atk
Nature: Lax
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-U-turn
-Hidden Power Ice
Landorus-T is the perfect pokemon. Apart from perhaps Rotom-W, no single mon so easily patches the gaps in a team. Lando-T is the standard classic physically defensive pivot set for this team, giving me a much-needed switch-in to physical Lucario, Talonflame in a pinch, M-Pinsir (fuck that thing it still owns me), etc. Since Ferrothorn covers the hazards, Lando has some free space to think about what he wants to accomplish in the competitive scene. U-turn is essential momentum gathering, since he forces so many switches, while EQ is of course the main nuke. Stone Edge is necessary to beat down on Mandibuzz, Talonflame, etc. and offers great coverage. Finally Hidden Power Ice neuters opposing bulky grounds who give Tyranitar all kinds of problems. I've only ever used SR Landorus-T before, and I have to say I love playing him with the added Ice coverage. Although his other attacks are mostly redundant coverage-wise with M-Tar, it's important to keep in mind that Tyranitar usually won't be coming out till mid-late game and Edgequake coverage is extremely useful at all stages.
Deoxys-S @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 116 Atk/156 SpA/236 Spe
Nature: Naive
-Psycho Boost
-Ice Beam
-Superpower
-Fire Punch
Despite the priority from Aegislash and Conkeldurr, this team more than other offensive ones suffered from speed issues as well as attack coverage, which is not good for a team hoping to force switches into gaining the upper hand. I tried a lot of things in this slot, like Keldeo, Specs Latios and Genesect, but finally settled on the ultimate jack-of-all-trades: Deoxys-S. It never occurred to me to use an all-out offensive set, but I'm glad I did. All-out attacker Deoxys-S makes a great anti-lead due to the expectation of hazards or screens, usually allowing it to fire off one nuke. And somehow, despite LO recoil and its relative frailty, Deo-S shines at all stages of the game. Mid-game it makes the perfect revenge killer, picking off weakened threats while not getting locked into a move (which, while maintaining the speed of a scarfer, makes it IMO one of the best revenge killers in the game); late game it nukes like crazy -- if you play your game right it'll take out the last 2-3 of your opponent's pokemon by itself. Deoxys-S has it all. Psycho Boost, while not exactly boasting a good attacking type, is a great throw-out attack. Unlike Latios and other common Draco Meteor users, Deo-S is not so severely hurt by the SpA drop since a lot of its coverage is physical. EVs I believe OHKO all Tyranitar/Genesect while putting the rest into pumping up Psycho Boost/Ice Beam.
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That's it for my first RMT! Thanks for reading, and any suggestions at all (including suggestions re RMTs in general) are hugely appreciated. I'll update with a proper threat list just as soon as I have the chance :)The team:
Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 HP
Nature: Jolly
-Dragon Dance
-Crunch
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
Mega Tyranitar is a huge force, and IMO right now pretty underrated. Its biggest advantage is its surprising bulk, which allows it to set up safely in the face of many pokemon who even boast a super effective attack. He's the perfect sweeper for a team that tries to make the most of the tanky nature of the metagame. Although he has his uses early game, it's best to play him conservatively. In a pinch he can eat a Brave Bird or Shadow Ball, which is very tempting, but the possibility of U-turn or Iron Head/SS should keep him benched until his few checks have been dismantled. Sometimes I lead with him for sash breaking and because he's one of four potential hazard setters on the team, which often allows him an early DD and hole-punching spree. Moveset is standard, Jolly max outspeeds a lot of things un-MEvo'd that don't expect it, and I opted for EQ over any punches because I like to watch Aegislash softly weep.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Nature: Relaxed
-Stealth Rocks
-Thunder Wave
-Gyro Ball
-Power Whip
I used Ferrothorn in every Gen V team I made. I lasted as long as I could this gen before deciding we were just made for each other and I had to use it. Talonflame notwithstanding, Ferrothorn is as great as ever. This team needed a hazard setter who actually had the time to set hazards, not to mention a mostly-safe Rotom-W counter (Conkeldurr is a lame switch-in to Rotom, and previously he had way too much pressure on him to beat up the washing machine while it would just Volt Switch on its merry fucking way). I'm strongly considering replacing Spikes for Leech Seed, since even though this team appreciates mad hazards there's just rarely time to set up multiple layers without getting schooled. In this meta I really like two-attack Ferrothorn: Gyro Ball mutilates a lot of hopeful switch-ins like Espeon and is good coverage against the dragons it's supposed to wall; and Power Whip lets it smack Azumarill, Rotom, and other bulky waters hard.
Aegislash @ Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Atk
Nature: Quiet
-King's Shield
-Shadow Ball
-Shadow Sneak
-Iron Head
Aegislash is truly the face of the metagame. More than even potentially-broken threats like Deo-S/D and Lucarionite, like Scizor before it, Aegislash is just a cool, powerful, versatile threat that easily qualifies as a staple. The set here is standard mixed wallbreaker, although with this team I've come to prefer Air Balloon over Spooky Plate/Life Orb. While Spooky Plate Aegi can nail bulky grounds/Skarmory on the switch, people have obviously wised up to that; and I find a lot of value in being able to switch at least once into Gliscor/Lando-T on a predicted EQ and threaten to maul it with Shadow Ball. With Air Balloon Aegis functions as a temporary pseudo-counter to these otherwise really troublesome mons (at least until T-Tar gets his Dragon Dance on, at which point he can do mad damage to both). I like Iron Head because the ladder is still filled with random Fairies and Fighting coverage is pretty well represented by Conkeldurr and Deo-S.
Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 SpD
Nature: Adamant
-Drain Punch
-Mach Punch
-Ice Punch
-Knock Off
BEHOLD CONKELDURR. Until I discovered Assault Vest Conkeldurr I honestly thought his now-most common item was super overrated. But damn, does he do work with it. Naturally bulky and aided by the SpD boost from the Vest, Conk can switch into a multitude of attacks, particularly enjoying Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, Deo-D's Thunder Wave, etc. And dude is strong. I very often lead with Conk, since he's able to force out a lot of opposing leads, clock the switch-in with Knock Off, and at least put a few dents in things before scooting back to the bench. Most of the time, though, he forms a tank core with Aegislash and M-Tar. His excellent coverage synergy with Aegis while touching both sides of the phys/special spectrum allows them to collectively blow enough holes through M-Tar's checks to enable a sweep. Just as importantly, both Conk and Aegis make up for their spectacular lack of speed with strong priority moves. Alongside Deo-S's pure outspeeding capabilities, this team, despite being relatively pretty slow, is never at a loss for revenge-killing options.
Landorus-T @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Atk
Nature: Lax
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-U-turn
-Hidden Power Ice
Landorus-T is the perfect pokemon. Apart from perhaps Rotom-W, no single mon so easily patches the gaps in a team. Lando-T is the standard classic physically defensive pivot set for this team, giving me a much-needed switch-in to physical Lucario, Talonflame in a pinch, M-Pinsir (fuck that thing it still owns me), etc. Since Ferrothorn covers the hazards, Lando has some free space to think about what he wants to accomplish in the competitive scene. U-turn is essential momentum gathering, since he forces so many switches, while EQ is of course the main nuke. Stone Edge is necessary to beat down on Mandibuzz, Talonflame, etc. and offers great coverage. Finally Hidden Power Ice neuters opposing bulky grounds who give Tyranitar all kinds of problems. I've only ever used SR Landorus-T before, and I have to say I love playing him with the added Ice coverage. Although his other attacks are mostly redundant coverage-wise with M-Tar, it's important to keep in mind that Tyranitar usually won't be coming out till mid-late game and Edgequake coverage is extremely useful at all stages.
Deoxys-S @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 116 Atk/156 SpA/236 Spe
Nature: Naive
-Psycho Boost
-Ice Beam
-Superpower
-Fire Punch
Despite the priority from Aegislash and Conkeldurr, this team more than other offensive ones suffered from speed issues as well as attack coverage, which is not good for a team hoping to force switches into gaining the upper hand. I tried a lot of things in this slot, like Keldeo, Specs Latios and Genesect, but finally settled on the ultimate jack-of-all-trades: Deoxys-S. It never occurred to me to use an all-out offensive set, but I'm glad I did. All-out attacker Deoxys-S makes a great anti-lead due to the expectation of hazards or screens, usually allowing it to fire off one nuke. And somehow, despite LO recoil and its relative frailty, Deo-S shines at all stages of the game. Mid-game it makes the perfect revenge killer, picking off weakened threats while not getting locked into a move (which, while maintaining the speed of a scarfer, makes it IMO one of the best revenge killers in the game); late game it nukes like crazy -- if you play your game right it'll take out the last 2-3 of your opponent's pokemon by itself. Deoxys-S has it all. Psycho Boost, while not exactly boasting a good attacking type, is a great throw-out attack. Unlike Latios and other common Draco Meteor users, Deo-S is not so severely hurt by the SpA drop since a lot of its coverage is physical. EVs I believe OHKO all Tyranitar/Genesect while putting the rest into pumping up Psycho Boost/Ice Beam.
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Edit: Importable
Code:
Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 SDef / 252 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Aegislash @ Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Lax Nature
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Deoxys-Speed @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 236 Spd / 156 SAtk / 116 Atk
Naive Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- Ice Beam
- Fire Punch-
PROBLEM MONS
Mega Venusaur: Since my team lacks consistent Flying or Psychic coverage Venusaur can switch into a bunch of things and stop me cold. Sets with EQ or Sleep Powder (ie all of them) render Aegislash useless against it; Deo-S can't come in, and forcing it out with the threat of Psycho Boost isn't exactly a primo way of handling it; thankfully Ferrothorn walls it completely, so it's set-up fodder to keep SR on the field and throw out paralysis. From there it's pretty much a matter of PP-stalling Synthesis and wearing it down.
Conkeldurr: This thing is especially nightmarish if it's on the same team as Venusaur, since combined they can pressure me all day. Prediction and switching around is key to getting in safely with Lando or Aegis and trying to drop it's attack. Really not sure if there's a quick fix to be made to make Conk and Venu more manageable without compromising the team elsewhere, but right now it's pretty much "keep the pressure on."
Mega-Zard Y: Zard Y is terrifying, especially because it roasts my SR setter so badly. This can work out, however, to my benefit: Zard Y likes to switch into Ferro as it sets up rocks, thinking he'll get a free nuke off, only to catch a Thunder Wave on the switch which allows +0 Tar and Lando-T to outspeed and OHKO. Also useful is to scout for Focus Blast, since for some reason I'm seeing hella people run Fire Blast/Solarbeam/Dragon Pulse/Air Slash, which makes it setup fodder for TTar.
Keldeo: My main answer to Keldeo is praying it stays weirdly unpopular.
Talonflame: Often neutered in the same way Zard is, with a T-Wave on the switch (big thanks, Ash Borer). Saving that, keeping SR up isn't terribly challenging with the way this team threatens common Defoggers.
Sticky Web: Actually a huge problem, despite this team's slowness. Deo-S loses a TON of its usefulness at -1 speed, while T-Tar's sweeping capabilities are hugely hindered, being as it -needs- to be at +1 to outspeed 70% of the tier. Thankfully it's uncommon enough that I suspect preparing for it specifically actually loses you expected value.
Lucario: If Lando-T/Conk (phys/spec) are weakened or can't handle it, it's important to keep TTar healthy and get it to +1 speed before Luc is in on you. This can be really tough, since Luc is usually paired with one or two other things keeping Tar from setting up, and if it's special and runs VW then Tar may not even save you then. Lucario is extremely dangerous and figuring out its set is imperative, but being careful around it goes a long way. A good opponent might eschew trying to set up altogether and use Luc as a wall breaker, which spells trouble as well. Thankfully this team is fairly prepared to handle it and doesn't present it with TOO many setup chances.
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