Hello everyone, ChrystalFalchion here bringing you another VGC team. But don't worry - this one is considerably less gimmicky than some of my other creations, although it does have a few unusual faces. It's been putting in great work for me so far, hitting Master Ball tier and getting me into the top 1000 on the leader board. At the time of writing, I'm sitting at rank 873.
I decided to go with Semi Trick Room, as while Full Trick Room is absolutely brutal if you can get it set up, if you don't it's often a horrible bust. I was having similar problems with weather teams. So, without further ado, here is my team.
Fake Out Support / Debuffer
Persian-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Level 50
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Icy Wind
- Snarl
This set has so much utility. Fake Out can be used to buy set up, or revenge kill something. Alolan Persian has the second fastest in the game behind Weavile. Foul Play lets it dish out solid damage despite a low Attack stat, getting strong hits on Dragapult, Excadrill, and slower physical attackers. Icy Wind gives my team speed control, letting Persian slow opposing Pokemon down to let its teammates get a free hit off. Lastly Snarl weakens slower Special Attackers like Rotom-A, Togekiss, Primarina and Duraludon. The EVs maximise Speed and HP to make the most of Persian-A's best qualities.
My early game hole puncher / late game cleaner
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Level 50
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Standard special Dragapult, although I went with Thunderbolt over Surf as Thunderbolt hits Togekiss for solid damage and when Maxed it summons Electric Terrain, cutting off the Sleep which can screw my team over. Pretty standard stuff - Draco Meteor and Shadow Ball get STAB, Flamethrower hits Steel types hard, Thunderbolt zaps bulky Waters. As Dragapult's Special Attack isn't that high, I went with Life Orb to give its hits some extra juice. EVs are self explanatory.
My Trick Room Setter
Mimikyu @ Iron Ball
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Level 50
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough
- Drain Punch
While it might not be as good as it was in SM, Mimikyu is still a force to be reckoned with. Trick Room is the crux of this set - thanks to Disguise, with Fake Out support from Persian-A it is all but guaranteed to set it up. Shadow Claw and Play Rough are the STAB moves - I went with Shadow Claw over Phantom Force as it's more consistent, though I might swap it out. Drain Punch has perfect neutral coverage with Mimikyu's STABs, and serves the purpose of triggering Rhyperior's Weakness Policy. It can also provide an Attack boost with Max Knuckle, which both Rhyperior and Araquanid appreciate. I went with Mimikyu over Dusclops as it's much less passive and can abuse Dynamax itself. The EVs maximise bulk and power, with a Brave nature and Iron Ball making it as slow as possible. I might swap out Iron Ball for Mental Herb, as I have lost matches due to being Mimikyu being Taunted, though I do like Mimikyu being slow under Trick Room.
Trick Room Sweeper #1
Rhyperior @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 SpD
Brave Nature
Level 50
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Fire Punch
- Protect
The standard Weakness Policy Rhyperior, it's been popular since SS came out, and IMO it's still as good as ever. Rock Slide and High Horsepower serve as STABs, getting almost perfect neutral coverage. Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn, Durant and the rare Bronzong super effectively. Protect lets it hide while Trick Room is being set up, or scout moves from the opponent. The EVs prioritise Special Defence over HP, as its HP stat is already very good and its SpD is...not. Weakness Policy gives it a free Swords Dance and Nasty Plot if hit by an SE move, and with lots of weaknesses it can reliably trigger it. The ubiquity of WP Tyranitar means opponents will often not attack Rhyperior at all, letting it get off free hits. You might have noticed it doesn't have 0 Speed IVs. That's so that in Trick Room, Mimikyu will be faster, letting it trigger Rhyperior's Weakness Policy with Drain Punch.
Trick Room Sweeper #2
Araquanid @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Level 50
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Making use of another underrated mon, Araquanid is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to Water Bubble and STAB, its Water moves have triple the power they otherwise would. Max Geyser hits 390 power, going up to an absolutely nuclear 535 in Rain. So even though its Attack stat is pretty mediocre, it will destroy anything that doesn't resist Water. Leech Life is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types hard and can heal off damage. Protect gives it a safety net for one turn, while Wide Guard shields my team from Rock Slides, Heat Waves and Dazzling Gleams. I did originally have Hydro Pump in that slot, but I only ever used it when Araquanid got Intimidated. And considering Incineroar wants nothing to do with either of my Trick Room sweepers, that doesn't happen too often. The EVs maximise bulk and power. Mystic Water gives Araquanid's Water moves a small boost.
The wallbreaker
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Level 50
- Icicle Crash
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
- Flare Blitz
CBCB Darm. The power of this thing is just ridiculous. Thanks to Choice Band and Gorilla Tactics, this thing hits the field with an Attack stat of 492! Basically if you're slower than Darm, you're in for a world of pain. Many players also expect the Scarf set, and I've seen more than one person switch out their Dragapult in fear of getting Icicle Crash'd. Speaking of, I chose that over Ice Punch as the power and flinch chance could potentially save me in a pinch. Superpower hits Steel types hard; Rock Slide hits the Fire types that resist Icicle Crash and could potentially flinch both opponents. Lastly, Flare Blitz OHKOes Corviknight, Ferrothorn and Bronzong, which used to give my team problems. I did have U-turn, but I rarely found myself using it.
Good matchups
Full Trick Room. It's not too hard to stop their Trick Room going up; Dragapult paired with Rhyperior usually breaks through Dusclops + Incineroar, as they can double target Dusclops to stop it setting up TR. If it's Indeedee + Hatterene I can lead with Persian and Araquanid and go for Snarl + Max Flutterby. Rhyperior can never OHKO Dynamaxed Araquanid from full health, and without Attack drops is not living Max Geyser.
Sun. Against fast sun teams, I can lead with Persian and Mimikyu. Persian stops Venusaur using Sleep Powder with Fake Out, while Mimikyu then sets up Trick Room. Mimikyu can then use Max Starfall to ensure Venusaur can't sleep my team. Araquanid wrecks Charizard and Ninetales in Trick Room, and Torkoal can't scratch it anyway. Semi Trick Room sun teams can be more difficult, as Conkeldurr can do a number on my team once Araquanid and Mimikyu are gone, and it can run Thunder Punch or Rock Slide for the spider.
Neutral matchups
Sand. Excadrill + Ttar lead is extremely hard to read for me, as both can viably Dynamax. In these circumstances I try to lead with Mimikyu and Persian and set up Trick Room, although guessing which to use Fake Out on can be a nightmare. If I can get Trick Room up though, Rhyperior and Araquanid can destroy most Sand teams, and if the Sandstorm ends Darmanitan can outrun and obliterate Excadrill and Tyranitar.
Bad matchups
Beat Up + Justified. Admittedly I've only come across this a couple of times, but both times I got wrecked. I try to lead with Persian and Darmanitan, and go for Fake Out and Superpower. However, one time my opponent started with Dragapult instead of Whimsicott and one shot Darmanitan before it could do anything, and had Lucario attack Persian. The other time, they had both mons Protect on turn one, then Whimsicott used Tailwind on turn 2 and Lucario outran and smashed Darmanitan. I could try leading with Persian and Mimikyu to set up Trick Room, but Lucario wrecks both of them.
So, that's my team. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
I decided to go with Semi Trick Room, as while Full Trick Room is absolutely brutal if you can get it set up, if you don't it's often a horrible bust. I was having similar problems with weather teams. So, without further ado, here is my team.
Fake Out Support / Debuffer
Persian-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Level 50
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Icy Wind
- Snarl
This set has so much utility. Fake Out can be used to buy set up, or revenge kill something. Alolan Persian has the second fastest in the game behind Weavile. Foul Play lets it dish out solid damage despite a low Attack stat, getting strong hits on Dragapult, Excadrill, and slower physical attackers. Icy Wind gives my team speed control, letting Persian slow opposing Pokemon down to let its teammates get a free hit off. Lastly Snarl weakens slower Special Attackers like Rotom-A, Togekiss, Primarina and Duraludon. The EVs maximise Speed and HP to make the most of Persian-A's best qualities.
My early game hole puncher / late game cleaner
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Level 50
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Standard special Dragapult, although I went with Thunderbolt over Surf as Thunderbolt hits Togekiss for solid damage and when Maxed it summons Electric Terrain, cutting off the Sleep which can screw my team over. Pretty standard stuff - Draco Meteor and Shadow Ball get STAB, Flamethrower hits Steel types hard, Thunderbolt zaps bulky Waters. As Dragapult's Special Attack isn't that high, I went with Life Orb to give its hits some extra juice. EVs are self explanatory.
My Trick Room Setter
Mimikyu @ Iron Ball
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Level 50
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough
- Drain Punch
While it might not be as good as it was in SM, Mimikyu is still a force to be reckoned with. Trick Room is the crux of this set - thanks to Disguise, with Fake Out support from Persian-A it is all but guaranteed to set it up. Shadow Claw and Play Rough are the STAB moves - I went with Shadow Claw over Phantom Force as it's more consistent, though I might swap it out. Drain Punch has perfect neutral coverage with Mimikyu's STABs, and serves the purpose of triggering Rhyperior's Weakness Policy. It can also provide an Attack boost with Max Knuckle, which both Rhyperior and Araquanid appreciate. I went with Mimikyu over Dusclops as it's much less passive and can abuse Dynamax itself. The EVs maximise bulk and power, with a Brave nature and Iron Ball making it as slow as possible. I might swap out Iron Ball for Mental Herb, as I have lost matches due to being Mimikyu being Taunted, though I do like Mimikyu being slow under Trick Room.
Trick Room Sweeper #1
Rhyperior @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 SpD
Brave Nature
Level 50
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Fire Punch
- Protect
The standard Weakness Policy Rhyperior, it's been popular since SS came out, and IMO it's still as good as ever. Rock Slide and High Horsepower serve as STABs, getting almost perfect neutral coverage. Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn, Durant and the rare Bronzong super effectively. Protect lets it hide while Trick Room is being set up, or scout moves from the opponent. The EVs prioritise Special Defence over HP, as its HP stat is already very good and its SpD is...not. Weakness Policy gives it a free Swords Dance and Nasty Plot if hit by an SE move, and with lots of weaknesses it can reliably trigger it. The ubiquity of WP Tyranitar means opponents will often not attack Rhyperior at all, letting it get off free hits. You might have noticed it doesn't have 0 Speed IVs. That's so that in Trick Room, Mimikyu will be faster, letting it trigger Rhyperior's Weakness Policy with Drain Punch.
Trick Room Sweeper #2
Araquanid @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Level 50
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Making use of another underrated mon, Araquanid is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to Water Bubble and STAB, its Water moves have triple the power they otherwise would. Max Geyser hits 390 power, going up to an absolutely nuclear 535 in Rain. So even though its Attack stat is pretty mediocre, it will destroy anything that doesn't resist Water. Leech Life is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types hard and can heal off damage. Protect gives it a safety net for one turn, while Wide Guard shields my team from Rock Slides, Heat Waves and Dazzling Gleams. I did originally have Hydro Pump in that slot, but I only ever used it when Araquanid got Intimidated. And considering Incineroar wants nothing to do with either of my Trick Room sweepers, that doesn't happen too often. The EVs maximise bulk and power. Mystic Water gives Araquanid's Water moves a small boost.
The wallbreaker
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Level 50
- Icicle Crash
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
- Flare Blitz
CBCB Darm. The power of this thing is just ridiculous. Thanks to Choice Band and Gorilla Tactics, this thing hits the field with an Attack stat of 492! Basically if you're slower than Darm, you're in for a world of pain. Many players also expect the Scarf set, and I've seen more than one person switch out their Dragapult in fear of getting Icicle Crash'd. Speaking of, I chose that over Ice Punch as the power and flinch chance could potentially save me in a pinch. Superpower hits Steel types hard; Rock Slide hits the Fire types that resist Icicle Crash and could potentially flinch both opponents. Lastly, Flare Blitz OHKOes Corviknight, Ferrothorn and Bronzong, which used to give my team problems. I did have U-turn, but I rarely found myself using it.
Good matchups
Full Trick Room. It's not too hard to stop their Trick Room going up; Dragapult paired with Rhyperior usually breaks through Dusclops + Incineroar, as they can double target Dusclops to stop it setting up TR. If it's Indeedee + Hatterene I can lead with Persian and Araquanid and go for Snarl + Max Flutterby. Rhyperior can never OHKO Dynamaxed Araquanid from full health, and without Attack drops is not living Max Geyser.
Sun. Against fast sun teams, I can lead with Persian and Mimikyu. Persian stops Venusaur using Sleep Powder with Fake Out, while Mimikyu then sets up Trick Room. Mimikyu can then use Max Starfall to ensure Venusaur can't sleep my team. Araquanid wrecks Charizard and Ninetales in Trick Room, and Torkoal can't scratch it anyway. Semi Trick Room sun teams can be more difficult, as Conkeldurr can do a number on my team once Araquanid and Mimikyu are gone, and it can run Thunder Punch or Rock Slide for the spider.
Neutral matchups
Sand. Excadrill + Ttar lead is extremely hard to read for me, as both can viably Dynamax. In these circumstances I try to lead with Mimikyu and Persian and set up Trick Room, although guessing which to use Fake Out on can be a nightmare. If I can get Trick Room up though, Rhyperior and Araquanid can destroy most Sand teams, and if the Sandstorm ends Darmanitan can outrun and obliterate Excadrill and Tyranitar.
Bad matchups
Beat Up + Justified. Admittedly I've only come across this a couple of times, but both times I got wrecked. I try to lead with Persian and Darmanitan, and go for Fake Out and Superpower. However, one time my opponent started with Dragapult instead of Whimsicott and one shot Darmanitan before it could do anything, and had Lucario attack Persian. The other time, they had both mons Protect on turn one, then Whimsicott used Tailwind on turn 2 and Lucario outran and smashed Darmanitan. I could try leading with Persian and Mimikyu to set up Trick Room, but Lucario wrecks both of them.
So, that's my team. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
Persian-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Fur Coat
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Snarl
- Icy Wind
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Mimikyu @ Iron Ball
Ability: Disguise
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough
- Drain Punch
Rhyperior @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Solid Rock
Level: 50
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 SpD
Brave Nature
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Fire Punch
- Protect
Araquanid @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Bubble
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
- Flare Blitz
Ability: Fur Coat
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Snarl
- Icy Wind
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Mimikyu @ Iron Ball
Ability: Disguise
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough
- Drain Punch
Rhyperior @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Solid Rock
Level: 50
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 SpD
Brave Nature
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Fire Punch
- Protect
Araquanid @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Bubble
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
- Flare Blitz
