VGC Senbonzakura: Thousand Cherrim Blossoms

[Raven094]

Hi everybody! Today I want to ask for your help for my new vgc team, asking you for some advice.


Well, lets get started.


P.S.: Sorry for my English and possible terrible mistake.

Cherrim @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flower Gift
Cherrim @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flower Gift
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 248 SpD
Careful Nature
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Petal Blizzard
- Safeguard


Lets star from this little pokemon! I decided to build a team with Cherrim because I think she cna combo well with the great power of MegaZard Y. Helping Hand is to boost Charizard's Heat Wave, Petal Blizzard is the main attacking moves and Safeguard is to support even more.
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 248 SpD
Careful Nature
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Petal Blizzard
- Safeguard


Lets star from this little pokemon! I decided to build a team with Cherrim because I think she cna combo well with the great power of MegaZard Y. Helping Hand is to boost Charizard's Heat Wave, Petal Blizzard is the main attacking moves and Safeguard is to support even more.

Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Solar Power
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 244 SpA / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Overheat


A typical VGC set for Charizard. I decided to use Overheat over Ancient Power so I can OHKO typical pokemon of the meta like MKanga. I decided to run Modest Nature over Timid so I can OHKO 252 HP Rotomo-W or 4 HP Tyranitar.

At the beginning I thought about a phisical set, so I can take advantage even more from Cherrim Ability, but that moveset doesn't convince me so much.

I choose to run Solar Power as ability so I can take advantage of my opponent sun in a Mirror Match.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Follow Me
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave


I've chosen Clafable because I feel that I needed some bulky pokemon that can redirect attacks and keep busy the dragons. I wasn't sure about the ability but then I decided to run Unaware over Magic Guard to tank better setted pokemon.

I choose Moonblast over Dazzling Gleam to prevent of being blocked from WideGuard user and Thunder Wave fro speed controlling.

The evs' spread is studied to resist some of the most common powerfull attacks of the meta:



252+ Atk Bisharp Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 134-158 (66.3 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 150-177 (74.2 - 87.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 132-156 (65.3 - 77.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 164-194 (81.1 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Adaptability Mega Lucario Bullet Punch vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 100-120 (49.5 - 59.4%) -- 98.4% chance to 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 36 SpD Clefable: 154-182 (76.2 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Clefable: 93-109 (46 - 53.9%) -- 46.5% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Gengar Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 36 SpD Clefable: 162-192 (80.1 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Wide Guard
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon

Standard Aegislash's Set with Wide Guard to help out versus Rock Slide's user. The only lack is that the sun power up one of his weakness. I'm not sure if keep it or choose another Pokemon. Some Advice?

Scrafty @ Assault Vest

Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Rock Slide


Another standard set! Very usefull thanks to Intimidate! (Hoping Bisharp or Milotic aren't around lol). I choosed Rock Slide over Ice Punch to help me out versus Gyarados, TFlame and Charizard. Is also pretty slow and bulky so he can help out versus Trick room team.

Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Punch
- Protect
- Low Kick


And now the sixth pokemon! I'm really uncertain about this one. I was searching for a scary physical attacker that would work well with the rest of the team and the first that came to my mind was this blue frog with the writing UBER on his forehead.

But... I'm insicure about everything of this sixth member: i'm not sure Greninja is the right pokemon and even if he is I'm not sure about the moveset and the item (luckily the nature and the evs spread are OK).

For the item I wasn't sure If use Life Orb or Focus Sash. At the end I went for the second one, because I thinked it would be more useful to help Greninja survive a little bit more but I rarely used it in the games that I played with this team.

The moveset confused me even more: Matblock, Waterfall, Water Shuriken... there are too many working choice!

Can you give me some advice?


Thank you for reading this! And hoping my English to be understandable and that it didn't shock you too much!


Hoping to receive many good Advice! Bye Bye!

EDIT 1 (31/01): Edited Cherrim Set, Evs and Nature; Edited Clefable evs.

 

[Steven Stone]

Y'know, Flower Gift actually raises the attack and sp.def of your mons by 1.5, so i think you could use like, Petal Blizzard (Wide Physical Attack move) or some move of sorts. Solarbeam is nice, but Petal Blizzard is worth a try. HP rock is just a waste of a moveslot, as you won't be outspeeding Talonflame by any means and you still won't be able to OHKO some Talonflame sets. I'd reccomend a move like Heal Pulse or Safeguard or something like that for a more supportive role.
Also, improve the Clefable set to be a little more bulky in general. These are moves you'd like to survive:
Kangaskhan's Double Edge
Mega Mawile's Play Rough
Greninja's Gunk Shot
Lucario's Bullet Punch
Hydreigon's Flash Cannon
Landorus' Earthquake
Gengar's Sludge Bomb.

Well, that's it. Keep it up friend!

SkarmSteel​

 

[Raven094]

Thank you Skarm_Steel! I've tried to follow your advice and I edited Cherrim and Clefable :)

 

[chuavechito]

I think Petal Blizzard is a terrible idea. It hits your partner and its not a very strong move regardless. Also, since Flower Gift only works for Atk and not SpA, I think Cherrim's best place in a sun team is to have her in the back next to a physical attacker. I would play MCharY + Fast Lead with Physical Attacks and Cherrim + Physical Attacker in the back. This way you can abuse Cherrim the most.

I will suggest you to play this set:

Cherrim @ Focus Sash
Ability: Flower Gift
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- SolarBeam
- Weather Ball
- Helping Hand
- Protect

Focus Sash is the BEST item for a fragil support like Cherrim. SolarBeam has 120 base + STAB. Weather Ball is Fire in Sun, so its 100 base + Sun. They are both pretty strong on top of Fire/Grass having good coverage (hits everything but Dragon and Fire). Her special attacks hit harder than her physical attacks, regardless of Flower Gift so no reason to play Petal Blizzard / Seed Bomb.

Just to give you an example of a Fast Lead with Physical Attacks:

Infernape @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Fake Out
- Protect

And anything that is not Mega and uses his Physical Attacks from this list can work as the last slot:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/vgc-2015-viability-rankings-a-rank-voting.3526526/
Obviously you would need to check which ones are better for what you wanna accomplish. From top of my head, Talonflame would be a really good option since he has Fire STAB in Sun. His Flare Blitz in Sun with Helping Hand and Flower Gift is a guaranteed 1HKO vs 252 / 252+ Cresselia and Milotic, which basically means it can kill everything.