Team Oddballs!
First, at a glance!
Why Team Oddballs, you may be asking? One part of it is my inability to come up with a theme for this team, while the other part of it is that this is a seemingly random collection of Pokemon that have a surprising amount of synergy with eachother, and are able to allow one of my three set-up Pokemon raise their stats and start their sweeps if they work together in the right ways. Created and tested via Pokemon Online, this team has served me very well overall, though it could use some help. I don't know exactly what to do to improve it, which is why I'm asking for help.
Thanks to those of you who made comments on it so far. I've tested some new things out and, to reflect those tests, changes made to the team are in blue bold. Even though changes have been made, please suggest more, if you can/want to/think there's still more work to be done.
Now, for a close examination, shall we?
First, at a glance!
Why Team Oddballs, you may be asking? One part of it is my inability to come up with a theme for this team, while the other part of it is that this is a seemingly random collection of Pokemon that have a surprising amount of synergy with eachother, and are able to allow one of my three set-up Pokemon raise their stats and start their sweeps if they work together in the right ways. Created and tested via Pokemon Online, this team has served me very well overall, though it could use some help. I don't know exactly what to do to improve it, which is why I'm asking for help.
Thanks to those of you who made comments on it so far. I've tested some new things out and, to reflect those tests, changes made to the team are in blue bold. Even though changes have been made, please suggest more, if you can/want to/think there's still more work to be done.
Now, for a close examination, shall we?
Lead: Q-Tip (Erufuun)@Focus Sash
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Defense/4 Special Defense
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Moveset:
Taunt
Charm
Light Screen
Memento
General Comments:
Who DOESN’T love this little guy? Instead of forcing switches to rack up entry hazard damage, this build is more centered around forcing your opponent to switch into just the right opponent, then using Memento to lower their attacking stats by two stages each, at the cost of Q-Tip’s adorable little life. Once that’s done, SupaDragon, LizardPants or FireFly is sent in and given a chance to set-up, depending on the situation. Focus Sash replaces Leftovers so Q-Tip has a greater chance to use Memento.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
Without Q-Tip, SupaDragon, LizardPants and FireFly aren’t given nearly as much room to set-up as they’d like to have. As a lead, it’s Q-Tip’s job to give SupaDragon, LizardPants and/or FireFly the set-up space they need.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Predicting which move to use at the right time is essential for Q-Tip to serve its purpose. Sometimes you want to Taunt your foe before Charming them or setting up a Light Screen, sometimes it’s best to use Memento right away. How Q-Tip gets used can sometimes determine the fate of the entire battle, right from the get-go.
“Self-counter”: DaBlob (Ditto)@Red Card
Nature: Hardy
EVs: 252 HP
IV Note: Attack = 30, Defense = 30, All others =31 (for Power 70 Hidden Power Ice)
Ability: Eccentric
Moveset:
Transform
General Comments:
This version of DaBlob, suggested by forum member Jaroda, has done much better than it did when it held a Choice Scarf. He's essentially become the ultimate boost sapper, especially on Calm Mind users, Bulk Up users, Butterfly Dance users and Bulky Dragon Dance users. If DaBlob survives a boosted hit, the opponent is forced to switch out, thanks to Red Card, thus losing their stat boosts while DaBlob keeps the ones it gained. I’ve never been in a battle where DaBlob hasn’t scored at least one KO, allowing for that threat to be taken care of.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
DaBlob acts as a hard counter for some of my opponent’s biggest Pokemon (usually Dragon-Types and set-up sweepers) and is able to outspeed them to score a KO. DaBlob is also good at revenge killing some weaker opponents. It can do its job at almost any point during the game, which is VERY valuable.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Good prediction is a MUST. Otherwise, this brilliant self-counter may get hard countered itself! Speed Ties with the opponent are also an issue, but a luck-based one.
Early Game Sweeper: LandShark (Garchomp)@Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Rough Skin
Moveset:
Swords Dance
Outrage
Earthquake
Stone Edge
General Comments:
Swords Dance Garchomp set. It resists Stealth Rock, is immune to Sandstorm (making surviving it easier), has higher base Attack and Speed stats than SupaDragon did and two extremely powerful moves to back up the stat, after STAB is factored in. Rough Skin is chosen over Sand Veil because LandShark isn't on a Sandstorm team, and the passive damage from contact-based physical attacks is always nice. Whenever there's a battle in which I use LandShark, I find that, unlike SupaDragon, LandShark always scores at least one KO during the match, and it's easier for LandShark to do so.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
LandShark takes over SupaDragon's role quite nicely. It resists Stealth Rock, allowing it to set up easily, even if rocks are present on the field. Lum Berry is chosen, again, to aid in setting up, but it also has the added benefit of healing LandShark of confusion should it set up and use Outrage without a problem (which, surprisingly, happens quite often.) With the power to dent/KO many opponents after a single Swords Dance, LandShark gives FireFly and LizardPants much needed room to set up, or force their own switches.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Choice Scarf Eccentric Ditto, as well as Choice Scarf Dragon-types and Ice-types cause LandShark MAJOR problems. The loss of Dragon Dance is partially to blame for that. Choice Scarf Eccentric Ditto isn't used as often as I thought it'd be, but it's still a problem when it does show up.
Bulky Fighting Type: LizardPants (Zuruzukin)@Leftovers
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP/40 Attack/216 Special Defense
Ability: Shed Skin
Moveset:
Bulk Up
Drain Punch
Payback
Rest
General Comments:
Though LizardPants may be as offensive as Roobushin was, there are several things that helped LizardPants take Roobushin’s role away from him, as far as this team is concerned. Those are STAB Payback, Rest, and Shed Skin. Having a chance to basically shed away his ailments is always fantastic, especially if you bring them on yourself (Rest.) His typing leaves him with Fighting and Flying weaknesses, though Fighting-types can usually be handled pretty well after a boost or two.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
If LizardPants is brought in after Q-Tip uses Memento, it always gets at least one Bulk Up boost, allowing it to begin walling and powering up its own moves. If all goes according to plan, LizardPants will be able to take out many opponents before finally going down, possibly leaving SupaDragon and FireFly with some more set-up room. It can also switch in on Dark-type or Ghost-type attacks aimed at KingJelly with ease.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Shed Skin may not activate when you need it to when using Rest, allowing your opponent to switch to a counter. Should LizardPants switch out while using Rest, its sleep counter resets unless Shed Skin activates when LizardPants is brought back out.
Bulky Water/Status Distributor: NeedleNose (Tentacruel)@Black Sludge
Nature: Bold
EVs: 36 HP/252 Defense/16 Special Attack/204 Special Defense
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Moveset:
Toxic Spikes
Hail
Rapid Spin
Surf
General Comments:
Finally! A Rapid Spinner to get rid of those nasty Stealth Rocks and Spikes, not to mention a way to rid the field of Toxic Spikes, while setting up my own! Once again suggested by forum member Jaroda, NeedleNose is far more useful than KingJelly was for the team. You may be questioning Hail, and, as Jaroda suggested to me, it's used to cancel out permanent weather once the Politoed or Ninetails in question is properly disposed of. The passive damage on the opponent's non-Ice-types is nice too.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
NeedleNose serves as the team's spinner/utility Pokemon, while being a handy check to the likes of Infernape and Speed Boost Blaziken. It can absorb opponent Toxic Spikes while easily setting up two layers of its own, spreading status and, eventually, passive damage to allow for my three set-up Pokemon to do their thing, and do it well/easily. Liquid Ooze is the ability of choice to make Leech Seeders, Drain Punchers and Giga Drainers think twice about using those health absorption moves against it.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
It's weak to Earthquake, and usually can't take a boosted one. Also, other bulky water types tend to wall this set but, without Surf, it can't counter Fire-types like Infernape and Blaziken very well. Your thoughts?
General Purpose Special Sweeper: FireFly (Urugamosu)@Leftovers
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Defense/252 Special Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Flame Body
Moveset:
Butterfly Dance
Flame Dance
Bug Buzz
Hidden Power (Ground)
General Comments:
After two Butterfly Dances, FireFly’s attacks do tons of damage to many of the opponents it faces. Flame Dance is used over Fire Blast for its chance to raise FireFly’s Special Attack even higher after each move, mimicking SupaDragon’s Moxie ability in a way. Hidden Power (Ground) helps it take out opposing Fire-Types (most notably Heatran, barring Balloon variants.)
Synergy with the rest of the team:
My team was in dire need of a special sweeper and a reliable Fire-type able to switch attacks. I saw many Urugamusu in many battles on Pokemon Online and decided to give it a try, much to my success. Flame Body helps it spread Burn, lowering the Attack of my opponents and giving LizardPants and SupaDragon a little more set-up room.
Downsides with using this Pokemon:
Stealth Rock absolutely murders FireFly and, outside of Q-Tip, I don’t really have a way to prevent its presence on the field. Physical Water-types (Gyarados, Floatzel, etc.) also cause it problems, though Flame Body may decide to kick in and burn them. Though, Flame Body could decide NOT to kick in, and thus not serve its purpose.
Old Members:
Their services are greatly remembered, but are either better executed by team members mentioned above, or not needed as much as originally thought. I’m showing you guys these, just in case you think these guys deserve their old spots back. I’m open, as they’re all good sets that did their jobs well. :)
Lead: Sableye@Leftovers
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP/120 Defense/136 Special Defense
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Moveset:
Taunt
Recover
Will-O-Wisp
Night Shade
General Comments:
Sableye makes a great lead most of the time. Priority Taunt, priority Recover, priority burn and Night Shade for consistent damage are all great things to have. It doesn’t give my sweepers as much room to set up as Q-Tip does, but it’s better at stalling thanks to priority Recover. That, and Sableye isn’t Taunt bait, unlike Q-Tip. No attack hits it for Super-Effective damage either, which is a major plus for a good lead.
Fun Fact: before I started making changes to the team, Sableye was one of three ghost types that were a part of it. One stuck around (KingJelly), one’s here, so who’s the third? Hm…
Physical Attacker: Enbuoh@Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Defense
Ability: Blaze
Moveset:
Flare Blitz
Superpower
Wild Bolt
Stone Edge
General Comments:
This guy hit like a truck, when he was able to hit the opponent, that is. Usually when he was brought in, Enbuoh would take a nasty hit, use Flare Blitz, take nasty recoil damage, then be picked off by Pursuit (despite his resistance) or a priority move. Sometimes the opponent would switch around and get him to kill himself by Flare Blitz recoil. It did a ton of damage, sure, and maybe scored a K.O at some points, but my main physical attacker at the time was K.O’ed way too easily by comparison. That’s when I decided to switch Enbuoh.
Bulky Fighting Type: Roobushin@Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 120 HP/252 Attack/136 Special Defense
Ability: Guts
Moveset:
Bulk Up
Mach Punch
Drain Punch
Payback
General Comments:
Very bulky after several Bulk Up boosts, Mach Punch compensates for his abysmal speed, Drain Punch hits like a truck after a boost or two, and Payback is insanely powerful after taking a hit. All of his attacks are powered up by Guts, making him a great status absorber… so, what’s not to like about Roobushin? His ability to stall wasn’t enough for the team in many cases. Drain Punch could help recover health, as did Leftovers, but LizardPants’ ability to more easily reach +6 Attack and Defense and higher base Special Defense are more helpful for my team’s needs, and make LizardPants more bulky overall then Roobushin. LizardPants can’t beat that default Attack stat of 416 though…
Scarf-Trapper: Shandera@Choice Scarf
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Defense/252 Special Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Shadow Tag
Moveset:
Overheat
Energy Ball
Shadow Ball
Hidden Power (Ice)
General Comments:
Shandera usually lands at least one K.O during the match. Once you find a good switch-in chance, your opponent’s going nowhere, and will most likely be outsped. As far as a primary user of Special Attacks on this team, it felt too situational, and didn’t prove to be much use during the later parts of a game, especially if I was already losing. That, and Overheat pretty much yells “HAI, I HAZ SCARF. PLEASE MAKE ME SWITCH AFTER I KNOCK OUT YOUR DUDE. KTHANKS” and that just didn’t work for me.
Early Game Sweeper: SupaDragon (Salamence)@Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Moxie (a.k.a Overconfidence)
Moveset:
Dragon Dance
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Stone Edge
General Comments:
SupaDragon was a great physical sweeper when it could get its proper boosts up. Each KO it scored boosted it's already ludicrous attack stat when backed by two Dragon Dances. Unfortunately, SupaDragon's typing gave it a nasty weakness to Stealth Rock/Rock-Type moves, and it wasn't fast enough on it's own right to get more than one Dragon Dance off in most cases. SupaDragon didn't do it's job very much, but when it did, it was basically good game. SupaDragon has since been replaced by LandShark the Garchomp.
Bulky Water/Status Distributor: KingJelly (Burungeru)@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/200 Defense/52 Special Attack/4 Special Defense
Ability: Water Absorb
Moveset:
Boil Over
Toxic
Energy Ball
Recover
General Comments:
The people didn't hail to this king very well. In fact, they set up on it too much. KingJelly looks cool and has decent stats and an impressive three immunities, but it never provided the kind of utility that NeedleNose does now. Toxic and Boil Over are useful in spreading status, and Energy Ball did hit Swampert harder than any other non-boosted attack I have, but even so... KingJelly, when I examined the team after getting a couple of suggestions, did seem to be the weakest link of the bunch.
So, there you go! Any and all suggestions you have to improve this team are much appreciated. This is the second team I've ever posted here, the first one to have undergone extensive testing. I hope you guys rate, aid, enjoy, criticize, tear it apart and go to town on it. Later Days, until then!
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Defense/4 Special Defense
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Moveset:
Taunt
Charm
Light Screen
Memento
General Comments:
Who DOESN’T love this little guy? Instead of forcing switches to rack up entry hazard damage, this build is more centered around forcing your opponent to switch into just the right opponent, then using Memento to lower their attacking stats by two stages each, at the cost of Q-Tip’s adorable little life. Once that’s done, SupaDragon, LizardPants or FireFly is sent in and given a chance to set-up, depending on the situation. Focus Sash replaces Leftovers so Q-Tip has a greater chance to use Memento.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
Without Q-Tip, SupaDragon, LizardPants and FireFly aren’t given nearly as much room to set-up as they’d like to have. As a lead, it’s Q-Tip’s job to give SupaDragon, LizardPants and/or FireFly the set-up space they need.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Predicting which move to use at the right time is essential for Q-Tip to serve its purpose. Sometimes you want to Taunt your foe before Charming them or setting up a Light Screen, sometimes it’s best to use Memento right away. How Q-Tip gets used can sometimes determine the fate of the entire battle, right from the get-go.
“Self-counter”: DaBlob (Ditto)@Red Card
Nature: Hardy
EVs: 252 HP
IV Note: Attack = 30, Defense = 30, All others =31 (for Power 70 Hidden Power Ice)
Ability: Eccentric
Moveset:
Transform
General Comments:
This version of DaBlob, suggested by forum member Jaroda, has done much better than it did when it held a Choice Scarf. He's essentially become the ultimate boost sapper, especially on Calm Mind users, Bulk Up users, Butterfly Dance users and Bulky Dragon Dance users. If DaBlob survives a boosted hit, the opponent is forced to switch out, thanks to Red Card, thus losing their stat boosts while DaBlob keeps the ones it gained. I’ve never been in a battle where DaBlob hasn’t scored at least one KO, allowing for that threat to be taken care of.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
DaBlob acts as a hard counter for some of my opponent’s biggest Pokemon (usually Dragon-Types and set-up sweepers) and is able to outspeed them to score a KO. DaBlob is also good at revenge killing some weaker opponents. It can do its job at almost any point during the game, which is VERY valuable.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Good prediction is a MUST. Otherwise, this brilliant self-counter may get hard countered itself! Speed Ties with the opponent are also an issue, but a luck-based one.
Early Game Sweeper: LandShark (Garchomp)@Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Rough Skin
Moveset:
Swords Dance
Outrage
Earthquake
Stone Edge
General Comments:
Swords Dance Garchomp set. It resists Stealth Rock, is immune to Sandstorm (making surviving it easier), has higher base Attack and Speed stats than SupaDragon did and two extremely powerful moves to back up the stat, after STAB is factored in. Rough Skin is chosen over Sand Veil because LandShark isn't on a Sandstorm team, and the passive damage from contact-based physical attacks is always nice. Whenever there's a battle in which I use LandShark, I find that, unlike SupaDragon, LandShark always scores at least one KO during the match, and it's easier for LandShark to do so.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
LandShark takes over SupaDragon's role quite nicely. It resists Stealth Rock, allowing it to set up easily, even if rocks are present on the field. Lum Berry is chosen, again, to aid in setting up, but it also has the added benefit of healing LandShark of confusion should it set up and use Outrage without a problem (which, surprisingly, happens quite often.) With the power to dent/KO many opponents after a single Swords Dance, LandShark gives FireFly and LizardPants much needed room to set up, or force their own switches.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Choice Scarf Eccentric Ditto, as well as Choice Scarf Dragon-types and Ice-types cause LandShark MAJOR problems. The loss of Dragon Dance is partially to blame for that. Choice Scarf Eccentric Ditto isn't used as often as I thought it'd be, but it's still a problem when it does show up.
Bulky Fighting Type: LizardPants (Zuruzukin)@Leftovers
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP/40 Attack/216 Special Defense
Ability: Shed Skin
Moveset:
Bulk Up
Drain Punch
Payback
Rest
General Comments:
Though LizardPants may be as offensive as Roobushin was, there are several things that helped LizardPants take Roobushin’s role away from him, as far as this team is concerned. Those are STAB Payback, Rest, and Shed Skin. Having a chance to basically shed away his ailments is always fantastic, especially if you bring them on yourself (Rest.) His typing leaves him with Fighting and Flying weaknesses, though Fighting-types can usually be handled pretty well after a boost or two.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
If LizardPants is brought in after Q-Tip uses Memento, it always gets at least one Bulk Up boost, allowing it to begin walling and powering up its own moves. If all goes according to plan, LizardPants will be able to take out many opponents before finally going down, possibly leaving SupaDragon and FireFly with some more set-up room. It can also switch in on Dark-type or Ghost-type attacks aimed at KingJelly with ease.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
Shed Skin may not activate when you need it to when using Rest, allowing your opponent to switch to a counter. Should LizardPants switch out while using Rest, its sleep counter resets unless Shed Skin activates when LizardPants is brought back out.
Bulky Water/Status Distributor: NeedleNose (Tentacruel)@Black Sludge
Nature: Bold
EVs: 36 HP/252 Defense/16 Special Attack/204 Special Defense
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Moveset:
Toxic Spikes
Hail
Rapid Spin
Surf
General Comments:
Finally! A Rapid Spinner to get rid of those nasty Stealth Rocks and Spikes, not to mention a way to rid the field of Toxic Spikes, while setting up my own! Once again suggested by forum member Jaroda, NeedleNose is far more useful than KingJelly was for the team. You may be questioning Hail, and, as Jaroda suggested to me, it's used to cancel out permanent weather once the Politoed or Ninetails in question is properly disposed of. The passive damage on the opponent's non-Ice-types is nice too.
Synergy with the rest of the team:
NeedleNose serves as the team's spinner/utility Pokemon, while being a handy check to the likes of Infernape and Speed Boost Blaziken. It can absorb opponent Toxic Spikes while easily setting up two layers of its own, spreading status and, eventually, passive damage to allow for my three set-up Pokemon to do their thing, and do it well/easily. Liquid Ooze is the ability of choice to make Leech Seeders, Drain Punchers and Giga Drainers think twice about using those health absorption moves against it.
Downsides to using this Pokemon:
It's weak to Earthquake, and usually can't take a boosted one. Also, other bulky water types tend to wall this set but, without Surf, it can't counter Fire-types like Infernape and Blaziken very well. Your thoughts?
General Purpose Special Sweeper: FireFly (Urugamosu)@Leftovers
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Defense/252 Special Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Flame Body
Moveset:
Butterfly Dance
Flame Dance
Bug Buzz
Hidden Power (Ground)
General Comments:
After two Butterfly Dances, FireFly’s attacks do tons of damage to many of the opponents it faces. Flame Dance is used over Fire Blast for its chance to raise FireFly’s Special Attack even higher after each move, mimicking SupaDragon’s Moxie ability in a way. Hidden Power (Ground) helps it take out opposing Fire-Types (most notably Heatran, barring Balloon variants.)
Synergy with the rest of the team:
My team was in dire need of a special sweeper and a reliable Fire-type able to switch attacks. I saw many Urugamusu in many battles on Pokemon Online and decided to give it a try, much to my success. Flame Body helps it spread Burn, lowering the Attack of my opponents and giving LizardPants and SupaDragon a little more set-up room.
Downsides with using this Pokemon:
Stealth Rock absolutely murders FireFly and, outside of Q-Tip, I don’t really have a way to prevent its presence on the field. Physical Water-types (Gyarados, Floatzel, etc.) also cause it problems, though Flame Body may decide to kick in and burn them. Though, Flame Body could decide NOT to kick in, and thus not serve its purpose.
Old Members:
Their services are greatly remembered, but are either better executed by team members mentioned above, or not needed as much as originally thought. I’m showing you guys these, just in case you think these guys deserve their old spots back. I’m open, as they’re all good sets that did their jobs well. :)
Lead: Sableye@Leftovers
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP/120 Defense/136 Special Defense
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Moveset:
Taunt
Recover
Will-O-Wisp
Night Shade
General Comments:
Sableye makes a great lead most of the time. Priority Taunt, priority Recover, priority burn and Night Shade for consistent damage are all great things to have. It doesn’t give my sweepers as much room to set up as Q-Tip does, but it’s better at stalling thanks to priority Recover. That, and Sableye isn’t Taunt bait, unlike Q-Tip. No attack hits it for Super-Effective damage either, which is a major plus for a good lead.
Fun Fact: before I started making changes to the team, Sableye was one of three ghost types that were a part of it. One stuck around (KingJelly), one’s here, so who’s the third? Hm…
Physical Attacker: Enbuoh@Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Defense
Ability: Blaze
Moveset:
Flare Blitz
Superpower
Wild Bolt
Stone Edge
General Comments:
This guy hit like a truck, when he was able to hit the opponent, that is. Usually when he was brought in, Enbuoh would take a nasty hit, use Flare Blitz, take nasty recoil damage, then be picked off by Pursuit (despite his resistance) or a priority move. Sometimes the opponent would switch around and get him to kill himself by Flare Blitz recoil. It did a ton of damage, sure, and maybe scored a K.O at some points, but my main physical attacker at the time was K.O’ed way too easily by comparison. That’s when I decided to switch Enbuoh.
Bulky Fighting Type: Roobushin@Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 120 HP/252 Attack/136 Special Defense
Ability: Guts
Moveset:
Bulk Up
Mach Punch
Drain Punch
Payback
General Comments:
Very bulky after several Bulk Up boosts, Mach Punch compensates for his abysmal speed, Drain Punch hits like a truck after a boost or two, and Payback is insanely powerful after taking a hit. All of his attacks are powered up by Guts, making him a great status absorber… so, what’s not to like about Roobushin? His ability to stall wasn’t enough for the team in many cases. Drain Punch could help recover health, as did Leftovers, but LizardPants’ ability to more easily reach +6 Attack and Defense and higher base Special Defense are more helpful for my team’s needs, and make LizardPants more bulky overall then Roobushin. LizardPants can’t beat that default Attack stat of 416 though…
Scarf-Trapper: Shandera@Choice Scarf
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Defense/252 Special Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Shadow Tag
Moveset:
Overheat
Energy Ball
Shadow Ball
Hidden Power (Ice)
General Comments:
Shandera usually lands at least one K.O during the match. Once you find a good switch-in chance, your opponent’s going nowhere, and will most likely be outsped. As far as a primary user of Special Attacks on this team, it felt too situational, and didn’t prove to be much use during the later parts of a game, especially if I was already losing. That, and Overheat pretty much yells “HAI, I HAZ SCARF. PLEASE MAKE ME SWITCH AFTER I KNOCK OUT YOUR DUDE. KTHANKS” and that just didn’t work for me.
Early Game Sweeper: SupaDragon (Salamence)@Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Ability: Moxie (a.k.a Overconfidence)
Moveset:
Dragon Dance
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Stone Edge
General Comments:
SupaDragon was a great physical sweeper when it could get its proper boosts up. Each KO it scored boosted it's already ludicrous attack stat when backed by two Dragon Dances. Unfortunately, SupaDragon's typing gave it a nasty weakness to Stealth Rock/Rock-Type moves, and it wasn't fast enough on it's own right to get more than one Dragon Dance off in most cases. SupaDragon didn't do it's job very much, but when it did, it was basically good game. SupaDragon has since been replaced by LandShark the Garchomp.
Bulky Water/Status Distributor: KingJelly (Burungeru)@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/200 Defense/52 Special Attack/4 Special Defense
Ability: Water Absorb
Moveset:
Boil Over
Toxic
Energy Ball
Recover
General Comments:
The people didn't hail to this king very well. In fact, they set up on it too much. KingJelly looks cool and has decent stats and an impressive three immunities, but it never provided the kind of utility that NeedleNose does now. Toxic and Boil Over are useful in spreading status, and Energy Ball did hit Swampert harder than any other non-boosted attack I have, but even so... KingJelly, when I examined the team after getting a couple of suggestions, did seem to be the weakest link of the bunch.
So, there you go! Any and all suggestions you have to improve this team are much appreciated. This is the second team I've ever posted here, the first one to have undergone extensive testing. I hope you guys rate, aid, enjoy, criticize, tear it apart and go to town on it. Later Days, until then!
