Heatran (M) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SDef / 252 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- ThunderPunch
- Ice Punch
Espeon (M) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Baton Pass
Gorebyss (M) @ White Herb
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 24 SDef / 232 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Baton Pass
- Surf
- Substitute
Salamence (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 116 Atk / 216 SAtk / 176 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SDef / 252 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- ThunderPunch
- Ice Punch
Espeon (M) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Baton Pass
Gorebyss (M) @ White Herb
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 24 SDef / 232 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Baton Pass
- Surf
- Substitute
Salamence (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 116 Atk / 216 SAtk / 176 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
For the first time ever, I decided to create a team that was non rain, since rain is always just a mix and match exercise of choosing sweepers, and it was always the same each time. I decided to try a smash pass team, since I was keen on having a powerhouse team.
Firstly, I tried smeargle as my lead. Access to spore, shell smash, and magic coat to prevent him from being taunted was very attractive and worked fairly well.
I then added magic bounce espeon to the team, to knock back entry hazards and to set up dual screens. Magic bounce espeon also helps immensely as it can bounce back every single phazing move in the game bar perish song.
With all these boosts I would need a sweeper, and since dragon is such an amazing attacking type I added a mix-mence, who with moxie can very easily reach +6 attack, and with his fire/dragon/ground moves will hit every pokemon in the game for at least neutral.
Since dragons are so rampant in the metagame, I added my next sweeper, metagross. His amazing typing and bulk mean that he takes very little damage from dragon moves and priority moves, both of which threaten this team.
Nidoking's amazing movepool sprung to mind for my third and final sweeper, providing near perfect neutral coverage, and incredible recoil-less power with sheer force.
I added a huntail as a backup shell passer, as his decent bulk allows him to set up quite often, and sometimes allows me to pass 2 or even 3 shell smashes per match.
I decided to swap smeargle for skarmory, as I needed something which could set up entry hazards, as sturdy and focus sash were often costing me games. Whirlwind was also a great bonus as it lets me phaze opposing baton pass teams.
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Whirlwind
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Brave Bird
This guy is amazing. Sturdy guarantees me a stealth rock, his bulk means he can take several hits from a physical attacker, and whirlwind allows me to get rid of annoying enemies. Brave bird also has the added bonus of doing heavy damage to conkeldurr, who can cause me problems. I generally lead with this guy, and I will switch to espeon if I predict a status move or an entry hazard, since no one is stupid enough to try setting up hazards or status on espeon.
Espeon (M) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Baton Pass
Almost certainly the most important member of my team. Magic bounce is incredible, allowing me to prevent enemies setting up status or entry hazards, and if they attempt to phaze, it bounces back roar and whirlwind, for humorous effect. Baton pass is there because when gorebyss shell smashes and they send in their phazer, I want to be able to switch in espeon without losing the boost. When they roar themselves away I quickly baton pass to something powerful enough to kill the enemy. Balloon heatran does cause me problems as he resists fire and is immune to ground, but if my sweeper can hit him with something on the switch it's an easy KO.
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
Not much to say really. This guy is incredible. His low speed causes him problems, but once he nabs a +2 boost he is nigh on unstoppable. He resists mach punch, which is a HUGE plus, and OHKOs pretty much everything I've come across, bar unaware quagsire(2HKO) and chansey/blissey, who are the only things who can stand in his way. An added bonus is he is immune to TWave and Toxic, and burn does nothing to him since he is special. Life orb recoil is negated by sheer force, and his lightning immunity means he is a very easy switch from gorebyss, who tends to lure in electric type attacks.
Gorebyss (M) @ White Herb
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 24 SDef / 232 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Baton Pass
- Surf
- Substitute
This guy has decent bulk, and is almost impossible to OHKO without a crit behind screens, making him a very solid smash passer. White herb is there to prevent the defense drop, which is helpful since priority attacks at -1 defenses are often devastating to my team. Hydration is situational since I don't carry rain, but it can be useful. Surf is very good for attacking when I need to. Substitute is useful if I can get it passed to a sweeper, as a free priority resist, and is very useful since behind screens the substitutes rarely get broken unless the attack is SE. Shell Smash and baton pass are self explanatory, as they are the basis of my team.
Salamence (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 116 Atk / 216 SAtk / 176 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
Moxie is awesome, I am very often at +6 with two enemies to go, who I can then decimate. Dragon Claw is general stab, and is used over outrage as my attack will be stellar with smash + moxie. Locking myself into outrage, even without the added confusion, is usually detrimental since Dragon Claw usually OHKOs anyway. Flamethrower hits steel super hard that dares to resist my moves. Earthquake is for heatran, who walls this set otherwise. Balloon heatran causes problems, but since I don't get locked into outrage a dragon claw -> earthquake combo usually kills it, and it rarely kills me in return. Draco meteor is for unaware quagsire and for physical walls, but it is only used in emergencies.
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- ThunderPunch
- Ice Punch
Metagross again has very good coverage, and resists priority which usually screws over my team. Scizor is a problem as he cannot be OHKO'd by this set, but he can't OHKO in return so I'm usually good. Metagross' dragon resist is also very useful. I'm open to changing this set a little, I was considering HP Fire over Meteor Mash, just to kill scizor, as scizor is probably the number 1 threat to this team, but the loss of STAB really hurts. Shuca Berry allows me to easily take on Mamoswine and Donphan now, and helps this bulky guy survive pretty much everything.
Heatran (M) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SDef / 252 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power [Grass]
The EVs are there to maximise his bulk, while giving him enough speed to sweep in an emergency should he be baton passed to. He is very useful against hail teams, and does huge damage to Swampert, Donphan, Mamoswine, Scizor and Quagsire, all major threats to the team. Stealth Rock is useful to break sash and sturdy, and Roar helps me phaze. He also helps immensely versus sun and hail teams - against hail teams he is often my best choice as a smash pass receiver. Against sun teams, his fire resist, and air balloon mean that enemies have a tough time damaging him, and if a Donphan or Mamoswine is stupid enough to try and use ice shard -> earthquake, they get outspeeded and 2HKO'd, resulting in minimal damage to Heatran, and the loss to the enemy of one of the major threats to my team.
