Prologue
Salutations everyone! So after a little over a year after I made my last thread, I think I've come up with a rather solid team thus far. Though it does win more often than it loses it's not as consistent as I would like it to be. The main weaknesses that I've noticed thus far is with Dragons and Fairies. In terms of the teams overall synergy it's pretty well balanced with each pokemon covering a lot of resistances and having few weaknesses. So at the moment I'm really just looking for ways to improve what the team already is in order to handle Dragon and Fairy types better (which are rather prevalent in the meta).
Snorlax has always saved me multiple times and is such a powerhouse that can be hard to stop once he sets up a few curses. So I wanted a team with him as a focus.
Since Snorlax is a Normal type that made him neutral to almost all attacks, which is nice. The only major threat being Fighting type pokemon. So I added a Reuniclus to the mix to not only take care of those pesky Fighting types, but also provide some Special Attack to balance out Snorlax's physical ones.
though I made Reuniclus a defensive special attacker for the most part, he was still rather squishy when it came to common Dark type moves such as Knock Off, and common Bug pokemon like Volcarona which I had no answer to. Breloom felt like the ideal choice. Not only could he take Dark attacks well, but being Fighting Type meant he could hit them back. Bug type moves would also hit him neutrally.
Volcarona was still a pain though, and now Talonflame too. So I knew I needed a Water type. I didn't have to look further than Mega Blastoise though. Not only did it have nice defenses and a spinner, but Water Pulse, Dark Pulse, and Aura Sphere covered all of my weaknesses nicely! He was a savior.
Rotom-Heat was an odd consideration, but the main reason I chose him was for his typing. Being both Fire and Electric meant I could comfortably switch into him if I suspected a Will-O-Wisp coming or if Blastoise was being targeted by an electric attack. Having Levitate was also a plus, making me not worry to much about Ground Types switching in with an Earthquake.
Last but not least I added Skarmory. Looking at what I had so far, all my type weaknesses were covered except one. Poison. I also could use an entry hazard pokemon. So a steel type pokemon was the best bet. However, Skarmory was special in the sense that he could set-up entry hazards AND whirlwind pokemon away that tried to set-up with boosting stats. He did give me another Electric weakness though, but they haven't posed too much of a threat.
My Team
Team Details
Totoro (Snorlax) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 HP / 188 Def / 176 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Rest
I can't tell you how many times I've won games with this guy. This guy is a BEAST once he gets his Curses rolling and all threats taken care of. Not only can he become a wall, but a wall that will crash down like a wrecking ball! Oh, and Immunity too because Toxic is a reeeeal pain.
Curse - The most vital part to Snorlax's strategy. I set up Curses against the Physical types or those which will do minimal damage. It's also nice against pokemon that like to set-up entry hazards.
Earthquake - Useful against Electric types that like to come in against my Blastoise and Skarmory. Also useful against ghosts (excluding Gengar) and avoiding pokemon with Rough Skin, Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs etc.
Body Slam - While I could replace this with Return for better damage output. I like the chance of Paralysis a bit more. Having another extra turn to sleep or curse is awesome! Also just a free attack sometimes, can't go wrong there.
Rest - To restore HP and give Snorlax longevity. Even though he's out of commission for two turns (allowing 3 attacks to hit him). If enough Curses are stacked on him and Leftovers is still around very few will be able to KO him before he wakes up and gets his revenge. Never rouse a sleeping Snorlax!
GummyBear (Reuniclus) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Don't let his name full you. He may look soft and vulnerable, but like Snorlax he can be deadly if not dealt with early on. I like to think of him as a Special Snorlax. He's pretty much just as bulky and works in the same way only with less downtime for recovery (pun intended). Also like Snorlax, Toxic won't harm him, and on the plus side I can safely use him against Ferrorthorn and others that like to set up entry hazards.
Calm Mind - Raises Sp. Atk and Sp. Def
Recover - Self-explanatory.
Psychic - While Psyshock is an option. I'm not sure if it's affected by Calm Mind. Even if it is, Psychic does more damage and gives a chance of lowering the targets Sp. Def. So that right there is just a recipe for disaster.
Focus Blast - Useful against Dark Types that come in to face Reuniclus and is just great versus a lot of types in general that could prove to bulky otherwise. Like Mega-Steelix for example.
1UP (Breloom) (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
When in the right situation he can survive for a long time as well. Leech Seed, Drain Punch, and Toxic Orb give him sooooo much health back that sometimes attacks don't leave a mark at all. Add Spore to the mix and he helps "remove" some deadly pokemon from play for awhile. Like Reuniclus and Snorlax, he's also "resistant" to the move Toxic. (Basically it only helps him out).
Spore - 100% chance of causing sleep! This move is broken.
Leech Seed - Wittle the opponent's health away and can potentially force a switch.
Drain Punch - A STAB move that does damage and helps recover HP, what's not to like? Granted it doesn't have priority like Mach Punch, but after testing that move out I wasn't liking the output I was getting.
Seed Bomb - A typical grass STAB move.
Shellshock (Blastoise) (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
The dedicated rapid spinner and bulky Special Attacker. Spikes and Stealth Rock poses a problem for my team. Not greatly, but I do a lot of switching and predicting so the damage adds up over time. Blastoise is a great answer to my prayers. Not only does he get rid of hazards on my side, but his offensive prowess prevents most entry hazard users from setting up while he's present, AND keeps my hazards on their side too. Ferrothorn, Starmie, Excadrill, Donphan, etc don't want to take a Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, or Water Pulse (respectively) to the face!
Rapid Spin - Clear the field of Entry Hazards
Water Pulse - A powerful STAB move that also can confuse the opponent, which is always nice.
Dark Pulse - Is there to handle Psychic and Ghost types, but can flinch as well.
Aura Sphere - For coverage to handle everything else
Easy Bake (Rotom-Heat) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
My only wish is that he had a better move pool. Choice Specs is nice, but I don't think I've quite mastered it, which is why I have Trick as one of the options. Its always great to put it on a Physical Sweeper or someone setting up. Other than that his typing is just great! Stealth Rock can be a hazard though. However, that's why I have Blastoise, who can also switch in if a water move is expected.
Overheat - Insane bursts of damage!
Volt Switch - Does damage and switches out without losing momentum.
Will-O-Wisp - Lowers the Attack of a Pokemon and does damage over time. Very useful to help Snorlax setup later on.
Trick - As explained above, it's a nice surprise utility move if a particularly pokemon is/could potentially be troublesome
Falchion (Skarmory) (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
A great opener at times when I want to see a pokemon's moveset. I chose Rocky Helmet over Leftovers because some tournaments/rules can't let you have double of the same item. Also with Roost already taking up a moveslot I think I'll b okay. Whirlwind+Stealth Rock can be an annoying combo, but I don't like using him in that way. However, I am thinking of trading in the Brave Bird for a Drill Peck, just to avoid getting recoil damage and breaking the Sturdy.
Roost- Typical recovery move, but could also ensure Sturdy works (sometimes even more than once).
Whirlwind - A great phazer used for ideal match-ups or blowing away boosted pokemon.
Brave Bird - A STAB flying move, but at the cost of recoil damage.
Stealth Rock - One of the best entry hazards in the game. Cripples so many pokemon.
Replays
Importable
Salutations everyone! So after a little over a year after I made my last thread, I think I've come up with a rather solid team thus far. Though it does win more often than it loses it's not as consistent as I would like it to be. The main weaknesses that I've noticed thus far is with Dragons and Fairies. In terms of the teams overall synergy it's pretty well balanced with each pokemon covering a lot of resistances and having few weaknesses. So at the moment I'm really just looking for ways to improve what the team already is in order to handle Dragon and Fairy types better (which are rather prevalent in the meta).
Snorlax has always saved me multiple times and is such a powerhouse that can be hard to stop once he sets up a few curses. So I wanted a team with him as a focus.
Since Snorlax is a Normal type that made him neutral to almost all attacks, which is nice. The only major threat being Fighting type pokemon. So I added a Reuniclus to the mix to not only take care of those pesky Fighting types, but also provide some Special Attack to balance out Snorlax's physical ones.
though I made Reuniclus a defensive special attacker for the most part, he was still rather squishy when it came to common Dark type moves such as Knock Off, and common Bug pokemon like Volcarona which I had no answer to. Breloom felt like the ideal choice. Not only could he take Dark attacks well, but being Fighting Type meant he could hit them back. Bug type moves would also hit him neutrally.
Volcarona was still a pain though, and now Talonflame too. So I knew I needed a Water type. I didn't have to look further than Mega Blastoise though. Not only did it have nice defenses and a spinner, but Water Pulse, Dark Pulse, and Aura Sphere covered all of my weaknesses nicely! He was a savior.
Rotom-Heat was an odd consideration, but the main reason I chose him was for his typing. Being both Fire and Electric meant I could comfortably switch into him if I suspected a Will-O-Wisp coming or if Blastoise was being targeted by an electric attack. Having Levitate was also a plus, making me not worry to much about Ground Types switching in with an Earthquake.
Last but not least I added Skarmory. Looking at what I had so far, all my type weaknesses were covered except one. Poison. I also could use an entry hazard pokemon. So a steel type pokemon was the best bet. However, Skarmory was special in the sense that he could set-up entry hazards AND whirlwind pokemon away that tried to set-up with boosting stats. He did give me another Electric weakness though, but they haven't posed too much of a threat.
My Team
Team Details
Totoro (Snorlax) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 HP / 188 Def / 176 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Rest
I can't tell you how many times I've won games with this guy. This guy is a BEAST once he gets his Curses rolling and all threats taken care of. Not only can he become a wall, but a wall that will crash down like a wrecking ball! Oh, and Immunity too because Toxic is a reeeeal pain.
Curse - The most vital part to Snorlax's strategy. I set up Curses against the Physical types or those which will do minimal damage. It's also nice against pokemon that like to set-up entry hazards.
Earthquake - Useful against Electric types that like to come in against my Blastoise and Skarmory. Also useful against ghosts (excluding Gengar) and avoiding pokemon with Rough Skin, Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs etc.
Body Slam - While I could replace this with Return for better damage output. I like the chance of Paralysis a bit more. Having another extra turn to sleep or curse is awesome! Also just a free attack sometimes, can't go wrong there.
Rest - To restore HP and give Snorlax longevity. Even though he's out of commission for two turns (allowing 3 attacks to hit him). If enough Curses are stacked on him and Leftovers is still around very few will be able to KO him before he wakes up and gets his revenge. Never rouse a sleeping Snorlax!
GummyBear (Reuniclus) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Don't let his name full you. He may look soft and vulnerable, but like Snorlax he can be deadly if not dealt with early on. I like to think of him as a Special Snorlax. He's pretty much just as bulky and works in the same way only with less downtime for recovery (pun intended). Also like Snorlax, Toxic won't harm him, and on the plus side I can safely use him against Ferrorthorn and others that like to set up entry hazards.
Calm Mind - Raises Sp. Atk and Sp. Def
Recover - Self-explanatory.
Psychic - While Psyshock is an option. I'm not sure if it's affected by Calm Mind. Even if it is, Psychic does more damage and gives a chance of lowering the targets Sp. Def. So that right there is just a recipe for disaster.
Focus Blast - Useful against Dark Types that come in to face Reuniclus and is just great versus a lot of types in general that could prove to bulky otherwise. Like Mega-Steelix for example.
1UP (Breloom) (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
When in the right situation he can survive for a long time as well. Leech Seed, Drain Punch, and Toxic Orb give him sooooo much health back that sometimes attacks don't leave a mark at all. Add Spore to the mix and he helps "remove" some deadly pokemon from play for awhile. Like Reuniclus and Snorlax, he's also "resistant" to the move Toxic. (Basically it only helps him out).
Spore - 100% chance of causing sleep! This move is broken.
Leech Seed - Wittle the opponent's health away and can potentially force a switch.
Drain Punch - A STAB move that does damage and helps recover HP, what's not to like? Granted it doesn't have priority like Mach Punch, but after testing that move out I wasn't liking the output I was getting.
Seed Bomb - A typical grass STAB move.
Shellshock (Blastoise) (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
The dedicated rapid spinner and bulky Special Attacker. Spikes and Stealth Rock poses a problem for my team. Not greatly, but I do a lot of switching and predicting so the damage adds up over time. Blastoise is a great answer to my prayers. Not only does he get rid of hazards on my side, but his offensive prowess prevents most entry hazard users from setting up while he's present, AND keeps my hazards on their side too. Ferrothorn, Starmie, Excadrill, Donphan, etc don't want to take a Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, or Water Pulse (respectively) to the face!
Rapid Spin - Clear the field of Entry Hazards
Water Pulse - A powerful STAB move that also can confuse the opponent, which is always nice.
Dark Pulse - Is there to handle Psychic and Ghost types, but can flinch as well.
Aura Sphere - For coverage to handle everything else
Easy Bake (Rotom-Heat) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
My only wish is that he had a better move pool. Choice Specs is nice, but I don't think I've quite mastered it, which is why I have Trick as one of the options. Its always great to put it on a Physical Sweeper or someone setting up. Other than that his typing is just great! Stealth Rock can be a hazard though. However, that's why I have Blastoise, who can also switch in if a water move is expected.
Overheat - Insane bursts of damage!
Volt Switch - Does damage and switches out without losing momentum.
Will-O-Wisp - Lowers the Attack of a Pokemon and does damage over time. Very useful to help Snorlax setup later on.
Trick - As explained above, it's a nice surprise utility move if a particularly pokemon is/could potentially be troublesome
Falchion (Skarmory) (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
A great opener at times when I want to see a pokemon's moveset. I chose Rocky Helmet over Leftovers because some tournaments/rules can't let you have double of the same item. Also with Roost already taking up a moveslot I think I'll b okay. Whirlwind+Stealth Rock can be an annoying combo, but I don't like using him in that way. However, I am thinking of trading in the Brave Bird for a Drill Peck, just to avoid getting recoil damage and breaking the Sturdy.
Roost- Typical recovery move, but could also ensure Sturdy works (sometimes even more than once).
Whirlwind - A great phazer used for ideal match-ups or blowing away boosted pokemon.
Brave Bird - A STAB flying move, but at the cost of recoil damage.
Stealth Rock - One of the best entry hazards in the game. Cripples so many pokemon.
Replays
VS Trick Room Team
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214353429
VS Standard Team
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214552057
VS Another Standard Team
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214499631
A Close Match
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214490968
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214353429
VS Standard Team
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214552057
VS Another Standard Team
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214499631
A Close Match
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-214490968
Importable
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 HP / 188 Def / 176 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Rest
Reuniclus (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
Blastoise (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Rotom-Heat @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
Skarmory (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 HP / 188 Def / 176 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Rest
Reuniclus (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
Blastoise (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Rotom-Heat @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
Skarmory (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
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