I started messing around with a team centered on a Solar Power Gmax Charizard lead, then mixed in some support with quash and attract, then topped things off with some trick room for cleaning up if/after Zard goes down.
At first I thought I was trying to stuff ten pounds into a five pound bag mixing these ideas together but I've had a lot of success on Showdown with this team. Note that since Solar Power Zard is banned in VGC 2020 I’m only looking to use this team in battle stadium doubles on cart.
Before I take this team to cart I wanted to run it by the good ol' folks of Smogon for any suggestions and optimizations. So far the biggest challenges I've had are fast lightning and rock type leads. Please let me know what you think and where I could improve. Thanks!
Charizard-Gmax (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
\- Flamethrower
\- Overheat
\- Air Slash
\- Protect
My sweetheart lead. Seems to be a glitch on Showdown right now preventing me from running Gmax, but with sunny day support and life orb Max Flare can OHKO so many threats. I want to run Gmax over Dyna for sash break potential on the Gmax fire move. Air Slash for flying STAB coverage when I'm up against water types, and protect for feeling scared.
Sableye (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
\- Sunny Day
\- Attract
\- Quash
\- Night Shade
My usual lead alongside Charizard. Start by setting up sunny day, or a quash in case of OHKO pressure from lead Excadrill or Rotom H. Once sunny day is set I'll go into quash on faster threats or attract if there are males on my opponents team. Night shade for chip damage and to not be totally useless if taunted. Quash has proven to be really helpful, especially when Zard gets knocked out earlier than expected and I need to bring in one of my bulkier slow attackers before being ready to setup trick room.
Torkoal (M) @ Charcoal
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
\- Lava Plume
\- Overheat
\- Solar Beam
\- Protect
My back up lead alongside Zard if the opponent is likely going to lead with Indeedee F making psychic terrain mess up Sableye's prankster shenanigans. Sets sun with Drought, Lava Plume and Overheat for strong fire STABs and Solar Beam to check water types and opposing Gastros, and protect for feeling scared. Can be a good trick room backup sweeper, and helps when going up against an opposing team with a mix of grass and steel types.
Mimikyu (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Disguise
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
\- Play Rough
\- Shadow Sneak
\- Trick Room
\- Attract
My TR setter and male attract user. I'll usually bring Mimikyu and another 0 speed mon in the back of Zard + Sableye. Disguise + trick room can really help swing things back in my favor to ensure TR is set for late game sweeping. Play Rough for STAB, and Shadow Sneak for priority in case things get wacky.
Gastrodon (M) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
\- Scald
\- Earth Power
\- Recover
\- Protect
This fella has been a real pleasure. Great check for Dracovish and any other water type threatening to power through Zard. I've found seeing Torkoal and Zard in team preview has lead to opponents bringing in water types in spite of seeing Gastro because they feel they can sweep through the sun core. Scald and Earth Power for dual STABs, Recover for more bulk, and protect for feeling scared.
Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
\- Drain Punch
\- Thunder Punch
\- Poison Jab
\- Rock Slide
Last time I was into competitive battling in Gen V I steered clear of Conkeldurr just because of how goofy I thought he was. Well, I've turned around big time on this goofball. His coverage has been pretty excellent in filling the gaps of my team. Thunder Punch for Gyarados and other water/flying threats, Poison jab for fairies, and rock slide for other fire types. Drain punch makes for great sustain and a lovely STAB check against Snorlax which has been very popular lately.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045883404
* Sableye repeatedly being able to set sunny day probably won me the game when Dynamax Gyarados kept changed the weather to rain
* Quash + Rockslide from Conk for guaranteed clean up after Zard was taken
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045887103
* Bad luck with Sableye on this go around against a fire team, but Zard still brought the pain early game
* Rindo berry let Gastro barely live Torkoal's solar beam and helped me buy enough time to get TR set with Mimikyu and win the game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045891647
* This match shows what the team can do even when Zard is taken out early. Quash + Rock Slide from Conk cleaned out that Flareon handily
* Attract + TR for Sableye's dying breath secured the victory against Chandelure
Overall, I've been pleasantly surprised with my success with this team. I'm Masterball rank on cart doubles with a rain team but have been itching to change things up and I think with some slight tweaks this team could go far. Should I be running a different item on Sableye? Is my Torkoal moveset whack? Am I going crazy running Male attract on a Mimikyu thats designed to be a TR setter? Let me know about those and anything else!
At first I thought I was trying to stuff ten pounds into a five pound bag mixing these ideas together but I've had a lot of success on Showdown with this team. Note that since Solar Power Zard is banned in VGC 2020 I’m only looking to use this team in battle stadium doubles on cart.
Before I take this team to cart I wanted to run it by the good ol' folks of Smogon for any suggestions and optimizations. So far the biggest challenges I've had are fast lightning and rock type leads. Please let me know what you think and where I could improve. Thanks!
Charizard-Gmax (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
\- Flamethrower
\- Overheat
\- Air Slash
\- Protect
My sweetheart lead. Seems to be a glitch on Showdown right now preventing me from running Gmax, but with sunny day support and life orb Max Flare can OHKO so many threats. I want to run Gmax over Dyna for sash break potential on the Gmax fire move. Air Slash for flying STAB coverage when I'm up against water types, and protect for feeling scared.
Sableye (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
\- Sunny Day
\- Attract
\- Quash
\- Night Shade
My usual lead alongside Charizard. Start by setting up sunny day, or a quash in case of OHKO pressure from lead Excadrill or Rotom H. Once sunny day is set I'll go into quash on faster threats or attract if there are males on my opponents team. Night shade for chip damage and to not be totally useless if taunted. Quash has proven to be really helpful, especially when Zard gets knocked out earlier than expected and I need to bring in one of my bulkier slow attackers before being ready to setup trick room.
Torkoal (M) @ Charcoal
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
\- Lava Plume
\- Overheat
\- Solar Beam
\- Protect
My back up lead alongside Zard if the opponent is likely going to lead with Indeedee F making psychic terrain mess up Sableye's prankster shenanigans. Sets sun with Drought, Lava Plume and Overheat for strong fire STABs and Solar Beam to check water types and opposing Gastros, and protect for feeling scared. Can be a good trick room backup sweeper, and helps when going up against an opposing team with a mix of grass and steel types.
Mimikyu (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Disguise
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
\- Play Rough
\- Shadow Sneak
\- Trick Room
\- Attract
My TR setter and male attract user. I'll usually bring Mimikyu and another 0 speed mon in the back of Zard + Sableye. Disguise + trick room can really help swing things back in my favor to ensure TR is set for late game sweeping. Play Rough for STAB, and Shadow Sneak for priority in case things get wacky.
Gastrodon (M) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
\- Scald
\- Earth Power
\- Recover
\- Protect
This fella has been a real pleasure. Great check for Dracovish and any other water type threatening to power through Zard. I've found seeing Torkoal and Zard in team preview has lead to opponents bringing in water types in spite of seeing Gastro because they feel they can sweep through the sun core. Scald and Earth Power for dual STABs, Recover for more bulk, and protect for feeling scared.
Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
\- Drain Punch
\- Thunder Punch
\- Poison Jab
\- Rock Slide
Last time I was into competitive battling in Gen V I steered clear of Conkeldurr just because of how goofy I thought he was. Well, I've turned around big time on this goofball. His coverage has been pretty excellent in filling the gaps of my team. Thunder Punch for Gyarados and other water/flying threats, Poison jab for fairies, and rock slide for other fire types. Drain punch makes for great sustain and a lovely STAB check against Snorlax which has been very popular lately.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045883404
* Sableye repeatedly being able to set sunny day probably won me the game when Dynamax Gyarados kept changed the weather to rain
* Quash + Rockslide from Conk for guaranteed clean up after Zard was taken
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045887103
* Bad luck with Sableye on this go around against a fire team, but Zard still brought the pain early game
* Rindo berry let Gastro barely live Torkoal's solar beam and helped me buy enough time to get TR set with Mimikyu and win the game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8battlestadiumdoubles-1045891647
* This match shows what the team can do even when Zard is taken out early. Quash + Rock Slide from Conk cleaned out that Flareon handily
* Attract + TR for Sableye's dying breath secured the victory against Chandelure
Overall, I've been pleasantly surprised with my success with this team. I'm Masterball rank on cart doubles with a rain team but have been itching to change things up and I think with some slight tweaks this team could go far. Should I be running a different item on Sableye? Is my Torkoal moveset whack? Am I going crazy running Male attract on a Mimikyu thats designed to be a TR setter? Let me know about those and anything else!
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