Howdy all,
Here is my long awaited (well, at least for me - I really enjoy writing these things) SPL Team Dump. This past season was one of my best performances across any tournament I've played in to date. I ended up with a very nice 7-3 record, but more importantly, I think I played some great Mons along the way. I had a blast showcasing my different teams and I feel like I grew in terms of a versatile player and builder.
I'd like to briefly go into my thought process for building each of these teams, as well as maybe a brief synopsis of the game for that week. Without further ado, here is the list.
Team name: Offensive Starmie + Aero
Song: Faded - Alan Walker
This was a team I had worked on for quite awhile before it made its SPL debut. I have always been enamored with Offensive Starmie and the unbelievable matchups it gets sometimes in ADV. It is an absolute terror for standard Mag + Physical Offense to handle (Mence or Gyara / Mag / Heracross / Suicune or Swampert / Snorlax / Metagross), arguably tougher on that team than WoW Gengar is. With its incredible Speed tier and coverage, Starmie is up there for one of the best cleaners in the tier. It's not all sunshine and roses for Starmie however. One of the worst defensive Mons in the tier and hardly capable of switching in on anything, the extent of Starmie's utility is essentially limited to revenge killing.
I always think about how standard SkarmBliss tends to have the exact same five Pokes + a cleaner. Usually it is Offensive Starmie, sometimes it's Aerodactyl. The beauty of that particular team is that when playing against it, you have to guess if the last Mon is Starmie or Aero, since they have such different counters. That fun little intricacy of ADV is where I got the inspiration for this team. I realized I had never actually seen a squad with both Aero and Offensive Starmie, so I wanted to give it a try.
When you start your team with two Mons of essentially zero defensive utility, you realize you're going to have to make some concessions. For starters, there's no way you're fitting Spikes + a Spinblocker / Magneton (because then you still have no Rock resist and try switching into Electrics, lol), so any kind of defensive team was completely out of the question. I mean, that's not to say that Zapdos, Snorlax, Metagross, and Tyranitar have zero defensive purpose, but the point remains that this squad is NOT going to be winning many 50+ turn games.
Since I knew this team had to be a very offensive one, I went with Metagross as the token Rock resist. There are some nice Swampert sets floating around (shoutouts undisputed) that absolutely destroy Skarmory while still fulfilling its Tyranitar counter duties, but I went with a more tried and true ThunderPunch + HP Grass Metagross with Leftovers. It does exactly what I need it to for this team - lure both Swampert and Skarmory, act as an Aero / Tar check temporarily, and just in general keep the pressure on opposing Mons.
Fire Blast Snorlax is the go to choice for offensive teams that don't have a Magneton and also don't want to click x when the opponent leads a Suicune or Zapdos, so that was a rather easy decision in the next slot.
Dual status Zapdos gave me another switch in to opposing Water Mons to help take the pressure off of my Snorlax, and also help against opposing Gengar. Thunder Wave is super needed for this team so I don't just fold to Dragon Dancers or Gengar. Even though I prefer HP Ice overall, this team really needed to bone Swampert as much as possible, so HP Grass it was.
Finally, DD Ice Beam Tar with a Lum Berry was added to the mix. The last slot was pretty much always going to be a Tyranitar, and I wanted another win condition, so DD Tar it was. Like I mentioned elsewhere, I expected linear to use some annoying AstaRachi + ProTox Flygon combination, so this Tyranitar perfectly countered / lured that defensive core.
Special notes:
Team name: Rock Offense + Offensive Celebi
Song: Agnes - Glass Animals
This team will forever hold a special place in my heart as the team I made my SPL debut with. I have used it to generally great success in tours such as both of the past two SPLs, CALLOUS Invitational, and WCOP. The team plays like a much more offensive SkarmBliss standard, with Offensive Celebi in the slot normally occupied by a Blissey.
Skarmory + BKC Tar + Explosion Gengar form a tried and true Spikes core, capable of providing both offensive and defensive pressure simultaneously. Swampert rounds off the core, since my Gengar wasn't bulky and therefore I was short one DD Mence switch in. I pumped the SpA on it so that it could really damage Skarmory on the switch in.
Celebi serves as the opposing Electric / Water Mon switch in, and it usually does a great job of weakening the opposing team's Aero checks. People sleep on Offensive Celebi these days, but in a metagame replete with both Steels and walls that are neutral to Psychic moves or weak to Grass ones, Celebi often finds a path to sweep entire teams.
Aero + Tyranitar form a nice dual Rock offense with the Spikes making them all the more threatening. The team does have some issues switching into both Gengar and Starmie, but they can be switched around and you always have Aero in the backline to pick up the pieces.
Special notes:
Team name: Cloyster + Moltres
Song: Redefined - tyDi feat. Melanie Fontana
I built this team when I was in the middle of a massive Jolteon craze (I actually used my three new Jolteon teams in back-to-back-to-back weeks this season). I don't remember who it was I saw using it, but I recall seeing a team with both Cloyster and Jolteon and I thought it seemed super cool. I think the team I saw was more of a Rock offense, something like Cloyster / Jolteon / Snorlax / Tar / Aero / Flygon? I dunno. Anyway, I decided I wanted to give Cloyster a try. I have been pretty critical of it in the past, but the fact alone that it gets Explosion made it tempting for me to try using it in a type of Special Offense with Spikes.
I wanted to pair the Cloyster + Jolteon combo with a Moltres, since together they have excellent offensive coverage. Roar Moltres + Spikes down theoretically handles everything that Cloyster + Jolteon can't (except SpDef Zapdos :roll eyes:). Tyranitar and Gengar rounded off the Spikes + Sand core here. I went with standard Offensive Boom Gar, though in my game against Ojama I was really regretting not having Dynamic Punch. I know it's folly to overreact to one game, but this game really convinced me that D-Punch was better than Explosion on any Offensive Gengar.
CB Tyranitar is kind of forgotten about today, but it remains a fantastic wallbreaker. The issue with it on this team is that it probably should have been leading, but I also wanted to lead Cloyster for early Spikes against Metagross or Skarmory. So I would maybe rearrange the order on this team and put CB Tar in the lead slot.
The first iteration of this squad had an Agility Metagross > Swampert in the last slot. But the problem was I kept losing to DD Tar over and over. So while I really missed the offensive presence of AgiliGross, I needed Pert's defensive presence even more.
In hindsight, maybe this team wasn't as good as I thought. I had one of my better ladder runs ever with this team, so I was pretty confident in it as a whole. Or maybe I just overreacted to one game against one of the greatest ADV players ever. I do think the core of Cloy / Jolt / Moltres has a lot of potential offensively. Maybe it just needs a second look or some tweaking. At a second glance, it is extremely weak to any Electric Mon with Toxic, so maybe it does need a bit of an overhaul.
Special notes:
Team name: Dual Intimidate Offense + Weezing
Song: Replay - Zendaya
Ahhhhh, The Weezing Team. Definitely one of my favorite teams ever, this one was my first attempt at building with Weezing. I actually got the inspiration for this team when I watched the dice vs. W3K game last WCOP, and dice had a team featuring Salamence, Gyarados, and Metagross as the defensive core. I remember really liking how dual Intimidate + Metagross is theoretically good enough against any physical threat.
I wanted to use a MixMence since to this point my MixMence use had been essentially zero, and Mence is one of those Mons where if you aren't packing one of its dedicated counters (Milotic, Bold Blissey, P2, defensive Starmie I guess), then you are probably gonna be exposed to it. So I started with MixMence, Gyarados, and Metagross.
Leftovers Metagross of any sort is typically my favorite set - with the right spread it can be both extremely bulky and extremely strong. I knew I'd use MM / EQ / Explosion, which just left me to decide on the fourth move later.
Gyarados only really has a few movesets to choose from, so I decided I'd wait to figure that one out. I wanted Sand added to the mix so Tyranitar slotted in alongside the three other powerful beasts. I knew that I didn't want to use any trappers or Spinners on this team, which meant my Tar had to be good against both Skarmory and Blissey. Fortunately, Tyranitar can pull that off in a number of ways (Taunt + Toxic, Lum Berry, etc.), but I decided to go with good ol' fashioned BoahTar. I modified the set for the current metagame and replaced Thunderbolt with Fire Blast.
Salamence / Gyarados / Tyranitar / Metagross is an awesome core, both offensively and defensively, but one thing it is incapable of doing is switching in to Skarmory. Hence my decision to finally give Weezing a try. Weezing fits alongside these four Mons perfectly, adding another bulky Mon with good offensive presence. With proper prediction, Weezing can really screw over opposing defensive cores (burning / Fire Blasting Skarmory and then Exploding on Blissey is the best case scenario). I went with Thunder here to hopefully nab an Offensive Starmie on the switch in. Hitting Milotic is great too especially to help support the MixMence. Additionally, in desperate times, you'd rather Para fish against an Aero than Burn fish it.
Finally, the lineup as it currently stood was quite unable to switch into Electric Mons. None of the Special Walls really fit what I wanted to do with this team, so Jolteon was the only one that fit the bill. I went with HP Ice as I was actually not super great against opposing Salamence, despite my dual Intimidate Mons. However, since this team lacked Spikes, being walled by Swampert was untenable, so I added the nifty Toxic on my Jolteon for hitting both Pert and opposing Jolteon on the switch in.
I really love playing with this team and think it creates some great scenarios in-game. There is an absolute abundance of offense while maintaining a nice defensive backbone. The unfortunate thing with this team is that one incorrect prediction against, say a Tyranitar or Aero, can really mess with your plans going forward. There is some room for tweaking on this team but otherwise I wouldn't change much.
Special notes:
Team name: Sub Flygon + MixTar
Song: Don't Kill My Vibe - Sigrid
This team sort of came together as a bunch of individual ideas then molded into one cohesive team. I had conceived the MixTar set separate from the team that I used it on. Also I had really been wanting to try a Substitute Flygon set. Flygon is theoretically the perfect Mon for a Sub + three attacks set. Most teams counter Flygon by switching a hard counter into it on a weak, non STAB attack. But Substitute removes the necessity to predict, and instead allows you to always hit with the most powerful attack. Sub + EQ were obvious on Flygon. I really like Rock Slide on all my Flygon because of how annoying SpDef Zapdos can be to certain (most?) offenses. Also since you resist Rock, it is nice to actually have a way to beat RS locked Aero 1v1. I only needed to decide on the fourth move, which depends on the rest of the team.
MixTar + Flygon begs for a number of team supporters. Electric switch ins, Water switch ins, Skarmory switch ins, hell, it needs another Rock resist too. I started by adding my trusty Weezing, providing the team with an Explosion Blissey lure plus the Skarmory switch in it needed. A cool thing about Weezing alongside Flygon is that Flygon is excellent against Pursuit Tar, who is otherwise a major thorn in Weezing's side. I went with Sludge Bomb and Rash over Thunder and Modest because I felt like this team might be too Blissey weak and I really wanted to help out against that Mon. But maybe it should just be Thunder + Modest after all.
I once again added a Metagross to the team as I was building a more offensive than defensive squad, and I needed the Rock resist that actually beats Blissey 1v1. Here I tried out my cool Protect Offensive Metagross set. It gave the team a lot more physical durability and also let me reduce the overall damage I was taking from Skarmory's Spikes.
Tar / Flygon / Metagross / Weezing all share that common trait that most physical dudes in ADV have: they despise both Offensive Starmie and Electric Mons. On this team, I went with an Offensive Celebi and ProTox Zapdos in the last two spots. They're both pretty solid against Gengar and Starmie, while just being good in general. I chose HP Ice > Grass on Zapdos because on a ProTox set you are already theoretically succeeding against Swampert, and the team had other ways to bone the sturdy mudfish.
Definitely still watch out for Starmie with this team. Metagross and Zapdos are likely to be your best answers to it. Try to Explode on it with Weezing if you can (pray they don't have Psychic), as you still have two Toxic immunes (since Tar has Lum) and a Zapdos to deal with Skarmory later. Aerodactyl can also be a pain for this team. Try to preserve the Metagross as much as possible by using Flygon for opposing Tar early game.
Special notes:
Team name: Hariyama WishMence Stall
Song: I Miss You - blink-182
This is one of the first teams I built ever since I came back to Pokemon in Spring of 2016. I don't remember what it was at the time but I was really into Hariyama and other Knock Off users. (Some of you might remember a fun Knock Off Kingler team I used a bunch around that time.) From a defensive standpoint, Thick Fat Hariyama and Salamence have almost perfect defensive synergy. I really loved the idea of a slow burn against the opponent. Knock Off + Toxic + Burn + Leech Seed = eventually the "Break Glass in Case of Emergency" Heracross should be in a good position to win.
My beloved Mono Fire Jirachi is seated nicely alongside the Hariyama WishMence core. It provides the Burn fishing, Wish passing, secondary Rock resist, and win condition that the team needs, all in one slot.
Celebi originally was used as a Cleric, Heal Belling away whatever status had befallen the other members of the team. However, I eventually changed Heal Bell to Perish Song as I needed a more reliable way to win against opposing last Mons. Asta and Fear's SpDef Celebi spread is just what the doctor ordered here. Between Celebi, Jirachi, and Hariyama, the only special threat that should have a chance to break through is MixMence.
Claydol reliably Spins away whatever Spikes the opponent may have laid while I was busy Knocking Off and Leech Seeding shit. Sometimes I think Explosion or Ice Beam is better in the fourth moveselot since I feel really weak to Salamence at times. But ultimately Refresh is better in the long run, just sitting on Skarmory + Gengar forever.
In the final slot, I threw on the trusty 'ol Heracross: the most boom or bust Mon in the tier. If everything you threw at the opponent all game was unable to break their team, give Heracross a shot. You literally never know what could happen!
Special notes:
Team name: BeerLover
Song: I Just Had Sex - The Lonely Island
The team that put me on the map in Summer, 2016. I can remember being in the middle of a severe builder's block when I just told myself, why not build the most standard team possible? I had never even used a Blissey up until that point. So I just threw together the six Mons that I recognized in my head to form the most standard team (this team has literally been titled "SkarmBliss Standard" in my builder ever since day 1). It's been so long ago now that I don't remember which movesets I started out with, but eventually I changed to the fast Fire Blast Blissey and SpDef Gengar, to get the massive leg up on Forry TSS squads that were still being spammed on the ladder at the time. Since I made those final two touches, I don't think I've changed a single thing about the time except for Roar -> Focus Punch on Tyranitar in recent times, and perhaps a Speed creep adjustment on the Skarmory.
Anyway, the team is quite self explanatory. Fully SpDef Skarmory + bulky Tyranitar + bulky Gengar = best Spikes core around. Swampert with a touch of added SpA investment gives insurance against all of the physical attackers of the tier, should your Skarmory fall to an opposing Magneton, or +1 Explosion from Snorlax / Metagross. Even though the Gengar focuses much more on bulk and utility for this team, it is still an offensive threat with the Fire + Grass combination, and threat of WoW or Explosion against a number of common threats. Blissey glues the team together, forming a core with Tyranitar and Skarmory that should beat all opposing special attackers. And finally, Starmie picks up the pieces in the filler slot.
Lately I have been thinking this team feels outdated. I think the ProTox metagame, of which this team was King, has begun fading away in favor of a more offensive metagame combined with Refresh spam. I think maybe the Gengar could use a change, and maybe the Starmie as well. I'm not sure. I'll consider it another time but for now, here is BeerLover in all its glory.
Special notes:
Team name: VenuPert Moltres
Song: Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Another one of my new creations from this past Fall, this unique team pairs two of the Legendary Bird trio with my favorite two Mon defensive core - VenuPert! I think my inspiration for this team was wanting to make a new VenuPert team, since I hadn't made one in over a year. Something I really wanted to try out was the new fast Venusaur that people had started using. Venusaur actually gets to a pretty decent Speed tier with a good investment, so it is able to score a Sleep against a wide variety of Mons. Give it max SpA and HP Fire and you're actually decently threatening against opposing Skarmory.
Any VenuPert without a Magneton or Spinner is going to require quite a bit of reinforcement against Skarmory, hence my nice SpA investment on the Swampert. The Venu and Swampert sets are otherwise standard. The pair functions as a solid Electric check (though I have to admit, this particular Venusaur really is no longer very good against Electric Mons, particularly those with Substitute), and Pert fulfills its typical duties as physical attacker check.
The cool thing about Moltres with respect to VenuPert is that it covers almost all of their weaknesses, namely Heracross, Celebi, and Jirachi to an extent. It's not necessarily great against Gengar, but it can at least come in for free on a WoW turn. Additionally, Moltres can trade WoW for Dragon Claw with a MixMence. So it isn't a "perfect" partner, but it's darn close.
Fortunately, you still have three more slots to work with! Zapdos rounds off the core nicely, serving as additional Salamence and Gengar insurance (particularly in the absence of Sand, which I am not bringing on this team for once). I went with Timid on both of the Birds because Speed is everything, and otherwise the team is actually slow as molasses.
These four Mons together are never in 1,000 turns getting past a Blissey, so I rounded off the squad with both a Mixed Snorlax and CB Metagross. I really love using CB Metagross with Swampert, because you can bring in the Meta early game against Tar or Aero or whatever, and then fire off Mashes or Explode. But then later on you still have a full HP Pert to use against the opponent's remaining physical Mons. They are a nice complement to each other.
Sadly, Blissey is still extremely tough to get past since the team has no mixed attacker outside of Snorlax, which has a bevy of other counters available to most teams. ProTox Zapdos is able to fend off certain Blissey for a few turns, but ultimately you will probably lose out against it. It would be nice if there was a way to somehow fit Spikes on this team, but I don't think it would be possible without completely rearranging it.
This is still a really cool and fun, not to mention gorgeous, team to use.
Special notes:
I won't post my playoffs team against Jirachee out of respect for Asta, the builder of the team I used.
Well, that's it for me. This concludes my post-SPL content. I really do appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my massive walls of text. Hopefully there was something in here for everyone to enjoy!
Here is my long awaited (well, at least for me - I really enjoy writing these things) SPL Team Dump. This past season was one of my best performances across any tournament I've played in to date. I ended up with a very nice 7-3 record, but more importantly, I think I played some great Mons along the way. I had a blast showcasing my different teams and I feel like I grew in terms of a versatile player and builder.
I'd like to briefly go into my thought process for building each of these teams, as well as maybe a brief synopsis of the game for that week. Without further ado, here is the list.
Week 1 against linear
ShadowToMyLight (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 184 HP / 44 Atk / 252 SpA / 28 Spe
Rash Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I'm faded..so lost (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Toxic
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
You fade away (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
Where are you now? (Aerodactyl) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
Breathing..alive.. (Tyranitar) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 20 HP / 192 Atk / 44 SpA / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Rock Slide
Eternal silence (Snorlax) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 Atk / 100 Def / 88 SpA / 64 SpD / 4 Spe
Brave Nature
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Self-Destruct
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 184 HP / 44 Atk / 252 SpA / 28 Spe
Rash Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I'm faded..so lost (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Toxic
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
You fade away (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
Where are you now? (Aerodactyl) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
Breathing..alive.. (Tyranitar) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 20 HP / 192 Atk / 44 SpA / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Rock Slide
Eternal silence (Snorlax) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 Atk / 100 Def / 88 SpA / 64 SpD / 4 Spe
Brave Nature
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Self-Destruct
Team name: Offensive Starmie + Aero
Song: Faded - Alan Walker
This was a team I had worked on for quite awhile before it made its SPL debut. I have always been enamored with Offensive Starmie and the unbelievable matchups it gets sometimes in ADV. It is an absolute terror for standard Mag + Physical Offense to handle (Mence or Gyara / Mag / Heracross / Suicune or Swampert / Snorlax / Metagross), arguably tougher on that team than WoW Gengar is. With its incredible Speed tier and coverage, Starmie is up there for one of the best cleaners in the tier. It's not all sunshine and roses for Starmie however. One of the worst defensive Mons in the tier and hardly capable of switching in on anything, the extent of Starmie's utility is essentially limited to revenge killing.
I always think about how standard SkarmBliss tends to have the exact same five Pokes + a cleaner. Usually it is Offensive Starmie, sometimes it's Aerodactyl. The beauty of that particular team is that when playing against it, you have to guess if the last Mon is Starmie or Aero, since they have such different counters. That fun little intricacy of ADV is where I got the inspiration for this team. I realized I had never actually seen a squad with both Aero and Offensive Starmie, so I wanted to give it a try.
When you start your team with two Mons of essentially zero defensive utility, you realize you're going to have to make some concessions. For starters, there's no way you're fitting Spikes + a Spinblocker / Magneton (because then you still have no Rock resist and try switching into Electrics, lol), so any kind of defensive team was completely out of the question. I mean, that's not to say that Zapdos, Snorlax, Metagross, and Tyranitar have zero defensive purpose, but the point remains that this squad is NOT going to be winning many 50+ turn games.
Since I knew this team had to be a very offensive one, I went with Metagross as the token Rock resist. There are some nice Swampert sets floating around (shoutouts undisputed) that absolutely destroy Skarmory while still fulfilling its Tyranitar counter duties, but I went with a more tried and true ThunderPunch + HP Grass Metagross with Leftovers. It does exactly what I need it to for this team - lure both Swampert and Skarmory, act as an Aero / Tar check temporarily, and just in general keep the pressure on opposing Mons.
Fire Blast Snorlax is the go to choice for offensive teams that don't have a Magneton and also don't want to click x when the opponent leads a Suicune or Zapdos, so that was a rather easy decision in the next slot.
Dual status Zapdos gave me another switch in to opposing Water Mons to help take the pressure off of my Snorlax, and also help against opposing Gengar. Thunder Wave is super needed for this team so I don't just fold to Dragon Dancers or Gengar. Even though I prefer HP Ice overall, this team really needed to bone Swampert as much as possible, so HP Grass it was.
Finally, DD Ice Beam Tar with a Lum Berry was added to the mix. The last slot was pretty much always going to be a Tyranitar, and I wanted another win condition, so DD Tar it was. Like I mentioned elsewhere, I expected linear to use some annoying AstaRachi + ProTox Flygon combination, so this Tyranitar perfectly countered / lured that defensive core.
Special notes:
- Metagross aims to outspeed Skarmory and also has just enough bulk for Jolly Dugtrio.
- Timid Zapdos for non-max Speed DD Tar.
- Psychic as the fourth move on Starmie gives a better out against opposing Gengar.
- I stayed in T1 because this team doesn't really switch into Hera outside of Zapdos and the Heracross user only stays in if they are unable to switch in to Metagross OR if there is a Mag / Dug in the back to complete the kill (Megahorn -> die to CB Mash -> follow up with trapper OR Megahorn -> live unboosted Mash -> Megahorn again).
- Got pretty fortunate with the early T-bolt crit on his Tyranitar, as that saved my Zapdos from taking Pursuit damage that ultimately mattered in the end game when squaring off against Jirachi.
- Psychic on Starmie proved huge this game, as I would have been unable to switch into Gengar long term without sustaining tons of damage.
- Early game Starmie did work, Aero cleaned up. More or less went according to plan.
Week 2 against Triangles
LightThatCigarette (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Roar
Popping Percocet (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 220 Atk / 40 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Rock Slide
OverdidTheLiquor (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
BillionDollarSmile (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 36 Atk / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Fire Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thunderbolt
- Explosion
PulledTheTrigger (Aerodactyl) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
YourHeadIsSoNumb (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 76 Def / 176 SpA / 8 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Earthquake
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Roar
Popping Percocet (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 220 Atk / 40 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Rock Slide
OverdidTheLiquor (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
BillionDollarSmile (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 36 Atk / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Fire Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thunderbolt
- Explosion
PulledTheTrigger (Aerodactyl) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
YourHeadIsSoNumb (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 76 Def / 176 SpA / 8 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Earthquake
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Team name: Rock Offense + Offensive Celebi
Song: Agnes - Glass Animals
This team will forever hold a special place in my heart as the team I made my SPL debut with. I have used it to generally great success in tours such as both of the past two SPLs, CALLOUS Invitational, and WCOP. The team plays like a much more offensive SkarmBliss standard, with Offensive Celebi in the slot normally occupied by a Blissey.
Skarmory + BKC Tar + Explosion Gengar form a tried and true Spikes core, capable of providing both offensive and defensive pressure simultaneously. Swampert rounds off the core, since my Gengar wasn't bulky and therefore I was short one DD Mence switch in. I pumped the SpA on it so that it could really damage Skarmory on the switch in.
Celebi serves as the opposing Electric / Water Mon switch in, and it usually does a great job of weakening the opposing team's Aero checks. People sleep on Offensive Celebi these days, but in a metagame replete with both Steels and walls that are neutral to Psychic moves or weak to Grass ones, Celebi often finds a path to sweep entire teams.
Aero + Tyranitar form a nice dual Rock offense with the Spikes making them all the more threatening. The team does have some issues switching into both Gengar and Starmie, but they can be switched around and you always have Aero in the backline to pick up the pieces.
Special notes:
- At 312 Speed, Celebi aims to outspeed the popular SpDef Gengar, a huge boon for the team as it would otherwise wreak havoc.
- 176+ SpA on Swampert is a jump point; otherwise it is arbitrary.
- I ditched Ice Punch on Gengar because I felt like the team had enough Flygon / Salamence coverage elsewhere. Also hitting super hard with Thunderbolt off of max SpA is great.
- Triangles got the better of me this one as he nailed the T1 Explosion and took out my Spikes, thus rendering most of my offense ineffective.
- I think I played great otherwise; nearly made the comeback if only I could have gotten a little more damage off on the Snorlax.
Week 3 against undisputed
I featured this team in an RMT recently. Go check it out! One of my favorite teams of all time.
Week 4 against Ojama
YouOnlyNeed1Heart (Cloyster) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shell Armor
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 120 SpA / 104 SpD / 28 Spe
Calm Nature
- Explosion
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Surf
YouOnlyNeed1Spark (Jolteon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 48 HP / 208 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Baton Pass
- Roar
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
ItOnlyTakesOneWord (Moltres) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
WhenIThinkOfLove (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 64 SpA / 4 SpD / 44 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
RevealTheMystery (Tyranitar) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Focus Punch
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Rock Slide
RewroteMyHistory (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Explosion
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Fire Punch
- Thunderbolt
Ability: Shell Armor
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 120 SpA / 104 SpD / 28 Spe
Calm Nature
- Explosion
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Surf
YouOnlyNeed1Spark (Jolteon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 48 HP / 208 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Baton Pass
- Roar
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
ItOnlyTakesOneWord (Moltres) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
WhenIThinkOfLove (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 64 SpA / 4 SpD / 44 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
RevealTheMystery (Tyranitar) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Focus Punch
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Rock Slide
RewroteMyHistory (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Explosion
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Fire Punch
- Thunderbolt
Team name: Cloyster + Moltres
Song: Redefined - tyDi feat. Melanie Fontana
I built this team when I was in the middle of a massive Jolteon craze (I actually used my three new Jolteon teams in back-to-back-to-back weeks this season). I don't remember who it was I saw using it, but I recall seeing a team with both Cloyster and Jolteon and I thought it seemed super cool. I think the team I saw was more of a Rock offense, something like Cloyster / Jolteon / Snorlax / Tar / Aero / Flygon? I dunno. Anyway, I decided I wanted to give Cloyster a try. I have been pretty critical of it in the past, but the fact alone that it gets Explosion made it tempting for me to try using it in a type of Special Offense with Spikes.
I wanted to pair the Cloyster + Jolteon combo with a Moltres, since together they have excellent offensive coverage. Roar Moltres + Spikes down theoretically handles everything that Cloyster + Jolteon can't (except SpDef Zapdos :roll eyes:). Tyranitar and Gengar rounded off the Spikes + Sand core here. I went with standard Offensive Boom Gar, though in my game against Ojama I was really regretting not having Dynamic Punch. I know it's folly to overreact to one game, but this game really convinced me that D-Punch was better than Explosion on any Offensive Gengar.
CB Tyranitar is kind of forgotten about today, but it remains a fantastic wallbreaker. The issue with it on this team is that it probably should have been leading, but I also wanted to lead Cloyster for early Spikes against Metagross or Skarmory. So I would maybe rearrange the order on this team and put CB Tar in the lead slot.
The first iteration of this squad had an Agility Metagross > Swampert in the last slot. But the problem was I kept losing to DD Tar over and over. So while I really missed the offensive presence of AgiliGross, I needed Pert's defensive presence even more.
In hindsight, maybe this team wasn't as good as I thought. I had one of my better ladder runs ever with this team, so I was pretty confident in it as a whole. Or maybe I just overreacted to one game against one of the greatest ADV players ever. I do think the core of Cloy / Jolt / Moltres has a lot of potential offensively. Maybe it just needs a second look or some tweaking. At a second glance, it is extremely weak to any Electric Mon with Toxic, so maybe it does need a bit of an overhaul.
Special notes:
- No Rapid Spin on Cloyster since it really struggles to Spin anyway and I don't even want to be tempted to click Rapid Spin on a Gengar switch in.
- Flamethrower > Fire Blast on Moltres since it has amazing odds to OHKO a Metagross anyway, and ideally you would Roar the Mons switching in who you'd want to hit harder with Fire Blast (Blissey, Snorlax, Suicune, and Milotic).
- I tried my best in this one, Ojama just had the most perfect answer to what I brought in the form of a ProTox SpDef Zapdos with Rest.
- Dynamic Punch on Gengar would have given me the slightest chance this game, as I wouldn't have feared the Pursuit Tar as much with an out against it. Unfortunately I was Explosion, which had zero utility in this matchup.
Week 5 against CALLOUS
Turn it up (Salamence) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Claw
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Brick Break
Make it stop (Weezing) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 224 HP / 12 Atk / 156 SpA / 116 Spe
Modest Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Blast
- Thunder
- Explosion
Sound so good (Gyarados) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 56 SpD / 172 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Earthquake
Turn it down (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Atk / 12 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Beating so loud (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SpA / 108 Spe
Mild Nature
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
Put u on repeat (Jolteon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Claw
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Brick Break
Make it stop (Weezing) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 224 HP / 12 Atk / 156 SpA / 116 Spe
Modest Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Blast
- Thunder
- Explosion
Sound so good (Gyarados) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 56 SpD / 172 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Earthquake
Turn it down (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Atk / 12 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Beating so loud (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SpA / 108 Spe
Mild Nature
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
Put u on repeat (Jolteon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
Team name: Dual Intimidate Offense + Weezing
Song: Replay - Zendaya
Ahhhhh, The Weezing Team. Definitely one of my favorite teams ever, this one was my first attempt at building with Weezing. I actually got the inspiration for this team when I watched the dice vs. W3K game last WCOP, and dice had a team featuring Salamence, Gyarados, and Metagross as the defensive core. I remember really liking how dual Intimidate + Metagross is theoretically good enough against any physical threat.
I wanted to use a MixMence since to this point my MixMence use had been essentially zero, and Mence is one of those Mons where if you aren't packing one of its dedicated counters (Milotic, Bold Blissey, P2, defensive Starmie I guess), then you are probably gonna be exposed to it. So I started with MixMence, Gyarados, and Metagross.
Leftovers Metagross of any sort is typically my favorite set - with the right spread it can be both extremely bulky and extremely strong. I knew I'd use MM / EQ / Explosion, which just left me to decide on the fourth move later.
Gyarados only really has a few movesets to choose from, so I decided I'd wait to figure that one out. I wanted Sand added to the mix so Tyranitar slotted in alongside the three other powerful beasts. I knew that I didn't want to use any trappers or Spinners on this team, which meant my Tar had to be good against both Skarmory and Blissey. Fortunately, Tyranitar can pull that off in a number of ways (Taunt + Toxic, Lum Berry, etc.), but I decided to go with good ol' fashioned BoahTar. I modified the set for the current metagame and replaced Thunderbolt with Fire Blast.
Salamence / Gyarados / Tyranitar / Metagross is an awesome core, both offensively and defensively, but one thing it is incapable of doing is switching in to Skarmory. Hence my decision to finally give Weezing a try. Weezing fits alongside these four Mons perfectly, adding another bulky Mon with good offensive presence. With proper prediction, Weezing can really screw over opposing defensive cores (burning / Fire Blasting Skarmory and then Exploding on Blissey is the best case scenario). I went with Thunder here to hopefully nab an Offensive Starmie on the switch in. Hitting Milotic is great too especially to help support the MixMence. Additionally, in desperate times, you'd rather Para fish against an Aero than Burn fish it.
Finally, the lineup as it currently stood was quite unable to switch into Electric Mons. None of the Special Walls really fit what I wanted to do with this team, so Jolteon was the only one that fit the bill. I went with HP Ice as I was actually not super great against opposing Salamence, despite my dual Intimidate Mons. However, since this team lacked Spikes, being walled by Swampert was untenable, so I added the nifty Toxic on my Jolteon for hitting both Pert and opposing Jolteon on the switch in.
I really love playing with this team and think it creates some great scenarios in-game. There is an absolute abundance of offense while maintaining a nice defensive backbone. The unfortunate thing with this team is that one incorrect prediction against, say a Tyranitar or Aero, can really mess with your plans going forward. There is some room for tweaking on this team but otherwise I wouldn't change much.
Special notes:
- I went with a janky DD / HP Rock / EQ / Taunt Gyara moveset as I needed it to beat Skarmory 1v1 for this team. You're not always aiming to sweep with the Gyarados; most games if you can pivot into Swampert once or twice then you've done enough. Also, +1 HP Rock OHKO'ing Aero is huge for this team as it is fairly vulnerable to it in the late game otherwise.
- Toxic fourth move on Metagross as I wanted to permanently cripple Swampert as opposed to temporarily do 55% with HP Grass, only for it to recover up too high via Protect later on.
- Mild Tyranitar instead of Rash because I can't OHKO Dugtrio without a Sub anyway and I want to actually square off 1v1 with an Offensive Starmie when push comes to shove.
- Weezing stole the show here, tormenting CALLOUS's team from the moment it got in.
- The team basically did exactly what it was designed to do - overwhelm standard SkarmBliss cores with the abundance of Fire moves + heavy hitting physical attacks.
Week 6 against Jirachee
You shut me down (Tyranitar) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 Atk / 248 SpA / 220 Spe
Rash Nature
- Brick Break
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam
- Fire Blast
U like the control (Flygon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
ITriedToPlayNice (Weezing) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 232 HP / 8 Atk / 152 SpA / 116 Spe
Rash Nature
- Fire Blast
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sludge Bomb
- Explosion
Don't kill my vibe (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Atk / 12 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Meteor Mash
Tear me down (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 144 HP / 184 SpA / 180 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
- Giga Drain
Pick me apart (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 96 SpA / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Toxic
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 Atk / 248 SpA / 220 Spe
Rash Nature
- Brick Break
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam
- Fire Blast
U like the control (Flygon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
ITriedToPlayNice (Weezing) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 232 HP / 8 Atk / 152 SpA / 116 Spe
Rash Nature
- Fire Blast
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sludge Bomb
- Explosion
Don't kill my vibe (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Atk / 12 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Meteor Mash
Tear me down (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 144 HP / 184 SpA / 180 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
- Giga Drain
Pick me apart (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 96 SpA / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Toxic
Team name: Sub Flygon + MixTar
Song: Don't Kill My Vibe - Sigrid
This team sort of came together as a bunch of individual ideas then molded into one cohesive team. I had conceived the MixTar set separate from the team that I used it on. Also I had really been wanting to try a Substitute Flygon set. Flygon is theoretically the perfect Mon for a Sub + three attacks set. Most teams counter Flygon by switching a hard counter into it on a weak, non STAB attack. But Substitute removes the necessity to predict, and instead allows you to always hit with the most powerful attack. Sub + EQ were obvious on Flygon. I really like Rock Slide on all my Flygon because of how annoying SpDef Zapdos can be to certain (most?) offenses. Also since you resist Rock, it is nice to actually have a way to beat RS locked Aero 1v1. I only needed to decide on the fourth move, which depends on the rest of the team.
MixTar + Flygon begs for a number of team supporters. Electric switch ins, Water switch ins, Skarmory switch ins, hell, it needs another Rock resist too. I started by adding my trusty Weezing, providing the team with an Explosion Blissey lure plus the Skarmory switch in it needed. A cool thing about Weezing alongside Flygon is that Flygon is excellent against Pursuit Tar, who is otherwise a major thorn in Weezing's side. I went with Sludge Bomb and Rash over Thunder and Modest because I felt like this team might be too Blissey weak and I really wanted to help out against that Mon. But maybe it should just be Thunder + Modest after all.
I once again added a Metagross to the team as I was building a more offensive than defensive squad, and I needed the Rock resist that actually beats Blissey 1v1. Here I tried out my cool Protect Offensive Metagross set. It gave the team a lot more physical durability and also let me reduce the overall damage I was taking from Skarmory's Spikes.
Tar / Flygon / Metagross / Weezing all share that common trait that most physical dudes in ADV have: they despise both Offensive Starmie and Electric Mons. On this team, I went with an Offensive Celebi and ProTox Zapdos in the last two spots. They're both pretty solid against Gengar and Starmie, while just being good in general. I chose HP Ice > Grass on Zapdos because on a ProTox set you are already theoretically succeeding against Swampert, and the team had other ways to bone the sturdy mudfish.
Definitely still watch out for Starmie with this team. Metagross and Zapdos are likely to be your best answers to it. Try to Explode on it with Weezing if you can (pray they don't have Psychic), as you still have two Toxic immunes (since Tar has Lum) and a Zapdos to deal with Skarmory later. Aerodactyl can also be a pain for this team. Try to preserve the Metagross as much as possible by using Flygon for opposing Tar early game.
Special notes:
- Zapdos is EV'd to take 2 CB Mashes after Sandstorm hits. It seems silly but the team has nothing else to switch into a Metagross whose item is unrevealed (think if it came in on a Tar Ice Beam or HP Grass and it doesn't get Leftovers recovery). The max HP investment also helps for Swampert and Blissey when you're ProTox stalling.
- I decided on HP Bug as the fourth move on Flygon since Celebi can be a real prick otherwise. Most of them will happily sit on your Flygon, anticipating Fire Blast or Toxic as the fourth move. HP Bug will do a massive chunk of damage coming from your 252+ Att stat.
- Tyranitar and Celebi showed themselves to be great support for each other, doing almost all the work this game. They are further proof that Fire + Grass coverage is the new BoltBeam.
- Was an interesting / tough game and I got fortunate for high rolling the predicted HP Grass into Jirachee's Starmie switch in at the end.
Week 7 against Deluks917
Hello there (Hariyama) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Def / 180 SpD / 52 Spe
Impish Nature
- Cross Chop
- Knock Off
- Counter
- Rest
StopThePainTonight (Claydol) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Psychic
- Refresh
HalloweenOnXMas (Salamence) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 28 SpA / 28 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
I miss you (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 92 SpA / 112 SpD / 20 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I cannot sleep (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 80 SpA / 4 SpD / 136 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Fire Punch
And I'm so sorry (Heracross) (F) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Rock Slide
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Def / 180 SpD / 52 Spe
Impish Nature
- Cross Chop
- Knock Off
- Counter
- Rest
StopThePainTonight (Claydol) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Psychic
- Refresh
HalloweenOnXMas (Salamence) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 28 SpA / 28 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
I miss you (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 92 SpA / 112 SpD / 20 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I cannot sleep (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 80 SpA / 4 SpD / 136 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Fire Punch
And I'm so sorry (Heracross) (F) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Rock Slide
Team name: Hariyama WishMence Stall
Song: I Miss You - blink-182
This is one of the first teams I built ever since I came back to Pokemon in Spring of 2016. I don't remember what it was at the time but I was really into Hariyama and other Knock Off users. (Some of you might remember a fun Knock Off Kingler team I used a bunch around that time.) From a defensive standpoint, Thick Fat Hariyama and Salamence have almost perfect defensive synergy. I really loved the idea of a slow burn against the opponent. Knock Off + Toxic + Burn + Leech Seed = eventually the "Break Glass in Case of Emergency" Heracross should be in a good position to win.
My beloved Mono Fire Jirachi is seated nicely alongside the Hariyama WishMence core. It provides the Burn fishing, Wish passing, secondary Rock resist, and win condition that the team needs, all in one slot.
Celebi originally was used as a Cleric, Heal Belling away whatever status had befallen the other members of the team. However, I eventually changed Heal Bell to Perish Song as I needed a more reliable way to win against opposing last Mons. Asta and Fear's SpDef Celebi spread is just what the doctor ordered here. Between Celebi, Jirachi, and Hariyama, the only special threat that should have a chance to break through is MixMence.
Claydol reliably Spins away whatever Spikes the opponent may have laid while I was busy Knocking Off and Leech Seeding shit. Sometimes I think Explosion or Ice Beam is better in the fourth moveselot since I feel really weak to Salamence at times. But ultimately Refresh is better in the long run, just sitting on Skarmory + Gengar forever.
In the final slot, I threw on the trusty 'ol Heracross: the most boom or bust Mon in the tier. If everything you threw at the opponent all game was unable to break their team, give Heracross a shot. You literally never know what could happen!
Special notes:
- I don't really remember what any of my EVs do. They're good though lol.
- This was the most best-case scenario game imaginable. Hariyama was a nightmare matchup for Deluks' TSS team, and I immediately recognized his Jirachi as the Ice Punch + Thunder variant that would present a good opportunity for me to set up with my own. And it worked swimmingly well.
Week 8 against London Beats
I just had sex (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Protect
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
AndItFeltSoGood (Blissey) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Def / 112 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Soft-Boiled
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Fire Blast
30SecondsOfMyLife (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Focus Punch
DoesntMatterHadSex (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 SpA / 4 SpD / 12 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Protect
PutABagOnMyHead (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 44 Def / 12 SpA / 100 SpD / 96 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Punch
- Giga Drain
- Explosion
- Will-O-Wisp
Still counts! (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Protect
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
AndItFeltSoGood (Blissey) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Def / 112 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Soft-Boiled
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Fire Blast
30SecondsOfMyLife (Tyranitar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Focus Punch
DoesntMatterHadSex (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 SpA / 4 SpD / 12 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Protect
PutABagOnMyHead (Gengar) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 44 Def / 12 SpA / 100 SpD / 96 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Punch
- Giga Drain
- Explosion
- Will-O-Wisp
Still counts! (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Team name: BeerLover
Song: I Just Had Sex - The Lonely Island
The team that put me on the map in Summer, 2016. I can remember being in the middle of a severe builder's block when I just told myself, why not build the most standard team possible? I had never even used a Blissey up until that point. So I just threw together the six Mons that I recognized in my head to form the most standard team (this team has literally been titled "SkarmBliss Standard" in my builder ever since day 1). It's been so long ago now that I don't remember which movesets I started out with, but eventually I changed to the fast Fire Blast Blissey and SpDef Gengar, to get the massive leg up on Forry TSS squads that were still being spammed on the ladder at the time. Since I made those final two touches, I don't think I've changed a single thing about the time except for Roar -> Focus Punch on Tyranitar in recent times, and perhaps a Speed creep adjustment on the Skarmory.
Anyway, the team is quite self explanatory. Fully SpDef Skarmory + bulky Tyranitar + bulky Gengar = best Spikes core around. Swampert with a touch of added SpA investment gives insurance against all of the physical attackers of the tier, should your Skarmory fall to an opposing Magneton, or +1 Explosion from Snorlax / Metagross. Even though the Gengar focuses much more on bulk and utility for this team, it is still an offensive threat with the Fire + Grass combination, and threat of WoW or Explosion against a number of common threats. Blissey glues the team together, forming a core with Tyranitar and Skarmory that should beat all opposing special attackers. And finally, Starmie picks up the pieces in the filler slot.
Lately I have been thinking this team feels outdated. I think the ProTox metagame, of which this team was King, has begun fading away in favor of a more offensive metagame combined with Refresh spam. I think maybe the Gengar could use a change, and maybe the Starmie as well. I'm not sure. I'll consider it another time but for now, here is BeerLover in all its glory.
Special notes:
- Skarmory has a touch of Speed creep as opposing Skarmory can actually get pretty obnoxious if they keep WW'ing the Tar or Pert in.
- Lack of a second phazer is potentially worrisome. Tar used to carry Roar, but I have since replaced it for Focus Punch. Maybe Pert should be changed to the Surf / Protect / Toxic / Roar set popularized by BKC.
- Was able to pull off one of my favorite wins ever in this brutally difficult matchup.
- Since my team is essentially devoid of any hard hitters and I have no setup Mon, I had nothing to pressure a Refresh Milotic with. The "super effective" Gengar Giga Drain did laughable damage on it. The game came down to hitting his Milotic with Explosion at exactly the right time.
- Fire Blast Blissey saved the day getting a huge chunk of damage on his Skarmory as the game drew to a close.
- I choked but whatever lol.
Week 9 against Astamatitos
CominOuttaMyCage (Venusaur) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overgrow
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 68 Def / 252 SpA / 56 SpD / 132 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Razor Leaf
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
StartedOutWithKiss (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 96 SpA / 4 SpD / 44 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Earthquake
NowI'mFallinAsleep (Snorlax) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 Atk / 100 Def / 88 SpA / 68 SpD
Brave Nature
- Body Slam
- Fire Blast
- Focus Punch
- Self-Destruct
It'sAllInMyHead (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
- Toxic
I Just Can't Look (Metagross) @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
I'm Mr. Brightside (Moltres) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
Ability: Overgrow
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 68 Def / 252 SpA / 56 SpD / 132 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Razor Leaf
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
StartedOutWithKiss (Swampert) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 96 SpA / 4 SpD / 44 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Earthquake
NowI'mFallinAsleep (Snorlax) @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 Atk / 100 Def / 88 SpA / 68 SpD
Brave Nature
- Body Slam
- Fire Blast
- Focus Punch
- Self-Destruct
It'sAllInMyHead (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
- Toxic
I Just Can't Look (Metagross) @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
I'm Mr. Brightside (Moltres) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
Team name: VenuPert Moltres
Song: Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Another one of my new creations from this past Fall, this unique team pairs two of the Legendary Bird trio with my favorite two Mon defensive core - VenuPert! I think my inspiration for this team was wanting to make a new VenuPert team, since I hadn't made one in over a year. Something I really wanted to try out was the new fast Venusaur that people had started using. Venusaur actually gets to a pretty decent Speed tier with a good investment, so it is able to score a Sleep against a wide variety of Mons. Give it max SpA and HP Fire and you're actually decently threatening against opposing Skarmory.
Any VenuPert without a Magneton or Spinner is going to require quite a bit of reinforcement against Skarmory, hence my nice SpA investment on the Swampert. The Venu and Swampert sets are otherwise standard. The pair functions as a solid Electric check (though I have to admit, this particular Venusaur really is no longer very good against Electric Mons, particularly those with Substitute), and Pert fulfills its typical duties as physical attacker check.
The cool thing about Moltres with respect to VenuPert is that it covers almost all of their weaknesses, namely Heracross, Celebi, and Jirachi to an extent. It's not necessarily great against Gengar, but it can at least come in for free on a WoW turn. Additionally, Moltres can trade WoW for Dragon Claw with a MixMence. So it isn't a "perfect" partner, but it's darn close.
Fortunately, you still have three more slots to work with! Zapdos rounds off the core nicely, serving as additional Salamence and Gengar insurance (particularly in the absence of Sand, which I am not bringing on this team for once). I went with Timid on both of the Birds because Speed is everything, and otherwise the team is actually slow as molasses.
These four Mons together are never in 1,000 turns getting past a Blissey, so I rounded off the squad with both a Mixed Snorlax and CB Metagross. I really love using CB Metagross with Swampert, because you can bring in the Meta early game against Tar or Aero or whatever, and then fire off Mashes or Explode. But then later on you still have a full HP Pert to use against the opponent's remaining physical Mons. They are a nice complement to each other.
Sadly, Blissey is still extremely tough to get past since the team has no mixed attacker outside of Snorlax, which has a bevy of other counters available to most teams. ProTox Zapdos is able to fend off certain Blissey for a few turns, but ultimately you will probably lose out against it. It would be nice if there was a way to somehow fit Spikes on this team, but I don't think it would be possible without completely rearranging it.
This is still a really cool and fun, not to mention gorgeous, team to use.
Special notes:
- HP investment is counter-intuitive on Venusaur with Leech Seed.
- Double Edge is my preferred fourth move on CB Metagross. Rock Slide is of course an option, as is Sludge Bomb.
- This was a fun game, one in which I think we both played well.
- End game was a little unfortunate, with both of us failing to pull the trigger on a key prediction at different points, and then me getting bailed out by the first turn Ice Beam Freeze.
I won't post my playoffs team against Jirachee out of respect for Asta, the builder of the team I used.
Well, that's it for me. This concludes my post-SPL content. I really do appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my massive walls of text. Hopefully there was something in here for everyone to enjoy!
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