ST6 Empoleon
So I lost ST6 Round 1 like I thought I would have, here's the team I was going to use for it.
Here's my notes on the team. I apply a slightly modified iterative engineering design process to team building. The reason I included them is because I've always seen the "Team Building Process" portion of RMTs, puzzled. Do people actually build teams one Pokemon at a time, until they get 6, and they end up perfect on the first try? Not for me at least. So here's my team building process.
Goal: Sweep with Empoleon.
Requirements: Reliably eliminate Latias from play.
Weaken Blissey, Vaporeon, Suicune, Salamence enough for Empoleon to sweep.
Build a defensive core able to play for long enough to allow Empoleon an opportunity to sweep.
At least one fast attack to clean up after Empoleon punches sufficient holes in a team.
A method to counter common stalling tactics incorporated within the above.
Chosen Specifications: A Pursuit user, Sand Stream, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, Ghost, Antistall, (added later) Wish
The Team:
Roserade (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
---
Specifications Met: Toxic Spikes
Roserade lead is nothing new. I've used almost exclusively Aerodactyl in the past and am too used to the reliability and suicide nature of said lead. Keeping Roserade around for the midgame is something I should do more often, as it does have decent Special Defense to take a Water hit now and again. Anyway, Roserade provides a layer of Toxic Spikes, and the wonderful thing about it is that you can usually tell if a team is stall oriented from the beginning and thus whether you need one or two layers. Sleep Powder is handy if a bit too unreliable for my tastes, so I'm more likely to use Leaf Storm against Azelf just for reliability's sake. Not the best lead I've ever used but something good usually comes out of it.
Fuck Metagross. I'm just saying.
It's not often that I keep Roserade around for very long, but as for synergy I occasionally use it to absorb Surfs and to force out Vaporeon or Suicune, both of which take more damage in the process allowing Emp to set up on them later.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/40 Def/216 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
---
Specifications Met: Stealth Rock, Antistall
A surprisingly useful Pokemon, Gliscor is a big help to the team. It easily buys a turn for Stealth Rock use. Taunt decimates some Blissey, Skarmory, and pretty much anything stall related, and Gliscor is fast enough to make use of it versus other Taunt Skarmory. It's also an important Metagross, Lucario, Tyranitar, SD Scizor, and Leftovers Salamence check (you Taunt it before it DDs, then go to Jirachi and force it out, racks up SR damage, shit goes down). It's hard to put down the number of times I've been able to hold off for a few turns with the fast Roost and Sand Veil to kill something with Toxic Spikes damage, or drain a Skarmory of Brave Bird PP, or something similar with Gliscor. It's really stall's worst enemy.
Gliscor on the team can play off of Scizor and Fighting-type moves being thrown Tyranitar's way, while enjoying his Sand Stream. Ground attacks aimed at Jirachi are fairly easily absorbed by Gliscor as well.
- i actually really want this plush
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP/252 Atk/176 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Wish
- U-turn
- Trick
---
Specifications Met: Wish, Antistall
Jirachi plays a lot like Scizor here. I actually used Scizor in a previous iteration, but a few differences led me to Jirachi. Mainly, I wanted a bit of extra healing support to help the "core" of the team hold itself together a few more turns before I find a window to blow holes with Empoleon. It wasn't too bad, as I wasn't using U-turn on Scizor nearly enough anyway. Iron Head and high speed helps with a few trouble Pokemon as well as generally making the end game much easier to deal with. Jirachi is my post Outrage-sacrifice DD LO Salamence check, as Adamant Iron Head with SR, Sand, and LO will KO (and Jolly Jirachi isn't often faster than Salamence anyway). I don't give Salamence many opportunities to set up other than Gliscor, which I can use either him or Rotom to force an Outrage and then revenge with Jirachi. Trick I use very sparingly as it destroys my Salamence checking process, but if it's clear they don't have a late game Salamence in the wings and I'm up against a slower team, Tricking something is a good way to give Empoleon an entry (i.e., trick Suicune, Suicune later comes in and tries to Surf / Ice Beam Gliscor, Empoleon can set up for free).
Jirachi's Steel type is important to taking Dragon attacks. The high Special Defense allows it to take very occasional Surfs and many Ice Beams and Grass Knots directed at Tyranitar or Gliscor.
+
Rotom-h @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/164 Def/92 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Reflect
- Shadow Ball
---
Specifications Met: Ghost
Rotom is a big punching bag on my team. It's sad because it's not really that bulky and I'm bound to it, but I bring it in a lot to force opponents to use specific types of moves. Reflect helps it be less Tyranitar bait, and in the early game it makes Gliscor setting up Stealth Rock or Jirachi doing anything much easier on the team. Shadow Ball lets it touch Swamperts and other Rotom, mostly. It's probably the weakest link on the team, and one I wouldn't mind replacing too much provided something roughly as bulky that can handle Metagross and Scizor is still around. Thunderbolt lets it check Gyarados a little bit, which actually has difficulty setting up on a lot of the team (Gliscor is faster and can Taunt it before it gets a DD).
Rotom switches into Ground moves aimed at Tyranitar and Jirachi rather easily. It also occasionally takes a Surf hit for the team.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 164 HP/252 Atk/92 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
---
Specifications Met: Pursuit, Sand Stream
Choice Band Tyranitar. Almost exclusively used for the powerful Pursuit hit offensively, defensively it's used as the main special attack sponge for the team. I rather carefully throw it into Rotoms and Latiases, quickly dispatching them with Pursuits. The added offensive Crunches are also nice for when I just want to punch big holes in Bulky Waters, scouting for Swamperts or Suicunes. Of course, the biggest reason Tyranitar is here other than Scizor is because of Sand Stream, which makes Empoleon versus Salamence, Gyarados, etc. much easier. Overall basically just a solid Pokemon that helps add a bit of Fire protection as well as general Snorlax-like special bulk.
Empoleon (M) @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP/12 Def/232 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
---
Empoleon is the basis of the team. It's much easier to kill Latias before bringing in Empoleon than it is to kill a variety of Bulky Waters, especially because you want to keep the latter around as set up fodder, so I stick to Grass Knot as a secondary move choice. Empoleon's actually shockingly bulky; it can take unboosted, unSTAB Earthquakes with enough health to spare. It can also take two Vaporeon HP Electrics without the need to Substitute, allowing for consecutive Grass Knot hits on what should be a poisoned Vaporeon to kill it. I could go on forever with all the neat tricks Empoleon can do that you don't know about. Unlike other Empoleon team users (Seven Deadly Sins), I'm more prone to bring him in a little earlier than I'm comfortable with and only kill 2 or 3 Pokemon with it, cleaning up with Jirachi; especially because it's not that often you get a good set up window for Empoleon.
Previous Iterations:
The original iteration of the team was basically identical to SDS's original Empoleon team: Aero / Tenta / Scizor / Rotom / Tyranitar / Emp. I found Aerodactyl was a fine lead and all, but Tentacruel didn't really pull weight as a team member. It could set up on Suicune, yeah, but then Cune would have 3 CM's and I'd be fucked. It was hard to get a layer in with Tentacruel and often didn't pull weight as a team member, so a second iteration was made with the only other Tspiker. Roserade / Gliscor / Scizor / Rotom / Tyranitar / Emp was the new team, and it was much better despite the still shaky Toxic Spiker. Gliscor also contributed more to an antistall team than Tentacruel ever did; Taunt was way more important than Toxic Spikes absorption ever could be. The core very occasionally had trouble sticking around for a long period of time, especially Rotom, so a Wisher was desired. Scizor was mostly put in the team because it fits in any team and could check Salamence and Latias, so a switch to Jirachi was tried experimentally, adding Wish and a further anti stall tactic in Trick. This results in the team there is today.
I think this team has significant drawbacks that, while they can be played around, are rather difficult for my team. The Water vulnerability isn't as bad as it seems, since I really only need to force a bulky Water out once or so before I can just bring Empoleon in on it. Gyarados and Infernape are almost pesty enough to make me put QA Scizor in. The rather tight core unravels itself with slight misplays, which I rather often make. Any suggestions are appreciated, though I've had a lot of fun playing with the team, and that's what I sought out to do...
So I lost ST6 Round 1 like I thought I would have, here's the team I was going to use for it.
Here's my notes on the team. I apply a slightly modified iterative engineering design process to team building. The reason I included them is because I've always seen the "Team Building Process" portion of RMTs, puzzled. Do people actually build teams one Pokemon at a time, until they get 6, and they end up perfect on the first try? Not for me at least. So here's my team building process.
Goal: Sweep with Empoleon.
Requirements: Reliably eliminate Latias from play.
Weaken Blissey, Vaporeon, Suicune, Salamence enough for Empoleon to sweep.
Build a defensive core able to play for long enough to allow Empoleon an opportunity to sweep.
At least one fast attack to clean up after Empoleon punches sufficient holes in a team.
A method to counter common stalling tactics incorporated within the above.
Chosen Specifications: A Pursuit user, Sand Stream, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, Ghost, Antistall, (added later) Wish
The Team:
Roserade (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
---
Specifications Met: Toxic Spikes
Roserade lead is nothing new. I've used almost exclusively Aerodactyl in the past and am too used to the reliability and suicide nature of said lead. Keeping Roserade around for the midgame is something I should do more often, as it does have decent Special Defense to take a Water hit now and again. Anyway, Roserade provides a layer of Toxic Spikes, and the wonderful thing about it is that you can usually tell if a team is stall oriented from the beginning and thus whether you need one or two layers. Sleep Powder is handy if a bit too unreliable for my tastes, so I'm more likely to use Leaf Storm against Azelf just for reliability's sake. Not the best lead I've ever used but something good usually comes out of it.
Fuck Metagross. I'm just saying.
It's not often that I keep Roserade around for very long, but as for synergy I occasionally use it to absorb Surfs and to force out Vaporeon or Suicune, both of which take more damage in the process allowing Emp to set up on them later.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/40 Def/216 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
---
Specifications Met: Stealth Rock, Antistall
A surprisingly useful Pokemon, Gliscor is a big help to the team. It easily buys a turn for Stealth Rock use. Taunt decimates some Blissey, Skarmory, and pretty much anything stall related, and Gliscor is fast enough to make use of it versus other Taunt Skarmory. It's also an important Metagross, Lucario, Tyranitar, SD Scizor, and Leftovers Salamence check (you Taunt it before it DDs, then go to Jirachi and force it out, racks up SR damage, shit goes down). It's hard to put down the number of times I've been able to hold off for a few turns with the fast Roost and Sand Veil to kill something with Toxic Spikes damage, or drain a Skarmory of Brave Bird PP, or something similar with Gliscor. It's really stall's worst enemy.
Gliscor on the team can play off of Scizor and Fighting-type moves being thrown Tyranitar's way, while enjoying his Sand Stream. Ground attacks aimed at Jirachi are fairly easily absorbed by Gliscor as well.
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP/252 Atk/176 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Wish
- U-turn
- Trick
---
Specifications Met: Wish, Antistall
Jirachi plays a lot like Scizor here. I actually used Scizor in a previous iteration, but a few differences led me to Jirachi. Mainly, I wanted a bit of extra healing support to help the "core" of the team hold itself together a few more turns before I find a window to blow holes with Empoleon. It wasn't too bad, as I wasn't using U-turn on Scizor nearly enough anyway. Iron Head and high speed helps with a few trouble Pokemon as well as generally making the end game much easier to deal with. Jirachi is my post Outrage-sacrifice DD LO Salamence check, as Adamant Iron Head with SR, Sand, and LO will KO (and Jolly Jirachi isn't often faster than Salamence anyway). I don't give Salamence many opportunities to set up other than Gliscor, which I can use either him or Rotom to force an Outrage and then revenge with Jirachi. Trick I use very sparingly as it destroys my Salamence checking process, but if it's clear they don't have a late game Salamence in the wings and I'm up against a slower team, Tricking something is a good way to give Empoleon an entry (i.e., trick Suicune, Suicune later comes in and tries to Surf / Ice Beam Gliscor, Empoleon can set up for free).
Jirachi's Steel type is important to taking Dragon attacks. The high Special Defense allows it to take very occasional Surfs and many Ice Beams and Grass Knots directed at Tyranitar or Gliscor.
Rotom-h @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/164 Def/92 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Reflect
- Shadow Ball
---
Specifications Met: Ghost
Rotom is a big punching bag on my team. It's sad because it's not really that bulky and I'm bound to it, but I bring it in a lot to force opponents to use specific types of moves. Reflect helps it be less Tyranitar bait, and in the early game it makes Gliscor setting up Stealth Rock or Jirachi doing anything much easier on the team. Shadow Ball lets it touch Swamperts and other Rotom, mostly. It's probably the weakest link on the team, and one I wouldn't mind replacing too much provided something roughly as bulky that can handle Metagross and Scizor is still around. Thunderbolt lets it check Gyarados a little bit, which actually has difficulty setting up on a lot of the team (Gliscor is faster and can Taunt it before it gets a DD).
Rotom switches into Ground moves aimed at Tyranitar and Jirachi rather easily. It also occasionally takes a Surf hit for the team.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 164 HP/252 Atk/92 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
---
Specifications Met: Pursuit, Sand Stream
Choice Band Tyranitar. Almost exclusively used for the powerful Pursuit hit offensively, defensively it's used as the main special attack sponge for the team. I rather carefully throw it into Rotoms and Latiases, quickly dispatching them with Pursuits. The added offensive Crunches are also nice for when I just want to punch big holes in Bulky Waters, scouting for Swamperts or Suicunes. Of course, the biggest reason Tyranitar is here other than Scizor is because of Sand Stream, which makes Empoleon versus Salamence, Gyarados, etc. much easier. Overall basically just a solid Pokemon that helps add a bit of Fire protection as well as general Snorlax-like special bulk.
Empoleon (M) @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP/12 Def/232 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
---
Empoleon is the basis of the team. It's much easier to kill Latias before bringing in Empoleon than it is to kill a variety of Bulky Waters, especially because you want to keep the latter around as set up fodder, so I stick to Grass Knot as a secondary move choice. Empoleon's actually shockingly bulky; it can take unboosted, unSTAB Earthquakes with enough health to spare. It can also take two Vaporeon HP Electrics without the need to Substitute, allowing for consecutive Grass Knot hits on what should be a poisoned Vaporeon to kill it. I could go on forever with all the neat tricks Empoleon can do that you don't know about. Unlike other Empoleon team users (Seven Deadly Sins), I'm more prone to bring him in a little earlier than I'm comfortable with and only kill 2 or 3 Pokemon with it, cleaning up with Jirachi; especially because it's not that often you get a good set up window for Empoleon.
Previous Iterations:
The original iteration of the team was basically identical to SDS's original Empoleon team: Aero / Tenta / Scizor / Rotom / Tyranitar / Emp. I found Aerodactyl was a fine lead and all, but Tentacruel didn't really pull weight as a team member. It could set up on Suicune, yeah, but then Cune would have 3 CM's and I'd be fucked. It was hard to get a layer in with Tentacruel and often didn't pull weight as a team member, so a second iteration was made with the only other Tspiker. Roserade / Gliscor / Scizor / Rotom / Tyranitar / Emp was the new team, and it was much better despite the still shaky Toxic Spiker. Gliscor also contributed more to an antistall team than Tentacruel ever did; Taunt was way more important than Toxic Spikes absorption ever could be. The core very occasionally had trouble sticking around for a long period of time, especially Rotom, so a Wisher was desired. Scizor was mostly put in the team because it fits in any team and could check Salamence and Latias, so a switch to Jirachi was tried experimentally, adding Wish and a further anti stall tactic in Trick. This results in the team there is today.
I think this team has significant drawbacks that, while they can be played around, are rather difficult for my team. The Water vulnerability isn't as bad as it seems, since I really only need to force a bulky Water out once or so before I can just bring Empoleon in on it. Gyarados and Infernape are almost pesty enough to make me put QA Scizor in. The rather tight core unravels itself with slight misplays, which I rather often make. Any suggestions are appreciated, though I've had a lot of fun playing with the team, and that's what I sought out to do...
