This is my first RMT, after playing with it on shoddy, and getting to ~1500 on standard ladder on Shoddy/battling friends with this team, it has worked out well, but I know there are things i can change to make it better. I would like to not change any of the pokes on it, but I will consider it. I text-imported the team from shoddy aswell. Playing on standard Shoddy ladder/Smogons stanard rules with friends.
Gallade (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hypnosis
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Night Slash
Gallade is a great anti-lead. Out of all of my battles with it, only 1 or 2 people have expected hypnosis to put their lead to sleep, or whatever switches into Gallade expecting a stabbed Close Combat. Nothing resists fighting and dark, making one of the best type coverages in the game. Focus sash allows me to get either 1 swords dance up or damage/kill my opponents lead. 252 spd evs + jolly nature for max speed, since Gallade only has 80 base speed. Gallade also has 115 base sp. def, making it viable to switch into special sweepers late-game.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Gliscor makes a great physical tank. Stealth Rock has saved me many games and allows me to see what my opponents move it, or what item they have for choiced users. EQ/SE is only resisted by 2 pokemon - Bronzong(with levitate), and Flygon, both pokemon i have counters for. Gliscor can also take just about any physical hit (including Lucarios Ice Punch for 4x weakness) and either roost the damage off or EQ/SE for OHKO. 252 hp is for max recovery for roost and 252 def/impish nature fir maximum defense, which has saved me when living with 1% and killing an enemy poke. Hyper Cutter makes Stone Edge un-weakened by Gyarados/Salamence. Also immune to ground attacks that may be aimed at Raikou or Heatran.
Flygon (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- U-turn
- Fire Blast
Flygon is my physical sweeper that is great when its counters have been eliminated. Fire Blast is for steel birds, that will remain nameless, that expect a physical attack. I had dragon claw over outrage simply because getting locked into outrage can be terrible, but the extra power has been invaluable. U-Turn is great for scouting moves/bringing it a poke to counter Flygons counter. Naughty nature allows for best possible attack without hindering Flygons Sp. Atk for Fire Blast. It is also immune to ground attacks that may be aimed at Raikou or Heatran.
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP/36 Spd/224 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Raikou is my favorite legendary, hands down. Calm Mind + Sub is the strategy for this special wall. Chose him since my team was weak to bulky water types, and needed a special wall. Thunderbolt + HP Ice resisted only by Magnazone, which I love fighting with Raikou. Can't break my subs even with 0 CMs, so free setting up. I have swept teams with it simply because 6 CMs + Sub is an equation for winning. Calm nature is for more Sp. Def, and I'm not using its attack stat for anything. 248 HP EVs allow for 4 subs (isnt math great?) and Pressure to stall out enemys moves before struggling/switching out.
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Dragon Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
- Earth Power
Heatran is a great special sweeper late-game, once its counters have been removed of course. Timid nature, Choice Scarf, and 252 speed evs allow for maximum speed on Heatran. Dragon Pulse takes out..well..dragons, Fire Blast is for a powerful STAB attack that takes advantage of Flash Fire (rare since my team isnt weak to fire), and Earth Power to take down other Heatran and Infernapes. HP Electric is to kill Gyarados before they DD, but this set gets walled by Swampert (vice versa if i have HP Grass), So Starmie has GK/TB to kill whichever poke walls Heatran. I do have to change Heatrans IVs/nature on Shoddy for HP Grass, but the one i have on Platinum has HP Electric. (I am playing Diamond again, so I can get a HP Grass Heatran if needed.) Can also take Ice attackes aimed at Gliscor/Flygon, take grass attacks towards Starmie, and ghost/flying attacks for Gallade. Heatran is also my Scarf-Jirachi counter.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk ?
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
And finally Starmie, with grand type coverage with 4 attacks. It is revenge killer/Special Sweeper. Life Orb provides more power to attacks, which is why i had recover at and earlier time but rarely used it. Natural Cure > Illuminate for battles on Shoddy/battling friends. Timid nature for more speed and less worthless attack. I'm not sure on Starmies EVs, since I need it to have enough Def to survive +1 atk Salamence attacks (how much defense is needed to take a EQ/DC from it after 1 DD? same question with Gyarados, 1 DD Earthquake) What should i take evs out of? Sp. Atk or Speed? Can also take Ice attackes aimed at Gliscor/Flygon, and Water attacks towards Heatran.
Theres my team, Rate Away.
Gallade (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hypnosis
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Night Slash
Gallade is a great anti-lead. Out of all of my battles with it, only 1 or 2 people have expected hypnosis to put their lead to sleep, or whatever switches into Gallade expecting a stabbed Close Combat. Nothing resists fighting and dark, making one of the best type coverages in the game. Focus sash allows me to get either 1 swords dance up or damage/kill my opponents lead. 252 spd evs + jolly nature for max speed, since Gallade only has 80 base speed. Gallade also has 115 base sp. def, making it viable to switch into special sweepers late-game.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Gliscor makes a great physical tank. Stealth Rock has saved me many games and allows me to see what my opponents move it, or what item they have for choiced users. EQ/SE is only resisted by 2 pokemon - Bronzong(with levitate), and Flygon, both pokemon i have counters for. Gliscor can also take just about any physical hit (including Lucarios Ice Punch for 4x weakness) and either roost the damage off or EQ/SE for OHKO. 252 hp is for max recovery for roost and 252 def/impish nature fir maximum defense, which has saved me when living with 1% and killing an enemy poke. Hyper Cutter makes Stone Edge un-weakened by Gyarados/Salamence. Also immune to ground attacks that may be aimed at Raikou or Heatran.
Flygon (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- U-turn
- Fire Blast
Flygon is my physical sweeper that is great when its counters have been eliminated. Fire Blast is for steel birds, that will remain nameless, that expect a physical attack. I had dragon claw over outrage simply because getting locked into outrage can be terrible, but the extra power has been invaluable. U-Turn is great for scouting moves/bringing it a poke to counter Flygons counter. Naughty nature allows for best possible attack without hindering Flygons Sp. Atk for Fire Blast. It is also immune to ground attacks that may be aimed at Raikou or Heatran.
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP/36 Spd/224 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Raikou is my favorite legendary, hands down. Calm Mind + Sub is the strategy for this special wall. Chose him since my team was weak to bulky water types, and needed a special wall. Thunderbolt + HP Ice resisted only by Magnazone, which I love fighting with Raikou. Can't break my subs even with 0 CMs, so free setting up. I have swept teams with it simply because 6 CMs + Sub is an equation for winning. Calm nature is for more Sp. Def, and I'm not using its attack stat for anything. 248 HP EVs allow for 4 subs (isnt math great?) and Pressure to stall out enemys moves before struggling/switching out.
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Dragon Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
- Earth Power
Heatran is a great special sweeper late-game, once its counters have been removed of course. Timid nature, Choice Scarf, and 252 speed evs allow for maximum speed on Heatran. Dragon Pulse takes out..well..dragons, Fire Blast is for a powerful STAB attack that takes advantage of Flash Fire (rare since my team isnt weak to fire), and Earth Power to take down other Heatran and Infernapes. HP Electric is to kill Gyarados before they DD, but this set gets walled by Swampert (vice versa if i have HP Grass), So Starmie has GK/TB to kill whichever poke walls Heatran. I do have to change Heatrans IVs/nature on Shoddy for HP Grass, but the one i have on Platinum has HP Electric. (I am playing Diamond again, so I can get a HP Grass Heatran if needed.) Can also take Ice attackes aimed at Gliscor/Flygon, take grass attacks towards Starmie, and ghost/flying attacks for Gallade. Heatran is also my Scarf-Jirachi counter.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk ?
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
And finally Starmie, with grand type coverage with 4 attacks. It is revenge killer/Special Sweeper. Life Orb provides more power to attacks, which is why i had recover at and earlier time but rarely used it. Natural Cure > Illuminate for battles on Shoddy/battling friends. Timid nature for more speed and less worthless attack. I'm not sure on Starmies EVs, since I need it to have enough Def to survive +1 atk Salamence attacks (how much defense is needed to take a EQ/DC from it after 1 DD? same question with Gyarados, 1 DD Earthquake) What should i take evs out of? Sp. Atk or Speed? Can also take Ice attackes aimed at Gliscor/Flygon, and Water attacks towards Heatran.
Theres my team, Rate Away.
