From the ND community's resident lunatic
SUGAR! A PARADOX SPAM HO
featuring the one and only
Iron Jugulis
PROOF OF PEAK
Not very high, but considering my terrible laddering skills, I was somewhat proud. I then proceeded to tilt to 1700 and stay there.
TEAMBUILDING PROCESS
I started off with Gouging Fire, which this team was based on. It was the subject of the Teambuilding Competition week where this team was submitted, and as such, I included it. Booster Energy + 3 Attacks may seem odd, but it lets Gouging Fire tear holes into many teams with Booster Attack and its good natural bulk, letting it take hits from 75% and set up a Dragon Dance, letting it take part of the opponent's team with it.
Iron Boulder formed a natural core with Gouging Fire, with Gouging Fire breaking Steel-types and Iron Boulder setting up on opposing Fire-types. It also serves as the first line of speed control, with Booster Speed letting it get the jump on threats. Sub + SD is one hell of a drug that I spammed the hell out of in kickoff, but the jist is that it, along with Terastallization, lets Iron Boulder turn the tables on things that would otherwise threaten it, like Gliscor or Lando-T.
Iron Valiant is another powerful sweeper that cleans up once its few checks, like Blissey or Galarian Slowking, are gotten rid of by Gouging Fire or set up on by Iron Boulder. This is the standard CM set, so not much more on my end to say.
The second main man himself. Iron Jugulis is an oft underprepared for threat that can hit much of the metagame pretty hard. Its Booster Energy giving it a Special Attack boost is key, letting it get the power it so desperately needs without the Choice lock that it struggles with. Hurricane hits most everything for good damage, while Dark Pulse and Earth Power hit everything Hurricane doesn't. Taunt lets you shut down defensive teams entirely, as it basically relegates them to hitting you with very weak moves.
Mega Scizor serves as both the cleaner and Fairy resistance of the team. It can take on many threats to the team, like opposing Iron Valiant or non-HP Fire Tapu Lele, as well as setting up and sweeping through teams late-game once the aforementioned 4 have done their work.
Lando-T is, ironically, the suicide lead of the team. This is the standard suicide lead set, and Explosion allows you to set Rocks and start the game with a momentum advantage.
TEAM BREAKDOWN
DESOLATE ROOMS @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz / Heat Crash
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
While this set may seem confusing in regards to the lack of Morning Sun, I've found 3 attack Gouging Fire to be able to decimate checks to even Fire move/EQ Gouging Fire like Air Balloon / Tera Grass Heatran or Moltres that are often employed as the first line of defense against this monster. Booster Energy boosting Attack, alongside an Adamant nature, makes Gouging Fire nigh unwallable even when boosted, and after a boost (which is rather easy to get), teams get blown apart quickly. Flare Blitz is my preferred option since it guarantees consistent damage, but Heat Crash is certainly an option to avoid killing yourself from recoil.
BULLET CALLED LIFE @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Mighty Cleave
- Close Combat
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
Substitute + SD Boulder is one of my favorite sets, and for pretty good reason. After watching it singlehandedly win a game in NDFL, I knew I had to try it, and it is surprisingly effective. With Substitute and Tera Flying, former checks like Gliscor, Lando-T, and Alomomola are turned into setup opportunities that if the opponent isn't careful, can run away with the game. Mighty Cleave and Close Combat give near-perfect coverage. Pretty standard besides Sub. Something important to keep in mind is that this can also 6-0 Sun teams.
SUGAR! @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
- Calm Mind
CM Valiant has long been a rather good choice in the metagame, although I usually forgo it for the reliable power of Specs Moonblast. On this team, however, it can function as either a pseudo-wallbreaker or sweeper after just one Calm Mind, letting it complement the wallbreaking duo pretty well. It also forms a dandy offensive core with the next member, with their typings complementing well to hit everything in the meta for neutral damage.
NO LIGHTS @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 16 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Earth Power
- Dark Pulse
- Taunt
The co-star of the show, Iron Jugulis. Booster Energy boosting Special Attack is what this Jugulis set is EV'd for in order to give it that extra power it needs while keeping its Speed stat as high as possible. Earth Power is a nice coverage move, as Flying/Ground is a combination that is barely resisted by any Pokemon. Throw in a STAB Dark Pulse with a clutch flinch chance and you have a nice choice already. What makes this set uniquely dangerous is Taunt, letting you force defensive teams with otherwise solid counters to play on their toes.
GUN FROM SAKO @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat / Knock Off
- Roost
Mega Scizor is the cleaner and the Fairy resistance of the team. CC lets you hit Steel-types lategame if they're still there, but Knock Off lets you deal with Tapu Lele better as Psychic Terrain blocks Bullet Punch. Roost is vital for sustenance. This isn't a fairly complex set, but it serves its purpose and it serves it well.
AWAY FOREVER @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Standard suicide lead Lando-T does its job pretty well. It almost always gets up hazards or explodes on something that could prove problematic later. Your best case scenario is starting in a 5v5 with Rocks up, but a 5v6 with Rocks for you or a 5v5 without Rocks are still decent enough outcomes for this team to play from.
THREAT LIST
Wellspring is always a threat to teams without a reliable Dragon type (yes, I know that Gouging Fire is a Dragon-type, but it can't take a Terastallized Ivy Cudgel), and it's no different on this team. While both Iron Boulder and Iron Valiant can "handle it" if it comes in once, the team still struggles once it runs out of Boosters due to its pretty good bulk.
Rain is a real pain for this team. Although Jugulis can now not miss its Hurricanes for once, Rain is incredibly difficult due to the team's lack of bulk. I find Rain to be the kryptonite of most HOs - they outspeed and OHKO with their incredibly strong attacks before you can KO with your incredibly strong attacks.
Darkrai can be a real pain, considering that the two Dark resists on this team do not want to switch in on Sludge Bomb and you have to burn your Booster Energy on Boulder to revenge kill it, which is something you don't want to do and leaves you open in late-game scenarios. Booster Iron Valiant also outspeeds it and can beat it in a 1 on 1, discounting Tera Poison.
Weavile is yet another Dark-type that can actually threaten the two resistances with Triple Axel. SD sets are most dangerous, as Darkinium Z ensures Mega Scizor cannot safely switch in to revenge kill, nor can it take the weaker Knock Off as it is based off of Throat Chop. Choice Band sets are very easy to deal with thanks to Mega Scizor, though.
Scarf Shifu with Tera Water can easily sweep the team, owing to the lack of Water resistances and inability to OHKO it from either Booster Speed option. Be very careful and try to chip it down throughout the course of the game, in order to prevent a late-game cleaning.
While a rarer sight, Mega Lopunny outspeeds the team after the expenditure of Booster Energy on both Iron Valiant and Boulder and forces careful switches. Fake Out in particular is annoying due to the major amount of chip damage it can net over the course of a game, while our only resistances being a suicide lead and a offensive Mega Scizor is very problematic as well. Bullet Punch does wonders against Mega Lopunny at -1, however.
HOW TO USE THE TEAM
Your lead will most likely be Lando-T, unless there is something that is extraordinarily dangerous to the team and can use Lando as fodder, like SD Weavile. In those cases, Mega Scizor is probably your best bet. If you lead Lando, determine whether you need hazards or damage on whatever is staring you down. Exploding on a Wellspring is well worth it, since that trade lets you play without fear of conserving your key Boosters. If not, Rocks usually go up to force your opponent to waste turns Defogging or spinning away. Taunt is a nice option against other hazard setters, while EQ is standard STAB. The first 2 turns with this team can determine how the game goes.
Once you've sacrificed Lando, choose which one of your Booster sweepers is the best against your opponent's team and go for the win. DD Gouging Fire often works best against semi-stall and fat teams, since Unaware mons don't ignore the Protosynthesis boost, while Iron Boulder is quite good against fat pieces on balanced teams like Alomomola or defensive Lando-Ts. Jugulis is good into stall thanks to Taunt. Iron Valiant is your least common go-to option, but it can be fine into otherwise threatening things such as Weavile or Urshifu-R.
REPLAYS
vs. roxie | ND Winter Seasonals, Round 1, Game 3
vs. the Sun sample (piloted by roxie) | ND Kickoff, Round 4, Game 1
vs. Miku Nakano | ND Kickoff, Round 2, Game 2
vs. Miku Nakano | ND Kickoff, Round 2, Game 3
vs. Wildfiree
SHOUTOUTS
Thanks for reading! I'll probably put up another RMT once I hit 1,000 posts. Farewell.
SUGAR! A PARADOX SPAM HO
featuring the one and only
Iron Jugulis
PROOF OF PEAK
Not very high, but considering my terrible laddering skills, I was somewhat proud. I then proceeded to tilt to 1700 and stay there.
TEAMBUILDING PROCESS
I started off with Gouging Fire, which this team was based on. It was the subject of the Teambuilding Competition week where this team was submitted, and as such, I included it. Booster Energy + 3 Attacks may seem odd, but it lets Gouging Fire tear holes into many teams with Booster Attack and its good natural bulk, letting it take hits from 75% and set up a Dragon Dance, letting it take part of the opponent's team with it.
Iron Boulder formed a natural core with Gouging Fire, with Gouging Fire breaking Steel-types and Iron Boulder setting up on opposing Fire-types. It also serves as the first line of speed control, with Booster Speed letting it get the jump on threats. Sub + SD is one hell of a drug that I spammed the hell out of in kickoff, but the jist is that it, along with Terastallization, lets Iron Boulder turn the tables on things that would otherwise threaten it, like Gliscor or Lando-T.
Iron Valiant is another powerful sweeper that cleans up once its few checks, like Blissey or Galarian Slowking, are gotten rid of by Gouging Fire or set up on by Iron Boulder. This is the standard CM set, so not much more on my end to say.
The second main man himself. Iron Jugulis is an oft underprepared for threat that can hit much of the metagame pretty hard. Its Booster Energy giving it a Special Attack boost is key, letting it get the power it so desperately needs without the Choice lock that it struggles with. Hurricane hits most everything for good damage, while Dark Pulse and Earth Power hit everything Hurricane doesn't. Taunt lets you shut down defensive teams entirely, as it basically relegates them to hitting you with very weak moves.
Mega Scizor serves as both the cleaner and Fairy resistance of the team. It can take on many threats to the team, like opposing Iron Valiant or non-HP Fire Tapu Lele, as well as setting up and sweeping through teams late-game once the aforementioned 4 have done their work.
Lando-T is, ironically, the suicide lead of the team. This is the standard suicide lead set, and Explosion allows you to set Rocks and start the game with a momentum advantage.
TEAM BREAKDOWN
DESOLATE ROOMS @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz / Heat Crash
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
While this set may seem confusing in regards to the lack of Morning Sun, I've found 3 attack Gouging Fire to be able to decimate checks to even Fire move/EQ Gouging Fire like Air Balloon / Tera Grass Heatran or Moltres that are often employed as the first line of defense against this monster. Booster Energy boosting Attack, alongside an Adamant nature, makes Gouging Fire nigh unwallable even when boosted, and after a boost (which is rather easy to get), teams get blown apart quickly. Flare Blitz is my preferred option since it guarantees consistent damage, but Heat Crash is certainly an option to avoid killing yourself from recoil.
BULLET CALLED LIFE @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Mighty Cleave
- Close Combat
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
Substitute + SD Boulder is one of my favorite sets, and for pretty good reason. After watching it singlehandedly win a game in NDFL, I knew I had to try it, and it is surprisingly effective. With Substitute and Tera Flying, former checks like Gliscor, Lando-T, and Alomomola are turned into setup opportunities that if the opponent isn't careful, can run away with the game. Mighty Cleave and Close Combat give near-perfect coverage. Pretty standard besides Sub. Something important to keep in mind is that this can also 6-0 Sun teams.
SUGAR! @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
- Calm Mind
CM Valiant has long been a rather good choice in the metagame, although I usually forgo it for the reliable power of Specs Moonblast. On this team, however, it can function as either a pseudo-wallbreaker or sweeper after just one Calm Mind, letting it complement the wallbreaking duo pretty well. It also forms a dandy offensive core with the next member, with their typings complementing well to hit everything in the meta for neutral damage.
NO LIGHTS @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 16 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Earth Power
- Dark Pulse
- Taunt
The co-star of the show, Iron Jugulis. Booster Energy boosting Special Attack is what this Jugulis set is EV'd for in order to give it that extra power it needs while keeping its Speed stat as high as possible. Earth Power is a nice coverage move, as Flying/Ground is a combination that is barely resisted by any Pokemon. Throw in a STAB Dark Pulse with a clutch flinch chance and you have a nice choice already. What makes this set uniquely dangerous is Taunt, letting you force defensive teams with otherwise solid counters to play on their toes.
GUN FROM SAKO @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat / Knock Off
- Roost
Mega Scizor is the cleaner and the Fairy resistance of the team. CC lets you hit Steel-types lategame if they're still there, but Knock Off lets you deal with Tapu Lele better as Psychic Terrain blocks Bullet Punch. Roost is vital for sustenance. This isn't a fairly complex set, but it serves its purpose and it serves it well.
AWAY FOREVER @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Standard suicide lead Lando-T does its job pretty well. It almost always gets up hazards or explodes on something that could prove problematic later. Your best case scenario is starting in a 5v5 with Rocks up, but a 5v6 with Rocks for you or a 5v5 without Rocks are still decent enough outcomes for this team to play from.
THREAT LIST
Wellspring is always a threat to teams without a reliable Dragon type (yes, I know that Gouging Fire is a Dragon-type, but it can't take a Terastallized Ivy Cudgel), and it's no different on this team. While both Iron Boulder and Iron Valiant can "handle it" if it comes in once, the team still struggles once it runs out of Boosters due to its pretty good bulk. Rain is a real pain for this team. Although Jugulis can now not miss its Hurricanes for once, Rain is incredibly difficult due to the team's lack of bulk. I find Rain to be the kryptonite of most HOs - they outspeed and OHKO with their incredibly strong attacks before you can KO with your incredibly strong attacks. Darkrai can be a real pain, considering that the two Dark resists on this team do not want to switch in on Sludge Bomb and you have to burn your Booster Energy on Boulder to revenge kill it, which is something you don't want to do and leaves you open in late-game scenarios. Booster Iron Valiant also outspeeds it and can beat it in a 1 on 1, discounting Tera Poison. Weavile is yet another Dark-type that can actually threaten the two resistances with Triple Axel. SD sets are most dangerous, as Darkinium Z ensures Mega Scizor cannot safely switch in to revenge kill, nor can it take the weaker Knock Off as it is based off of Throat Chop. Choice Band sets are very easy to deal with thanks to Mega Scizor, though. Scarf Shifu with Tera Water can easily sweep the team, owing to the lack of Water resistances and inability to OHKO it from either Booster Speed option. Be very careful and try to chip it down throughout the course of the game, in order to prevent a late-game cleaning. While a rarer sight, Mega Lopunny outspeeds the team after the expenditure of Booster Energy on both Iron Valiant and Boulder and forces careful switches. Fake Out in particular is annoying due to the major amount of chip damage it can net over the course of a game, while our only resistances being a suicide lead and a offensive Mega Scizor is very problematic as well. Bullet Punch does wonders against Mega Lopunny at -1, however.HOW TO USE THE TEAM
Your lead will most likely be Lando-T, unless there is something that is extraordinarily dangerous to the team and can use Lando as fodder, like SD Weavile. In those cases, Mega Scizor is probably your best bet. If you lead Lando, determine whether you need hazards or damage on whatever is staring you down. Exploding on a Wellspring is well worth it, since that trade lets you play without fear of conserving your key Boosters. If not, Rocks usually go up to force your opponent to waste turns Defogging or spinning away. Taunt is a nice option against other hazard setters, while EQ is standard STAB. The first 2 turns with this team can determine how the game goes.
Once you've sacrificed Lando, choose which one of your Booster sweepers is the best against your opponent's team and go for the win. DD Gouging Fire often works best against semi-stall and fat teams, since Unaware mons don't ignore the Protosynthesis boost, while Iron Boulder is quite good against fat pieces on balanced teams like Alomomola or defensive Lando-Ts. Jugulis is good into stall thanks to Taunt. Iron Valiant is your least common go-to option, but it can be fine into otherwise threatening things such as Weavile or Urshifu-R.
REPLAYS
vs. roxie | ND Winter Seasonals, Round 1, Game 3
vs. the Sun sample (piloted by roxie) | ND Kickoff, Round 4, Game 1
vs. Miku Nakano | ND Kickoff, Round 2, Game 2
vs. Miku Nakano | ND Kickoff, Round 2, Game 3
vs. Wildfiree
SHOUTOUTS
To the Lunatic's Workshop: I've always wanted to host a project, and this has been incredibly fun to host since the beginning. I've always loved off-meta strategies that somehow work, and the project is certainly a fulfillment of that dream. Cheers to the times we've had so far, and to the ones we'll have down the line.
To the Goob Shamone Garganacls: Firstly, we will win this NDFL. Secondly, thank you for letting me support - I learned a lot from it, and it was a generally nice time in the Discord.
National Dex as a whole is a great community, from the new players to the faces of authority. There are lots of great people in it, and I encourage those who read this RMT to try it.
also Amstan I heard using stall on ladder was against the Geneva Convention, care to explain?
To the Goob Shamone Garganacls: Firstly, we will win this NDFL. Secondly, thank you for letting me support - I learned a lot from it, and it was a generally nice time in the Discord.
National Dex as a whole is a great community, from the new players to the faces of authority. There are lots of great people in it, and I encourage those who read this RMT to try it.
also Amstan I heard using stall on ladder was against the Geneva Convention, care to explain?
Thanks for reading! I'll probably put up another RMT once I hit 1,000 posts. Farewell.
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