Sun offense, any suggestion is welcome !

Yagachi

Hi everyone,

I am new in this forum, but im playing competitive pokemon since the 386 era (with some pauses).
I'm gonna play in a little tournament with some friends (we will probably be 16), and I'd like to play with the best team i can build. However, i'm quite new to the 5th generation metagame. I've spent like one year without playing it. My team is not bad, but it has some issues (I'll talk about that at the end), that's why I need your help here !

The team:


pc-infernape.jpg


Infernape@focus sash
Close combat
Overheat
Stealth rock
Fake Out

Ev: 4Hp, 252Atk, 252Spe
Naive (+Spe - Spd)

I usually start the game with him. He sets up the rocks that are very important for my team to work properly, and prevents a lot of leads from setting their own rocks. His good speed and great offensive abilities turn him into a dangerous sweeper after he has done his job as a lead. A stabed overheat under the sun with Blaze active (it's actually not that hard with focus sash) deals huge damage, even to pokemons that resist fire, that's why I like to don't use him as a suicide lead, because he can deal some hard damage later in the game, and he helps me to revenge kill fast pokemons (like scarfmence) with fake out.

Espeon_Redraw_by_KirkButler.png


Espeon@leftovers
Psychic
Hidden power fire
Calm mind
Baton pass

EV: 252PV, 4Def, 252Spe
Timid (+Vit - Atk)

Espeon helps me to prevent the ennemy team from setting entry hazards on my field. He can switch safely on Jellicent, Ferrethorn, Celebi, etc... to bounce back statuts or stealth rocks. With calm mind, he boosts himself during the switch and baton pass away for the appropriate answer. He also helps me to deal with conkeldurr, which is a huge problem to my team.


Ninetales_v_2_by_Xous54.png


Ninetales@leftovers
Will-o-wisp
Flamethrower
Sunny day
Substitue

EV: 252PV, 144Spd, 112Spe
Calm (+Spd, -Atk)

The weather inducer of the team, 112Spe allows him to outspeed any non-scarfed politoed, and with 144 in special defense his substitue can take 2 scald (under the sun) before dying. He destroys the tanky sets of politoed, and with only 1 calm mind from Espeon, he starts to cause huge problems to rain teams, buring them all, tanking water attacks in his substitues and restoring the sun every time politoed comes in.

Hydreigon.jpg


Hydreigon@Expert Belt
Fire Blast
Draco Meteor
Superpower
Dark Pulse

EV: 4Atk, 252Spa, 252Spe
Naive (+Spe, - Spd)

Thanks to Levitate, Hydreigon gives my team a needed ground immunity. With Expert Belt, I can lure a choice-set and surprise my opponent with a super effective attack after his switch, which helps to kill Heatran and Blissey. Passing him one calm mind with espeon can be deadly. However, his under average speed means that any other dragon (except for dragonite), can revenge kill him. I am not totally sure he is the perfect pokemon for my team, feel free to give me any suggestion.

216%20-%20bug_type%20gsc%20scizor%20steel_type.jpg

Scizor@choice band
Bullet punch
U-turn
Superpower
Pursuit

EV: 252PV, 252Atk, 4Spd
Adamant (+Atk, -Spa)

The steel type of my team, Scizor's job is to weaken the ennemy team with repetive U-turn (with stealth rock on the field), to tank dragon type attacks and to threaten fast pokemon with average bulk (salamence, cloyster) with his bullet punch. He helps me to deal with tyranitar, that can causes me some huge troubles. Superpower can deal some huge damage to heatran when he switches in, clearing the way for venusaur.

Venusaur_by_Xous54.png


Venusaur@Life orb
Growth
Giga Drain
Hidden Power Fire
Sludge Bomb

EV: 72HP, 4Def, 252 Spa, 180Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)

My late game sweeper, once the opponent's weather inducer is gone, he can eat a whole team by himself. Giga Drain helps to recover from Life Orb damage, Hidden Power Fire kills steal types, and sludge Bomb for his second stab and neutral coverage. He is a beast and can OHKO anything after one growth, except Heatran.


I am already happy with this team, there is a lot of cute synergies and it can handle a lot of common threat. However, I have some troubles to deal with some pokemons: Conkeldurr, Tyranitar, Heatran, Mamoswine, Gyarados and Dragonite. Feel free to make any suggestion that would help me to improve this team.

Thanks for reading ! ;)

PS: English isn't my native language, please say me if you find any spelling mistake that I can correct. Thanks !
 
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Why in the world would you put Scizor on a sun team? He's 4x weak to fire, plus sun makes 6x damage. If you want a steel type, try Heatran; he takes neutral damage from fire and can counter himself.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 hp / 252 spa / 252 spe
Naive Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Hidden Power Ice

Next, Espeon seems redundant to me. Try replacing it with Donphan, a spinner who is nice on sun teams.
Donphan @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 hp / 4 atk / 252 def
Lax Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake

With that in mind, you no longer need Stealth Rock on Infernape.
Infernape @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 180 atk / 76 spa / 252 spe
- Overheat
- Close Combat
- Thunder Punch
- U-Turn
 
Actually, a few more things. Replace Hydregion with Scarf Latios the kill Conkeldurr, Infernape beats TTar, Heatran and Donphan beat Heatran, Donphan beats Dragonite. Infernape checks Mamoswine, and actually you could opt for Mach Punch instead of U-Turn to better kill TTar and Mamoswine if you want, and Latios can check Gyardos to an extent.
Latios @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 spa/ 4 spd / 252 spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Psychock
- Hidden Power Fire
 
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Latios' nature should be Timid, not Naive. Attack is a worthless stat on it, but Special Defense isn't - you'll need to take a hit occasionally.

I'll come back and rate the team fully when I have time.
 
By the way, on anyone who doesn't have any physically attacking moves, there should be 0 atk IVs, for Foul Play.
 
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You are extremely weak to rain. None of your pokemon can take a specs, hell even scarfed Hydro Pump from the likes of Keldeo. With that in mind, replace Hydreigon with Latias. With your increased bulk, you can now tank those powerful water hits. Here is the set:
Latias@Life Orb
Levitate
252 speed/72 hp/184 spattck
Timid

Draco Meteor/Dragon Pulse
Psyshock/Grass Knot
Roost
Hidden Power Fire

This set retains much of Latias' bulk while still retaining a lot of power. Use this over Hydreigon.

Now this leaves you without a scarfer, and Infernape is simply not very good in this metagame. It has pretty low offenses for a mixed attacker, and is totally wrecked by rain. It simply is not that good. I suggets you try Terrakion over Infernape. Here is the set:

Terrakion@Choice Scarf
Justified
252 speed/252 attck/4 hp
Jolly/Adamant

Close Combat
Stone Edge
X-Scissor
Hp Ice/Quick Attack

The first two moves are what you are going to be using 99 percen of the time. Hp Ice can be useful for hitting Landorus T on the switch, but it is a 2HKO at best. X-Scissor helps against Celebi, a very common pokemon.
 
Thanks everyone for helping me with this team !

Why in the world would you put Scizor on a sun team? He's 4x weak to fire, plus sun makes 6x damage. If you want a steel type, try Heatran; he takes neutral damage from fire and can counter himself.
Click to expand...

I won't let scizor tank a fire attack anyway as he will often get OHKO even without the sun.
I'm not sure about Heatran, he gives me x3 weakness to ground and I can't rely on a baloon for the whole game.

Next, Espeon seems redundant to me. Try replacing it with Donphan, a spinner who is nice on sun teams.
Click to expand...
Espeon is the only pokemon I want to keep, even if I have to change the rest of the team.
I find him more fun and rewarding than a spinner, and he gives me a nice tempo advantage.

If you're ninetales is faster, there will be rain up, since the slower lead's weather wins.
Click to expand...

I want him to be faster, so he can protect himself with substitue and set up the sun again before taking a hit.

Replace Hydregion with Scarf Latios the kill Conkeldurr
Click to expand...

You are extremely weak to rain. None of your pokemon can take a specs, hell even scarfed Hydro Pump from the likes of Keldeo. With that in mind, replace Hydreigon with Latias. With your increased bulk, you can now tank those powerful water hits.
Click to expand...

I like this idea, i'm gonna try both of them and see which one is better, thanks ! :)

Now this leaves you without a scarfer, and Infernape is simply not very good in this metagame. It has pretty low offenses for a mixed attacker, and is totally wrecked by rain. It simply is not that good. I suggets you try Terrakion over Infernape.
Click to expand...

I'll try this too, but I really need stealth rock to deal with Volcarona and Dragonite.

Thanks again for your answers, Im gonna test the team a little bit and come again to share my thought.

Bye !
 
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