https://pokepast.es/ba7bf0648bcf2900
Been awhile, but let's talk about a new Regulation E core that's been on the rise: Scream Tail Trick Room into Bloodmoon.
Bloodmoon needs little introduction: its a bulky offensive titan who has been causing fits with its Blood Moon attack and Mind's Eye ability. Scream Tail, however, got a massive buff with the addition of Misty Explosion as a DLC TM. With that one missing piece, Trick Room Scream Tail became a nigh perfect storm of bulk, speed and support utility. Stealth Rocks prevents Sash mons and Multiscale Dragonite from stalling Trick Room turns, a semi-fast Encore can disrupt opponents trying to setup before you, and Misty Explosion safely gets Bloodmoon into position. Scream Tail is very airtight at making sure the stage is set for a (Tera Normal) Bloodmoon onslaught.
The bulk you see on Scream Tail mainly concerns Flutter Mane and Urshifu. Choice Specs Shadow Ball from Mane misses the OHKO, and Banded Urshifu almost always misses the 2HKO with Sitrus Berry accounted for. Bloodmoon bulk is harder to account for if running Life Orb, but 244 HP at least minimizes Life Orb chip (10n-1 HP.) Slik Scarf is a viable alternative that helps maintain durability at the cost of overall offense, including no boost to Earth Power or Vacuum Wave. I'd also aruge that 0 Speed on Bloodmoon isn't a necessity, and makes it more viable in non-TR mode against bulkier mons.
While very few things want to be on the receiving end of a nuclear-boosted Blood Moon, this core is not without its weaknesses:
- Scream Tail has next to no offensive presence. While Scream Tail's bulk makes positioning easier, the bad matchups that do exist are hard to get out of if you fall behind early or bring the wrong teammate in the third slot.
- Steel-types can be very effective at stalling out a Trick Room Bloodmoon sweep or knocking out Scream Tail before it can setup fully. Scizor and Corviknight in particular will often force you to forego Trick Room and play your secondary mode.
- Bulky mons in general such as Ting-Lu and Dondozo can also stall long enough to let a traditional sweeper clean up after Trick Room.
- Scream Tail is very susceptible to Taunt; Mental Herb is a viable alternative to Sitrus Berry if desired.
A lot of the above is handled by smart positioning and a good preview game. A core like this should have a secondary face-to-face mode, so knowing when to go with traditional offense over Trick Room support is critical. Some suggested teammates:
- : The premier Steel-killer this regulation, as well as being plenty viable into other bulky targets like Ting-Lu and Dondozo. Usually provides excellent face-to-face value in and out of dedicated Trick Room mode.
- : Scale Shot + Fire Punch Dragonite is a set that has been catching on, giving great setup potential while also providing another way to cover Steel-types. Scale Shot or Dragon Dance are both great setup on a final turn of Trick Room, when necessary.
- : The most popular out against bulky Yawn and Whirlwind spam, though it can be Tera-hungry depending on the set that is being run.
Hope you found this helpful. Have fun laddering!
Fascinating, Idk that I've seen this! I've seen more Mimikyu w/ Luna for tr.
I keep wanting to make one of these, but even when it seems like it's working, my teams are too offbeat to really suggest much out of them. And I always forget to keep track of opponent's cores I can post here lol.
Having multiple, 2 or 3, makes it harder to think of anything than just the VR. I think Espathra, w/ whatever it's used w/ most, can be a core if we're dealing w/ Scream Tail too. I've routinely made allowances for checking Espathra, but I think it can be good vs. the less paranoid. Spe pass is unique for now still, and Lumina Crash is ridiculous too imo. Um, I looked through all cores but it's possible I just missed an Espathra one, if so sorry.
Edit: that might be ok, but it's not like I've even used Espathra. But I have used frosmoth extensively, and it managed to get C rank cause of my noise over it. I think one Mon that seems to work well with it is Zapdos, there are at least two other 2 Mon cores that share rock as a weakness, so that is just a consideration and not a disqualifier. Basically frosmoth is super specially fat, but fears bullet punch and that kind. Zapdos walls stuff like Scizor, and gives a good chance for para just by switching in. It's also not bad vs Oger h imo, I favor phys def Zapdos greatly in this core. Frosmoth really hurts some things that sit on or threaten Zapdos, like hippo, ting lu, and the BM beast. 2 of those are very noteworthy SR setters, so even though this core is weak to that on paper, part of it costs them if they go for set up on it. U-Turn or Volt Switch work great on Zapdos to bring in Frosmoth(sometimes even safely, though if it's a non fire attack, or you're terad, it's safe enough anyways if it's special.) I like U-Turn for BM, mine is a curious mixed zappy. DNite is pressured at least a bit by both, and para from Zapdos is dangerous, even to lum sets as they'll generally need contact and there's t-wave/discharge to help spread. I find Ground Frosmoth to be better than the more common water tera(not that I've even tried water, as ground works so well for fire and/or steel types. Did used to run ice but idk if that's worth, maybe on a set up but I'm AV...) This not only helps Frosmoth tremendously vs. the aforementioned types and Pex, it gets rid of lots of potential trouble for zappy like Gholdengo, Heatran, Magnezone, Chi-Yu, and Iron Moth.
I could probably go on but nvm. Um, so reasons this isn't all over the place...well, one that comes to mind is kind of Ninetails-a. These can maybe outlast Frosmoth, or more likely drop SpA w/ moonblast and get up a 3rd or 4th veil before dying. It'd be a long fight. Deals more vs the ground tera ofc, and is immune to freeze/resistant to both STABs. Pretty great into Zapdos too. Zapdos is only really fine into Oger-H if it isn't SD or terad, this mon ofc breaks Frosmoth regardless, practically, of my set, and that much goes for any mask variant. Flutter is handled great by Frosmoth esp., w/ the regular type fearing just Mystical Fire, and even that is just a 3hko in my case. Terad it'd take SpA dropping + CM. But Chien Pao is trickier for this pair...ish. Frosmoth hates Throat Chop, and only really lives if they're unboosted(no cb/lo.) Zapdos will just die...except tera and the para chance if the tera dissuades the use of Icicle Crash. Other than that I can't think of many issues...though you'd think I could from my w/l ratio lol. Anyways, Garganacl isn't the most aprreciated. Straight up counter to Zappy, Frosmoth deals plenty, but only if they're not terad, and needs to tera itself. Garg is esp. noteworthy imo cause Zappy can't fix match up w;/ a cloak like some others, there is no move for the regular Zapdos to harm a plain rock immune to status iirc. Oh, and one I DON'T like is Gimmora. SR, rock STAB, and Energy Ball to at least chip terad Frosmoth(to bring just to sash and better take Power Gem.) Still I'm in favor of these two together....more now that I wrote this...and think the match up into many top things is cool. For instance, Frosmoth is a great answer to Iron Bundle(also helps Zapdos,) and the 2 mostly get Flutter and at least a lot of DNites. Urshifus have an eays time w/ Frosmoth(or just moths in general lol,) but Zapdos is trickier for them. I'm a huge fan of Frosmoth for a while now, but it could probably go w/ other physicaly bulky things, as Zapdos isn't crazy bulky, and even has slightly more SpD(Cresselia syndrome where the slightly lower def gets the investment usually, for type or w/e.) Something like...idk. Pex, or Dondozo maybe. This seems to be a balanced core, Frosmoth doesn't get roost or w/e to make it stall-y, and is slow for all out offensive, w/ Zapdos being open to set up from them, and not the most tanky(hence not really a 'defensive' core part, here,) and only moderately fast and offensive, so not really that(mine is 31 Spe iv but kinda slow for uninvested relaxed, cause mixed. It brings lotsa para though, and a slow ish u-turn is often a plus...)
EDIT: is this even used still...? Well, I think Archaludon is agood candidate for a core(s,) and ofc Gouging Fire+Torkoal.