GradeAGarchomp
geg
Hey everyone, GradeAGarchomp here bringing you my first RMT on the forums! This team was originally going to be used at the January International Challenge, but I forgot to sign up and this team sat in the depths of my teambuilder. I've done a few tests with it in which it did quite well, so I'm here to show it to you guys. Without further ado, here's the team.
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Origin Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Protect
One of the two stars on my team, Primal Kyogre has definitely been very successful throughout the VGC 2016 metagame so far. Its type, great Special Attack, and crucial ability allow it to check mainly Primal Groudon quite well. The spread I have is pretty cookie cutter; enough speed to speed creep speed creeping base 90s with max Special Attack and the rest dumped into HP for some nice bulk. 0 Attack IVs is mainly so Foul Play from the likes of Yveltal isn't doing too much to Kyogre. The moveset is very standard; Water Spout for unmatched damage, Origin Pulse is the main attacking move, Ice Beam hits Grass-types like Amoonguss harder than my Water-type moves and Protect is pretty self-explanatory.
(Note: A more optimized Kyogre spread would be very appreciated :o)
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 212 Atk / 156 Def / 44 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Recover
- Tailwind / Protect
Enter Ho-oh. Ho-oh is a very underrated Pokemon in the format thus far in my opinion, and it fits in a core with Primal Kyogre surprisingly well. Ho-oh has the ability to beat all of Primal Kyogre's checks (Amoonguss, Ferrothorn etc.) very well with its typing and respectable 106 / 90 / 154 defenses. This alone makes the two work together greatly, but when you combine that with the fact that Ho-oh is one of the most reliable special Primal Groudon and Xerneas counters, it's no question why Ho-oh was a fit on the team. As you may be able to tell, this is the spread that Jon Hu used to win a Premier Challenge back in early January. Anyway, I chose Leftovers over Sitrus or Maranga Berry because I felt the steady health increase every turn was helpful and deters me from using Recover more than I'd like to. Sacred Fire and Brave Bird are very powerful STAB moves which has a high chance to burn the opponent and does massive damage respectively. Recover allows me to keep my longevity, which is useful. The last slot is a bit of a toss up, as both of the moves have helped me when I was testing. Protect allows me to scout Primal Groudon for Rock Slide and to play accordingly from there. Tailwind, while not as useful as Protect in my opinion, did help me in situations where Ho-oh was going to die and I needed to throw up something to help support the team. Both of them are pretty decent options and they both perform a role pretty well.
Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 40 SpD / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower / Explosion
Landorus-T is a great Pokemon in the metagame at the moment, as it can check physical Primal Groudon quite well and still provides more for the team. Landorus-T provides a check to physical Primal Groudon, like stated before, which Ho-oh + Kyogre team archetypes need. The spread on this Landorus is interesting, as I had actually put this together myself, hitting a few benchmarks while at it. The Speed allows Landorus to outspeed max Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, with enough HP to make Talonflame's Life Orb Brave Bird a 3HKO. Max Attack is standard with the leftovers dumped into Special Defense which, paired with Assault Vest, allows it to take some random special Attacks like Primal Groudon's Eruption and Mega Salamence's Draco Meteor and Hyper Voice. Earthquake is self-explanatory, Rock Slide hits Flying-types like Crobat, Talonflame, and Mega Salamence hard, and U-turn is great for pivoting in and out of threats, breaking sashes, and getting chip damage for another Pokemon to nab the kill. I've been playing with the last moveslot a bit. I've only found Superpower useful for getting rid of Mega Kangaskhan early, which I guess is enough merit for it to be used since the rest of the team struggles a bit to get rid of it, but I digress. It also damages Ferrothorn more than any of my other moves. Explosion is nice for denting Pokemon like Cresselia (which is a bit of a nuisance to me) once I'm at low health, which is a nice way for Landorus to go down, usually bringing a Pokemon or two with it. I've considered using Life Orb and just going a full 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def approach, as that can do much more damage on stuff like Primal Groudon, but I like the extra bulk Assault Vest gives me.
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 192 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
Ah, still one of VGC's top megas. Mega Kangaskhan is great for Ho-oh + Kyogre archetypes since Smeargle checks are mandatory. Mega Kangaskhan checks Smeargle quite well with Fake Out alone, and its Speed allows it to pick it off easily. Anyway, the spread looks a bit different from usual for a good reason. (Shoutout to Draconid997 for the spread btw!) The speed speed creeps Smeargle before Mega Evolving which allows me to safely Fake Out without any worries. It also allows me to take a Low Kick from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan with the rest dumped into Attack which puts me at a pretty nice level. The set is very standard; Fake Out for priority and overall support, Double-Edge is very powerful Normal-type STAB, Low Kick is for opposing Mega Kangaskhan, Ferrothorn, Dialga, and the like. Sucker Punch picks off weakened threats and provides some nice priority. Inner Focus is the preferred ability prior to Mega Evolution so that opposing Kangaskhan can't flinch you, as well as Pokemon like Raichu and Weavile.
Ferrothorn @ Expert Belt
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Atk / 52 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Ferrothorn has carved itself a niche as a check to Primal Kyogre and Xerneas, which is the main reason it's on my team. Being a check to Kyogre is a godsend to Ho-oh + Kyogre teams, as any Primal Kyogre that carry Thunder give the team a hard time. It's also a secondary Xerneas and Mawile answer, so I'm not forced to bring Ho-oh every time I see one of them. The item is actually quite cool. Expert Belt allows Ferrothorn to OHKO bulky Primal Kyogre all of the time, which is nice to have when the team is so weak to it. The moveset is standard: Gyro Ball and Power Whip for powerful STAB moves, Leech Seed for putting Pokemon on a timer and sapping their health, and Protect is Protect; great for getting Leech Seed recovery and blocking random attacks.
-204 Atk Expert Belt Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Primal Kyogre: 209-247 (100.9 - 119.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Thundurus @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
Thundurus was quite a nice fit to the team. It provides Prankster, Taunt for Smeargle, and Thunder Wave for Speed Control. Thundurus was a last minute addition to the team as I needed another Smeargle check and I wanted some Speed control while I was at it. The spread is just a standard offensive one (if you have any optimizations, feel free to post them). The moveset is also pretty standard; Thunderbolt is nice STAB and hits Water- and Flying-types like Primal Kyogre, Talonflame, and Crobat hard. Taunt cripples Smeargle and prevents Xerneas from setting up. Thunder Wave cripples a Pokemon and it provides speed control for the likes of my team. Protect is used for obvious reasons, though I've tested Hidden Power Water to hit Primal Groudon and other Ground-types hard.
Threatlist:
-Mega Rayquaza rips through my team (especially since I chose Landorus-T instead of Mega Salamence as my physical Primal Groudon check)unless Ferrothorn is under rain, which is a big problem. Thundurus, however, can paralyze it.
-Mega Kangaskhan is more annoying to beat rather than threatening to my team. Thundurus can paralyze it, and if I choose to run Superpower on Landorus, I can beat it that way as well.
-Cresselia is incredibly bulky and a pain in the neck for my team to break through. But with smart double-targeting, I can pick off a weakened one with my Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch.
-Trick Room in general is a bit annoying if I don't bring one of my checks (Thundurus, Kang to an extent). Yveltal can break through my team and I'm reliant on Ho-oh and Thundurus to beat it. Mega Mawile is a very similar case. With smart play, I can beat both of them, however.
Thanks to everyone who read this! Now that's enough for the team.. onto shoutouts!
That's it! Feel free to leave suggestions on how to change the team, I'm always open for advice. See ya.
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Origin Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Protect
One of the two stars on my team, Primal Kyogre has definitely been very successful throughout the VGC 2016 metagame so far. Its type, great Special Attack, and crucial ability allow it to check mainly Primal Groudon quite well. The spread I have is pretty cookie cutter; enough speed to speed creep speed creeping base 90s with max Special Attack and the rest dumped into HP for some nice bulk. 0 Attack IVs is mainly so Foul Play from the likes of Yveltal isn't doing too much to Kyogre. The moveset is very standard; Water Spout for unmatched damage, Origin Pulse is the main attacking move, Ice Beam hits Grass-types like Amoonguss harder than my Water-type moves and Protect is pretty self-explanatory.
(Note: A more optimized Kyogre spread would be very appreciated :o)
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 212 Atk / 156 Def / 44 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Recover
- Tailwind / Protect
Enter Ho-oh. Ho-oh is a very underrated Pokemon in the format thus far in my opinion, and it fits in a core with Primal Kyogre surprisingly well. Ho-oh has the ability to beat all of Primal Kyogre's checks (Amoonguss, Ferrothorn etc.) very well with its typing and respectable 106 / 90 / 154 defenses. This alone makes the two work together greatly, but when you combine that with the fact that Ho-oh is one of the most reliable special Primal Groudon and Xerneas counters, it's no question why Ho-oh was a fit on the team. As you may be able to tell, this is the spread that Jon Hu used to win a Premier Challenge back in early January. Anyway, I chose Leftovers over Sitrus or Maranga Berry because I felt the steady health increase every turn was helpful and deters me from using Recover more than I'd like to. Sacred Fire and Brave Bird are very powerful STAB moves which has a high chance to burn the opponent and does massive damage respectively. Recover allows me to keep my longevity, which is useful. The last slot is a bit of a toss up, as both of the moves have helped me when I was testing. Protect allows me to scout Primal Groudon for Rock Slide and to play accordingly from there. Tailwind, while not as useful as Protect in my opinion, did help me in situations where Ho-oh was going to die and I needed to throw up something to help support the team. Both of them are pretty decent options and they both perform a role pretty well.
Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 40 SpD / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower / Explosion
Landorus-T is a great Pokemon in the metagame at the moment, as it can check physical Primal Groudon quite well and still provides more for the team. Landorus-T provides a check to physical Primal Groudon, like stated before, which Ho-oh + Kyogre team archetypes need. The spread on this Landorus is interesting, as I had actually put this together myself, hitting a few benchmarks while at it. The Speed allows Landorus to outspeed max Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, with enough HP to make Talonflame's Life Orb Brave Bird a 3HKO. Max Attack is standard with the leftovers dumped into Special Defense which, paired with Assault Vest, allows it to take some random special Attacks like Primal Groudon's Eruption and Mega Salamence's Draco Meteor and Hyper Voice. Earthquake is self-explanatory, Rock Slide hits Flying-types like Crobat, Talonflame, and Mega Salamence hard, and U-turn is great for pivoting in and out of threats, breaking sashes, and getting chip damage for another Pokemon to nab the kill. I've been playing with the last moveslot a bit. I've only found Superpower useful for getting rid of Mega Kangaskhan early, which I guess is enough merit for it to be used since the rest of the team struggles a bit to get rid of it, but I digress. It also damages Ferrothorn more than any of my other moves. Explosion is nice for denting Pokemon like Cresselia (which is a bit of a nuisance to me) once I'm at low health, which is a nice way for Landorus to go down, usually bringing a Pokemon or two with it. I've considered using Life Orb and just going a full 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def approach, as that can do much more damage on stuff like Primal Groudon, but I like the extra bulk Assault Vest gives me.
-252 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 81-96 (46.8 - 55.4%) -- 67.2% chance to 2HKO
-252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 54-64 (31.2 - 36.9%) -- 72.2% chance to 3HKO
-252+ SpA Primal Groudon Eruption (150 BP) vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T in Harsh Sun: 135-159 (78 - 91.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-+2 252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Dazzling Gleam vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 105-124 (60.6 - 71.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-252 Atk Life Orb Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 204 Def Primal Groudon: 109-127 (60.8 - 70.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-252 Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 204 Def Primal Groudon: 84-98 (46.9 - 54.7%) -- 57.8% chance to 2HKO
-252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 54-64 (31.2 - 36.9%) -- 72.2% chance to 3HKO
-252+ SpA Primal Groudon Eruption (150 BP) vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T in Harsh Sun: 135-159 (78 - 91.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-+2 252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Dazzling Gleam vs. 68 HP / 40 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 105-124 (60.6 - 71.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-252 Atk Life Orb Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 204 Def Primal Groudon: 109-127 (60.8 - 70.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-252 Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 204 Def Primal Groudon: 84-98 (46.9 - 54.7%) -- 57.8% chance to 2HKO
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 192 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
Ah, still one of VGC's top megas. Mega Kangaskhan is great for Ho-oh + Kyogre archetypes since Smeargle checks are mandatory. Mega Kangaskhan checks Smeargle quite well with Fake Out alone, and its Speed allows it to pick it off easily. Anyway, the spread looks a bit different from usual for a good reason. (Shoutout to Draconid997 for the spread btw!) The speed speed creeps Smeargle before Mega Evolving which allows me to safely Fake Out without any worries. It also allows me to take a Low Kick from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan with the rest dumped into Attack which puts me at a pretty nice level. The set is very standard; Fake Out for priority and overall support, Double-Edge is very powerful Normal-type STAB, Low Kick is for opposing Mega Kangaskhan, Ferrothorn, Dialga, and the like. Sucker Punch picks off weakened threats and provides some nice priority. Inner Focus is the preferred ability prior to Mega Evolution so that opposing Kangaskhan can't flinch you, as well as Pokemon like Raichu and Weavile.
Ferrothorn @ Expert Belt
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Atk / 52 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Ferrothorn has carved itself a niche as a check to Primal Kyogre and Xerneas, which is the main reason it's on my team. Being a check to Kyogre is a godsend to Ho-oh + Kyogre teams, as any Primal Kyogre that carry Thunder give the team a hard time. It's also a secondary Xerneas and Mawile answer, so I'm not forced to bring Ho-oh every time I see one of them. The item is actually quite cool. Expert Belt allows Ferrothorn to OHKO bulky Primal Kyogre all of the time, which is nice to have when the team is so weak to it. The moveset is standard: Gyro Ball and Power Whip for powerful STAB moves, Leech Seed for putting Pokemon on a timer and sapping their health, and Protect is Protect; great for getting Leech Seed recovery and blocking random attacks.
-204 Atk Expert Belt Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Primal Kyogre: 209-247 (100.9 - 119.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Thundurus @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
Thundurus was quite a nice fit to the team. It provides Prankster, Taunt for Smeargle, and Thunder Wave for Speed Control. Thundurus was a last minute addition to the team as I needed another Smeargle check and I wanted some Speed control while I was at it. The spread is just a standard offensive one (if you have any optimizations, feel free to post them). The moveset is also pretty standard; Thunderbolt is nice STAB and hits Water- and Flying-types like Primal Kyogre, Talonflame, and Crobat hard. Taunt cripples Smeargle and prevents Xerneas from setting up. Thunder Wave cripples a Pokemon and it provides speed control for the likes of my team. Protect is used for obvious reasons, though I've tested Hidden Power Water to hit Primal Groudon and other Ground-types hard.
Threatlist:
-Mega Rayquaza rips through my team (especially since I chose Landorus-T instead of Mega Salamence as my physical Primal Groudon check)unless Ferrothorn is under rain, which is a big problem. Thundurus, however, can paralyze it.
-Mega Kangaskhan is more annoying to beat rather than threatening to my team. Thundurus can paralyze it, and if I choose to run Superpower on Landorus, I can beat it that way as well.
-Cresselia is incredibly bulky and a pain in the neck for my team to break through. But with smart double-targeting, I can pick off a weakened one with my Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch.
-Trick Room in general is a bit annoying if I don't bring one of my checks (Thundurus, Kang to an extent). Yveltal can break through my team and I'm reliant on Ho-oh and Thundurus to beat it. Mega Mawile is a very similar case. With smart play, I can beat both of them, however.
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Origin Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 212 Atk / 156 Def / 44 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Recover
- Substitute
Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 40 SpD / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Parental Bond
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 192 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Power-Up Punch
- Double-Edge
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
Ferrothorn @ Expert Belt
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Atk / 52 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Thundurus (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Protect
Ability: Primordial Sea
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Origin Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 212 Atk / 156 Def / 44 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Recover
- Substitute
Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 40 SpD / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Parental Bond
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 192 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Power-Up Punch
- Double-Edge
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
Ferrothorn @ Expert Belt
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Atk / 52 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Thundurus (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Protect
Thanks to everyone who read this! Now that's enough for the team.. onto shoutouts!
Before I get into all of the shoutouts, a huge one goes to all of the CT staff and regulars that keep me coming back to PS! everyday, lol. Now onto more personal ones.
Steven Stone Quite possibly one of my best friends on the server. You were the one that I looked up to and the one that guided me into VGC and honestly who I am today. I hope that we stay really good friends as time goes on.
Mudvayne Ah, who could ever forget you? You try to look at an argument from both sides and are not a complete idiot which is a blessing to me and many other users, I assume. You're one person I look up to for good reasons.
ClaimingRobin Lol, my first friend when I joined the server. We've been through a lot, and I have one thing to say: something something bad at mons something something
Serapis You're probably the best VGC player I know. Grats on your worlds invite man!
Steven Stone Quite possibly one of my best friends on the server. You were the one that I looked up to and the one that guided me into VGC and honestly who I am today. I hope that we stay really good friends as time goes on.
Mudvayne Ah, who could ever forget you? You try to look at an argument from both sides and are not a complete idiot which is a blessing to me and many other users, I assume. You're one person I look up to for good reasons.
ClaimingRobin Lol, my first friend when I joined the server. We've been through a lot, and I have one thing to say: something something bad at mons something something
Serapis You're probably the best VGC player I know. Grats on your worlds invite man!
That's it! Feel free to leave suggestions on how to change the team, I'm always open for advice. See ya.
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