Team 4x (OU)

[GFK283]

Team 4x

I originally started this team thinking that maybe if I put a bunch of Pokemon with 4x weaknesses together, they would make a good team. I don't know where this idea came from and I guess it was more of a themed team, but it has evolved to what it is now. Team 4x is a complicated Baton Pass team that works sometimes, and fails completely sometimes, but it is very fun to use and no one really knows what you're trying to do with it. It's very satisfying to win with but like all baton pass teams, is tough to use. Every Pokemon in this team has at least one 4x weakness to something except Smeargle, who came in after the team was named.
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Ninjask: The Speedy One

EVs: 176HP/80Atk/252Spd
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Speed Boost
Held Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
1. Baton Pass
2. Substitute
3. Swords Dance
4. X-Scissor

Ninjask is a great lead and despite being meant for passing speed and attack along to a more capable Pokemon, he can take out Psychic leads, more specifically Azelf. Usually I use substitute right away and most of the time the substitute gets broken, so I just use it 4 more times and pass. Sometimes the opponent will miss, then I get to sneak in a Swords Dance. If the opponent's lead is also a Ninjask I just X-Scissor until one of us dies or switches. The extra EVs in speed deal with most of the Pokemon that can take out Ninjask before he gets a Substitute up; Dodrio, Swellow, and sometimes Jirachi who, if faster than Ninjask and uses Trick can really mess up my game plan.


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Smeargle: The Crafty One

EVs: 96HP/252Def/160SpD
Nature: Bold
Ability: Own Tempo
Item: Focus Sash
Moveset:
1. Baton Pass
2. Endeavor
3. Ingrain
4. Spore

Usually when I baton pass from Ninjask, I send in Smeargle. The most important move Smeargle has is Ingrain, which keeps the opponent from using Roar/Whirlwind and ruining my Baton Pass chain. This Smeargle is defensively EV'd because most of the time he will be recieving speed from Ninjask. After switching him in he can take most every hit unless the opponent has set up stealth rock, then proceed to use Spore and set up Ingrain. I originally had Substitute and Shed Shell on him but Shed Shell didn't seem to get used at all and Smeargle died often, so I stuck a Focus Sash on him. Endeavor takes advantage of a 1 HP Smeargle and gives him some use later in the game.

Celebi: Magnezone Support

EVs: 252HP/252Def/4Spe
Nature: Timid
Ability: Natural Cure
Held Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
1. Baton Pass
2. Calm Mind
3. Grass Knot
4. Recover

Whether I pass to Celebi or Scizor all depends on what kinds of pokemon the opposition has. If I end up passing to Celebi, I continue to use Calm Mind. A lot of the time the opponent will prepare for a Celebi sweep, and while this Celebi is certainly capable of doing that her main purpose is to pass special attack boosts to Magnezone. She can also get rid of Swampert, which is a very big problem for the rest of the team.

Magnezone: Special Sweeper

EVs: 40Atk/216Spe/252SpA
Nature: Modest
Ability: Magnet Pull
Item: Life Orb
Moveset:
1. Explosion
2. Flash Cannon
3. Hidden Power Grass
4. Thunderbolt

Switching in Magnezone will have a couple different outcomes depending on what was passed to it. If I am successful in passing +6 speed, Ingrain and +3 special, Magnezone is near unstoppable. He isn't very vulnerable to priority attacks ending his rampage other than Mach Punch and HP Grass can sometimes take out Pokemon who would otherwise take his attacks and OHKO back. Ingrain support helps with Life Orb recoil and without it Magnezone's life span is much shorter and he is easier to stall out. If Magnezone is only passed speed or nothing at all, the game is probably lost unless there is a Skarmory to trap. the EVs in Speed are for outspeeding most of Magnezone's opposition with only a couple speed boosts and the EVs in attack are for taking out Blissey with Explosion.

Scizor: Rhyperior Support

EVs: 252HP/104Atk/148Def
Nature: Impish
Ability: Technician
Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
1. Baton Pass
2. Brick Break
3. Bullet Punch
4. Swords Dance

A Scizor for support? I'm sure most people laugh at the idea, but this Scizor also functions as a sweeper/revenge killer itself. Ninjask doesn't usually get the opportunity to use Swords Dance, but if he does, he can pass straight to Rhyperior who can proceed to demolish the opponent's team. If I pass to Scizor from Smeargle, it's to get at least 2 Swords Dances up and pass to Rhyperior, or start sweeping with Scizor (Although he can't really take down entire teams). Scizor is lacking speed EVs because he most likely has been passed a boost.

Rhyperior: Physical Sweeper

EVs: 252Atk/48Def/208Spe
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Solid Rock
Item: Babiri Berry
Moveset:
1. Aqua Tail
2. Earthquake
3. Megahorn
4. Stone Edge

Rhyperior usually does not work as a Sweeper. It is too slow and its weaknesses are common. But when it outspeeds everything else, it is a force unmatched by nearly anything. If Rhyperior has been passed +6 speed and +4 attack, there is no stopping him and it usually means game over for the opponent. If he has been passed a substitute, even better. The only things keeping Rhyperior from being invincible are priority attacks such as Mach Punch, Aqua Jet and Bullet Punch. The most common users of these attacks are Metagross and Scizor, so I used a Babiri Berry, which usually stops them from 2HKOing Rhyperior. If a Lucario with Mach Punch, which Rhyperior has the least trouble with, shows up then Rhyperior usually wins. If he has Vacuum Wave, it's over. If a, Azumarill, Blastiose or Empoleon with Aqua Jet shows up then Rhyperior is done for no matter what. Ingrain support is great in case Rhyperior switched into an attack that did some damage, but he usually won't survive his counters very easily. This team also has a particular weakness to Infernape with Vaccuum Wave, who can take out a weakened Smeargle or Rhyperior.



If Ninjask and Smeargle are both defeated, this team will probably lose. If Celebi and Scizor are both defeated, this team will most definitely lose. However, it is very hard to stop the Baton Pass chain and it usually ends with Rhyperior or Magnezone, who then sweep the opponent's entire team. I'm still tweaking EVs but I lose with this team more than I would like. I think that no matter what I do with it, there will always be counters but it is very fun to play with and that's the most important part!

That is all, suggestions please!
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[Yehom]

Your team is very very very weak to scarfed Heatran. 4 Pokemon from your team are weak to Fire, Smeargle can't take any hits either and Rhyperior can't take a Earth Power to well. Your set-up can also be interrupted by Scizors Bullet Punch. I think you'd better go back to the drawing board, because your team misses every sign of winning opportunity. Like you also already said, your team has 5 pokemon that are x4 weak to a type. That's not very good either.

 

[Ero-Sennin]

This team is weak against Zapdos...
Zapdos with Heatwave, Tbolt and Hp ice will sweep this team. Ninjax IMO is frail for a baton passer, Gliscor will be a better choice. Gliscor is bulkier and could tuant he's foe so they can't roar u out.
Gliscor w/ Lum berry/ yache berry
252 HP / 196 SpD / 60 Spe
- Rock polish
- Swords Dance
- BP
- Tuant

 

[anubite]

If Ninjask and Smeargle are both defeated, this team will probably lose. If Celebi and Scizor are both defeated, this team will most definitely lose. However, it is very hard to stop the Baton Pass chain and it usually ends with Rhyperior or Magnezone, who then sweep the opponent's entire team. I'm still tweaking EVs but I lose with this team more than I would like. I think that no matter what I do with it, there will always be counters but it is very fun to play with and that's the most important part!

I think you've identified the major problem with your team. The only problem is you're ignoring it.

Baton pass chains are very easy to stop. For one thing, stealth rock, spikes, and toxic spikes, are common enough that baton passing too much will wreck you.

My lead pokemon always have taunt or whirlwind too, and if it isn't in lead, I will most assuredly send it out when I see a Ninjask. Taunt will destroy your team, especially if it's done when you send in Smeargle. I question your EV spread on him too, since he has 0 EV in speed... he really isn't going to take a hit even if you give him EVs in def. It's also self defeating since you'll want to use endeavor and he has a focus sash anyway. If you're going to baton pass speed ups to him, he should have some EVs in speed, especially if you're wasting 4 turns in the beginning substituting – that's a lot of turns for someone to set up a dragon dance, or something much worse.

Now, you have ingrain, which is good, however, the fact it's on Smeargle means your path to victory is very situational and basically depends wether you can spore + ingrain + baton pass. That's a lot of ifs. Anti sleep berries an Insomia are common enough too.

Worse yet, almost your entire team is vulnerable to fire. A Heatran could march with impunity. Actually, an Infernape could solo your team. Taunt, Stealth Rock, Fire Blast, Vacuum Wave (lol)

Personally, I think you're better off doing this:

Ninjask subs once protects once, baton passes to speed EV smeargle giving him near 600 speed who spores and ingrains and if you can risk it, belly drums. He passes it to A) Ninjask (X-scissoring or Subbing and baton passing another speed up) B) Scizor who bullet punches things to death or uses agility to make up for the lack of speed up C) Celebi (who can baton pass CM and a Belly Drum to Magnezone who gets belly drum exposion or CM thunderbolt)

To accomplish this:

Smeagle: Drop Endeavor for Belly Drum, Change EVs to 252 hp 252 spe
Scizor: Replace Swords Dance with Agility (or Brick Break)
Optional: Drop SwdsDance on Ninjask for Protect, Leftovers for Smeargle (if you like the belly drum idea, this is more fitting then, since you can get another bdrum off if you need another one, though you better fear priority moves when you send him out)

My reasoning is that if you can belly drum, you save a lot of turns you'd otherwise waste swords dancing. If you can minimize the time ninjask is sub'ing you can also fear less of a problematic set-up on the opposing side (or a taunt - which WILL come if they have it on their team).

That's as best a contribution I can make without ripping the team apart. Personally, I think your victories will be rare at best, but if you can pull everything off, great job, but things rarely go your way in a drawn out fight.

Finally, I recommend you find a way to get taunt in your team. If you can see a taunt coming you can react. With Ninjask speed ups it's guaranteed to stop it.

 

[GFK283]

The team wins more than you would think, despite its glaring weaknesses. anubite, thank you for your suggestions. I changed my smeargle and ninjask to the attacks you listed and scizor now has agility instead of Swords Dance. Getting Smeargle in as quick as possible is a great idea and Belly drum is very useful, but I usually don't have the guts to use ingrain before the opponent wakes up. Anyways I'll see if I can get a taunt in the team without breaking it, thank you very much!