Team Adept. [Doubles]

[Vhind]

A team opponents don't see coming! [Doubles]

Team Adept: a Doubles team that has been in the works ever since Diamond and Pearl was released. Recently, the team consisted of an obscure group of Pokemon like Vaporeon, Lapras, Skarmory, Marowak, Espeon, and Absol. That team had the same essential strategy but it needed to be scapped, and now the name fronts a new, more powerful team. Like all of my teams, Team Adept is meant for random PBR Double battles and possibly Wi-Fi Doubles.

Team Adept:​

​

Team Adept's strategy is to use the Pokemon's Abilities to the fullest, bringing brute strength to the table and eventually (in most cases) set up for an Arcanine sweep.​

The Core Team:

Scizor @ Life Orb/Expert Belt
Ability: Technician
Adamant nature
EVs: 40 HP/252 Atk/216 Spe
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Night Slash/Pursuit
- SuperPower/Brick Break

The first SuperPower of Team Adept is a Platinum Scizor. Scizor has tons of resistances and with this moveset, can attack most types with Super Effective damage. Bullet Punch and X-Scissor enjoy STAB with Scizor's awesome attack stat. SuperPower is meant for incredible damage, but the stat drops are unsatisfying. Pusuit is to knock out any retreating Psychics or Ghosts and Focus Sash survivors.

Machamp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: No Guard
Jolly/Adamant nature
EVs: 12 HP/252 Atk/244 Spe
- Dynamic Punch
- Stone Edge
- ThunderPunch
- Ice Punch

Machamp accompanies Scizor on the field for massive damage on the offensive level. Dynamic Punch is to take down any pesky Steels, Rocks, Normals, Ice, and etcetera or incapacitate all other types, even those who resist it. Stone Edge also takes advantage of No Guard, and with a high Critical Hit rate. The last two elemental punches are merely fillers on this set. Unless the opposing Pokemon has a 4x weakness to electricity or ice, Dynamic Punch does more damage with a definite secondary effect.

Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Bold nature
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpA
- Helping Hand
- Sunny Day
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump

Vaporeon is the primary support Pokemon for the team, supplying awesome Synergy for Scizor, Machamp, and especially Arcanine. When sent out, Vaporeon typically begins setting up for Arcanine with Sunny Day. Helping Hand is for an additional boost for any member while Ice Beam is to take out overused Dragons along with others. Hydro Pump seems rather pointless on this set but it is here in case the strategy somehow fails to set up.

Arcanine @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Timid nature
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
- Heat Wave
- Dragon Pulse
- SolarBeam
- ExtremeSpeed

The star of Team Adept: an Intimidate Arcanine. If Vaporeon is on the field with Helping Hand ready and Sunny Day set up, Arcanine packs more heat than one can imagine. Heat Wave hits both opponents with 253 BP each. Dragon Pulse is perfect for dealing with Dragons, especially Palkia and Kingdra! SolarBeam is a great Water counter without having to charge in the sun. ExtremeSpeed is on the set not as a good attacking move, but as a priority move, to take out Focus Sash users and those already weak.

When Vaporeon and Arcanine are out, Team Adept's Synergy really shines. When Arcanine is sent out, he Intimidates the opponents which, in the case of physical attackers, limits the power of Earthquakes (and good Rock moves)! Vaporeon also helps dissuade the use of Water moves, like Surf because of Water Absorb, and halves their power anyway with Sunny Day in play.


The Metagross/Gyarados/Heatran Counters:

Dusknoir @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Impish nature
EVs: 164 HP/92 Atk/252 Def
- Imprison
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch
- Protect

After testing the core team online some, I realized that Metagross and Heatran wall me like none other. Metagross's Clear Body prevents Intimidate from working effectively and its immense attack enjoys spamming Earthquakes. Dusknoir is my counter to this problem.

**New**

Weezing @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Bold nature
EVs: 216 Def/40 SpA/252 SpD
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Explosion
- Protect

After trying to find a good sixth Pokemon that could counter consistent threats such as the ever-so-common Metagross/Gyarados duo and Heatran, I discovered Weezing. Together with Dusknoir these threats are destroyed. If you have any good ideas on Weezing's last slot, let me know!

The counter-strategy to Metagross (and Gyarados duos) is simple: Dusknoir uses Imprison to disable generic Metagross running Earthquake and Protect. Weezing begins taking out the opponents with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. To counter the less common Heatran, Dusknoir is free to use Earthquake because of Weezing's ability. After the obvious threats are neutralized, Weezing can Explode, hoping to take down any others.




So that is Team Adept, an original team by yours truly, Vhind. I would appreciate any and all help with my team! :D

 

[Vhind]

Aw, c'mon guys. Just because Smogon is littered with people who only play singles, it doesn't mean that you can't help!

I have a couple problems with my team, fer sure. Like which nature should Machamp should have with its Choice Scarf? Or reasons why Scizor have such and such move? Or if my Dusknoir/Metagross combo will even work to prevent other Metagross from running all over me (or how I could make it better)!?

Please, even if you've never played a real Doubles battle, help with these problems!

 

[Zerix]

Pursuit is a useless choice, since switching is not as often seen in doubles as it is in singles. It won't get as much use as Night Slash.

Having a Choice Scarf, Machamp should get Adamant. He doesn't need any more speed. Jolly would be pointless.

I like your Vaporeon. Not many would suspect a Sunny Day from her. Hydro Pump should be fine, just in case Arcanine gets taken out early.

Having Earthquake on both Dusknoir and Metagross is repetitive, since they are both meant to be on the field at once. I suggest choosing whichever one would do it best and having Protect on the other. That would free up a moveslot on both. Earthquake and Agility on Metagross and Protect and a Ghost STAB on Dusknoir sounds best.

 

[Vhind]

Pursuit is a useless choice, since switching is not as often seen in doubles as it is in singles. It won't get as much use as Night Slash.

Having a Choice Scarf, Machamp should get Adamant. He doesn't need any more speed. Jolly would be pointless.

Awesome, thank you for your input! I agree with using Night Slash, I just wasn't sure because Pursuit has 60 BP with Technician.
I'll try running an Adamant Machamp then.

I like your Vaporeon. Not many would suspect a Sunny Day from her. Hydro Pump should be fine, just in case Arcanine gets taken out early.

Thank you very much! :D

Having Earthquake on both Dusknoir and Metagross is repetitive, since they are both meant to be on the field at once. I suggest choosing whichever one would do it best and having Protect on the other. That would free up a moveslot on both. Earthquake and Agility on Metagross and Protect and a Ghost STAB on Dusknoir sounds best.

I see what you're saying, but Dusknoir needs Earthquake in order to disable Metagross. When Imprison is used, typically Metagross running Earthquake and Protect are prevented from using those moves.
With that being said, do you have any ideas for an accompanying Metagross? Or a total replacement?

 

[Zerix]

Ah, I can't believe I didn't see that. Heh, guess I got lazy at the end. I'm not exactly sure what to suggest here. Now that I read it again, I don't see too much of a problem, except of course with Heatran. If you do decide to switch Metagross out for a replacement, try something special defensive oriented(though the problem there would be Explosion). Perhaps something with Levitate or Flying Type to make Earthquake more viable on Dusknoir for use other than for Imprison. I'd mention something more specific, but I have a bit of a headache at the moment that's messing with my train of thought.

 

[Vhind]

That is great advice! Thank you so very much. I'll look through some possibilities in the meantime.
Anyway, I hope you feel better.

EDIT: I'm kinda thinking of an Exploding, Special Attacking, Defensive Weezing. lol. Like the Elemental set.

 

[Vhind]

I never even thought of a Gliscor being a problem, though it hasn't been one yet.

I'm really not looking to changing my core team because I formulated it with precautions before I even started building it. The Special Arcanine is meant to hit both opponents (with a surprise Vaporeon) and Intimidate the others without fear of being Intimidated himself.

I'm not too sure on how that Zapdos set counters Metagross or Heatran. (However, Heatran has only been a problem once. That's it!)

 

[Vhind]

hhjj, your propositions make so much more sense when you explain potential evidence!

I haven't seen a Gliscor online in ages, and Dragon Pulse can hit Flygon hard, especially with Vaporeon's Ice Beam! I chose Dragon Pulse over HP Ice because of the BP difference and Dragon Pulse's ability to Super Effectively hit Kingdra as Rain Dance teams have the potential to cause trouble.

BUT, I am not going to morph my pseudo-Sunny Day team into a pseudo-Rain Dance team. lol.
However, Gliscor does have the possibility of replacing Weezing if he doesn't work out. So I thank you, hhjj.

 

[lati0s]

i would definitely make machamp jolly instead of adamant with adamant you only reach 313 speed, so you are out sped by +speed base 95's and up with jolly you reach 343 speed,beating +speed base 105's and nuetral base 120's

put life orb on scizor he doesn't get that many super effective hits

 

[Vhind]

Sounds like a plan, Stan. lol.
I wasn't sure on Machamp's nature and I didn't feel like doing the math myself... :/
And for Scizor, I will run a Life Orb. I was only attempting to meet the Item Clause of Battle Tower with Expert Belt.

 

[Vhind]

I don't have to worry about an Item Clause on PBR though. And since Arcanine is meant to be a sweeper and hit as much as he can as hard as he can, Life Orb is the better item.

 

[Shadow Wolf TJC]

Interesting concept for Dusknoir

About how you're trying to stop Earthquake from being used against you by having your Dusknoir use Imprison, I don't think that it'll work on the 1st turn against many Earthquake users (due to their greater Speed) unless you use Fake Out on them 1st. Anyways, your idea of using Imprison to prevent your opponents from using Earthquake against you makes me come up with an idea on how to use Imprison to prevent my opponent from using all sorts of other moves such as Trick Room, Protect (which your Dusknoir also has), and Explosion.