Hello, everyone! This is my third RMT (some of you may know of me as requiems if it wasn't obvious by my signature and location). This team is an OU team, but unlike my last one it is pretty offensive. It's not my favorite team, but it is my most successful. This team got me to ~1424 CRE, which is my highest rating yet. Again, not that good (I don't think, correct me if I'm wrong!), but I certainly feel that I'm getting a lot better. Well, without further ado, let's begin!
* I made this team ~4-5 months ago, so the movesets/EVs may be a little outdated. Apologies in advance for this.
(p.s: the pokemon here are all named after old rock songs! high-five if you get them i guess, though they're just names randoms gave to me, with the exception of Lucario)
At A Glance - Team Catfish:
A Closer Look:
Immigrant Song (Azelf) @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/6 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Explosion
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Stealth Rock
Well, this is your generic suicide lead, I suppose. Azelf's main purpose on this team is to get down SR reliably and if possible, lay down double screens, which makes it significantly easier for me to sweep. For the most part, it has done exactly that. I chose Azelf over something like Metagross solely for speed purposes. With more speed, it is easier in my opinion to lay down Stealth Rock and in most cases dual screens.
When playing with Azelf, I generally start with either Reflect or Light Screen, Stealth Rock, and then use the other screen. If I will be rendered useless against a certain lead (read: Metagross), I switch out. I do not explode instantly, as Explosion is usually used for something that I consider a threat. In addition, after I set up SR, some opponents switch out into Rotom/random ghost, so my sacrificing of Azelf would be entirely in vain!
Moveset is bog standard and uninteresting. Stealth Rock is a necessity on offensive teams, in my opinion -- it turns many 2HKOs into OHKOs and 3HKOs into 2HKOs and -- yeah, you've heard this before. Reflect and Light Screen are used to soften blows from offensive teams and to stop stuff like Scizor from rampaging through this team. Explosion is well... explosion. It OHKOs a lot of stuff, and gives me safety when bringing in one of my other Pokemon. The lack of Taunt has been bothersome however, so I'm considering using Taunt over Explosion. Suggestions?
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Breathe (Scizor) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 160 HP/176 Atk/4 Spd/168 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower
Yes, you've seen this before. Shut up.
Well, the way I play this team is by gaining and keeping momentum, and Scizor is an integral part of that. Scizor's ability to force switches is astounding, and U-Turn helps to force even more switches. The ability to trap and kill Latias and Gengar (though both often carry HP fire :/) really help this team, since they're both really annoying. In addition, Scizor is also my "insurance" against DDMence if Latias dies, killing it with Bullet Punch. Although I do enjoy creativity, Scizor is just too good to not put on this team.
I trust you already know what this set does? Bullet Punch, while a much needed form of priority, is not used often, since I am paranoid of Magnezone rearing its head into view, which is the reason why I have the next move, U-Turn: scouting. Unless I'm in a desperate situation, I'll usually U-Turn out first turn to see what the opponent has to take the U-Turn. I'll then switch to the appropriate check. Pursuit is for trapping things weak to it, like Starmie and Latias, though I never use it unless it's my top priority to kill a Pokemon. This is because so many things can set up on Pursuit, most notably Lucario and Tyranitar. Superpower is one of my favorite moves, and for good reason. When using Superpower, I usually have to predict a Magnezone or Heatran coming in on Scizor, and then Superpower. If I'm successful, then Scizor is usually free to wreak havoc against the opposing team. If not, then well... it was a bad prediction!
EVs are fine.
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YYZ (Latias) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SAtk/6 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Surf
- Draco Meteor
This is probably what one would call the "glue" of the team. Latias is the answer to so many threats on this team it's not even funny. With a Fire resistance, it's my Heatran insurance, and with a scarf and a huge speed investment, it's also my best answer to Salamence and Gyarados. In addition, it is also capable of softening up the opposing team via Draco Meteor, a 140 BP STAB move. Finally, with Trick, it's my answer to last Pokemon set-ups, most notably CM/Stalk/Surf Suicune (which I believe is called Crocune ?_?). Even without Life Orb, the power Latias carries is surprising! Unfortunately a -2 Latias locked into DM is pretty ineffective :(
By the time Latias comes out, I usually make sure if my opponent has a Scizor or Tyranitar. If they do not, then Latias typically has a party with a combination of Thunderbolt, Surf, and Draco Meteor. If they do, I generally try to make sure Latias has done its job of killing something before it gets Pursuited. If I feel Latias still has some purpose left in the game, then I do a double switch to Scizor, which sometimes makes me lose momentum, though I typically move back onto the offensive in the next turn or two.
Again, you should know what this does. Thunderbolt hits many of the OU bulky waters, such as Gyarados and Empoleon. Draco Meteor will leave huge dents in almost everything that does not resist it or has a ridiculous special defense, such as Snorlax and Cresselia (obvious Blissey mention here, too!). Surf is for coverage, I suppose, since Dragon/Water is really only resisted by Empoleon. The final move, Trick, can really make a difference when playing defensive teams. Tricking something like Blissey is hilarious, and in cases of emergency can even be used on something like DD Tyranitar to create an opening to sweep.
As for now, Latias is fine as it is.
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Under Pressure (Suicune) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 32 HP/28 Def/196 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Probably the MVP of the team. Suicune is probably the member of the team who is most capable of taking hits from the likes of Scizor or Metagross, and often saves my skin in clutch situations. It's my Gyarados "counter" and Lucario check, as an unboosted Hydro Pump has a decent chance to OHKO after SR damage (79.49% not accounting for misses, ~51% accounting for misses). So often, in the best case scenario, the most Lucario will get off is one attack. Like Latias, Suicune provides valuable Fire and Water resistances, and is my main answer to Heatran, as LO Hydro Pump will OHKO without question.
The gameplan is simple: Calm Mind up and wreck whatever posssible! Offensive Suicune makes an excellent lure against defensive Zapdos and Celebi, landing an OHKO on Zapdos with Stealth Rock and Celebi if it has taken any prior damage, really. Hydro Pump is chosen over Surf for only one reason: power. With a Calm Mind under its belt, Suicune is guaranteed to OHKO Tyranitar through Sandstorm after SR, and nets an OHKO on 252/0 Rotom after SR. Though it nets these KOs, I'm not particularly sure if it nets any other KOs... depending on the KOs it gets, I may have no choice but to opt for Surf. Ice Beam is for hitting Salamence and Dragonite, plus it gives me something to touch Kingdra with. HP Electric is for hitting Gyarados and Vaporeon.
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Paranoid (Snorlax) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Selfdestruct
Snorlax is a suggestion courtesy of supermarth64. I have to say, it's pretty good and fits right into the team. Snorlax provides a special "sponge" even when screens aren't up. Under Light Screen, Choice Scarf Heatran's Fire Blast will do less than 10% damage. In addition to being able to dish out hits, it can even take them! Selfdestruct does well over 50% to Skarmory; if you're not impressed already then quite simply, I don't know what to say. Body Slam and Earthquake also hit things really hard. I've always wanted to put Snorlax in one of my teams, and I've finally got him in one!
Body Slam is the obvious STAB move here, dealing some pretty big damage to an opponent that doesn't resist it. Crunch is for catching Ghosts such as Rotom and Gengar on the switch; it's surprisingly easy to do so as well! Earthquake is because I really like smacking Tyranitar, Lucario, and Infernape on the switchin. Selfdestruct is such an amazing move, especially on Snorlax. Though I have been outpredicted a few times while using it, whenever it hits, something's going to die. I actually don't think words can describe how strong Selfdestruct is, so... yeah.
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Heroin (Lucario) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
- Extremespeed
- Close Combat
That's right, the late game cleaner in all its glory.
Lucario is probably my favorite late game sweeper of all time. Its perfect coverage and access to Swords Dance, Close Combat, and a powerful form of priority in Extremespeed really help it to clean up whatever's left of the opponent's team. Generally, I swap Lucario in on Choiced Pursuits or after something of mine has been killed. It then proceeds to knock off whatever is left, if I've played this team correctly. Whether with Swords Dance, Close Combat, or Extremespeed, Lucario almost always brings a lot of power to the table!
Swords Dance is the reason for this set. With Swords Dance, Lucario's already impressive attack stat skyrockets to 700, which combined with Life Orb and powerful priority make Lucario very hard to stop once it gets going. Close Combat is for STAB, and is simply a wonderful move for decimating slower Pokemon like Swampert after a Swords Dance, and will do a lot of damage to frailer things who don't resist it even prior to a Swords Dance. Crunch is for great coverage with STAB, and prevents defensive Rotom and friends from beating me. Extremespeed is my priority move, and eliminates faster, weaker Pokemon that aren't immune to it.
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Well, that's all everyone, thank you for reading! And now you are free to rate. Unfortunately, I will not update with a threat list, since I likely will forget about it completely! If moderators are lurking here, please tell me if my descriptions are too short via PM and I'll do the best I can to lengthen them. :x I know I'm not being very articulate with the descriptions so I'll try harder to get the point across.
* I made this team ~4-5 months ago, so the movesets/EVs may be a little outdated. Apologies in advance for this.
(p.s: the pokemon here are all named after old rock songs! high-five if you get them i guess, though they're just names randoms gave to me, with the exception of Lucario)
At A Glance - Team Catfish:
A Closer Look:
Immigrant Song (Azelf) @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/6 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Explosion
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Stealth Rock
Well, this is your generic suicide lead, I suppose. Azelf's main purpose on this team is to get down SR reliably and if possible, lay down double screens, which makes it significantly easier for me to sweep. For the most part, it has done exactly that. I chose Azelf over something like Metagross solely for speed purposes. With more speed, it is easier in my opinion to lay down Stealth Rock and in most cases dual screens.
When playing with Azelf, I generally start with either Reflect or Light Screen, Stealth Rock, and then use the other screen. If I will be rendered useless against a certain lead (read: Metagross), I switch out. I do not explode instantly, as Explosion is usually used for something that I consider a threat. In addition, after I set up SR, some opponents switch out into Rotom/random ghost, so my sacrificing of Azelf would be entirely in vain!
Moveset is bog standard and uninteresting. Stealth Rock is a necessity on offensive teams, in my opinion -- it turns many 2HKOs into OHKOs and 3HKOs into 2HKOs and -- yeah, you've heard this before. Reflect and Light Screen are used to soften blows from offensive teams and to stop stuff like Scizor from rampaging through this team. Explosion is well... explosion. It OHKOs a lot of stuff, and gives me safety when bringing in one of my other Pokemon. The lack of Taunt has been bothersome however, so I'm considering using Taunt over Explosion. Suggestions?
---
Breathe (Scizor) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 160 HP/176 Atk/4 Spd/168 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower
Yes, you've seen this before. Shut up.
Well, the way I play this team is by gaining and keeping momentum, and Scizor is an integral part of that. Scizor's ability to force switches is astounding, and U-Turn helps to force even more switches. The ability to trap and kill Latias and Gengar (though both often carry HP fire :/) really help this team, since they're both really annoying. In addition, Scizor is also my "insurance" against DDMence if Latias dies, killing it with Bullet Punch. Although I do enjoy creativity, Scizor is just too good to not put on this team.
I trust you already know what this set does? Bullet Punch, while a much needed form of priority, is not used often, since I am paranoid of Magnezone rearing its head into view, which is the reason why I have the next move, U-Turn: scouting. Unless I'm in a desperate situation, I'll usually U-Turn out first turn to see what the opponent has to take the U-Turn. I'll then switch to the appropriate check. Pursuit is for trapping things weak to it, like Starmie and Latias, though I never use it unless it's my top priority to kill a Pokemon. This is because so many things can set up on Pursuit, most notably Lucario and Tyranitar. Superpower is one of my favorite moves, and for good reason. When using Superpower, I usually have to predict a Magnezone or Heatran coming in on Scizor, and then Superpower. If I'm successful, then Scizor is usually free to wreak havoc against the opposing team. If not, then well... it was a bad prediction!
EVs are fine.
---
YYZ (Latias) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SAtk/6 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Surf
- Draco Meteor
This is probably what one would call the "glue" of the team. Latias is the answer to so many threats on this team it's not even funny. With a Fire resistance, it's my Heatran insurance, and with a scarf and a huge speed investment, it's also my best answer to Salamence and Gyarados. In addition, it is also capable of softening up the opposing team via Draco Meteor, a 140 BP STAB move. Finally, with Trick, it's my answer to last Pokemon set-ups, most notably CM/Stalk/Surf Suicune (which I believe is called Crocune ?_?). Even without Life Orb, the power Latias carries is surprising! Unfortunately a -2 Latias locked into DM is pretty ineffective :(
By the time Latias comes out, I usually make sure if my opponent has a Scizor or Tyranitar. If they do not, then Latias typically has a party with a combination of Thunderbolt, Surf, and Draco Meteor. If they do, I generally try to make sure Latias has done its job of killing something before it gets Pursuited. If I feel Latias still has some purpose left in the game, then I do a double switch to Scizor, which sometimes makes me lose momentum, though I typically move back onto the offensive in the next turn or two.
Again, you should know what this does. Thunderbolt hits many of the OU bulky waters, such as Gyarados and Empoleon. Draco Meteor will leave huge dents in almost everything that does not resist it or has a ridiculous special defense, such as Snorlax and Cresselia (obvious Blissey mention here, too!). Surf is for coverage, I suppose, since Dragon/Water is really only resisted by Empoleon. The final move, Trick, can really make a difference when playing defensive teams. Tricking something like Blissey is hilarious, and in cases of emergency can even be used on something like DD Tyranitar to create an opening to sweep.
As for now, Latias is fine as it is.
---
Under Pressure (Suicune) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 32 HP/28 Def/196 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Probably the MVP of the team. Suicune is probably the member of the team who is most capable of taking hits from the likes of Scizor or Metagross, and often saves my skin in clutch situations. It's my Gyarados "counter" and Lucario check, as an unboosted Hydro Pump has a decent chance to OHKO after SR damage (79.49% not accounting for misses, ~51% accounting for misses). So often, in the best case scenario, the most Lucario will get off is one attack. Like Latias, Suicune provides valuable Fire and Water resistances, and is my main answer to Heatran, as LO Hydro Pump will OHKO without question.
The gameplan is simple: Calm Mind up and wreck whatever posssible! Offensive Suicune makes an excellent lure against defensive Zapdos and Celebi, landing an OHKO on Zapdos with Stealth Rock and Celebi if it has taken any prior damage, really. Hydro Pump is chosen over Surf for only one reason: power. With a Calm Mind under its belt, Suicune is guaranteed to OHKO Tyranitar through Sandstorm after SR, and nets an OHKO on 252/0 Rotom after SR. Though it nets these KOs, I'm not particularly sure if it nets any other KOs... depending on the KOs it gets, I may have no choice but to opt for Surf. Ice Beam is for hitting Salamence and Dragonite, plus it gives me something to touch Kingdra with. HP Electric is for hitting Gyarados and Vaporeon.
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Paranoid (Snorlax) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Selfdestruct
Snorlax is a suggestion courtesy of supermarth64. I have to say, it's pretty good and fits right into the team. Snorlax provides a special "sponge" even when screens aren't up. Under Light Screen, Choice Scarf Heatran's Fire Blast will do less than 10% damage. In addition to being able to dish out hits, it can even take them! Selfdestruct does well over 50% to Skarmory; if you're not impressed already then quite simply, I don't know what to say. Body Slam and Earthquake also hit things really hard. I've always wanted to put Snorlax in one of my teams, and I've finally got him in one!
Body Slam is the obvious STAB move here, dealing some pretty big damage to an opponent that doesn't resist it. Crunch is for catching Ghosts such as Rotom and Gengar on the switch; it's surprisingly easy to do so as well! Earthquake is because I really like smacking Tyranitar, Lucario, and Infernape on the switchin. Selfdestruct is such an amazing move, especially on Snorlax. Though I have been outpredicted a few times while using it, whenever it hits, something's going to die. I actually don't think words can describe how strong Selfdestruct is, so... yeah.
---
Heroin (Lucario) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
- Extremespeed
- Close Combat
That's right, the late game cleaner in all its glory.
Lucario is probably my favorite late game sweeper of all time. Its perfect coverage and access to Swords Dance, Close Combat, and a powerful form of priority in Extremespeed really help it to clean up whatever's left of the opponent's team. Generally, I swap Lucario in on Choiced Pursuits or after something of mine has been killed. It then proceeds to knock off whatever is left, if I've played this team correctly. Whether with Swords Dance, Close Combat, or Extremespeed, Lucario almost always brings a lot of power to the table!
Swords Dance is the reason for this set. With Swords Dance, Lucario's already impressive attack stat skyrockets to 700, which combined with Life Orb and powerful priority make Lucario very hard to stop once it gets going. Close Combat is for STAB, and is simply a wonderful move for decimating slower Pokemon like Swampert after a Swords Dance, and will do a lot of damage to frailer things who don't resist it even prior to a Swords Dance. Crunch is for great coverage with STAB, and prevents defensive Rotom and friends from beating me. Extremespeed is my priority move, and eliminates faster, weaker Pokemon that aren't immune to it.
---
Well, that's all everyone, thank you for reading! And now you are free to rate. Unfortunately, I will not update with a threat list, since I likely will forget about it completely! If moderators are lurking here, please tell me if my descriptions are too short via PM and I'll do the best I can to lengthen them. :x I know I'm not being very articulate with the descriptions so I'll try harder to get the point across.
