Team DracoOffense (Ranked #9)

[M Dragon]

DracoOffense

Overview:

Intro:
Well, this is my best team in platinum, and the team that has ranked me #3, and rising.
This is my main and first team in platinum (it was created the first day with platinum changes in shoddy, with some changes). I wanted to make an Offensive team, but with the ability of countering most of the threats, and this was the result.

Game Plan:
Well, as you can see, this is an offensive team, which works pretty well countering most threats thaks to it's synergy. In this team, resistances are key, letting me sweep with the right pokemon. Every pokemon of my team could arrive to “sweep”, but I think the sucess of this team relies on the resistances that every pokemon in my team has, and the immediate thread to any team that they can represent.
Well, now I will explain the strategy behind each one of my pokemon individually:

The Team:

@ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- Fire Blast
- Explosion

Description: Azelf is a great lead. He usually put the rocks in the field, and then Azelf usually take out 1-2 pokes, with psychic/fire blast + explosion. Psychic hits those ghost switchings, while Fire Blast covers steels.

EVs: Naive and max speed is needed (I can outspeed most Starmies, Gengar, Infernape...), and max Sp Atk makes Psychic stronger.

Team Work: The most important job that Azelf do is setting the rocks. The, it tries to do as much damage as possible, exploding when it is going to die, and hopefully, taking out 1-2 pokes (record is 4 pokemon beatean by this guy lol).

(M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SAtk/6 SDef
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Explosion
- Dragon Pulse/HP [ice]

Description: Scarftran is a very good pokemon. With a lot of useful resistances, it can switch into lots of things very easily, and can revenge kill many things. Dragon Pulse let me revenge kill dragons, specially those Kingdra locked into Outrage. Explosion is his final move.

EVs: Timid/Naive is a must in Scarftran nowadays: it needs to outspeed Skymin, so it can revenge kill it, and also for those base 130. Max speed to al least tie with other Heatrans (with a scarf). Naive to make the explosion stronger.

Team work: Very important in my team, because its nice resistances and because it’s a great revenge killer. Stops Scizor, and revenge kills Lukes, ehich is pretty useful.

(M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 228 HP/252 Atk/28 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Brick Break

Description: One of the most dangerous pokemon in platinum, thanks to the addition of Bullet Punch. With it’s excellent resistances, it can switch pretty easily, and can destroy a team. Brick break is there just to break those Reflects and those Light Screens that can screw me.

EVs: Those EVs in HP provide me some bulkiness, while those speed EVs let me outspeed other Scizors. Max atk and Adamant is standard.

Team Work: I usually reveal reveal it early game, and I try to open holes with it. It works very well with Kingdra.

(M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd

Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Outrage

Description: I started using this pokemon when everybody was using Salamence. At first, everybody tried to stop it with status or with explosions, only to find a Sub getting a free DD. Sadly, now the Sub version has become standard and it does not surprises more.

EVs: Some HP EVs could be a good idea, but this guy really needs the speed to outspeep some threats like Scarfcross (or at least spd tie with it). Max attack and Adamant to hit stronger. Sniper means every steel is screwed if I get a CH.

Team Work: Kingdra is a really important poke in my team. It takes Heatran’s Fire Blasts like nothing, and it can sweep a whole team with 1 DD or 2. It works very well with Scizor.

@ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash

Description: Most times, it is the star of the team. This thing can 6-0 any Stall team, if it can get a Substitute. Leech Seed makes specia walls useless, and can be very dangerous with a Substitute, thanks to the 80% of dropping the sp def of Seed Flare, and the flinch hax. Quite annoying.

EVs: Max speed is needed to at least spd tie with others Shaymins, and max Sp Atk let it hit stronger. Perhaps, more EVs in HP would be good to always resist IB from bliss.

Team Work: Wall Breaker with Subseed, and late game sweeper. Works very well with Heatran, covering all their weakness but rock.

@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 128 HP/228 Spd/152 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Trick

Description: As Asta suggested to me, I really needed something against strong fighting attacks, and I thought Rotom would be the best option. It also has a very needed electric resist, and it can also trick it’s scarf to a wall, so it can cripple a foe, and with the CS, it is a good revenge killer. I chose Rotom-W because it can beat Heatran, which gives me some problems.

EVs: That is the EV spread that has worked the best for me. Those HP EVs let me survive 2 SD BP from Scizor, and provides me some wanted bulkiness, while outspeeding all base 130, and hitting quite hard.

Team Work: Great resistances which makes it work very well with Heatran, and its ability to completely wall Yanmega, Metagross, and to outspeed things like Infernape or SDluke (I love when I use t-bolt and they use SD, thinking I am slower), without forgetting Trick, makes him a great choice for my team.

Conclusion:
This is an offensive team that made the first day with platinum in shoddy, with some changes, and which has ranked me #8, but the problem is that this team is now much more predictable, so it has lost a lot of potential, but it can still do a good job. So help me to improve my team and RMT!

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I'll add a threat list later
Thanks to pokesafari and arkeis for the images :D

 

[Flygon11]

That team is full of win, great combo stratagy and good selection of pokemon, not many weaknesses so I'd have to give it a 5/5

 

[gorm]

wow, this is one of the most well presented "Pt Offense" teams I've ever seen, congrats =)

I'm worried about a pokemon though, and his name is "gyarados", in particular "jolly LO gyarados" who essentially 6-0s you when he sets on on heatran or... whoever, except skymin pretty much!
not to say that you're lacking speed, so maybe timid LO heatran (explosion/fire blast /hp electric/earth power) could act as a lure for adamant gyaras, outspeeding and ohkoing as they switch (it's awesome ;D) skarfing skymin would also increase your insurance just as another/additional option.

interesting lead btw.. it's boo bad it doesnt dent tar, but i guess you just use sr and die and setup with scizor afterwards.

zapdos and heatran harrass this team alot and theres not a whole lot that beats both. I'd start with max hp on kingdra and speed for timid gengar, and i dont think you should be too scared of hera just because you dont have an intimidating flyer, you have decent insurance with heatran/rotom. max hp kingdra also helps alot with heatran woes you might have, it helps switch in on earth power better and of course doesnt care at all about fire blast.

 

[Vincent_Valentine_4]

Yeah definately 252 hp for Kingdra that's what I run and it works wonders but you should use Scizor for your starter with Choice band and U-Turn that's a painful start for your opponent and you can safely switch.

 

[makeusmileee]

Oh, nice team M Dragon

azelf is a great suicide lead : D
I also have Dragon pulse in my heatran, is nice for kingdra.

Good Work M Dragon : D

 

[M Dragon]

Thanks for the comments :D

I'm worried about a pokemon though, and his name is "gyarados", in particular "jolly LO gyarados" who essentially 6-0s you when he sets on on heatran or... whoever, except skymin pretty much!

Yeah, Gyara is a problem. My main options here are Rotom and, in a last case scenario, Kingdra. But yes, it is a problem.

not to say that you're lacking speed, so maybe timid LO heatran (explosion/fire blast /hp electric/earth power) could act as a lure for adamant gyaras, outspeeding and ohkoing as they switch (it's awesome ;D) skarfing skymin would also increase your insurance just as another/additional option.

I will test that heatran. When I built this team I thought at first in a Subtran, with Sub > Explosion, but I finally decided use scarftran because Dugtrio, Infernape and Lucario mainly, but both worked, so I will try LOtran.

zapdos and heatran harrass this team alot and theres not a whole lot that beats both. I'd start with max hp on kingdra and speed for timid gengar, and i dont think you should be too scared of hera just because you dont have an intimidating flyer, you have decent insurance with heatran/rotom. max hp kingdra also helps alot with heatran woes you might have, it helps switch in on earth power better and of course doesnt care at all about fire blast.

Kingdra really needs its attack EVs, but yes, I need a bulkier Kingdra. 114 EVs in spd would be enough to outspeed a Gengar (not scarf) after a DD, but Skymin being faster than me is a problem. 216 spd EVs would be the needed to outspeed Shaymin. Another possibility is use less atk EVs, but that would make my hits less powerfull, and that is a problem when it tries to sweep.

Yeah definately 252 hp for Kingdra that's what I run and it works wonders but you should use Scizor for your starter with Choice band and U-Turn that's a painful start for your opponent and you can safely switch

CBscizor would be the third choice user, and I really never liked it. will test it, thought

Thnx for all the comments!

 

[HotPocket]

All of it looks pretty good. My main complaints are on Skymin. I found that Leech Seeding is a good idea in theory, but it is really hard to pull off. Instead, I would recommend you use this set. It works wonders and eases predictions so that Weaville tends to have a more difficult time Revenge killing you.

Skymin @ Petaya Berry
Timid Nature - Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 6 HP

-Substitute
-Earth Power / Thunder Wave
-Air Slash
-Seed Flare

With Serene Grace, you can act as a Mini-Togekiss (if you choose thunder wave) except with more speed and potentially more fire power. If you go full sweeping version however, you still have an excellent advantage over other Skymin in that you welcome SR damage as a milestone to activating your buff.

 

[M Dragon]

OMG
can Skymin learn t-wave?
if it can, I am trying it now xD (but I am pretty sure it can't, sadly)

Well, leech seed has helped me a lot against tanks, but Earth Power is great against Steels.

 

[HotPocket]

Not sure, although many pokemon can...

It is worth a shot if he can.

 

[locopoke]

I think you've beaten me with this team a few times lol

 

[Vincent_Valentine_4]

Trick scarf is way to obvious on your rotom I used it for a while and people usually just switch in a choice scarf heatran or some other choice user to make it useless also a sub salac berry Heatran can actually work wonders if you try it.

 

[Infamous]

Nice team. I recommend you get Swift Swim on Kingdra, seeing that a Rain Dance team is the only weakness I can think of.

If your Kingdra has SS, you can take advantage of that speed boost. In the end they are either forced to help your Kingdra sweep or to stop summoning the rain completely.

Btw, I want to take this moment and thank Jesus you didn't include a yellow colored pokemon on your team...otherwise I'd go blind...

 

[M Dragon]

Trick scarf is way to obvious on your rotom I used it for a while and people usually just switch in a choice scarf heatran or some other choice user to make it useless also a sub salac berry Heatran can actually work wonders if you try it.

My first move is never Trick, unless I know my opponent is using stall. Simply I use t-bolt to damage those scarftran/other random scarfer, and later, i use trick.

If your Kingdra has SS, you can take advantage of that speed boost. In the end they are either forced to help your Kingdra sweep or to stop summoning the rain completely.

I have tried both, and I decided to use Sniper because Sniper has been much more useful than SS for me: a single CH means any pokemon is screwed, while SS is just for RD teams, and I have seen very little RD teams.

 

[M Dragon]

Final Bump
I know this is not perfect lol
I am now testing the 252 HP / 252 spd Kingdra that Gormenghast suggested

 

[Darkartisan]

I don't like suicide leads, and I think that you can fill a better spot as your lead.

At least, maybe a scarfzelf.

It stops Gars, as they don't run max speed with a scarf, and you can catch them offguard. Trickers are wasting a turn (hah), and you end up getting a "oh he's scarved?" Instead of a positive, here comes rocks.

Just my two cents. Test it first.

 

[Zurr]

I think I've fought this team. Looks good. Like everyone else has said, you need a Gyarados counter.

 

[iluvluvdisc]

Nice team, don't think i faced you but anyway. If scarf rotom works, by all means use it. But a nice idea is using the oven to switch into scizors. They expect fire, and usually go to their heatran(He was number one on usage, so its a good bet he's on their team) and thunder wave the switch. Paralysis support looks like it would really help your team. But just a thought.

4.9999/5