The Latios squad

[Lirg]

Hi ! Here's a team that I begin because it has relatively few weakness and few pokemons succeed to sweep it. This team is created around Latios. In another team, I used him as a revenge killer and after getting some nice KO, I think about a team around him. And like all the teams I decided to create around one specific pokemon, this pokemon doesn't have the utility that it should have...


Step by step formation of the team

First I needed Latios. It seemed logical since I want to make a team around him. How to get rid of the steels that annoys so much Latios ? By putting a Magnezone obviously. Balloon Magnezone entered the team.

Yes, but Magnezone couldn't get rid of all steels, above all Heatran (that I battled a lot just before creating this team... And luckily). Gyarados fulfilled this role. A DD offensive one.

As seen as my magnezone was physically defensive and couldn't take dragons AND steels, I needed something to sponge dragon attacks (read : Latios). After some calculations, I took Empoleon.

With that, I had pretty much some weakness to ground and only a unreliable solution to deal with Excadrill. My favorite solution to that was Rotom-W. Here, it's a Choice spec version.

And finally, I noted that my team was heavily special. Some physical attacker would be nice. The best special wall of the game was weak to fighting. I took Brasegali (even if the ground weakness hurts a bit).

So this is the team.

Explication of the team

Latios (the chief)
@Life orb
Levitate
252 SpA / 252Spe / 4 SpD
Timid
Draco meteor
Hp fire
Psychic
Surf


I think it's a more or less classical Latios life orber. I used the choice spec set before but I hate to be locked on one attack... I lose some raw power but I gained a lot of versability.
When I created this team, he was the center of the team. The one who make all the KO I wanted... So, normally, I'd send him, KO the opponent, switch back on something on my team that could take a hit from the next pokemon. Rinse and repeat. This was just in theory...
By being the top threat of the standard now, everybody is prepared to deal with it. It's nearly impossible to switch safely with it. The only way is when another pokemon is KOed. Next, Latios is pursuited and KOed sometimes without accomplish anything... So, after some matches, he became the revenge killer of my team. Because, I finished to use him only when I need some immediate speed (the other can't hit 300 without a boost). From the star of the team, he falls as simple revenge killer.
He's not less useful for this reason. He's pretty much my only solution to Rotom-W... I prefer Psychic over Psyshock because psychic have more power and against Blissey, even with Psyshock I'm forced to switch out...

Magnezone (the bouncer)
@Balloon
Magnet Pull
252 Def / 252 SpA / 4 HP
Modest
Volt switch
Flash Cannon
HP fire
Magnet Rise


Unlike Latios, he didn't lose his job. His favorite prey ? Ferrothorn. Generally after a battle against him, Magnezone has more or less his entire life and still has the balloon. (Leech doesn't pop the balloon)
Few steels aren't threatened by Magnezone. Heatran (obviously), Jirachi if he has something to hit me strong (Jirachi is bulky as hell generally), Excadrill if the balloon already popped (I generally look after the balloon if I know Excadrill is still here), and Scizor, which it's a roll of dice to know if I win or lose. I barely survive to an unboosted Superpower and if he's locked in an attack that I don't care... It's okay. If not, good bye Magnezone. I have other ways to deal with steels in my team, but it's annoying that Magnezone doesn't take care every time of Scizor. Maybe if I give him some ev in speed. This ev spread is very personal, but let me to take huge physical attacks...

Gyarados (the right-hand man)
@Lum Berry
Intimidate
252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Adamant
Dragon Dance
Waterfall
Ice Fang
Earthquake


He was put in the team only to counter Heatran at the beginning... He became the main sweeper of my team now. As the moment as I talk, I find a lot of team Gyarados weak... Or only to THIS gyarados... I always find DD bulky stupid (it's just personal). For me, a dragon dancer needs to be fast and strong and after only one dd, tear upon a team. And it's what I do. My Gyarados could use attack without boost to do some decent damages, and when I have the occasion (more than that you think), use one or two DD.
Even if the lack of leftovers is sometimes important, the lum berry was more useful. Why ? Because, generally, the first thing my opponent will do is to try to cripple it with a status inducer move (and I don't know why sometimes). The only exceptions were when the opponent had an electric attack. So, lum berry let me set up at least one DD (even two because WoW and Hypnosis have crappy accuracy).
When I'm at +2 with Gyarados, few things can resist his assaults. The most notable (other than wall which will only phaze him) is Rotom-W. He stops cold this Gyarados. I think I don't need to explain why.
For the moves, I know that it looks pretty gimmick but it works. Waterfall is the STAB. Ice fang is a way to deal with dragons and grass. And Earthquake is here to deal with bulky waters who wall me if I hadn't it. I decided to not put Stone Edge. I find that Stone Edge has crappy accuracy and I hate when I lose a match just because Stone Edge miss. I try to use the less possible move with crappy accuracy (for me crappy begin at 85%)...
My team doesn't have a lead (with team preview, I find lead pretty useless, above all the most obvious one), but if I must choose one, it would be Gyarados. As long as I don't see a Blissey (I like to have two answers to a thing that call wall all my team) and tyranitar (who Gyarados is a little short). Ninetales is just a set up fodder... If he stays, he risk at any time to take earthquake (and he cannot do something at gyarados at least in the first turn) and if he switches out, I already set up one dd. Now, as I say, I don't have particularly a lead.

Empoleon (the body guard)
@Leftovers
Torrent
252 SpA / 252 SpD / 4 Atk
Quiet
Scald
Ice Beam
Aqua Jet
Grass Knot / Stealth Rock?


He's my principal way to deal with Latios. I always switch blindly when I see one coming. With this EV spread, Empoleon is NEVER 2HKO by every Latios (even if Draco meteor didn't decrease SpA). The unique way that Latios has to deal with Empoleon is to have Thunder(bolt), thing Latios never have. In the other way, Latios is never OHKO by Ice beam's Empoleon (2HKO at best). But it's enough to force out the special dragon.
I mean that Empoleon isn't really the one who KO Latios, but let me know which set he runs. Empoleon helps me too to take hits from Latios when he comes when I'm not prepared to him.
Finally, Empoleon serves me much as a defensive pivot, even a death fodder, that as a pokemon that make me KO.
It's a beautiful lure to Ferrothorn who switch on Empoleon blindly. I love that ^^ (read : How to KO Ferrothorn turn 3)
Empoleon is annoyed as hell against Rotom-W. GK can't even help me. I don't use grass knot very often though. I wonder if I shouldn't change Grass Knot to SR. (Which can be useful sometimes)

Rotom-W (the dealer)
@Choice spec
Levitate
252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
Bold
Hydro Pump
Volt Switch
HP fire
Trick


I hate the choice item. I like versability but I recognize that they are useful. So, there's Rotom-W. It's a pretty slow choice spec but it has a function to be slow at the beginning. Technically, with the bulk of Rotom-W, he can take a hit and let a pokemon to switch safely. It was for Latios... (but Latios lose his job...) Rotom-W is a way for me to deal with Excadrill, and Choice spec Hydro Pump is pretty strong (but I hate the accuracy of it). Trick is here to cripple stallers that annoys me. HP fire is here to deal with with grass and steels (but generally either I'm force to switch out or I have other ways to deal with it).
I only find that it's a pity that he can't learn Ice Beam...

Blaziken (the hired killer)
@Wide Lens
Turbo
252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly
Protect
Flare Blitz
High Jump Kick
Stone Edge


First thing... Yes, I know that I say that I hate Stone Edge. That's why I put Wide Lens as item. At the beginning I decided to do a Protect + SD Blaziken. But the coverage annoyed me. Even the nearly flawless Fighting+Rock combo, I was forced out by a lot of pokemon... Even Scizor (It's kinda ironic for a fire pokemon). I miss some KOs with this, but Blaziken do his job pretty well. I don't fear much bulky waters as seen as I have 3 water (pretty) bulky pokemon, and 2 electric pokemon.
Protect is for me the key move of this set. It serves to scout what the opponent do, particularly for the ones who are tempted to switch on a ghost or to use Protect themselves (HJK hurts a lot when you miss). Protect is also a way to nab some boosts... (I KOed a great number of Excadrill like this). But use Protect needs some predictions, the opponent can set up the turn when you use it.
Blaziken is my way to deal with sun teams too. My water types pokemons don't like much be under the sunlight.






​

Threat list


Rotom-W : Here's the most annoying threat I have to deal with. He stops cold two of my pokemons, I can't switch on him without infinite predictions. Only Latios can more or less do something, but if he's already gone, I'll suffer to take down this thing.


Reuniclus : I only battle him few times and succeed to take him down but god, with a lot of luck and predictions. The only way I see to take him down is to come on Latios when I didn't use Draco meteor yet or switch on a flare blitz. If Gyarados is already at +1, 2HKO is possible but it's unreliable. If he's a trick room variants, my fate could be better.

 

[Eos]

Nice work with this RMT bud, this is nicely done.
Latios should carry Thunderbolt over Psychic because it helps with coverage more. It really is just an overall better option with the metagame at the moment to be honest.
I like this Gyara set, because it can take down the ever present Gliscor as well as sweep with good coverage and STAB.
Put scarf on rotom-w, it can be a good revenge killer if you hadn't tricked it away by then. It really can screw over many of the sweepers or bulky set-up pokes (sweeper example: Reuniclus. wall example: Ferrothorn).
If you aren't running SD on Blaziken, then you should be running Adamant nature. Really for obvious reason including; just more power and protect to raise speed anyways.
On Magnezone, try sub over magnet rise. It allows you to get up immunity anyways, and if you switch it in on Ferrothorn, it won't be able to do anything. So, it's an ideal opportunity to set-up! :D

Be weary of your three water types. Your core is pretty bad, so you need to be really careful if one of them dies :/
Besides that, good team.
Hope this helped!~

 

[Lamppost]

I like this team, It's very well built but i have a few suggestions
THREATS
Like you said, two big threats to your team are reunculus and rotom-w. We'll see if we can fix that. I can see how cm rankurusu and TR rank is a huge threat to your team. CM rank is very Difficult to take down for you since it usually runs max hp/max def and a bold nature which means gyarados and blaziken wont be doing a lot to it. TR rank usually runs max spa and a boosting nature so it can KO almost your whole team after sr damage. Rotom-w isn't a huge problem to your team seeing as latios and blaziken can counter it(not sure if hi jump kick KO's after sr).

SOLUTION
CB Scizor is a great counter to both rankurusu sets. It can KO the TR variant with u-turn and does about 87% to cm rank with u-turn, so you can just revenge it.
Scizor@Choice Band / Technician
Adamant 212HP / 252Atk / 40 Spe
U-turn / Bullet Punch / Pursuit / Superpower

The 40 spe ev's is to outrun scizor's with random speed investments as well as tyranitars with random spe investments.

I hope i helped, try this out and gl!

 

[HardCore]

First on the list I would definately say is your Magnezone. It should have enough speed to outspeed standard scizzors with 188 speed (stat) so give your zone enough evs in speed to at least reach 190 (stat not evs). Even though some scizors are faster a large majority are not and this will be an advantage to you.

Your team definately needs some type of healer considering only one of your pokemon have a recovery item. That is Empoleon who I am not sure is a good choice this gen because of all of the great fighting types this gen (broadly stated).
I know that you have Gyarados and Latios to take a hit from a fighting move but they can't heal on your team at all. So eventually if your opponent has up stealth rocks Gyarados will either die or be forced to be saved until you take out some definate threats
so he can sweep.

I would say lose empoleon but if it does good for you then well that is your opinion and the results you get based off of how well you play. I think you should switch Empoleon for Ferrothorn. With that I suggest making your rotom the average bulky set which runs voltchange/tbolt will o wisp hydro pump and painsplit.

Your team definately can not take a lot of strong fighting attacks without anyway to heal much. Especially if your opponent has stealth rocks up, which I mentioned earlier.
I suggest you use a bulkier Gyara set with leftovers and still use the same three moves if you like. A set for that would be the same one from 4th gen jolly or adamant based on how much speed or power you want from it. I think bulky Gyara not taking as hard a hit on the switch and having slight recovery with a chance to DD is better than the set you have now.I think a TR or normal Cm Rankorusu set will be better than having your specfic Gyarados to a certain extent. If you take the bukier Rotom option your team will be guarded by fire well if you think Gyara helps that much.

I think I would go as far to say that even with the changes and before them your team is also weak to sub-split Gengar, which is a very good sweeper. There are definately a numerous amount of things I don't like about your team still just because having coverage for average sets on any team is a must. Your team seems pretty offensive and I don't want to take that away but if that is the direction you are going for add boosters definately.
I think that your team is lacking something to take electric moves which is why ferrothorn would help.

I hope I helped!

 

[franky]

Hello lirg,

so i got a few suggestions to solve your persistent issues every game. firstly, try out a bulkier gyarados spread with the ev spread 156 hp / 72 atk / 96 def / 184 spe with the movesets dragon dance / waterfall / stone edge / taunt. this simply provides a way to deal with plenty physical attackers, specifically conkeldurr and scrafty. further, this set provides you a way to bypass will-o-wisp burungeru, thunder wave nattorei, thunder wave slowbro, etc. lum berry just feels useless since most pokemon you'll attempt to bypass are not ohkoed by a +2 earthquake. stone edge is recommended on the set to deal with other flying-types and mainly rotom-w.

if you're lucky and your opponent only has burungeru as a check then you can use that dd gyarados to lure it. with that being said, swords dance over stone edge is the better option now on blaziken. +2 hjk ohkoes plenty things provided sr for most, but oftentimes without it. +2 hjk has a very high chance of ohkoing latios, latias, landlos, voltlos, and plenty more. although you must swap wide lens for life orb. adamant version is also needed to achieve these kills.

life orb latios and latias are problematic pokemon to your team and empoleon is rarely a check when they can simply switch out and screw you with a well-timed thunderbolt. it doesnt help that your latios' speed iv is one less, leaving it slower than enemy latios and latias. lo voltlos screws you up pretty badly as well! my only recommendation is to use a scarf tyranitar over your empoleon. this is a simple 252 atk / 4 def / 252 spe with a nature of jolly and the moveset stone edge / pursuit / crunch / superpower. speed allows you to outpace latios and latias - predict right and depending on your position you can damage it hard with either pursuit or crunch. scarf stone edge means you can beat lo voltlos and you can use the rarity of scarf to surprise kill them. this also additionally checks and applies pressure on calm mind renculus.

as for other options, dragon pulse > draco meteor means you can damage shit without dropping that special attack, especially since you're using 4-attacks instead of trick. 252 hp over 252 def on magnezone means you can equally take attacks specially and physically- it is generally the safer option. overall gl!

 

[Lirg]

A bit slow response, but I had some difficulties with internet ...

So, For the changement, I turn Blaziken to adamant. It's something that I forgot after changing his set. SD+protect still tempts me ( I need to try with Flare Blitz and HJK)...

Gyarados : I like this set. I know that I can't do anything to Rotom-W but it helped more on other things. This is a set that I don't want to change (or very slightly, put leftovers or life orb over lum berry... But he never was a problem in my team and a change risks to ruin what I like with him)

Latios : The answers was contradictory. One say that I should replace Psychic and another say that I have problems with fighting. Psychic is strong against fighting, no ? Seriously, if I put psychic here, it's to have a relatively strong STAB without the SpA loss. If I have to replace it, I put Dragon pulse. Hp fire annoys me... I know that Ferrothorn is everywhere, but, I have lots of solution to deal with him. Maybe, placing thunderbolt instead of HP fire?

Rotom-W : The scarf one is interesting. Tricking the choice spec sometimes make me lose the game. Especially, I'm a player who like playing fast hitting team, I've made a pretty slow team... Usually, I hate choice (or rather being locked on something), but as seen as he was already choice, I shouldn't notice it too much.

Magnezone : I don't know how to turn him. The idea with the sub is nice but I fear that his health decreases too much with the sub. The ev spread is awkward and need to be better. The speed to outspeed Scizor is cleary important.

And finally, the worst part of my team... Empoleon. I know that he's only here to counter Latios. He's a death fodder as soon as Latios is gone. 3 waters type is too much and he's not hitting hard, demolished by (at least) the half of the standard and even not KOing Latios (note that I've never had problems with Latios...).
If I had to change one guy in my team, it's him. What solutions you proposed? CB scizor, Ferrothorn and Tyranitar. I put it blankly, but I don't like Scizor. I know that it's a great counter/check (I don't know if it's a check or a counter), but I don't like choice (as I already say) and I don't find him enough bulky ( he is bulky but not enough for me ) to run a more defensive set. It's very personal and I know it. Maybe if I have really no other choice.
About Ferrothorn, I'm more interested by him. But I fear a little the fire weakness. It's a pokemon really defensive... It risks to slow me down, but Empoleon do it already...
About T-tar, the sandstorm annoys me a little. However, Ttar gives me a solution to Reuniclus (maybe a little awkward against the TR one, but better what I have now). He's choiced again, but the quantity of solutions he brings is really nice. On the other hand, he had some weaknesses a little annoying. But for now, it's the solution I prefer.

Something maybe I'd need, it's a lead... Maybe not an obvious one, but something which doesn't let me begin the battle with a (maybe a little bit extreme) "random poke". I know that Taunt miss me a little, but I really want to keep my Gyarados as he is right now. I need to test to see how it'll works but it's pretty late here today and I try this later.

EDIT : I completely forgot, but again, I have few solutions for Rotom-W, Ferrothorn would be my best bet... But if you have a better idea.