The Team With No Name [first rmt]

[xRadarr]

This here is my first [real] RMT on here, and it's a team I've had lying around for quite awhile. When it first started it wasn't really meant to be a really serious team, but then I realized it was actually doing pretty decent, and decided to revamp it to make it actually competetive. It's been doing pretty good on Pokelab, though I haven't played with it on Shoddy because of my inherent laziness. Now, how this team got started...

Yeah, remember when I said this didn't start as a serious team? It was based around my friend's favorite pokemon. Well, I suppose you can't really say "based around," since it was my lead. Sleep Powder and Stun Spore off Compoundeyes is wonderful. But using a Butterfree lead was pretty gimmicky, and even though it lasted through many drafts of this team, eventually Butterfree had to go for a more serious competitor in the OU metagame. And so, we have a team that is basically completely irrelevant to this paragraph!

Roserade (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SpAtk
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Leaf Storm
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
And here is the lead that isn't Butterfree! I got overly fond of sleep leads, and Roserade was the clear choice. Roserade's access to Toxic Spikes was also appealing, as I have a tendency to make my teams vulnerable to bulky waters. If I don't get Toxic Spikes up I will generally switch it out to bring back later. Against the top 10 leads...
Azelf- Leaf Storm to break the sash, if it got rocks up switch to Rotom to block explosion, if it didn't HP fire for the ko.
Machamp- Sleep Powder, Toxic Spikes
Aerodactyl- Leaf Storm to break the sash, if it got rocks up either sleep or TS, if it didn't HP fire for the ko.
Metagross- Sleep Powder, Toxic Spikes
Swampert- Sleep Powder, Toxic Spikes(, Leaf Storm)
Infernape- Infernape causes me issues 100% of the time. Sleep Powder to make sure it isn't using fake out, if it does use fake out I switch to something and play it by ear.
Heatran- Sleep Powder, TS
Jirachi- Sleep Powder, then form a plan depending on what it does from there. Usually involves switching, especially if it uses Iron Head and I flinch.
Ninjask- Switch to Scizor and bullet punch.
Roserade- Sleep Powder, if I win the speed tie proceed to set up, otherwise switch to something and take it out (bring in roserade again later to absorb TS).

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn
Before Scizor I had Tyranitar in this spot, but he wasn't doing anything for me besides taking out Rotom. Scizor can do this too, and even though he doesn't necessarily do it as well, he actually finds use outside of taking out Rotom. Standard Scizor, I really have nothing more to say on it then that... I use him for scouting a lot.

Heatran (F) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SpAtk
Naive nature (+Spd,-SpDef)
- Earth Power
- Explosion
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This is a standard Heatran, yup. Seeing as I chose Shuca Berry over Scarf I don't really use Hidden Power that much. I've considered switching HPs type, but I don't really have much else in way of defense against Dragonite so it's stayed as it was. I don't know how much use it would get even if it was different type, either. Heatran works well at taking the fire attacks aimed at Roserade, Jirachi, and Scizor, and generally has no issues getting a welcome boost to his Fire Blast at least once per battle.

Gyarados (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 64 HP/252 Atk/4 Def/188 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk,-SpAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
Standard offensive DDos, with a slight change in the EVs. I didn't want to go with all out bulky Gyara, because I love the max attack, but the max speed given in the analysis is completely pointless. With this speed I outspeed everything I can that's actually worth it, while giving a bit of an increase to bulk. That said, Gyara ideally comes in off of a wish from Jirachi, which negates SR damage and sometimes even lets Gyara come in for free off a choiced EQ. I'll DD on the switch, and then either proceed to sweep or switch to something to take care of whatever came in. Once the opponent's Gyara counters are out of the way I use him as my main sweeper.

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 240 HP/160 Def/32 Spd/76 SpDef
Impish nature (+Def,-SpAtk)
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Wish
Before Jirachi, I had a Lucario here. I needed something that could lay down rocks and something that could provide wish support for everyone, and Jirachi was clearly the only choice. Jirachi is usually the first pokemon to come in after Roserade, whether or not I got a chance to set up TS. There are enough pokemon immune to TS for Twave to still be a viable move. Jirachi is probably the bulkiest member on my team and comes in on any major offensive threats that get themselves started, to attempt to paraflinch them to death. (if not paralyzing something can often allow something else on my team to revenge it easily)

Rotom-h @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SpAtk/4 SpDef
Timid nature (+Spd,-Atk)
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
I had a Scarfed Celebi here before Rotom, which was actually working out quite well. The surprise factor took out plenty of pokemon. However, I had absolutely no answer to opposing Gyarados besides switching in my own and hoping it didn't have Stone Edge or it missed. Also, I wanted a spinblocker. So I brought in Rotom, who fills a similar role to Scarfbi while sacrificing a lot of the bulk. I switch this into any Gyarados to take them out before they get a chance to sweep, and also use it as a general-purpose revenger. I generally won't trick away my scarf until I'm sure they don't have anything that takes out my +1 Gyara.
​

The overall synergy of this team works out quite well. The process behind this team was far different then usual for me, since I generally start with a pokemon I want to sweep and build a team around letting that pokemon do so. In this teams case, I kind of just built it up as I went. And while my goal in the long run is to get Gyara to sweep, I can manage to win even if that doesn't happen every match.

And so concludes my RMT. Feel free to provide me with any constructive criticism you may have. I feel like I have hammered out a lot of the kinks that I usually find in my teams, but I'm sure I'm missing something obscenely obvious.

 

[Cgrav100]

Just one thing: Infernape, Infernape, Infernape. 4 of your Pokemon are weak to him, so be sure you're able to counter him as a revenge sweeper. Probably Gyarados is your best bet. You can use Intimidate to cut his attack, and you resist all of his.

 

[xRadarr]

Yeah, Gyarados is pretty much always my answer to Infernape. I really haven't had any problems with it, seeing as I never let Gyara go down early. And if Gyara does for some reason go down, Rotom can usually handle it easily enough.

 

[pikachu26134]

Hey,
Try running HP grass over HP ice on heatran cos HP ice does nothing to alot of threats.
Also change Shuca on Heatran for a Life orb.
And i would also run a sleep talk set somewhere, preferbaly over rotom or gyara.

 

[Tater Tot]

Your Roserade analysis is a little off. You assume a lot of leads will just try and set up rocks, but a lot of them play more offensively. Azelf and Aerodactyl both outspeed and OHKO (not counting the sash) witth their stab moves. Less popular leads like yanmega give you even more trouble.

Ttar could give you a quite a bit of trouble. DDtar with earthquake, crunch, and fire punch carrying a babiri (steel) berry can wreak havoc upon your team. Your problems stem from having too many pokemon that share too many weaknesses.

 

[Xcallion x]

Tater tot is completely right about the lead MU's. i personaly use colbur azelf as a lead, u-turn to a vigilant honchcrow(or sleep fodder if i dont have a Vigilant pokemon) and kill it off at worse suffering one layer of toxic spikes. as for machamp leads, i have rarely seen a machamp lead without a lum berry. they carry lum and they will dynamic punch and then bullet punch. you will die without accomplishing anything. those are just two exmples.

 

[xRadarr]

HP Grass over HP Ice on Heatran makes sense, but I have practically no other defense against Dragonite. I use Shuca so I can bluff a scarf, or win against other Heatrans. And Sleep Talk makes sense except for that it would mean replacing a move that is less circumstantial.

When it comes to leads, assuming that suicide leads will aim to set up rocks is generally a good assumption since that is their purpose. I also only ever set up one layer of toxic spikes, seeing as it takes four turns for two layers to out-damage one layer and my team aims to cause switches whenever possible. Yanmega does give me trouble if I keep roserade in, however generally if I'm up against a lead Roserade can't handle I will switch out and bring it back in later; I don't play Roserade as a suicide lead whenever possible. As for Machamp, I will alter my strategy to Leaf Storm them right off the bat, either KOing or severely damaging them. If everything doesn't go exactly as planned in the first couple turns, it's not going to ruin my team either way.

Yes, DDtar can be an issue, I see that. Gyarados can usually hurt it pretty badly, though, either by KOing it outright or weakening it to the point that Babiri berry isn't going to stop bullet punch from KOing. Gyara does quite good damage even before it gets a DD up, and I use it without one all the time.

More suggestions as to HOW I could fix my team would be appreciated more than just what needs to be fixed; I generally have problems fixing problems with creating more severe ones.
[edit: this post sounds super defensive, in retrospect. i do appreciate all of you reading my team and posting what's wrong, i would just like it more if i got more suggestions as to how. :D]