Toxic Brawl
Hello everybody! I'm magnetpull, and this is my first RMT. I literally just joined Smogon, and I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm fifteen years old and have been playing Pokemon since I was five. A year or so ago, I began to get into the competitive scene, and found that I was enjoying myself tremendously. I just made an account on Smogon as I do want to become more involved in the community now. Thank you for spending some time taking a look at my post, and I truly appreciate the feedback!
This team is weatherless, something that I've always wanted to try. Very rarely before this team had I ever played using a team that didn't use weather of some sort, and I found it to not make a significant difference in my ability to win matches. This team started out as a team created to win against my local friends in a tournament, but with a few tweaks I found it to be competitively viable. I have achieved a ranking of 1513 on the Pokemon Showdown Ladder with this team, so far having a record of 67-42. Of course, I want to improve on that, hence creating this RMT to make it better!
I started off with Gliscor, as I just simply love it. Using the infuriating strategy of Toxic Stall has always given me a sick kind of pleasure. Earthquake hits hard and takes out many Ground-weak threats after hazards damage (Terrakion, Tyranitar, Toxicroak, etc.).
Next up I needed a tank and a hazards setter, so I added Ferrothorn. I love the resistances the Grass/Steel typing gives me, and Iron Barbs never hurts (me, at least). It is my main resist to Rotom-W and Politoed, and I like to use it to set up recovery via Leech Seed to come in and set up with another Pokemon.
Next up was Latias. Latias, while not as commonly used as its male twin, is great for my team as the obligatory dragon type, but also as a dangerous CM sweeper.
Next up, I was looking for a fire-type to get rid of other Ferrothorns, and eliminate Rapid Spinners with Fire-type STAB (Forretress, namely). Also, Flash Fire serves as a fairly good momentum pivot. If I can switch in at the right time and absorb the Fire move, then I have several options, all of which swing the momentum my way.
For a fighting type, I chose Conkeldurr. I felt I needed raw power, and SubPunch Conkeldurr delivers just that from the physical side. Nothing beats the feeling of watching Conk set up a sub and cracking a grin at the havoc about to be unleashed on the foe.
I was iffy on this last slot of my team for a very long time. I had Blissey in there, but then I settled on Jirachi for the Serene Grace hax. This served me well for a little while, but I found it generally unremarkable and not that large of a contribution to my team.
So, I settled on a rarely-seen Pokemon to serve the purpose of Serene Grace hax: Togekiss. With a scarf, it outruns a fairly good amount of slower threats such as Breloom, all while utilizing its high SpA. Of course, it's not without its flaws, but I just found it better than Rachi for synergy purposes.
Ferrothorn is a beautiful Pokemon, and one that is invariably useful on this team. Getting up Stealth Rocks and Spikes is important to this team's success, as Conkeldurr and Togekiss operate more efficiently with hazard damage racking up. Ferrothorn gives critical resistance to Water, Electric, and Dragon-type moves that my team does not fare well against. It also walls SD Scizor, an abuser of priority that can wreak havoc on my team, and Power Whip dispatches the odd Starmie looking to Rapid Spin. Another added bonus of Ferrothorn is using Leech Seed to either boost recovery for itself or a Pokemon switching in after it, or to gain switch initiative and predict their next move. Finally, I often use it to lure in those who might Flare Blitz or CC and double switch into Latias, giving me the ability to set off a Calm Mind right off the bat. We'll get to that next. As for issues, the only problems I've had with Ferrothorn so far all have to do with leaving it in the field of play too long. You can't just keep it in there as Iron Barbs fodder, eventually it's going to wear down, and something's going to take you by surprise. In addition, look out for Mach Punch: Ferrothorn has bigger issues with priority than you'd think.
Hello everybody! I'm magnetpull, and this is my first RMT. I literally just joined Smogon, and I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm fifteen years old and have been playing Pokemon since I was five. A year or so ago, I began to get into the competitive scene, and found that I was enjoying myself tremendously. I just made an account on Smogon as I do want to become more involved in the community now. Thank you for spending some time taking a look at my post, and I truly appreciate the feedback!
This team is weatherless, something that I've always wanted to try. Very rarely before this team had I ever played using a team that didn't use weather of some sort, and I found it to not make a significant difference in my ability to win matches. This team started out as a team created to win against my local friends in a tournament, but with a few tweaks I found it to be competitively viable. I have achieved a ranking of 1513 on the Pokemon Showdown Ladder with this team, so far having a record of 67-42. Of course, I want to improve on that, hence creating this RMT to make it better!
Teambuilding Phase
I started off with Gliscor, as I just simply love it. Using the infuriating strategy of Toxic Stall has always given me a sick kind of pleasure. Earthquake hits hard and takes out many Ground-weak threats after hazards damage (Terrakion, Tyranitar, Toxicroak, etc.).
Next up I needed a tank and a hazards setter, so I added Ferrothorn. I love the resistances the Grass/Steel typing gives me, and Iron Barbs never hurts (me, at least). It is my main resist to Rotom-W and Politoed, and I like to use it to set up recovery via Leech Seed to come in and set up with another Pokemon.
Next up was Latias. Latias, while not as commonly used as its male twin, is great for my team as the obligatory dragon type, but also as a dangerous CM sweeper.
Next up, I was looking for a fire-type to get rid of other Ferrothorns, and eliminate Rapid Spinners with Fire-type STAB (Forretress, namely). Also, Flash Fire serves as a fairly good momentum pivot. If I can switch in at the right time and absorb the Fire move, then I have several options, all of which swing the momentum my way.
For a fighting type, I chose Conkeldurr. I felt I needed raw power, and SubPunch Conkeldurr delivers just that from the physical side. Nothing beats the feeling of watching Conk set up a sub and cracking a grin at the havoc about to be unleashed on the foe.
I was iffy on this last slot of my team for a very long time. I had Blissey in there, but then I settled on Jirachi for the Serene Grace hax. This served me well for a little while, but I found it generally unremarkable and not that large of a contribution to my team.
So, I settled on a rarely-seen Pokemon to serve the purpose of Serene Grace hax: Togekiss. With a scarf, it outruns a fairly good amount of slower threats such as Breloom, all while utilizing its high SpA. Of course, it's not without its flaws, but I just found it better than Rachi for synergy purposes.
Final Team
Team Details and Analysis
This team is a combination of toxic stall and offensive potency, and often times everything in between. In fact, it gets its name, "Toxic Brawl" from that multifaceted structure. While Toxic damage racks up on more durable threats, my offensive Pokemon can come in and do some serious damage. But the heart of the team is usually the stall approach. It's easier to explain this from Pokemon to Pokemon, and then sum it up at the end. So let's get into it, shall we?
snip snip (Gliscor) @Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 184 Def /252 HP/ 72 Spe
Impish Nature
- Protect
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Earthquake
EVs: 184 Def /252 HP/ 72 Spe
Impish Nature
- Protect
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Earthquake
Gliscor's physical stalling abilities are unmatched, with 125 base Defense and Poison Heal removing 1/8 full HP worth of damage at the end of every turn. This healing and sheer bulk clearly lend themselves to a toxic stall set. I usually lead off with Gliscor, and protect first turn just to get the guaranteed Toxic Orb infliction going. Next, I either set up a Sub or Toxic whatever I'm facing, depending on whether or not they are going to switch. For example, my opponent leads off with a Politoed. I protect, get the poison infliction, and then Sub. Getting that Sub off first or second turn puts me in a position of power: the ability to create the beginning of the end for a Pokemon that switches in or can't break my sub. In general, however, I have issues with fighting types such as Terrakion or Toxicroak. Luckily, Gliscor's physical bulk allows it to counter Terrakion easily: it resists a Close Combat and takes an acceptable amount from a Stone Edge, and then can EQ for the knockout or force a switch. Toxicroak and basically any fighting type with Ice Punch can become an issue, so I try to dispatch those as quickly as possible using the rest of my team. Another problem that Gliscor has is the risk of running into Icicle Spear Cloyster, or Icicle Spear anything for that matter. To deal with that, try switching into one of the steel types on the team, preferably Heatran, but Ferrothorn will do also.
Barbara (Ferrothorn) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
Ferrothorn is a beautiful Pokemon, and one that is invariably useful on this team. Getting up Stealth Rocks and Spikes is important to this team's success, as Conkeldurr and Togekiss operate more efficiently with hazard damage racking up. Ferrothorn gives critical resistance to Water, Electric, and Dragon-type moves that my team does not fare well against. It also walls SD Scizor, an abuser of priority that can wreak havoc on my team, and Power Whip dispatches the odd Starmie looking to Rapid Spin. Another added bonus of Ferrothorn is using Leech Seed to either boost recovery for itself or a Pokemon switching in after it, or to gain switch initiative and predict their next move. Finally, I often use it to lure in those who might Flare Blitz or CC and double switch into Latias, giving me the ability to set off a Calm Mind right off the bat. We'll get to that next. As for issues, the only problems I've had with Ferrothorn so far all have to do with leaving it in the field of play too long. You can't just keep it in there as Iron Barbs fodder, eventually it's going to wear down, and something's going to take you by surprise. In addition, look out for Mach Punch: Ferrothorn has bigger issues with priority than you'd think.
Eoness (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Roost
- Psyshock
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Roost
- Psyshock
Latias may be a bit in the shadow of Latios, but it is still extremely explosive with a Calm Mind set. If you eliminate all physical attackers who have super-effective attacks on her, Latias' Calm Mind'ing prowess become deadly. Psyshock is the move of choice over Psychic, in order to hit Terrakion harder in the sand (going back to the need to check fighting types for this team to succeed). On top of that, Latias hits hard with its super-effective STAB, even without a Calm Mind set up. The key to succeeding with Latias is not to get lured in and become faced with a Pursuit user, usually the most devastating outcome for our empathetic dragon here. Her high Special bulk also allows her to serve as a counter to Rotom-Ws who don't happen to carry the HP Ice, or even those who do after a she sets up a CM or two. Once the Calm Mind train gets going, there's very little that can stop it if you've eliminated all slower, non-priority users. With the exception of Choice Scarfers. Choice Scarf Dragonite has ruined my sweep more than once, so before you begin to set up with Latias, try to pick out and pick off any scarfers on your opponent's team. Also be on your guard for Toxic users who will want to ruin Latias' durability.
Flame War (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Heatran is a critical component to this team. It serves many purposes, inculding killing opposing Ferrothorns and Forretresses, absorbing fire-type movs that my team would have trouble with otherwise, being a SR+Roar shuffler, and most important of all, countering Volcarona. Just taking a look at my team will show you that not much, other than Heatran, stands up to Volcarona's STAB moves. Gliscor's low SpD allows Fiery Dance to do a significant amount, and there's only so long it can Toxic stall. Ferrothorn obviously gets demolished, and allows Volcarona to have a turn to set up a Quiver Dance. Latias has no super-effective moves on it, and Bug Buzz will demolish the specially bulky dragon after a Quiver Dance. Conkeldurr, while intended to be fairly bulky, simply doesn't have enough bulk to stand up to it. Togekiss can outrun it if it doesn't Quiver Dance and hopefully flinch with a super-effective Air Slash. Heatran, though, is a perfect counter. It can set up rocks indepentdently of Ferrothorn, and Roar to stop those Quiver Dances in their tracks. It is also an effective switch in with immunity to Fiery Dance and double resistance to Bug Buzz. Of course, Heatran can do more that just wall Volcarona. It absorbs ice-type moves that three members of my team are weak to, and Will-O-Wisp cripples dangerous physical attackers such as Breloom. It is specifically efficient in dealing with Breloom, as getting the Will-O-Wisp up will nullify the Toxic Orb+Poison Heal strategy and half its physical attack. Overall, Heatran is a key component of my team, and it's necessary to keep it alive as long as possible.
Dumbfoundead (Conkeldurr) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Payback
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Payback
Conkeldurr is, simply put, a destructive force after a Substitute. With Iron Fist and base 140 attack, no Pokemon likes to take a Focus Punch from Conkeldurr. Focus Punch does a whole lot of damage (to say the least), tearing down that blobby wall in an instant. Care to switch in Latios? Payback will take care of you instantly. Of course, the key to Conk's explosive power is being behind a Sub. Although it has as much bulk as can be and good defenses, its lack of speed allows it to be hit more times than is ideal. There is not a chance of attempting to KO Latios via Payback without a Sub, and in the Rain, good luck taking a Hurricane straight on. Conkeldurr is on this team to aid in stopping Steel types that Heatran can't take care of, Latios and Latias in general, and Dark/Ghost types who pose a threat to my Latias. Overall, it's critical to remember that this giant's full potential can be used best behind a Substitute. If you have one up, your opponent should fear the might of Conk.
busting guts (Togekiss) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Fire Blast
- Trick
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Fire Blast
- Trick
The infuriating Serene Grace hax combined with the Flying-type coverage is why I have Togekiss on my team. It serves as yet another method to counter the Fighting-types that threaten my team, doing its best work against the omnipresent Breloom. Air Slash+Flinch doesn't allow that mushroom boxer to get away with any Spore+SD shenanigans. Fire Blast takes care of Scizors that switch in or want to set up a Bullet Punch sweep, and Aura Sphere helps to hit and run against Tyranitar. Trick, while the least use move on this Togekiss, can cripple hazards setters and various stallers who threaten to turn my own strategy against me. However, Togekiss is not without its flaws, and there's a lot of them. Togekiss has problems dealing with priority moves, especially Ice Shard, and its ability to switch out in a hit and run fashion is crippled by Stealth Rocks being on the field. However, if you take out priority users, other choice scarfers, and anything faster than TogeScarf, you can easily show the other team who's boss. It's a difficult thing to set up, but if you do, it can repay you many times over.
Threats and Weaknesses
This team has its fair share of weaknesses. These are the most common issues I've run into, and how I've dealt with them.
- Toxicroak- I usually just deal with it by setting up a Sub via Gliscor and using EQ before it can set up efficiently. Ideally, I could cripple in with Wisp as it switches in, but that's unlikely.
- Conkeldurr- Togekiss comes in with a Choice Scarf and Air Slashes if it's not behind a Sub. If it is, just pray to god it doesn't pack Ice Punch.
- Gliscor- Trick the Choice Scarf onto Gliscor from Togekiss. Of course you lose the Scarf and gain the Toxic Orb, but in addition to that you destroy its stall capabilities and can re-trick the Toxic Orb onto another Pokemon.
- Hazards- Just KO Forry and Ferro as quickly as possible with Heatran. Getting rid of any type of Spikes user is very important, because damage racks up fast on Heatran and Ferrothorn.
- Keldeo- Scout via Protect on Gliscor. If it's Scarf, switch into something that resists the likely Surf, Hydro Pump, or HP Ice. If it's something else, such as CM, switch in Togekiss IMMEDIATELY. You need to stop that ASAP before it wrecks the team.
- Jirachi- Switch into Gliscor and EQ as much as possible. You can also use it to predict a switch and go for the Sub, and then Toxic stall.
Conclusion
I have had relative success with this team, but of course, it's far from perfect. Togekiss is fragile, and hazards wear down my walls faster than is ideal. But Toxic stall is still viable coming from the claws of Gliscor, and Conkeldurr's might packs a serious punch, enough to put even the bulkiest Pokemon in serious doubt for survival. Calm Mind Latias can sweep unaware teams, and Heatran is an exemplary Roar shuffler. Overall, this is a good team, but it still needs work. I truly appreciate feedback and advice! Thank you for taking the time to read my RMT.
