Toxic Invasion ~
Introduction
Hello Smogon ! This is my second RMT on this forum and I'm really happy to share it with you all, as it's probably my best team. I used this team during the Smogon Tournament 8 and on the ladder. Just before the Smogon Tournament 8, McMeghan and I decided to build 3-4 Teams to use for the tournament. While McMeghan decided to build Sun Stall, I decided to build a Semi-sand Stall around my favorite Pokemon in this Gen, SubToxic + Protect Gliscor. This thing is absolutely amazing and has very few counters. Since the goal was to build SemiStall, I used a standard defensive core with Heatran, Skarmory and Celebi. I had my Spikers and my Rotom-W counter, but I realized that to combat the weather and hazards that are prevalent in Gen 5, I wanted a weather-inducer of my own and a spinner. Since Gengar is a bit of a problem for Gliscor and gave my team a lot of trouble, I decided to run Scarf on my Tyranitar. For the last slot, I decided on using a Bulky Starmie as my spinner, as I find it to be a good fit in Balanced / Stall Teams. Here's why I chose each Pokemon:
Snoop Dog (Tyranitar) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Superpower
In this really nice metagame (......) you obviously have to use a weather. To be honest, except with offensive teams, I can't play without a weather inducer. That's simply impossible. How to handle specs Hydro Pumps in rain ? Seriously... Well, it's not a surprise that I chose Tyranitar for my weather inducer. But that's not his only job on this team. I said in the introduction that Gengar was a bit of problem for Gliscor. As such, I needed a Pursuiter to deal with it. Scarf Tyranitar was the solution. Well, of course I have to play well because Gengar has Substitute, but it's quite simple to predict the Gengar and make a double switch to trap it. In addition, ScarfTar makes a great trapper for Starmie, which could spin away my entry hazards. Tornadus is also a bit of problem for this team and once again Tyranitar makes a great answer for this thing. Paired with U-Turn Celebi, ScarfTar is absolutely excellent and is able to easily kill the likes of Latias, Latios, Gengar and Tornadus, which usually come in on Celebi without any problem. Last important thing, NP Celebi with 3 attacks is kinda annoying for this team, so Tyranitar can be helpful to deal with it.
Outrage Me (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Whirlwind
- Roost
In a SemiStall Team, I obviously needed a great wall which was able to set up the Spikes. Skarmory was just perfect for this job. This thing is probably the most important member on the team because it's a great switchin to stupid Landorus and other stuff like Haxorus, Dragonite, Breloom, Scizor, etc. In addition, it has access to Spikes + Roost, which is just perfect. Since Gliscor doesn't have defensive EV investment, Terrakion can be tricky to deal with, so that's why Skarmory was the best for this job. I don't really like the lack of Leftovers, and it's why I didn't put Shed Shell on it, and Magnezone isn't a big problem for the team to be honest. Well, each time I faced a Magnezone, I did well and just played around the Spikes + SR. I put 8 EVs in Speed for opposing Skarmory so I can use Whirlwind before it. Skarmory is also a great switch in to SD Toxicroak, which is able to destroy my team I guess. The same goes for Gliscor, because I can't hit it with my own Gliscor, and Skarmory is probably the best switch I have. Well, that's my physical wall and my Spiker, that just shows how important is Skarmory on this team.
Shut up (Heatran) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 212 SDef / 40 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Roar
If there is a Pokemon I can't play without in a SemiStall (Sun or Sand,) it's probably Heatran. Great coverage, a great special defense and a good defense. Access to Stealth Rocks, it resists to Sandstorm and has a good special attack for a stall Pokemon. Well, Heatran is just incredible this Gen. I hesitated a lot between the standard Heatran with Toxic + Protect, but since I already had Gliscor, I decided to run Roar instead of Toxic. In addition, I can stall the opponent with Roar + entry hazards, which is really nice. That's my best answer to Volcarona (without HP Ground) and Celebi (without Earth Power). Skarmory just laughs at Gliscor and can set up Spikes easily, so that's why Heatran is great on this team. Protect is the most important move I guess. It allows Heatran to restore its HP a little and that's great when the opponent is burned or poisoned. Sun teams were annoying and even though Dugtrio is used in 99% of sun teams, Heatran remains a great switch in to Ninetales, Venusaur, etc. That's the same problem with Magnezone for Skarmory. I have to play very well to keep Heatran alive, because without it, I'm really really weak to Volcarona. Well, Heatran is just a beast <3.
Annoying ? (Gliscor) (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Protect
"THIS THING IS A BEAST". I totally agree with this sentence to describe how great is Gliscor in this gen, especially the SubToxic + Protect one. I don't know how many times I faced this thing and lost, seriously SubToxic Gliscor is just amazing. Well, you probably got it, I built this team around SubToxic + Protect Gliscor because it's the perfect definition of a great pokemon in SemiStall teams. This Gliscor has a few counters (Skarmory, Gengar, Gliscor, Bronzong, and a few others) and is able to destroy an entire team by abusing the residual damages of Toxic with Substitute + Protect. I think I have to explain this spread. I needed to outspeed Rotom-W of course, but I was still weak to Dragonite, Gyarados, and Mamoswine, which is why I put enough EVs in speed to reach 262, so I'm able to outspeed those Pokemon and Toxic them before they attack me. If Gliscor is still alive I know that I still have a chance to win the match. Well, Gliscor is also a great physical supporter for the team. With Toxic Orb + Poison Heal and Protect, Gliscor is able to restore its health easily, made easier by its great defense. Gliscor's my best switch in to Terrakion and with Toxic Orb, I can switch in easily on a stall Heatran which is also moderately annoying for the team. Well, that's my favorite Pokemon of this Gen, I really enjoyed using it and raping my opponent with it :P.
Kuriboh (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 148 SDef / 44 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- U-turn
- Recover
- Giga Drain
Ok, I was rain Weak, I was Rotom-W Weak, I needed a status absorber, and I was weak to CM Reuniclus. Hello Celebi ! I discovered this set in a battle from K12 The Madchine and I really liked the idea. This team is a Semi Stall and I obviously needed a great rain switch in, and Celebi was just perfect. I decided to run a Calm nature because I had Skarmory + Gliscor as physical walls and only Heatran as a specially defensive wall (even though Tyranitar can help with the sandstorm boost) and I needed the best nature to easily take Hydro Pumps in rain. I really hesitated between U-Turn and HP Fire because it pissed me off to get Pursuited by a Scizor, but I finally kept U-Turn because it is just amazing with Tyranitar, Heatran and Skarmory. With that, I'm able to pressure my opponent with U-turn and entry hazards. Even though this is a Semi Stall team, it's not a slow team and I'm rarely dominated by the opponent's team. Perish Song isn't only for Reuniclus, it is also useful against CM Jirachi and an annoying last Pokemon that I'm unable to roar away or kill. U-Turn is also useful against NP Celebi, which is a great problem if it has Earth Power, so with U-Turn + Scarf Tyranitar, NP Celebi isn't a problem anymore, and that's cool. It's a great status absorber, etc, etc. About the spread, I put enough EVs in Special Defense to reach 300 and the last few EVs were placed in physical defense, especially for Pursuit.
SliderStar (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Scald
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
Last but not least. I really needed a spinner on my team because I just hate entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, and I didn't have a lot of choices. Forretress was too bad and I couldn't use Tentacruel on a sand team. Bulky Starmie was great. It's another status absorber, it's another switch for rain teams, it has great Speed, allowing it to outspeed Tornadus, Gengar, Infernape, etc. With this new horrible move known as Scald, Starmie was just perfect for my team. If I'm lucky enough, I can burn a Tyranitar or a Ferrothorn and then they can't do anything to Starmie. It also has Recover, which is absolutely perfect. Well, for the last slot, I decided to use Psyshock or Psychic because Thunderbolt was quite useless and I don't really need Ice Beam. If I did run Psyshock, it's especially for Gengar and Gastrodon. But, Psychic is also a great option because Bulk Up Breloom is really tricky, same for Conkeldurr. I can also OHKO Gengar, which is great. About the spread, I used a standard bulky spread with 32 EVs in defense because I didn't need full speed, I can't do anything against an opposing Starmie so that's useless to lose 32 EVs.
PS : Congratulations Snunch.
Introduction
Hello Smogon ! This is my second RMT on this forum and I'm really happy to share it with you all, as it's probably my best team. I used this team during the Smogon Tournament 8 and on the ladder. Just before the Smogon Tournament 8, McMeghan and I decided to build 3-4 Teams to use for the tournament. While McMeghan decided to build Sun Stall, I decided to build a Semi-sand Stall around my favorite Pokemon in this Gen, SubToxic + Protect Gliscor. This thing is absolutely amazing and has very few counters. Since the goal was to build SemiStall, I used a standard defensive core with Heatran, Skarmory and Celebi. I had my Spikers and my Rotom-W counter, but I realized that to combat the weather and hazards that are prevalent in Gen 5, I wanted a weather-inducer of my own and a spinner. Since Gengar is a bit of a problem for Gliscor and gave my team a lot of trouble, I decided to run Scarf on my Tyranitar. For the last slot, I decided on using a Bulky Starmie as my spinner, as I find it to be a good fit in Balanced / Stall Teams. Here's why I chose each Pokemon:
Team At A Glance
Snoop Dog (Tyranitar) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Superpower
In this really nice metagame (......) you obviously have to use a weather. To be honest, except with offensive teams, I can't play without a weather inducer. That's simply impossible. How to handle specs Hydro Pumps in rain ? Seriously... Well, it's not a surprise that I chose Tyranitar for my weather inducer. But that's not his only job on this team. I said in the introduction that Gengar was a bit of problem for Gliscor. As such, I needed a Pursuiter to deal with it. Scarf Tyranitar was the solution. Well, of course I have to play well because Gengar has Substitute, but it's quite simple to predict the Gengar and make a double switch to trap it. In addition, ScarfTar makes a great trapper for Starmie, which could spin away my entry hazards. Tornadus is also a bit of problem for this team and once again Tyranitar makes a great answer for this thing. Paired with U-Turn Celebi, ScarfTar is absolutely excellent and is able to easily kill the likes of Latias, Latios, Gengar and Tornadus, which usually come in on Celebi without any problem. Last important thing, NP Celebi with 3 attacks is kinda annoying for this team, so Tyranitar can be helpful to deal with it.
Outrage Me (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Whirlwind
- Roost
In a SemiStall Team, I obviously needed a great wall which was able to set up the Spikes. Skarmory was just perfect for this job. This thing is probably the most important member on the team because it's a great switchin to stupid Landorus and other stuff like Haxorus, Dragonite, Breloom, Scizor, etc. In addition, it has access to Spikes + Roost, which is just perfect. Since Gliscor doesn't have defensive EV investment, Terrakion can be tricky to deal with, so that's why Skarmory was the best for this job. I don't really like the lack of Leftovers, and it's why I didn't put Shed Shell on it, and Magnezone isn't a big problem for the team to be honest. Well, each time I faced a Magnezone, I did well and just played around the Spikes + SR. I put 8 EVs in Speed for opposing Skarmory so I can use Whirlwind before it. Skarmory is also a great switch in to SD Toxicroak, which is able to destroy my team I guess. The same goes for Gliscor, because I can't hit it with my own Gliscor, and Skarmory is probably the best switch I have. Well, that's my physical wall and my Spiker, that just shows how important is Skarmory on this team.
Shut up (Heatran) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 212 SDef / 40 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Roar
If there is a Pokemon I can't play without in a SemiStall (Sun or Sand,) it's probably Heatran. Great coverage, a great special defense and a good defense. Access to Stealth Rocks, it resists to Sandstorm and has a good special attack for a stall Pokemon. Well, Heatran is just incredible this Gen. I hesitated a lot between the standard Heatran with Toxic + Protect, but since I already had Gliscor, I decided to run Roar instead of Toxic. In addition, I can stall the opponent with Roar + entry hazards, which is really nice. That's my best answer to Volcarona (without HP Ground) and Celebi (without Earth Power). Skarmory just laughs at Gliscor and can set up Spikes easily, so that's why Heatran is great on this team. Protect is the most important move I guess. It allows Heatran to restore its HP a little and that's great when the opponent is burned or poisoned. Sun teams were annoying and even though Dugtrio is used in 99% of sun teams, Heatran remains a great switch in to Ninetales, Venusaur, etc. That's the same problem with Magnezone for Skarmory. I have to play very well to keep Heatran alive, because without it, I'm really really weak to Volcarona. Well, Heatran is just a beast <3.
Annoying ? (Gliscor) (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Protect
"THIS THING IS A BEAST". I totally agree with this sentence to describe how great is Gliscor in this gen, especially the SubToxic + Protect one. I don't know how many times I faced this thing and lost, seriously SubToxic Gliscor is just amazing. Well, you probably got it, I built this team around SubToxic + Protect Gliscor because it's the perfect definition of a great pokemon in SemiStall teams. This Gliscor has a few counters (Skarmory, Gengar, Gliscor, Bronzong, and a few others) and is able to destroy an entire team by abusing the residual damages of Toxic with Substitute + Protect. I think I have to explain this spread. I needed to outspeed Rotom-W of course, but I was still weak to Dragonite, Gyarados, and Mamoswine, which is why I put enough EVs in speed to reach 262, so I'm able to outspeed those Pokemon and Toxic them before they attack me. If Gliscor is still alive I know that I still have a chance to win the match. Well, Gliscor is also a great physical supporter for the team. With Toxic Orb + Poison Heal and Protect, Gliscor is able to restore its health easily, made easier by its great defense. Gliscor's my best switch in to Terrakion and with Toxic Orb, I can switch in easily on a stall Heatran which is also moderately annoying for the team. Well, that's my favorite Pokemon of this Gen, I really enjoyed using it and raping my opponent with it :P.
Kuriboh (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 148 SDef / 44 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- U-turn
- Recover
- Giga Drain
Ok, I was rain Weak, I was Rotom-W Weak, I needed a status absorber, and I was weak to CM Reuniclus. Hello Celebi ! I discovered this set in a battle from K12 The Madchine and I really liked the idea. This team is a Semi Stall and I obviously needed a great rain switch in, and Celebi was just perfect. I decided to run a Calm nature because I had Skarmory + Gliscor as physical walls and only Heatran as a specially defensive wall (even though Tyranitar can help with the sandstorm boost) and I needed the best nature to easily take Hydro Pumps in rain. I really hesitated between U-Turn and HP Fire because it pissed me off to get Pursuited by a Scizor, but I finally kept U-Turn because it is just amazing with Tyranitar, Heatran and Skarmory. With that, I'm able to pressure my opponent with U-turn and entry hazards. Even though this is a Semi Stall team, it's not a slow team and I'm rarely dominated by the opponent's team. Perish Song isn't only for Reuniclus, it is also useful against CM Jirachi and an annoying last Pokemon that I'm unable to roar away or kill. U-Turn is also useful against NP Celebi, which is a great problem if it has Earth Power, so with U-Turn + Scarf Tyranitar, NP Celebi isn't a problem anymore, and that's cool. It's a great status absorber, etc, etc. About the spread, I put enough EVs in Special Defense to reach 300 and the last few EVs were placed in physical defense, especially for Pursuit.
SliderStar (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Scald
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
Last but not least. I really needed a spinner on my team because I just hate entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, and I didn't have a lot of choices. Forretress was too bad and I couldn't use Tentacruel on a sand team. Bulky Starmie was great. It's another status absorber, it's another switch for rain teams, it has great Speed, allowing it to outspeed Tornadus, Gengar, Infernape, etc. With this new horrible move known as Scald, Starmie was just perfect for my team. If I'm lucky enough, I can burn a Tyranitar or a Ferrothorn and then they can't do anything to Starmie. It also has Recover, which is absolutely perfect. Well, for the last slot, I decided to use Psyshock or Psychic because Thunderbolt was quite useless and I don't really need Ice Beam. If I did run Psyshock, it's especially for Gengar and Gastrodon. But, Psychic is also a great option because Bulk Up Breloom is really tricky, same for Conkeldurr. I can also OHKO Gengar, which is great. About the spread, I used a standard bulky spread with 32 EVs in defense because I didn't need full speed, I can't do anything against an opposing Starmie so that's useless to lose 32 EVs.
Conclusion
Well, that's the end of this RMT. I'm too lazy to write a threat list at the moment, but maybe I'll do it later. The major threats are Volcarona @ HP Ground and offensive teams with Magnezone, Tornadus, Haxorus, etc. I would like first to thank you all if you read my RMT and a few members of smogon. My new and previous SPL Teams, especially Philip7086, MoP, Kevin Garrett and Limitless (the last two know why), McMeghan for our great moments in building teams, Go10 of course because that's my "tutor" forever and he's the one who taught me how to play, Stallion for helping me write this RMT, Bluewind, BIHI and.........Haunter / Alucard / RandomNoob / StupidAdmin (:p) etc, etc, sorry if I forgot members :(
PS : Congratulations Snunch.