Toxicity

[Bowl Cut]

Sup Smogonites, I bring you another team I made just recently. After you first look at the team, you'll think it looks really similar to Philip7086's Team of Torment, and to tell the truth, this team was actually based on it, except I'm running Substitute Heatran over Torment Heatran, because I love Heatran's raw power and its ability to force switches, even though I'm considering TormenTran in the future. This team's defensive core of choice, Heatran, Jirachi and Gyarados, isn't really common, but I found it to be effective in conjunction with entry hazards. Team's theme? I was kind of running out of themes for my teams, but my good friend BKC suggested 'Toxicity', a System of a Down album, and when you think about it, this team kind of relies on Toxic to be victorious, which is why I put them in first priority if I don't get Stealth Rocks up and switch into Forretress, and whatever is a Levitating Pokemon/Flying- type, who are immune to Toxic Spikes, will get Toxic'd by Heatran. I don't want to reveal too much about this team just yet, so let's get into describing the Pokemon, shall we?

A Closer Look

Tyranitar @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Rest
- Pursuit

Tyranitar. I believe he needs no introduction. The moves I chose are enough to beat Azelf and Starmie, which I consider the cocksuckers of every lead known to man. Stealth Rocks is more than obligatory on any stall team, so it's no wonder I chose it. The final move which is Rest is for the possible status that Tyranitar may catch, and as well my form of recovery, seeing as Tyranitar doesn't come close to learning Roost or Recover. He may seem like an outdated lead, but he really isn't. Take a look at how I deal with the more threatening leads in the current metagame (not exactly all the leads, just the ones that I think people have more trouble with):

: It'll most likely U-turn first turn, which wont even come close to OHKOing me, and just set Stealth Rocks up or Pursuit it on the switch. Free Rocks for the win.

: I either stay in and Crunch (because I can live anything that this Starmie can pull off that don't include crits) or I switch into Gyarados on the Hydro Pump and then bait the Thunderbolt and go into Rotom-W and get a surprise kill off on the Starmie.

: I stay in and get my Stealth Rocks up and then switch out into Gyarados. They don't usually carry Taunt, but on the off chance that it does, I just switch into Gyarados anyway and hurt it to the point where if it decides to come back in when Stealth Rocks and Spikes are up, it will die.

: I set up my Stealth Rocks as he either attacks or sets his own up, and then switch into Rotom-W.

See? It's not that bad of a lead, in my opinion. Heck, if it manages to beat both Azelf and Starmie, I'm a happy camper for a night.

Forretress @ Shed Shell
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Payback
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin

Forretress assists nearly every kill this team gets with his deadly hazards, and it's one of the three Pokemon in the game that can learn every single entry hazard in the game as well as Rapid Spin, so it deserves a spot somewhere in this team. A specially defensive spread allows him to spike vs weak defensive special attackers such as Vaporeon/Celebi, while his naturally high physical bulk lets him set up vs the omnipresent Scarf Flygon. Payback is very useful for hitting opposing Rotom-A; in conjunction with Tyranitar's Pursuit, this means that I'll often get a successful spin off, which really helps Gyarados' longevity. Also, Shed Shell > Leftovers because if Magnezone decides to randomly jump out of nowhere and I don't have my hazards up, I'm kind of screwed and a half, and plus, the lack of recovery isn't too noticeable, so Forretress is still going to be living a lot of hits, especially with the Wish support Jirachi provides.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Toxic

Heatran's sets on defensive teams define the word 'annoying'. It's not as annoying as things like SubRoost Zapdos for example, but it's definitely annoying. I don't care what anybody says, Heatran is one of the hardest Pokemon to take out in the OU metagame, regardless of its set. If it had a reliable recovery I wouldn't be surprised if people jumped out of their apartment windows. Substitute is this set's crux, as it not only blocks Heatran from a super-effective hit, but it allows a free attack/Toxic on the opponent's Pokemon. This Heatran set is especially good at forcing switches and rack up more entry hazard damage. Fire Blast and Earth Power are obvious choices, as they both hit the two types that are completely immune to Toxic, Steel- and Poison-, for super effective damage, respectively. Toxic is there to hit incoming Gyarados and other good switch ins to Heatran that are Levitaters or Flying- types. Heatran is one of those Pokemon that you can't go wrong about, with its plethora of resistances, a massive Special Attack stat, and decent speed, as well as good bulk.

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic

Calm Mind Wish Jirachi isn't as effective a sweeper as it was pre-Lati/Mence ban, because Flygon and Heatran, Rachi's two greatest enemies, have both risen to the top 5 in usage. Jirachi's role on this team is more of a supporting one, but it can also pose a solid offensive threat. He's my main weapon against stall teams; Toxic Spikes help him stall out a good amount of his usual counters - Tyranitar, Sp. Def Hippowdon, Swampert, and Celebi. Jirachi's common switchins are beaten by Gyarados, which means a free Wish pass followed by a Roar, more often than not. What really makes Jirachi an excellent stall breaker is its balances stats. Blissey will only be able to 5HKO Jirachi, and by the time she's on her 6th, she'll be dead from Toxic Spikes sooner or later, later if she decides to Wish+Protect obviously. It's also got good physical bulk, and that's always a plus.

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Waterfall
- Roar

Rest Talk Gyarados, man, we go way back. BKC first introduced it to me about a year ago, and since then, I was hooked on it when I needed a phazer that literally never died. This thing is a behemoth. It tanks physical hits with utter ease (that aren't named Explosion) between its high HP stat, respectable defense, and amazing ability, Intimidate. Add its great typing and you have a fantastic counter to Machamp, Infernape, Lucario, Scizor, and Breloom. Roar abuses spikes to the fullest because alot of things that come in on Gyara are susceptible to them (bar Rotom-A). Rest isn't the most reliable recovery, but it works; plus, I have Jirachi's Wish and Forretress' Rapid Spin support. There's really not much more I can say about this Gyarados, it just refuses to die.

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 44 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Trick

Rotom-W is irreplaceable in this team. It's a spin blocker, a check to a few of my team's threats, and a Trick absorber, all in one. When I first used it in a stall team, I never thought it was going to work, but at some point in time, I made Domine Kira, a stall team based on SubRoost Zapdos. In said stall team, I had none of the things that Scarf Rotom-W could do, and then I slapped it on the team and it worked wonders. The reason I picked Rotom-W was because it is the only Rotom forme that can hurt Tyranitar again and again and again, unlike Rotom-C, who looks mega-ballin', by the way. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball help me check things like the Star who says Mie and other things just as annoying. Trick is a Godsend if you predict well against stall teams, as they will have one of their team members rendered almost completely useless and gives you a huge advantage. Like I said before, Scarf Rotom-W on this team is irreplaceable. It can do so much for a stall team and I'll be damned if it can't.

That concludes my RMT, rate it please, I like getting feedback on my teams, and I'll see you guys later. Peace.

 

[BKC]

A well-played SubSplit Gengar can really be threatening because it can either beat you itself, or in most cases, weaken your core so that a teammate can finish the job. It doesn't exactly have alot of setup opportunities, but can get a sub versus Heatran, who isn't going to want to stay in - and even if you try to stay in, Fire Blast doesn't exactly have reliable accuracy, so unless you're extremely lucky, you're going to eventually miss and it'll get its sub. From there, Forry can only check him once because Focus Blast 2HKOs after Stealth Rock since you're not running Lefties. Rotom isn't the greatest of revenge killing options because bringing Rotom into Gengar just screams "i am scarfed" which means you're a sitting duck for Pursuit Tyranitar. Your last check, Jirachi, isn't 2HKO'd, but it still takes a hefty chunk from Shadow Ball, so by the time you kill it, you won't be in shape to beat anything else, seeing as you are running a very minimal speed investment.

I think the best way to alleviate this issue is to try a specially defensive Heatran over your current set. This eliminates the only risk-free shot Gengar has of setting up on you, and it actually tanks Focus Blast with around 30% to spare, but most of the time you are going to be phazing Gar out as soon as it sets up the sub. This set also has fantastic longevity, which fits well in a stall team like this - SubToxic, while by no means a bad set, is actually cutting into your health, the opposite of what a stall team member wants. The last bonus it brings is an extra check to offensive grass types, which can be quite problematic if Toxic Spikes haven't been laid down.

the set is

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Roar

Some other things I would try are Payback > Crunch on Tyranitar, using an EV spread of 252 HP | 116 Atk | 140 SpD. With your current spread, you cannot OHKO lead Roserade, so it'll just sleep you on the second turn after it's burned your Lum. When you go last, Payback actually outpowers Crunch, and with the attack EVs, you will deal 93.9% - 110.3%. This means Tyranitar's sandstorm will finish Rade off if you roll min damage. Don't worry about dying to a possible Leaf Storm, as it still will not KO even with the hefty loss of special defense investment. With these changes I think your team looks quite solid, good luck!

 

[Bowl Cut]

A well-played SubSplit Gengar can really be threatening because it can either beat you itself, or in most cases, weaken your core so that a teammate can finish the job. It doesn't exactly have alot of setup opportunities, but can get a sub versus Heatran, who isn't going to want to stay in - and even if you try to stay in, Fire Blast doesn't exactly have reliable accuracy, so unless you're extremely lucky, you're going to eventually miss and it'll get its sub. From there, Forry can only check him once because Focus Blast 2HKOs after Stealth Rock since you're not running Lefties. Rotom isn't the greatest of revenge killing options because bringing Rotom into Gengar just screams "i am scarfed" which means you're a sitting duck for Pursuit Tyranitar. Your last check, Jirachi, isn't 2HKO'd, but it still takes a hefty chunk from Shadow Ball, so by the time you kill it, you won't be in shape to beat anything else, seeing as you are running a very minimal speed investment.

I think the best way to alleviate this issue is to try a specially defensive Heatran over your current set. This eliminates the only risk-free shot Gengar has of setting up on you, and it actually tanks Focus Blast with around 30% to spare, but most of the time you are going to be phazing Gar out as soon as it sets up the sub. This set also has fantastic longevity, which fits well in a stall team like this - SubToxic, while by no means a bad set, is actually cutting into your health, the opposite of what a stall team member wants. The last bonus it brings is an extra check to offensive grass types, which can be quite problematic if Toxic Spikes haven't been laid down.

the set is

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Roar

Some other things I would try are Payback > Crunch on Tyranitar, using an EV spread of 252 HP | 116 Atk | 140 SpD. With your current spread, you cannot OHKO lead Roserade, so it'll just sleep you on the second turn after it's burned your Lum. When you go last, Payback actually outpowers Crunch, and with the attack EVs, you will deal 93.9% - 110.3%. This means Tyranitar's sandstorm will finish Rade off if you roll min damage. Don't worry about dying to a possible Leaf Storm, as it still will not KO even with the hefty loss of special defense investment. With these changes I think your team looks quite solid, good luck!

thx kevn ur my frand

No seriously though, thanks for the rate. I'll try that Heatran set in a bit on PO. As for changes on Tyranitar, definitely considering them. Just curious, though - does Tyranitar still beat Starmie with the next spread you gave me?

EDIT: Just calc'd. It does.

 

[Eggbert]

Mixed dragons will cause alot of problems for you here, especially if they run roost. They are immune to t-spikes and can outspeed most of your team, draco meteor or fire blast, and roost away damage. Mixgon is even more threatening as it resists stealth rock too and has stab EQ to hit rachi with and surprise value. DDnite can also pose a threat with 252 Hp and roost to tank hits from Rotom and roost before Gyara phazes.

One thing you can do is to try running Hp ice on Rotom. It will let you beat Flygon and Nite (even scarfgon 1v1 lategame since you have bulky scarf rotom) by surprise since bulky nite can usually setup on Rotom. Running wow or lava plume on Heatran will also help alot. As mentioned, spD tran is the way to go. It can tank super effective hits like focus blast and earthpower with its insane bulk and cripple the other team with burns and phazing. The last thing you can do is try running mixrachi. With both forms of hazards up it can flinch stuff, forcing them to take toxic and spike damage letting it easily power through even bulky threats like Blissey, acting as a great stallbreaker with spike support. Your own ttar can trap Rotom too. And of course it can switch into a DM, outspeed and OHKO nite with ice punch.

Jirachi @ Expert Belt
Hasty, 6 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Thunderbolt

 

[Bowl Cut]

Mixed dragons will cause alot of problems for you here, especially if they run roost. They are immune to t-spikes and can outspeed most of your team, draco meteor or fire blast, and roost away damage. Mixgon is even more threatening as it resists stealth rock too and has stab EQ to hit rachi with and surprise value. DDnite can also pose a threat with 252 Hp and roost to tank hits from Rotom and roost before Gyara phazes.

One thing you can do is to try running Hp ice on Rotom. It will let you beat Flygon and Nite (even scarfgon 1v1 lategame since you have bulky scarf rotom) by surprise since bulky nite can usually setup on Rotom. Running wow or lava plume on Heatran will also help alot. As mentioned, spD tran is the way to go. It can tank super effective hits like focus blast and earthpower with its insane bulk and cripple the other team with burns and phazing. The last thing you can do is try running mixrachi. With both forms of hazards up it can flinch stuff, forcing them to take toxic and spike damage letting it easily power through even bulky threats like Blissey, acting as a great stallbreaker with spike support. Your own ttar can trap Rotom too. And of course it can switch into a DM, outspeed and OHKO nite with ice punch.

Jirachi @ Expert Belt
Hasty, 6 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Thunderbolt

Kind of late reply, but thanks for the rate bro.

I like the idea of MixRachi, even though I think Wish is kind of crucial in this team, especially since I have a lot of my things that rely on it for a Recovery, but don't get me wrong, I am testing MixRachi and seeing how well it goes with my team.

 

[connor363]

Hm...

This as an OK team. I've never really been a fan of Substitute, but it can be pretty good if you can set up on something like Blissey or Shuckle who usually lack attack moves. Also, for an all-out attacker like Gyarados, I wouldn't personally be satisfied by only one attacking move, meaning that your "counter" to Breloom doesn't even have a normally effective move, so I would opt for something either more neutral like Outrage, or just ditching Roar all together.

 

[Bowl Cut]

This as an OK team. I've never really been a fan of Substitute, but it can be pretty good if you can set up on something like Blissey or Shuckle who usually lack attack moves. Also, for an all-out attacker like Gyarados, I wouldn't personally be satisfied by only one attacking move, meaning that your "counter" to Breloom doesn't even have a normally effective move, so I would opt for something either more neutral like Outrage, or just ditching Roar all together.

Concerning Heatran, I changed it to Specially Defensive after making a decision after a few battles, and saw it being more effective, as it can just Roar Shuckle and cross out 25% of its HP again and have a 30% chance to burn Blissey if I'm not able to get up Toxic Spikes at all, and the burn will help Jirachi later on in the match.

Concerning Gyarados, you obviously are misunderstood. Breloom wouldn't even stay in on Gyarados once it finds out that it's RestTalk, and it can be seen when you see the damage output when I send it in on a Breloom. Outrage is a retarded option for a few reasons:

- It doesn't abuse entry hazards, which is the purpose of this team, to force switches.
- It doesn't phaze physical sweepers, so say I'm up against a Lucario as it SD's on me. I wouldn't be able to OHKO it with Waterfall and he would be able to OHKO-2HKO my entire team, and I would be screwed (if my opponent plays around Rotom-W for too long).
- Gyarados' common switch ins take shit all damage from Outrage

Thanks for the rate anyways, I appreciate it although it wasn't exactly helpful.

 

[AB2]

Hi! Fried Rhys and I looked at this team together and here is what we came up with. This seems like a pretty solid build you have on this team, but it does have some significant problems. First of all, Dragon Dance Tyranitar has a shot at sweeping this team cleanly. After one boost, which it can obtain in quite a few places, you have nothing that can stop it at all. Offensive Suicune is in the same boat here since the only way that you can stop it is winning the Calm Mind war with Jirachi, but that is not always a very reliable way especially considering Suicune is faster than Jirachi when running an offensive set. After only one boost, Suicune can tear this team apart even if Rotom is still around. A few changes need to be made to remedy these problems, one of which includes using a Scarf Tyranitar over your current one. Scarf Tyranitar can at least speed tie with other +1 Tyranitar which gives you a shot at KOing it as opposed to what it does to your team now. Scarf Tyranitar can also give you a good Lucario check that is not pursuit bait like Scarf Rotom really is. Also, Scarf Tyrantiar can really help you check threats such as Mixed Dragonite by being able to revenge kill it so it does not rampage through your whole team. As for Rotom-W, I would suggest that you swap it to the Substitute + Pain Split version. This version of Rotom will really help you with both offensive suicune and crocune because Suicune will not be able to set up on Rotom-W's powerful Thunderbolts. Also, Subsplit Rotom-W is less pursuit bait than the Scarf variant since pain split and powerful Life Orb Hydro Pumps allow it to stick around for a much longer period of time. Maximizing speed and special attack with a timid nature and life orb would be the best choice for this set. While a good moveset would be Substitute | Thunderbolt | Hydro Pump | Pain Split. Rotom-W is also able to check Adamant Bullet Punch Lucario well since it outspeeds and does massive damage with Hydro Pump or Thunderbolt.

As for some minor changes, I would try switching up your moveset on Heatran a little bit. Substitute and Toxic are not really the best choices especially since you have Toxic Spikes on this team already. Heatran would do much better as a regular Specially Defensive variant with Lava Plume | Roar | Protect | Stealth Rocks. This will allow Heatran to check Sub Roost Zapdos a bit more easily since you won't be shaving off 25% of your health by using Substitute without immediate recovery. Also, I suggest that you run a Calm nature over timid because you want to be able to switch into threats such as Zapdos and Jirach as many times as you can, and timid won't really outrun anything of note as well. If you decide to make these changes, I would just move Forretress to the lead spot instead of Tyranitar.

Anyways, this is a pretty solid team. Good Luck!

 

[Bowl Cut]

Hi! Fried Rhys and I looked at this team together and here is what we came up with. This seems like a pretty solid build you have on this team, but it does have some significant problems. First of all, Dragon Dance Tyranitar has a shot at sweeping this team cleanly. After one boost, which it can obtain in quite a few places, you have nothing that can stop it at all. Offensive Suicune is in the same boat here since the only way that you can stop it is winning the Calm Mind war with Jirachi, but that is not always a very reliable way especially considering Suicune is faster than Jirachi when running an offensive set. After only one boost, Suicune can tear this team apart even if Rotom is still around. A few changes need to be made to remedy these problems, one of which includes using a Scarf Tyranitar over your current one. Scarf Tyranitar can at least speed tie with other +1 Tyranitar which gives you a shot at KOing it as opposed to what it does to your team now. Scarf Tyranitar can also give you a good Lucario check that is not pursuit bait like Scarf Rotom really is. Also, Scarf Tyrantiar can really help you check threats such as Mixed Dragonite by being able to revenge kill it so it does not rampage through your whole team. As for Rotom-W, I would suggest that you swap it to the Substitute + Pain Split version. This version of Rotom will really help you with both offensive suicune and crocune because Suicune will not be able to set up on Rotom-W's powerful Thunderbolts. Also, Subsplit Rotom-W is less pursuit bait than the Scarf variant since pain split and powerful Life Orb Hydro Pumps allow it to stick around for a much longer period of time. Maximizing speed and special attack with a timid nature and life orb would be the best choice for this set. While a good moveset would be Substitute | Thunderbolt | Hydro Pump | Pain Split. Rotom-W is also able to check Adamant Bullet Punch Lucario well since it outspeeds and does massive damage with Hydro Pump or Thunderbolt.

As for some minor changes, I would try switching up your moveset on Heatran a little bit. Substitute and Toxic are not really the best choices especially since you have Toxic Spikes on this team already. Heatran would do much better as a regular Specially Defensive variant with Lava Plume | Roar | Protect | Stealth Rocks. This will allow Heatran to check Sub Roost Zapdos a bit more easily since you won't be shaving off 25% of your health by using Substitute without immediate recovery. Also, I suggest that you run a Calm nature over timid because you want to be able to switch into threats such as Zapdos and Jirach as many times as you can, and timid won't really outrun anything of note as well. If you decide to make these changes, I would just move Forretress to the lead spot instead of Tyranitar.

Anyways, this is a pretty solid team. Good Luck!

Thanks man. Really helpful rate.

I've changed Substitute Heatran to a Specially Defensive variant a while ago already, so that's out of the way. As for Scarf Tyranitar, not saying no to that, especially with the reasons you gave, but Lucario would hurt it if by any chance Lucario runs Bullet Punch over Extremespeed, and thankfully it's uncommon, even though Rotom-W checks it. SubSplit Rotom-W sounds interesting, I've seen them in action, and I have to admit, they're pretty deadly, so I'm definitely trying that out over my Scarf Rotom-W.