Trying to adjust to Platinum

Blazer

Ok so this is my first team built in the Platinum era, posting it here to see if it will stand up to the shakedown caused by Platinum.Ok so this is my first team built in the Platinum era, posting it here to see if it will stand up to the shakedown caused by Platinum.


metagross.png


Metagross@ Lum Berry
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP/244 Atk/12 Def
-Explosion
-Meteor Mash
-Bullet Punch
-Stealth Rock

My lead. This thing is very versatile. First and foremost it is a steady pokemon that sets up rocks for me. Lum berry
stuff from putting it to sleep. Meteor Mash coming off that attack stat hits stuff hard, especially Gengar, Roserade etc.
Bullet punch allows Gross to pick off weakened foes and sash users. I generally don't like just Exploding right off the bat
but if I see something like Suicune come in i won't hesistate to go boom. The Evs could definitely use some work. Right now
I am just using the Choice Band EV spread but without the band. I was considering other spreads but I just am not sure where
to go.

gyarados.png


Gyarados@ Life Orb
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
-Stone Edge
-Waterfall
-Ice Fang
-Dragon Dance

I love this thing. It took me a while to believe that any Gyara spread was better than the Bulky one, and while
I still love BulkyGyara, this one is just deadly. Normally doesn't last very long but it normally takes out a good amount
of pokemon and softens the oppositions defense. Stone Edge over Earthquake for opposing Gyarados who think they can switch
and intimidate me to death. Normally this comes out early game, coming in on a EQ or fire move aimed at gross. After that
just DD and do as much damage as possible.

gengar.png


Gengar@ Choice Scarf
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/ 252 Spe
-Focus Blast
-Thunderbolt
-Shadow Ball
-Trick

Timid ScarfGar. Basically I wanted my main revenge killer to have as much speed as possible, hence why Timid over Modest.
Focus Blast and Shadow Ball offer full type coverage, while Thunderbolt is used to take out DDGyara and hurt other water
types. Trick is nice for screwing over walls and stopping set-up sweepers from, well, setting up. I generally want to save Trick until I see more of the opposing team. Gengar is first and foremost a revenge killer, with the ability to hurt stalls by tricking them a choice scarf.

mamoswine.png


Mamoswine@ Choice Band
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 12 HP/252 Atk/ 244 Spe
-Superpower
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Ice Shard

CB Mamo, just plain destructive. STAB EQ hits stuff really hard. Stone Edge for flyers who try to come in on EQ.
Superpower because I realized I don't have any other fighting moves on the team (besides focust blast) and because Mamo
doesn't have many better options. CB Ice Shard is amazing. Revenge kills stuff like Skymin and DDMence making sure those
don't sweep me. Mamo is also my only electric resist on the team, making it very useful for absorbing twaves aimed at my
other sweepers. Mamo does a good job of denting opposing with its hard hitting more (EQ) but can also save me from being swept with Ice Shard.

azelf.png


Azelf@ Life Orb
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SpD)
EVs: 4 Hp/252 SpA/ 252 Spe
-Explosion
-Psycic
-Flamethrower
-Grass Knot

LO Exploding Azelf, great for breaking down walls. STAB Psychic hurts coming off 115 Special Attack and it is also good for
revenge killing non-scarf Gengars. Flamethrower for steels like Skarmory and Bronzong. Grass knot takes out bulky water
types like Swampert and Suicune. Explosion is great on Azelf as even without an EV investment in attack, it still hurts a
lot with LO and a neutral nature. Azelf also serves the purpose of breaking down walls. It can revenge kill nicely with great speed and Explosion when there is a situation that I cannot otherwise handle.

salamence.png


Salamence@ Leftovers
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP/ 176 Def/ 80 Spe
-Earthquake
-Dragon Claw/Outrage?
-Dragon Dance
-Roost

BulkyMence is great for both late game cleaning as well as coming in on big physical threats. Come in on a physical threat
and DD up while using Roost to stay healthy. Dragon Claw is my main STAB move but I am considering Outrage for more power
(still not sure how that would work on the Bulky variety). Earthquake is obviously there for non-floaty steel coverage. Salamence is possibly the most replacable member of the team. I like it because it offers a sturdy sweeper that can stand on its own two feet (or four?) and does not add any major weaknesses to the team. I have considered stuff like SD Luke (or even a more offensive Mence) but so far this has been my favorite thing to use.


So there it is, my first Platinum team, so RMT.
 
The biggest issue I see is that you're not really setting up something in particular. This has the makings of being a good offensive team but it's not really setting up one pokemon. What I would do is

1: Make Salamence a fully offensive pokemon, with 252 Atk / 180 Spd / 78 SAtk with a Life Orb and Naughty Nature (to ensure OHKOs with Flamethrower on Skarmory and Tangrowth, among others). Salamence and Gyarados in tandem will assist in softening enemy defenses for a later sweep.

2: Find a powerful sweeper to build around. Salamence is powerful, but in my view Outrage users just are NOT endgame sweepers, as Outrage eventually becomes a game of luck. SD Scizor/Lucario could work, even though you're adding another fire weakness. This could be addressed by adding a Stealth Rock Swampert over Metagross as your lead. I'd prefer a SD Roost Scizor with Bullet Punch and Superpower (or Brick Break if you cannot deal with the stat drops) - it can last longer than Lucario while setting up. I'd use a spread of 140 HP / 212 Atk / 78 Spd / 70 SDef to balance bulk and power.
 
Thank you very much for the advice.

I was seriously considering SD Luke/Scizor because, well they are awesome but the fire weakness did scare me considering Heatran is everywhere.

Just to be clear are you suggesting that I add one of those pokemon and make Mence fully offensive, or replace Mence with Luke/Scizor?

If I did go with Mence as an all out offensive poke I can always just go with Dragon Claw over Outrage to avoid the guessing game that you aluded to.

I would hate to lose Gross as my lead , as I love the versitlity and CB Mamo just seems to add a lot to the team in terms of Sharding and just hitting hard, so maybe I should just make Mence fully offensive and have that as my center and just work on setting that up.

I think at this point, I want to use 7 Pokemon on my team but obviously can't.
 
im sorry to say but i think you shuoldnt lead with yuor metagross. and versatile as it is, leading infernape can be a big threat to your team as it can pick off metagross, gyarados, mamoswine and salamence. since infernape can flamethrower/fire blast/overheat/SD or even NP, you only really reliable switch ins would be gyarados, who with that ev spread can be picked off by thunderpunch, hp elec. make metagross in such a way that it can take care of infernape.

thus with that in mind, you might also want to try a scarftran somewhere on your team.

a cresselia can also do wonders over either azelf or gengar since your team doesnt really have a wall or anything that can comforatbly switch in on pokes.

i used to run a 4/252/252 gyarados and i think it should stay on your team. it is great and what not.

if you want to run SD luke/scizor, put it over mamoswine, and make salamence more offensive. i suggest a 4/252/252 jolly one with fire fang. that can over come alot of pokes and even clinch the game for you. give it lefties for acceptable recovery.

i hope that i helped.
 
Hmm, having looked at this I agree with Anciene Regime. I am currently running a team similar to this, but the difference is I run Tyranitar + Lucario > Gengar + Gyarados. The reason that I do this is that Mix Tar is awesome at drawing out Lucarios Counters and OHKOing them. The TTar set is in Aldarons Lures thread which is easy to find if you search for Aldaron in the Members List and then find the thread in the "Threads created by this person" search feature.

Now the reason that I am suggesting this for you is to give your team an aim. At the moment you are sending out sweepers and hoping to beat your opponant through good prediction, and of course in the case of slightly less talented players just sheer force. Now whilst this isnt nessecarily a completely rubbish tactic, it is not overall reliable. Now if you run SD Lucario, and Mix Tar, Tar will clear the path for Lucario getting rid of such threats as Heatran, Skarmory, Gliscor etc... Not that Skarm does that well against SD Luke anyway. I just feel that this will give your team a bit more of an aim rather than just pummeling the opponant. Try it out see if it works. If it doesnt go well, try and look at another formula, perhaps another Lure and then set up sweeper I don't know. Either way good lukc with it! :D
 
Hmmm thanks for the advice everyone. I think I am definitely going to change Mence to an all out Offensive version. I am thinking about going 252/252/4 and Adamant, with EQ, DD, Outrage, and FB with a life orb. This will give me a high powered sweeper that I am looking to set up.

I am considering SD Luke, but I do not know what would be the best version to use. I have heard of Luke going Jolly now to beat out stuff like Salamence and Zapdos, but I am still not sure.

And Goldfan, I was not really able to find that Mix Tar set. The only thing that I found was a mention of DP Boah, in which case I do know what you are talking about.
 
Here's the Link

LOL, you had to find his topic on lures not any of the other sets that he has posted in Contributions and Corrections :P Anyway good luck with your team. Perhaps you could run CB Tar + Gyarados, Lure in Celebi, Starmie, Deoxys etc... and Pursuit them, and then proceed to sweep with gyara. Same with Scarf Gar, easily trapped by TTar. Good Luck!
 
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