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Voting is now over and I think we have a clear winner. Congradulations to mellowyellowhd for breaking Finchs Stall with Keldeo. I may need to start using the pony more often. Thank you to everyone who participated this week. It was a great event and I'll be sure to update the hall of fame soon
This week I figured we would have a little fun and take advantage of my shitty team building skills and break a creation of my own. Thats right you all get the chance to humiliate me so give it your best shot. Without further ado Here is my take on a classic Lopunny/Genger/Clefable Goon Squad.
Sets
Lopunny @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Fake Out
- Power-Up Punch
Well as you can all tell this team is built around Lopunny, Gengar and Clefable with a focus on either cleaning with lopunny or Calm minding to victory with Clefable. Dual Trick users are a fun way to break stall teams or cripple nuisances like Tangrowth and reuniclus before they get to problematic while all the volt/turning keeps oppenents on edge. Lopunny is a alot fun and can lead with fake out, clean with her high speed or Even sweep if you get a pup off while Gengar serve's as the main answer to bulky teams and fairies thanks to the power offered by specs. Clefable is fairly standard. 216+ to avoid 2hko adamant Mega medi while having just enough SPDEF to check non calm mind koko after a calm mind. From there Landorous serves as a hard hitting stealth rocker. Jirachi as speed control with scarf and as the 2nd trick user as well as just being plain annoying while rotom rounds out the team being an answer to mega Zor and non mega-Gyarados
Thats Team. I wish everyone luck this week and good luck with your nominations. I hope my shitty team building isn't to embarassing but its nearing christmas so a fun week wont hurt anyone..
Can I just say that team is neat. I can't think of anything good so I'mma reserve something odd. Reserving Alakazam-Mega. Dammit, I just thought of this monster. OOF, sorry for anyone wanting to have reserve Alakazam, you can now.
Ok, so when I looked at this team, I eventually thought, this team has no fast revenge killer outside of Jirachi and Lopunny Mega, I'mma abuse that. So here it is, the fish himself. Substitute allows for mind games against Landorus-Thedian and Clefable. Mold Breaker means Rotom-Wash can even be lured, thinking it's a Z-move Gyarados, before getting blown back by Earthquake. Intimidate allows you to set up in front of Pokemon like Jirachi and Landorus-Thedian. Simple.
You'll need a reliable Grass-Type counter or exploiter as in other match-ups, you typically want to remove them before sweeping. Good teammates include Victini, Blacephalon and the likes.
Lol, this isn't a wall, don't expect anything, I'm too lazy to copy and paste, but the idea is that you can pretty safely set up on Jirachi, and Lopunny-Mega and Landorus-Thedian after Intimidate (-1 EQ only 3HKOs from Lando while being Water/Flying pre-mega means that HJK isn't gonna make you worry)
I'm putting it here as no one's gonna read this lol. For those looking for an idea, Alakazam-Mega with a Jirachi check or lure could be a monster running through this team as no psychic resist, but I'm not doing that so lol. Celesteela also works at walling this team, but you'll need a check for Rotom-Wash and Specs Gengar.
Nothing on the team that threatens Zard X can come in on Flare Blitz; Rotom-Wash, which takes a Flare Blitz easily, can get Roost-stalled out of its Hydro Pumps while Zard uses free turns to chip it down with Dragon Claw. The team is basically forced to switch Rotom-Wash in, take a D-Claw to land a Hydro Pump, then switch out to MLop or Gengar while it Roosts up.
A DD set would work in theory, but it would have to drop Earthquake since every other move here is important for this matchup, and dropping EQ in a Heatran meta seems unwise.
Zygarde @ Leftovers / Normalium Z
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 236 HP / 160 SpD / 112 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Substitute
- Coil
- Glare
Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power Fire
- Substitute
- Glare
Virtually any Zygarde set can plow through this team with the appropriate support, but I chose the glare set for its ability to cheese through Clefable with the yellow magic and a bit of luck, and its synergy with Serperior, creating the infamous double glare core. It also helps that the only permanent glare immunity gets annihilated by both these pokemon's STAB moves.
If glare alone isn't enough for Zygarde to win the Clefable matchup, having it glared vs Serperior definitely will be. Two leaf storms demolish it, so all you need to do is avoid Clefable's own thunder wave with a substitute. The main checks to serp also happen to be setup fodder for Zygarde - jirachi needs waaaay too many iron head flinches or a fire punch burn to deal with zygarde, which won't even work behind a substitute, Lopunny's missing both ice punch and encore for whatever reason, and gengar is flat out OHKO'd at +0.
+1 0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 0 HP / 12 Def Landorus-Therian: 157-186 (49.2 - 58.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 294-348 (112.2 - 132.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Jirachi: 194-230 (56.8 - 67.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+1 0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 153-181 (56.4 - 66.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 248 HP / 204+ Def Rotom-Wash: 206-246 (67.9 - 81.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Clefable: 177-208 (44.9 - 52.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
200 SpA Contrary Serperior Leaf Storm over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 40 SpD Clefable: 439-519 (111.4 - 131.7%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Leftovers recovery
200 SpA Serperior Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Rotom-Wash: 264-312 (86.8 - 102.6%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Jirachi Fire Punch vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Serperior: 144-170 (47.2 - 55.7%) -- 19.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Landorus-Therian Hidden Power Ice vs. 236 HP / 160+ SpD Zygarde: 148-176 (35.5 - 42.3%) -- 87.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. +1 236 HP / 0 Def Zygarde: 181-214 (43.5 - 51.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Zygarde: 271-319 (65.1 - 76.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Stone Edge vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Serperior: 124-146 (40.6 - 47.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 236 HP / 160 SpD Zygarde: 174-206 (41.8 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+3 0 Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 211-250 (53.5 - 63.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Jirachi Iron Head vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Zygarde: 93-111 (22.3 - 26.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Jirachi Iron Head vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Zygarde: 93-111 (25.9 - 31%) -- 6.2% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 236 HP / 160 SpD Zygarde: 109-130 (26.2 - 31.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
At +1 Volc OHKOes anything in the team bar Clef, which survives a +1 Fire Blast and then cripples Volc with Thunder Wave. That's where Fini's Misty Terrain comes in. Fini also Defogs rocks for Volc, thus preventing it from being revenge killed by two M-Lop's Fake Outs.
Although both struggle to switch in into powerful attacks from Specs Gengar and Lopunny, Scarf Kartana smashes this team even with the “switch-ins”. Gengar is 2HKOed by unboosted Leaf Blade and Jirachi is 2HKOed by Knock and gets chipped extremely quickly by Leaf Blade (4HKO). Tornadus can weaken with Mega Lopunny and Landorus so Kartana can sweep more easily end game.
Nominations will finish up sometime tommorow so if you want to break this team and haven't done so. Do it now. XxAwesomePlayzxX and Astoria please finish your nominations
Also liking the nominations so far. Some are very monstrous to my team although I wont pick my favourites until voting.
You may vote for up to 2 nominations other then your own. Voting will end sometime during the week depending on my or curiosties availability. As its Christmas and I work retail I'm either working, tired, dealing with family or all 3 so please forgive if the next team is posted later then expected.
As its my team being broken I will post my thought on the nominations sometime before voting wraps up as these are all very good. Goodluck
Time to post my thoughts since voting will be ending within a day or so!
My thoughts
Scarf Blace, Mega Gyarados, Ash Greninga - These 3 can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I build team with as wide a net as possible and but these 3 slip right through. Blace and Gren Require me to keep clefable at full health to t-wave or calm mind after a clean switch or sack something to bring in mega bunny which isn't realistic late game and I cant turn to trick them. Basically if they get in cleanly your losing a mon to stay in the game. But atleast those 2 have some form of counterplay. You see Substitute mega-dos you may as throw in the towl because theres nothing you can do. Rotom dies to earthquake and everything dies to +1 Waterfall. Mega Charizard - With multiple viable sets it is a difficult match up. If it gets in cleanly you need play the Pick rotom, lando or Clef game and get it right otherwise something's dying or atleast getting a good whack. Not impossible to play around but good players (Above 1700) always beat me with this. This particular set hates Gengar/Mega Lop but I wont know that till after I see Charizard. Volcarona + Tapu Fini - Haven't faced this combo with this team so take what I say with a grain of salt. Volcarona is scary if its gets a quiver dance up so the game becomes about luring it into a trick user, keeping rocks up or T-waving it. With Fini this counterplay is largely nulled so on paper atleast it should blow to team to shreds. Obviously harder in Practice but I would rather not have to try fighting this. Zygarde + Serperior - Dual Glare is actually a really cool way to deal with my Team and reminds me of gen 6 T-wave spam meta and Zygarde is itself is a guessing game while Serp sweeps once jirachi is gone and clef is weakened. Cripple the team then set up once clefable/Jirachi/Mega Lop are weakened. Now Its not as grand the former options Since clean switching Jirachi into serp or Clef into zygarde with stop each in there tracks but one wrong move with either means the game is lost. Kartana + Tornadus, - I've never really feared facing kartana and while it especially with Torn T have alot potential to damage once clefable and Jirachi are out of the way I dont think its enough. Neither one wants to gets paraed. Torn T hates getting Tricked and Kartana getting locked into the wrong move is a free switch. Basically while they are painful to face I feel theres enough counterplay to them and lack the auto-win potential the other nominations have or the guessing games that Zygarde/Serp force.
I'm surprised nobody picked mega alakazam or Mega Mawile because those 2 especially the latter backed by trick room really tear the team a new one but Overall I really like the picks people have made. There thought out well and backed up by reality so Congratulations. As for my votes. I'm going with Mega Gyarados and Zygarde + Serp Mega Dos because its virtually an auto win after a few moves into a game while Zygarde + Serp because Dual Glare is nice.
I'm posting this far later then Intended so my apologise's I got caught up in christmas stuff and distracted by the ongoing Zygarde test but I'm here now so lets get the new week on the way. Congratulations to Finchinator for breaking my team with Scarf Blacephon and highlighting how badly designed my team is. I believe this marks your first time marking the archive as well (Which will be updated during the week) and you did by a single vote just winning over the equally monstrous Mega Dos
Vote Tally
Scarf Blacephon - 6
Mega Gyarados - 5
Mega Charizard X
Zygarde + Serperior - 1
Volcarona + Tapu Fini
Kartana + Tornadus T
Ash Greninja - 1
All good things must come to an end and seeing as Zygarde maybe soon departing I figured we'd host a team with that monster once more for old times sake.
A nice bulky offence team thats popped up recently centering around DD toxic Zygarde with the goal of weakening threats to it so it can sweep and also featuring an Electrium Z magnezone. Zygarde is self explanatory. Its the win condition, it can lure tangrowth and unaware mons and does what zygarde does. From there we have a Z-move magnezone for dealing with steels and providing a 1 off nuke. Clefable sets rocks, checks much of the meta including opposing zygardes While Celesteela handles fairies. Landourous is the sole form of speed control but it defogs and Explodes providing a clean chance for Zygarde to enter and sweep while toxapex rounds the team out handling opposing sweepers and just being annoying.
Stuff like CM Tapu lele and the rare Mega Venusaur can be a problem but overall it has a decent handle on the meta without casting a to wider net with a strong win condition.
Thats Team. I wish everyone luck this week and good luck with your nominations.
A Green Thumb (Serperior) @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
There aren't many things here that can effectively deal with Serperior here, with its ability to use SubSeed, boost and avoid Status with the earlier mentioned Substitute. Cleanly switch this in off a sack or slow pivot, and start causing havoc. Magnezone and Celesteela are outsped, so SubSeed becomes a nuisance to them, as well as a boosted Hidden Power Fire. Clefable does not like taking boosted Leaf Storms due to not having Unaware. Pex may be annoying due to Leaf Storm's Low PP and Haze. but Pex still has a hard time with SubSeed, so that issue is solved.
Calculator is on New Years Break, I'll get it to work soon.
Hopefully not rude here, that's not my intention, but is Coil removed while team building due to other moves being more suitable, or is Coil intended to replace something else in that set?
Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Crabhammer
- Aqua Jet
- Superpower
Adaptability Choice Band Crawdaunt either severely weakens a Pokemon or gets a KO every time it switches in.
Clefable is 2HKOed by Crabhammer and really hates Leftovers gone; Celesteela Toxapex dies to boosted Knock Off into unboosted Knock Off (with lowest roles possible) and Celesteela is 2HKOed by Crabhammer; Zygarde takes 3 Knock Offs but is 2HKOed by Crabhammer. An Adamant nature is not useful in hitting any benchmarks aside from 2HKOing Zygarde with Knock Off.
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 272-320 (69 - 81.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 131-155 (33.2 - 39.3%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 248 HP / 132 Def Celesteela: 266-314 (67 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 132 Def Celesteela: 172-204 (43.3 - 51.3%) -- 4.7% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 132 Def Celesteela: 258-304 (64.9 - 76.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 248 HP / 44 Def Toxapex: 104-123 (34.3 - 40.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 44 Def Toxapex: 136-162 (44.8 - 53.4%) -- 32.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 44 Def Toxapex: 202-238 (66.6 - 78.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Zygarde: 260-308 (62 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Zygarde: 254-300 (60.6 - 71.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Zygarde: 170-202 (40.5 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Thanks to Metronome, Mamoswine can reliable get past Celesteela and Clefable and nothing wants to be switching into its STAB coverage, because of the lack of resistances.
Kyurem @ Icium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Roost
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
The only things that can stop Kyurem are Celesteela and Toxapex(since Kyurem lacks of Metronome), which Magnezone takes care of. Icium Z allows Kyurem to blow past Clefable via the combination of Ice Beam and Subzero Slammer.