Satan's Team - A #1 Ladder Report
PREFACE
Allo’ everyone! I’m Will Geurts. It’s very likely you haven't seen my name before, as I’ve used a multitude of alternate accounts over the years. I was introduced to competitive Pokemon by a friend (Frisoeva, you may have seen him around) late 2016. I began with the VGC 16-format, but only really started figuring out how to play at the start of the 17-format. Since then I’ve been in the top 10 of the Pokémon Showdown VGC ladder under various names, as well as topping the BSD ladder (on Showdown) in mid-December last year.
Now, disclaimer, I blame the existence of this team entirely on Frisoeva. He made me do this!
The fact I seemed quite willing to do this for him is irrelevant, all that matters is that he won his tournament battle using it and I now peaked the ladder within 2 days. Keep in mind that this team is utterly unoriginal, skilful, or generally any of the positive virtues associated with competitive Pokemon teams. It is the stark opposite. You just mindlessly press buttons whilst forcing your opponent to roll a bunch of dice rigged against them, each time they pick wrong something tends to die or fall asleep (leading to death). A discussion on the power of sleep within DUU may be warranted. Without strong fake out users or terrains it can be tremendously difficult to prevent your pokemon from going out for a few turns. Normally this isn't an issue: sleep inducers are few and they each carry distinctive flaws. When a team gets built around them however they can be so disruptive it almost seems downright unfair.
I don't want to see anyone using this, and please send all hate-mail to Frisoeva. Thanks in advance!
THE_TEAM
DETAILED_ANALYSIS
Tactical Nuke (Torkoal) @ Choice Specs
Quiet | 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
IV's: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
• Eruption
• Heat Wave
• Earth Power
• Solar Beam
- overview:
Torkoal is the first disgusting specimen on this team. It is the slowest weather setter in the metagame and this is pretty much guaranteed to get sun up turn 1, whilst also nerfing the output of water-typed moves and boosting his own fire-typed moves. With choice specs you simply click a button and something, somewhere is not going to have a good time.
_ - in-depth analysis:
There isn't much to Torkoal, with such high base Def 248 HP investment allows him to survive almost all super-effective physical moves I can think of common to the current metagame. The rest is dumped into SpA as to allow this murderous tortoise to hit harder than should be allowed. Alone it's pretty much useless but with the support of TR or Lilligant the turtle becomes utterly terrifying. Press a button and feel the tears through your screen of the Pokemon before you vaporising. It's a good feeling.
Strategy wise, just basically check whether Eruption has a higher base-power than Heatwave and think whether or not you're expecting to take any hits. Earth Power is there to hit the likes of Muk, Nagandel and Arcanine for big damage if not outright slaughtering them. Solar Beam is a 4th coverage move to hits water types, but to be fair I usually still click Eruption as that's stupidly the better option the majority of the time.
_ - alternative options:
I guess you could run a Pinch Berry or something but honestly this does what it's meant to do: be fat, kill things.
☆彡
Satan (Lilligant) @ Focus Sash | Chlorophyll
Modest | 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
• Leaf Storm
• Sleep Powder
• After You
• Protect
- overview:
Lilligant in sun is stupid and I hate myself for using it. I've started giggling manically every time something falls asleep, someone please send help. I tried making a bulky berry set but honestly without Sash this thing just dies.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Getting doubled speed in sun this monster gets to give anyone on your team the opportunity to move first with After You, which is absolutely evil when your Pokemon happen to hit harder than a truck. Leaf Storm is there to remove any pesky Water types that dare face the sun, and Sleep Powder is either your panic button or your "whatever" button. 100% of the time it will work 75% of the time. Regardless the odds are in your favour and as this isn't XCOM you will be ruining someone's day frequently.
252+ SpA Lilligant Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Azumarill: 500-590 (123.7 - 146%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Lilligant Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 8 SpD Politoed: 410-486 (106.7 - 126.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
_
☆彡
The Blob (Nihilego) @ Life Orb | Beast Boost
Modest | 56 HP / 36 HP / 164 SpA / 8 SpD / 244 Spe
• Sludge Bomb
• Power Gem
• Trick Room
• Protect
- overview:
Nihilego is lovely and I use him in pretty much every metagame where possible, it's a really underrated Pokemon in general. This rock jellyfish does all four of the following roles: set up Trick Room, kill Thunderus which can Prankster taunt Lilligant, kill Mega-Gardevoir which can stomach a blow or two from Torkoal, and kill Arcanine which recently joined DUU. Arcanine isn't all too scary for this team but you have to make sure it doesn't get the opportunity to hit Lilligant, Mawile or Bronzong for huge damage.
_ - in-depth analysis:
I would feel bad without having at least one impressive looking spread on a team of mine, so I added some useless bulk to Nihlego as it's SpA with Life Orb is high enough regardless to still nab the needed kills.
252+ SpA Shaymin-Sky Earth Power vs. 56 HP / 8 SpD Nihilego: 320-380 (85.7 - 101.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Arcanine Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 36 Def Nihilego: 324-382 (86.8 - 102.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
164+ SpA Life Orb Nihilego Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gardevoir-Mega: 299-354 (87.9 - 104.1%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
164+ SpA Life Orb Nihilego Power Gem vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Arcanine: 413-486 (107.8 - 126.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Good luck trying to find a Shaymin living long enough against this team to land an Earth Power.
_
☆彡
Sleep = 4 The Weak @ Psychium Z | Levitate
Relaxed | 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 / SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
• Trick Room
• Hypnosis
• Gyro Ball
• Ally Switch
- overview:
Nihilego is fun and all but despite its utility it can be quite a frail Trick Room setter, Friso suggested Z-TR Bronzong to help out. Levitate allows Bronzong to effectively set up TR against everything that normally threatens Nihilego, and once it has done so happily put the universe to sleep. Torkoal and Mawile are utterly terrifying when you have your ability to react first, or even react at all, taken away from you. Ally Switch is just staple as a I felt I had already walked the path to hell so far I might as well go all the way. Use it with caution, if opponents weren't already showering you with colourful language this may upset the best of people.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Bronzong survives a Flare Blitz from Arcanine as well as two Thunderbolts from Life Orb Thunderus. I've never had these exact calculations be relevant but in general the bulk is there to keep Bronzong around as long as possible.
252+ Atk Arcanine Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 128+ Def Bronzong: 272-324 (80.4 - 95.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 128 SpD Bronzong: 146-173 (43.1 - 51.1%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO
_
☆彡
Utterly Broken (Mawile-Mega) @ Mawilite | Intimidate
Adamant | 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
• Play Rough
• Rock Slide
• Sucker Punch
• Protect
- overview:
Mawile and its Mega-form provide the team with an additional Trick Room abuser. The team didn't really have a solid answer to Dark and Ghost types, two types that do not appreciate Sucker Punch. Intimidate is nice as always but isn't the key selling-point of Mawile. Mawile is here to hit stupidly hard and kill things through After You, Trick Room, or Sucker Punch. There's honestly not much more to it. If half your opponents field is half dead or asleep Mawile can quite happily clean up.
_ - in-depth analysis:
I wish I could say something smart here but there isn't really anything to say, here's someone complaining about the team instead:
#Thoughts&Prayers_
☆彡
Lol Water (Gastrodon-East) @ Wiki Berry | Storm Drain
Shiny: Yes
Sassy | EVs: 212 HP / 44 Spa / 252 SpD
IV's: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
• Earth Power
• Ice Beam
• Recover
• Protect
- overview:
So by this point the team was becoming Water-weak, particularly against Azumarill with good support. Satan came down and whispered into my ear the solution, and why yes it was everyone's least favourite slug. This thing tanks hits and makes people faceplant when it completely ruins their otherwise favourable matchup. Azumarill and Rain focussed team can pretty much just hit forfeit by this point now.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Gastrodon runs Earth Power to hit the likes of Arcanine and other Fire types, Ice Beam is for Landorus and Shaymin??? Idk, maybe you'll catch one under Trick Room. Clear Smog was first there in place of Recover, but after discovering this team punished people who didn't kill me fast enough and instead opted for setup I decided to gift this slimy thing with immortality. What's worse than a slug you can't hit? A slug that also heals as the partner next to it nukes away or smothers your team in chloroform. It's heinous. I love it.
44 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Arcanine: 228-270 (59.5 - 70.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
44 SpA Gastrodon Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Landorus: 304-360 (95.2 - 112.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Landorus Earth Power vs. 212 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 187-220 (44.9 - 52.8%) -- 24.2% chance to 2HKO
_
IMPORTABLE
Tactical Nuke (Torkoal) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam
Satan (Lilligant) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Sleep Powder
- After You
- Protect
The Blob (Nihilego) @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 56 HP / 36 Def / 164 SpA / 8 SpD / 244 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Power Gem
- Trick Room
- Protect
Sleep = 4 The Weak (Bronzong) @ Psychium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Hypnosis
- Gyro Ball
- Ally Switch
Utterly Broken (Mawile-Mega) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Play Rough
- Rock Slide
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
Lol Water (Gastrodon-East) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 212 HP / 44 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Protect
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam
Satan (Lilligant) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Sleep Powder
- After You
- Protect
The Blob (Nihilego) @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 56 HP / 36 Def / 164 SpA / 8 SpD / 244 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Power Gem
- Trick Room
- Protect
Sleep = 4 The Weak (Bronzong) @ Psychium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Hypnosis
- Gyro Ball
- Ally Switch
Utterly Broken (Mawile-Mega) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Play Rough
- Rock Slide
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
Lol Water (Gastrodon-East) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 212 HP / 44 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Protect
LADDER PROOF
SHOUTOUT TO THIS GUY
This poor man had to play me roughly 5 times today, he won once thanks to an unfortunate Flinch. Bless his soul.
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