VGC 2012 Team help

[mrbopper]

Hello! This is my first ever post here on Smogon! I really need help with my VGC team and would like you to rate it please.

The whole idea around this team was to build off of the Metagross + Rotom-W core featured in issue 19 of the smog. The team feels kinda off and I think it may be because I need to change Evs, pokemon, or include a pokemon that can abuse rock slide and be fast and hit hard. The problem is, I don't know who to take out of the team in order to make room for such a pokemon. Also, which pokemon to even put in. Please help :)

Rotom-W @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 124 HP / 252 SAtk / 132 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Hydro Pump
- Trick

Rotom-W is a good pokemon to abuse the rain when it is set up. Although in the rain, Ludicolo can always be a threat to Rotom-W and giga drain does a hefty chunk. Rotom-W also provides a great variety of attacks for coverage. With the added choice specs and slight HP EVs, Rotom-W can take a few hits and hit back with insane power dealing an OHKO to garchomp and volcarona, and dealing 60% to cresselia without rain and about 75% with rain (depending on the cresselia set). Also, trick is a good way to mess up trick room users, which can be very handy.

Metagross @ Occa Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
- Earthquake

Metagross paired with Rotom-W can be a huge threat to many teams and can easily 4-0 the opponent if they aren't careful. Metagross's move pool allows for great coverage, yet I feel that all of his current moves are necessities. But bullet punch can't really do a ton to pokemon that are neutral to it. Meteor mash would be great to have on him, but bullet punch I feel is more important due to his poor speed.

Chandelure (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Trick Room
- Shadow Ball
- Heat Wave
- Protect

Chandelure was mainly put on this team to counter big threats such as Ferrothorn, Scizor, Cresselia, and other bug/steel and physic types. Heat wave does a ton of damage and shadow ball allows me to hit other chandelures and allows more type coverage. Trick room also allows trick room countering. With the focus sash, it will ensure that chandelure can set up a trick room if the other team is composed of the main speedy pokes or if Trick room is already up and the opponent's team poses a big threat in Trick Room.

Garchomp (M) @ Yache Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake

Garchomp was my way of getting a rock slider and a Latios/Garchomp counter. Under a tailwind, it guarantees that I out speed these huge threats. Also, garchomp can deal massive dammage to heatrans and metagross that I would have had much difficulty with before. Also, I may consider adding an Haban berry instead of the Yache berry because the Yache berry never really prevents the death except an icebeam from something like Cresselia, Ludicolo, or Politoad. Haban berry would ensure that I kill the Latios first turn.

Hitmontop (M) @ Fight Gem
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Fake Out
- Protect
- Sucker Punch

Hitmontop is used to counter T-Tar. the fake out allows leverage for me to attack the biggest threat. Not only that, but intimidate can really cripple some physical attackers. Fighting gem allows strong, hard hitting close combats that will negate the effects of copple berry on T-Tar and will allow for an easy Sucker Punch kill next turn. I added sucker punch mainly to kill Latios at low health and to not get walled by ghost types.

Zapdos @ Electric Gem
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 140 HP / 252 SAtk / 116 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Heat Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Protect
- Tailwind

The way I see zapdos, is a slightly bulkier Thundurus with different support. Zapdos has an amazing 125 base SP Atk and with an electric gem, STAB thunderbolt, Zapdos will be doing a hefty chunk to teams that dont have the proper counter. Taiwind will allow my team to thrive for the other pokemon on my team aren't quite fast compared to other pokemon such as Terrakion, Genies, Weavile, and Garchomp to mention a few. Heat wave also allows Zapdos to hit ground types and also to deal super effective damage to Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Metagross.


Well, that's my team. Please let me know if I should change on my pokemon and if I should change some pokemon. Also, what pokemon I should use for a rock slide abuser and what pokemon I should get rid of for it. Or if I even need a rock slide user. Thank you, and may you have a nice day :)​

 

[Drifblim]

I voted in the poll for RotomW to get replaced. He is a cool Poke, but relatively similar to Zapdos who outclasses him in every category except typing.

Hitmontop is walled by Ghost types, who can be a problem already. Most other Chandelures can outrun and OHKO you with Shadow Ball if they stall for a turn to get weather damage. Then that Chandelure can likely 2HKO all of your other pokes. Without Technician, Mach Punch's power is slightly lacking, and the space needs to be given to something more important like Sucker Punch. That will provide the Dark/Fighting coverage combo as well. The team lacks anything particularly fast unless Tailwind is up, Latios could be a nice addition. Terrakion as well, but then there would be 3 weaknesses to Ground.

 

[muffinhead]

I voted in the poll for RotomW to get replaced. He is a cool Poke, but relatively similar to Zapdos who outclasses him in every category except typing.

this really makes no sense at all, no pokemon outclasses another pokemon ever. rotom-w can ohko rock types, zapdos resists fighting, etc. your post basically says zapdos is better but rotom-w's typing is better. both of their typings do different things.

on to the team, i feel like with all pokemon slower than latios and only 1 way to deal with it, you need to add on some options. i really hate changing a team because of 1 pokemon, but latios is op.

you could try scarf chandelure to win the chandelure wars and put some damage on latios, throw sucker punch on hitmontop, etc. another small change is to put hp ice on zapdos over protect for damage against dragons (hydreigon, latios while in tailwind, garchomp)

also a ludicolo in rain is still a large problem for your team, i really dont know how you kill it. maybe switching gastrodon to a super bulky mon with twave / icyc wind / trick room or sableye would help.

sorry for short rate, nice core ;D gl hf

 

[mrbopper]

I voted in the poll for RotomW to get replaced. He is a cool Poke, but relatively similar to Zapdos who outclasses him in every category except typing.

Hitmontop is walled by Ghost types, who can be a problem already. Most other Chandelures can outrun and OHKO you with Shadow Ball if they stall for a turn to get weather damage. Then that Chandelure can likely 2HKO all of your other pokes. Without Technician, Mach Punch's power is slightly lacking, and the space needs to be given to something more important like Sucker Punch. That will provide the Dark/Fighting coverage combo as well. The team lacks anything particularly fast unless Tailwind is up, Latios could be a nice addition. Terrakion as well, but then there would be 3 weaknesses to Ground.

I don't really feel like getting rid of Rotom-W mainly because he is the main reason for my success with this team. He and Metagross combined add up for big hits and are able to take hits as well. But I will defiantly get rid of mach punch for sucker punch. I did notice that I was having difficulty with ghost types. I was also considering latios to hit hard against other dragon types and other incredibly fast mons

 

[mrbopper]

on to the team, i feel like with all pokemon slower than latios and only 1 way to deal with it, you need to add on some options. i really hate changing a team because of 1 pokemon, but latios is op.

you could try scarf chandelure to win the chandelure wars and put some damage on latios, throw sucker punch on hitmontop, etc. another small change is to put hp ice on zapdos over protect for damage against dragons (hydreigon, latios while in tailwind, garchomp)

also a ludicolo in rain is still a large problem for your team, i really dont know how you kill it. maybe switching gastrodon to a super bulky mon with twave / icyc wind / trick room or sableye would help.

sorry for short rate, nice core ;D gl hf

Thank you for the rate! I never really thought of latios as a huge threat. I normally just try to hit it as hard as possible, but having a certain mon against it will really help. I am going to definitely start running Sucker Punch over mach punch to hit mons harder and not get walled by ghosts. I don't really want to run a scarf chandelure because that will limit my options against some teams. Such as a team with metagross and Cresselia. Chandelure can hit both and I want to be able to do so without switching. I also may consider a cresselia to accompany my team for t-wave abuse and icy wind for minor damage. Yet with cresselia, I could use that as a trick room counter as well. There is a lot to think about on these teams. Dang, haha. Well thank you for the rate, it really helped

 

[thegreatzoroark]

if you have pokemon emerald you could get a metagross with rock slide. its the only covinent way around it in my opinion.

 

[Fantom0]

I don't think you absolutely need a Rock Slide user - you could do with replacing Chandelure, though, as TrickSpecs cripples Cress in an instant. I have a feeling you're very Garchomp-weak, the only mon who can effectively handle it is choiced. I will suggest two things:
1) HP Ice over Tailwind or Protect on Zapdos. The extra coverage against chomp will be very appreciated, and Zapdos won't miss having both status attacks. Unlike most people will have you believe, Protect is not a necessity in VGC.
2) Latios over Garchomp. Checks the same stuff under Tailwind more easily, but even OHKOs Haban Chomp and outspeeds it without Tailwind. It also has Tailwind.