Introduction
Hey Smogon, some of you may know me. I played a bunch of Pokemon back through Gen 2 and 3 (and was reasonably active here, as you might deduce from my postcount), but took a long hiatus shortly after the release of D/P, and haven't come back since. Some of the bigger paradigm shifts heralded by X/Y (Mega pokes, new type and type chart changes) drew me back to see how it would affect the game. I've put together the following team, which has performed quite well for me on Pokemon Showdown. It's based around Mega Gengar as a sweeper/revenge killer, and VoltTurn has proven to be a highly effective way to support him/get him in safely and at the right times.The Team
LeChuck (Gengar) (M) @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Substitute
Gengar has been a monster in every iteration of Pokemon since RBY, and with the addition of Gengarite in X/Y, he shows no signs of slowing down. Poison/Ghost offer great neutral coverage, especially with the prevalence of poison-weak fairies, and Steel's loss of Ghost resistance. Focus Blast allows me to hit threats like Tyranitar, Kangaskhan and Blissey/Chansey much harder. Substitute is used for general utility - when first being introduced, if regular Gengar is brought in against a Pokemon I'm quite sure will switch out, Substitute+MegaEvo means whatever they switch to is in big trouble - it will often be 2HKO'd, or at least taking a healthy chunk. It's also effective against those who would try to inflict Status or use Leech Seed on Gengar, and of course, Choice-locked moves. I typically like to wait until their team has been softened up a bit before introducing MegaGar, and will sometimes hold out on MegaEvolving him to keep the 'surprise' factor, and Ground invul.
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Bulleta (Scizor) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 HP
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Scizor is a physical powerhouse on the team, and synergizes very well with Rotom-W, Pangoro and Gengar. I've considered running an alternate set on him (as it is, 1/3 of my team uses Choice items), but this just seems to work so well. There's pretty much no Fairy who can stay in against him, and CB U-Turn puts a dent in pretty much anything that doesn't doubly resist it. Once MegaGar has been activated, it narrows the range of checks my opponents can safely switch in against him - especially if there's a Stealth Rock in play as well. Bullet Punch is also the only Priority on my team right now.
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Teddie (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Rotom-W is probably one of the most prolific Pokemon in OU right now - and with good cause. Great defensive and offensive typing, access to WoW and STAB Volt Switch. He's very threatening, and covers many of Scizor's checks. Once again, I look with Rotom to soften up potential threats to Gengar, by burning them, or by hitting them with Volt Switch, and bringing in a more appropriate counter. Like with Scizor, with SR on the opposing team and MegaGar already activated, switching safely into Rotom-W is much more difficult. I was originally using a ChestoRest set, but have arrived at the opinion that Pain Split is superior - access to Leftovers recovery is fantastic, and having Wish on my team means there are multiple ways for me to heal him.
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Mangix (Pangoro) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Parting Shot
- Sky Uppercut
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
Pangoro was a relatively late addition to this team, but I'm listing him here because he fits in with Rotom-W and Scizor. I was excited when I first saw this Pokemon because I thought he looked cool - unfortunately, a luck-lustre base Spd and movepool (no Mach Punch or Pursuit??? Why???) make him easy to overlook in favour of other Fighters. However, Parting Shot fits exceptionally well into my team. The ability to introduce MegaGar or Garchomp to a Pokemon with gimped attacking stats can be absolutely devastating. STAB+Iron Fist on Sky Uppercut is no joke, either. The threat of STAB Crunch is often enough to deter any cheeky Ghost-types from switching in. He's got a reasonable amount of bulk as well. His biggest counters are the Fairy-types all over the place, but Parting Shot -> Scizor deals with that nicely. If anyone has recommendations over Stone Edge, I'm all ears - I haven't used it very much, but his movepool is quite lacking.
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Goris (Garchomp) (M) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
Garchomp is here because I wanted to have a physical sweeper on my team, who would also be capable of benefiting from the VoltTurnShot core of my team. Garchomp seemed like an ideal candidate - offering reasonable defensive typing, and a strong enough attack stat that he's capable of hurting teams without having to boost are the primary reasons for using him. Yache Berry seems to be the best item on him, despite the prevalence of Fairies. He is often introduced late, ideally via Parting Shot from Pangoro - bringing him in against a gimped Poke allows me to set up freely, and begin a sweep. Dragon Claw > Outrage is a change I made recently - the loss of damage does hurt, but I just don't like the idea of allowing him to be freely revenge killed by Fairies. Fire Fang for Scizor/Forretress/Skarm.
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Dural (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 236 SDef / 20 Spd
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
It took me so long to think of Jirachi for this final slot. I wanted something with some Special bulk, the ability to pass Wish, and Stealth Rock. It seemed like there was nothing that would get all three of those jobs done at one - boy was I wrong. Jirachi is awesome. He was definitely hurt by the typing changes this gen, gaining 2 weaknesses and one resistance - but, he's still a massive nuisance. Paralysis support can be a huge advantage for Gar/Garch/Scizor, and Jirachi is typically able to set up Stealth Rock without much difficulty. He most often finds himself passing wishes to Rotom-W and Gengar, but can help out anyone on the team. And Iron Head is there because 25% Par + 60% Flinch = 70% chance of you throwing your laptop across the room. So frustrating.
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General Strategy
I feel this is self-evident, but figure I’ll take a paragraph to explain my thought process with this team for the benefit of those who’d like one. I will typically start with Jirachi, Rotom-W or Gengar, depending on my opponent’s team. None of them are ‘dedicated’ lead types, but each are capable of filling a specific niche. Effectively, I look to get SR set up, and use U-Turn, Volt Switch and Parting Shot to wear down the opponent’s Pokemon, and look for an opportunity to bring in Mega Gengar or Garchomp to sweep. When I see their team, I will try to decide which of the two is going to have an easier time sweeping, then I identify the Pokemon who could stop that sweep, and try to focus my gameplay around KOing, or otherwise incapacitating those threats, and executing the plan.Threat List
So, I am painfully aware that there are some holes in this team. A big part of my motivation in making this RMT is getting all you nice folks to help my identify any I haven’t already, and prioritize them before I start making tweaks to the team.Hazards
I have no RS/Defog on this team, so Hazards can definitely take their toll. I do have 3 SR resistances, 1-2 Spikes/Sticky Web immunities (depending on whether Gengar’s gone mega). Sticky Web in particular can completely gimp Garchomp, MegaGar and Pangoro. Suicide Smeargles who get a Web up in the first 2 turns can be exceptionally annoying for this team to deal with. Jirachi’s TW helps with that to an extent, but is obviously not ideal.
Leech Seed
So far, this hasn’t really killed me, but it’s been very annoying for me to deal with. I have no LS immunity on the team, and LS pokes seem to be in vogue right now. Especially combined with hazards, this can start to wear down my team by forcing switches.
(Mega) Blaziken
It hasn’t happened yet, but I live in perpetual fear of being easily swept by a Blaziken. I have 2 Fire Weaknesses, a Fighting weakness, and nothing that resists them both. He’s also immune to WoW, which is one of my main tools to use against physical sweepers. Also, my only priority move is Bullet Punch. If Blaziken is able to get set up against my team, it’s lights-out.
Magnezone
It -shouldn't- be a huge threat, but Magnezone is very capable of trapping and killing both Jirachi and Scizor. It won't happen outside of revenge kills, provided I’m playing smart, but it’s definitely worth noting.
Mold Breaker Excadrill
3 Weaknesses and no Resistances or immunities. Plus he can Spin my Rock. Pangoro is my best defence here, but still not ideal. If he’s below 80% or so (SR + U-Turn?), MegaGar can Focus Blast him down.
Chesnaught
This guy gets special mention because he hard walls Gengar, with immunity to Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast. He’s still not a team-sweeping threat, or rather, hasn’t proven himself to be thus far - but anything that can stop Gar dead in his tracks like that is worth mentioning. He also learns Leech Seed.
(Mega) Kangaskhan
Yikes, what a monster. There are tools on my team to beat it, for sure - Paralysis from Jirachi, or burn from Rotom-W, Sky Uppercut from Pangoro, Superpower from Scizor, Focus Blast from Gengar. Still, if Kanga is passed stat boosts, or is able to Power-Up Punch, he can rip a hole through me. Not completely debilitating, but definitely a poke I need to be very cognisant of when I seem him in the opposing roster.
Weakness/Resist Table
I’ve seen in some RMTs this newfangled graphic chart - I ain’t got one, and I ain’t want one. Here’s what I do got:Normal: Immune, Resist, Resist
Fire: Double Weak, Resist, Resist, Weak
Water: Resist
Electric: Immune
Grass: Resist, Double Resist, Weak, Resist
Ice: Resist, Resist, Double Weak, Resist, Resist
Fighting: Immune, Weak
Poison: Double Resist, Immune, Resist, Immune
Ground: Immune[ish]*, Immune, Weak
Flying: Resist, Weak, Resist
Psychic: Weak, Resist, Immune, Double Resist
Bug: Double Resist, Resist
Rock: Resist, Resist, Resist
Ghost: Weak, Resist, Weak
Dragon: Resist, Weak, Resist
Dark: Weak, Double Resist, Weak
Steel: Resist, Double Resist, Resist
Fairy: Resist, Resist, Weak, Double Weak, Resist
* Gengar loses Ground Immunity when he Mega Evolves.
What I’d Like Help With
There are a few areas I’d like some help:EV Spreads
- As you can see, I pretty much either went 252/252/4, or jacked EVs from a Smogon analysis. If there are some ways EVs could be improved on these Pokes, I’m all ears.
Movesets/Item Loadouts
- I’m also sure there are some moves/items I’ve overlooked or don’t even know about. I’d very much like to hear any recommendations (backed up by reasons they’re being recommended, of course.)
Missed Threats
- This is the biggest thing. I’ve missed a lot of PKMN in the last 5 years, and there might be some threats I’ve yet to run into who wold completely eviscerate this team. I would like to focus on creating a comprehensive list of threats before going and making major tweaks (switching Pokemon in/out, etc.)
General Thoughts
- The team has been performing for me, but I’d like to hear what everyone thinks of the idea. Love it? Hate it? Why? Let me know. Specifically, I’m interested to hear if anyone has a better idea for how to incorporate MegaGar onto a team. At risk of sounding boastful, I don’t think I’ve run into a team yet that incorporates him as cohesively. I’d be very interested in hearing some more enlightened opinions than my own.
Nickname Explanations
Just for fun. All the nicknames come from other video games, so I’ll run through them:LeChuck (Gengar)
- LeChuck is the name of the ghost pirate arch-nemesis of Guybrush Threepwood in the Monkey Island series. He is constantly scheming up ways to raise armies of undead, increase his voodoo powers, and steal Elaine (Guybrush’s wife) to have for his demon bride.
Buletta (Scizor)
- Buletta is the Japanese name for BB Hood, a character from the Vampire Savior series of fighting games - she’s a little girl, based on Little Red Riding Hood, but equipped with grenades, rocket launchers, sub-machine guns and various other tools. She’s characterized by her great offensive pressure abilities and executional difficulty.
Teddie (Rotom-W)
- Teddie is the host of the Midnight Channel TV Show from the Persona RPG series. Diminutive in stature, he resembles a small teddy bear - he’s also a playable character in the Persona 4 Arena fighting game, characterized by his ability to populate the screen with annoying items like boulders and toy airplanes.
Mangix (Pangoro)
- Mangix is the name of the Pandarean Brewmaster hero in Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and DotA 2. He’s a heavy-hitting physical attacker with some great utility and supporting abilities for his team.
Goris (Garchomp)
- In the Fallout Universe, Deathclaws are some of the most fearsome creatures that roam the wasteland - they look something like velociraptors, and are tough, swift and deadly. In Fallout 2, The Chosen One finds a group of intelligent Deathclaw who, despite their fierce exteriors, desire to co-exist peacefully with the humans in the waste. One of these Deathclaw, a scientist named Goris, can be persuaded to join The Chosen One in his travels.
Dural (Jirachi)
- Dural is the enigmatic final boss of Virtua Fighter fighting game series. She was once human woman, but has become a sleek, all-chrome fighting machine. She’s capable of using moves from all of the fighters in the game - many of them slightly changed to become even more devastating.
Importable
LeChuck (Gengar) (M) @ GengariteAbility: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Substitute
Bulleta (Scizor) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 HP
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Teddie (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Mangix (Pangoro) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 5 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Parting Shot
- Sky Uppercut
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
Goris (Garchomp) (M) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
Dural (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 236 SDef / 20 Spd
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
Updates
11/12/13- Added (Mega) Kangaskhan to threat list.
- Switched Thunder Wave for Body Slam on Jirachi. I had initially preferred TW because 60% chance for Par is not as reliable. Body Slam, however, has a few other advantages - the ability to hit Electric/Water/Fire-types for more damage, and perhaps more importantly, the ability to Paralyze Ground-types who are often used to counter Jirachi. I sacrifice the ability to Paralyze Gengar/Trevenant/Aegislash, but all-in-all I think it fits a little better.
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