im “that boy”, the onewho wears an anal beads to school and clenches his butt so tight, but also loves to learn ^_^
— muscleluvr2
maybe an epigraph isn’t exactly necessary…
hi
i’m unsure if we need any real introduction. my name is thursday, and i make teams occasionally and i sometimes play competitive pokemon. this isn’t really a serious team, as evinced by the fact that i only have one solid water resistance, but i’ve done decently on the po ladder (peak was somewhere around #80? #90? i honestly don't remember...) and i think i’d be interested in improving this team, as i think it has some potential. as it stands, it’s not a very good team and i’m not a very good player, but i have a lot of fun with it. if my descriptions are inadequate, please notify me and i'll do my best to explain.
without further ado, here's the team:
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
Enter Froslass. When I built this team, I wanted to use entry hazards to the greatest possible effect and I thought about using this fun little set that I found on the forums a while ago. Anyway, Froslass is my designated lead and forms the first part of my entry hazard core. I can typically get up at least one layer of Spikes if I play Froslass well, but sometimes two or three, which makes my job a lot easier in later turns. Destiny bond + Spikes is just so good; no opponent is going to want to sacrifice one of their mons so early in the match, so I can typically just capitalize on this until my opponent somehow manages to maneuver their way around Froslass. by then, I typically have either one or two layers of entry hazards on the field. There’s also always the threat of Taunt, which I unfortunately don’t find myself using too much between Spikes and Destiny Bond shenanigans, but it often comes in handy. Ice Beam is so I don’t become total Taunt/Xatu bait, though I don’t find myself using it all that much to be honest.
I guess Froslass' distinct advantages over Custap Skarmory is that it takes a bit more to spin away its hazards, not to mention a much faster Taunt. Destiny Bond is also a lot of fun, since it can sometimes let me get up more than one layer of Spikes without difficulty. That being said, I’ve still considered using Custap Skarmory, which allows me to wield two entry hazards on one Pokemon; I've also found it slightly more consistent as a hazard setter, but I’m still ambivalent about it. Thoughts?
Heatran (F) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This forms the second half of my entry hazard core. Heatran is my first Steel-type and part of my defense against Sun. In theory, it should be an invaluable member of my team; in practice, it doesn’t really seem to do much aside from sponging the occasional predicted earthquake with its ersatz Ground immunity, thanks to Air Balloon. It’s a standard offensive Heatran, and i can’t really find much to add about it, but I will say that it provides me with an aegis against Scizor, which can be extremely troublesome if it finds a place to set up. It stops Volcarona too. In addition, it’s sort of my ‘emergency button’ against things like Garchomp if its Air Balloon is still intact. It’s arguably the least valuable member of my team, but it still serves an important purpose. That said, I’d like to know if I’m using the wrong Pokemon because it constantly feels like this isn’t a very good fit for my team. The moves are standard on Heatran, though I’m wondering if I should use Toxic over Hidden Power Ice, since it might be a good remedy for my slight Jellicent troubles and makes dealing with CM HP Fire Latias infinitely easier.
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Spd / 184 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Roost
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
I think I’ve used this thing more than I’ve used anything else in BW2, simply because it’s so good most of the time – not necessarily this set, just the Pokemon itself. Latias is probably the glue of this team, though it doesn’t come out all that much: its most salient goal is to defend against Keldeo and other errant Water-types which would otherwise be the scourge of this team, then fire off a Draco Meteor or two either before or after Recovering. It’s my primary defense against so many different attacks that it’s nuts. I realize that it’s probably bad to rely so much on Latias being healthy to win a match, but i’m generally okay at keeping it above ~60% so everything works out well. The moveset is self-explanatory: it has two stab moves to dish out damage and Hidden Power Fire to damage steel-types – well, except Heatran. One of my few grievances with this team is that Latias is the only thing that’s honestly capable of taking a Specs Hydro Pump from the likes of Keldeo and Politoed. It’s very susceptible to trapping – consequently, I typically play very cautiously with it, only using it when absolutely necessary.
Breloom (M) @ Life Orb ** salvia plath
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch
- Low Sweep
oh man. I never actually used Breloom in Gen 4 and I’m only now realizing how great it is, especially with Spikes support. Breloom is my first physical attacker and priority spammer. I generally try to avoid Sporing immediately upon coming in, but there are times when I have to in order to avoid an untoward situation. One of my favorite things about Breloom is that it forces a sizable amount of switches and can therefore take advantage of Spikes support, especially with the aid of Low Sweep. Lowering the opponent’s Speed can often be crucial, especially when you can then kill them with Bullet Seed or another Low Sweep next turn. Its attacks are just so meaty. Firing off a Mach Punch is an almost decadent pleasure. Bullet Seed is unreliable, but it serves as STAB and is the team’s primary way of dispatching Jellicent. I’ve been considering replacing Low Sweep for Focus Punch, but I don’t know how much I like the idea. Thoughts?
Breloom is the team’s second water resistance and well… lol, it doesn’t really stand up to rain-boosted moves well at all. In fact, it gets obliterated by Hydro Pumps. The pugnacious fungus doesn’t really provide much in the way of defensive synergy, though it does an excellent job at breaking down some of the things the team has trouble with, like the aforementioned Jellicent. Mamoswine remains a problem though.
Alakazam (M) @ Focus Sash ** benzo
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Signal Beam
Alakazam is packing heat. It’s also probably the crux of this team: it not only functions as a revenge killer, but can also function as a late-game cleaner. Its redoubtable 135 base SAtk and 120 base Speed enable it to kill off weakened opponents with its four moves fairly easily. Honestly, there isn’t that much to say about Alakazam, as it’s a very simple Pokemon. Although the defensive synergy it provides is minimal, it and Latias sort of hold together the team by checking things that would otherwise give me a great deal of trouble, like DD Dragonite and Scarfchomp in the case of Alakazam, and Keldeo and Politoed in Latias’ case. My game plan generally involves keeping Alakazam at 100% so that its sash remains intact throughout the match; if I’m pressured to the point where I have to break Alakazam’s sash in order to kill something, I’ll usually lose. Signal Beam lets me beat Celebi, Hidden Power Ice slays dragons – the other two moves are self-explanatory.
Just as an aside, I thought this thing was garbage at the beginning of BW2, but then I realized how many headaches it gave my teams and realized that it was actually a really good Pokemon to use in OU. After using it, I now realize that it’s actually really fun. That being said, I’m not completely averse to changing Alakazam, even if it is the ‘crux’ of the team; I’m perfectly willing to change it to something that would fit the team better offensively or defensively – maybe even both!
Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 176 HP / 228 Atk / 104 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower
My last member is Scizor, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame since the release of Pokemon Platinum. It meshes really well with this team due to its ability to check most Dragons with Bullet Punch and maintain momentum with U-turn. With Bullet Punch, Scizor makes up the second half of my dual priority core, which, combined with Alakazam, makes a Scarfer seem accessory; I’ve never really found myself needing more speed on this team except when confronted with Volcarona. Scizor is my best answer to the Lati twins, though I’ve never considered it a very good answer considering how common HP Fire is on the Dragon/Psychic duo. Anyone with even a pedestrian familiarity with competitive Pokemon in the last two generations should know what this does: U-turn helps me gain momentum while hitting opposing teams hard; Pursuit allows me to trap Choiced Psychics and even though I think it’s the least useful move on this set, it has saved me games; Bullet Punch is for priority and eliminates most set-up sweepers and things that Breloom can't take out with his priority (notable exception being Volc); Superpower can hit Steels on the predicted switch and also ruins Steels on the switch.
EVs are admittedly a bit goofy, but I wanted Scizor to take Draco Meteors slightly better. If anyone has better EVs, your perspicacity would really be appreciated.
relevant problems:
cm jirachi in rain is, bar none, the worst thing that i have come across. if it comes in on the right pokemon, it 6-0s me pretty easily. i see no easy fix for this. however, if you have any idea how i can manage to deal with this very real, very relevant problem, your teambuilding acumen would be greatly appreciated.
volcarona can be troublesome, but i usually can deal with it since heatran walls most variants without difficulty.
i haven't come across this yet but i could foresee cm hp fire latias as being a problem, considering i don't really have much in the way of dealing with it. toxic over the seldom-used hp ice on heatran would remedy my issues with this and volcarona. jellicent can be annoying at times too so it helps with that!!
for some reason, i could see toxicroak as being a problem, although i've had little to no issues with it thus far. when i see it, my general thought process is to keep alakazam's focus sash intact at all costs; more often than not, i'm successful in doing this, so i can generally eke out a win against opposing croaks.
thank you for reading. i hope you enjoyed.
— muscleluvr2
maybe an epigraph isn’t exactly necessary…
hi
i’m unsure if we need any real introduction. my name is thursday, and i make teams occasionally and i sometimes play competitive pokemon. this isn’t really a serious team, as evinced by the fact that i only have one solid water resistance, but i’ve done decently on the po ladder (peak was somewhere around #80? #90? i honestly don't remember...) and i think i’d be interested in improving this team, as i think it has some potential. as it stands, it’s not a very good team and i’m not a very good player, but i have a lot of fun with it. if my descriptions are inadequate, please notify me and i'll do my best to explain.
without further ado, here's the team:
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
Enter Froslass. When I built this team, I wanted to use entry hazards to the greatest possible effect and I thought about using this fun little set that I found on the forums a while ago. Anyway, Froslass is my designated lead and forms the first part of my entry hazard core. I can typically get up at least one layer of Spikes if I play Froslass well, but sometimes two or three, which makes my job a lot easier in later turns. Destiny bond + Spikes is just so good; no opponent is going to want to sacrifice one of their mons so early in the match, so I can typically just capitalize on this until my opponent somehow manages to maneuver their way around Froslass. by then, I typically have either one or two layers of entry hazards on the field. There’s also always the threat of Taunt, which I unfortunately don’t find myself using too much between Spikes and Destiny Bond shenanigans, but it often comes in handy. Ice Beam is so I don’t become total Taunt/Xatu bait, though I don’t find myself using it all that much to be honest.
I guess Froslass' distinct advantages over Custap Skarmory is that it takes a bit more to spin away its hazards, not to mention a much faster Taunt. Destiny Bond is also a lot of fun, since it can sometimes let me get up more than one layer of Spikes without difficulty. That being said, I’ve still considered using Custap Skarmory, which allows me to wield two entry hazards on one Pokemon; I've also found it slightly more consistent as a hazard setter, but I’m still ambivalent about it. Thoughts?
Heatran (F) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This forms the second half of my entry hazard core. Heatran is my first Steel-type and part of my defense against Sun. In theory, it should be an invaluable member of my team; in practice, it doesn’t really seem to do much aside from sponging the occasional predicted earthquake with its ersatz Ground immunity, thanks to Air Balloon. It’s a standard offensive Heatran, and i can’t really find much to add about it, but I will say that it provides me with an aegis against Scizor, which can be extremely troublesome if it finds a place to set up. It stops Volcarona too. In addition, it’s sort of my ‘emergency button’ against things like Garchomp if its Air Balloon is still intact. It’s arguably the least valuable member of my team, but it still serves an important purpose. That said, I’d like to know if I’m using the wrong Pokemon because it constantly feels like this isn’t a very good fit for my team. The moves are standard on Heatran, though I’m wondering if I should use Toxic over Hidden Power Ice, since it might be a good remedy for my slight Jellicent troubles and makes dealing with CM HP Fire Latias infinitely easier.
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Spd / 184 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Roost
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
I think I’ve used this thing more than I’ve used anything else in BW2, simply because it’s so good most of the time – not necessarily this set, just the Pokemon itself. Latias is probably the glue of this team, though it doesn’t come out all that much: its most salient goal is to defend against Keldeo and other errant Water-types which would otherwise be the scourge of this team, then fire off a Draco Meteor or two either before or after Recovering. It’s my primary defense against so many different attacks that it’s nuts. I realize that it’s probably bad to rely so much on Latias being healthy to win a match, but i’m generally okay at keeping it above ~60% so everything works out well. The moveset is self-explanatory: it has two stab moves to dish out damage and Hidden Power Fire to damage steel-types – well, except Heatran. One of my few grievances with this team is that Latias is the only thing that’s honestly capable of taking a Specs Hydro Pump from the likes of Keldeo and Politoed. It’s very susceptible to trapping – consequently, I typically play very cautiously with it, only using it when absolutely necessary.
Breloom (M) @ Life Orb ** salvia plath
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch
- Low Sweep
oh man. I never actually used Breloom in Gen 4 and I’m only now realizing how great it is, especially with Spikes support. Breloom is my first physical attacker and priority spammer. I generally try to avoid Sporing immediately upon coming in, but there are times when I have to in order to avoid an untoward situation. One of my favorite things about Breloom is that it forces a sizable amount of switches and can therefore take advantage of Spikes support, especially with the aid of Low Sweep. Lowering the opponent’s Speed can often be crucial, especially when you can then kill them with Bullet Seed or another Low Sweep next turn. Its attacks are just so meaty. Firing off a Mach Punch is an almost decadent pleasure. Bullet Seed is unreliable, but it serves as STAB and is the team’s primary way of dispatching Jellicent. I’ve been considering replacing Low Sweep for Focus Punch, but I don’t know how much I like the idea. Thoughts?
Breloom is the team’s second water resistance and well… lol, it doesn’t really stand up to rain-boosted moves well at all. In fact, it gets obliterated by Hydro Pumps. The pugnacious fungus doesn’t really provide much in the way of defensive synergy, though it does an excellent job at breaking down some of the things the team has trouble with, like the aforementioned Jellicent. Mamoswine remains a problem though.
Alakazam (M) @ Focus Sash ** benzo
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Signal Beam
Alakazam is packing heat. It’s also probably the crux of this team: it not only functions as a revenge killer, but can also function as a late-game cleaner. Its redoubtable 135 base SAtk and 120 base Speed enable it to kill off weakened opponents with its four moves fairly easily. Honestly, there isn’t that much to say about Alakazam, as it’s a very simple Pokemon. Although the defensive synergy it provides is minimal, it and Latias sort of hold together the team by checking things that would otherwise give me a great deal of trouble, like DD Dragonite and Scarfchomp in the case of Alakazam, and Keldeo and Politoed in Latias’ case. My game plan generally involves keeping Alakazam at 100% so that its sash remains intact throughout the match; if I’m pressured to the point where I have to break Alakazam’s sash in order to kill something, I’ll usually lose. Signal Beam lets me beat Celebi, Hidden Power Ice slays dragons – the other two moves are self-explanatory.
Just as an aside, I thought this thing was garbage at the beginning of BW2, but then I realized how many headaches it gave my teams and realized that it was actually a really good Pokemon to use in OU. After using it, I now realize that it’s actually really fun. That being said, I’m not completely averse to changing Alakazam, even if it is the ‘crux’ of the team; I’m perfectly willing to change it to something that would fit the team better offensively or defensively – maybe even both!
Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 176 HP / 228 Atk / 104 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower
My last member is Scizor, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame since the release of Pokemon Platinum. It meshes really well with this team due to its ability to check most Dragons with Bullet Punch and maintain momentum with U-turn. With Bullet Punch, Scizor makes up the second half of my dual priority core, which, combined with Alakazam, makes a Scarfer seem accessory; I’ve never really found myself needing more speed on this team except when confronted with Volcarona. Scizor is my best answer to the Lati twins, though I’ve never considered it a very good answer considering how common HP Fire is on the Dragon/Psychic duo. Anyone with even a pedestrian familiarity with competitive Pokemon in the last two generations should know what this does: U-turn helps me gain momentum while hitting opposing teams hard; Pursuit allows me to trap Choiced Psychics and even though I think it’s the least useful move on this set, it has saved me games; Bullet Punch is for priority and eliminates most set-up sweepers and things that Breloom can't take out with his priority (notable exception being Volc); Superpower can hit Steels on the predicted switch and also ruins Steels on the switch.
EVs are admittedly a bit goofy, but I wanted Scizor to take Draco Meteors slightly better. If anyone has better EVs, your perspicacity would really be appreciated.
relevant problems:
cm jirachi in rain is, bar none, the worst thing that i have come across. if it comes in on the right pokemon, it 6-0s me pretty easily. i see no easy fix for this. however, if you have any idea how i can manage to deal with this very real, very relevant problem, your teambuilding acumen would be greatly appreciated.
volcarona can be troublesome, but i usually can deal with it since heatran walls most variants without difficulty.
i haven't come across this yet but i could foresee cm hp fire latias as being a problem, considering i don't really have much in the way of dealing with it. toxic over the seldom-used hp ice on heatran would remedy my issues with this and volcarona. jellicent can be annoying at times too so it helps with that!!
for some reason, i could see toxicroak as being a problem, although i've had little to no issues with it thus far. when i see it, my general thought process is to keep alakazam's focus sash intact at all costs; more often than not, i'm successful in doing this, so i can generally eke out a win against opposing croaks.
thank you for reading. i hope you enjoyed.
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