Making preparations for the in-game battle tower (Or whatever the kids these days call it!). The most difficult part is that I am preparing for any and all pokemon and not just a select list of commonly used threats. This consideration is reflected in my team's move sets - which are unconventional. Hopefully I can get some help in further tweaking my team. Thanks for looking!
Format:
Special Sweeper,
Bulky Physical Attacker,
Mixed Attacker
Volcarona @ Wise Glasses
Nature: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power Water
Volcarona is my lead and does a fantastic job at it. It has been extremely easy to get a Quiver Dance in while testing my team on showdown since Volcarona can narrowly survive some nasty hits. If Volcarona can pull through with a little HP left she can obliterate anything that isn't namely Salamence, Dragonite, Azumarill. It took a lot of adjusting until I got to Hidden power water. First I realized I was literally helpless against other Fire types - especially Speed Boost Blaziken who ran right through Metagross and Hydreigon after dusting up Volc. I began to carry HP Rock over Roost to deal with other fire types and flying hybrids that resist Fire. I finally arrived at HP Water since it also deals with rock and ground types. HP Rock ended up not carrying enough power to OHKO salamence or Dnite - I actually seem to do more damage with a resisted Fiery Dance. This is a great move by the way, it increases her special attack more often than not.
Metagross @ Assault Vest
Nature: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Power Up Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Rock Slide
Metagross is the switch in for dragon, ice, rock, fighting, fairy, and flying attacks aimed at his team mates. Power up punch is inferior to Hammer Arm in terms of power and I have considered switching, but P-Punch has been so useful I can't let it go. It nabs a boost when picking off the last HP from an opponent or setting up on Substitute, Recoveries, and other stall situations. Meteor Mash works on Fairies that come in on Hydreigon and does a ton of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It also carries a nice perk of occasionally increasing attack - even though it's accuracy leaves some to be desired. Zen Headbutt is for stab and removing fighting types for Hydreigon - even though he is sometimes OHKOed by Earthquake from said fighters. But Meta is capable of taking serious hits and has been known to survive Flare Blitz and return the favor with Rock Slide on fire types - as a last resort. Rock Slide is primarily for Salamence and other "frequent fliers". Once upon I time he had earthquake but I couldn't find a niche that it fell into. Meteor Mash already kills rock hybrids and does more resisted damage to other types because of the STAB boost. I don't need earthquake for fire types since that would be suicide and Rock Slide fits that bill well enough.
Hydreigon @ Expert Belt
Nature: Levitate
EVs: 152 Atk / 104 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Outrage
- Crunch
- Focus Blast
- Charge Beam
Bare with me but this is likely the strangest and messiest set you'll see on a Hydreigon, so you're welcome. This has been the most adjusted team member I've ever had but for good reasons. The EVs are also crazy - he comes out at 312 for attack and special attack. I wanted a mixed attacker, don't hate me for it. If I can do better then help me with it because he could still use some tweaking.
I've gone back and forth with Earthquake, Crunch, Payback, Draco Meteor, and I even had Acrobatics with Weakness policy for a while. I decided on Focus Blast to deal with a number of pokemon I had no real coverage on - over earthquake. My reasoning was such that pokemon weak to fighting or ground usually have bad special defense (sans Blissey, etc). Thus I switched from Draco Meteor to Outrage to balance between having two physical and two special attacks. Outrage takes a big chunk out of threats when I have no other options. Outrage is not particularly for dragons however, because that is a speed battle that 98 base does not normally win.
You may be able to accept all that - but why Charge Beam? I realized that I had no way at all to deal with offensive Hydro pumps and Scalds. Metagross doesn't have the equipment to deal with those - especially Azumarill. Charge Beam does not offer any OHKOs on water types, but it does some damage and increases his special attack. Focus Blast usually comes right afterwards and has done a decent job of dealing with this water threat. It is very risky though, because water types usually pack Ice Beam. I have also won a number of stall battles this way the same way Metagross does. I continue to wonder if I should abandon speed EVs, invest them into offense, and run Payback over Crunch. I am just not sure.
Threats
Mega Kanga
- I literally have NEVER killed a mega kanga. They usually come out late game after Volc is dead and absolutely decimate Meta and Hydrei. I can't do anything about it.
Azumarill
- Gives me trouble. I can make it through with Metagross but more often he dies. Hydrei doesn't stand a chance, and neither does Volc.
Charizard-Y: Drought powers down HP Water too much to kill him. Metagross gets obliterated, and Hydreigon usually gets killed with Dragon Claw - but not always. Y doesn't always kill me but he is difficult to handle.
Format:
Volcarona @ Wise Glasses
Nature: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power Water
Volcarona is my lead and does a fantastic job at it. It has been extremely easy to get a Quiver Dance in while testing my team on showdown since Volcarona can narrowly survive some nasty hits. If Volcarona can pull through with a little HP left she can obliterate anything that isn't namely Salamence, Dragonite, Azumarill. It took a lot of adjusting until I got to Hidden power water. First I realized I was literally helpless against other Fire types - especially Speed Boost Blaziken who ran right through Metagross and Hydreigon after dusting up Volc. I began to carry HP Rock over Roost to deal with other fire types and flying hybrids that resist Fire. I finally arrived at HP Water since it also deals with rock and ground types. HP Rock ended up not carrying enough power to OHKO salamence or Dnite - I actually seem to do more damage with a resisted Fiery Dance. This is a great move by the way, it increases her special attack more often than not.
Metagross @ Assault Vest
Nature: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Power Up Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Rock Slide
Metagross is the switch in for dragon, ice, rock, fighting, fairy, and flying attacks aimed at his team mates. Power up punch is inferior to Hammer Arm in terms of power and I have considered switching, but P-Punch has been so useful I can't let it go. It nabs a boost when picking off the last HP from an opponent or setting up on Substitute, Recoveries, and other stall situations. Meteor Mash works on Fairies that come in on Hydreigon and does a ton of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It also carries a nice perk of occasionally increasing attack - even though it's accuracy leaves some to be desired. Zen Headbutt is for stab and removing fighting types for Hydreigon - even though he is sometimes OHKOed by Earthquake from said fighters. But Meta is capable of taking serious hits and has been known to survive Flare Blitz and return the favor with Rock Slide on fire types - as a last resort. Rock Slide is primarily for Salamence and other "frequent fliers". Once upon I time he had earthquake but I couldn't find a niche that it fell into. Meteor Mash already kills rock hybrids and does more resisted damage to other types because of the STAB boost. I don't need earthquake for fire types since that would be suicide and Rock Slide fits that bill well enough.
Hydreigon @ Expert Belt
Nature: Levitate
EVs: 152 Atk / 104 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Outrage
- Crunch
- Focus Blast
- Charge Beam
Bare with me but this is likely the strangest and messiest set you'll see on a Hydreigon, so you're welcome. This has been the most adjusted team member I've ever had but for good reasons. The EVs are also crazy - he comes out at 312 for attack and special attack. I wanted a mixed attacker, don't hate me for it. If I can do better then help me with it because he could still use some tweaking.
I've gone back and forth with Earthquake, Crunch, Payback, Draco Meteor, and I even had Acrobatics with Weakness policy for a while. I decided on Focus Blast to deal with a number of pokemon I had no real coverage on - over earthquake. My reasoning was such that pokemon weak to fighting or ground usually have bad special defense (sans Blissey, etc). Thus I switched from Draco Meteor to Outrage to balance between having two physical and two special attacks. Outrage takes a big chunk out of threats when I have no other options. Outrage is not particularly for dragons however, because that is a speed battle that 98 base does not normally win.
You may be able to accept all that - but why Charge Beam? I realized that I had no way at all to deal with offensive Hydro pumps and Scalds. Metagross doesn't have the equipment to deal with those - especially Azumarill. Charge Beam does not offer any OHKOs on water types, but it does some damage and increases his special attack. Focus Blast usually comes right afterwards and has done a decent job of dealing with this water threat. It is very risky though, because water types usually pack Ice Beam. I have also won a number of stall battles this way the same way Metagross does. I continue to wonder if I should abandon speed EVs, invest them into offense, and run Payback over Crunch. I am just not sure.
Threats
Mega Kanga
- I literally have NEVER killed a mega kanga. They usually come out late game after Volc is dead and absolutely decimate Meta and Hydrei. I can't do anything about it.
Azumarill
- Gives me trouble. I can make it through with Metagross but more often he dies. Hydrei doesn't stand a chance, and neither does Volc.
Charizard-Y: Drought powers down HP Water too much to kill him. Metagross gets obliterated, and Hydreigon usually gets killed with Dragon Claw - but not always. Y doesn't always kill me but he is difficult to handle.
