Yet another 4th Gen team

[peadawg14]

Dang I can't wait until Black/White comes out!!! I'm so anxious waiting I decided to make yet another team.

Team building process:

First I wanted Umbreon. He's the coolest looking shiny and has great Special defense and good support moves, like Wish and Heal Bell.

Next I picked Zapdos to cover Umbreon's weaknesses and to be a Pressure staller/Scizor counter.

Next I wanted a scarf-Tar to deal with Starmie, Gengar, and Azelf.

Next I wanted a bulky water and stealth-rocker so of course I picked Swampert with his excellent defense and only 1 weakness.

I then picked my favorite pokemon from 4th Gen, which is Infernape. He's specially based mixed attacker.

Last but not least was a rapid spinner and spike layer so I picked special defensive Forretress.

Finally I realized I had no rapid spin blocker so I picked Rotom-H(which sucks b/c spamming Pressure/Roost is so much fun), which still covers Umbreon's weaknesses and is a Scizor counter, as well as provides W-O-W support.

After battling some more and reading some comments Umbreon did turn out to be dead weight. So I switched to Vaporeon instead.

I didn't want 2 water pokemon on my team so I switched Swampert out for a defensive Zapdos.

I now need a Stealth Rock layer so I switched Infernape(who died too quickly) to Gliscor.


Now for a more in-depth description:


Lead/Special Defensive pokemon/Spiker/Rapid Spinner:
Forretress - Leftovers
Careful
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
~ Stealth Rock
~ Toxic Spikes
~ Payback
~ Rapid Spin

This is a specially defensive set yet still has enough physical bulk to live through some physical attacks. He easily sets up on common leads like Swampert and Metagross. Since he has such good resistances to moves like Ice Beam, Draco Meteor and Shadow Ball, I like to try and save him for later in the game so that's why he has Payback instead of Explosion. Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes help out to poison opposing bulky waters on the switch and help Tyrannitar to get some OHKOs. Rapid Spin is to spin away opposing Stealth Rocks, Spikes, and TS's. With sandstorm help from Tyrannitar as well as Stealth Rock, Forretress can 3hko opposing Rotoms with Payback.


Physical Defensive pokemon/Status Inducer #1
Rotom-H - Leftovers
Bold
252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spe
~ Discharge
~ Will-O-Wisp
~ Overheat
~ Shadow Ball

This is my Scizor, Metagross, and Lucario counter and spin blocker(sucks he loses his ghost typing in B/W). I chose Discharge to maybe get a paralysis on Starmie. W-O-W is for Machamp, Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, etc. He has good synergy with Swampert(who takes on Heatran) and Infernape(who can take on Blissey). 88 speed evs allow him to outspeed Scizor.


Physical Attacker
Tyranitar - Choice Scarf
Jolly
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Pursuit
Earthquake
Crunch
Stone Edge

This is my main physical attacker and what a beast he is! I like to switch in Rotom-H on Starmie's Rapid Spin(whenever that may be). Then switch to my Tyranitar to take a Hydro Pump which does hardly anything from a 252 HP/252 Spe Timid Starmie in standstorm. Then Pursuit for the kill. He's also my counter for ghosts. W-O-W doesn't scare him b/c Umbreon can just heal it off for him. Stone Edge is for flyers like Zapdos and EQ is for Lucario, Metagross, and Heatran...as well as opposing Tyranitars. He also sets up sand storm to help with the stalling aspect of my team.


Taunter
Gliscor - Leftovers (Sand Veil ability)
Jolly
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
~ Knock Off
~ Earthquake
~ Roost
~ Taunt

Gliscor has good synergy with Tyrannitar. Gliscor takes Earthquake and fighting moves while Tyrannitar can take the Ice Beams b/c of his bulk under Sandstorm. Gliscor also has the annoying Sand Veil ability ti go with Tyranitar's sand storm. He can Taunt pokemon like Rotom, Hippodown, and stat-uppers and Roost off the damage. Earthquake is for coverage and to hit Lucario and Metagross. Knock off is to remove opponent's leftovers, choice bands, scarfs, etc.


Physical Wall/Pressure Staller/Shuffler
Zapdos - Leftovers
Bold
248 HP / 228 Def / 32 Spe
~ Thunderbolt
~ Roost
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Roar

Zapdos is my secondary Scizor, Lucario and Gyarados counter and my Pressure staller. Thunderbolt can wear down most pokemon. HP Grass is for Hippodown and Swampert. Gliscor and Tyranitar help deal with Blissey and other Tyranitars with high special defense. The evs allow me to switch into Stealth Rock 5 times if it's on the field and Forretress hasn't had a chance to Rapid Spin yet. Roar is to scout and rack up Stealth Rock/Toxic Spikes damage.


Bulky Water(every team needs one)/Wisher
Vaporeon - Leftovers
Bold
248 HP / 224 Def / 36 SpD
~ Wish
~ Protect
~ Surf
~ Toxic

My good 'ol bulky water and main Heatran counter. Wish and Protect are to help Vappy and rest of my team out. Since Rotom and Forretress have no way of healing besides leftovers, they appreciate the Wish. Toxic, Vaporeon can stall out most pokemon like Suicune, Tyranitar, Gyarados, etc that can't hurt it. Vaporeon can also take Ice Beams aimed at Gliscor while Gliscor is immune to Thunderbolt. She also appreciates the entry hazards because of all the switches she causes.


Well there you have it. Please rate, critic, tear appart as you see fit. :) Thanks for reading.

 

[peadawg14]

24 hour bump. Any suggestions? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[Double Electric]

If you're going to use an Umbreon, your team needs to be absolutely foolproof against any type of Scizor. It's obscenely easy for any Scizor user to switch into an Umbreon and maim one of your team members with a Choice Banded U-turn or even set up once Rotom get too low on health, which it will eventually.

In fact, Foretress, particularly a specially defensive variant is pretty much a Scizor magnet as well, so expect your opponents to be a bitch and switch in that thing over and over and over again.

In general, you should consider what happens when Scizor uses U-turn on you:

You have a couple options:

-Switch to Rotom... however, your Rotom doesn't have any recovery, and combined with Stealth Rock, it will only be able to switch in a couple times.

-Switching to any of your other pokemon is ineffective against a Choice Banded Scizor. Foretress risks the Scizor being a set up variant and can't recover the damage taken by switching in and taking the attack, Tyranitar will die, Infernape doesn't have the defenses to switch into a Scizor and Swampert can only switch in once or twice.

The main problem is that your Umbreon plays too much like an UU Pokemon, where you can kind of afford to squander turns on less important stuff without immediately losing the game. When using Umbreon in the OU environment where it happens to be stuck now, you have to be really clever about dealing a whole bunch of really nasty pokemon that thrive off free turns, such as Lucario, Scizor, Gyarados, Skarmory, Breloom, and even then, I'm just scratching the surface of Pokemon that view Umbreon as no threat to them whatsoever.

Gyarados can easily set up on Umbreon, Forretress and Swampert for instance, Lucario has an easy time with Umbreon and Forretress, Skarmory will basically force you to start predicting double switches and Breloom can switch into anything and Spore you without fear of being put to sleep in return by synchronize.

Basically, you REALLY rely on Rotom for pretty much everything, and once it's worn down, which it will be after a few turns, your team is going to have a nasty time against said pokemon, or even beforehand. While Tyranitar can somewhat serve as insurance against these pokmeon, stone edge always misses, and if it isn't killed upon switching in, you usually have to either make a risky prediction or let something on your team die.

If you don't want to replace Umbreon, give it Yawn or Baton Pass or something, anything that it can use to remotely defend itself against the Pokemon that threatens it, which is to be honest, nearly all OU pokemon.

Here's a couple things your team probably has a nasty time against:

-Offensive water type pokemon
-The super common Lum Berry Machamp leads
-Dragon Dance Tyranitar (After Swampert has switched in for a turn or two against something else) Some may even carry taunt.
-SD Lucario (Tyrannitar doesn't switch into Lucario), most Scizor, Taunt Gyarados and the rest of the pokemon I mentioned earlier.
-Pretty much any fighting Pokemon in general once Rotom has gotten smacked around a bit.
-Many Taunt Pokemon that like to Toxic or set up on you. Gliscor is particularly nasty, considering that it will just Toxic Swampert and flee.
-Any steel pokemon can switch in on Umbreon or Foretress with absolutely no reprecussions other than maybe Rapid Spin. One steel I haven't mentioned yet is Heatran.

There's plenty more to critique, but you should accomodate your team for most of what I mentioned first.

 

[bcdk97]

I think your team is pretty good! I like the use of Forretress as a lead and Scarf-tar is great on almost any team. I have to agree with double electric, you have a Scizor weakness with that Umbreon. I, personally, don't think Umbreon shoul be ou, its not good enough. Keep shooting for the stars, kid!

 

[peadawg14]

Thanks for the advice. I've shuffled some moves and team members around and it seems to work much better.