[Gen V] Team Advice

[Crazyme931]

My Team at the moment is...

Tyranitar

Adamant
Chople Berry
Sand Stream
EVs: 128/HP 254/Atk 128/Sp.Def
Stealth Rock
Super Power
Stone Edge
Pursuit

Terrakion

Jolly
Choice Scarf
Justified
EVs: 4/HP 252/Atk 252/Spd
Close Combat
X-Scissor
Sacred Sword
Stone Edge

Empoleon

Modest
Air Balloon
Torrent
EVs: 252/HP 252/Sp.Atk 4/Spd
Ice Beam
Surf
Grass Knot
Hidden Power (Fire)

Ferrothorn

Relaxed
Occa Berry
Iron Barbs
EVs: 128/HP 254/Atl 128/Sp.Def
Gyro Ball
Curse
Leech Seed
Spikes

Landorus

Lonely
Choice Band
Sand Force
EVs: 254/Atk 128/Def 128/Sp.Def
Stone Edge
Earthquake
Hammer Arm
Hidden Power (Ice)

Bronzong

Sassy
Light Clay
Levitate
EVs: 254/HP 128/Def 128/Sp.Def
Gyro Ball
Earthquake
Light Screen
Reflect

It would be great if you guys could rate my team and possibly give me a few tips to make it better. I want to avoid Ubers and Box-art legendaries.

[Forever]

Well there's a kind of a big fighting weakness there. Empoleon doesn't really seem to do much & with that, when the air balloon is broken you're given a ground weakness anyway. tbh, due to the weaknesses of your team I'd go with something that can outspeed non-choiced (and force a switch even if choiced) fighting types that commonly are in OU and KO them + can make use of surf/HP fire like you want:

Latios@Life Orb
Timid
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Levitate
~ Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
~ Surf
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Psyshock

As for the ice/dragon weakness, with the other two steels you have, you should be fine as far as something to defend against those goes. It also doesn't add to the ground weakness, and if something tries to attack you with crunch, then switch to Terrakion and get a boost. And as for ghost you have Tyranitar to pursuit on them anyways.

[Crazyme931]

Thanks for the advice, the only concern I have is that the sandstorm combined with the life orb will cut down its HP very quickly, do you think that leftovers would still be a viable option?

I think I will take your advice on the latios, also I was thinking of replacing Ferrothorn with Skarmory

Relaxed
Leftovers
Sturdy
EVs: 4/HP 252/Def 252/Sp.Def
Roost
Drill Peck
Spikes
Taunt

[Dark Azelf]

Landorus evs and stuff are just....no lol

Landorus@ Choice Scarf
252 Atk / 252 Speed / 6 HP
Naive Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-Turn
- Hidden Power Ice

Scarf this imo. Hammer Arm is garbage and is outclassed by U-Turn which smacks its common switch ins hard and lets you scout and keep momentum. By investing in its defenses you are just making it an inferior Gliscor tbqh. Landorus NEEDS its speed.

If you scarf Landy, i suggest you make Terrakion a sweeper because as of now nothing can really break through teams. Something which Terrakion excels in;

Terrakion@ Life Orb / Air Balloon
Adamant / Jolly Nature
252 Atk / 252 Speed / 6 hp
- Swords Dance
- Rock Polish
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge

Stat up late game and crush crap. SD beats most stall teams, Rock Polish lets you outspeed offensive threats.

Also Skarmory wants Whirlwind over Taunt or Brave Bird, WW is 100% necessary to stop stat up sweeper. Shed Shell > Leftovers to stop Magnezone going rofl. Max HP then split between defenses. My favourite spread for Skarm is 252 hp / 128 Def / 128 Sp.Def @ impish. This lets you shrug off weak special hits whilst avoiding a 2hko from a DD LO Outrage from Adamant Haxorus.

Leftovers > Occa Berry on Ferro. Occa Berry still doesnt help ferro live fire hits anyway that and stuff with fire moves ferro cant do squat to anyway see: Infernape, Magnezone, Heatran etc.

Id probably just use Specs on Empoleon and give it enough speed to beat Adamant 8 speed Scizor.

Bronzong seems dead weight, a ghost may be useful to block rapid spin which will thwart your spiking strategies.

Also, your whole team does not have to be immune to sandstorm, it just compounds your fighting etc weakness. :/

Finally just of note, using max hp on defensive mons increases their overall durability MORE than going for the defense first. Just for future reference.

[PlatinumDude]

To back up D_A's point about EVs on HP, let's look at Tyranitar. It needs max HP to help it take hits more easily, and max Special Defense to take as much special attacks as it can.


The same applies to Ferrothorn. It has to have this EV spread: 252 HP/88 Def/168 SDef for balanced defenses. Sure, Curse is tempting, but I wouldn't recommend it because it still falls to Fire and Fighting moves. Use Protect or Power Whip in that slot.

[A Sadistic Bastard]

Replace Empoleon with Alakazam @ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Timid
252 SpA/252 Speed
Energy Ball (for those bulky water types)
Psychic
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball/Substitute
Substitute lets Alakazam attack with no fear. Shadow ball eliminates other Psychics such as Latios.


Alakazam is immune to sandstorm damage and life orb recoil. I use this set and it works fine for me.

[Crazyme931]

Originally Posted by A Sadistic Bastard

Replace Empoleon with Alakazam @ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Timid
252 SpA/252 Speed
Energy Ball (for those bulky water types)
Psychic
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball/Substitute
Substitute lets Alakazam attack with no fear. Shadow ball eliminates other Psychics such as Latios.


Alakazam is immune to sandstorm damage and life orb recoil. I use this set and it works fine for me.

I have tried that Alakazam several times before, it can sweep amazingly in some situations but its defenses leave too much to be desired. It usually doesn't last long and is hard to switch in due to few resistances

Also with the new advice I think I will make the following changes to my team,

I like the Latios better than Empoleon for later game special sweeping
For the wall/Spin blocker I will replace the bronzong with Dusclops
I like Dark Azelf's Landorus and Skarmory as they are and will change that

For the Terrakion I will replace rock pollish and keep X-Scissor because I face Dark and Psychic a lot

Thanks guys for the good advice
My current team is
Tyranitar

Adamant
Chople Berry
Sand Stream
EV's: 252/HP 90/Def 168/Sp.Def
Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Pursuit
Superpower

Latios

Timid
Choice Specs
Levitate
EV's: 4/HP 252/Sp.Atk 252/Spd
Surf
Hidden Power (Fire)
Dragon Pulse
Psyshock

Terrakion

Jolly
Life Orb
Justified
EV's: 4/HP 252/Atk 252/Spd
Stone Edge
X-Scissor
Swords Dance
Close Combat

Landorus

Naïve
Choice Scarf
Sand Force
EV's: 4/HP 252/Atk 252/Spd
Earthquake
Stone Edge
U-Turn
Hidden Power (Ice)

Dusclops

Sassy
Eviolite
Pressure
EV's: 252/HP 90/Def 168/Sp.Def
Will-O-Wisp
Confuse Ray
Pain Split
Night Shade

Skarmory

Relaxed
Shed Shell
Sturdy
EV's: 254/HP 168/Def 88/Sp.Def
Roost
Spikes
Whirlwind
Drill Peck

[Geass20]

try getting rid of bronzong and replace it with a flying/psychic poke to limit fighting weakness. if youre going for defence just replace it with a cofagrious

[tinyranitar]

I suggest you use Reuniclus cuz he take hit much better than Latios. He can also benefit from Trick Room, if you give it to Dusclops. Reuniclus also give you a chance to take on Conkeldurr, as Dusclops has nothing on him while he running around, beating crap out of your team with Mach Punch and Pay Back(Psyshock deal pathetic damage to him, even coming from Latios)