Salamence/Crawdaunt Team Build

[NinjaTK]

I'm wanting to build a team around Salamence and Crawdaunt, being two of my favorite Pokémon, but I'm uncertain as to what I should comprise the rest of the time with. I was hoping I could get some opinions.


Salamence
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
-Dragon Dance
-Dragon Claw
-Fire Blast
-Earthquake

Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Knock Off
- Crabhammer

Forretress:
-Spikes/Stealth Rock
-Rapid Spin
-Gyro Ball
-Earthquake/Volt Switch
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 252 [FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]HP[/FONT][/FONT]/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers


Talonflame
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-U-turn
-Will-o-Wisp/Tailwind
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 48 HP/252 Atk/208 Spe
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings


Galvantula does make a decent Sticky Web lead:
-Sticky Web
-Bug Buzz
-Thunder
-Volt Switch/Hidden Power (Ice/Fire)
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes

I was thinking Galvantula would be a great match with Crawdaunt due to Sticky Web.
I'd also like to throw in Lucario or Scizor.
It'd be nice to get an Avalugg in aswell. It's defense stat is fantastic and could be a nice rapid spinner with recovery.

I just wanted some opinions.
This will be the first competitive team I've put together.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Salamence doesn't see much use in OU because of Fairies. Dragon Dance is the best it can do. Naive is also the preferred nature to let Salamence tie with +100 base Speed Pokemon. Adamant and max Speed is also preferred on Crawdaunt to let it outspeed as many walls as it can (it's wall breaker first and sweeper second).

Something that can deal with Fairies, such as Ferrothorn and Forretress, are ideal for the team. Avalugg is a subpar option because of its terrible defensive typing:

Ferrothorn:
-Stealth Rock/Spikes
-Leech Seed
-Gyro Ball/Thunder Wave
-Power Whip/Protect
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 252 HP/208 Def/48 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs

Forretress:
-Spikes/Stealth Rock
-Rapid Spin
-Gyro Ball
-Earthquake/Volt Switch
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers

Anything that can deal with Keldeo or Mega Venusaur is ideal for Crawdaunt, so Talonflame is a good option, though you'll have to use Forretress because of a Stealth Rock weakness:
-Swords Dance
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-Roost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 48 HP/252 Atk/208 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Sharp Beak/Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-U-turn
-Will-o-Wisp/Tailwind
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 48 HP/252 Atk/208 Spe
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Bulk Up
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Substitute/Taunt
Nature: Careful
EVs: 248 HP/176 SDef/84 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings

Galvantula does make a decent Sticky Web lead:
-Sticky Web
-Bug Buzz
-Thunder
-Volt Switch/Hidden Power (Ice/Fire)
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes

This is all I can do for now; see what you can do with the last two slots.

 

[NinjaTK]

Awesome, thanks for the response!
I just mainly don't want to use all the popular choices.
There are more pokemon out there that can get the job done just as well.
I just finished up breeding a 6 IV Joltik, so Galvantula is for certain.
As for Talonflame, I'm thinking the first set.


I'll have to get a comparison pulled up between Ferrothorn and Forrestress.

 

[Nolafus]

Crawdaunt is much too frail for a bulkier set to work. I've been using Crawdaunt in OU with some pretty awesome results, so it definitely is viable, that's for sure. Here's the set I've been using:

Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Knock Off
- Crabhammer

Two Knock Offs will actually do more damage than two Crunches, and Crawdaunt probably isn't going to last long enough to be using Knock Off for a third time. Instead, I would use Swords Dance because Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet hits like a truck after one boost, OHKO'ing common threats like Genesect and Landorus-T. Sticky web support sounds like a great idea, and to take full advantage of that, I would transfer the 252 HP EV's into speed. This will allow a lot of freedom when it comes to using Knock Off to pick off some other threats that Aqua Jet can't.

Anyway, I've had a lot of fun using Crawdaunt and I know that it's one of the most overlooked pokemon in existence. I hope I helped!

 

[Nah]

So, your team currently is: Salamence, Crawdaunt (I need to breed and train mine), Galvantula, Talonflame, and Ferrothorn/Forretress. You kinda need another special attacker, since everyone but Galvantula is physically based.

A few things to consider:

-Mega Lucario w/Lucarionite
Nature: Hasty/Naive
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Sp.Attack, 252 Speed, 4 Attack
Moves: Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon, Dark Pulse/Nasty Plot, Extreme Speed

-Gengar w/Black Sludge
Nature: Timid
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Sp.Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Moves: Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Focus Blast, Destiny Bond

or

-Gengar w/Black Sludge
Nature: Timid
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Sp.Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Moves: Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Disable, Substitute

-Sylveon w/Leftovers
Nature: Modest
Ability: Pixilate/Cute Charm
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp.Attack, 4 Defense
Moves: Hyper Voice, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Psyshock/Hidden Power Fire
If this team isn't for Showdown, you may have some difficulty getting a Sylveon with Hyper Voice. Moon Blast is what you go with if Hyper Voice isn't an option.

 

[Blastin'Tyruntz]

Sorry to say, You have to replace Salamence...Fairy-types everywhere brah.
I think you should throw a Mega-Scizor maybe with Technician, and put Bullet punch on him and some other moves he could benefit from.
You can also add up a fairy type like Klefki or Mawile (Leaning more towards Klefki), and a spore user like Amoongus.

 

[Nah]

Sorry to say, You have to replace Salamence...Fairy-types everywhere brah.

Dragons are still usuable, even with Fairies. I use a dragon on most of my teams, and it works out. Hell, I have a whole team of dragons, and its fine. And its not like the dragon has to fight the fairy (and a lot of them actually can take on a fairy).

 

[NinjaTK]

Slayr, I'm digging that set for Crawdaunt!
I'll give that one a try, for sure.


NCWZ, Mega Lucario is looking like a possibility, but what about the fact that I'll have 3 Pokémon weak to electric attacks (Salamence, Talonflame, and Crawdaunt.)
Yes, Salamence will have EQ to help cover it, but I feel like that's too big of a spread there.
Except I guess if I were to switch in Ferrothorn, he'd be able to bulk those hits.


Edit: I'd rather keep Salamence despite the new fairy type. Plus I could end up having more intense battles and it'd take more work to get around them :)
Even with them around though, I think it's possible to get past them.


Mega Scizor could work out great for fairy type covered too with bullet punch.

 

[Blastin'Tyruntz]

Dragons are still usuable, even with Fairies. I use a dragon on most of my teams, and it works out. Hell, I have a whole team of dragons, and its fine. And its not like the dragon has to fight the fairy (and a lot of them actually can take on a fairy).

You know, you asked for opinions, i shared mine. Of course you can take on a fairy but fairies like Azumarril can have Ice-type moves on them so i would suggest to at least not lead with Salamence.

 

[Nah]

Ferrothorn is probably the better option type wise, but Forretress gives you Rapid spin, which your team also needs since Galvantula, Talonflame, and Salamence all are SR weak. So a Ground type would be nice. There's all of 2 options for good specially based Ground types: Nidoking and Gastrodon.

So what're we gonna do?

 

[NinjaTK]

I want to say Nidoking due to being another favorite of mine haha.
But I'll entertain Gastrodon. I'll need to look him up real quick.

 

[Nah]

You know, you asked for opinions, i shared mine. Of course you can take on a fairy but fairies like Azumarril can have Ice-type moves on them so i would suggest to at least not lead with Salamence.

Oh, well when you put it that way it makes more sense. It just sounded to me like you were saying that Dragons should never be used by anyone anymore simply because of the existence of Fairies, which really isn't true. But yes, you have to be careful with your Dragons nowadays, and they don't make the best leads. There's a bit of a difference between the two statements. So, uh, sorry 'bout that.

And I didn't really ask for opinions on this thread, the TC did.

 

[NinjaTK]

Well, I'm thinking Gastrodon.
It has slightly higher SpAtk and HP.


Maybe something like:


Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 164 HP/ 92 SpAtk/ 252 SpDef
Item: Leftovers
-Slude Bomb
-Earth Power
-Surf
-Recover


I noticed clear smog removes status changes, does that mean boosts to attack etc?

 

[Blastin'Tyruntz]

Well, I'm thinking Gastrodon.
It has slightly higher SpAtk and HP.


Maybe something like:


Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 164 HP/ 92 SpAtk/ 252 SpDef
Item: Leftovers
-Slude Bomb
-Earth Power
-Surf
-Recover


I noticed clear smog removes status changes, does that mean boosts to attack etc?

I would suggest:

Ability:Sand force
Item: Leftovers
-Earthquake
-Muddy Water
-Recover
-Sandstorm

You use sandstorm, set it up for him, then because earthquake is 33% more powerful (lets give Sand force a round of applause) you wreck everything in your path + that recover-leftovers combo is amazing.

 

[NinjaTK]

I mainly was wanting Sludge bomb for fairy coverage.
And I know Muddy Water has a chance to lower accuracy, but it also has 85% chance of landing compared to 100% with Surf.
If I don't end up using that set, though, I'll try it on another Gastrodon.


Was thinking Storm Drain to switch into a water attack someone would try to use on Talonflame.
Still up to opinions though.

 

[Blastin'Tyruntz]

I mainly was wanting Sludge bomb for fairy coverage.
And I know Muddy Water has a chance to lower accuracy, but it also has 85% chance of landing compared to 100% with Surf.
If I don't end up using that set, though, I'll try it on another Gastrodon.


Was thinking Storm Drain to switch into a water attack someone would try to use on Talonflame.
Still up to opinions though.

That's good you're open to suggestions because i once tried to help my friend, and he ended up ignoring me and lose like 10-15 times before he asked me what he should do.

Good thinking with the switching but considering Wi-Fi battles are fast-paced i don't think you'll have time to switch.

 

[Nah]

Throwing another Gastrodon set out there for you to consider:

-Gastrodon w/Leftovers
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP, 248 Defense, 8 Sp.Defense
Moves: Scald, Recover, Earth Power, Toxic/Ice Beam

 

[NinjaTK]

Updated first post.


And Talonflame with U-turn into Gastrodon would be a pretty quick switch, would it not?


I guess Forrestress with Gyro Ball could deal with Fairy types pretty well.
So I'm uncertain of a set for Gastrodon now xD


I think I might try the movest Zekrom mentioned with the EV spread from mine.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Updated first post.


And Talonflame with U-turn into Gastrodon would be a pretty quick switch, would it not?


I guess Forrestress with Gyro Ball could deal with Fairy types pretty well.
So I'm uncertain of a set for Gastrodon now xD


I think I might try the movest Zekrom mentioned with the EV spread from mine.

Zekrom's move set is the one and only set Gastrodon should be using in Gen VI.

 

[NinjaTK]

I figured I would benefit more with the other set of EVs though, seeing as all of the Pokémon on my team so far are physically inclined.