Introduction
Okay, so quite frankly, every single team I've made as of late has been heavy stall (And no, that CroDra team was too far away for it to count xD). To be honest, I've just been super bored with it, and I wanted to switch it up, going back to a more offensive approach. While pondering on the server last night with Beachy at what I can build a team around, it came to me that I should use my favorite Pokemon ever: Jirachi! Jirachi has great typing, and it's weaknesses can be blocked and used to another one of my favorite's advantages: Swampert. I knew what my team was going to be built around, and I noticed right away that this team was going to become a semi-stall team. Jirachi needs the Toxic Spikes support to help blow through its counters, and they also help Swampert as well. Stealth Rock is an obvious must, and normal Spikes fits quite nicely with this team as well. I was happy with the theme of the team, and the building of it came slowly at first. Then I just started ranting to Beachy, while he just said yep, that works (Note to Beachy: You really did throw some good stuff into it though =P). So I'll just present to you my team building process of Operation: Cute Star.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Team Building Process
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Operation: Cute Star
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tyranitar@Lum Berry
Sand Stream
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 126 Atk/ 132 SpD
Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Pursuit
Roar
Tyranitar is currently one of the best leads in the metagame, by far. It deals with a lot of top ten leads (Which I will show), and serves this team well. Setting up the Sandstorm for this team is really helpful with Jirachi and Swampert, and helps aid their sweeps. Roar is a wonderful PHazer, which serves this team well. Pursuit is surprisingly helpful too, as Tyranitar often comes back in later in the game to switch into a Draco Meteor from the ever common Latias, just to Pursuit it out of here. Stone Edge serves as my primary STAB move, and it does damage well enough for most of the common leads. Against the Top Ten:
- It usual Taunts off the bat, so I just Stone Edge for the KO with the help of SS. If I'm unlucky and miss, it will get up its SR, and I'll just go for the KO again. If I'm unlucky AGAIN, Pursuit maims it as it switches.
- I lose to Metagross, plain and simple =P I usually just switch out off the bat to Forry, who can set up on him while he EQs or Mashes me.
- Set up Stealth Rock, as it can't OHKO me with EQ, period. After the set up, I switch over to Forry usually to set up on it, but Roserade can do the same as well, and threaten with Grass Knot.
- It Taunts, I KO with Stone Edge, simple enough =P
- My least favorite lead to combat. It usually goes straight for the KO, so I can just switch over to Forry and set up rather easily.
- Another tough one here. I usually go right over to Rotom to take the predictable Close Combat or Fake Out, then head over to Swampert to take the usual Fire Blast after.
- It uses Sleep Powder, Lum cures off the sleep, and I KO with Stone Edge and Sandstorm. It is surprisingly easy to deal with, especially since I see it more often than not.
- Even with Earth Power, it doesn't threaten me. I set up SR on turn one, and if it doesn't switch, hit with Stone Edge.
- Heal off the Spore with my Lum Berry, go for the easy KO with Stone Edge.
- I don't even try with this thing, I automatically switch over to either Forry or Rotom. If I go to Rotom, I usually switch to Forry after to see what they try to beat it with, and if I switch to Forry, I can set up Spikes easily enough on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roserade@Leftovers
Natural Cure
Calm Nature
252 HP/ 120 Def/ 136 SpD
Toxic Spikes
Grass Knot
Sleep Powder
Rest
Ripped straight for Dark_Azelf, Roserade has been a great addition to this team. Toxic Spikes is almost essential to any Jirachi sweep, which brings Roserade's main purpose straight to the team. One of the main perks for this team is the Natural Rest healing, which increases Roserade's longevity by a lot, which is rather helpful to this team, since Swampert can actually be a bit of a pain to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forretress@Leftovers/Shed Shell
Sturdy
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 252 SpD/ 4 Def
Spikes
Rapid Spin
Payback
/ Gyro Ball / Earthquake
Forretress, is hands down one of the best spikers, period. When the only competition is Skarmory in OU, anyways, Rapid Spin helps bring it ahead. Spikes always aids my sweep, and Rapid Spin gets rid of any pesky Spikes and Toxic Spikes Swampert and Jirachi hate. Payback does well against anything trying to Spin Block me (Mostly Rotom, but I still do a nice chunk). Gyro Ball and Earthquake seem to switch on and off for me. Earthquake is nice to have for the omnipresent Magnezone, which is why I considered running Shed Shell with Gyro Ball and Lefties with EQ. Still, I'm not sure which way to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rotom-W@Choice Scarf
Levitate
Timid Nature
252 SpA/252 Spe/4 HP
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Hydro Pump
Trick
Rotom serves as a little bit of glue for this team. Not only does it add a little revenge killing for this team, it the use of Trick allows me to stop any last Pokemon sweeps, or any set-up sweep in general if I can get in fast enough. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball pack a punch in the form of STAB, and Hydro Pump is necessary for helping me kill of Mixape easier. Still, if it has a CC defense drop, I can use my other moves, which still makes me question to choice of Rotom form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Swampert@Leftovers
Torrent
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 40 Def/ 216 SpD
Curse
Waterfall
Rest
Sleep Talk
CursePert. Is. A. Best. CursePert has consistently set up sweeps for me to wreck the other team, especially when I take out foe Vaporeon out of the picture (And the best part is that I can set up on it with Toxic Spikes in play =D). It really isn't all that difficult to get a few Curses in, especially with Rest Talk. The synergy between Swampert and Jirachi is fantastic too, which allows me to high-tail out of there if need be. Waterfall is a wonderful STAB move for me to abuse to, and if I haven't used Curse at all yet, I can hope for a little flinch hax (Which rarely comes, but whatever =P).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jirachi@Leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid Nature
252 HP/ 80 SpA/ 176 Spe
Substitute
Calm Mind
/ Flash Cannon / Psychic
Thunderbolt
The star of the show right here (No pun intended). With the aid of the rest of my team, Jirachi is actually rather easy for me to set up and sweep endgame with. Although everything is weakened, it certainly is NOT guaranteed, which is why I went with the SubCM set for some extra security, even if I do lose a bunch of coverage. Still, I haven't tested standard Superachi, which I intend to do, just to see if it does better, but I digress. Substitute is wonderful for blocking status if it is still around lategame, and the coverage with either Flash Cannon or Psychic with Thunderbolt is great. The third slot though is still hard for me to choose, and it is really situational, even with my team. Both do a great job, I'm just not sure what to choose. I'm using Flash Cannon currently, but I sort of want to switch over to Psychic again. I'm not sure, so suggestions please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In-Depth Look
Tyranitar@Lum Berry
Sand Stream
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 126 Atk/ 132 SpD
Pursuit
Tyranitar is currently one of the best leads in the metagame, by far. It deals with a lot of top ten leads (Which I will show), and serves this team well. Setting up the Sandstorm for this team is really helpful with Jirachi and Swampert, and helps aid their sweeps. Roar is a wonderful PHazer, which serves this team well. Pursuit is surprisingly helpful too, as Tyranitar often comes back in later in the game to switch into a Draco Meteor from the ever common Latias, just to Pursuit it out of here. Stone Edge serves as my primary STAB move, and it does damage well enough for most of the common leads. Against the Top Ten:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roserade@Leftovers
Natural Cure
Calm Nature
252 HP/ 120 Def/ 136 SpD
Toxic Spikes Grass Knot Sleep Powder
Ripped straight for Dark_Azelf, Roserade has been a great addition to this team. Toxic Spikes is almost essential to any Jirachi sweep, which brings Roserade's main purpose straight to the team. One of the main perks for this team is the Natural Rest healing, which increases Roserade's longevity by a lot, which is rather helpful to this team, since Swampert can actually be a bit of a pain to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forretress@Leftovers/Shed Shell
Sturdy
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 252 SpD/ 4 Def
Spikes
Payback / Gyro Ball / EarthquakeForretress, is hands down one of the best spikers, period. When the only competition is Skarmory in OU, anyways, Rapid Spin helps bring it ahead. Spikes always aids my sweep, and Rapid Spin gets rid of any pesky Spikes and Toxic Spikes Swampert and Jirachi hate. Payback does well against anything trying to Spin Block me (Mostly Rotom, but I still do a nice chunk). Gyro Ball and Earthquake seem to switch on and off for me. Earthquake is nice to have for the omnipresent Magnezone, which is why I considered running Shed Shell with Gyro Ball and Lefties with EQ. Still, I'm not sure which way to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rotom-W@Choice Scarf
Levitate
Timid Nature
252 SpA/252 Spe/4 HP
Thunderbolt Shadow Ball Hydro Pump TrickRotom serves as a little bit of glue for this team. Not only does it add a little revenge killing for this team, it the use of Trick allows me to stop any last Pokemon sweeps, or any set-up sweep in general if I can get in fast enough. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball pack a punch in the form of STAB, and Hydro Pump is necessary for helping me kill of Mixape easier. Still, if it has a CC defense drop, I can use my other moves, which still makes me question to choice of Rotom form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Swampert@Leftovers
Torrent
Careful Nature
252 HP/ 40 Def/ 216 SpD
Waterfall Rest
CursePert. Is. A. Best. CursePert has consistently set up sweeps for me to wreck the other team, especially when I take out foe Vaporeon out of the picture (And the best part is that I can set up on it with Toxic Spikes in play =D). It really isn't all that difficult to get a few Curses in, especially with Rest Talk. The synergy between Swampert and Jirachi is fantastic too, which allows me to high-tail out of there if need be. Waterfall is a wonderful STAB move for me to abuse to, and if I haven't used Curse at all yet, I can hope for a little flinch hax (Which rarely comes, but whatever =P).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jirachi@Leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid Nature
252 HP/ 80 SpA/ 176 Spe
Calm Mind / Flash Cannon / Psychic ThunderboltThe star of the show right here (No pun intended). With the aid of the rest of my team, Jirachi is actually rather easy for me to set up and sweep endgame with. Although everything is weakened, it certainly is NOT guaranteed, which is why I went with the SubCM set for some extra security, even if I do lose a bunch of coverage. Still, I haven't tested standard Superachi, which I intend to do, just to see if it does better, but I digress. Substitute is wonderful for blocking status if it is still around lategame, and the coverage with either Flash Cannon or Psychic with Thunderbolt is great. The third slot though is still hard for me to choose, and it is really situational, even with my team. Both do a great job, I'm just not sure what to choose. I'm using Flash Cannon currently, but I sort of want to switch over to Psychic again. I'm not sure, so suggestions please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concerns
- The fire type weakness. Although I can cover and play around it (With Swampert and Tyranitar) decently, it still concerns me. I can technically still throw TSpikes onto Forry and then use Roserade's slot for something else, but I'm not sure. If I was to do that, I've considered throwing in Wish Bliss to add some more healing to the team (Even with the amount of Rest present, it helps TTar, Forry, and Jirachi).
- Salamence in general. Mixmence throws out the Draco Meteor quickly, which TTar can absorb, but it still concerns me. Dragon Dance variants scare me too.
