Make Keldeo great again

Zeffy · Jan 12, 2017

Hi, I liked spamming Keldeo back in XY/ORAS so I made a team with Keldeo in it.

[PokeCommunity.com] Make Keldeo great again

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind

Spamming Scald on Specs Keldeo is still very powerful. Paired with Pheromosa's U-turn, there's usually enough chip damage that either one of them can end up sweeping the entire opponent's team. Usually.

Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Bone
- Flare Blitz
- Bonemerang
- Toxic

Useful vs Grass-types that otherwise stops Keldeo. Also very anti-meta, but wears itself down very easily.

Tapu Bulu @ Life Orb
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 168 HP / 124 Atk / 40 Def / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leech Seed
- Horn Leech
- Superpower

Water-types are also not very appreciated, and Tapu Bulu usually enjoys setting up on them. Usually. Fuck Scald.

Pheromosa @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
- Poison Jab
- Ice Beam

Does this even need explanation? Deals damage but can't take damage. Used usually as a revenge killer or a late game cleaner.

Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard

I usually lead with this guy. Very potent wallbreaker that complements Keldeo and Pheromosa. Usually kept healthy when there's a Pheromosa or a Zygarde on the opposing team.

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower

Probably my favourite Pokemon in SM. Heavy Slam deals a lot of damage on unexpected switch ins so make sure to abuse it. Also 2hkos scarf Magnezone on the switch with Flamethrower, but don't do that because everyone else appreciates Celesteela support. also this is the only actual check to tapu lele

Playing this team involves a lot of prediction and double switching. Take advantage of free Scald hits, U-turn chip damage; this team has a lot of wallbreakers and Pheromosa has no problems dealing with everything lategame if nothing else can outspeed it. Keep Celesteela and Pheromosa healthy since they can carry the game most of the time. Kinda weak vs Mega Metagross though so make sure to keep Bulu and Marowak healthy until Mega Metagross is out of the way. Tapu Lele tears this team anew so if you see that shit just forfeit or catch it with Celesteela's heavy slam lol

Spoiler: importable

5qwerty · Jan 12, 2017

Tested a bit, mostly against bad players.

1. I think it would be beneficial to everyone to explain your EV spreads. Assuming 159 on Marowak is for Celesteela, but I don't really understand 230 on Bulu. It gets outsped by Jolly Magnezone, and the only notable Pokémon it outspeeds is Magearna.
2. Magnezone + Threat (Lele, Pinsir, Metagross, fast stuff with priority) is pretty hard to deal with for your team. Every time said threat comes out it will be a tough decision. I think making something scarfed will ease this problem.
3. I would recommend taking Ice Beam off of Pheromosa for Lunge, if not just drop Pheromosa. You already have Keldeo and Mamoswine, both of which can hit what Ice Beam hits (and it's not like Ice Beam is that cheese or anything). Lunge allows you to stay in and sweep instead of having to U-Turn out all the time.
4. I would also recommend changing Tapu Bulu's set to the Fightinium Z set, +2 and rocks gives you a chance to knock out Skarmory and Celesteela (assuming +Def 252 HP/Def), and it can maybe put a lot of work in for your team. (Don't know the set specifically, but it's SD/Superpower/Wood Hammer/Horn Leech? - not too sure)

I probably need to test more, but those are my initial thoughts.

Zeffy · Jan 12, 2017

5qwerty said:
beep

1. Both Marowak and Bulu's EV spreads were shamefully copied somewhere from Smogon, probably in their discussion threads. I never actually got around to tweaking them to my liking since I stopped doing battles for a while (holidays amirite) and just recently started again shortly before posting this thread. With that said, Marowak-Alola needs only 68 EVs in speed to outspeed minus speed Celesteela (which, I think is standard) so I'm going to probably change to 184 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Spe. There's probably a more efficient spread out there, but currently can't be arsed to look lol. Tapu Bulu, on the other hand, is a complete mystery to me. I was actually contemplating on replacing it with Mega Venusaur or to revert it back to the Choice Band set I was initially using.

2. Tapu Lele and Megagross are generally problematic for this team, and if Magnezone successfully traps and kills Celesteela then I'm utterly screwed. Looking into replacing Pheromosa with something that helps ease those matchups. Or maybe give Shed Shell to Celesteela to bait Magnezone's Thunderbolt and then switching to Marowak or something, idk that seems very high risk, low reward though.

3. Pheromosa is probably the most replaceable in the team. I used Ice Beam mainly to get a jump on Landorus-T, and I guess Dragon-types. I'll try using Lunge, thanks!

4. I'll try it, thanks for the suggestion!

I've been facing bad players mostly with this team, too, who don't expect the damage output from Keldeo (which completely baffles me since it was such a huge thing last gen). Then again those battles were from 2 weeks ago so things might have changed. Thanks for the rate!

Sirfetch’d · Jan 12, 2017

Part of me thinks that HP Poison might be worth looking into to hit Tapu Bulu and Fini over Icy Wind on Keldeo, but I haven't really battled much so I honestly don't know.

Make Keldeo great again

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Zeffy

g'day

5qwerty

Zeffy

g'day

Sirfetch’d

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