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Need help improving my team

  • 2
    Posts
    11
    Years
    • Seen Dec 3, 2013
    Hey, I tried to make a team based around using Mawile (especially mega-mawile), and I wanted to see what you guys' opinions were. I was also thinking about making a team based around Haxorus, so if you want to leave a suggestion below, feel free to do so.

    TEAM

    Mawile
    Item: Mawilite
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
    Moves: Sucker Punch / Play Rough / Iron Head / Swords Dance
    Ability: Intimidate

    Gliscor
    Item: Toxic Orb
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe
    Moves: Aerial Ace / Earthquake / Swords Dance / Agility

    Excadrill
    Item: Leftovers/Shell bell
    Naure: Adamant
    EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe
    Moves: Earthquake / Rapid Spin / Rock Slide / Swords Dance

    Skarmory
    Item: Flying Gem
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
    Moves: Spikes / Stealth Rock / Whirlwind / Brave Bird
    Ability: Keen Eye

    Rotom-Wash
    Item: Leftovers
    Nature: Calm
    EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
    Moves: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch / Hydro Pump / Will-o-Wisp
    Ability: Levitate

    Heatran
    Item: Choice Specs
    Nature: Modest
    EVs: 252 SpA / 252 HP / 4 SpD
    Ability: Flash Fire
    Moves: Heat Wave / Eruption / Earth Power / Fire Blast

    ---------------------------

    Ok, so that was my team. I was also thinking of putting a scolipede as a baton passer, but I imagined he'd be somewhat weak in comparison to other alternatives. Any feedback helps- Thanks!
     
    Is this a Poke Bank team? Heatran isn't available yet till that point.

    Mawile needs enough Speed to outspeed uninvested Aegislash, Scizor and Azumarill (132 HP/252 Atk/124 Spe). Even though Fire Fang is needed to hit other Steels, Iron Head still deserves a mention for serving as a Steel STAB.

    Gliscor is usually seen using defensive sets, not offensive ones. Its Swords Dance set has taken a huge hit with the unavailability of Flying Gem:
    -Earthquake
    -Toxic
    -Substitute/Taunt
    -Protect/Roost
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 244 HP/252 Atk/12 Spe
    Item: Toxic Orb
    Ability: Poison Heal

    or
    -Earthquake
    -U-turn
    -Taunt
    -Roost/Knock Off
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 244 HP/48 Def/216 Spe
    Item: Toxic Orb
    Ability: Poison Heal

    or
    -Substitute
    -Baton Pass
    -Earthquake
    -Taunt/Swords Dance/Agility/Rock Polish
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 244 HP/48 Def/216 Spe
    Item: Toxic Orb
    Ability: Poison Heal

    If you want a double dancer that doesn't rely on Gems, make do with Diggersby:
    -Agility
    -Return
    -Earthquake
    -Wild Charge/U-turn/Stone Edge/Swords Dance
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
    Item: Life Orb
    Ability: Huge Power

    Excadrill's item should be Life Orb or Air Balloon. Shell Bell is such an inferior item. Outside of sandstorm, its ability should be Mold Breaker.

    Sturdy is the superior ability for Skarmory, due to the fact that it can't be KOed in one hit at full health. Stealth Rock isn't available for it till Poke Bank. Flying Gem isn't available at all, even with Poke Bank released:
    -Spikes
    -Whirlwind
    -Roost
    -Brave Bird/Taunt
    Nature: Impish/Careful
    EVs: 244 HP/252 Def/32 SDef or 244 HP/32 Def/252 SDef
    Item: Leftovers/Shed Shell
    Ability: Sturdy

    Wash Rotom now is better off using a physically defensive spread to check/counter Talonflame better:
    -Volt Switch
    -Hydro Pump
    -Will-o-Wisp
    -Rest
    Nature: Bold
    EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
    Item: Chesto Berry

    or
    -Discharge
    -Volt Switch
    -Hydro Pump
    -Hidden Power (Ice)
    Nature: Modest
    EVs: 232 HP/56 SAtk/220 Spe
    Item: Assault Vest

    or
    -Volt Switch
    -Hydro Pump
    -Hidden Power (Ice)
    -Trick/Thunderbolt
    Nature: Timid
    EVs: 4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
    Item: Choice Specs/Choice Scarf

    Heatran isn't available till Poke Bank, either. I suggest you find something else to replace it if this isn't a Poke Bank team. I can't think of any specifics at the moment.

    Edit: to add to Zekrom's suggestion, Eruption Heatran only have Quiet natures, as the Pokemon Ranger event set it that way.
     
    Last edited:
    Like Platinum said, Wash Rotom is better using a physically defensive set. If you really wanna use an offensive set, this'd work better than what you got now:

    -Rotom-W w/Leftovers or Sitrus Berry
    Nature: Modest
    Ability: Levitate
    EVs: 232 HP, 56 Sp.Attack, 220 Speed
    Moves: Volt Switch/Thunderbolt, Hydro Pump, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power

    If this is a PokeBank team, consider this as well:

    Skarmory doesn't need both Spikes and Stealth Rock, especially since it likes to have Roost. So switch one with that. Heatran also doesn't need 3 fire attacks. No Pokemon does. It just needs one fire attack: either Lava Plume or Fire Blast will do. It's other moves should be: Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, and Flash Cannon.

    If this is not a PokeBank team:

    Tyranitar or Hippowdon should be your Heatran replacement. Skarmory, Excadrill, Gliscor, and Mega Mawile aren't negatively effected by its sandstorm, and Rotom (if going the defensive route) doesn't care much about the sandstorm. If running Tyranitar/Hippowdon, Excadrill should have Sand Rush as its ability; an Excadrill in the sand with Sand Rush can be beastly.

    Finally, I wouldn't recommend basing a team around Haxorus. Like Hydreigon, it took a nasty hit from the introduction of Fairies. The idea behind Haxorus is almost always SD/DD/Choice Band, then spam Outrage. Which no longer works with Fairies skipping about.
    Scolipede isn't a bad Baton passer (it's arguably better than Ninjask). But I think Tyranitar/Hippowdon works better for your team with all its sand-friendly Pokemon.
     
    Ok, thank you guys for the great constructive criticism- it's really going to help me think around some flaws on most of my teams. ( Also, Tyranitar Excadrill is sounding pretty good, right now)
     
    a very big weakness to this team is mega lucario with ice punch/close combat/sd/filler, it can pretty much outspeed and ohko everything at +2, and nearly does so without any boosts at all. terrakion is a really big threat as well for this reason, gliscor has no defense investment so it's likely ko'd by stone edge after terrakion gets a swords dance.

    skarmory is a really shaky check to both of these pokemon since it's got a very low hp stat desptie its high defense. to be honest i'd put your own choice banded terrakion over excadrill. cb terrakion can help weaken mawile's counters and heatran, the main switchin to mawile, is a good opportunity for cb terrakion to get in and wreak havoc. i'd also run a scarfed landorus t over gliscor to be able to revenge kill strong fighting types, as well as dd dragons and all that. last move is to put defog>spikes on skarmory. defog is far better than rapid spin and skarm should have ample opportunities to get in. besides that, put hp ice over one of heatran's fire moves
     
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