Potential Pokemon Online Rock Gym Leader Team

[AlexMonroe]

A friend of mine (BLAZEQUAZA) offered me a position in his upcoming pokemon league as a Rock-Type Gym Leader, and I was wondering if the team I'd put together would be a strong enough team to prevent mine from becoming the easiest gym ever.

Aerodactyl @ Focus Band
Pressure
255 Speed EVs, 172 Defense, and 83 Special Defense
Jolly
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Roar

My intentions for Aerodactyl are pretty much to lay Stealth Rock down first, then either attack if it's a pokemon that doesn't pose a major threat, and roar if it's dangerous to go up against, so that the next pokemon can receive stealth rock.

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Regirock @ Leftovers
Sturdy
255 Attack EVs, 255 Special Defense
Careful
- Thunder Wave
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion

I basically want to Thunder Wave pretty much anything, even if I'm super effective against it, unless it's already lost over half it's HP or so. And of course, if I can tell I'm gonna be defeated in the next turn, I use Explosion.

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Archeops @ Focus Band
Defeatist
200 Attack EVs, 27 Defense, 28 Special Defense, 255 Speed
Hardy
- Aerial Ace
- Stone Edge
- Hone Claws
- Agility

I'm kind of using this pokemon as a "hope-for-the-best" kind of sweeper. Hopefully, I'll be able to use Hone claws and/or Agility before attacking, so I can tear my opponent to shreds.

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Gigalith @ Leftovers
Sturdy
75 HP EVs, 180 Defense, 255 Special Defense
Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Explosion

Just in case my Aerodactyl fails to set them up, or if some Rapid Spin gets rid of them, I want to be able to reuse Stealth Rock. For the rest of it, it's basically just a strong attacker.

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Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Solid Rock
71 Attack EVs, 184 Defense, 255 Special Defense
Adamant
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Megahorn

A well-rounded (for types) attacker, which has pretty much my only offense against psychic and dark types, so that's useful. Plus megahorn and Ice Punch should be able to eliminate grass types, but I'm very nervous about Grass Knot :\

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Shuckle @ Leftovers
Sturdy
248 HP EVs, 252 Defense, 10 Special Defense
Impish
- Toxic
- Rest
- Encore
- Protect

My star pokemon! As a last resort, I plan to wear down opponents slowly but steadily. I plan to use Encore after my opponent uses an attack that does about 2% damage, then hit it with Toxic, and then switch off between Protect and Rest, reusing Toxic and Encore if the first two attacks wear off or are eliminated.

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I really appreciate any advice you guys can give, and if you don't have time to write out a full review, just say something in the Poll above so I know generally what to look at (you can select as many as you feel necessary)

Thanks!
~AlexMonroe

 

[PlatinumDude]

Negative priority moves like Roar are detriments to something as frail as Aerodactyl, as it's forced to take a (fatal) hit before it gets the move off. Focus Sash is more reliable than Focus Band, as it ensures Aerodactyl does something before it goes down; Focus Band only activates on occasion, and luck items are generally looked down upon in competitive play:
-Stealth Rock
-Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Earthquake
-Taunt/Roost/Fire Blast
Nature: Jolly/Hasty
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe or 100 Atk/156 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Focus Sash/Life Orb
Ability: Pressure

Archeops should be using Flying Gem + Acrobatics because even if it survives through Focus Band's effect, Defeatist will render it too weak to do anything else unless it packs Roost (and it's somewhat too frail to use it effectively). It's also too frail to use setup moves.:
-Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Acrobatics
-Earth Power/Earthquake
-U-turn
Nature: Naive/Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk/4 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Flying Gem

Never invest in a defensive stat fully unless you max out HP first. That's a big no-no in competitive play, unless that Pokémon's HP is significantly higher than its defenses. Regirock shouldn't be using Explosion here as the move got nerfed in Gen V (it no longer halves Defense before it hits). It can even opt for an offensive tank set. Also, Sturdy Regirock hasn't been released yet, if memory serves me right. Clear Body is the preferred ability regardless as it prevents Regirock from being screwed over by Intimidate or random stat drops from moves like Crunch or Shadow Ball:
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
-Drain Punch
-Thunder Wave
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers/Rocky Helmet

Rhyperior definitely needs more power in its EV spread:
-Stealth Rock
-Earthquake
-Rock Blast/Stone Edge
-Dragon Tail
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP/16 Atk/244 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock

or
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Megahorn
-Ice Punch/Rock Blast
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 96 HP/252 Atk/160 Spe
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Solid Rock

or
-Rock Polish
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Megahorn
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock

Golem is a better candidate than Gigalith because it has Sucker Punch to deal with faster opponents. Explosion also got nerfed this gen, so it's not very useful anymore:
-Stealth Rock
-Earthquake
-Rock Blast/Stone Edge
-Sucker Punch
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 212 HP/252 Atk/44 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy

Shuckle is absolute Taunt bait ; it can only damage opposing non-Steel 'mons with Toxic. While its defenses are the highest among Pokémon, its low HP seriously undermines them and its defensive typing is weak. This team is walled by Steel Pokémon outside of EQ, so Probopass could theoretically trap them. While its defensive typing is bad too, it has more useful resistances than Shuckle:
-Magnet Rise/Stealth Rock
-Volt Switch
-Earth Power
-Power Gem/Flash Cannon
Nature: Modest
EVs: 160 HP/252 SAtk/96 Spe
Item: Leftovers/Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull/Sturdy

 

[AlexMonroe]

I appreciate the tips about the Focus Sash and Explosion - I didn't know the sash was more effective, or that Explosion was much less powerful this gen (Really thanks for the Explosion part)

In your opinion, if I wanted to use Rhyperior as a pokemon that would at least wear down several pokemon rather than defeating one before fainting, should I use the Dragon Tail version?

I've also been told that I should consider adding a Cradily to my team to combat water types, what do you think I should switch it with, if anything?

I'm also aware that I am pretty new at competitive battling, but do you think I should add Fire Blast to a pokemon that already has physical attacks, meaning I'd have to divide EVs between two attack forms, when I could put all my eggs in the Physical attack basket? I'm not really sure, but this seems strange to me.

And one last question, I noticed that you added a lot more Stealth Rock, which pokemon do you think I should use as the initial pokemon, and should I use stealth rock first like I used to?

Thanks again for all the advice,
~AlexMonroe

 

[PlatinumDude]

If you can consistently get Stealth Rock up, Dragon Tail Rhyperior is viable.

Cradily does make a neat option on the team; it can go over Shuckle:
-Toxic
-Giga Drain
-Hidden Power (Rock/Fire)
-Recover
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain

or
-Swords Dance
-Seed Bomb/Stone Edge
-Earthquake
-Recover
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain (it's here for the Water immunity)

Fire Blast is one of the recommended options on Aerodactyl, as this helps against Scizor, Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Forretress.

 

[AlexMonroe]

Thanks for answering all my questions, I do think I am going to replace Shuckle with the Toxic Cradily, and I don't too often have my stealth rock blown away, so I'll probably give the Dragon Tail Rhyperior a shot, and change it if it doesn't work out.

Thanks again,
~AlexMonroe

 

[Azire]

Have you thought about using Tyranitar? It will bring a permanent Sandstorm that will damage your opponents. Also considering you're using a mono-rock team it Sandstorm increases all Rock type Special Defense by 50%. Just a thought.

 

[AlexMonroe]

I have considered Tyranitar, though I'm mostly sticking closely to what PlatinumDude suggested, but what pokemon would you think I should replace with Tyranitar?

 

[lineofdeath]

Gigalith could go, tyranitar to me is better.