Random Garchomp Team

[PlatinumDude]

Substitute is the more reliable way of triggering Salac Berry, IMO. It also has utility in protecting Garchomp from status moves like Will-o-Wisp and makes Garchomp less likely to get picked off by priority, which Endure does.

 

[Nolafus]

Hey, Archy! I hope you don't mind if I chime in. I may not be the most knowledgeable, but after battling your team a couple times, I think I have an idea on what could help.

Your Heatran is interesting. It's running EVs for an offensive set, yet having Stealth Rocks at the same time. Not that they can't go together, but I think that your team would benefit from having a more defensively based member. You know, something to take a couple hits and set up your other sweepers for success.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 192 SpD / 68 Spe
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Taunt/Flash Cannon
- Stealth Rock

This is so you can get Stealth Rocks out consistently, while also being able to handle fast special attackers. Taunt is normally run here, but since I know you like offensive power, I think Flash Cannon would work as well. Choice Scarf Heatran is also an option, if you're looking for a bulky special attacker, but you would lose the Stealth Rocks, but I'll get to that later.

Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge

It packs a punch, and is very fast right out of the gate. Since you would be losing your Stealth Rocks setter, Clefable might make a good replacement since you said Serperior wasn't really pulling its weight.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Soft-Boiled

Thunder Wave would help a lot against some set up sweepers that would normally threaten your team. Clefable also makes a very good status absorber alongside Starmie, which would be great for protecting your main damage dealers.

If you want to keep Heatran the same, then I would suggest switching Serperior for Sableye. It's great for making physical threats absolutely worthless, and is just a general nuisance.

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Foul Play/Toxic

This set brings in a lot of utility. It may seem weird at first to include Will-O-Wisp and Toxic in the same set, but they compliment each other quite well, especially when opposing Talonflame want to switch in and set up. Foul Play works too so Sableye isn't complete Taunt bait or set-up fodder.

I know you don't like defensive pokemon, but I believe that they're necessary in every team, even hyper offense. Since if every pokemon is a potent sweeper, who's going to take those status ailments, or weaken the opposing team's walls when they can't be OHKO'd? Right now, you're wrecked by Choice Scarf sweepers, since besides Ice Shard, you can't touch them. Just a few thoughts I had after our battles.

 

[Dark Azelf]

^Magma Storm tran helps deal with stalls better which otherwise crush this team very badly. Saying that i do agree with the defensive structure of this team, it leaves alot to be desired and is very frail and cant switch into common attacks repeatedly. Which is bad when even scarfers will probably cause you a massive headache. Tl'Dr, anything with DD or that can stat boost is going to wreck this team because it has no defensive structure, no scarfers, no way to stop sweeps etc.

Also Weavile should probably be packing Pursuit, that really stood out to me as it helps weaken Zard-Y's checks and the chip damage puts alot of them in KO range for it.

 

[illumine]

Adding to what's been said, I guess, the Starmie might come across as in a sense hoping for the drop or a Pokemon left in to attack or fill a space in the team without necessarily being shaped around it, that said the Scald-Recover combination could well be effective given the stress that the opponent's structure is already up against given the offensive potential of the Garchomp and etc. At the same time, on this team the Starmie might appear to be hanging on for life, which isn't necessarily an effective use of Recover as people have experienced. Sword's Dance Garchomp is effective, relying on Heatran to get rid of Fairy-types in such a team might be frustrating given its weaknesses, although the overall structure of a dragon/ground focus with support of two fire types, a water type, grass type and ice type is slightly nice in a sense. Serperior comes to seem important in such a context, however, and this would produce the opportunity for certain types to stall or sweep the team if they could take out certain Pokemon, although evidently the point is that Charizard-Y might be a problem even for usual enemies if sent in appropriately, etc., although this can also depend on them and they'd need to get that far in the first place.

In this context the slightly stall-esque tendencies of some water types might be worth looking out for in combination with more recognised stalls as this could be an issue. You might want to avoid situations where you're forced into attacking haphazardly because of a lack of options, and leaving out Serperior could blunt a certain offensive angle for this team if that isn't replaced. Magma Storm might be useful as well, as otherwise it might exacerbate certain issues with stalls which might let them get by slightly too easily, although at the same time it is possible that this might require Heatran to take up slightly too many roles, alongside the general attacking necessity which they have here.