RMT for my Shoddy

[Denzer]

Please rate my team and post suggestions and/or changes.

Forretress @ Leftovers or Shed Shell.
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/ 96 Def/ 162 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Toxic Spikes or Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake or Explosion
- Rapid Spin

Forretress makes a pretty good lead because it's nice to get Toxic Spikes or Spikes down early and it helps as a defensive wall with a decent amount of attacking power. First, the item, Leftovers gives you some form of recovery but Shed Shell allows you escape Magnezone's Magnet Pull and for this reason alone may be the better option. The EVs are designed to let Forretress survive almost any un-boosted physical attack (except fire attacks) and gives it some survivability against special hits. Forretress provides necessary Rapid Spin support to the team because Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes hurt this team a lot. Your 3rd slot provides two options. EQ allows you to hit Heatran or Infernape switch-ins but Explosion can help to deal with a pokemon who is trouble to the team. Gyro Ball is just a given on Forretress because of his low speed (give him a speed IV of 0). Mainly, why Forretress was selected is because otherwise this team has a Weavile weakness and Forretress laughs at Weavile's attacks and kills it with Gyro Ball. This guy also helps with Heracross who also gives this team a bit of trouble.

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Tyranitar @ Life Orb or Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk) or Hasty (+Spd, - Def)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam

Dragon Dance Tyranitar is a monster of Pokemon. With a single Dragon Dance it becomes quite possible for him to sweep an entire team. First the item. Life Orb gives Tyranitar more power to his attacks but Chople Berry (the fighting resist berry) has it's uses as well as it helps to deal with T-Tar's 4x fighting weakness. Now, the EVs are a given for a sweeper of this style. The move-set is rather obvious, DD and sweep. Dark/Ground gives decent coverage and Ice Beam helps to take out your main counters such as Donphan, Gliscor, and Hippowdon. Even with a Jolly nature if T-Tar is holding a Life Orb it OHKO's Gliscor, 2HKO's Donphan, and 2HKO's or 3HKO's Hippowdon with Ice Beam. The only reason you would choose Hasty is to guarantee a 2HKO with Ice Beam on Hippowdon. Hasty is also the preferred nature if you opt for the Chople Berry. I recommend running with Jolly, Life Orb but the option is there. Also, another great aspect is that T-Tar will lure out Gliscor who is OHKO by Jolly, LO Ice Beam which makes a Heracross sweep much easier for the team.

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Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 SDef
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast

ScarfChomp, not much to say here. Jolly is chosen over the usual Adamant so you can outrun opposing Adamant ScarfChomps. The move-set should be obvious. The 4 Special Defense EVs allows you to survive (albeit with exactly 1 HP point) those who attempt to hit the exact stat to OHKO 4 HP Garchomp with Ice Beam. This isn't reliable way to expect to survive the Ice Beam (because it still might OHKO) but it has it's uses.
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Salamence @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 112 Atk/144 Spd/252 SAtk
Rash nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Roost or Crunch
- Brick Break

You may scoff at the 2 dragons concept but actually this is strategy used by some of the best players in the metagame (myself included) as these two have the same counters so by eliminating one counter with the other dragon you have given the opportunity for the other to sweep easily. Although, if you are really against the "two dragons" concept you could always change him to a wall-breaking Mixed Infernape. This is a set I actually designed myself for the Smogon analysis a few months ago and it fit perfectly on this team. MixMence is a great addition to this team because he breaks all the walling-teams who would otherwise run all over this team. SkarmBliss (Skarmory and Blissey), Celetran (Celebi and Heatran), and GlisBliss (Gliscor and Blissey) are all brought down by this guy. Fire Blast massacres walls like Skarmory, Bronzong, and Celebi. Draco Meteor completely eliminates Gliscor, Hippowdon, and other physical walls. And finally, Brick Break takes out Blissey and Heatran (on the switch in if it's Scarfed). Roost allows it to recover LO damage off, which I believe is the better option, but Crunch can be used to help break walls like Cresselia and Dusknoir. The EVs are designed to OHKO/2HKO each of these walls while still outrunning CB Heracross.

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Mesprit @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/176 Def/80 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- U-turn
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Psychic

Great offensive wall in my opinion. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam give the famed "Boltbeam" combo and Psychic is nice for Infernape, Machamp, and Heracross (on the switch in obviously). U-Turn allows it to swith out without dying to Weavile or Tyranitar's Pursuit.

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Heracross @ Choice Band or Life Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 96 HP/252 Atk/160 Spd or 204 HP/ 152 Atk/ 152 Spe
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Sleep Talk
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Stone Edge
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CB Heracross is an absolute monster. This is your sleep absorber, and a pretty good one at that. I prefer the first EV spread for the extra power but the second one is also viable. The choice between CB and LO is a personal choice but Choice Band Sleep Talk hurts incredibly. With a Choice Band and Guts Heracross reaches an astounding 766 attack stat. I'd recommend CB and the first EV spread but the other is fine as well in case you want more survivability. Heracross can switch into leads like Bronzong and Gengar to absorb the Hypnosis so Forretress isn't alseep while still posing an offensive threat. Watch out for Hypnosis coming from Yanmega though as Air Slash OHKO's Heracross.

 

[Dark Azelf]

One of the better teams ive seen as of late.


Anyway, sure you can revenge kill it but HP ICE Mixape is a problem. I was thinking as this is an offensive team, Wish support would go along way. HP Electric/Ice Beam/Surf/Wish Vaporeon >>mesprit, comes to mind and it helps your team stay alive whilst giving you a counter to Gyarados AND Mixape. Mesprit cant counter ape unless it takes evs from def and puts them in sp.def, but then it cant counter Gyarados and it just goes in a sad circle. Vaporeon counters all the aforementioned better.

As for Mixmence, make it outrun neutral lucario 120 ATT / 212 SP.ATT / 176 SPEED, so you can switch that into close combats etc..

Nothing to take powerful sp.attacks is a problem, such as Draco meteors. So you could invest something in that department.

EDIT : And give forry MORE defense. 252 HP / 68 ATT / 196 DEF should do it@ Shed Shell. With that few def evs, its not countering Heracross, especially cb versions.

 

[Aquilae]

The wording on it is like you are trying to sell the team or something =P

U-turn, unless you are going last is going to induce the increased damage from Pursuit. Basically meaning CBTar Pursuit = gg Mesprit

Heraweak. CBCross can OHKO 3/6ths of your team and 2HKO the other half. Basically it means your only switchins to Hera are Mence and Garchomp, both which do not do well against it (Forry gets 2HKOed by CC, considering it is slower it would always be KOed if it is left in).

SDLucario weakness too. Again, only Garchomp and Salamence can switchin (Forry gets 2HKOed by CC, OHKOed if it has taken ~12% of damage), and both are very unreliable counters considering that Mence has the annoying SR weakness and Chomp is very vulnerable to revenge-kills and ScarfChomp is easily walled, adding on to the fact that Lucario wouldn't stay in on conventional Chomp as it outspeeds even without a Scarf.

2 Dragons aren't anything special tbh, but Mixmence and ScarfChomp does not constitute the combo, for one ScarfChomp is easily stopped by a lot of physical walls, and LO on Salamence is a dead ringer for Mixmence, it wouldn't break much walls considering the opponent already knows what you were planning to do.

Going a bit offtopic here, but the combo is best used with SDYacheChomp opening up a sweep for DDLO Dragonite.

As D_A said, opposing special sweepers will give problems.

I would say that Bronzong should go over Forry helping with Mamo and Weavile in addition to providing a good resist for the many Dragon attacks. Run HP Ice to ensure a 2HKO on Sala/Chomp/Dragonite, as Bronzong is possibly your best counter to them.

I would say Vaporeon > Mesprit, giving Wishpasses to your sweepers and Bronzong which would help tremendously. Anyway Vaporeon should use Roar in the last slot for PHazing, against Ninjask and friends.

Change Mence to Gliscor, or use an alternate EV spread for BulkyMence, but I think it would be preferable if you just went Gliscor. I would recommend SDGliscor, sacrificing the ability to take stuff like Garchomp Outrages for the ability to stat up and hit hard.

Gliscor @ Leftovers
Jolly, 116 HP/136 Attack/86 Def or 42 Def/172 or 216 Speed

Aerial Ace/Stone Edge
Earthquake
Roost
Swords Dance

Speed is for Jolly Burn Orb SD Facade Hera, 216 is for Jolly/Timid Lukes.

Anyway you should concentrate more on setting up a sweep for Heracross - DDtar helps achieve that by Ice Beam getting rid of Gliscor.

I really liked the team. Good job.

 

[Syaoran]

I'd definitely change Mesprit, since it gets walled very easily and constantly switching it in SR isn't gonna do it any good, especially without being able to heal. I support Vaporeon instead.

You have a huge Starmie weak, or anything faster than base 100. If the opponent finds out Garchomp is scarfed he can use it to switch in pokemon like Azelf or Togekiss (on Earthquake) to nasty plot up, or Metagross (on Outrage) to Agility and start killing stuff with Meteor Mash.

Jolly Dugtrio will be able to revenge kill Heracross and TTar (even after a DD).

Roserade with HP fire is also a threat.. you just need to make sure Heracross takes the sleep while you counter it with Salamence.

You basically made a team with extremely hard hitting pokemon, but they are lacking in the speed department (except Garchomp, although he is very predictable).

-- note: Forretress is a bad lead. Go Salamence.

 

[Denzer]

Everyone thanks for your suggestions.