Spit that out Swalot! (OU RMT)

[madskil72]

I've noticed a lack of RMT's lately, and i made a new team. So I figured I'd get it rated for kicks =P I reeeaally don't like using super OU pokemon (aka nape, Scizor, hetran, rotom, etc...) so i wanted to be as original as possible, but still have an effective team. So far its been pretty good =) here it is at a glance :

Empoleon@ Lum berry
Modest/Torrent
156 HP / 252 SpA / 100 Spe
-Aqua Jet
-Hydro Pump
-Stealth Rock
-Ice beam

Empoleon is a very effective and reliable lead. He can take out many common leads, and still get up rocks. hydro pump on something that taunts, then finish it with aqua jet, giving them no opportunity to set up. Or, just set up SR right off the bat for good measure. Ice beam is because i like better coverage. I think the lum berry was originally a misclick, but it's been working really well so far.. =P

Machamp @ Leftovers
Adament/No Guard
252 HP / 128 Atk / 128 Spe
-Dynamic Punch
-Fire Punch
-Thunder Punch
-Bulk up

I wanted a physical sweeper with diversity, that could take out alot, and this works great. Bulk up Machamp is seriously underrated. Usually, dynamic punch first, to get confusion, then set up a bulk up and sweep. or, if i switch into something like blissey, then bulk up on the switch and sweep some more =P Fire punch and Thunder punch are for coverage. Lefties is for recovery.

Sceptile @ Choice Specs
Timid/Overgrow
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Leaf storm
-Energy ball
-Focus blast
-Dragon Pulse

Specstile is such a beast its not even funny. STAB, specs, Leaf storm is fantastic and annihilates just about anything. Because ill probably have to end up switching out anyway, the stat drop is okay. energy ball is for more consistant damage. Focus blast is for steels that think they can have they're way. Dragon pulse is for dragons of course. Specstile actually outspeeds Latias and salamence and many other fast pokemon (without scarf/dd) then they're in for a surprise when they're OHKO'd by dragon pulse.

Latias @ Leftovers
Timid/Levitate
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Calm Mind
-Surf
-Dragon Pulse
-Recover

Latias should be uber in my oppinion. Switch in on just about anything not named T-Tar, calm minds up, then owns. Dragon Pulse is a great relieable move and is Latias's main attack. Surf is for Steels that resist dragon pulse. Recover is for tight situations where leftovers won't cut it. Calm Mind is such an asset here, because it makes Latias not only stronger, but specially bulkier too. It can be a very effective special tank/sweeper.

Metagross @ Leftovers
Impish/Clear Body
252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
-Meteor Mash
-Earthquake
-Zen Headbutt
-Explosion

You may look at this and go Wtf? but i assure you, metagross makes a fantastic physical wall. most people forget about metagrosses great defenses and focus only on its attack. The Ev's let him outspeed 80 speed TTar and take it out quick. Then, maximizing his defenses as much as possible. meteor mash is powerful and hits hard. Earthquake is a no brainer. Zen Headbutt is an awesome move, and I don't understand why people don't use it more often. it provides metagross with a physical stab and 20% chance to flinch. If things get too rough, explode in their faces.

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Careful/Thick Fat
168 HP / 120 Def / 220 SpD
-Curse
-Return
-Rest
-Fire Punch

Zomgiheartcurselax <3 Curselax is such a fantastical pokemon. just after one curse to boost its already high attack curselax can pwnafy just about anything. Also, it gives Snorlax some defensive power, and lets it take physical hits. I prefer return over body slam for power > paralyze. It can hit hard on anything not prepared for it. Fire punch is for steels mainly, but works well on things like Celebi, etc. Rest is so he can last longer. I've used selfdestruct before, but i havn't really liked it. It gets rid of a great pokemon on the team, and besides, explosion is better =P


Well that's my team, go ahead and tear it apart =)

 

[The Roshi]

Resistance wise your team looks very solid.

Two things to watch out for in particular are DD Salamence and (if your sceptile is gone) DD Tar. Salamence can come in especially on a choice locked sceptile barring dragon pulse and get a free set up, then proceed to destroy your team with fire blast (metagross/sceptile) brick break (snorlax) earthquake (metagross) or outrage (latias/sceptile/snorlax/machamp) <--- 2/3rds of your team.

Make sure that when you do speed calculations you are calculating the actual stat, not the base stat. Jolly DD Tar gets ~364 speed, outspeeding both sceptile and metagross (the only viable counters) and will sweep your whole team.
Adamant DD Tar will be outsped by your choice specs sceptile for a revenge kill.

I also don't know why you have 128 EV's invested in Machamp's speed. If you want to make it bulky, I would suggest pumping that into defense as Machamp will not outspeed a lot of pokemon.

SUGGESTIONS:

Change your latias set to:

Latias @ choice scarf
Timid
252s.atk/252speed/4hp
Grass knot
Draco meteor
Thunderbolt
Surf/Trick/Dragon pulse/Psychic

This latias will now outspeed both a salamence and a jolly tyranitar after a single dragon dance and is a perfect revenge killer for both (tyranitar with grass knot, outrage-locked salamence with draco meteor)
Thunderbolt alongside grass knot can beat two defensive threats that give your team problems -- suicune and swampert. The last slot should support your team in whatever else it lacks. (I haven't checked defensive threats yet) Trick is to shed your choice item on a pokemon (preferably a wall) that will be severely crippled by the lack of freedom, and will allow you an opportunity to continue a sweep or set up one of your pokes.

You can also change your pokemon team around a little bit by replacing empoleon with a metagross lead and replace your current defensive metagross with skarmory who gains another ground resist for your team as well as more entry hazard/phazing/walling/shuffling capabilities for your team. It will also help you versus mid game SD Lucario who is hard pressed to defeat it before getting whirlwinded away.

So here's what I suggest.

Remove Empoleon and use:

Metagross @ occa/lum berry
Adamant
252hp/236atk/12def/8spe
-Stealth rock
-Bullet punch
-Earthquake
-Explosion

This will guarantee rocks versus most leads and can prove to be a useful exploder later on in the game if you save him. (This is taken from smogon, so read its description for a full analysis) Occa berry used for azelf's that like to fire blast. Lum is for pokes like smeargle and roserade that enjoy sleeping first turn.

Then replace your bulky metagross to:

Skarmory @ shed shell/leftovers
Impish
Keen eye
252hp/64atk/176def/16speed
-Brave bird
-Roost
-Spikes
-Whirlwind

Shed shell is to escape magnezone, leftovers is a traditional staple for any wall.

Brave bird is a nice source of damage, spikes provides more entry hazards with stealth rock, and roost will help you pp stall and generally frustrate physical opponents. Whirlwind is key as it helps you get rid of the physical sweepers that threaten this team.

With the addition of spikes, you might want to watch out for rapid spin pokemon. Usually people like rotom as spin blocker, but if this is for wifi then that won't help you, and I really hate rotom and never use it, so I can't help you integrate one into your team.

Anyways hopefully I helped (this is my first rate ever)

Cya

 

[Dark Azelf]

^Just some notes.

1. DD Tar gets outsped by Timid Sceptile even after the boost and cant beat "Tank Gross" and Machamp is the BEST Tar counter in the game pretty much.
2. 128 Speed evs on Machamp are for Skarmory iirc
3. Skarm doesnt help with SD Luke, like at all, as it gets OHKO'd.
4. Scarf Latias is Pursuit bait and really doesnt help with DD Tar, Grass Knot does poor damage to Tar additionally.
5. Mence is easy for this team to beat and bait with prediction i.e Switch to Latias as it DD's, now it HAS to Outrage and then go to Gross. That metagross also survives a +1 DD LO EQ 100% of the time.
6. Swampert and Cune are not problems thanks to Sceptile destroying both with ease.


Either way, this team has huge problems with stall. Skarm and Forry can switch in (especially the latter) on over half your team and set up Spikes/T-Spikes. Id REALLY be careful of this. Machamp is really the only thing stopping it, but if Rotom or w/e comes in and W-O-W/sets up Reflect then its really rough sailing.

I feel Metagross, Empoleon and Sceptile are the more replaceable members, so id look into something that has powerful wall breaking abilities.

I mean you could even make Salamence Mixed (beats up Lucario) and then put something like LO Heatran in over one of the replaceable members to beat up Scizor (SD LO Scizor 6-0's you). This would make your team harder to stall.

This is really up to you and you can play with what works, so yeah.

Good luck with the team.


EDIT : Machamp wants Payback and Stone Edge >> T-Punch and Fire Punch. Payback doubles in power when you go last so its essentially 100 base power and hits ghosts and psychics incredibly hard. Stone Edge hits everything Fire Punch will and covers flyers i.e Mence and Gyarados.

EDIT 2 : Also Gyarados weak, badly. Id recommend a bulky water @ HP Electric here too OR a Rotom or just something to stop you getting 6-0'd by it.

EDIT 3 : As a Curselax user myself Body Slam >> Return always for the parahax, also helps your team as its slow. That and it NEEDS entry hazards to work these days, so id look into that. I mean if you add Rotom stacking hazards should be easy as he stops Rapid Spin too so yeah.

 

[The Roshi]

@_@ sorry for a poor rate. I won't be trying that again for a long while.

 

[madskil72]

i really don't want to replace anybody on this team T-T lol buutt i guess if i had to choose someone itd be metagross =/
cuz I heart specstile to no end lol
although i don't really know what to replace him with =/
cuz he's basically my dragon resist, because empleon usually goes down early..
I see your point D_A on stall teamswith this team. so maybe a wall breaker > metagross?
but if so, then what?
(ive had pretty bad experiences with mixmence on my teams lol =/)
and plus if i get rid of fire punch/ t punch, that pretty much takes away machamps diversity (although i have yet to try SE and pay back =P)
soo what should replace gross? =/

 

[Dark Azelf]

i really don't want to replace anybody on this team T-T lol buutt i guess if i had to choose someone itd be metagross =/
cuz I heart specstile to no end lol
although i don't really know what to replace him with =/
cuz he's basically my dragon resist, because empleon usually goes down early..
I see your point D_A on stall teamswith this team. so maybe a wall breaker > metagross?
but if so, then what?
(ive had pretty bad experiences with mixmence on my teams lol =/)
and plus if i get rid of fire punch/ t punch, that pretty much takes away machamps diversity (although i have yet to try SE and pay back =P)
soo what should replace gross? =/

Yeah but what does T-Punch and Fire Punch even hit that Stone Edge and Payback wont ?

Zong, Scizor, Skarm and Forry are moot btw. D-Punch shreds all of them and Forry cant do anything to you. Plus STAB D-Punch hits Skarm and Zone for exactly the same damage as a Fire Punch.

T-Punch hits like Gyarados and Starmie ? Stone Edge and Payback still hit them very hard, OHKOing after SR damage iirc.

If you want to please provide examples of what exactly T-Punch and Fire Punch even hit (read: that are viable in OU) that Stone Edge and Payback wont. Until then they are kinda poop. Stone Edge also hits Mence who you said was an issue.

Lastly Payback lets you not lose to THE most common fighting type counter in the game. I.e Rotom-A.


Ill post more in regards to everything else later, but its late and i have to go now.