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(1)INTRODUCTION
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It was in December 2009, that I joined this place, which I call my second home-Smogon. I was a complete n00b in competitive battling, and first battled on Shoddy Battle on the 19th of December, 09. My first teams were all jokes, but I was bothered by the fact that i had very bad luck, losing entire matches to mis hax and crit. hits etc etc. So I decided that I was bored of Pokemon, and took up Age of Empires 3 online, tutoring people on the large online community there.
Fate had other plans. My CD Drive busted in June of this year, and I forced myself to play Travian, since I had decided "Pokemon is unlucky". Finally, by September, I was fed up with RTS games, and had to come back to Pokemon, and Smogon.
Things had changed. No Salamence or Latias for one. 5th. Gen was around the corner , and I decided to make a new team for OU one fine afternoon. I wanted to make a good lader score, and decided to play on Pokemon Online.
It clicked. I broke the 1250 barrier on Pokemon Online before I quit laddering due to serious connection errors. It was the first time that I ever found out that even I could battle so well, playing and winning against some great battlers. That is not all. This team is the reason I am now here back on Smogon and active on IRC-it showed me there were ways to play around hax, and also taught me a big lesson in life-Never give up. I owe it all to this team, aptly titled Team Comeback.
The team is based on characters from my favourite cartoon-Looney Tunes! Pokemon have a lot in common with Lonney Tunes characters, as you will see in this RMT.
So, here it is-Team Comeback.
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
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(2)THROUGH THE MICROSCOPE
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(i) THE LEAD
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Yosemite Sam-"Say your prayers, critter! I will blast you to
Kingdom Come!"
Yosemite Sam (Azelf) @ Focus Sash
Levitate
252 SpA 252 Spd 4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Explosion
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Starts things off on a good note, doesnt it? At first, I had U-Turn in place of Taunt to serve as a scout, and to deal with other Azelfs and Lead Celebi and AntiLead Starmie. However, I strongly felt the need for Taunt, to completely shut-down Smeargle, Ninjask and other leads from setting up entry hazards. After some discussion about the matter on IRC, Mekkah gave me the solution-Remove U-turn. So it was. Psychic gave me a strong STAB move and a way to deal with lead Machamp. Even though I fully knew that that nowadays Lead Machamp are EVd to take Psychic from Azelf, I could always finish off what remained of Machamp with Skarmory later. Explosion is great on Azelf, as it decimates any Pokemon who can pose a threat to my team later on
Focus Sash ensures that I always get Stealth Rock up, barring a faster Taunt, as from the likes of Aerodactyl who is dealt with by Psychic, or a speed tie with other Azelf.
Azelf’s main duty is to get Stealth Rock up as quick as possible, Taunt slow, bulky leads like Forretress and stuff like Ninjask or Smeargle, and if still alive, blow up when the time is ripe.
Lead matchups against common OU leads. Those causing big problems are in Red, while those posing a medium threat are in violet:
Aerodactyl: I set up Stealth Rock no matter what. After that, I switch to Flygon to take the Stone Edge, and finish it off with ThunderPunch. I never sacrifice my Azelf to finish it off, though. Most Aero leads only set up Rocks on Turn 1 anyway.
Forretress: Since most Azelf leads carry Fire Blast, Forry switches out,so I Stealth Rock. Depending on what switches in, I attack, or switch out.
Swampert: I Taunt it, so that he gets no SR, I set up my own rocks, and switch to Skarm to get up my Spikes. Swampert does nothing to Skarmory, other than Roaring it away.
Azelf: All boils down to the first move. I choose to Stealth Rock 90% of the time, or if I am feeling lucky, go for the risky Taunt. If they U-turn out, I am knocked down to my Sash, but with Stealth Rock up. If they also Stealth Rock, I switch to Skarmory, who takes only 50% from even Explosion, while I can simply Roost off the damage when I find the opportunity to do so against a physical attacker. I reserve Azelf for blowing itself up later.
Machamp: Psychci deals heavy damage to it, but does not OHKO, since Machamp are specifically EVd to take Psychic from Lead Azelf. Once I am knocked down to my Sash by Payback, I switch to Skarmory to take the Bullet Punch, and finish it of with Brave Bird.
Smeargle : Taunt it, set up SR, and finish it off with Psychic, if it stays in.
Ninjask: Taunt it, set up SR, KO it with Psychic, or go to Skarmory and get some Spikes up. I love these Baton Pass leads. Free layers for me yum.
Starmie: This can be a problem. I am usually quite satisfied with just getting Stealth Rock R up, but there is the issue of a speed tie if they also run a Timid nature, in which case I am knocked down to my Sash while having to switch next turn. Blissey walls it. Flygon can weaken it with U-Turn too. Once paralysed by Blissey, my own Starmie can KO it later with Thunderbolt.
Dragonite: Dragonite only prevents me from reserving Azelf for blowing up later on. I set up SR anyway on Turn 1. After Azelf gets KO’d, Starmie easily KO’s it with a swift Ice Beam to the face. ExtremeSpeed does ~40% to Starmie though.
Roserade: I Taunt it, get SR up, while it knocks me down to Sash with Leaf Storm. Whatever, Taunt really screws Spikes/T’Spikes and Sleep powder sets. After that, Skarmory walls it completely, barring the rare HP Fire ones. It even 2HKO’s with Brave Bird, considering Roserade's pitiful Defense.
Heatran: ShucaTran makes a great lead. I set up Rocks on Turn1 . Fire Blast then knocks me down to Sash. I either Explode then(though this is very risky), or switch to Starmie on the Fire Blast, and KO with Surf.
Jirachi- Damn. Jirachi takes the cake for being the most annoying lead, since it completely disrupts my early game plan. I try to set up Stealth Rock, and if it uses Iron Head,I switch to Skarmory or Rotom-H. Skarmory can get some Spikes down, while Rotom-H can hit the switch-in hard with Thunderbolt.
Infernape: Take the Fake Out, then set up Stealth Rock, while I get KO’d by Fire Blast. Starmie or Flygon can finish it off after that. Unfortunately, all I do is get my rocks up. Quite irritating, since they almost always carry a Sash to take my Psychic.
Metagross: Set up Stealth Rock, go to Skarmory on the second Bullet Punch, and start Spiking. Even an Explosion from Metagross does only 70%, so I am safe. I can always Roost off the damage then and there itself.
Tyranitar: LeadTyranitar is quite irritating, frankly put. It breaks my Sash, does not allow me to Explode , only giving me the chance to set up SR. Flygon has to KO it with Earthquake later.
Hippowdon: Set up Stealth Rock, then Taunt it, go to Skarmory to get Spikes.
Like Yosemite Sam, Azelf is so damn hyper offensive, but in fact it fits in so well with my team. Plus, he can blow himself and others up with TNT..err Explosion. Wish he had a nice large flaming red moustache as well..
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(ii) THE SPIKER
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Daffy Duck
Daffy @ Shed Shell
Trait: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Atk
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
Let me tell you first, why I run Brave Bird over Taunt. Brave Bird means I am not Taunt bait from faster stuff like Weavile, BulkyDD Dos. I can't be persuaded to run dedicated Speed EV’s to outrun them and Taunt them first, since that will mean I lose a lot of defensive EV’s, and will get 2HKO’d by the likes of Adamant Luke‘s Close Combat. Skarmory’s main role is to function as a Spikes shuffler and a Phazer, so I need all the bulk I can get. I don’t need any Speed EV’s, since I never stay in on other Skarmory anyway, and the remaining EV’s were simply dumped in Attack, since I switch out of Special attacks anyway, plus Sandstorm boosts my average Spl Def to a respectable 264.
Brave Bird also helps me out a lot with Breloom, when Sleep Clause is activated. Laying down Spikes is absolutely invaluable, since a full layer of Spikes, in addition to Stealth Rock, and Sandstorm when it is active, will strip off almost half my opponent's health on switching in, unless they Levitate of course. Spikes really helps turn those 2HKO's to OHKO's. I run Shed Shell over Leftovers, since I don’t want to get revenged by Magnezone.
Roost keeps me healthy, healing off Brave Bird recoil too. Whirlwind helps fulfill its role as a Spikes Shuffler, and as a PseudoHazer. Plus, he lures in a lot of Special attackers, who are then promptly crippled by paralysis from Blissey, forming the infamous SkarmBliss defensive core, since I didn’t want to go with a typical FWG core like most other teams do. Most of the time, I manage to Whirlwind Pokemon that are common switch-ins for Skarmory , like Heatran, Starmie and other Special attackers, racking up more residual damage. This is why I think Skarmory is an excellent lure for Pokemon which can be revenged easily by Flygon or Starmie. Once all of Skarmory’s counters have been packed off, Skarmory can just clean up the remains, by racking up residual damage.
Just like Daffy, Skarmory is a metal raven-bird thing. Bah, they are both just so damn annoying! Skarmory with its Spikes shuffling, Daffy Duck with its constant chatter.
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(iii) THE CLERIC
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Porky Pig
Porky (Blissey) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Seismic Toss
- Aromatherapy
- Softboiled
- Thunder Wave
Blissey serves as my Cleric, team glue, and T’Wave spammer. Even though I know pretty well that this set is completely walled by Gengar, and that it lacks Toxic, I decided that paralysis was more important to my team than poison. I don’t preferring stalling with Toxic, so I felt that Thunder Wave was better. Seismic Toss is Blissey's most reliable offense, hitting for constant 100 damage.
The EV's here are meant to make Blissey as bulky as possible on the Physical side, so that it can take a physical hit if needed, with the remaining 4 EV's added to SplDef. For example, it takes max 65% from unboosted Waterfall from a Kingdra in the rain. Still, this thing is hellishly bulky on the Special side, and actually beats Special sweepers one-on-one with Seismic Toss. Gengar is an obvious exception, but it doesn’t cause much grief to my team anyway, so I cant be bothered to run Shadow Ball/Flamethrower whatever. Plus, I can just cripple it with T’Wave,if it lacks Substitute, which makes switching in something else easier. I considered Wish over Softboiled initially, but found that I couldn’t waste another move slot for Protect, and just went ahead with the above set, and never regretted it.
Blissey looks so gullible like Porky Pig, but never underestimate this pink blob. They are both pink, and Blissey is cute! Imagine a pig performing Aromatherapy and laying cute white eggs! Call the Animal Control officers, someone.
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(iv) THE REVENGE KILLER
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Sylvester
Sylvester (Rotom-H) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spl Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature(+Atk, -SAtk)
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
Rotom-H is probably my favourite Rotom forme out of all the 5. Earlier, I was using a bulky TrickSpecs set, which did not work out well, and so I had to drop it in favour of Blissey. However, I needed a solid Lucario counter who could actually hurt Lucario. Dropping Flygon was a tough decision, as its STAB Outrage could help me out in crunch situations.
However, Rotom-H worked out as a great Spin blocker, with the ability to outspeed and KO both Forretress and Starmie, OU's premier Rapid Spin users. STAB Thunderbolt was also very useful in dealing with Dragon Dancers like Gyarados and Kingdra.
Overheat was the main reason why I favoured this Rotom forme over the others. With it, Rotom-H acted as a great check to Pokemon like Magnezone, Scizor and Lucario. I decided to go with a purely offensive moveset, running Shadow Ball as my secondary STAB option over Will-O-Wisp or Pain Split. Shadow Ball was very useful to deal with SubSplit Gar as well. As a revenge-killer, Rotom-H had 3 immunities to common types, giving it numerous oppurtunities to switch in easily.
Like Sylvester, Rotom-H is the sneaky type, like any other Ghost. It also has a liking for Bird Pokemon which it can fry with its STAB Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt always gets the OHKO even on 252 HP | 252 SplDef Tweety, so in fact Rotom-H beats out Sylvester for the "Tweety pie making" awards. Canaries with apple sauce anyone?
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(v) THE SPINNER
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Tasmanian Devil
Taz(Starmie) @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd/ 4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
I had my hazards, and I wanted to make sure the opposition didn't have any. If I went for another bulky Spinner/Wall like Forry or Donphan, my team would be too stall-oriented. LO Starmie is my Rapid Spinner-cum-Early Game Sweeper, and oh man, it deserves to be one of OU top current threats. This is what helps me get the advantage earlier on in the game, and more often than not, it lasts. It defenses are not half-bad either. I always make sure that I have a Water-type on my team, and this team was no exception. Sometimes, I have considered replacing Starmie with BulkyWaters like Swampert or Vaporeon who are bulkier, and in the case of Vappy, provide Wish support and phazing, but then, I would be left without an early-game sweeper+spinner. Starmie has a great typing too, resisting Fire, Water and Fighting type attacks, in particular the latter, as replacing Rotom-H with Blissey resulted in my losing a Fighting immunity.
Surf+T'Bolt+Ice Beam provide nearly unresisted coverage(lol, Shedinja, lol Lanturn), and with that excellent Speed stat, Starmie is going to be sweeping left, right and center early game if it is not met promptly with a counter. Surf>HydroPump in my opinion, since a miss can be very costly early game. Rapid Spin,as explained, ensures that I am not troubled by Entry Hazards. If I had Recover, it would mean that I had to drop an attack, and also slightly tweak the EV spread,if I wanted to make it a bulky sweeper, so I dropped it and went in favour of 3 attacks+Spin. Starmie is one of my main answers to dangerous set-up sweepers like Dragonite, Gyarados and Infernape .
Like Taz, Starmie Spins around a lot, causing destruction. Therefore, it is based on the destructive Tasmanian Devil. Starmie cannot bore through trees however, and does not have unclean canines and molars. Hell, it doesn't even have a mouth, but who gives a damn, Taz forever!
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(vi) THE SWEEPER
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Whats Up, Doc?
Bugs(Tyranitar) (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -Spl Def)
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Beam
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Call me crazy for not using Crunch, I don't care. But oh, boy.One Dragon Dance is all he needs to start sweeping. He also brings Sandstorm in, which means my Skarmory wont die to any Special attack. Rock Slide+Earthquake gives me excellent neutral coverage, resisted only by Flygon as I hate Stone Edge with a passion. Oh, and Rock Slide has a nice 30% flinch rate. Ice Beam is my ace card on this set, since it lures in unsuspecting physical walls like Gliscor, who is then promprtly destroyed by Ice Beam. He also completely disrupts Weather teams,and sweepers which depend on weather(like Kingdra) which is an added bonus. Great defensive stats mean that T’Tar is definitely one of the best Dragon Dancers left in OU, and gets a lot of oppurtunities to DD up.
Lum Berry was the preferred item, since status completely screws me over. Max Speed is required to beat +ve natured base 115 Pokes after one DD. Max Atk was pretty much straightforward, and the 4 remaining EV's were dumped in HP. I really don’t need any EV’s in defensive stats, as T’tar is meant to DD up, and sweep. Naive nature is used so that Ice Beam's damage output is not affected.
Like Bugs is to Looney Tunes, T'Tar is to my team-indispensable. Did I mention they are both smart, but whatever, Tyranitar is awesome, like Bugs Bunny! If only Tyranitar had a buck-toothed grin, to go with its awesomeness!
Foghorn Leghorn(Flygon) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- ThunderPunch
Flygon was preferred over other popular Choice Scarfers like Jirachi for its Ground typing, Levitate and a strong STAB Outrage. It is a great scout with U-Turn, keeping offensive pressure and smacking Celebi hard. Earthquake is my secondary STAB, while in the last slot I run Thunderpunch instead of Fire Blast to hit DD Dos hard, while maintaining the ability to hit Skarmory super effectively.
Jolly nature helps me tie with other base 100 Speed Scarfers like Jirachi, who is decimated by STAB Earthquake. Those Electric- and Ground- type immunities help me out enormously. Outrage is just damn useful to revenge +1 Spe Kingdra, who Flygon outspeeds with running Jolly.
Flygon can single-handedly run through a team with the aid of entry hazards and a strong STAB Outrage, once those Steel types are gone. This thing is definitely one of my favourite revenge killers ever.
However, the loss of Rotom-H left me wide open to a Luke sweep. I was in a fix, till I realised I could go with a Scarf Rotom-H instead of poor Flygon. In the end, I had to say farewell to Flygon, who served the team well during the Rotom-less period of the team.
Foghorn Leghorn also has that spiky hairstyle, and though Flygon is not a bird, it shares that general air of cheerfulness with the popular Looney tunes character. Lum-dee-dum-di-dum, Dooda! Dooda!
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(3)THREAT LISTS
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Stolen Borrowed with due permission, from reyscarface's RMT.
Offensive Threats
Problematic ones in Red, minor irritations in Purple.
Aerodactyl :
· Leads: See the lead matchups section.
· Life Orb: Cant do a thing to Skarmory or Flygon. If it lacks Taunt, Skarmory uses it as set-up bait. Rotom-H outspeeds and OHKOs with Thunderbolt as well.
Azelf:
· LO and other Sweepers : Special sets not carrying Explosion are stopped cold by Blissey. Any Azelf without HP Fight/GrassKnot/any other super-effective move on Tar is set up upon, and KO’d by STAB Rock Slide. CB Zelf is taken care of by Skarmory, who uses it as set-up bait, and only fears ThunderPunch/’Fire Punch. Even a CBExplosion does only ~75% to Skarmory, who can easily Roost off the damage. Rotom-H also outspeeds and OHKOs it with Shadow Ball.
Breloom :
· SporePuncher and SD Sweeper: I just need someone to take the sleep. Skarmory walks all over it; I can set up Spikes and OHKO with Brave Bird, or Whirlwind it out if it tries to Swords Dance. Starmie outspeeds, and OHKO’s with Ice Beam as well. Rotom-H can do heavy damage with Shadow Ball too.
Dragonite :
· DD Nite/Mixnite: Starmie handles these sets easily, as they lack ExtremeSpeed. Rotom-H cannot take a Draco Meteor, but 2HKOs with Thunderbolt if it takes SR damage once. If it is a mixed attacker, Starmie owns it, since it outspeeds it. If it is DDNite, Skarmory walls it.
· Heal Bell + Dragon Dance: Since this variant doesn’t use Special moves, often going with DragonClaw+EQ, Skarmory walls it completely. Spikes up, then Whirlwind it out.
· Leads: See the “Lead Matchups” section. Explained in detail there.
· Choice Band: Starmie completely destroys it. Ice Beam, KO, goodbye, good riddance. Very easily handled. Skarmory comes in on everything save FirePunch locked Dragonite and can score a risky 3HKO with Brave Bird.
Electivire :
· Sweeper: Starmie, though it outspeeds it, never OHKO’s it with Surf(doing 61% max.). This rarely poses much of a threat, it can be a little troublesome. However, if Starmie has done around 60% with Surf, LO Recoil/Sandstorm +prior damage from SR&Spikes will spell its doom.
Rotom-H resists ThunderPunch, is immune to Cross Chp, and can 3HKO with Shadow Ball.
Empoleon :
· SubPetaya : Blissey walls it even after a Petaya Berry boost, and can eventually finish it off with Seismic Toss. Starmie won’t get KOd by any of its unboosted attacks, and can eliminate it with Thunderbolt. Rotom-H can survive a +2Surf at full health, and OHKOs with Thunderbolt.
Flygon :
· Scarf: Skarmory walls non-FireBlast ones to death. Fire Blast doesn’t even 2HKO Skarmory in Sandstorm, and TTar can use F’Blast locked ones as set-up bait.
Gengar :
· Sub Split: Rotom-H OHKOs with Shadow Ball. Starmie outspeeds it, but Surf needs to do max damage to OHKO(if Sandstorm is present, I can OHKO 50% of the time). If Azelf is still around, it can annihilate it with STAB Zen Headbutt. However, SubSplit Gar is quite annoying, since it also hits hard. If it does not carry Focus Blast, Tyranitar can maul it with STAB Rock Slide, which OHKOs if Gengar has Subbed once.
· Life Orb: I don’t need to worry about Substitute here. Rotom-H outspeeds and OHKOs with Shadow Ball. Starmie can OHKO if Surf does at least an average damage roll and Sandstorm is in effect.
Gyarados :
· LO Dragon Dance: Skarmory walls it completely. Since it lacks Taunt, I can Whirlwind it away, or use it as set-up bait for Spikes.
· Taunt Dragon Dance: Rotom-H outspeeds even +1Gyara, and OHKOs with Thunderbolt. It can take a boosted Waterfall at full health, however. Skarmory is Taunt bait, but sometimes manages a very risky 3HKO with Brave Bird.
· RestTalker: Skarmory sits its ass right down on it. Get my Spikes, Whirlwind it away. Don’t even need to bother trying to attack it anyway. They never carry Taunt.
Heatran :
· Choice Scarf: Tyranitar can come in on Fire Blast locked ones, and set up Dragon Dance. Rotom-H can 2HKO with Thunderbolt if Sandstorm is not in effect. Blissey only needs to be wary of Explosion, and otherwise walls it.
· Choice Specs: Starmie takes everything except HP Electric/HP Grass. Blissey also walls it completely, and can wear it down with SeismicToss.
· Life Orb: Blissey walls it, Starmie OHKO’s with Surf after SR/Spikes damage.
· Torment: Tyranitar walks all over it. If it lacks Taunt, I can DD up, and start my sweep. Rock Slide and EQ both break Heatran’s Subs too, obviously. Starmie also OHKO’s with Surf+ entry hazard damage .
Heracross :
· Choice: Walled to death by Skarmory. It is UU though.
Infernape :
· Mixape: Starmie outspeeds it all day long, and OHKO’s easily with Surf. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Thunderbolt, and never gets OHkod by anything Infernape has.
· Choiced:Quite annoying, to be honest. Starmie as usual counters Ape 100% of the time, but if it is dead, Skarmory takes ~80% from FlareBlitz, and the resulting recoil from Brave Bird will kill it. However, Brave Bird always OHKO’s it. Specs versions without Close Combat are walled by Blissey.
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups.”
· Nasty Plot/Swords Dance: Starmie resists Infernape’s STAB priority attacks(VacWave, Mach Punch for the Special and Physical sets respectively), and always OHKO’s with Surf. Rotom-H is immune to all priority Infernape has, and 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.
Jirachi :
· Scarf: Depends on what it is locked into. Skarmory owns IronHead locked ones,Ttar sets up on FirePunch locked ones. Rotom-H can take Iron Head, and OHKOs Jirachi with Overheat.
· WishCM: TTar sets up on it if it does not have Flash Cannon, and OHKO’s with +1EQ. Rotom-H will OHKO it if its does not have a CM boost already under its belt.
· SubT’Wave: Very annoying, as it can hax-kill my usual counters. If it does not have a Sub up, Rotom-H deals with it with Overheat. Starmie only 2HKOs with Surf. Skarmory can Whirlwind it for some Spikes damage, and does not take much from its physical attacks.
· Superachi/Specs: Blissey walls these two sets, and can 4HKO or 5HKO with Seismic Toss, taking little damage from it attacks in return. Rotom-H mauls it with Overheat.
Jolteon :
· Choice Specs: Blissey walls it completely, T’Tar can set up on Shadow Ball locked ones. Flygon outspeeds it no matter what, and scares it away with STAB EQ.
· Life Orb:Blissey walls it, and can stall it out with Softboiled and LO Recoil.
Kingdra :
· Lum/Chesto Dragon Dance: Rotom-H can 2HKO with Thunderbolt (doing ~50%) if Kingdra takes damage from SR and one layer of Spikes, and can also Trick it its its Scarf. Skarmory can Whirlwind the boosts away, and only gets 2HKO'd by +2 Waterfall.
· Rain Dance: Special sets are walled by Blissey. Mixed rain Dance sets are a little bit tougher. Starmie can manage one hit, but dies to Draco Meteor. However, T’Tar can come in, remove the rain, and set up a DD, as -2SplAtk Surf doesn’t even come close to OHKO’ing. After a DD, T’Tar outspeeds, and finishes off Kingdra with Rock Slide. Pure Physical sets are dealt with by Skarmory, who can also Whirlwind the stat boosts away.
Lucario :
· Swords Dance: Rotom-H is my best answer to Lucario, since it resists all priority it has, and OHKOs with Overheat. Skarmory can take a +2 Close Combat sometimes, if it does not take SR damage, and KO with Brave Bird.
Agility: Skarmory walls it, as none of Lucario's unboosted attacks can 2HKO Skarmory. Brave Bird OHKOs Lucario if Lucario has a Defense drop.
Machamp:
· Sub + 3 attacks: Quite annoying. Skarmory can outspeed it, and OHKO’s with Spikes and SR damage. If it gets under a Sub, I will almost always lose one Pokemon from confusion hax. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups” section; taken care of easily.
Magnezone :
· Choice Scarf: I don’t need to worry about Skarmory getting trapped. Tyranitar can set up on T’Bolt locked ones(T’Bolt doesn’t even 2HKO, so I can get 2 DD’s). Rotom-H owns it. Blissey walls it too.
· Substitute: If it isn’t under a Substitute, T’Tar outspeeds and KO’s with EQ. Even Max Speed ‘Zone peaks at 239 Spd. Magnezone doesn’t even manage a 2HKO with any of its attacks, so I am fine here . Blissey walls it, but needs to be wary of ChargeBeam-boosted Thunderbolt. Rotom-H owns it once again.
Mamoswine :
· LO Sweeper: Swept aside by Starmie. Skarmory also walls it, and gets 3 layers easily, getting layers damage with Whirlwind.
Metagross :
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups” section.
· Tank: Tyranitar outspeeds it, and OHKO’s with Earthquake. Rotom-H can Trick it, and OHKO with Overheat. Skarmory walls it to death, but hates getting Tricked an Iron Ball. It is not even used commonly, so I don’t need to consider it as a problem.
· AgiliGross: Tyranitar outspeeds it if it has no boosts, and OHKO’s with EQ. Skarmory isn’t even 3HKO’d by T’punch. I can get 3 layers , or wear it down by Roost+LO Recoil.
Porygon-Z:
· Choiced / Generic Sweeper: If it lacks Nasty Plot, Blissey walls it, can paralyze it with Thunder Wave, and can wear it down with Life Orb recoil / Seismic Toss. Starmie can OHKO with Surf if it takes some entry hazard damage. Tyranitar can take any unboosted hit barring HP Fighting, set up Dragon Dance, and KO with +1 Earthquake
Scizor :
· Choice Band: Walled completely by Skarmory. I can get 3 layers of Spikes as well. Brave Bird even manages to 3HKO 248 HP CBScizor. Howver, Starmie cannot OHKO with Surf even after maximum residual damage(doing a maximum of 55%).
· Swords Dance: Skarmory can Whirlwind the boosts away. I can stall it out of Superpower with Roost,since I move last, thus resulting in its Attack boosts getting negated. Starmie doesn’t take too much damage from unboosted Bullet Punch, and can KO with Surf after SR+Spikes.
Starmie :
· Defensive: All right, Blissey can cripple it with paralysis, and takes little damage. Rotom-H OHKOs with Thunderbolt. Since it has no Spl Atk EV’s, Surf doesn’t even 2HKO T’Tar in Sandstorm, while it outspeeds and KO’s Starmie after 1 DD with Rock Slide.
· Life Orb: Rotom-H OHKOs with Thunderbolt. If it lacks Recover, Blissey completely walls it, and can wear it down with Seismic Toss and Life Orb damafe, or paralyze it. T’Tar can survive a Surf under Sandstorm, and OHKO qith Rock Slide, considering LO recoil, entry hazard damage and Sandstorm damage.
Togekiss :
· ParaFlinch: Starmie OHKO’s with Ice Beam if it takes SR damage. Rotom-H can Trick it and effectively ruin its strategy, and also resists Air Slash. If it doesn’t have Aura Sphere, Tyranitar can take a Thunder Wave with Lum Berry, Dragon Dance once, and then OHKO with Rock Slide.
· Nasty Plot: Once again, Flygon and Starmie are my best counters for Togekiss. Tyranitar can Dragon Dance on the Nasty Plot or Thunder Wave, and then OHKO with Rock Slide.
Tyranitar :
· Choice Band: Owned by Skarmory. Flygon outspeeds and OHKOs with Earthquake. Starmie OHKOs with Surf IF it takes prior damage from entry hazards.
· Choice Scarf: Skarmory laughs at it, taking almost nothing from its attacks. Flygon outspeeds and OHKOs with Earthquake. My own Tyranitar can come in on Crunch, and use it as set-up fodder.
· Dragon Dance: Flygon outspeeds it even after 2 Dragon Dances, and OHKOs with Earthquake. Skarmory takes even boosted attacks with ease, and can Whirlwind the boosts away. Starmie ties with +1Speed ones, and OHKO’s with Surf if it has taken prior damage from SR and Spikes.
· TyraniBoah: Quite annoying sometimes. My best bet is my own Tyranitar, who can outspeed it, break its Substitutes with STAB Earthquake, and set up on it. If it doesn’t have Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, Skarmory can Whirlwind it for Spikes damage, and break its Sub if it has one. I. If it does not have a Substitute up, Starmie can OHKO it if it takes Spikes damage.
Weavile :
· Sweeper: Walled to death by Skarmory. If it lacks Taunt, then 3 Layers of Spikes for me yum. Weavile is so frail that Brave Bird 2HKO’s. If it does not run Low Kick, Tyranitar uses it as set-up fodder.
Yanmega :
· Sweeper:Poor thing. Rotom-H outspeeds it even after a Speed Boost and OHKOs with Thunderbolt. Unboosted Bug Buzz doesn’t OHKO Tyranitar, while Rock Slide does. Walled by Skarmory if it doesn’t have Hidden Power Fire or Tinted Lens. Tinted Lens ones are destroyed by Starmie.
Defensive Threats
(1)INTRODUCTION
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It was in December 2009, that I joined this place, which I call my second home-Smogon. I was a complete n00b in competitive battling, and first battled on Shoddy Battle on the 19th of December, 09. My first teams were all jokes, but I was bothered by the fact that i had very bad luck, losing entire matches to mis hax and crit. hits etc etc. So I decided that I was bored of Pokemon, and took up Age of Empires 3 online, tutoring people on the large online community there.
Fate had other plans. My CD Drive busted in June of this year, and I forced myself to play Travian, since I had decided "Pokemon is unlucky". Finally, by September, I was fed up with RTS games, and had to come back to Pokemon, and Smogon.
Things had changed. No Salamence or Latias for one. 5th. Gen was around the corner , and I decided to make a new team for OU one fine afternoon. I wanted to make a good lader score, and decided to play on Pokemon Online.
It clicked. I broke the 1250 barrier on Pokemon Online before I quit laddering due to serious connection errors. It was the first time that I ever found out that even I could battle so well, playing and winning against some great battlers. That is not all. This team is the reason I am now here back on Smogon and active on IRC-it showed me there were ways to play around hax, and also taught me a big lesson in life-Never give up. I owe it all to this team, aptly titled Team Comeback.
The team is based on characters from my favourite cartoon-Looney Tunes! Pokemon have a lot in common with Lonney Tunes characters, as you will see in this RMT.
So, here it is-Team Comeback.
I will start off with the lead. I love Stealth Rock on leads, since it allows me to rack up damage with entry hazards later on when I have laid down Spikes, and in some cases those 10-15% from entry hazards will decide the game. I also wanted to have Explosion to take out a threat the sure-fire way later on if needed.
Azelf fitted all these conditions, and more. It had access to Stealth Rock , a strong STAB Psychic, and Explosion. Coming off a base 125 Attack stat, Azelf would almost always take down a Pokemon with itself, with Explosion. It could effectively scout the opponents team with U-turn, allowing me to maintain offensive pressure. It could also keep the opponent guessing with its large movepool. Fast Suicide Leads are my personal preference, suiting my playstyle well, so Azelf it was.
Next, I wanted a Spiker. Of course, Forretress came to mind initially, but it lacked a reliable recovery move, and that 4*Fire weakness did not impress me. So, I decided to go with Skarmory. It gets Roost, Spikes, and can also Whirlwind away stat boosts, while taking hits very well, allowing it to function as an effective Spikes shuffler, and a great check to many physical attackers.
Now that I had my hazards covered, I needed a spin blocker. Out of Dusknoir, Gengar , Spiritomb and the Rotom formes, Rotom-H was the one I picked. Access to Overheat allowed me another great check to stuff like like Scizor, Lucario and Magnezone, particularly the latter, as it could effectively trap and revenge kill Skarmory. Levitate and that excellent Ghost typing gave me three immunities as well. With a powerful STAB Thunderbolt and Overheat to hit Steel types hard, Rotom-H fitted well. It was an excellent bulky Choice Specs user, taking hits well with a defensive EV spread. It could also cripple walls with Trick.
Now, we come to the offensive units of the team. Starmie, in addition to performing as a great sweeper with its fantastic movepool, could also function as a spinner. It also came with a useful Fighting and Fire resistances, in conjuction with decent 60/85/85 defenses. But importantly, it had Rapid Spin to keep my side free of entry hazards.
Next was the revenge killer. Before I picked the Pokemon for this role, I looked at my team so far. I had a Steel type, with the numerous resistances it brought to the table. I had useful Fighting- and Ground-type immunities. Rotom-H also brought a much needed Electric type resistance. to the team. However, since I had 2 Pokemon weak to Electric attacks, I decided that I needed one more resistance / immunity. I had a handy resistance to Dark type attacks too. But I needed to address the issue of strong, Choiced Electrci type attacks such as Specs Jolteon's Thunderbolt.
Therefore I opted for Flygon. It gave me an excellent Electric type immunity, in addition to Levitate, and strong Dragon-type STAB to dent a lot of Pokemon.
By now, most of the main units of the team were in place. However, weaknesses to Ghost and Dark type attacks were still unaddressed. I also wanted a set up sweeper in the last spot. Lucario was my initial decision, as it packed a handy resistance to many types with its Steel typing. However, base 90 Speed and average defenses did not impress me. It was prone to getting KOd while it was still setting up. I asked myself, what are the most dangerous set up sweepers in OU, other than Luke? Kingdra, Dragonite and Tyranitar were what I finalised my list of Pokemon to. I did not want two Dragon types on the same team. When I finally came to Tyranitar, I realised that I had hit the nail on the head.
134 Base Attack and those great defenses gave Tyranitar many oppurtunities to set up Dragon Dance. Its Dark typing was another boon, since both Rotom-H and Starmie are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. The Sandstorm it provides also boosts Skarmory's average Special Defense to a par level. Between Earthquake and STAB Rock Slide, it got excellent coverage as well. But most importantly, its nasty 4* Fighting type weakness was addressed easily, since I had 3 resistances to Fighting type attacks, and Skarmory in general to take powerful Physical Fighting type attacks. Tyranitar also gave me a very useful resistance to Fire type attacks which it could easily take with its great 110 base Spl Def further boosted by Sandstorm.
By now, people would have spotted the abscence of one of the most important parts of a proper team-a defensive core. Even though I had Skarmory to take physical hits, I needed a Special wall. Who is better in that role, than Blissey? She could also serve as a status healer with Aromatherapy, ridding my team of crippling status should the situation arise.
But then came the biggest problem I faced with this team-who should I replace with Blissey? Azelf was indispensable as a lead, and in general replacing the lead with a wall is a very poor decision. Starmie was ruled out, as I badly needed it as an early game sweeper. Flygon was indispensable as my team's Scarfed revenge killer. Tyranitar was my only set up sweeper, and I would lose a lot of power if I were to replace it with Blissey. So we finally come to Rotom-H. It gave me a spin-blocker, a TrickSpecs user to cripple walls, and a useful Fighting type immunity. However, it was predictable as a Specs user. Getting locked into Electric-type attacks was not good, and it also lowered its Special Atack with Overheat, trying to take out Pokemon like Magnezone. With a Special Attack drop and Specs, it was prone to getting set up upon.
But replacing Rotom-H with Blissey would leave me wide open to one of the most dangerous sweepers in the OU metagame who I already mentioned- Swords Dance Lucario. Some raters suggested using Spiritomb, and dropping Azelf, who they felt didn't fit in well on my team, to deal with this threat. After some testing, CB Trick Spiritomb and the RestTalk set suggested by Smith were not to my preference. Azelf as a lead suited my playstyle perfectly, since I always prefer suicide leads to slower, bulky leads like Forretress and Skarmory. I did not like using Skarmory as a lead, since it lost out to too many common leads like Starmie, Heatran and Infernape too. I was in a fix until I decided to go back to my Spin Blocker-Rotom-H. Instead of the TrickSpecs set which I used earlier, I decided to go for a Scarf set. I made the decision of dropping Flygon, and going with Scarf Rotom-H. The decision worked out perfectly. Even though Flygon brought an Electric type immunity to the team, Blissey could take almost all Choiced Special Attacks thrown it. I also had a resistance to almost every type(barring Rock attacks), which was important considering the offensive nature of my team. So here it is, my final product-Team Comeback.
Azelf fitted all these conditions, and more. It had access to Stealth Rock , a strong STAB Psychic, and Explosion. Coming off a base 125 Attack stat, Azelf would almost always take down a Pokemon with itself, with Explosion. It could effectively scout the opponents team with U-turn, allowing me to maintain offensive pressure. It could also keep the opponent guessing with its large movepool. Fast Suicide Leads are my personal preference, suiting my playstyle well, so Azelf it was.
Next, I wanted a Spiker. Of course, Forretress came to mind initially, but it lacked a reliable recovery move, and that 4*Fire weakness did not impress me. So, I decided to go with Skarmory. It gets Roost, Spikes, and can also Whirlwind away stat boosts, while taking hits very well, allowing it to function as an effective Spikes shuffler, and a great check to many physical attackers.
Now that I had my hazards covered, I needed a spin blocker. Out of Dusknoir, Gengar , Spiritomb and the Rotom formes, Rotom-H was the one I picked. Access to Overheat allowed me another great check to stuff like like Scizor, Lucario and Magnezone, particularly the latter, as it could effectively trap and revenge kill Skarmory. Levitate and that excellent Ghost typing gave me three immunities as well. With a powerful STAB Thunderbolt and Overheat to hit Steel types hard, Rotom-H fitted well. It was an excellent bulky Choice Specs user, taking hits well with a defensive EV spread. It could also cripple walls with Trick.
Now, we come to the offensive units of the team. Starmie, in addition to performing as a great sweeper with its fantastic movepool, could also function as a spinner. It also came with a useful Fighting and Fire resistances, in conjuction with decent 60/85/85 defenses. But importantly, it had Rapid Spin to keep my side free of entry hazards.
Next was the revenge killer. Before I picked the Pokemon for this role, I looked at my team so far. I had a Steel type, with the numerous resistances it brought to the table. I had useful Fighting- and Ground-type immunities. Rotom-H also brought a much needed Electric type resistance. to the team. However, since I had 2 Pokemon weak to Electric attacks, I decided that I needed one more resistance / immunity. I had a handy resistance to Dark type attacks too. But I needed to address the issue of strong, Choiced Electrci type attacks such as Specs Jolteon's Thunderbolt.
Therefore I opted for Flygon. It gave me an excellent Electric type immunity, in addition to Levitate, and strong Dragon-type STAB to dent a lot of Pokemon.
By now, most of the main units of the team were in place. However, weaknesses to Ghost and Dark type attacks were still unaddressed. I also wanted a set up sweeper in the last spot. Lucario was my initial decision, as it packed a handy resistance to many types with its Steel typing. However, base 90 Speed and average defenses did not impress me. It was prone to getting KOd while it was still setting up. I asked myself, what are the most dangerous set up sweepers in OU, other than Luke? Kingdra, Dragonite and Tyranitar were what I finalised my list of Pokemon to. I did not want two Dragon types on the same team. When I finally came to Tyranitar, I realised that I had hit the nail on the head.
134 Base Attack and those great defenses gave Tyranitar many oppurtunities to set up Dragon Dance. Its Dark typing was another boon, since both Rotom-H and Starmie are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. The Sandstorm it provides also boosts Skarmory's average Special Defense to a par level. Between Earthquake and STAB Rock Slide, it got excellent coverage as well. But most importantly, its nasty 4* Fighting type weakness was addressed easily, since I had 3 resistances to Fighting type attacks, and Skarmory in general to take powerful Physical Fighting type attacks. Tyranitar also gave me a very useful resistance to Fire type attacks which it could easily take with its great 110 base Spl Def further boosted by Sandstorm.
By now, people would have spotted the abscence of one of the most important parts of a proper team-a defensive core. Even though I had Skarmory to take physical hits, I needed a Special wall. Who is better in that role, than Blissey? She could also serve as a status healer with Aromatherapy, ridding my team of crippling status should the situation arise.
But then came the biggest problem I faced with this team-who should I replace with Blissey? Azelf was indispensable as a lead, and in general replacing the lead with a wall is a very poor decision. Starmie was ruled out, as I badly needed it as an early game sweeper. Flygon was indispensable as my team's Scarfed revenge killer. Tyranitar was my only set up sweeper, and I would lose a lot of power if I were to replace it with Blissey. So we finally come to Rotom-H. It gave me a spin-blocker, a TrickSpecs user to cripple walls, and a useful Fighting type immunity. However, it was predictable as a Specs user. Getting locked into Electric-type attacks was not good, and it also lowered its Special Atack with Overheat, trying to take out Pokemon like Magnezone. With a Special Attack drop and Specs, it was prone to getting set up upon.
But replacing Rotom-H with Blissey would leave me wide open to one of the most dangerous sweepers in the OU metagame who I already mentioned- Swords Dance Lucario. Some raters suggested using Spiritomb, and dropping Azelf, who they felt didn't fit in well on my team, to deal with this threat. After some testing, CB Trick Spiritomb and the RestTalk set suggested by Smith were not to my preference. Azelf as a lead suited my playstyle perfectly, since I always prefer suicide leads to slower, bulky leads like Forretress and Skarmory. I did not like using Skarmory as a lead, since it lost out to too many common leads like Starmie, Heatran and Infernape too. I was in a fix until I decided to go back to my Spin Blocker-Rotom-H. Instead of the TrickSpecs set which I used earlier, I decided to go for a Scarf set. I made the decision of dropping Flygon, and going with Scarf Rotom-H. The decision worked out perfectly. Even though Flygon brought an Electric type immunity to the team, Blissey could take almost all Choiced Special Attacks thrown it. I also had a resistance to almost every type(barring Rock attacks), which was important considering the offensive nature of my team. So here it is, my final product-Team Comeback.
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
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(2)THROUGH THE MICROSCOPE
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=============
(i) THE LEAD
=============
Kingdom Come!"
Yosemite Sam (Azelf) @ Focus Sash
Levitate
252 SpA 252 Spd 4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Explosion
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Starts things off on a good note, doesnt it? At first, I had U-Turn in place of Taunt to serve as a scout, and to deal with other Azelfs and Lead Celebi and AntiLead Starmie. However, I strongly felt the need for Taunt, to completely shut-down Smeargle, Ninjask and other leads from setting up entry hazards. After some discussion about the matter on IRC, Mekkah gave me the solution-Remove U-turn. So it was. Psychic gave me a strong STAB move and a way to deal with lead Machamp. Even though I fully knew that that nowadays Lead Machamp are EVd to take Psychic from Azelf, I could always finish off what remained of Machamp with Skarmory later. Explosion is great on Azelf, as it decimates any Pokemon who can pose a threat to my team later on
Focus Sash ensures that I always get Stealth Rock up, barring a faster Taunt, as from the likes of Aerodactyl who is dealt with by Psychic, or a speed tie with other Azelf.
Azelf’s main duty is to get Stealth Rock up as quick as possible, Taunt slow, bulky leads like Forretress and stuff like Ninjask or Smeargle, and if still alive, blow up when the time is ripe.
Lead matchups against common OU leads. Those causing big problems are in Red, while those posing a medium threat are in violet:
Like Yosemite Sam, Azelf is so damn hyper offensive, but in fact it fits in so well with my team. Plus, he can blow himself and others up with TNT..err Explosion. Wish he had a nice large flaming red moustache as well..
==============
(ii) THE SPIKER
==============
Daffy @ Shed Shell
Trait: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Atk
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
Let me tell you first, why I run Brave Bird over Taunt. Brave Bird means I am not Taunt bait from faster stuff like Weavile, BulkyDD Dos. I can't be persuaded to run dedicated Speed EV’s to outrun them and Taunt them first, since that will mean I lose a lot of defensive EV’s, and will get 2HKO’d by the likes of Adamant Luke‘s Close Combat. Skarmory’s main role is to function as a Spikes shuffler and a Phazer, so I need all the bulk I can get. I don’t need any Speed EV’s, since I never stay in on other Skarmory anyway, and the remaining EV’s were simply dumped in Attack, since I switch out of Special attacks anyway, plus Sandstorm boosts my average Spl Def to a respectable 264.
Brave Bird also helps me out a lot with Breloom, when Sleep Clause is activated. Laying down Spikes is absolutely invaluable, since a full layer of Spikes, in addition to Stealth Rock, and Sandstorm when it is active, will strip off almost half my opponent's health on switching in, unless they Levitate of course. Spikes really helps turn those 2HKO's to OHKO's. I run Shed Shell over Leftovers, since I don’t want to get revenged by Magnezone.
Roost keeps me healthy, healing off Brave Bird recoil too. Whirlwind helps fulfill its role as a Spikes Shuffler, and as a PseudoHazer. Plus, he lures in a lot of Special attackers, who are then promptly crippled by paralysis from Blissey, forming the infamous SkarmBliss defensive core, since I didn’t want to go with a typical FWG core like most other teams do. Most of the time, I manage to Whirlwind Pokemon that are common switch-ins for Skarmory , like Heatran, Starmie and other Special attackers, racking up more residual damage. This is why I think Skarmory is an excellent lure for Pokemon which can be revenged easily by Flygon or Starmie. Once all of Skarmory’s counters have been packed off, Skarmory can just clean up the remains, by racking up residual damage.
Just like Daffy, Skarmory is a metal raven-bird thing. Bah, they are both just so damn annoying! Skarmory with its Spikes shuffling, Daffy Duck with its constant chatter.
===============
(iii) THE CLERIC
===============
Porky (Blissey) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Seismic Toss
- Aromatherapy
- Softboiled
- Thunder Wave
Blissey serves as my Cleric, team glue, and T’Wave spammer. Even though I know pretty well that this set is completely walled by Gengar, and that it lacks Toxic, I decided that paralysis was more important to my team than poison. I don’t preferring stalling with Toxic, so I felt that Thunder Wave was better. Seismic Toss is Blissey's most reliable offense, hitting for constant 100 damage.
The EV's here are meant to make Blissey as bulky as possible on the Physical side, so that it can take a physical hit if needed, with the remaining 4 EV's added to SplDef. For example, it takes max 65% from unboosted Waterfall from a Kingdra in the rain. Still, this thing is hellishly bulky on the Special side, and actually beats Special sweepers one-on-one with Seismic Toss. Gengar is an obvious exception, but it doesn’t cause much grief to my team anyway, so I cant be bothered to run Shadow Ball/Flamethrower whatever. Plus, I can just cripple it with T’Wave,if it lacks Substitute, which makes switching in something else easier. I considered Wish over Softboiled initially, but found that I couldn’t waste another move slot for Protect, and just went ahead with the above set, and never regretted it.
Blissey looks so gullible like Porky Pig, but never underestimate this pink blob. They are both pink, and Blissey is cute! Imagine a pig performing Aromatherapy and laying cute white eggs! Call the Animal Control officers, someone.
=========================
(iv) THE REVENGE KILLER
=========================
Sylvester (Rotom-H) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spl Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature(+Atk, -SAtk)
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
Rotom-H is probably my favourite Rotom forme out of all the 5. Earlier, I was using a bulky TrickSpecs set, which did not work out well, and so I had to drop it in favour of Blissey. However, I needed a solid Lucario counter who could actually hurt Lucario. Dropping Flygon was a tough decision, as its STAB Outrage could help me out in crunch situations.
However, Rotom-H worked out as a great Spin blocker, with the ability to outspeed and KO both Forretress and Starmie, OU's premier Rapid Spin users. STAB Thunderbolt was also very useful in dealing with Dragon Dancers like Gyarados and Kingdra.
Assuming Rotom-H with 252 SpA 252 Spe EV spread
Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs 156 HP BulkyDDGyara : 100%
Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs 252HP Kingdra : ~45%( 2HKO with Stealth Rock and Spikes damage)
Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs 156 HP BulkyDDGyara : 100%
Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs 252HP Kingdra : ~45%( 2HKO with Stealth Rock and Spikes damage)
Overheat was the main reason why I favoured this Rotom forme over the others. With it, Rotom-H acted as a great check to Pokemon like Magnezone, Scizor and Lucario. I decided to go with a purely offensive moveset, running Shadow Ball as my secondary STAB option over Will-O-Wisp or Pain Split. Shadow Ball was very useful to deal with SubSplit Gar as well. As a revenge-killer, Rotom-H had 3 immunities to common types, giving it numerous oppurtunities to switch in easily.
Like Sylvester, Rotom-H is the sneaky type, like any other Ghost. It also has a liking for Bird Pokemon which it can fry with its STAB Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt always gets the OHKO even on 252 HP | 252 SplDef Tweety, so in fact Rotom-H beats out Sylvester for the "Tweety pie making" awards. Canaries with apple sauce anyone?
================
(v) THE SPINNER
=================
Taz(Starmie) @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd/ 4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
I had my hazards, and I wanted to make sure the opposition didn't have any. If I went for another bulky Spinner/Wall like Forry or Donphan, my team would be too stall-oriented. LO Starmie is my Rapid Spinner-cum-Early Game Sweeper, and oh man, it deserves to be one of OU top current threats. This is what helps me get the advantage earlier on in the game, and more often than not, it lasts. It defenses are not half-bad either. I always make sure that I have a Water-type on my team, and this team was no exception. Sometimes, I have considered replacing Starmie with BulkyWaters like Swampert or Vaporeon who are bulkier, and in the case of Vappy, provide Wish support and phazing, but then, I would be left without an early-game sweeper+spinner. Starmie has a great typing too, resisting Fire, Water and Fighting type attacks, in particular the latter, as replacing Rotom-H with Blissey resulted in my losing a Fighting immunity.
Surf+T'Bolt+Ice Beam provide nearly unresisted coverage(lol, Shedinja, lol Lanturn), and with that excellent Speed stat, Starmie is going to be sweeping left, right and center early game if it is not met promptly with a counter. Surf>HydroPump in my opinion, since a miss can be very costly early game. Rapid Spin,as explained, ensures that I am not troubled by Entry Hazards. If I had Recover, it would mean that I had to drop an attack, and also slightly tweak the EV spread,if I wanted to make it a bulky sweeper, so I dropped it and went in favour of 3 attacks+Spin. Starmie is one of my main answers to dangerous set-up sweepers like Dragonite, Gyarados and Infernape .
Like Taz, Starmie Spins around a lot, causing destruction. Therefore, it is based on the destructive Tasmanian Devil. Starmie cannot bore through trees however, and does not have unclean canines and molars. Hell, it doesn't even have a mouth, but who gives a damn, Taz forever!
=================
(vi) THE SWEEPER
=================
Bugs(Tyranitar) (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -Spl Def)
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Beam
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Call me crazy for not using Crunch, I don't care. But oh, boy.One Dragon Dance is all he needs to start sweeping. He also brings Sandstorm in, which means my Skarmory wont die to any Special attack. Rock Slide+Earthquake gives me excellent neutral coverage, resisted only by Flygon as I hate Stone Edge with a passion. Oh, and Rock Slide has a nice 30% flinch rate. Ice Beam is my ace card on this set, since it lures in unsuspecting physical walls like Gliscor, who is then promprtly destroyed by Ice Beam. He also completely disrupts Weather teams,and sweepers which depend on weather(like Kingdra) which is an added bonus. Great defensive stats mean that T’Tar is definitely one of the best Dragon Dancers left in OU, and gets a lot of oppurtunities to DD up.
Lum Berry was the preferred item, since status completely screws me over. Max Speed is required to beat +ve natured base 115 Pokes after one DD. Max Atk was pretty much straightforward, and the 4 remaining EV's were dumped in HP. I really don’t need any EV’s in defensive stats, as T’tar is meant to DD up, and sweep. Naive nature is used so that Ice Beam's damage output is not affected.
Like Bugs is to Looney Tunes, T'Tar is to my team-indispensable. Did I mention they are both smart, but whatever, Tyranitar is awesome, like Bugs Bunny! If only Tyranitar had a buck-toothed grin, to go with its awesomeness!
Foghorn Leghorn(Flygon) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- ThunderPunch
Flygon was preferred over other popular Choice Scarfers like Jirachi for its Ground typing, Levitate and a strong STAB Outrage. It is a great scout with U-Turn, keeping offensive pressure and smacking Celebi hard. Earthquake is my secondary STAB, while in the last slot I run Thunderpunch instead of Fire Blast to hit DD Dos hard, while maintaining the ability to hit Skarmory super effectively.
Jolly nature helps me tie with other base 100 Speed Scarfers like Jirachi, who is decimated by STAB Earthquake. Those Electric- and Ground- type immunities help me out enormously. Outrage is just damn useful to revenge +1 Spe Kingdra, who Flygon outspeeds with running Jolly.
Flygon can single-handedly run through a team with the aid of entry hazards and a strong STAB Outrage, once those Steel types are gone. This thing is definitely one of my favourite revenge killers ever.
However, the loss of Rotom-H left me wide open to a Luke sweep. I was in a fix, till I realised I could go with a Scarf Rotom-H instead of poor Flygon. In the end, I had to say farewell to Flygon, who served the team well during the Rotom-less period of the team.
Foghorn Leghorn also has that spiky hairstyle, and though Flygon is not a bird, it shares that general air of cheerfulness with the popular Looney tunes character. Lum-dee-dum-di-dum, Dooda! Dooda!
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(3)THREAT LISTS
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Offensive Threats
Problematic ones in Red, minor irritations in Purple.
· Leads: See the lead matchups section.
· Life Orb: Cant do a thing to Skarmory or Flygon. If it lacks Taunt, Skarmory uses it as set-up bait. Rotom-H outspeeds and OHKOs with Thunderbolt as well.
· LO and other Sweepers : Special sets not carrying Explosion are stopped cold by Blissey. Any Azelf without HP Fight/GrassKnot/any other super-effective move on Tar is set up upon, and KO’d by STAB Rock Slide. CB Zelf is taken care of by Skarmory, who uses it as set-up bait, and only fears ThunderPunch/’Fire Punch. Even a CBExplosion does only ~75% to Skarmory, who can easily Roost off the damage. Rotom-H also outspeeds and OHKOs it with Shadow Ball.
· SporePuncher and SD Sweeper: I just need someone to take the sleep. Skarmory walks all over it; I can set up Spikes and OHKO with Brave Bird, or Whirlwind it out if it tries to Swords Dance. Starmie outspeeds, and OHKO’s with Ice Beam as well. Rotom-H can do heavy damage with Shadow Ball too.
· DD Nite/Mixnite: Starmie handles these sets easily, as they lack ExtremeSpeed. Rotom-H cannot take a Draco Meteor, but 2HKOs with Thunderbolt if it takes SR damage once. If it is a mixed attacker, Starmie owns it, since it outspeeds it. If it is DDNite, Skarmory walls it.
· Heal Bell + Dragon Dance: Since this variant doesn’t use Special moves, often going with DragonClaw+EQ, Skarmory walls it completely. Spikes up, then Whirlwind it out.
· Leads: See the “Lead Matchups” section. Explained in detail there.
· Choice Band: Starmie completely destroys it. Ice Beam, KO, goodbye, good riddance. Very easily handled. Skarmory comes in on everything save FirePunch locked Dragonite and can score a risky 3HKO with Brave Bird.
· Sweeper: Starmie, though it outspeeds it, never OHKO’s it with Surf(doing 61% max.). This rarely poses much of a threat, it can be a little troublesome. However, if Starmie has done around 60% with Surf, LO Recoil/Sandstorm +prior damage from SR&Spikes will spell its doom.
Rotom-H resists ThunderPunch, is immune to Cross Chp, and can 3HKO with Shadow Ball.
· SubPetaya : Blissey walls it even after a Petaya Berry boost, and can eventually finish it off with Seismic Toss. Starmie won’t get KOd by any of its unboosted attacks, and can eliminate it with Thunderbolt. Rotom-H can survive a +2Surf at full health, and OHKOs with Thunderbolt.
· Scarf: Skarmory walls non-FireBlast ones to death. Fire Blast doesn’t even 2HKO Skarmory in Sandstorm, and TTar can use F’Blast locked ones as set-up bait.
· Sub Split: Rotom-H OHKOs with Shadow Ball. Starmie outspeeds it, but Surf needs to do max damage to OHKO(if Sandstorm is present, I can OHKO 50% of the time). If Azelf is still around, it can annihilate it with STAB Zen Headbutt. However, SubSplit Gar is quite annoying, since it also hits hard. If it does not carry Focus Blast, Tyranitar can maul it with STAB Rock Slide, which OHKOs if Gengar has Subbed once.
· Life Orb: I don’t need to worry about Substitute here. Rotom-H outspeeds and OHKOs with Shadow Ball. Starmie can OHKO if Surf does at least an average damage roll and Sandstorm is in effect.
· LO Dragon Dance: Skarmory walls it completely. Since it lacks Taunt, I can Whirlwind it away, or use it as set-up bait for Spikes.
· Taunt Dragon Dance: Rotom-H outspeeds even +1Gyara, and OHKOs with Thunderbolt. It can take a boosted Waterfall at full health, however. Skarmory is Taunt bait, but sometimes manages a very risky 3HKO with Brave Bird.
· RestTalker: Skarmory sits its ass right down on it. Get my Spikes, Whirlwind it away. Don’t even need to bother trying to attack it anyway. They never carry Taunt.
· Choice Scarf: Tyranitar can come in on Fire Blast locked ones, and set up Dragon Dance. Rotom-H can 2HKO with Thunderbolt if Sandstorm is not in effect. Blissey only needs to be wary of Explosion, and otherwise walls it.
· Choice Specs: Starmie takes everything except HP Electric/HP Grass. Blissey also walls it completely, and can wear it down with SeismicToss.
· Life Orb: Blissey walls it, Starmie OHKO’s with Surf after SR/Spikes damage.
· Torment: Tyranitar walks all over it. If it lacks Taunt, I can DD up, and start my sweep. Rock Slide and EQ both break Heatran’s Subs too, obviously. Starmie also OHKO’s with Surf+ entry hazard damage .
· Choice: Walled to death by Skarmory. It is UU though.
· Mixape: Starmie outspeeds it all day long, and OHKO’s easily with Surf. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Thunderbolt, and never gets OHkod by anything Infernape has.
· Choiced:Quite annoying, to be honest. Starmie as usual counters Ape 100% of the time, but if it is dead, Skarmory takes ~80% from FlareBlitz, and the resulting recoil from Brave Bird will kill it. However, Brave Bird always OHKO’s it. Specs versions without Close Combat are walled by Blissey.
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups.”
· Nasty Plot/Swords Dance: Starmie resists Infernape’s STAB priority attacks(VacWave, Mach Punch for the Special and Physical sets respectively), and always OHKO’s with Surf. Rotom-H is immune to all priority Infernape has, and 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.
· Scarf: Depends on what it is locked into. Skarmory owns IronHead locked ones,Ttar sets up on FirePunch locked ones. Rotom-H can take Iron Head, and OHKOs Jirachi with Overheat.
· WishCM: TTar sets up on it if it does not have Flash Cannon, and OHKO’s with +1EQ. Rotom-H will OHKO it if its does not have a CM boost already under its belt.
· SubT’Wave: Very annoying, as it can hax-kill my usual counters. If it does not have a Sub up, Rotom-H deals with it with Overheat. Starmie only 2HKOs with Surf. Skarmory can Whirlwind it for some Spikes damage, and does not take much from its physical attacks.
· Superachi/Specs: Blissey walls these two sets, and can 4HKO or 5HKO with Seismic Toss, taking little damage from it attacks in return. Rotom-H mauls it with Overheat.
· Choice Specs: Blissey walls it completely, T’Tar can set up on Shadow Ball locked ones. Flygon outspeeds it no matter what, and scares it away with STAB EQ.
· Life Orb:Blissey walls it, and can stall it out with Softboiled and LO Recoil.
· Lum/Chesto Dragon Dance: Rotom-H can 2HKO with Thunderbolt (doing ~50%) if Kingdra takes damage from SR and one layer of Spikes, and can also Trick it its its Scarf. Skarmory can Whirlwind the boosts away, and only gets 2HKO'd by +2 Waterfall.
· Rain Dance: Special sets are walled by Blissey. Mixed rain Dance sets are a little bit tougher. Starmie can manage one hit, but dies to Draco Meteor. However, T’Tar can come in, remove the rain, and set up a DD, as -2SplAtk Surf doesn’t even come close to OHKO’ing. After a DD, T’Tar outspeeds, and finishes off Kingdra with Rock Slide. Pure Physical sets are dealt with by Skarmory, who can also Whirlwind the stat boosts away.
· Swords Dance: Rotom-H is my best answer to Lucario, since it resists all priority it has, and OHKOs with Overheat. Skarmory can take a +2 Close Combat sometimes, if it does not take SR damage, and KO with Brave Bird.
Agility: Skarmory walls it, as none of Lucario's unboosted attacks can 2HKO Skarmory. Brave Bird OHKOs Lucario if Lucario has a Defense drop.
· Sub + 3 attacks: Quite annoying. Skarmory can outspeed it, and OHKO’s with Spikes and SR damage. If it gets under a Sub, I will almost always lose one Pokemon from confusion hax. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups” section; taken care of easily.
· Choice Scarf: I don’t need to worry about Skarmory getting trapped. Tyranitar can set up on T’Bolt locked ones(T’Bolt doesn’t even 2HKO, so I can get 2 DD’s). Rotom-H owns it. Blissey walls it too.
· Substitute: If it isn’t under a Substitute, T’Tar outspeeds and KO’s with EQ. Even Max Speed ‘Zone peaks at 239 Spd. Magnezone doesn’t even manage a 2HKO with any of its attacks, so I am fine here . Blissey walls it, but needs to be wary of ChargeBeam-boosted Thunderbolt. Rotom-H owns it once again.
· LO Sweeper: Swept aside by Starmie. Skarmory also walls it, and gets 3 layers easily, getting layers damage with Whirlwind.
· Lead: See “Lead Matchups” section.
· Tank: Tyranitar outspeeds it, and OHKO’s with Earthquake. Rotom-H can Trick it, and OHKO with Overheat. Skarmory walls it to death, but hates getting Tricked an Iron Ball. It is not even used commonly, so I don’t need to consider it as a problem.
· AgiliGross: Tyranitar outspeeds it if it has no boosts, and OHKO’s with EQ. Skarmory isn’t even 3HKO’d by T’punch. I can get 3 layers , or wear it down by Roost+LO Recoil.
· Choiced / Generic Sweeper: If it lacks Nasty Plot, Blissey walls it, can paralyze it with Thunder Wave, and can wear it down with Life Orb recoil / Seismic Toss. Starmie can OHKO with Surf if it takes some entry hazard damage. Tyranitar can take any unboosted hit barring HP Fighting, set up Dragon Dance, and KO with +1 Earthquake
· Choice Band: Walled completely by Skarmory. I can get 3 layers of Spikes as well. Brave Bird even manages to 3HKO 248 HP CBScizor. Howver, Starmie cannot OHKO with Surf even after maximum residual damage(doing a maximum of 55%).
· Swords Dance: Skarmory can Whirlwind the boosts away. I can stall it out of Superpower with Roost,since I move last, thus resulting in its Attack boosts getting negated. Starmie doesn’t take too much damage from unboosted Bullet Punch, and can KO with Surf after SR+Spikes.
· Defensive: All right, Blissey can cripple it with paralysis, and takes little damage. Rotom-H OHKOs with Thunderbolt. Since it has no Spl Atk EV’s, Surf doesn’t even 2HKO T’Tar in Sandstorm, while it outspeeds and KO’s Starmie after 1 DD with Rock Slide.
· Life Orb: Rotom-H OHKOs with Thunderbolt. If it lacks Recover, Blissey completely walls it, and can wear it down with Seismic Toss and Life Orb damafe, or paralyze it. T’Tar can survive a Surf under Sandstorm, and OHKO qith Rock Slide, considering LO recoil, entry hazard damage and Sandstorm damage.
· ParaFlinch: Starmie OHKO’s with Ice Beam if it takes SR damage. Rotom-H can Trick it and effectively ruin its strategy, and also resists Air Slash. If it doesn’t have Aura Sphere, Tyranitar can take a Thunder Wave with Lum Berry, Dragon Dance once, and then OHKO with Rock Slide.
· Nasty Plot: Once again, Flygon and Starmie are my best counters for Togekiss. Tyranitar can Dragon Dance on the Nasty Plot or Thunder Wave, and then OHKO with Rock Slide.
· Choice Band: Owned by Skarmory. Flygon outspeeds and OHKOs with Earthquake. Starmie OHKOs with Surf IF it takes prior damage from entry hazards.
· Choice Scarf: Skarmory laughs at it, taking almost nothing from its attacks. Flygon outspeeds and OHKOs with Earthquake. My own Tyranitar can come in on Crunch, and use it as set-up fodder.
· Dragon Dance: Flygon outspeeds it even after 2 Dragon Dances, and OHKOs with Earthquake. Skarmory takes even boosted attacks with ease, and can Whirlwind the boosts away. Starmie ties with +1Speed ones, and OHKO’s with Surf if it has taken prior damage from SR and Spikes.
· TyraniBoah: Quite annoying sometimes. My best bet is my own Tyranitar, who can outspeed it, break its Substitutes with STAB Earthquake, and set up on it. If it doesn’t have Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, Skarmory can Whirlwind it for Spikes damage, and break its Sub if it has one. I. If it does not have a Substitute up, Starmie can OHKO it if it takes Spikes damage.
· Sweeper: Walled to death by Skarmory. If it lacks Taunt, then 3 Layers of Spikes for me yum. Weavile is so frail that Brave Bird 2HKO’s. If it does not run Low Kick, Tyranitar uses it as set-up fodder.
· Sweeper:Poor thing. Rotom-H outspeeds it even after a Speed Boost and OHKOs with Thunderbolt. Unboosted Bug Buzz doesn’t OHKO Tyranitar, while Rock Slide does. Walled by Skarmory if it doesn’t have Hidden Power Fire or Tinted Lens. Tinted Lens ones are destroyed by Starmie.
Defensive Threats
Blissey:
· Wall: Tyranitar uses it as set-up fodder. Skarmory can set up Spikes, and Whirlwind it away for Spikes damage. If Azelf is still around, it can blow up on it. Rotom-H ruins it with Trick.
Bronzong :
· Wall:Skarmory takes anything, barring Hypnosis, and sets up Spikes. Starmie deals with non-Payback ones. Rotom-H owns it with Overheat or Trick.
Celebi :
· Wall: Skarmory takes anything barring HP Fire, and can get layers. Flygon mauls it with U-Turn. Starmie can finish off weakened ones with Ice beam. Rotom-H can deal heavy damage with Shadow BBall.
· Life Orb Tinkerbell:If it takes some entry hazard damage, Flygon gets a sure-fire OHKO. Starmie can KO weakened ones with Ice Beam. Skarmory walls it if does not have HP Fire. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Shadow Ball.
Cresselia :
· Wall: Tyranitar owns it, using it as set up fodder. Skarmory gets 3 layers. Blissey can paralyze it, heal any status with Aromatherapy, and wear it down with Seismic Toss. Rotom-H owns it with Trick.
Donphan :
· Wall: Starmie OHKOs it with Surf. Skarmory can Whirlwind it for some layers damage. Tyranitar can KO weakened ones with Ice Beam. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Shadow ball, and blocks Rapid Spin.
Forretress :
· Standard: Starmie can 2HKO any version with Surf. Skarmory can out-stall it as well with Brave Bird, since Forry has no reliable recovery. Rotom-H owns it.
Gliscor:
· Stall-breaker: Starmie completely owns it. Otherwise, this can be quite irritating. Skarmory walls it, but cannot set up Spikes due to Taunt. Since it runs no Attack EVs, Tyranitar can survive an Earthquake, and OHKO with Ice Beam.
· Baton Pass:Skarmory can set up Spikes on the boosting move, and Whirlwind the switch in. Starmie owns it again.
Hippowdon :
· Wall: Skarmory gets layers, Starmie OHKO’s with Surf if it doesn’t invest heavily in SpD. Tyranitar can take an Earthquake, and severly hurt it with Ice Beam. Rotom-H can Trick it.
Skarmory :
· Standard:Starmie destroys it with Thunderbolt, and can Spin the Spikes away.. Flygon can 2HKO with ThunderPunch if it takes Stealth Rock damage, and doesn’t Roost on my Thunder Punch. If it lacks Taunt, my Skarmory outspeeds it, and Whirlwinds it out first. Rotom-H murders it with Thunderbolt.
Snorlax :
· Curse:Skarmory takes even Fire Punch, and can Whirlwind the stat boosts away, in addition to nabbing some entry hazard damage. Azelf can blow up on it. Rotom-H can Trick it, thouh it cannot do anything else. If it lacks Earthquake, it is walled by Tyranitar, who can set up Dragon Dance, and eliminate Snorlax with STAB Rock Slide.
Suicune:
· CroCune: Starmie can Thunderbolt it before it sets up Calm Mind, and then finish it off with a second T’Bolt. However, I need some layers damage to succeed, since LO Thunderbolt does around 55% to Suicune. Starmie also does not take much damage from boosted Surfs. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Tyranitar can survive unboosted Surfs with its boosted SplDef, set up a Dragon Dance and finish off Suicune with a STAB Rock Slide.
· LO/Leftovers CM: Walled by Blissey, who can also paralyse it. Rotom-H can Trick it. Tyranitar can take an unboosted Surf with its high Spl Def, Dragon Dance, and then obliterate it with STAB Rock Slide.
Swampert :
· Standard: Skarmory gets 3 layers of Spikes unless it is Roared away. Starmie can 2HKO with Surf. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 3HKO with Shadow Ball.
· CursePert: Skarmory can Whirlwind it away. If it carries both Rest and Sleep Talk, then Starmie can easily 2HKO it with Surf, since it resists Waterfall. It is easy to handle. Rotom-H can ruin it with Trick.
Tentacruel :
· Wall: Rotom-H blocks Spin, and 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.Tyranitar will not take much from Surf and can set up. Starmie can manage a 2HKO with Thunderbolt.
Vaporeon :
· Wall:Tyranitar can take a Surf , set up a Dragon Dance, and severly weaken if not OHKO Vaporeon with STAB Rock Slide. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Blissey walls it, and can heal Toxic with Aromatherapy or paralyze it. Starmie can only 2HKO if it takes a lot of entry hazard damage. However, it cannot do much in return to Starmie other than Toxic.
Zapdos:
· Generic Wall: Tyranitar can set up with Dragon Dance, taking little from any of Zapdos’s ayttacks, and then OHKO it with STAB Rock Slide. Starmie can OHKO it if it has already ben weakened with Ice Beam
· SubToxic: Tyranitar owns it. It can take a Toxic with Lum Berry, and 2HKO with Rock Slide. Starmie can weaken it with Ice Beam. Flygon can hit it for heavy damage with Outrage as well. It can be annoying with Pressure though.
· Life Orb: Blissey walls it, Tyranitar sets up on it, Starmie OHKOs with SR damage. Easily taken care of.
· Wall: Tyranitar uses it as set-up fodder. Skarmory can set up Spikes, and Whirlwind it away for Spikes damage. If Azelf is still around, it can blow up on it. Rotom-H ruins it with Trick.
Bronzong :
· Wall:Skarmory takes anything, barring Hypnosis, and sets up Spikes. Starmie deals with non-Payback ones. Rotom-H owns it with Overheat or Trick.
Celebi :
· Wall: Skarmory takes anything barring HP Fire, and can get layers. Flygon mauls it with U-Turn. Starmie can finish off weakened ones with Ice beam. Rotom-H can deal heavy damage with Shadow BBall.
· Life Orb Tinkerbell:If it takes some entry hazard damage, Flygon gets a sure-fire OHKO. Starmie can KO weakened ones with Ice Beam. Skarmory walls it if does not have HP Fire. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Shadow Ball.
Cresselia :
· Wall: Tyranitar owns it, using it as set up fodder. Skarmory gets 3 layers. Blissey can paralyze it, heal any status with Aromatherapy, and wear it down with Seismic Toss. Rotom-H owns it with Trick.
Donphan :
· Wall: Starmie OHKOs it with Surf. Skarmory can Whirlwind it for some layers damage. Tyranitar can KO weakened ones with Ice Beam. Rotom-H 2HKOs with Shadow ball, and blocks Rapid Spin.
Forretress :
· Standard: Starmie can 2HKO any version with Surf. Skarmory can out-stall it as well with Brave Bird, since Forry has no reliable recovery. Rotom-H owns it.
Gliscor:
· Stall-breaker: Starmie completely owns it. Otherwise, this can be quite irritating. Skarmory walls it, but cannot set up Spikes due to Taunt. Since it runs no Attack EVs, Tyranitar can survive an Earthquake, and OHKO with Ice Beam.
· Baton Pass:Skarmory can set up Spikes on the boosting move, and Whirlwind the switch in. Starmie owns it again.
Hippowdon :
· Wall: Skarmory gets layers, Starmie OHKO’s with Surf if it doesn’t invest heavily in SpD. Tyranitar can take an Earthquake, and severly hurt it with Ice Beam. Rotom-H can Trick it.
Skarmory :
· Standard:Starmie destroys it with Thunderbolt, and can Spin the Spikes away.. Flygon can 2HKO with ThunderPunch if it takes Stealth Rock damage, and doesn’t Roost on my Thunder Punch. If it lacks Taunt, my Skarmory outspeeds it, and Whirlwinds it out first. Rotom-H murders it with Thunderbolt.
Snorlax :
· Curse:Skarmory takes even Fire Punch, and can Whirlwind the stat boosts away, in addition to nabbing some entry hazard damage. Azelf can blow up on it. Rotom-H can Trick it, thouh it cannot do anything else. If it lacks Earthquake, it is walled by Tyranitar, who can set up Dragon Dance, and eliminate Snorlax with STAB Rock Slide.
Suicune:
· CroCune: Starmie can Thunderbolt it before it sets up Calm Mind, and then finish it off with a second T’Bolt. However, I need some layers damage to succeed, since LO Thunderbolt does around 55% to Suicune. Starmie also does not take much damage from boosted Surfs. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Tyranitar can survive unboosted Surfs with its boosted SplDef, set up a Dragon Dance and finish off Suicune with a STAB Rock Slide.
· LO/Leftovers CM: Walled by Blissey, who can also paralyse it. Rotom-H can Trick it. Tyranitar can take an unboosted Surf with its high Spl Def, Dragon Dance, and then obliterate it with STAB Rock Slide.
Swampert :
· Standard: Skarmory gets 3 layers of Spikes unless it is Roared away. Starmie can 2HKO with Surf. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 3HKO with Shadow Ball.
· CursePert: Skarmory can Whirlwind it away. If it carries both Rest and Sleep Talk, then Starmie can easily 2HKO it with Surf, since it resists Waterfall. It is easy to handle. Rotom-H can ruin it with Trick.
Tentacruel :
· Wall: Rotom-H blocks Spin, and 2HKOs with Thunderbolt.Tyranitar will not take much from Surf and can set up. Starmie can manage a 2HKO with Thunderbolt.
Vaporeon :
· Wall:Tyranitar can take a Surf , set up a Dragon Dance, and severly weaken if not OHKO Vaporeon with STAB Rock Slide. Rotom-H can Trick it, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Blissey walls it, and can heal Toxic with Aromatherapy or paralyze it. Starmie can only 2HKO if it takes a lot of entry hazard damage. However, it cannot do much in return to Starmie other than Toxic.
Zapdos:
· Generic Wall: Tyranitar can set up with Dragon Dance, taking little from any of Zapdos’s ayttacks, and then OHKO it with STAB Rock Slide. Starmie can OHKO it if it has already ben weakened with Ice Beam
· SubToxic: Tyranitar owns it. It can take a Toxic with Lum Berry, and 2HKO with Rock Slide. Starmie can weaken it with Ice Beam. Flygon can hit it for heavy damage with Outrage as well. It can be annoying with Pressure though.
· Life Orb: Blissey walls it, Tyranitar sets up on it, Starmie OHKOs with SR damage. Easily taken care of.
Mekkah, for suggesting Taunt over U-Turn on Azelf.
reyscarface forcomposing the background soundtrack giving me full permission to use his threatlist.
Many users of the beta server on PO, for helping me test this team.
Gamefreak for creating Pokemon.
reyscarface for
Many users of the beta server on PO, for helping me test this team.
Gamefreak for creating Pokemon.
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I hope you enjoyed reading my RMT, folks. Rate | Hate | Steal, I am just too lazy to provide a importable format of this team, though I might think about it if I am asked to.
