Peaked # 4 On Smogon University LC, Nbd

[(makeup)]

so I've been laddering under the alt malevolent sorceress
idgaf about ranking though so #1 is the same as anything to me
especially in LC lol
This team is basically meant to abuse the power of Shell Smash and what it does to the metagame. Enjoy ^_^

The Sweepers

Shellder (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
- Shell Smash

I made my team around the idea of having two users of Shell Smash; one to weaken the opponent's team and another to clean up. I knew Shellder was really good in the current metagame due to its type advantage over a lot of the new stuff, and I liked it in general, so here is Shellder! Icicle Spear and Rock Blast are the main attacks, though they aren't STAB. Unfortunately, Shellder lacks powerful physical STAB moves, so this is the best it can do. It's great though in the sense that it breaks subs, so Shellder makes a very good matchup to Gligar and Murkrow. Ice Shard is used in the last slot instead of a Water-type attack for scarf Gligar and Sucker Punch Murkrow. I've tried Hydro Pump, HP Fire, and Razor Shell and I like this one the best

Dwebble (M) @ Oran Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Substitute

You might have seen a bunch of variations of this set, but this one is flat-out the best. I originally had Iron Defense and Eviolite but that's really kind of dumb when you can abuse sturdy with Oran Berry, and Substitute is better than Iron Defense when defending Sucker Punches. Having Dwebble be a common Spiker is cool so people don't know what to expect, and sandstorm from Hippopotas makes it really bulky. Rock Blast and Earthquake provide insane coverage, hitting all but Bronzor and some irrelevant Pokemon neutrally. The EVs give Dwebble 15 Speed, which outspeeds everything after a Shell Smash except choice scarf Elekid, Voltorb, and Diglett (which don't exist). I've been considering using X-Scissor for its accuracy and reliability, as well as ability to hit Bronzor, but if I ditch Earthquake, Mienfoo walls, and if I ditch Rock Blast, everything else walls.

The Spinner

Staryu @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 36 HP / 196 SAtk / 236 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Recover
- Rapid Spin

Staryu is really the only good Rapid Spinner in LC besides Kabuto. Dwebble's Sturdy does nothing with hazards on the field, and Staryu is here to get rid of them. Unfortunately, it doesn't serve another specific purpose, but it can do some hefty damage with Hydro Pump. If I win a Speed tie, Staryu can take out Gligar or Murkrow, which is cool. It can take Fire-type attacks from Ponyta and Houndour to help preserve Shellder, and it can KO a hurt Mienfoo. Yeah, Staryu is boring.

The Supporter

Hippopotas (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 212 HP / 20 Atk / 132 Def / 100 SDef / 20 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Slack Off

Ok well this is Hippopotas. Basically, Dwebble needs one thing out to function: residual damage. With annoying weather and hazards everywhere, Sturdy breaks. Hippopotas and Staryu make sure to keep that away. Plus, having a Special Defense boost is always a good thing. Stealth Rock helps my sweepers do their thing; LO Murkrow dies after Stealth Rock to a +2 Ice Shard. Earthquake just helps Hippopotas not lose to things with Taunt such as Mienfoo, and it can hit stuff that tries to set up on it. Roar is used because everything has Substitute nowadays.

The Other Stuff

Croagunk (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 52 HP / 188 Atk / 116 Def / 116 SDef / 36 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drain Punch
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
- Payback

Well, Scraggy sucks, but the main reason I have Croagunk is to check annoying shit and revenge kill. Stuff like Shellder gets wrecked by Croagunk, and it's a great defensive Pokemon to have. Misdreavus without Will-O-Wisp hates facing it, and it plays mindgames with Murkrow at low health. I have been considering using Taunt or something for annoying walls, but there isn't really room for it, as my priority and coverage moves are necessary. Originally, I had Misdreavus here, but it wasn't pulling its weight at all. Pawniard was a huge threat to my team, and it no longer is. Also it's cool against scarf Chinchou, who has been annoying lately!

Mienfoo (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 236 Atk / 240 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Hi Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stone Edge

Choice Scarf Mienfoo is just an all-around boss. It checks non-eviolite Gligar and Murkrow as well as Pawniard and Scraggy with Zen Headbutt for Croagunk. Hi Jump Kick is super powerful, and with Mienfoo's tremendous Speed (with Choice Scarf), it makes Mienfoo a great sweeper. Stone Edge hits weird stuff that resists to rest of Mienfoo's moves, like Larvesta. You might be facepalming because I'm using HP Ice, but it's really a great move. Non-Eviolite Gligar just takes a huge fuck you to the face thanks to Hidden Power. I do have Ice Shard on Shellder, but you can never be too safe!

/team

 

[spuds4ever]

Hi, this is a good team (I think I remember playing it, SS dwebble really threw me off...)

A few points. I think a defensive core of misdreavus and bronzor could give this team a really hard time seeing as bronzor handles everything except staryu and misdreavus able to take on staryu as well as very inconveniently burning everything else with WoW. Also, you have no psychic resistances and nothing with good sp. def so substitute abra could seriously mess with the team. But seeing as you got to no. 4, maybe you overcame that.

I personally would suggest mixkrow over croagunk as not only does he give you a stronger sucker punch, he gives a psychic and a ground immunity, both of which you lack. He will also give you some much needed special moves like heatwave (presuming you take insomnia) and icy wind.

Good set on mienfoo, very similar to the one I use. I might be tempted to take knock off instead of stone edge. This may seem odd on a scarf set, but it works pretty well for me (especially seeing as stone edge has very little value in today's metagame now, and you having HP ice anyway) as it cripples misdreavus who should go down pretty quickly after losing her evio and having no recovery moves bar pain-split. I would shift around the EVs a little so you add another point in sp. atk and one less in atk on mienfoo so he can kill gligar more and obviously make sure you run 30HP and 30 def IVs if you're running HP Ice.

 

[Ray Jay]

Good set on mienfoo, very similar to the one I use. I might be tempted to take knock off instead of stone edge. This may seem odd on a scarf set, but it works pretty well for me (especially seeing as stone edge has very little value in today's metagame now, and you having HP ice anyway) as it cripples misdreavus who should go down pretty quickly after losing her evio and having no recovery moves bar pain-split. I would shift around the EVs a little so you add another point in sp. atk and one less in atk on mienfoo so he can kill gligar more and obviously make sure you run 30HP and 30 def IVs if you're running HP Ice.

Stone Edge is for Larvesta, and actually helps handle Missy if she's expected to switch in; as you said, she lacks reliable recovery and any damage helps. Considering you have Croagunk, you should probably make it more of a Misdreavus check. Mixed Croagunk is very viable in this meta, and Payback is a move I find largely useless; you'd only want to use it if they're using WoW which is then pretty dumb. You should still be able to handle Pawniard, as well. There are a bunch of good mixed sets, one of the good sets that I like to use is:

Croagunk (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 212 HP / 28 Atk / 36 Def / 108 SAtk / 116 SDef
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
- Vacuum Wave
- Dark Pulse


The team's obviously laid out simply, and is interesting as it personifies how Little Cup is becoming more and more offensive. Other than that, great team. I would recommend keeping EQ on Dwebble as surprisingly enough, I've seen SS Shellder break through Bronzor before. If you're really gutsy, you could even change Shellder to King's Rock, which is a gimmicky set but fun nonetheless.

 

[(makeup)]

@spuds4ever I don't need a Psychic resist; Bronzor is very weak. Bronzor has no recovery, so it doesn't really pose a threat, as it's pretty easy to wear down with my current attacks, especially from Staryu.

I need Croagunk, since Mienfoo is a very unreliable Scraggy check (Hi Jump Kick can probably kill it on the switch). Plus, Mixkrow leaves me very Mienfoo weak (nothing can really switch in without being 2HKOd besides Gunk right now). I've used Murkrow on this team, and it doesn't really fit.

Knock Off on Scarf Mienfoo is pretty terrible because U-turn is always better on the switch, and anything else is better to attack.

@RayJay that sets looks really cool actually. I shall try it. Thanks you!

 

[spuds4ever]

That's true about mixkrow, didn't think about that. But you still have hippopotas who can easily lots of stuff from mienfoo.

I'm curious as to how you switch into abra.

 

[danilo]

He cant switch into Abra, but I don't know if that's such a big deal considering how uncommon Abra is. Scratch that, Hippo switches into Abra all day, since most Abra carry Psyshock.

 

[Ray Jay]

I'm curious as to how you switch into abra.

Even if Abra gets a kill, Dwebble comes in and sets up an SS, or Croagunk can revenge sash with Sucker Punch if it absolutely has to (brings it down to 1 hp so Shellder can kill). Not much can switch in to Abra in this metagame, but there's enough priority and Scarfers to keep it at bay. This team shows that concept very well.

 

[(makeup)]

Not much can switch in to Abra :( both my Shell Smashers destroy it, Mienfoo U-turns it, Croagunk has priority, and Hippo can take a hit from it. That's really the only way to beat Abra unless you have Dark-types.

 

[spuds4ever]

Sorry if this is just stupid, but, would wynaut be a good idea? He's probably the best revenge killer in the tier and with good prediction (which I'm sure you have seeing as you reached no. 4), he can provide a free turn of set-up for either of your shell smashers.

Also agreeing with Ray Jay's point on making croagunk a solid missy check.