A balanced team.

[ArcticxWolf]

Some hard to beat defense may lead to a clean sweep.
That is the concept behind this team. Yes, I just had to make it lame like that.
This team also boasts the the two resistances to every type aspect, except for rock and flying, 2 relatively uncommon types.

The Team

Swampert @ Leftovers
252HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature / Torrent
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Earthquake
- Avalanche

I like swampert leads. It sets up stealth rock reliably, has enough type coverage to not get set up on, and it checks some threats which would threaten this team. It also creates a solid defensive core in Celebi / Heatran and sponges a variety of attacks. Roar is my last minute defense against something that can set up on my team. Here's how it matches up against the top 10 leads of December:
Azelf: Surf, Set up rocks if he hasn't taunted, switch to heatran if he has.
Metagross: EQ, set up rocks.
Swampert: set up rocks, EQ
Jirachi: Switch to Heatran, rocks can wait, I can't afford to let swampert get crippled.
Aerodactyl: Avalanche, Avalanche
Infernape: Take the flinch, set up rocks, EQ
Roserade: Switch to scizor to take the sleep, then heatran to force it out.
Heatran: EQ, I don't like the threat he can be to my team, Rocks can wait.
Tyranitar: EQ, set up rocks.
Gliscor: Avalanche for the kill. This thing can get annoying.

Celebi @ Leftovers
118 HP / 252 Def / 140 Spe
Bold / natural cure
- Grass Knot
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
My main status taker and gyarados counter. If it wasn't for celebi, I would get completely destroyed by an offensive gyarados, as it has the potential to 2HKO my entire team. It also spreads paralysis when needed, and overall slows down the game to where I can easily deal with threats. Leech seed helps to outstall a variety of things, grass knot for gyarados, recover to survive longer, and twave to cripple those annoying sweepers that would otherwise give me trouble. It has great defensive coverage with swampert and heatran (found in all celetranwater cores (: ).

Heatran @ Choice Scarf
4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Naive / Flash Fire
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
-Explosion
Heatran is my revenge killer. It is one of the best revenge killers I have ever used. Fire blast with stab and Flash fire bonus hurts. A lot. It takes almost all tricks that would otherwise be a problem for this team. It has great synergy with Scizor and celebi, and is pretty much the glue for this team. Fire blast for stab, Earth power covers predictable heatran switches, dragon pulse for those dragons, and explosion puts a dent in other teams in the late game when Heatran has done his job and has to break through the other person's defense.

Blissey @ Leftovers
24HP / 252 Def / 232 SpD
Calm nature / Natural Cure
- Protect
- Wish
- Flamethrower
- Toxic

Blissey is in here because it can scout for things with protect, is not hampered by status, has access to a recovery move, and is the best special wall in the game. I use wish/protect over softboiled because a) it allows me a bit more freedom in my prediction and b) It helps me stall for twice the amount of turns. EVs are taken straight off the smogon website. Toxic lets me beat special sweepers and flamethrower hits everything immune to it, bar heatran. It is quite necessary, as almost all my pokemon are designed to take physical hits.

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

Latias is my late game sweeper. He is my quicker picker upper, the one that cleans up the mess and exploits the holes which I make in the other person's team. he also helps to check infernape, which would otherwise be a big problem in this team. I chose the moves to allow him to have maximum type coverage while still being able to withstand hits with its good bulk and typing and last longer throughout the game.

Scizor @ Choice Band
176 HP / 88 Atk / 232 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant / Technician
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-Turn

Scizor is my secondary revenge killer. He takes care of those annoying ghost and psychic types which have the ability to wreck my team. He also takes care of mixmence, and other stall breakers which would cause problems. He is also my scout, able to u-turn, taking a chunk out of the opponents counter without having a scratch on him :). He is able to break through the opponents team with a combination of the moves above as well as some clever switching.

The Team Building Process


When I first started this, I had just reread many of the RMTs from the archive. I liked the idea that instead of a number of set pokemon, there would be a number of roles, and the pokemon I chose would fit those roles. I knew I wanted:

- A core which would have good synergy and cover both ends of the spectrum while wearing down the opponent
- A solid, nonsuicide lead which could set up rocks reliably while still creating good synergy
- A revenge killer
- A pokemon able to break through stall and still have good synergy
- A late game sweeper to clean up any remaining pokemon
- Something to prevent wallbreakers from doing their job

Now, I looked at this list, and immediately decided on a CeleTran core. It contained two solid pokemon, and I could also have my revenge killer in the form of heatran.

Next, I decided that Suicune would be a good addition to this team, forming a great core, as well as giving me another pokemon who could absorb status, leaving me less vulnerable to other stall teams, especially because I didn't plan on having a spinner.

After that, I decided that my late game sweeper would be a choice scarf flygon. It had good synergy with my core, and was fast, had good typing, and would also serve as a secondary revenge killer and my wallbreaker breaker (LOL).

As for my own wallbreaker, I decided that Gyarados would work well, having good synergy with flygon as well as intimidate. I decided on an offensive DD set with DD and 3 attacks with a life orb.

As for my lead, I decided on a Tyranitar. It was bulky, had alright typing, good synergy with heatran and celebi, and took care of psychics and ghost types.

Now, I played with this team with relative success. However, I felt that flygon seemed to be the weak link, and I switched him for a Jirachi. This worked much better, as now, I wasn't destroyed by mixmence and other gyarados, with its elemental punches and flinch hax.

Next, I decided that Gyarados wasn't doing his job, and I switched him for a Latias. I felt that it would be better, crippling blissey with trick and destroying things with draco meteors.

However, by doing this, I opened myself up to a large CB Scizor weakness. I decided that Swampert would be a better replacement for suicune AS WELL AS tyranitar. It still completed my celetran core, but I now had something to take CB U-turns, as I don't want to use my heatran for it.

Now that swampert was in, I had an extra slot. I chose to use Blissey, because I needed some more status, and because my whole team was physically defensive.

After some testing, I found my own CB Scizor would help me greatly with other cb scizors and those pesky ghosts I lost the power to kill when I lost t-tar. I swapped him for Jirachi. It also gave me a good stallbreaker. I also switched Latias to a CM variant, because with jirachi gone, I had no real cleaner upper.

 

[ArcticxWolf]

Threat List (Stolen from Sugarless GiRL)

Scizor:
-Initial Switch: Scizor usually comes in on blissey, the only person he really threatens on my team. Usually, my own CB scizor is a good switch. It outspeeds almost all scizors with its 12 EVs in speed. I also have Swampert and possibly heatran in the wings.
-SD Variant: My own scizor handles it pretty well. If it goes down, I still have heatran to revenge kill.
-CB Variant: See initial switchin.

Salamence:
-Initial Switch: Not really a big threat. It is outsped by my latias, and can be revenge killed by Scizor quite easily. It can't really come in on anything.
-MixMence: I mostly just cripple it if I can, then go to Scizor on a predicted dragon move for the kill.
-DDMence: Usually have to sac something, although i haven't really seen many of these. Scizor and Heatran stop it in its tracks afterwards though.
-SpecsMence: Once I figure out it is Specs (Can be easily found out using the formula nullflux posted in his thread), Blissey handles it easily.
-CBMence: I barely ever see these, but Scizor handles it.

Heatran:
-Initial Switch: Swampert. If not available, Blissey, then Latias. My own heatran usually beats it.
-Lead Shuca/SashTran: Don't see them very much, but Swampert handles it fine.
-ScarfTran: Swampert still handles it fine.
-SpecsTran: This might be problematic if I don't expect it. Swampert is not a safe switchin anymore, and I have to go to Blissey.
-LO Tran: My own heatran beats it, and can only really come in on celebi.
-SubHeatran: I don't see this very often, but I think swampert should be ok.
Gyarados:
-Initial Switch: Celebi and swampert both beat every aspect of him, so I don't really worry.
-Leftovers DD: Celebi takes it no problem.
-Life Orb DD: Swampert is probably my best bet. Celebi can take him after he's been weakened.
-Restalk: I think blissey can actually beat this...Not a real problem anyway.
-Thunder Wave or Substitute: Celebi beats it.

Rotom-A:
-Initial Switch: Blissey walls all variants without trick, and I would be willing to sac blissey for a clean sweep with latias if it does anyway, so yep, blissey it is.
-Scarf: Heatran can take pretty much all variants. Probably not blissey as it probably has trick.
-Restalk: Can't really do much to Scizor without Overheat, so I usually go and pursuit his ass.
-SubCharge Beam: Blissey can toxic, scizor can probably pursuit.
Latias:
-Initial Switch: Usually blissey. After I find out what type of latias it is, I can either go to Scizor or toxic with blissey.
-Specs: Blissey can beat all variants, although Trick may be problematic. Heatran can revenge kill
-Scarf: Same as above.
-LO Sweeper: Blissey beats it.
-CM Latias: Blissey still beats it.

Tyranitar:
-Initial Switch: Usually swampert. When I make sure that he isn't running a boah set, I can switch in scizor.
-CBTar: Swampert handles this well, and I still have scizor if needed.
-LO Tar: Same as above.
-DDTar: Scizor is probably my best bet. If worst comes down to worst, Swampert can phaze it away.
-BOAH Variants: Swampert.
-CurseTar: Pretty much never see this, but Scizor and swampert still deal with it.

Metagross:
-Initial Switch: Heatran and latias usually have no problem with it. Swampert as well.
-CBGross: I don't really have much experience with this, but I think latias still handles it fine.
-MixGross: Heatran comes in on HP Fire, Meteor Mash, or Grass Knot. Latias can too.

Lucario:
-Initial Switch: Swampert and heatran deal with it fine.
-SD: Usually swampert for fear of CC. Tricky, probably needs a sacrifice.
-Specs: Blissey MAY be able to come in on it. Otherwise, Heatran can beat it without priority.

Infernape:
-Initial Switch: Latias handles it without HP Ice, and Heatran can come in on a predicted fire blast.
-MixApe: Latias, heatran, beat it, and scizor can revenge kill if needed
-Physical Ape: Swampert.
-ScarfApe: Quite easy to predict, and easily beatable as well.

Jirachi:
-Initial Switch: Nothing it has can really touch heatran.
-Scarf Jirachi: Heatran takes everything it has and causes a variety of threats.
-Expert Belt Jirachi: Never heard of it, but Heatran should still beat it.
-CM Jirachi: Heatran and Swampert should suffice. Swampert can phaze if needed.
-Support Jirachi: Heatran, Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Jirachi can beat this. Rotom-W is not the best option in case of Thunder Wave or Wish Protect but it is there! Jirachi can set up on it.

Gengar:
-Initial Switch: Usually blissey, except for variants which may have explosion, in which case scizor is better.
-LO Gengar: Same as above
-ScarfGengar: If it is locked into Tbolt or Focus Blast, Latias comes in, Shadow ball, Scizor comes in.
-SubGengar: Can't really do much to scizor without HP fire.
Swampert:
-Initial Switch: CELEBI
-Standard Mixpert: CELEBI
-CBPert: CELEBI
-Cursepert: CELEBI (or my own swampert)

Blissey:
-Initial Switch: This is difficult, but I usually just start setting up with latias. Usually requires a sacrifice in the form of heatran.
-WishBliss: Same as above
-Non-wish Bliss: Same as above

Azelf:
-Initial Switch: Probably Latias, and Scizor if it has explosion.
-Lead Azelf: Set up rocks and kill it.
-NP Azelf: Scizor can revenge kill, Blissey is usually safe
-Scarf Azelf: Heatran walls it, I think.

Starmie:
-Initial Switch: It can't touch blissey.
-LO Starmie: Same as above.
-Rapid Spinner: Same as above.
-Choice Starmie: I like to use scizor, although I think blissey is probably better.

Gliscor:
-Initial Switch: Probably Swampert.
-SD Gliscor: Is problematic. Probably need to sac heatran or something.
-Stall Gliscor: Same as above.
-BP Gliscor: Same as above.
Vaporeon:
-Initial Switch: Latias can set up on it and heal off the damage. Not a problem.
-WishProtect Vaporeon: Same as above.
-SpecsVaporeon: I don't really see this often, but blissey handles it fine with toxic and wish protect stalling.

Magnezone:
-Initial Switch: This is the reason why I always U-turn first on Scizor. I
-Substitute: Ughhh, sacrifice anyone?
-Scarf: Probably have to sacrifice either scizor or heatran to revenge.
-Life Orb Variant: Same as scarf.

Zapdos:
-Initial Switch: Blissey beats it.
-Defensive: Latias can set up on it. Otherwise, blissey beats it.
-Offensive: Latias beats these pretty easily.
-Choiced: I think blissey still beats it, although uncommon.

Machamp:
-Initial Switch: Latias and celebi can sorta come in on dpunch, and heatran can come in on payback to ko.
-ResTalk: Same as above.
-Substitute: I probably need a sacrifice to beat this, quite problematic.

Kingdra:
-Initial Switch: Swampert has EQ and can also phaze DD versions. Nothing it has can really hurt swampie anyway.
-DD Kingdra: Same as above
-Rain Dance Mix: same as above, really.

Breloom:
-Initial Switch: Latias handles most versions with recover.
-SubPuncher: Yep
-ScarfLoom: Scizor can handle this version.

Skarmory:
-Initial Switch: It's really only a threat to swampert, who can't do much as it spikes. I usually attack.
-Spiker: Same as above.

Bronzong:
-Initial Switch: Can't do much to anybody except explode.
-Standard Leftovers / Light Clay: Attack!
-CMZong: Never heard of it, although blissey should beat it.
-Trick: Probably celebi, who doesn't really care about its item.

Celebi:
-Initial Switch: My own celebi, or Blissey
-Defensive: Sometimes annoying, but still not difficult to take down.
-CM / CM Pass: Scizor if it has gk, swampert if it has HP Fire.
-SD Pass: easier than CM
-Choice: I don't really see these although blissey should handle it fine.

Flygon:
-Initial Switch: ANNOYING AS HELL. nearly always requires a sacrifice to beat. Usually latias.
-Scarf: Latias on something that isn't outrage or dragon claw. Hopefully KO with surf.
-Band: Need to outpredict it with celebi on heatran.
-Roost LO/Stall: Probably Blissey

Suicune:
-Initial Switch: Yay for celebi!
-Offensive CMer: Yay for celebi!
-ResTalk: Still celebi
-Roar: Still Celebi

Jolteon:
-Initial Switch: Blissey handles it fine.
-Specs: Blissey handles it fine, and latias can set up on a nonshadowball move. Swampert can also take it.
-Substitute: Blissey can beat it.
-Charge Beam: Swampert may beat it if it doesn't get too high. might require a sacrifice.

Empoleon:
-Initial Switch: Blissey should be fine.
-Lead: Not really a problem for swampert.
-AgilityPetaya: I *think* blissey can handle it.
-AgilityLife Orb: Pretty much never see it, although blissey should probably still beat it.
-Specs: Can't do much to blissey.
-SD: Annoying, but scizor should do alright against it.
Forretress: It can't really do much to anything except celebi, where I switch to heatran.

Electivire: Latias should beat it without a problem..

Togekiss: Heatran outspeeds and blissey can outstall it with toxic.

Weavile: Heatran, Scizor, and swampert should do ok. Can be problematic though.

Aerodactyl: See what I do against top 10 leads.

Mamoswine: Heatran can come in to revenge kill, but nothing can really take its attacks.

Snorlax: Swampert can phaze it, and scizor can take it without fire punch.

Dusknoir: Blissey or scizor.

Smeargle: I don't really like sleep, but latias can set up and scizor can priority. Swampert may be able to phase.

Ninjask: Set up rocks, then roar.

Tentacruel: Swampert beats it.

Dragonite: Swampert should beat it, and scizor can revenge kill if needed.

Hippowdon: Doesn't do much against latias, and celebi can GK as well.

Roserade: Heatran! :D

Porygon-Z: Heatran can deal with it and scizor can revenge kill.

Cresselia: SCIZOR! Blissey can toxic, but trick versions can be annoying.

Heracross: Probably need a sacrifice. Heatran can revenge kill easily though.

Umbreon: Scizor can force it out easily, and it can't really do anything.

Alakazam: Heatran and Scizor beat it.

 

[Staraptor Call]

Swampert should be Impish instead of Bold because it uses its Attack stat and doesn't want it to be lowered. You are not using your Special Attack stat, so you can sacrafice that.

In addition, your team has huge problems with Blissey. Only Scizor is a safe switch-in, and even Scizor is not completely safe if Blissey decides to run Flamethrower. A good way to fix this would be to change Latias to a late-game sweeper that can actually break through Stall teams. For this, I suggest SubCharge Rotom:

Rotom-h@Leftovers
Timid
128 HP / 168 SpA / 212 Spe
-Charge Beam
-Substitute
-Shadow Ball
-Hidden Power Fighting

SubCharge Rotom would help your team by giving it a Special sweeper that can break through the main defensive threat to your team. Rotom-h also gives your team many important resists, such as an immunity to Explosion (which helps against Azelf) and Dynamicpunch (which helps your team be less Machamp weak). And if Tyranitar or Scizor were to Pursuit Rotom-h for a KO, you would still get a free turn for Scizor to U-turn or Swampert to set up Stealth Rock.

So please try out my suggestions. I hope they help!

 

[PurpleMoogle]

Uhm, you didn't really address a way to get rid of Mence.
MixMence/DDMence will absolutely rip apart your team. Fire Blast/Flamethrower gets rid of Scizor and Celebi, EQ gets rid of Heatran and Blissey, DClaw/Outrage gets rid of Latias/Swampert/Blissey.

All your threats are address by the fact that all your Pokemon are still out. No decent player will randomly throw out a Mence without seeing what you have first. You rely hugely on Scizor, and as he is the number one used Pokemon, there are tons of checks for him.

And barring Latias, your team has a glaring weakness to Mixape.

Heatran must also be Naive so you don't weaken the power of Explosion.

 

[ArcticxWolf]

Uhm, you didn't really address a way to get rid of Mence.
MixMence/DDMence will absolutely rip apart your team. Fire Blast/Flamethrower gets rid of Scizor and Celebi,
EQ gets rid of Heatran and Blissey,
DClaw/Outrage gets rid of Latias/Swampert/Blissey.
I said that because the moves are fairly obvious. One: Celebi is not my salamence check, so the only way that she would be in is if mence switched in on it. In addition: When does mence like twave? Fire blast is a fairly obviuos move to get rid of scizor, and for both cases, latias is a safe switch in, as she resists both fire blast and EQ. You tell me Dclaw/outrage gets rid of latias / swampert, and yet, latias and heatran outspeed it, OHKOing with dragon pulse, Swampert is not OHKOed, and Scizor can switch in on both moves and BP. At most, it would kill one pokemon before being forced out, where SR will weaken it enough to be killed by one of my other pokemon.

BTW: What pokemon resists Fire, Ground, and Dragon? None, I would think...

All your threats are address by the fact that all your Pokemon are still out. No decent player will randomly throw out a Mence without seeing what you have first. You rely hugely on Scizor, and as he is the number one used Pokemon, there are tons of checks for him.
Um, this is a very generic comment. Obviously, EVERY PLAYER will not throw out a [insert threat here] without seeing what you have first. In addition, there is a reason why Scizor is the number one threat, and by telling me there are tons of checks for him does not mean anything. There are tons of checks for EVERY pokemon.

And barring Latias, your team has a glaring weakness to Mixape.
Hence why latias is my late game sweeper with RECOVER. Mixape can't do junk to latias, and it can just recover off the damage taken.

Heatran must also be Naive so you don't weaken the power of Explosion.
Alright, thanks.

As for the rotom idea, I like it. I thought that I was missing a ghost somewhere, and it still deals with mixape fairly well. I'll try it.

EDIT: On another note, I don't think heatran is doing very much for this team other than absorbing Fire and dragon hits...What about changing it to something like a tentacruel, as Subcharge rotom likes toxic spikes and my team in general doesn't. In addition, it also serves as a "backup" check to mixape.

 

[Snorlaxe]

hello!

this team's synergy is very nice in that you seem to have a lot of the metagame's most dangerous threats covered in some way, and you possess many key resistances that allow you to switch around more easily. i do see some problems however. one thing that I notice is how easily swords dance lucario can smash this team once heatran goes down; you say that swampert is a sound check, but did you know that adamant swords dance lucario's +2 life orb boosted stab close combat ohkoes swampert, even with the extremely defensive ev spread you're running? i also really dont see the point of blissey on this team, she basically just walls pokemon like latias and suicune that your other pokemon can already deal with to begin with. blissey's stallish nature will also slow down this team's offensive tempo quite quickly, as while your other team members are fast paced offensive pokemon, blissey must rely on stall tactics to win. this can give your opponent time to set up, which is never a good idea. try an expert belt jirachi in place of blissey.

jirachi @ expert belt | serene grace
naive nature (+speed, -special defense)
evs: 252 atk | 4 spa | 252 spe
~ iron head
~ ice punch
~ fire punch
~ thunderbolt

jirachi is cool on your team as it helps a lot against enemy stall teams. i can see this team struggling somewhat with a well played stall team, so this should help. jirachi also rounds out your team synergy very nicely, giving you two resistances to every attacking type in the game. the surprise value of this set helps a lot, and it can be a great midgame wallbreaker to wear down counters to your latias such as blissey and skarmory. fire punch is cool as it can often surprise something like lucario and scizor who often think that jirachi is nothing more than an opportunity to set up.

you're going to want to use a timid nature over a modest nature on latias, as with a modest nature it is true that you have more power, but you are also more vulnerable to pokemon like maximum speed salamence and maximum speed jirachi. timid allows you to have as much speed as possible, which is great on a sweeper like latias.

have you ever tried out hidden power ice on celebi? it can help a lot against dragon dance salamence, who can run your team pretty easily after swampert goes down (your scizor wont be able to deal as much damage as possible with bullet punch due to you not maximizing attack). i would put it over leech seed, as leech seed would really only help against pokemon like blissey and crocune, who are better handled by your other sweepers anyway. hidden power ice also helps a lot against flygon, who you mentioned in your threat list as being hard to take on.

anyway, hope i helped, and good luck! ;)