DPP Stall - 2008, post Platinum

[imperfectluck]

Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 152 HP/252 Def/8 Spd/98 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Seismic Toss
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Protect
---

People say, why Blissey? The average lead bar Infernape cannot do more than 50-60% to it at the most, and if it faces a Taunt lead, unlike a suicide lead, it is more than bulky enough to come back in and do its job later in the game as necessary. As the premier special wall in the game, Blissey finds many opportunities to come in on anything packing an all special moveset and even the occasional wall to come in and Wish my team back to health as needed.

Forretress (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SDef
Sassy nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Payback
---

Rapid Spin is necessary for stall teams to keep their feet clean and their Blisseys alive, while Spikes and Toxic Spikes are essential components to any passive damage based team. Payback allows for the eventual wearing out of Rotom-A over a few switches (it does 35% average to most bulky builds), while maximum special defense eases the setting up of entry hazards on Pokemon it would otherwise be hard pressed to set up on. Forretress also provides a much-needed Dragon typed resist at this time to switch into Draco Meteors and Outrages as necessary.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/216 Def/40 SDef
Bold nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Recover
- Reflect
- Perish Song
---
At first, Celebi was added to the team for one purpose, and one purpose only: to ensure that I never lost to any Pokemon that could use a setup move while it was the last remaining Pokemon, thus preventing me from forcing it out with Roar. However, Celebi also fulfills a niche as a Water resist, (ha take that RSE Gyarados) and Reflect helps the whole team out as most often physical threats such as Salamence, Tyranitar, and Scizor enjoy switching in on Celebi. Perish Song also has the benefit of racking up more switches for passive damage.

Rotom-h @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP/220 Def/40 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
---
Rotom-h was the Rotom appliance of choice for me, due to its ability to scare off Scizors and Forretresses without letting them setup further on Rotom-h. Essential to any stall team that wishes to keep its entry hazards around against fellow stall teams or even just an offensive team with Rapid Spin, Rotom also provides several key resists on this team, including Steel to deal with physical Jirachis, Metagrosses, Bug to deal with Scizor, Electric to beat Zapdos, and Flying to wall Togekiss, among other things. Rest + Sleep Talk ensures that Rotom-h stays around and isn't disabled by something such as a Blissey's Thunder Wave or Toxic, and prevents Rotom-h from being free setup bait for the likes of Gyarados.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/216 Def/60 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roar
- Roost
---
Thunderbolt was chosen for a steady source of damage, while Heat Wave was picked primarily to deal with Lucario and Scizor in a pinch. As an important Fighting, Bug, Steel, and Ground resist much like Rotom-h, this "doubling up" of defensive walls that counters many similar things ensures that it is very difficult to sweep me with an "overwhelm" strategy. Zapdos really shines, though, against other stall teams, when it can Roar over and over again, playing mind games with your opponent as they try to switch Skarmory out of Zapdos only to eat passive damage on Blissey while Skarmory is forcibly switched back in.

Swampert (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/216 Def/40 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Roar
- Protect
---
Many times people have asked me, why Swampert over a similarly bulky Ground Pokemon brethren with instant recovery, Hippowdon? My answers are various, but they include Swampert's respectable Ice Beam SAtk, and his much more impressive list of resists, especially with Fire being of the utmost importance, as Swampert provides me with a backup Fire Blast Heatran switch-in, something Hippowdon cannot do. Swampert is here as the Rock resist of the team, keeping the team together by preventing the dominance of threats such as Tyranitar and Salamence. Protect is chosen over a Water typed attack as Ground/Ice hits most things harder than adding a Water attack would, covering only Mamoswine, Skarmory, Gengar, and Bronzong in OU. Protect keeps Choice users from ever hitting me hard while recovering Swampert those valuable 6%'s a turn - I've once managed to bring Swampert back to full health from 20% purely via switching and Protects.


Overall, this team managed to deal with the large majority with threats in the metagame, save Infernape, for the duration that I used this team.

 

[animenagai]

Team looks pretty ape weak to me. You really need to set those toxic spikes up early. I would prefer seeing forry as the lead for that reason. It also does well against the likes of metagross and swampert leads.

Why does Zapdos have rest when you don't have sleep talk or aromatherapy? Typo?

Anyways, all in all, this is a good team. Your teams are always pretty sweet. Love the celebi too, never thought of it's role that way.

 

[ToF]

Unless I'm mistaken, I've seen you use Gyarados over Zapdos, and don't see why you wouldn't use it now. Both cover the same threats; the only downside is the fact that Gyarados cannot beat Skarmory. With Rotom, however, I don't see the need for another way to deal with Skarmory. I'm pretty sure you'd agree with me that RestTalk Gyarados simply does not die, and makes an excellent initial switchin to the likes of Scizor, Lucario, and even Salamence in some situations. As another plus, it gives you a surefire way of countering Infernape, which I know you play around, but its nice to have a surefire backup. I see no reason why not to swap Zapdos and Gyarados, considering their pros and cons are virtually identical.

Other than that, nothing else to comment on. You obviously know how to use the team and its success is evident based on your successes as a battler.

 

[iKitsune]

Ive been running a similar team with Gyarados over Zapdos. Instead of Blissey as my lead I have Swampert with Stealth Rock over Protect. On Blissey I have toxic over Stealth Rock. I think this is optimal for a no. of reasons for a start Swampy gets up rocks against more leads. If you lose it you will unlikely lose the match whereas if you lose Blissey to an exploder or to a crit then you will be in serious trouble against many of the special attackers in OU. From what i can see Protect is filler in comparison to how useful Roar is on him so i see no reason why you dont use SR in fact protect could leave you vulnerable to being set up on especially if you mispredict. Toxic on Blissey allows you to poison the potentially dangerous TTar, Salamence and Gyarados switch ins to Blissey.
Admittedly without protect and Roar you handle TTar slightly worse but with Gyarados over Zapdos less of your team will be set up on by the Tyrant as you can easily outspeed and revenge kill it with Waterfall.

Finally I suggest you run an Impish / Relaxed nature on Forretress without the + Def nature. A +1 Mence @Life Orb will 2hko Forrey with Outrage which is a neccessary change if you remove protect on Swampy. The special defense decrease wont really effect that much and you will still easily tank hits from MonoCM Latias and Rotom without Overheat.

 

[Gorgoroth]

Are you really going to be able to set up spikes and toxic spikes with Forretress. Doubt it and with just payback pokes are probably going to try and set up on you or hit you hard without you doing much back. I'd probably replace one of them with Explosion.

 

[tab]

He should be able to get 2 layers of Toxic Spikes and one layer of Spikes without too much difficulty, and that's more than enough. Additional layers of spikes are just a nice bonus.

 

[Zepar]

Why don't you run 220Def on Swampert to ensure you survive a DD LO Outrage from 'Mence just incase Forretress faints.

 

[XxBlueCleric.xX]

Rotom and Zapdos seem to cover the same things according to your description. (both cover Togekiss, Scizor, help vs Lucario, etc.)

I get the "doubling" up strategy but I think running a special defensive Zapdos could benefit you more. It still handles Scizor easily and works even better against Togekiss. The common All-out Attacking Infernape can't beat Zapdos.

In the end, I think Gyarados will be better than Zapdos (though you miss the instant recovery and will have multiple RestTalkers) A Rest/Sleep Talk/Waterfall/Avalanche set can also take a +1 LO Outrage from Adamant Salamence after Rocks to OHKO back with Avalanche...

Anyways, awesome team! I definitely would not want to face this team....

 

[les gets]

As other's have said, Gyarados could be used over Zapdos, however if you want, you can give Zapdos Rest and Sleep Talk over Roost and Heat Wave and make it a little more Specially defensive to help against the likes of Roserade and Gengar.

You can also give Rotom WoW over Thunderbolt to help cripple sweepers and also so you aren't too redundant with Zapdos.

Just something to think about.

 

[Slapjax]

Haha long time no see IPL. I agree that this team appears to be ape weak, but i doubt it's anything you can't get around with a little predictive switching. Given the fact that you'll have at least two forms of residual damage on the field, not to mention the likelihood of said infernape having a life orb, I'd say your fine. Excellent work sir. ; )

 

[JLei2k]

It's a great team. Though I do see a bit of a Luke weak if they can weaken the Zapdos since it has ample opportunity (Blissey and Forrey) to set up. I'm uncomfortable with my Luke counter being easily weakened by SR and its job of walling other things that I really would prefer Gyara in that spot for the Intimidate which you also use most of the time I see you play. That's all I have to say. It's one of the best stall teams on smogon period.

 

[Stallion]

Great team, exact same one as mine too but I run Gyara > Zapdos and have different move choice.

Umm he doesn't have much of a Luke weak tbh, although Stone Edge ones can open up a sweep for other stuff that you pretty much depend on Gyara to wall so watch out for that yeah?

Anyway I was prepared to come here with a huge rate...but it looks pretty good heh. I'll update it later I guess.

 

[JLei2k]

Great team, exact same one as mine too but I run Gyara > Zapdos and have different move choice.

Umm he doesn't have much of a Luke weak tbh, although Stone Edge ones can open up a sweep for other stuff that you pretty much depend on Gyara to wall so watch out for that yeah?

Anyway I was prepared to come here with a huge rate...but it looks pretty good heh. I'll update it later I guess.

It says Zapdos > Gyarados which means I think he has a slight Luke weak because of no Intimidate.

 

[Stallion]

Ahh yeah I was thinking of my own team lol. Well definitely run Gyarados > Zapdos (although come to think of it, you might actually do that from time to time), the electric moves don't really come in handy for you, where as Gyarados also patches up your Infernape weakness. I know you can "predict around it" but predicting shit like that is essentially nothing more then glorified guessing, and knowing that you're a prophylatic player, I say definitely stick with Gyara.

 

[Legacy Raider]

With Magnezone running HP Fire quite often nowadays, it might be an idea to go for Shed Shell over Leftovers on Forretress. Since it is almost your entire entry hazard management, you'll have a hard time coming back from an opponent that quickly traps and takes it out with you not getting up a single layer of Spikes. Opponent's entry hazards will wear you down too once you can't Rapid Spin, and your Zapdos isn't gonna pile up damage with Roar if you don't have the Spikes to back it up with. DD Salamence + Magnezone hurts this team a lot - if Zone takes out Forretress you will fall quite quickly to Mence's boosted Outrage.

CurseTar might present your team with some problems. It's not going to outright sweep you as a last Pokemon because you can sacrifice Celebi to Perish Song it, but it gets a lot of free switchins against your team on Rotom, Blissey, and Zapdos, and can just Curse up once before taking a chunk out of one of your Pokemon. Yet another reason to use RestRoar Gyarados over Zapdos, since Gyarados can actually damage CurseTar and won't let it set up on it. Gyarados will also help you with MixApe more than Zapdos does, and can survive Salamence's +1 LO Outrage after SR and Roar it out as a last resort.