This team features my favorite core, a combination of Gliscor, Jirachi, and Celebi. These Pokemon work so well together, and I rarely find anyone capable of breaking it (especially if Rain is up as well). I kinda feel like showing off, but every team has its problems, and I want to see what the community at large has to say about it. So, rate away!
(Note: Team building process was left out because this team has had close to 15 incarnations over the 2 months that I've been using it)
Politoed (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Perish Song
WHY THIS POKEMON?
No matter how much I try to make a weatherless team, I always end up going back to Politoed. It's just so good! Politoed is on this team for several reasons: she serves as an excellent revenge killer and end-game sweeper with Scarf, she can thwart set-up sweepers with Perish Song, and she is just a general wallbreaker.
SPECIFICS
Choice Scarf is chosen as it's item to allow it to become a tremendous revenge killer, and a constant threat to the opponent (especially if they don't have Jellicent, Vaporeon, or Gastrodon). Modest is the nature of choice to make it's attacks pack a bit more of a punch. Hydro Pump is the obvious super-strong STAB with shaky accuracy. I've tried using Surf, but the drop in power is very noticable. Ice Beam is there to offer a strong hit on Dragonite and the non-existant Salamence, as well as being able to do some damage to a predicted Celebi or Virizion switch-in. Hidden Power Grass is really just filler, but it does do decent damage to Gastrodon, and offers a way to hit Jellicent and Vaporeon. Perish Song give it the ability to force out set up sweepers who would otherwise be very difficult to handle. EVs are pretty standard.
Rotom-W @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Trick
WHY THIS POKEMON?
Rotom-W was my favorite anti-lead in Gen 4, and has become a top tier threat in Gen 5. Played smartly, almost nothing can stop Rotom-W (grr Gastrodon). It is excellent at breaking through teams, and with Volt Switch, can give me a lot of momentum.
SPECIFICS
Choice Specs make it very diffucult for anything to take it's hits, especially with Rain going. Timid 252/252 gives it maximum power, while also giving it just enough speed to outrun Adamant Haxorus (it's always fun to see someone switch Haxorus in, expecting to kill with Earthquake, and then get outrun and OHKO'd by Hydro Pump). Volt Switch is a good STAB move that can really get the team going, by getting switch momentum. Thunder is an alternative powerful STAB that gets boosted by Rain, though I rarely use it. Trick gives me a way to screw over Blissey, Gastrodon, and Ferrothorn.
Scizor (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Quick Attack
WHY THIS POKEMON?
What can I say? Standards are standards for a reason. The combination of Scizor and Rotom-W is well-known, because it's just that good of an offensive combo. Scizor does an excellent job of poking little holes in the opponents team.
SPECIFICS
Fairly standard, with some changes. Adamant nature as always, max Atk, but I took 4 EVs out of HP and put them into Speed, so that I always win "Speed ties" with other Scizor. Bullet Punch is rape priority, U-turn is the best move in the game, Superpower lets it break through Steel-types. I've chosen to use Quick Attack over Pursuit, mainly because it lets me take out a weakened Gyarados or Thundurus more reliably, and Scizor is left as set-up fodder if it's locked into Pursuit. My team already handles Lati@s and Reuniclus well enough, so I felt Pursuit unneccesary
Gliscor (F) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Ice Fang
- Protect
- Taunt
- Earthquake
WHY THIS POKEMON?
Gliscor does it's job so well, it's no wonder everyone uses it. Gliscor makes up the first part of my defensive core, walling just about every physical attacker in the entire game. While it does have to be wary of the occasional HP Ice for Landorus or Thundurus, it generally gives most opponents a hard time. Despite losing Roost, Gliscor probably improved more in Gen 5 than anything else (besides obviously Rotom-W and Politoed)
SPECIFICS
Standard EVs and Impish nature make it excellent at taking just about any physical attacks that it isn't weak to. Earthquake is strong, reliable STAB, Protect lets it scout the opponent and get a free 12% of it's HP back, Taunt lets it break through stall Pokemon. Ice Fang was eventually put on it over Toxic to allow it to break Air Balloon on Excadrill, among other things. It doesn't do much damage, though, so I have considered using Facade instead.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Wish
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Stealth Rock
WHY THIS POKEMON?
Jirachi makes the second part of my defensive core. It can take special attacks from just about anything, spread paralysis, and make people rage with Iron Head flinches. It also provides much-needed support to the rest of the team.
SPECIFICS
Standard EVs give it maximum special bulk, with Careful nature boosting it further. Wish provides very welcome support to the rest of the team, which overall stops opponents by constantly switching to wall them. Iron Head and Body Slam allow Jirachi to be an obnoxious little prick, "haxing" opponents to death. Stealth Rock is nice to have on a team that relies on forcing switches, so I chose to have Jirachi be the one to set it up.
Celebi @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 232 HP / 240 SAtk / 36 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Thunder Wave
- Recover
- Earth Power
WHY THIS POKEMON?
The elusive pixie from Gen 2 is finally getting the usage it deserves in Gen 5. Celebi wraps up my defensive core by stopping the majority of Rain-based sweepers, paralyzing opponents, and generally hitting hard. Combined with Rotom-W, the soon to be everywhere "Tabloo" core doesn't really have much of a chance.
SPECIFICS
Speed EVs set to just outspeed SpD Jirachi. HP EVs give it bulk, while Recover gives it survivability. Modest LO Leaf Storm really packs a punch, severely denting anything that doesn't resist it. Psychic was formerly in the last slot, but was replaced with Earth Power, mainly for Heatran. If I know Heatran is coming in, I can Thunder Wave it safely, and then kill it with Earth Power.
THREATS
* The combination of Gastrodon and Heatran is rather problematic for this team, though much less so now that Celebi carries Earth Power.
* If Scizor is dead, Ferrothorn can become quite a pain to deal with.
* I don't have a consistent way to hit Dragonite hard, so he can be a problem.
* Toxicroak with Ice Punch can be quite a pain, though it can't run Drain Punch at the same time.
* Mamoswine doesn't have much on Politoed, Rotom, or Scizor, but it can single-handedly dismantle my defensive core
So, that's it! Rate away, tear it to pieces, but please keep it clean. Thanks!
