Second RMT, Time for Sunshine!

[bigbear]

This is a new test where I am going to try out one of my favorite pokemon ever. This pokemon is SAWSBUCK. With Chlorphyl, access to swords dance a good move pool and a base 100-95 attack speed stats it is quite a underrated beast.

First Glance:

First off is Ninetales:

Silver (Ninetales) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hypnosis
- Nasty Plot
- Flamethrower
- SolarBeam

I have opted to go for the seldom seen, offensive nasty plot set. Hypnosis is the crux of this set. It puts opponents to sleep allowing for 1 or 2 nasty plots. Then I am able to sweep 3-4 pokemon. I do try to eliminate the opponents weather summoner or Dugtrio before Ninetales comes out. Flamethower and Solarbeam are both extremely powerful on ninetales and can destroy almost anything after a nasty plot boost.

Next up is Infernape:

Jackie Chan (Infernape) @ Life Orb
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Grass Knot
- Mach Punch
- ThunderPunch

Infernape is a destructive sweeper to say the least. This set is a physical set that has great coverage. Flare Blitz is its main STAB move that wrecks things. Mach Punch is its secondary STAB that is also priority which is important. Thunderpunch hits Starmie, Gyrados, and Jellicent super effectively and killing them because they like to switch into Infernape. Finally Grass Knot is there for gastrodon and swampert.

Here Comes SAWSBUCK:

Bamby (Sawsbuck) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Return
- Nature Power

I have chosen the Swords Dance set on sawsbuck. Sawsbuck is my chlorophyller as it is faster than venusaur, and able to outspeed and kill choiced terrakion. Swords Dance doubles its already good attack stat and horn leech is for recovery. Return is a second STAB that hits with a 153 base power. Nature Power is for coverage, and EQ hits almost anything hard anyway.

Venusaur is next:

Fatass (Venusaur) @ Black Sludge(Testing:Life Orb)
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 72 HP/ 4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 180 Spd
Timid Nature
- Growth
- Hidden Power (Fire)
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb

I know that it is unorthodox to have two pokemon with Chlorophyll on one team but who cares. Venusaur is a beast in the Sun with access to a array of attacks and synthesis. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb have an OK combo but both hit very hard, HP Fire finishes off the set with great coverage.

The Dreaded Beast:

Moxiemence (Salamence) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Blast

This is simple. Dragon Claw is stab, fire blast and EQ are coverage. I am looking for a better move over fire fang but I am not sure what. I chose Dragon Claw over outrage because being locked into outrage hurts as I cannot switch if he goes for a pokemon that walls me. EQ hits hard, also eliminating foes like heatran easily. Fire fang hits ferrothorn, scizor and foretress hard. Outrage is added because it hits much harder than dragon claw.

Finally Latios:

Psych (Latios) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Dragon Pulse
- Roost

I have a lot of sympathy for this guy. He used to roam the uber tier with his soul dew in hand and own everyone. Anyway, Latios provides almost spotless coverage with sawsbuck, only missing the infamous brongzong. Thunderbolt hits water and flying types hard, which give the rest of my team trouble. Psychic and Dragon Pulse are powerful dual STAB moves and roost is for recovery.

I appreciate any comments.

 

[BlazingBarrager]

If you're going to use Salamence I suggest the Choice Scarf set. There are too many Pokemon who can outrun and kill it so it's best to give it as much speed as possible. Here's the set.

Salamence @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake

If you're going to ask while Fire Blast over Fire Fang the answer is simple: it hits harder. This Salamence is a late-game sweeper/revenge killer and Fire Fang isn't going to do a lot of damage. With Fire Blast, while you won't get the benifits of Moxie, you'll hit opposing Steel types for more damage, especially since they tend to focus less on their Special Defense.

Also, I suggest running Psyshock over Psychic on Latios. That was you can hit Blissey/Chansey plus Pokemon with higher Special Defense harder.

Finally, use this spread for Venusaur.
@ Life Orb
EVs: 72 HP/ 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Growth
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power (Fire)

While it seems like a good idea to Earthquake with Venusaur it really isn't. It doesn't do enough damage to govern itself a slot not to mention Skamorry would wall Venusaur all day and just laugh at it. With HP Fire, you can deal with it and opposing Steel types like Jirachi for massive damage, especially if you get in a Growth (which, BTW, adds +2 under the Sun) and count Life Orb's boost. You'll get walled by Heatran sure, but Salamence and Infernape can handle it no problem.

Also, hooray for my first RMT.

 

[EmeraldEnchanter]

I agree completely with all the changes BlazingBarrager made. Now then, some things I noticed. You may find weather wars difficult with that team. Nobody you have can really stand up to the power of rain though latios does a good job. As such I would use Dugtrio. He traps the other weather inducers well and can eliminate other sun threats such as opposing Infernape who seek to use your weather. Dugtrio can one-on-one take out tyranitar and do massive damage to politoed. Dugtrio would replace Salamence as scarves as less important with Chlorophyll. I would also use Victini Over either infernape, Sawsbuck or Venusaur. It can either use choice scarf to murder anything with V-Create or a Flame Charge set to use Fusion Bolt along with V-Create.

Proposed Changes:
Salamence------> Dugtrio

Any Sun Sweeper --------> Victini


The set's:

Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Trait: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Reversal
- Sucker Punch/Memento
- Stealth Rock

Then for the Victini

Victini @ Life Orb/Choice Scarf
Trait: Victory Star
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Flame Charge/Flare Blitz
- V-Create
- Fusion Bolt
- Zen Headbutt

 

[bigbear]

I do believe that both Scarfed Salamence and Orbed Venusaur would work well on my team. I am willing try both and see if they fit me. I would like to say that Dugtrio does not help me in the slightest as the only weather pokemon it is able to kill is, ttar. Ttar is not a problem as 3 of my pokemon outspeed and kill it. I do like victini, but it is in my opinion more fitted to a sand team. Sun teams do not need the presence of victini as its coverage does not expand the grass fire combo and is quite a redundancy. Also Infernape is faster and hits harder than victini and also has a better typing. For all these reasons I will not be using victini and volcarona is better for this. I appreaciate the advice anyways.

 

[BlazingBarrager]

No offense, but Ttar IS a problem. The point of a weather war is to win it and if Ttar has the advantage you're in deep trouble. Venusaur can't take Ttar on alone as it doesn't gain a speed boost in Sand while Ttar gains a Special Defense boost. Same goes for Sawsbuck, unless it has a Swords Dance, but by then Ttar would have KOed it. You're only option is Infernape, by which any seasoned player would switch out Ttar for an appropriate counter. The thing that makes Dugtrio so good in dealing with Ttar is that it's capable of trapping it and preventing its escape. Not only that, but with its speed you'll be able to set up Stealth Rock, which is valuable to a sun team.

Basically, I strongly suggest you swap out one of your Pokemon for Dugtrio (perhaps Sawsbuck since you have enough sun abusers as it is). Also if you MUST run Fire Fang then Salamence needs a Jolly nature. No point in lowering its defenses if you're not going to run Fire Blast.

 

[bigbear]

Dugtrio is quite a one time use situation at that. Stealth rocks is important but I can opt for Donphan who has better defenses and rapid spin and on top of that a priority ice move letting me revenge kill Scarfmence. Also I like Sawsbuck over Venusaur just because the point of this team was to incorporate sawsbuck. Donphan completely walls any ttar that doesnt hold ice beam, and that is rare. Also Dugtrio is used ONLY for ttar as politoed and hippowdon both dont mind it spamming EQ. Donphan is a much better all time use in THIS situation. I like Dugtrio better in the rain as it takes out 2 weather summoners.
0 SpA Tyranitar Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 124 SpD Donphan: 166-196 (43.22 - 51.04%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
This is a Tyranitar against a defensive support Donphan. As such Donphan can put a dent in ttar and have salamence finish it off. Personally Donphan is my prefered choice over dugtrio so I might but Donphan in over Venusaur. Also Sawsbuck is able to revenge kill it as well so if salamence used EQ got killed, then sawsbuck can clean it up with a horn leech or vice versa.