Okay, I've got a nice Gen. V stall team here that's been performing well for me so far with only a few hiccups along the way and has been quite pleasurable to play with. I thought I'd kick off Gen. V for myself by making an honest attempt at a heavy stall team for the new metagame, which is how I came up with this (predictably) FWG OU team. For further information regarding thought process and team building, click that "Show" button right there.
Yes well then for your rating pleasure:
Grass Knot (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 240 HP / 216 Def / 56 SpD
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Ice Beam
Roar
With team preview, the "lead metagame" of Gen. IV has more or less disappeared, but that doesn't mean I don't ever get a chance to start off with this guy. Being able to outperform the very common Hippowdon and Tyranitar leads is great, although losing to the also common Boruterosu lead, which I learned early on carries Grass Knot quite frequently, is equally disappointing. You have no choice but to recognize this set as the standard MixPert tank set from the last generation, and it functions largely the same, as a sturdy, sturdy wall of a Pokemon.
Stealth Rock gets the ball rolling, and thanks to team preview I can check for Espeons before I try setting up. Earthquake is Swampert's best STAB option and does a surprising amount of damage even with no investment, 2HKOing Deoxys-S and Espeon while OHKOing Balloon-popped Doryuuzu, who manages 66.6% - 78.6% with +2 Earthquake. Ice Beam is incredibly useful in this metagame, hitting popular Dragon-types like Sazandora and Lati@s on the switch-in, as well as Gliscor, Boruterosu, Erufuun, and a whole host of new threats who would otherwise love switching into Swampert. That being said, I try to keep Swampert in as good of shape as possible, as its bulk is very important for managing threats mid-late game. Swampert is also the first of my three Phazers with Roar, giving opponents who rely on setting up a pretty difficult time.
The EVs and item are straightforward carryovers from last gen. as they maximize Swampert's efficiency. I don't use Lum Berry as I have two good sleep absorbers, and with the new Sleep mechanics it makes it easier for ResTalkers to do their thing.
Fire Blast (Nattorei) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Iron Barbs
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Spikes
Leech Seed
Protect
Power Whip
Wow I can't properly express how spectacular this Pokemon is. It has the stats, typing, ability, and moves (except Rapid Spin, of course) to be a behemoth in the gen. V OU metagame. Nattorei puts a stop to a lot of things and can weather a surprising amount of attacks in order to accomplish its goals. It pairs flawlessly with Burungeru and very well with Swampert and Gyarados typing-wise, so switching amongst the four of them especially is a really artful process and allows the team a great deal of advantageous situations. It's also bulkier both physically and specially than SpD Forretress, who is the only Poke I could consider putting in a Spikes-stacking role here, and even then it would only be for its access to Rapid Spin.
Spikes is obviously the first priority here, but many times I'll throw Leech Seed around in the early game to rack up some extra passive damage while scouting sets. Protect doubles Leech Seed's healing on opponents who stay on the battlefield and really puts pressure on opponents who can't dispose of Nattorei in one to three hits, of which there are plenty. With Spikes and Stealth Rock set up, Leech Seed becomes a real pain in the ass for a lot of playstyles, and Nattorei's natural longevity makes it a great abuser. For an attacking move, I chose Power Whip, as it 2HKOs Doryuuzu even without entry hazards, has a guaranteed 120 BP, and helps deal with bulky waters like Swampert, Suicune, and Vaporeon that would otherwise give this team a great deal of trouble.
The EVs are maximized for efficiency yet again, yielding impressive 352 / 320 / 341 defenses. The item is essentially forced upon Nattorei, as Shanderaa, Magnezone, and Wobbuffett could all easily come in and put me in a bad position. Of these, Shanderaa is obviously the most worrisome; however that one Poke is enough to slap a frustrating item on a Pokemon that would much rather be holding other things.
Pursuit (Burungeru) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 SpD
Recover
Will-O-Wisp
Toxic
Surf
Well Rotom-A lost its Ghost typing so there's a new Spin blocker in town, and it's pretty good. Great defensive typing, good self-sustaining movepool (including Recover and the oh-so-important Will-O-Wisp for Pursuiters), an immunity-granting ability to add to its other two immunities, and good defensive stats, all combine to create a pretty bulky way to keep my entry hazards on the field as well as Leech Seed in effect for an extra turn or two (on occasion). Burungeru has a secondary role as my team's status-inducer, as well, and is one of my two very crucial Fighting resists.
Move selection was very important for this build and for this role on the team. Recover is a must-have and greatly increases Buru's longevity on the field. Will-O-Wisp is on every successful Spin blocker, period, as it keeps Tyranitar, Scizor, and basically every physical attacker at bay, which is good, considering Buru's Defense stat is lacking. I decided to go with double-status and Toxic damage to make sure Burungeru doesn't become setup bait for powerful special attackers like Lati@s. Toxic also gives me an added tool against opposing stallmons like Vaporeon and Hippowdon. Finally, I chose Surf over Boil Over because the extra 15 BP actually does help against certain foes, like Doryuuzu, who is a guaranteed OHKO at 74%, as opposed to 63%, a big difference to a stall team where every percentage point of damage matters. Surf is also a guaranteed 3HKO on 4/0 Tyranitar or 2HKO with one switch into full hazards, whereas it's a 4HKO and 3HKO with full hazards otherwise. For a third example, Surf always OHKOs 4/0 Shanderaa after only SR damage while Boil Over never OHKOs in the same scenario. The way I see it, I would rather have the 75% burn with WoW when I really need it than the 30% chance I can only hope for while doing less damage per attack.
The EVs are once again maximized for efficiency and help Burungeru compensate for its low Defense stat while taking 65.3% - 77.2% from Scarf Shanderaa's Shadow Ball, allowing me to KO back with Surf given the right conditions. Because I refuse to be so scared of Shanderaa that I put Shed Shell on two of my Pokemon that are threatened by it, Burungeru gets Leftovers.
Earthquake (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Rest
Sleep Talk
Roar
Lava Plume
This Heatran set came about towards the tail end of Gen. IV, iirc, so it hasn't been in the metagame for too long (at least not popularly). What it has been, for sure, is a tremendous Special wall, statuser, Phazer, and staller all in one. People often forget about Heatran's impressive 91 / 106 / 106 defenses because of that monster SpA it has, but hitting 386 / 248 / 342 with good defensive typing really helps the team, especially Gyarados, my other ResTalker, cycle opponents through rounds of residual damage. This Heatran even survives ScarfTran's Earth Power after SR damage, which should give you some indication of its tremendous bulk.
Heatran, with access to this moveset, is really tough to take down given the right teammates. The strategy is pretty straightforward: Rest is to keep Heatran healthy over long periods of time while Sleep Talk allows it to continue shuffling or attacking while asleep. Roar is crucial for accumulating passive damage, and Lava Plume is the STAB of choice for its 30% burn rate.
As straightforward as the moveset is, the EV spread is even simpler. Since Heatran is my main go-to for Draco Meteors and one of my first responses to a variety of special threats, its SpD capabilities are pushed to the max. Leftovers help it heal up over time.
Thunderbolt (Gyarados) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Impish
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Rest
Sleep Talk
Roar
Waterfall
If I had to consider one Pokemon to be the glue of this team, it would be Gyarados. The quality and quantity of things it offers to this team are staggering, and I'm really glad this amazing set hasn't lost its use in the generation gap. With all the powerful physical attackers this generation and the multitude of Fighting types and Fighting moves, especially, being thrown around, Gyarados creates a much appreciated physical cushion for my team on top of Phazing opponents and doing some good damage. Gyarados is the counterpart to Heatran in terms of function, but switches in and out with Swampert and Nattorei especially (as they both resist Gyara's two weaknesses).
I have already outlined the function of the RestTalk strategy on this team, so now let me explain why I have TWO RestTalkers and three Phazers. The two primary functions of stall teams are to accumulate passive damage above all else and to keep teammates alive long enough to wear out the opponent in this way. Opponents know that, when facing a Phazer, they really only get one shot to do something on the field before they have to sacrifice more HP from another member of their team, and most often it's not the move they really want to use. It can never be Bulk Up, Agility, Swords Dance, Substitute, or anything really that can further the opponent's own strategy and isn't a SE attacking move, as the Phazing Pokemon threatens to heal itself up against weaker or less overwhelming attacks and continue on. It puts the opponent in a reactionary position where they a) are not accomplishing their goals until the Phazingmon is disposed of and b) only making half of their own decisions, as which Pokemon is sent out by the Phazer is chosen at random. I have three Phazers and two ResTalk Phazers because I think it's advantageous to be in control of a match like I just outlined. Giving the opponent as little chance as possible to enact even a two-turn strategy is a large part of maintaining momentum over long periods of time.
I chose the standard EVs and item for this particular build because they are simply the most effective. With Intimidate and the given EVs, Gyarados becomes an impressive physical wall and ideal switch-in to numerous OU (or, I suppose, simply "non-uber," at this point) Pokemon.
Panic Button (Erufuun) @ Leftovers
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Encore
Taunt
Leech Seed
Substitute
The quirky little popcorn sprout is probably the most bizarre addition to this team, but in a way it makes sense to have a wild card in the mix for when things go haywire or when a threat emerges that I wasn't prepared for or already lost my main response to. The thing is, Erufuun has so many things it can use to threaten a large majority of Pokemon that a lot of them will switch right out of it regardless of what moves it actually has. It's a mindgame Pokemon, more than anything else, and it has more than a few times earned its spot on the team and helped me out of a tough jam, either by Encoring a dangerous setup move, Encoring a sweeper into an attack resisted elsewhere on the team, Taunting stallmons or greedy setup sweepers, or by being devastating with priority Leech Seed and Substitute.
This moveset is total Taunt bait and is outsped by Boruterosu and other Erufuun that invest in Speed, but artful switching and team support help out with those problems a lot. Encore is the most important move on the set for interrupting Stallbreakers, HO Screeners, and the like. Taunt is for the occasions where I get Erufuun out on the field "first," so to speak, or at least advantageously. Leech Seed and Substitute act as Erufuun's contribution to the team's passive damage and can really be a huge pain in the ass to unprepared teams, especially considering Erufuun's low base 60 HP.
Once again, the EVs are maximized for efficiency (the reason I've been doing this has been because I've yet to discover any notable "benchmark damage thresholds" for these particular Pokemon) and Leftovers help Erufuun heal up even further when its doing its SubSeed thing.
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For clarification:
Malamanteau: a portmanteau of "malapropism" and "portmanteau". When used correctly, a malamanteau is not a malamanteau, making it a malamanteau*.
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Okay that's the team and I'm very open to suggestions. The team is a real joy to play with, as is this new generation metagame (I consider everything about it to be fresh improvements). I won't post a threat list in full because of the infancy and fluctuation of the current metagame; however I will leave you with a few "problem" Pokemon who require more clever switching and risk-taking to deal with than I would like.
*Nothing about this team has anything to do with this made-up word except for the title.
Team Building
Alright I'll be honest the main focus of the team-building process was to check out the hyped-up Nattorei / Burungeru combination. It's a nifty pair (no SkarmBliss, sure, but if GF made another two Pokemon that rivaled SkarmBliss there would be riots in the streets) that resist 15 of the 17 types between the two of them and cover each others' weaknesses flawlessly. I knew the two of them couldn't be the focus of the team's strategy, though, as, typically, stall is played as a sum of smaller parts, as opposed to, say, heavy offense, which is played as a sort of a "building block" style. So I started with those two Pokemon, which was a start, but I couldn't pick out their movesets just yet without a little more information about where this team was heading (read: I wasn't sure yet exactly how heavy this stall team would get).
Alright I'll be honest the main focus of the team-building process was to check out the hyped-up Nattorei / Burungeru combination. It's a nifty pair (no SkarmBliss, sure, but if GF made another two Pokemon that rivaled SkarmBliss there would be riots in the streets) that resist 15 of the 17 types between the two of them and cover each others' weaknesses flawlessly. I knew the two of them couldn't be the focus of the team's strategy, though, as, typically, stall is played as a sum of smaller parts, as opposed to, say, heavy offense, which is played as a sort of a "building block" style. So I started with those two Pokemon, which was a start, but I couldn't pick out their movesets just yet without a little more information about where this team was heading (read: I wasn't sure yet exactly how heavy this stall team would get).
I didn't want to get too far into the team-building without laying out an idea of what I wanted to accomplish. My mind naturally started up a checklist of stall staples:
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes / Toxic
- Spin Blocker
- Rapid Spinner
- Phazer (preferably 2)
- Self-recovery for every Pokemon and/or reliable Wish support
- 2 resists for every type
- Will-O-Wisp and/or insurance policy for crazy-strong Gen. V attackmons.
Oh yeah, the beast of Gen. IV stall would get another shot at the new generation. Bringing second resists to Fighting, Bug, and Fire attacks was also welcome and helped me advance along the "2 resists" mantra. BUT Gyarados also got me stuck with a second Electric weakness and no resists, so I had to keep that in mind. The choice of the ResTalk set was obvious, which also meant that I finally had a complete Pokemon for my team! I had three spots left on the team and a few specific items left to check off my list, notably Spikes or Stealth Rock (depending on Nat's hazard of choice), Toxic Spikes (or Toxic), Rapid Spinner, and a second Phazer. It was at this point that I knew I would throw Will-O-Wisp onto Burungeru to pair up with Gyarados's Intimidate and act as my main insurance policy against physical attackers (the fact that both resisted Fighting-type attacks and walled Scizor pretty hard was a good sign that they would be able to accomplish this). I then looked to some Pokemon who could take on the Special side of the spectrum. Of course, Blissey and Evo Stone Chansey came immediately to mind, as they could both set up Stealth Rock and give amazing Wish support with their high HPs. HOWEVER I feared the vast amount of setup sweepers in the new metagame, and I didn't want to run Thunder Wave or else it would conflict with Buru's burning. Basically, the decision boiled down to Wish support vs. easy setup bait, and I determined that I could fill this spot on my team better with a Poke that didn't force me to make that decision.
And there it is. SpD ResTalk Heatran gave me a crucial second Dragon resist among other added resists, a second Phazer, and a heaping amount of Special bulk. Heatran's Water weakness was mitigated well by the other three members, and his shared Fighting weakness with Nattorei could be conceivably handled by Burungeru and Gyarados, the latter of which could also take Ground attacks aimed at Heatran. 2 Phazers, check. Let's look at the list now: SR or Spikes,Toxic / Toxic Spikes, Rapid Spinner. I also needed Electric, Flying, Ground, and Rock resists to complete that goal. I really wasn't concerned too much with the Flying resist, but the Electric, Ground, and Rock resists were crucial. Looking through my options, I decided to knock out SR, lock Nattorei into using Spikes, and take care of those Electric and Rock resists. Everyone knows this one.
Alright now this team was starting to take shape. Making Swampert my Stealth Rocker freed me up to lock in Nattorei's moveset and then Burungeru's by extension, giving it Toxic (couldn't bother with Toxic Spikes) to help out with residual damage on Pokemon who don't quite mind being burned, meaning I had five of six complete teammates. Swampert also gave me a third (!) Phazer, which meant opponents relying on setup sweepers may have a harder time than they intended. I had to take one last look at my list though: Rapid Spinner, Ground resist. The Ground resist was basically non-negotiable, what with Doryuuzu running around. This last Poke was the most difficult choice I had to make, and it came down to two options: one that would fulfill my team's desired goals, and another was a wild card that would give me a panic option should the team come up against something it wasn't prepared for.
vs.
Claydol had the obvious advantage of Rapid Spin, a Ground immunity, a Rock resist, a tremendous X-Scissor-less Doryuuzu counter (can't count on that, though), and superior defenses. Working against it were a Pursuit weakness (really shouldn't have two on the same stall team), not-amazing defenses in general, six common weaknesses, lack of recovery (awful for a neededly long-lasting Poke), and no moves I really wanted or could find useful outside of Rapid Spin and maybe Toxic and Light Screen. It was also bound to be another big opportunity for opponents to set up.
Erufuun would be a gutsy call for a stall team. It has piddly defenses and mediocre typing, offering a Ground resist, but being so frail its resistances barely matter. It's only self-recovery comes in the form of Leech Seed and the only reason I could really justify it being on a team like this is for it to be on hand to handle any and all unforeseen threats, offensive and stallish alike, with priority Encore and Taunt. But oh god Mischievous Heart is a good ability and Erufuun is actually quite capable of putting a stop to just about anything thanks to its ability alone. Now, when I made this team, I hadn't played a single match in Gen. V, so I had no idea what I would have to deal with, offensively or defensively. I ended up ditching Rapid Spin in favor of versatility and, to be honest, it's really come in handy more often than Rapid Spin would have, in my opinion.
Erufuun would be a gutsy call for a stall team. It has piddly defenses and mediocre typing, offering a Ground resist, but being so frail its resistances barely matter. It's only self-recovery comes in the form of Leech Seed and the only reason I could really justify it being on a team like this is for it to be on hand to handle any and all unforeseen threats, offensive and stallish alike, with priority Encore and Taunt. But oh god Mischievous Heart is a good ability and Erufuun is actually quite capable of putting a stop to just about anything thanks to its ability alone. Now, when I made this team, I hadn't played a single match in Gen. V, so I had no idea what I would have to deal with, offensively or defensively. I ended up ditching Rapid Spin in favor of versatility and, to be honest, it's really come in handy more often than Rapid Spin would have, in my opinion.
Final Elements:
- Entry Hazards: Spikes, Stealth Rock
- Spin Blocker: Burungeru
- Resists: at least 2 per type, except Flying
- Phazers: Swampert, Gyarados, Heatran
- Self-recovery of some kind: Nattorei, Burungeru, Gyarados, Heatran, Erufuun
- Status: Burn, Toxic Poison (both on Burungeru, Heatran has access to burn with Lava Plume)
Yes well then for your rating pleasure:
TEAM MALAMANTEAU
Grass Knot (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 240 HP / 216 Def / 56 SpD
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Ice Beam
Roar
With team preview, the "lead metagame" of Gen. IV has more or less disappeared, but that doesn't mean I don't ever get a chance to start off with this guy. Being able to outperform the very common Hippowdon and Tyranitar leads is great, although losing to the also common Boruterosu lead, which I learned early on carries Grass Knot quite frequently, is equally disappointing. You have no choice but to recognize this set as the standard MixPert tank set from the last generation, and it functions largely the same, as a sturdy, sturdy wall of a Pokemon.
Stealth Rock gets the ball rolling, and thanks to team preview I can check for Espeons before I try setting up. Earthquake is Swampert's best STAB option and does a surprising amount of damage even with no investment, 2HKOing Deoxys-S and Espeon while OHKOing Balloon-popped Doryuuzu, who manages 66.6% - 78.6% with +2 Earthquake. Ice Beam is incredibly useful in this metagame, hitting popular Dragon-types like Sazandora and Lati@s on the switch-in, as well as Gliscor, Boruterosu, Erufuun, and a whole host of new threats who would otherwise love switching into Swampert. That being said, I try to keep Swampert in as good of shape as possible, as its bulk is very important for managing threats mid-late game. Swampert is also the first of my three Phazers with Roar, giving opponents who rely on setting up a pretty difficult time.
The EVs and item are straightforward carryovers from last gen. as they maximize Swampert's efficiency. I don't use Lum Berry as I have two good sleep absorbers, and with the new Sleep mechanics it makes it easier for ResTalkers to do their thing.
Fire Blast (Nattorei) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Iron Barbs
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Spikes
Leech Seed
Protect
Power Whip
Wow I can't properly express how spectacular this Pokemon is. It has the stats, typing, ability, and moves (except Rapid Spin, of course) to be a behemoth in the gen. V OU metagame. Nattorei puts a stop to a lot of things and can weather a surprising amount of attacks in order to accomplish its goals. It pairs flawlessly with Burungeru and very well with Swampert and Gyarados typing-wise, so switching amongst the four of them especially is a really artful process and allows the team a great deal of advantageous situations. It's also bulkier both physically and specially than SpD Forretress, who is the only Poke I could consider putting in a Spikes-stacking role here, and even then it would only be for its access to Rapid Spin.
Spikes is obviously the first priority here, but many times I'll throw Leech Seed around in the early game to rack up some extra passive damage while scouting sets. Protect doubles Leech Seed's healing on opponents who stay on the battlefield and really puts pressure on opponents who can't dispose of Nattorei in one to three hits, of which there are plenty. With Spikes and Stealth Rock set up, Leech Seed becomes a real pain in the ass for a lot of playstyles, and Nattorei's natural longevity makes it a great abuser. For an attacking move, I chose Power Whip, as it 2HKOs Doryuuzu even without entry hazards, has a guaranteed 120 BP, and helps deal with bulky waters like Swampert, Suicune, and Vaporeon that would otherwise give this team a great deal of trouble.
The EVs are maximized for efficiency yet again, yielding impressive 352 / 320 / 341 defenses. The item is essentially forced upon Nattorei, as Shanderaa, Magnezone, and Wobbuffett could all easily come in and put me in a bad position. Of these, Shanderaa is obviously the most worrisome; however that one Poke is enough to slap a frustrating item on a Pokemon that would much rather be holding other things.
Pursuit (Burungeru) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 SpD
Recover
Will-O-Wisp
Toxic
Surf
Well Rotom-A lost its Ghost typing so there's a new Spin blocker in town, and it's pretty good. Great defensive typing, good self-sustaining movepool (including Recover and the oh-so-important Will-O-Wisp for Pursuiters), an immunity-granting ability to add to its other two immunities, and good defensive stats, all combine to create a pretty bulky way to keep my entry hazards on the field as well as Leech Seed in effect for an extra turn or two (on occasion). Burungeru has a secondary role as my team's status-inducer, as well, and is one of my two very crucial Fighting resists.
Move selection was very important for this build and for this role on the team. Recover is a must-have and greatly increases Buru's longevity on the field. Will-O-Wisp is on every successful Spin blocker, period, as it keeps Tyranitar, Scizor, and basically every physical attacker at bay, which is good, considering Buru's Defense stat is lacking. I decided to go with double-status and Toxic damage to make sure Burungeru doesn't become setup bait for powerful special attackers like Lati@s. Toxic also gives me an added tool against opposing stallmons like Vaporeon and Hippowdon. Finally, I chose Surf over Boil Over because the extra 15 BP actually does help against certain foes, like Doryuuzu, who is a guaranteed OHKO at 74%, as opposed to 63%, a big difference to a stall team where every percentage point of damage matters. Surf is also a guaranteed 3HKO on 4/0 Tyranitar or 2HKO with one switch into full hazards, whereas it's a 4HKO and 3HKO with full hazards otherwise. For a third example, Surf always OHKOs 4/0 Shanderaa after only SR damage while Boil Over never OHKOs in the same scenario. The way I see it, I would rather have the 75% burn with WoW when I really need it than the 30% chance I can only hope for while doing less damage per attack.
The EVs are once again maximized for efficiency and help Burungeru compensate for its low Defense stat while taking 65.3% - 77.2% from Scarf Shanderaa's Shadow Ball, allowing me to KO back with Surf given the right conditions. Because I refuse to be so scared of Shanderaa that I put Shed Shell on two of my Pokemon that are threatened by it, Burungeru gets Leftovers.
Earthquake (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Rest
Sleep Talk
Roar
Lava Plume
This Heatran set came about towards the tail end of Gen. IV, iirc, so it hasn't been in the metagame for too long (at least not popularly). What it has been, for sure, is a tremendous Special wall, statuser, Phazer, and staller all in one. People often forget about Heatran's impressive 91 / 106 / 106 defenses because of that monster SpA it has, but hitting 386 / 248 / 342 with good defensive typing really helps the team, especially Gyarados, my other ResTalker, cycle opponents through rounds of residual damage. This Heatran even survives ScarfTran's Earth Power after SR damage, which should give you some indication of its tremendous bulk.
Heatran, with access to this moveset, is really tough to take down given the right teammates. The strategy is pretty straightforward: Rest is to keep Heatran healthy over long periods of time while Sleep Talk allows it to continue shuffling or attacking while asleep. Roar is crucial for accumulating passive damage, and Lava Plume is the STAB of choice for its 30% burn rate.
As straightforward as the moveset is, the EV spread is even simpler. Since Heatran is my main go-to for Draco Meteors and one of my first responses to a variety of special threats, its SpD capabilities are pushed to the max. Leftovers help it heal up over time.
Thunderbolt (Gyarados) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Impish
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Rest
Sleep Talk
Roar
Waterfall
If I had to consider one Pokemon to be the glue of this team, it would be Gyarados. The quality and quantity of things it offers to this team are staggering, and I'm really glad this amazing set hasn't lost its use in the generation gap. With all the powerful physical attackers this generation and the multitude of Fighting types and Fighting moves, especially, being thrown around, Gyarados creates a much appreciated physical cushion for my team on top of Phazing opponents and doing some good damage. Gyarados is the counterpart to Heatran in terms of function, but switches in and out with Swampert and Nattorei especially (as they both resist Gyara's two weaknesses).
I have already outlined the function of the RestTalk strategy on this team, so now let me explain why I have TWO RestTalkers and three Phazers. The two primary functions of stall teams are to accumulate passive damage above all else and to keep teammates alive long enough to wear out the opponent in this way. Opponents know that, when facing a Phazer, they really only get one shot to do something on the field before they have to sacrifice more HP from another member of their team, and most often it's not the move they really want to use. It can never be Bulk Up, Agility, Swords Dance, Substitute, or anything really that can further the opponent's own strategy and isn't a SE attacking move, as the Phazing Pokemon threatens to heal itself up against weaker or less overwhelming attacks and continue on. It puts the opponent in a reactionary position where they a) are not accomplishing their goals until the Phazingmon is disposed of and b) only making half of their own decisions, as which Pokemon is sent out by the Phazer is chosen at random. I have three Phazers and two ResTalk Phazers because I think it's advantageous to be in control of a match like I just outlined. Giving the opponent as little chance as possible to enact even a two-turn strategy is a large part of maintaining momentum over long periods of time.
I chose the standard EVs and item for this particular build because they are simply the most effective. With Intimidate and the given EVs, Gyarados becomes an impressive physical wall and ideal switch-in to numerous OU (or, I suppose, simply "non-uber," at this point) Pokemon.
Panic Button (Erufuun) @ Leftovers
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Encore
Taunt
Leech Seed
Substitute
The quirky little popcorn sprout is probably the most bizarre addition to this team, but in a way it makes sense to have a wild card in the mix for when things go haywire or when a threat emerges that I wasn't prepared for or already lost my main response to. The thing is, Erufuun has so many things it can use to threaten a large majority of Pokemon that a lot of them will switch right out of it regardless of what moves it actually has. It's a mindgame Pokemon, more than anything else, and it has more than a few times earned its spot on the team and helped me out of a tough jam, either by Encoring a dangerous setup move, Encoring a sweeper into an attack resisted elsewhere on the team, Taunting stallmons or greedy setup sweepers, or by being devastating with priority Leech Seed and Substitute.
This moveset is total Taunt bait and is outsped by Boruterosu and other Erufuun that invest in Speed, but artful switching and team support help out with those problems a lot. Encore is the most important move on the set for interrupting Stallbreakers, HO Screeners, and the like. Taunt is for the occasions where I get Erufuun out on the field "first," so to speak, or at least advantageously. Leech Seed and Substitute act as Erufuun's contribution to the team's passive damage and can really be a huge pain in the ass to unprepared teams, especially considering Erufuun's low base 60 HP.
Once again, the EVs are maximized for efficiency (the reason I've been doing this has been because I've yet to discover any notable "benchmark damage thresholds" for these particular Pokemon) and Leftovers help Erufuun heal up even further when its doing its SubSeed thing.
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For clarification:
Malamanteau: a portmanteau of "malapropism" and "portmanteau". When used correctly, a malamanteau is not a malamanteau, making it a malamanteau*.
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Okay that's the team and I'm very open to suggestions. The team is a real joy to play with, as is this new generation metagame (I consider everything about it to be fresh improvements). I won't post a threat list in full because of the infancy and fluctuation of the current metagame; however I will leave you with a few "problem" Pokemon who require more clever switching and risk-taking to deal with than I would like.
- Espeon: 2HKO'd by most of my team, but has a terrifying presence and keeps me from feeling able to do anything but attack (weakly). Switches in for free against Erufuun, always.
- Boruterosu: specifically, Taunt / Thunderbolt / Grass Knot / Focus Blast Boruterosu, for obvious reasons. Probably the biggest threat to this team.
- Bulky Taunters: Gliscor, Skarmory, etc. can prove tricky vs. a team with only six attacking options. I basically have to just keep the momentum on my side for these guys.
- ??
*Nothing about this team has anything to do with this made-up word except for the title.
