Red Sun
Hi, just when I was testing my first sand team (was pretty bad imo) I discovered the Smogon server almost empty on PO. After hearing the PS news, decided to give it a try with what I feel most comfortable: a sun team. This time instead of going HO or balanced offense I went with a stallish sun team, as odd as that sounds. It did pretty well although I don't think I tested it too much. But the problem with PS is that by the time you get into top 5, getting a battle takes too long so I'm trying different teams with other alts now.
TEAM REVIEW
The Behemoth @ Leftovers
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 112 Def / 100 SpDef / 40 Spd
Careful Nature (+SpDef, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Groudon sets up the sun and acts as a physical tank. RestTalk set gives it durability so that I win the weather war. SpDef EVs allows me to tank non-STAB Ice Beams if needed to. Speed EVs so that I win against other 90-based-speed phazers (Groudon, Dialga, Kyogre, Giratina). I only use him as a lead if I see a possible Kyogre lead not only to scout the set (scarf or not) but to make the Tentacruel switch smoother. If I see a Darkrai I also lead with him and go for Sleep Talk. Notice that if SR is not up I can't touch Rayquaza with him.
Mandingo @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 144 HP / 252 Atk / 16 SpDef / 96 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpAtk)
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Earthquake
My favorite Uber for sure. Ho-Oh is so great that even in a meta with Kyogre and SR everywhere, it still manhandles teams by itself. Max attack for obvious reasons, I decided to try EQ over Sub since I can't abuse Pressure now and so far it's been kinda useless. I'm thinking of Flame Charge or Tailwind although Tailwind doesn't really help my other members that much and even with a +1 Spe, I'd get outsped by any other scarfer.
Prometheus @ Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpDef / 8 Spd
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
One of my MVPs. Keys to a weather war are to keep pressure and keep your weather summoner alive. All of the weather starters are weak to Toxic Spikes. All of them. CroOgre is almost non-existant now because of the sleep mechanics. Monoattacker Kyogre is easy to deal with if you cancel the rain and the ChestoRest set is not very common (plus it is also manageable with 3 phazers). I've seen TTars using Lum Berry but that only protects them from one switch in. Scald helps with lucky burns and Ice Beam is for Dragons. If I see a Deoxys-S I lead with this guy, at the very worst is a 50/50 game so you just have to predict correctly.
Girotina (Giratina) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SDef / 44 Spd
Careful Nature (+SpDef, -SAtk)
- Roar
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Dragon Tail
Girotina is my spinblocker and my second Kyogre resist. Ice Beam from Timid Kyogre is a 3HKO at best while resisted attacks are sponged by this beast. It is also somewhat of a check to Mewtwo and it can stall scarf Palkia as Spacial Rend doesn't 2HKO (given that it doesn't crit). Roar and Dragon Tail work fine together because otherwise Taunt would shut me down and Roar goes through Lugia's, Excadrill's and Ho-Oh's substitutes. Also, the speed EVs let me "speed" shuffle if I'm asleep. I have prevented hazards to be spun away even from a team with both Excadrill and Kabutops on it.
Tony Stark @ Iron Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / / 60 SpDef /120 Spd
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Recover
- Perish Song
- Judgment
- Stealth Rock
Finally, completing my defensive core, my dragon resist. Probably the best steel in the game, not only it supports better overall (not only defensive) stats than Jirachi, Forretress, Registeel and Bronzong (all semi-usable defensive steel pokes in GenIV) but it has Recover, something most defensive steels lack. Stealth Rock is key and I usually try to set up in the first 3 turns. Even with all the phazing, last set up pokes could be trouble if they are immune to poison or they have Lum Berry or Rest. Perish Song helps in those cases and also lets me deal with the ShellPass teams that plague the PO server (they use Spore Ingrain ShellPass Smeargles nowadays).
Rocko @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Turboblaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Dragon Pulse
I usually don't like scarfers but, on a sun team, I think scarf Kyurem-W is better than scarf Reshiram as it outspeeds 90 based scarfers (Reshiram risks a speed tie against scarfOgre), has more SpAtk and has that sweet Ice STAB. You could maybe say why not scarf Palkia instead, personally I think Ice>Water as STAB and I also wanted to try it out. I rarely use him unless I have to. I try to bring him as a late game cleaner. I've also not used DM that much and I've considered replacing it with something else.
THREATS
- Ho-Oh: The biggest threat for a sun team is always Ho-Oh. With Regenerator is even more annoying than in GenIV. I just try to phaze it until he is in the range of a Draco Meteor.
- Rayquaza: For some reason this guy has drop in usage (from what I've seen at least), even when it is still very dangerous. Both the mixed set and the DD set can dent my team if I don't predict correctly.
- Mewtwo: Girotina is my best answer. I honestly just try to stall him a little bit so that poison damage racks up, then phaze or sac/revenge with Kyurem-W.
- Tentacruel: Ruins my TS fun. I try to predict him and double switch into Ho-Oh. Girotina kinda weakens him with Dragon Tails.
- Forretress: TS is not a problem for this team (only Kyurem-W is weak to them) but Spikes and SR are. I usually go for Girotina so that they think I'll spinblock him everytime. Midgame I play more aggressively and start double switching or just plain switching Ho-Oh or Kyurem-W into him.
FINAL COMMENTS
Changes I've thought:
- Make Groudon Impish and give Rock Slide over Roar (Stone Edge sucks)
- Give Ho-Oh Whirlwind instead of EQ
- Change Kyurem-W to Hasty and give it Outrage instead of Draco Meteor
I'd appreciate any constructive criticism. If you have any questions, let me know.
Behemoth (Groudon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 100 SDef / 112 Def / 40 Spd / 4 Atk
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Mandingo (Ho-Oh) @ Life Orb
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Atk / 144 HP / 16 SDef / 96 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Sacred Fire
- Earthquake
Prometheus (Tentacruel) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 8 Spd / 248 HP / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
Girotina (Giratina) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SDef / 44 Spd
Careful Nature
- Roar
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Dragon Tail
Tony Stark (Arceus) @ Iron Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Spd / 60 SDef
Calm Nature
- Recover
- Perish Song
- Judgment
- Stealth Rock
Rocko (Kyurem-White) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Turboblaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Dragon Pulse
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 100 SDef / 112 Def / 40 Spd / 4 Atk
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Mandingo (Ho-Oh) @ Life Orb
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Atk / 144 HP / 16 SDef / 96 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Sacred Fire
- Earthquake
Prometheus (Tentacruel) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 8 Spd / 248 HP / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
Girotina (Giratina) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SDef / 44 Spd
Careful Nature
- Roar
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Dragon Tail
Tony Stark (Arceus) @ Iron Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Spd / 60 SDef
Calm Nature
- Recover
- Perish Song
- Judgment
- Stealth Rock
Rocko (Kyurem-White) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Turboblaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Dragon Pulse