Wicked Fascinations - Gen 9 BSS

DerpySuX

its hard to breathe but thats alright
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
“So step inside our circus tent, you’ll wonder where your money went!”

This is my very first venture into teambuilding for Scarlet and Violet, and as you can guess by the name and theme of this RMT, I built around Meowscarada. For this RMT, the theme will be circus, heavily inspired from a trio of songs from a group called “Circus Contraption.”

Onto the team
:Meowscarada: :scizor: :garganacl: :roaring-moon: :breloom: :flutter-mane:

This is a fairly offensive team that aims to have defensive backbone more through use of Spore and priority moves. Garganacl being our sole truly defensive pick, though as you’ll see later, it’s far from passive.

———

“Welcome to our wicked little fascinations, right on time… to join us… for the ride!”

CIRCUS CONTRAPTION (Meowscarada) @ Choice Band
Ability: Protean
Level: 50
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
- Play Rough
- U-turn

Meowscarada is one of my favorite starters, actually just one of my favorite Pokémon of all time, really only beaten out by Primarina imo. Competitively, it’s easily one of the scariest too. Flower Trick is arguably the best starter move we’ve ever seen. Guaranteed critical hit and it bypasses accuracy checks. Grass/Dark isn’t the best typing in the world, but that is easily alleviated thanks to Protean. Given the nerf to Protean to only activate once per switch in, a choiced set is easily the most intuitive. We make the most out of Meowscarada’s great speed tier by electing Choice Band. This powers up Flower Trick even further, while making our coverage moves sting a lot more at the same time. Its Tera-Type is Grass, again, to make Flower Trick as hard to switch into as possible. Knock Off is taken as secondary STAB, allowing Meowscarada to serve as a supportive wallbreaker for its teammates, removing items and hitting ghosts quite hard. Given one of the best ghosts is also a pretty good Flower Trick Switch in, Knock is a fairly safe move to throw out. Play Rough allows us to deal with the myriad of Dragon, Dark, and Fighting types that populate offensive teams, and U-turn is a good momentum keeping tool. Preventing Meowscarada from thudding against something like an Amoonguss or Corviknight to keep up the pressure. I find it most effective Meowscarada as more of a cleaner than a wallbreaker. Yes, Choice Band does enable it to do some wallbreaking, but it’s more consistent to use Meowscarada’s good speed tier and the consistent damage output of Flower Trick to clean up once the switch ins have been eliminated/sufficiently chipped. Is my kitty top tier? Probably not, but it has a very nice niche in the tier and performs it quite well.


———

“We've devised an antiquated machination oddities await so won’t you kindly step inside?”

GUNSLINGA (Scizor) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Thief

Scizor is fairly simple here. It revenges Chien Pao and Flutter Mane with Bullet Punch. U-turn also smacks Chien Pao quite hard and provides switch momentum should a BP sponge come in. Scizor getting Close Combat this gen allows it to make much more liberal use of its fighting coverage, as it no longer has its attack lowered for doing so. This provides valuable coverage against steels, which is bigger than it ever has been with Terastalizing allowing anything to become a steel type. The last move is fairly flexible here. Thief is a nice Dark type attack that gets boosted by Technician, useful considering the myriad of ghosts roaming the metagame atm. Really though, you can pick almost anything here, just see what your team needs.

———

“We'll show you things the outside world won't dare to!”

PYRAMID OF PAIN (Garganacl) @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Purifying Salt
Level: 50
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD
Careful Nature
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Salt Cure
- Recover

Imo this is the MVP of the team. Garganacl takes advantage of the holes punched in the opponents team like nothing else. Once the few things that can beat it are taken care of, it sets up and can lock the game down in an instant. Purifying Salt is an invaluable part of this role, providing a complete immunity to status, as well as a very handy Ghost resistance. Well timed use of steel terastalisation can even allow Garganacl to beat its own checks for itself. For example, using its base type to ward off Fire STAB, and then transforming into a steel type as it attempts to use a coverage move to break past you. Steel Tera also shuts down Amoonguss’ clear smog attempts, which is sometimes one of the only ways a team can hope to stop this set. Salt Cure is an incredible move, spreading tons of chip damage, forcing bulky mons to burn through their limited recovery and putting offensive mons on a fast ticking timer to beat you. The move sadly doesn’t trap its victim, but the opponent switching to get rid of the Salt Cure effect provides a free turn to either start chipping whatever comes in, or boost up with Iron Defense to deliver the coupe de grâce, an absurdly powerful Body Press. Easily one of my favorite mons so far and the team MVP without question.

———

“and though you may find we're perverse, well it could really be much worse!”
ECLIPSE (Roaring Moon) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Crunch
- Tera Blast

Roaring Moon is an incredible setup sweeper. Easily coming in on the ghost types that run rampant in the metagame, setting up, and using its DD and Protosynthesis boost to rip apart the opponent. Fire Tera allows it to resist Fairy type moves that might be aimed at it, and provides valuable coverage to smack other Steels with via Tera Blast. This Mon is fairly simple, but quite effective when used correctly. Not much else to say.

———

“and though you may end up insane..
you know you'll barely feel the pain!”

TRIPPIN (Breloom) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Close Combat
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch

Same old Breloom its always been. Putting stuff to sleep and then spamming Fighting and Grass STAB, though this generation we once again got upgraded from Superpower to Close Combat. Once again this gives Breloom a much easier time making use of its stronger Fighting STAB, as its attack stays intact, and because we’re using a sash set, the defense drops hardly matter all that much. Fighting Tera was my preferred type, as CC and Mach Punch provide an absurd level of power should you choose to terastalize Breloom. Though super boosted Bullet Seed is also great, and you can even terastalize defensively to make better use of spore, should you not want to use focus sash. Steel is a great option for this. Hardly a surprise to see Breloom doing as well as it is. Always a solid pick.

———

“show you things your mother never showed you…
locked up in the recess of your mind!”

GHOULISH DELIGHT (Flutter Mane) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protosynthesis
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Mystical Fire
- Shadow Ball
- Power Gem

Flutter Mane is easily one of the most absurd Pokémon added this generation. It makes an excellent revenge killer and is a cleanup artist extraordinaire with a scarf set. Modest is chosen to give us a Special Attack boost, should the opponent bring a sun team. This allows Flutter Mane to serve as a terrifying wallbreaker as well as a cleanup artist by giving it an effective Life Orb on its attacks, as long as the sun is up. Fairy Tera is used to boost Moonblast even further, as well as giving it a Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak immunity, allowing it to better take on the likes of Mimikyu and Chien Pao, should the situation call for it. Mystical fire roasts Scizor, and Power Gem hits Volcarona/Iron Moth quite hard, ensuring they don’t get in our way too much.

———

I don’t expect this team to be anything crazy, of course. It’s very, very early in the generation, and people are still figuring stuff out. I have had some pretty decent success with this team, however, so I felt it would be decent enough to show off. Thank you for reading this :)

REPLAYS

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...-1717784503-l0rpscrqvr1ves8aizddta2gvfs0zzwpw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...-1717703844-lt6mjsdt7niqr5iygldn6hblrpdz6t9pw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...-1718207271-xj8bqj86s0rv0p2qevz7e1tl9r4dpjkpw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...-1718322397-zbooyqvhxiyrjdx874k998sghx5rxilpw
 
Seems really solid! Only thing that stuck out to me was Garganacl using Aguav Berry over Leftovers. Didn't seem like they had any problem surviving in your replays though. Given a format like BSS held items, it would hurt me inside to not make use of Leftovers on at least one Pokemon (Garganacle would be the best user on the team). But if that kinda thing doesn't keep you up at night, more power to you!

One thing about Roaring Moon: If you wanted, you could take 32 EVs from Attack to put in any other stat (probably HP) in order for Speed to be your highest stat so Booster energy would give you x1.5 Speed instead of x1.3 Attack. However, you're not rocking Sun + Choice Band/Life orb so nothing wrong with just going attack and letting the speed be the speed. Just wanted to put that out there.

As far as defensive type coverage, you've got 4 different types matchups that share 3 Pokemon with the same weakness. However, each one of the 4 types also has at least one Pokemon who resists it, so as long as you're mindful of your key defensive Pokemon VS what type attacks risk sweeping the team, you should be fine. Garganacle is a brick house so they can afford to tank a super effective hit or two. Also Meowscarda Protean. Lastly, at least 1 resist/immunity for every single type - really nice defensive coverage!

Great idea to include replays of the team! Almost a little disappointed they all ended in your opponent forfeiting. I'm gonna try putting up some of my own to add to my RMT.

Thanks for sharing your team! Good luck if you're preparing all this for cartridge.
 
Last edited:
As usual I have the rate your team as good. The only change besides the lefties that I kinda feel ok advocating is Throat Chop over Crunch on Roaring Moon. With so much power you don't really need the def drop of crunch, and it's still very rare. Throat Chop very sadly won't stop yawn, but there is Pixilate hyper Voice. Idk, it might be meaningless/worse. Maybe I just like the move cause of my playthrough Flamigo+that I still mostly use for raids.)

Edit: will you use Hydreigon and Mimikyu over your now banned paradoxes of the same types?
 
Last edited:

DerpySuX

its hard to breathe but thats alright
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
Seems really solid! Only thing that stuck out to me was Garganacl using Aguav Berry over Leftovers. Didn't seem like they had any problem surviving in your replays though. Given a format like BSS held items, it would hurt me inside to not make use of Leftovers on at least one Pokemon (Garganacle would be the best user on the team). But if that kinda thing doesn't keep you up at night, more power to you!

One thing about Roaring Moon: If you wanted, you could take 32 EVs from Attack to put in any other stat (probably HP) in order for Speed to be your highest stat so Booster energy would give you x1.5 Speed instead of x1.3 Attack. However, you're not rocking Sun + Choice Band/Life orb so nothing wrong with just going attack and letting the speed be the speed. Just wanted to put that out there.

As far as defensive type coverage, you've got 4 different types matchups that share 3 Pokemon with the same weakness. However, each one of the 4 types also has at least one Pokemon who resists it, so as long as you're mindful of your key defensive Pokemon VS what type attacks risk sweeping the team, you should be fine. Garganacle is a brick house so they can afford to tank a super effective hit or two. Also Meowscarda Protean. Lastly, at least 1 resist/immunity for every single type - really nice defensive coverage!

Great idea to include replays of the team! Almost a little disappointed they all ended in your opponent forfeiting. I'm gonna try putting up some of my own to add to my RMT.

Thanks for sharing your team! Good luck if you're preparing all this for cartridge.
Aguav berry over lefties was intentional. Leftovers doesn’t really help garg avoid any KO thresholds with the 6% per turn, whereas a well timed recover can bring you nearly back up to full in tandem with the pinch berry recovery.

As for RM, that is very much a possibility, this team and RMT were made before we discovered the mechanic that boosts offensive stats less than speed with the paradox abilities. Still, I found the attack boost helpful to bust through unaware mons.

Ill be honest defensive coverage wasn’t something I payed a ton of attention to, as this is a very offensive team. I guess that’s just my balance brain naturally picking defensively sound cores lmao.

thank you very much for the feedback! :)
 
That's cool no lefties was intentional, I'd never think to try that, I love lefties. But would sitrus then be ok?
 

DerpySuX

its hard to breathe but thats alright
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
That's cool no lefties was intentional, I'd never think to try that, I love lefties. But would sitrus then be ok?
Sitrus might work. My main issue with it was that it would always proc too early, and be wasted on something like a breloom Mach punch or something that I could otherwise recover off after an iron defense. Aguav popping at lower health just seemed more consistent to me. Still, this is a very fresh metagame and we have lots of room to experiment. I have no doubt a more aggressive garganacl build with Sitrus would be decent somewhere.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top