A team with some flaws

[Hamstern]

Here are a team I've been using on Shoddy for two days. It has work suprisingly well (I mean, I'm not very good at this game and especially not team building) but it's far from perfect and it would be nice if I could get help to change it without making a totaly new team.

Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen eye
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: 240 HP / 52 Atk / 216 Def
*Earthquake
*Stone edge
*Surf
*Stealth rock


Swampert is my lead and I suppose he works pretty decent. He sets up early rocks and he's typing is very useful since he only has a grass weak. One thing that's very annoying thought, is that theres so many trick leads. Not being able to swich attack is really annying. And it's not like it's gonna outspeed anything with a choice scarf either ;___;

I picked stone edge over ice beam so I have something for Gyarados. Because of this, I put the remaning Ev's into attack instead of special attack.

Bronzong @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift swim
Nature: Adamant
Ev's: 180 hp / 252 Atk / 76 speed
*Waterfall
*Rain dance
*Outrage
*Dragon dance

I suppose Salamence is stronger, but Kingdra does have a better typing and I can't afford to have more stealth rock weak pokés in my team.

I choosed the double dance Kingdra because sandstorm is very annying if I'm trying to sweep with heracross, and I can also take advantage of the opponents rain if I face a rain dance team. Swampert and Gyarados also benefit from the rain to some extent.

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
*Waterfall
*Dragon Dance
*Rest
*Sleep Talk

Wtf? Another water pokémon? Well, rest talk gyarados has proven to be very useful to my team as I need something to absorb status with and it's intimidate help to stop certain physical threat. The fact that it gets walled by vaporeon and Toxicroak is a problem thought. It also have big problem against other gyarados if they have stone edge. I don't think I wanna give up dragon dance thought, because I some times end up sweeping a whole team with this thing.

Jolteon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpAtk
*Thunderbolt
*Hidden Power [Grass]
*Shadow Ball
*Baton Pass


Aborbs electric attacks for gyarados, and hit very hard with choice spec. I haven't have so much use for batton pass to be honest, and when the opponent has a Blissey I some times think it would have been better with wish to heal up Swampert.

Skarmory @ Shed shell
Ability: Keen eye
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 156 Def / 4 speed
*Drill peck
*Whirlwind
*Spikes
*Roost

I mostly use skarmory because I like spikes and needed a phazer. With whirlwind I might also see if the opponent has a priority user that might thretens Heracross sweep. Also very useful against snorlax who can be very annying if he get some curses up.

Heracross @ Salac berry
Ability: Swarm
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 def / 252 speed
*Sword dance
*Megahorn
*Stone edge
*Substitute

Usually I bring this on something that will likely switch, after I made a sacrifice. I then use substitute, and depending on what the opponet brings in and what I know about the rest of my opponents team I sword dance, attack or keep using substitute to activate the Salac berry. Sword danced swarm-boosted Megahorn hurts like hell, but it has happen that the shaky accurity has cost me the sweep or even game.

I have set the HP IV on 30 so after three substitute the salac berry kicks in.


Threat list

Walls more than half of my team. Trick screwes over Swampert, Gyarados and Skarmory. Skarmory can take care of the sword dance-passer thought, and maybe even the calm mind-passer if it only use grass knot.

Skarmory walls everyting except Jolteon, and spikes is really annying when you lack a rapid spinner like I do.

Nothing in my teams like switching into a spec-mence or mix-mence. And after a dragon dance it can be extremly thretening if it has fire blast.

If this things get a few calm minds in it will probably sweep my team. Most of my team can't really hurt it either..

Nothing in my team really likes switching into this thing.

Sweeps my team if it has hidden power grass.

Jolteon can only outspeed it after one dragon dance ( assuming it's adamant) and Skarmory doesn't like taking boosted waterfall that off course have to flinch hax.


Well, here are the ones I have had problem with, or pokés that I know I'm weak to. I probably more weakness, but this are the ones I can think of for now.

 

[DarK LamenT]

You're weak to P-Z, but a Scarf P-Z will do significant damage to all of those, if it can get in.
Hidden Power Fighting takes care of slower P-Zs, Thunderbolt hits Gyara, 'cune and Skarm, and Ice Beam takes care of many (usually Physically based) Celebi and Salamence. Raikou can be hit by STAB Tri-Attack.
You can try it over Jolteon, if you like. Specs 'zam can also hit many of these hard, but not for SE damage.
I only chose two very powerful Special attackers for that, but there are others that can do quite nicely, I imagine.
Both should be able to take a hit from Raikou, just be careful about Substitutes.

That answers your Threat List, anyhow.

 

[Rag]

Hamstern. ^_^

I don't really have time to fully rate your team right now, so I'll just throw some suggestions at you.

SubKingdra works pretty decently along with that Gyarados -- any Gyarados, actually. Hidden Power Electric can't break the sub, while those who carries Ice Beam usually don't carry Hidden Power, meaning Gyarados comes out victorious. Personally I find both Rain Dance and Dragon Dance a bit overkill, anyway.

Though, Wish seems like a good idea on your Jolteon. Wish allow you to heal your Swampert and gives Heracross essentially a free switch without having to sacrifice something. It should be noted that Gyarados easily recieves Wish too from Jolteon due its Ground immunity as well as its ability to switch in on Blissey. In fact, with Wish you could even run another damaging move without having to worry about taking too much damage.

 

[Colonel M]

*Shudders*.

Well all I can say is Zapdos could put a new hole in this team. At least Jolteon can absorb the Thunderbolt but even so with Hidden Power Grass / Heat Wave / Thunderbolt / Roost variant there's going to be... problems. Lots of problems. This is why I want to claim this team somewhat Zapdos-weak (although I'm guessing you might've foreseen this). I want to at least point at you that Shaymin-S with Air Slash, Seed Flare, and Substitute (almost) alone can be something that isn't easy to handle. I guess Skarmory could take a little beating but I'd rather not rely on it. Also I'd like to ask intelligently how you would handle Skarmory and Blissey as a combination within itself. It appears that these two could wall quite a bit of the team.

So I only have a few suggestions on what to look into. First off I'd think about Blissey in general. Wish support is still an option with her and SkarmBliss still offers "decent" walling capabilities. She will at least prevent the crazy Zapdos and Shaymin-S for the most part which is why I'd consider her. Toxic might not be a horrible idea to use if for preventing the PP Stalling of Zapdos. Flamethrower is an okay consideration for a final move as Heatran is easily scoffed off by Swampert, Gyarados, and Kingdra anyway. Brave Bird on Skarmory might not be a horrible consideration for at least weakening Gyarados in general. The recoil is something that could be worrisome; however, Roost and Whirlwind are still on your side. Finally, and if its possible, find a decent Pokemon to slam around SkarmBliss. Infernape is an okay consideration here with Fire Blast / Close Combat / Grass Knot / Thunderpunch or Hidden Power Ice. Otherwise looks good.

 

[Hamstern]

Rag: Heh, I tried wish on jolteon yesterday but I didn't managed to get a chance to pull that off either xD

Colonel M: Yeah, my team is pretty weak against special attackers in general, I have been thinking about adding a Blissey or Tyranitar.. so I think I'm gonna replace jolteon with Blissey and perhaps make my gyarados more offensive and see what new problems I get :P

I usally deal with skarmbliss by wearing down Skarmory with boosted waterfalls from Gyarados and Kingdra. Rain dance on Kingdra tends to be helpfull here as skarmory can't whirlwind away that, so swampert and gyarados can continiue to attack it with boosted water attacks after Kingdra has been blown away.

 

[Flameknight]

You have 3 water types. Although they all have different weaknesses you just have to many water attacks. You also need a special wall so you can defend your self from special attackers that sweep your team.