Hey all! I haven't played mons for almost a couple years, but I'm back and I've been really enjoying the meta. I made this squad and have been having a ton of fun, but wanted feedback to see where it can improve. Here's the full squad:
Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Taunt
- Ice Beam
I started this team with Gren in mind. Spike stacking offense is one of my fave play styles, and Gren is one of my favorite spike setters. Taunt is there to stop incoming leads from hazard setting back, along with help stopping set up mons. Spikes let the rest of the team put in a ton of work, as the rest of the mons benefit immensely from it. Sash helps not guarantee at least 1 spike, but if preserved, can help knock out any mons this team is weak to, most notably Hawlucha, as Hawlucha basically 6-0s this squad, unfortunately (ideally would like a better answer, was also thinking protect Mega Diancie?). Nonetheless, I don't see this mon leaving this team.
Salamence @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Fly
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
This is the main gimmick of the squad. Gyarados was originally here with essentially the same idea in mind, but although I loved using it, I realized not being able to out speed Mega Zam after +1 hurts, especially with how threating that mon is to this team. Menace helps mitigate that, hitting 492 speed with a +1, compared to Gyarados hitting only 430. I was considering adamant as +1 still gets me to 448. Anyways, this mon seriously can steamroll teams by itself if they aren't prepared. The introduction of Z-Moves gave moxie a huge buff, as after 1 dragon dance, supersonic skystrike basically OHKOs a bunch of the meta, giving it the +1 moxie boost, letting mence very easily sit at +2 and just sweep through teams. Mence also doesn't get walled by Rotom like Gyarados did. Ton of fun to use, would recommend if you haven't tried!
(couldn't find a normal gif lol)
Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Mach Punch
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Seed
Breloom is my main wall breaker. This thing absolutely decimates stall teams. After one SD, Breloom can OHKO things like Scarf Lando, Bulu, Magic Guard Clef, and much more. When facing stall, this thing can almost basically 6-0 a squad, and it even comes in handy as an amazing late game sweeper. This team is also pretty weak to Rotom (especially with Gyarados), and Breloom checks it very well. I feel Breloom is one of the most underrated mons in this meta. It hits like a truck and literally punches wholes in teams. It is hard countered by Mimikyu, but my other mons help fight that well.
Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
- Shadow Ball
Originally had Diancie here, but Zam gives me a much better speed tier which is necessary since this team is a bit slower. Diancie is better against stall, though, and helps with Hawlucha to an extent. But, nonetheless, this your standard Mega Zam. Do a ton of damage and be a late game cleaner with the spikes support. This also helps check things such as Heatran, and trace can lead to some really fun combinations, like tracing Soul Heart, Beast Boost, Protean, etc.
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 8 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Magnezone is here simply to take out annoying steal types, along with giving an answer to Toxapex and Fini. Essentially, whatever Zone can't kill, Volt Switching provides a ton of chip damage and momentum, being able to Volt Switch on things like the aforementioned Toxapex, and if it doesn't kill, gives Zam a kill or Mence a sweep chance. Zone is a great teammate for each Mon on the team, setting up the squad with a ton of kill potential.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
No, you did read that right, this isn't Gen 5, that's a real life Air Balloon Heatran in Gen 7. Hear me out. This hard counters opposing Heatrans, gives a good answer to lead Rocks Excadrill, along with a decent one to Lando. If I don't lead with this, it throws opponents off guard, so coming into something like a Lando's Earthquake gives me a free Toxic, Magma Storm, or even Rocks. This also gives a great answer to the Gen 1 mega besides Blastoise, and Focus Blast Zard Y, obviously. The speed was originally there because the team, like mentioned before, had Diancie, which was my Rocker, so Tran became a nice Taunt user, stopping defogs and set up mons.
Now for the weak parts of the team. This team gets bodied by rain teams, and basically has almost 0% chance to beat it, unless Breloom or Mence can late game sweep. It is still doable, but requires patient and calculated play, and even then it is quite hard. Another huge threat is the aforementioned Hawlucha. Hawlucha is another mon who can 6-0 this team. Some things I have been considering is using a Specs Ash Gren instead, with spikes, still giving me hazards, while also giving me a better answer to Hawlucha, and even rain teams, as Specs, rain boosted Water Shuriken can decimate teams. Medicham is another big threat, but Zam helps mitigate it to an extent.
Any and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Would love to hear what you all think of the squad and which ways I can improve it. I'll include a pastable of the team for anyone who wants to use, and/or wants to make their own tweaks to the team. Thank you again in advance for any feedback and criticism!
https://pastebin.com/T8RepXNT
Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Taunt
- Ice Beam
I started this team with Gren in mind. Spike stacking offense is one of my fave play styles, and Gren is one of my favorite spike setters. Taunt is there to stop incoming leads from hazard setting back, along with help stopping set up mons. Spikes let the rest of the team put in a ton of work, as the rest of the mons benefit immensely from it. Sash helps not guarantee at least 1 spike, but if preserved, can help knock out any mons this team is weak to, most notably Hawlucha, as Hawlucha basically 6-0s this squad, unfortunately (ideally would like a better answer, was also thinking protect Mega Diancie?). Nonetheless, I don't see this mon leaving this team.
Salamence @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Fly
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
This is the main gimmick of the squad. Gyarados was originally here with essentially the same idea in mind, but although I loved using it, I realized not being able to out speed Mega Zam after +1 hurts, especially with how threating that mon is to this team. Menace helps mitigate that, hitting 492 speed with a +1, compared to Gyarados hitting only 430. I was considering adamant as +1 still gets me to 448. Anyways, this mon seriously can steamroll teams by itself if they aren't prepared. The introduction of Z-Moves gave moxie a huge buff, as after 1 dragon dance, supersonic skystrike basically OHKOs a bunch of the meta, giving it the +1 moxie boost, letting mence very easily sit at +2 and just sweep through teams. Mence also doesn't get walled by Rotom like Gyarados did. Ton of fun to use, would recommend if you haven't tried!
(couldn't find a normal gif lol)
Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Mach Punch
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Seed
Breloom is my main wall breaker. This thing absolutely decimates stall teams. After one SD, Breloom can OHKO things like Scarf Lando, Bulu, Magic Guard Clef, and much more. When facing stall, this thing can almost basically 6-0 a squad, and it even comes in handy as an amazing late game sweeper. This team is also pretty weak to Rotom (especially with Gyarados), and Breloom checks it very well. I feel Breloom is one of the most underrated mons in this meta. It hits like a truck and literally punches wholes in teams. It is hard countered by Mimikyu, but my other mons help fight that well.
Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Recover
- Shadow Ball
Originally had Diancie here, but Zam gives me a much better speed tier which is necessary since this team is a bit slower. Diancie is better against stall, though, and helps with Hawlucha to an extent. But, nonetheless, this your standard Mega Zam. Do a ton of damage and be a late game cleaner with the spikes support. This also helps check things such as Heatran, and trace can lead to some really fun combinations, like tracing Soul Heart, Beast Boost, Protean, etc.
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 8 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Magnezone is here simply to take out annoying steal types, along with giving an answer to Toxapex and Fini. Essentially, whatever Zone can't kill, Volt Switching provides a ton of chip damage and momentum, being able to Volt Switch on things like the aforementioned Toxapex, and if it doesn't kill, gives Zam a kill or Mence a sweep chance. Zone is a great teammate for each Mon on the team, setting up the squad with a ton of kill potential.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
No, you did read that right, this isn't Gen 5, that's a real life Air Balloon Heatran in Gen 7. Hear me out. This hard counters opposing Heatrans, gives a good answer to lead Rocks Excadrill, along with a decent one to Lando. If I don't lead with this, it throws opponents off guard, so coming into something like a Lando's Earthquake gives me a free Toxic, Magma Storm, or even Rocks. This also gives a great answer to the Gen 1 mega besides Blastoise, and Focus Blast Zard Y, obviously. The speed was originally there because the team, like mentioned before, had Diancie, which was my Rocker, so Tran became a nice Taunt user, stopping defogs and set up mons.
Now for the weak parts of the team. This team gets bodied by rain teams, and basically has almost 0% chance to beat it, unless Breloom or Mence can late game sweep. It is still doable, but requires patient and calculated play, and even then it is quite hard. Another huge threat is the aforementioned Hawlucha. Hawlucha is another mon who can 6-0 this team. Some things I have been considering is using a Specs Ash Gren instead, with spikes, still giving me hazards, while also giving me a better answer to Hawlucha, and even rain teams, as Specs, rain boosted Water Shuriken can decimate teams. Medicham is another big threat, but Zam helps mitigate it to an extent.
Any and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Would love to hear what you all think of the squad and which ways I can improve it. I'll include a pastable of the team for anyone who wants to use, and/or wants to make their own tweaks to the team. Thank you again in advance for any feedback and criticism!
https://pastebin.com/T8RepXNT
