Lagiacrus
Introduction:
Hi guys. I use to roam in the LC room with the name bamboo sword. If you know me, you probably know me for this team, 'cus I hanged out with it for a really long time. It actually is, with some modifications, the third LC team I ever made in my entire life.
The very first team I ever made was filled with completely random stuff so it probably doesn't even count and, with the second, the best I could accomplish was getting into the 1300s back in XY. Back then, I didn't even know what the viability rank was. I just started playing randomly and experienced on my skin how good and bad some mons were.
It was with this team that I learned to play LC and got to know some really good players so I'm really attached to it.
It's also my first time creating a RMT. I hope I made this right.
Teambuilding Process:
Back in the days, I eventually got the idea to build around Mienfoo, that with its speed, attack and ability seemed like a really good pokemon matching my playing style. I wanted fast sweepers with immunities so that they could hit hard and switch in and out relatively freely.
With this thought in mind I decided to try Pawniard and Gastly. The first provides immunity to psychic and poison and the second to ground, fighting and normal. The three of them also show really good synergy on the offensive side, as gastly threats fairies that can wall Mienfoo, and Pawniard treats psychics that can kill the other two. Also, Mienfoo can take on dark attacks and Pawniard the flying ones. In practice however, switching them is not so easy as on paper thanks to stuff like Abra and Doduo that possess the speed and coverage to cripple the three of them.
Chinchou joined the guys as it provides coverage on flying types and immunity to electric attacks. It can hit water types and flame body users that can cut the offensive potential of Pawn and Foo with burns. It is also useful to have another special attacker and a second turn user.
Once I got tired of getting spored by Foongus, Vullaby was recruited. It provides coverage on grass and fighting pokemon and is a more safe switch on EQs and fighting types than Gastly.
The last spot was the most problematic. I tried stuff like Foongus and Alola-Grimer but I tossed either of them. Foongus leaved me more open to Abra and Doduo, while Grimer added another ground weakness. In the end I settled with that great love of mine that is Corphish. A problem I encountered along the road where fast cannons like Doduo and Aipom. No matter what I switched in, they still had the speed, power and coverage to do serious damages. Foongus and Grimer were no help in this way, as they were too slow, but Corphish can hold his ground against them, outspeeding them with a strong Aqua Jet or returning the favor by taking a hit and smashing a Crabhammer on them or whatever the opponent is going to switch in.
The Team:
Kung Foo Fighter (Mienfoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Fake Out
Role: Lead/Sweeper/Pivot
Foo leads and is the core of the team. Fake Out is for priority and breaking sashes. FO+HJK have a 45% chance of killing Onix without even letting him say Stealth Rock (50% of speed tie and 10% of missing). With FO+KO+HJK, Foo can kill Timburr at the cost of his own Eviolite if Tim decides to Knock Off on the second turn. Timburr is also the main reason why I decided to go with HJK instead of Drain Punch. Knock Off is for utility and hitting ghosts and Uturn to get out of troubles and/or gaining momentum on the opponent's switch. The EV spread is similar to the fast offensive one. With this EV spread however, Foo hits only 17 attack, but 12 defense (18 instead of 16 with evio). This means that Foo goes from a 93.8% chance to get 2HKOed by Onix's Earthquake to a 12.1% chance. Enough of a bet for me, as Foo is the only one that can stand both EQ and rock attacks in the team (Corphish too but I prefer to save him for late game and Gastly is too frail). This helps switching mons in and out avoiding too dangerous bets.
Roger (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Role: Sweeper
There's not much to say about this set, as it is pretty standard. KO and IH are strong stab attacks that can hit psychics and fairies hard. Rocks are for utility and SP for outspeeding Gastly, Abra and other fast guys. Rocks were pretty mandatory over Brick Break as I don't have another hazard setter. Pawniard is also useful as it is the only thing that prevents Shellder from crippling the entire team once it sets up. I saw a team very similar to mine using Onix over Pawniard. Onix is a valuable substitute as it's a better setter and a safer to switch into Doduo, but leaves the team more vulnerable to Staryu and grass types.
Grrrastly (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sucker Punch
Role: Sweeper
Gastly is a glass cannon. Sludge Bomb is the main stab to hit fairies and grasses. Dazzling gleam provides some coverage on darks and hits fightings hard. Shadow Ball is primarily for steel types and other ghosts. Psychic over SB is also an option to hit Mareanie, Foongus and Croagunk harder but I eventually settled with this. Sucker Punch objectively sucks on Gastly, but it's there for a reason called Abra. As i don't have a safe switch on it (as it can run different sets), I prefer to have a priority move on Gastly, so that it can lure Abra inside and break an eventual sash. Then, Abra can become food for Pawniard's SP, Corphish's Aqua Jet or Scarfed Chou. I usually save Gastly for late game as with LO and some previous preparations it really rocks. It OHKOs Mienfoo and Timburr with Dazzling Gleam if they lose Eviolite and 2HKOs defensive Vullaby. Sludge Bomb has a 6.3% chance to OHKO Spritzee while still holding Eviolite and Shadow Ball OHKOs Onix once the sash has been broken. For this reason, having four pokemon in the team running Knock Off really help Gastly to clean the floor once items and threats like A-Grimer have already left the party.
Lucchou (Chinchou) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 68 SpD / 140 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
Role: Fast Pivot/Sweeper
Chinchou is my only Staryu check. I would probably be running the defensive set if a guy called Diglett weren't around. Volt switch is the main stab. It allows Chinchou to hit and run, providing momentum and helping switches. Scald is to hit ground types and flame body users. Ice Beam is for grass types and for times when I'm not sure if the guy is going to switch into a water absorber or an electric one. I'm not sure on the last slot, as I don't really get to use it much often. Hydro Pump is to have extra power but I don't like its precision. HP ground could replace it for handling other Chinchous. I even ran Heal Bell for a period, even if the guy holds a scarf. The EV spread lets Chinchou reach only a base 16 speed. This means that it gets outspeed by scarfed Mienfoo and Drilbur. On the other side, Chinchou goes from a 75% chance to be OHKOed by a Dark Pulse from a Vullaby that nasty plotted once to a 6.3% chance. Like with Mienfoo, enough of a bet for me (if the guy doesn't flinch on it)
Ikki (Vullaby) @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
Role: Bulky Pivot
Physical Vullaby provides immunity to spore and covers grass and fighting types with Brave Bird. It is also useful as it resists and kills Scraggy after dancing twice and checks Croagunk that can wall Mienfoo, Pawniard, Corphish, Chinchou and Gastly (man, I realized just now how much of a problem the guy is). The set is standard. Uturn is over Defog. I found Vullaby very unsatisfying as a defogger (as he is the most weak to rocks in the team) and I don't really like him without Uturn either as it makes him even more passive against Pawniard. On the contrary, Uturn leaves me without an hazard remover. Hazards can really bring down this team in the long run, but the team can somehow manage if it's just rocks. Mienfoo and Pawniard don't really suffer them, Gastly is not made to be hit anyway and is usually a late game sweeper. The ones suffering the most are Vullaby himself and Chinchou, who should be switching in and out often. In this sense, Mienfoo as a lead helps a lot, as it can kill lead setters fast or force them out before setting.
Nettuno (Corphish) @ Eviolite
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Aqua Jet
- Dragon Dance
Role: Revenge Killer/Sweeper
Corphish fits better than I thoght in this team. With Aqua Jet it can OHKO fast threats like Onix, Diglett and Drilbur once the sashes have been broken and do serious damages to glass cannons like Abra and Gastly. Aqua Jet and Crabhammer kill ground types in general, thus removing threats that can prevent Chinchou to volt switch. Crabhammer has another useful function that in a dialectal way of saying of my country is called "ndo cojo, cojo", that can be translated as "I hit where I hit". It means that, if the opponent doesn't have a solid wall to Corphish, it doesn't really matter what he switches in: it's still going to hurt. In this sense, Corphish gets completely walled by stuff like Croagunk and Foongus, and this is where Vullaby becomes his best buddy. Knock off is for slightly hitting this guys and doing the team a favor by removing items. If Corphish gets the chance to dragon dance, he really becomes a killing machine. The set is the dragon dance standard. I was thinking about giving the guy Aerial Ace instead of KO or DD (as it doesn't really gets many chances to set up in this team and there are already 3 other KOers) in order to take Croagunk and Foongus by surprise but I still have to test it.
Threatlist:
Flame Body users such as Larvesta and Ponyta can wall Mienfoo, Pawniard and even Vullaby. They can limit your options as you become afraid of hitting them. You can therefore lose momentum because you don't want to Uturn on them or you can get your attack potential cut in half because you hit them and get burned.
Diglett is a problem because it prevents Chinchou from volt switching freely, as it shivers in fear of being trapped and killed without any mercy. It becomes even more problematic when put togheter with a water type like Staryu. You can get in the situation of getting trapped by Diglett while trying to volt switch on Staryu, or to get locked on Staryu with scald because you were expecting a switch. The latter results in you losing turns and taking hits 'cus Chinchou is your only effective Staryu check in the team.
Fast sweepers like Aipom and Doduo are fast enough to outspeed almost the entire team and have the power and coverage to hit them too hard for my taste. Careful with them.
Conclusion:
This is an offensive team. It needs some prediction to decide when is the time to knock off, turn, hit hard or switch but it allows you to do all of them effectively. It has its flaws and there are team against which it troubles more but, after all the time I spent using it, I got the presumption that it has the potential to take on almost any team. Then the outcome lies all in the hands of the users.
Kung Foo Fighter (Mienfoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Fake Out
Roger (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Grrrastly (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sucker Punch
Lucchou (Chinchou) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 68 SpD / 140 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
Ikki (Vullaby) @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
Nettuno (Corphish) @ Eviolite
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Aqua Jet
- Dragon Dance
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Fake Out
Roger (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Grrrastly (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sucker Punch
Lucchou (Chinchou) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 68 SpD / 140 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
Ikki (Vullaby) @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
Nettuno (Corphish) @ Eviolite
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Aqua Jet
- Dragon Dance
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