This team is a prototype to a VGC 2018 team I will bring to actual Regionals Tournaments. The team as it currently stands has already gotten me to over 1650 on the Battle Spot in around 40 matches, but I feel like it is lacking something. I'm making it my goal to get invited to Worlds in VGC 2018, and I'm gonna need a team that'll be able to defeat almost anything. This is what I came up with.
Suicune @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 244 HP / 92 Def / 116 SpA / 28 SpD / 28 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Tailwind
- Roar
I needed some speed control on my team, and I needed a Pokemon who could set up Tailwind against all the common weather setters and their usual partners. I just went for the standard Suicune set on its Doubles analysis page. It does work for its intended purpose. I chose to have Roar instead of Snarl here because Scrafty has Snarl and it gives my the ability to disrupt Trick Room setups and EvoBoost setups.
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 236 SpA / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power Ice
- Protect
Manectric may seem like an odd choice, but the combination of being able to switch between Lightning Rod and Intimidate support while also having fantastic coverage options make it a threat that can really keep the opponent on their toes. I opted for the Thunderbolt instead of the Volt Switch because I wanted to be able to 2HKO Tapu Koko and Wolfe Glick's Politoed. I would have gone for the Volt Switch if I was running Overheat as my Fire-Type coverage so I can get away from Shadow Tag Pokemon. The SpD EVs allow it to have a 94% chance to be 3HKOd by Life Orb Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam and the Def EVs allow it to always survive an Earthquake from Lando-T after Intimidate. I dumped the rest into its Spe and SpA to maximize its damage output and its speed.
252 SpA Life Orb Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 4 HP / 12 SpD Mega Manectric: 64-75 (43.8 - 51.3%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 4 Def Mega Manectric: 120-144 (82.1 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Atk / 84 Def / 116 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Rock Slide
- Substitute
- Protect
Tapu Bulu has a unique ability: to win 1v1 against Koko, Fini and Lele while also disrupting their terrain. It also hard-counters Landorus-T lacking Sludge Bomb and with Grassy Terrain, none of my Pokemon need to worry about Earthquake from the likes of Landorus-T or Garchomp. Even after Intimidate, Tapu Bulu's Bloom Doom will usually put things into KO range. Substitute is there to discourage the use of Protect while also protecting him from status and Intimidate. I have Rock Slide to hit Charizard and Volcarona and I also have it there for flinches. The EVs in SpD give it a very high chance to survive Pelipper's Hurricane and the EVs in Def give it a high chance to survive Garchomp's Poison Jab and a very good chance to survive Mega Metagross's Iron Head.
252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Tapu Bulu: 152-182 (85.8 - 102.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Tapu Bulu: 158-188 (89.2 - 106.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Heatran @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 28 Def / 188 SpA / 20 SpD / 28 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Protect
Heatran is on the team to help compliment Bulu both offensively and defensively. Heatran walls Charizard and Metagross lacking Earthquake, both of which would be very threatening for my Tapu. I went with Heat Wave for STAB damage and Earth Power for coverage because I needed a Fire-Type attack and I needed a Ground-Type attack for coverage. Since Heatran has a moveslot open, I went with Taunt. It's a very unexpected surprise that can really mess up my opponents. It stops setup sweepers like Snorlax, stops Trick Room users like Gothitelle, Oranguru and Cresselia and it also stops Amoongus from using Rage Powder and Spore. The spread lets Heatran survive Pelipper's Scald in the rain and outspeed Tapu Koko with Tailwind. After an Intimidate, Heatran has a decent chance to survive an Earthquake from Landorus-T. This enables me to possibly tank 1 Earthquake, then switch into Bulu to take another one if I needed to do that. The SpA EVs give Heatran a decent chance to 2HKO Landorus-T and Ferrothorn in the rain.
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 244 HP / 28 Def Heatran: 184-220 (93.4 - 111.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Pelipper Scald vs. 244 HP / 20 SpD Heatran in Rain: 168-200 (85.2 - 101.5%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
188+ SpA Heatran Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 100-124 (55.2 - 68.5%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery and Grassy Terrain recovery
Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 188SpA / 52SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield
This team needed a Ghost-Type to switch into Kangaskhan and I also needed a Fairy slayer and I also wanted Wide Guard. Enter Aegislash, a Pokemon that can do all three. The HP EVs maximize its bulk and the 12 Def EVs allow it to always be 3HKOd by Lando-T's Earhquake after Intimidate and the 52 SpD EVs let almost always survive a Heat Wave from Timid MegaZard Y in the sun. The 188 SpA EVs give Aegislash a 75% OHKO standard Mega Metagross with Shadow Ball. The Weakness Policy helps Aegislash land some surprise KOs and tear through things it normally wouldn't be able to, like Charizard and Politoed. I went for a Modest Nature to outspeed base 100 neutral nature Pokemon so I can land a second attack immediately after in case they survived the first one.
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Aegislash-Shield in Sun: 144-170 (86.2 - 101.7%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Aegislash-Shield: 68-84 (40.7 - 50.2%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
188+ SpA Aegislash-Shield Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 150-176 (96.7 - 113.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+2 188+ SpA Aegislash-Shield Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 142-168 (92.8 - 109.8%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
Scrafty @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 20 Def / 188 SpD / 44 Spe
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Snarl
Scrafty may seem like a bad choice in a Metagame with Fairy-Types everywhere, but it has proven itself to be one of the most useful Pokemon on the team. With Fake Out, Knock Off and Snarl, I can disrupt the opponent, scout, remove items and weaken the opposing Pokemon. This Scrafty is unbelievably tanky. The 252 HP / 20 Def spread with Intimidate lets Scrafty almost always survive 2 Double-Edges from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan and if Grassy Terrain is up, it can tank Adamant Mega Kangaskhan after Intimidate. The SpD EVs with a Careful nature allow it to be 3HKOd by Pelipper's Hurricane most of the time. The 44 Spe EVs allow it to outrun Charizard after Tailwind and the 4 Atk EVs give it a chance to OHKO Tyranitar with Drain Punch.
-1 252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 20 Def Scrafty: 74-89 (43 - 51.7%) -- 4.6% chance to 2HKO
-1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 20 Def Scrafty: 80-97 (46.5 - 56.3%) -- 16.9% chance to 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 188+ SpD Assault Vest Scrafty: 78-92 (45.3 - 53.4%) -- 30.9% chance to 2HKO
I am considering replacing a member of my team, and before you ask, I will not use Landorus-T. That thing is too overused and it's more of a liability because people will have so many counters to it. I was considering adding another Tailwind user and/or a weather setter so my team can maybe disrupt the opponent's weather synergy, but I can't seem to find a combination that would work with the rest of my team. Are there any flaws you could see with my team?
Suicune @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 244 HP / 92 Def / 116 SpA / 28 SpD / 28 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Tailwind
- Roar
I needed some speed control on my team, and I needed a Pokemon who could set up Tailwind against all the common weather setters and their usual partners. I just went for the standard Suicune set on its Doubles analysis page. It does work for its intended purpose. I chose to have Roar instead of Snarl here because Scrafty has Snarl and it gives my the ability to disrupt Trick Room setups and EvoBoost setups.
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 236 SpA / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power Ice
- Protect
Manectric may seem like an odd choice, but the combination of being able to switch between Lightning Rod and Intimidate support while also having fantastic coverage options make it a threat that can really keep the opponent on their toes. I opted for the Thunderbolt instead of the Volt Switch because I wanted to be able to 2HKO Tapu Koko and Wolfe Glick's Politoed. I would have gone for the Volt Switch if I was running Overheat as my Fire-Type coverage so I can get away from Shadow Tag Pokemon. The SpD EVs allow it to have a 94% chance to be 3HKOd by Life Orb Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam and the Def EVs allow it to always survive an Earthquake from Lando-T after Intimidate. I dumped the rest into its Spe and SpA to maximize its damage output and its speed.
252 SpA Life Orb Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 4 HP / 12 SpD Mega Manectric: 64-75 (43.8 - 51.3%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 4 Def Mega Manectric: 120-144 (82.1 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Atk / 84 Def / 116 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Rock Slide
- Substitute
- Protect
Tapu Bulu has a unique ability: to win 1v1 against Koko, Fini and Lele while also disrupting their terrain. It also hard-counters Landorus-T lacking Sludge Bomb and with Grassy Terrain, none of my Pokemon need to worry about Earthquake from the likes of Landorus-T or Garchomp. Even after Intimidate, Tapu Bulu's Bloom Doom will usually put things into KO range. Substitute is there to discourage the use of Protect while also protecting him from status and Intimidate. I have Rock Slide to hit Charizard and Volcarona and I also have it there for flinches. The EVs in SpD give it a very high chance to survive Pelipper's Hurricane and the EVs in Def give it a high chance to survive Garchomp's Poison Jab and a very good chance to survive Mega Metagross's Iron Head.
252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Tapu Bulu: 152-182 (85.8 - 102.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Tapu Bulu: 158-188 (89.2 - 106.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Heatran @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 28 Def / 188 SpA / 20 SpD / 28 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Protect
Heatran is on the team to help compliment Bulu both offensively and defensively. Heatran walls Charizard and Metagross lacking Earthquake, both of which would be very threatening for my Tapu. I went with Heat Wave for STAB damage and Earth Power for coverage because I needed a Fire-Type attack and I needed a Ground-Type attack for coverage. Since Heatran has a moveslot open, I went with Taunt. It's a very unexpected surprise that can really mess up my opponents. It stops setup sweepers like Snorlax, stops Trick Room users like Gothitelle, Oranguru and Cresselia and it also stops Amoongus from using Rage Powder and Spore. The spread lets Heatran survive Pelipper's Scald in the rain and outspeed Tapu Koko with Tailwind. After an Intimidate, Heatran has a decent chance to survive an Earthquake from Landorus-T. This enables me to possibly tank 1 Earthquake, then switch into Bulu to take another one if I needed to do that. The SpA EVs give Heatran a decent chance to 2HKO Landorus-T and Ferrothorn in the rain.
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 244 HP / 28 Def Heatran: 184-220 (93.4 - 111.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Pelipper Scald vs. 244 HP / 20 SpD Heatran in Rain: 168-200 (85.2 - 101.5%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
188+ SpA Heatran Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 100-124 (55.2 - 68.5%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery and Grassy Terrain recovery
Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 188SpA / 52SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield
This team needed a Ghost-Type to switch into Kangaskhan and I also needed a Fairy slayer and I also wanted Wide Guard. Enter Aegislash, a Pokemon that can do all three. The HP EVs maximize its bulk and the 12 Def EVs allow it to always be 3HKOd by Lando-T's Earhquake after Intimidate and the 52 SpD EVs let almost always survive a Heat Wave from Timid MegaZard Y in the sun. The 188 SpA EVs give Aegislash a 75% OHKO standard Mega Metagross with Shadow Ball. The Weakness Policy helps Aegislash land some surprise KOs and tear through things it normally wouldn't be able to, like Charizard and Politoed. I went for a Modest Nature to outspeed base 100 neutral nature Pokemon so I can land a second attack immediately after in case they survived the first one.
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Aegislash-Shield in Sun: 144-170 (86.2 - 101.7%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Aegislash-Shield: 68-84 (40.7 - 50.2%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
188+ SpA Aegislash-Shield Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 150-176 (96.7 - 113.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+2 188+ SpA Aegislash-Shield Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 142-168 (92.8 - 109.8%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
Scrafty @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 20 Def / 188 SpD / 44 Spe
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Snarl
Scrafty may seem like a bad choice in a Metagame with Fairy-Types everywhere, but it has proven itself to be one of the most useful Pokemon on the team. With Fake Out, Knock Off and Snarl, I can disrupt the opponent, scout, remove items and weaken the opposing Pokemon. This Scrafty is unbelievably tanky. The 252 HP / 20 Def spread with Intimidate lets Scrafty almost always survive 2 Double-Edges from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan and if Grassy Terrain is up, it can tank Adamant Mega Kangaskhan after Intimidate. The SpD EVs with a Careful nature allow it to be 3HKOd by Pelipper's Hurricane most of the time. The 44 Spe EVs allow it to outrun Charizard after Tailwind and the 4 Atk EVs give it a chance to OHKO Tyranitar with Drain Punch.
-1 252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 20 Def Scrafty: 74-89 (43 - 51.7%) -- 4.6% chance to 2HKO
-1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 20 Def Scrafty: 80-97 (46.5 - 56.3%) -- 16.9% chance to 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 188+ SpD Assault Vest Scrafty: 78-92 (45.3 - 53.4%) -- 30.9% chance to 2HKO
I am considering replacing a member of my team, and before you ask, I will not use Landorus-T. That thing is too overused and it's more of a liability because people will have so many counters to it. I was considering adding another Tailwind user and/or a weather setter so my team can maybe disrupt the opponent's weather synergy, but I can't seem to find a combination that would work with the rest of my team. Are there any flaws you could see with my team?