WHY TRY HARDER
Hi, my name is Qplaz, and this is my second BH team. I've been using my past one for over seven months now, and it was starting to wear a little thin, so I built around one of my favourite mons in BH.
This is a relatively standard BH team, based off an old post in the OM Good Cores thread (basically I thought of the core and had a quick look and of course someone had come up with it before me- this is where the name Why Try Harder stems from, as half my team is a recycled core). The idea is that DD Dialga smashes through walls, while the other members make up for what Dialga lacks.
Teambuilding Process
Naturally, I started with Dialga, as this is who the team is built around.
Now, the one thing that rains on Dialga's parade is Sturdinja. Thus, I added possibly the greatest check to him in the meta: Mold Breaker Gengar.
Dialga is also very weak to imposter users. To check this, I added Magnet Pull Xerneas, which can get to +6 with Quiver Dance while the poor imposter user runs out of PP.
After this, I added a Magic Bounce Registeel as somewhat of an -ate check and the glue of the team.
The next step was to add my own -ate to check faster teams, suicide leads and hurt things in general. I picked Mray for this as he hits the hardest.
Finally, I added Imposter Chansey, as it is too good of a Pokemon not to put on most teams.
The Team
Dialga @ Adamant Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Doom Desire
- Draco Meteor
- Tail Glow
- King's Shield
Dialga is the one which I built the team around. It is a fearsome wallbreaker, and the combination of Doom Desire + Tinted Lense forces the opponent to sac something half the time. Draco Meteor provides great damage and gives an attack to put bulkier mons potentially in the range of getting killed by Doom Desire. King's Shield allows me to scout for attacks, and the stat drop that comes with it is crucial to the team's success.
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Moonblast
- Quiver Dance
- Earth Power
Xerneas is my imposter proofing for Dialga. The moment an imposter comes in, I switch to Xern. Sub allows it to avoid DD and also gives a safe way to set up Quiver Dance. Moonblast is obligatory STAB, and Earth Power covers the steel, poison and fire issues that come with Xerneas' STAB. As Dialga can't touch it with any method apart from DD, it means that I can permanently remove an imposter from the match.
Gengar-Mega @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Secret Sword
- Shell Smash
- Pursuit
Mega Gengar is my main Shedinja counter, which would otherwise be threatening to the team, and it comes with the bonus of being able to imposter proof itself. Pursuit can trap shedinja, removing it from the battle permanently, while Spooky Plate Judgement can put out serious amounts of damage. Secret Sword provides decent coverage and Shell Smash allows for the late game sweep (once priority users have been removed).
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Fake Out
- Metal Burst
- Heal Order
- Whirlwind
Imposter Chansey can do so many things at once. It can wallbreak, sweep, scout for moves, be a switch in for nearly everything, all the while being near unkillable without dedicated strategies. The moves don't matter all too much, but Fake Out can break illusions and Metal Burst deals high damage if Chansey gets hit. Heal Order allows it to shrug off most damage and pairs well with metal burst. Whirlwind phases stuff hiding behind subs and stuff with stat boosts, as well as other imposters.
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Knock Off
- Defog
- Aromatherapy
- Soft-Boiled
Registeel functions as the glue for my team, as well as a semi-reliable -ate check thanks to its steel typing. Knock Off removes items and is painful for offensive, balanced and defensive teams alike. Defog removes hazards and allows me to switch freely, and aromatherapy removes the team's status conditions. Soft Boiled extends the longevity of Registeel. Magic Bounce is the chosen set as it can reflect hazards and status, potentially saving time and effort.
Rayquaza-Mega @ Sky Plate
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Fake Out
- Extreme Speed
- Boomburst
- Magma Storm
I picked Mega Rayquaza as my -ate user as it hits just that little bit harder than the other users, and sits at a reasonable speed tier. Fake Out and Extreme Speed coupled with Aerilate KO a large portion of the meta. Boomburst deals insane damage, often OHKOing relatively bulky things. Magma Storm can stop the Shedinja switch in and trap things, as well as deal super effective damage to steels.
Stuff to Think About
- I have minimal imposter proofing for Mega Rayquaza.
- Poison Heal users, especially Mega Tyranitar, are a pain to switch in to.
- Magma Storm on Rayquaza could be replaced by a better coverage move given that I already have a decent Shedinja check in Mega Gengar.
- No entry hazards (entry hazards would be helpful with Dialga's ability to force switches)
- King's Shield may not be the best fourth move for Dialga
- Not sure about the usage of team slots, especially the bottom half of the team (Chansey, Registeel, Mega Rayquaza). I have thought about adding a defensive pivot (e.g. Regenvest) or a Poison Heal user (defensive or offensive) in this slot instead.
- Xerneas is a pretty niche pick, as it only walls Dialga and some defensive Registeel variants. However, the imposter proofing is necessary
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