Had some free time, so decided to try Monotype yesterday. The team itself has since peaked at #5 with 1816 ELO, and I think it definitely has potential to go higher, but I figured that I'll just stop here since the weekends are almost over. I think Monotype is an interesting tier, and does take some practice to get used to.
Anyways, I decided to go with a stall team once more. Stall in Monotype is a bit tricky, but I think Flying is probably the best type for it, due to Skarmory, Zapdos and Gliscor. This team went through a few iterations, and I was constantly changing it every few games, until I was satisfied with the EVs, Movesets and Members. Still, it still has its fair share of problems, although they can usually be outplayed.
Proof of Peak:
*Character name is pizzabois.
Team at a Glance
Team-Building Process
Funnily enough, I started this Mono journey with Articuno once again. Articuno bolsters excellent special defense, allowing it to wall many of the special attackers in the tier. However, the key component of its success is Pressure. With Pressure + Defog, Articuno can outlast many of the common hazard users such as Nidoking. Articuno also has access to Heal Bell, which provided great cleric support for the team. The downside of Articuno is that it's 4x weak to SR, but since I was planning to go all-in on hazard warfare, this became irrelevant.
Next, I needed another specially defensive wall for the powerful Fire Types in the tier such as Volcarona and Charizard-Y. This was originally Moltres, but Mantine also allowed me to defeat Manaphy, so I decided to go for that instead. After some experimentation, I went with max SpD Mantine, to handle punishment from set-up sweepers, although I am considering switching it to Physically Defensive.
Sadly, two specially defensive walls aren't enough. I needed a third for all the electric attackers in the game. Thus I landed with Zapdos, as it really was the only viable option, since most electric attackers also run Ice coverage. Generally speaking, I run max SpD Zapdos with Light Screen as well, so that I don't get completely destroyed by Electric teams. Also, Zapdos has Pressure, and can actually avoid getting 2HKO'd by Kyurem-B Ice Beam most of the time. I run Heat Wave for Scizor and other Steel types.
Now, the only problem left was how to Defog against M-Diancie. Heatran was also annoying, as Mantine could lose with Toxic + Taunt, so Gliscor seemed the obvious choice. Unfortunately, I had to run max SpD, otherwise M-Diancie and Heatran can 2HKO. Gliscor also helps to defog against some of the Toxic Spamming threats in the tier, so Articuno doesn't have to constantly expend its Heal Bells.
Can't have a bird stall without Skarmory. Now that I had the specially defensive core, I needed something for the physical attackers in the tier. Skarmory basically counters most physical attackers in the tier without issues. Most of the other Pokemon in the team could also act as Mixed Walls due to their heavy bulk. Skarmory also acts as the primary SR user of the team.
I was pretty much done at this point, with all the defensive elements of the team, but I also needed a fast Pursuit user, to rid myself of trouble-some wall-breakers that could break through the team. It's probably the most expendable member on the team, but is still rather useful occasionally, in emergencies.
I thought I was done, but the Kyurem-B weakness was still quite annoying, and I realized I also began to have a weakness for Stored Power Latias. Anyways, Celesteela solves this problem quite nicely, as well as providing the team with another physically defensive check for threats that Skarmory cannot handle alone. Celesteela also helps out against my Nihilego match-up. Therefore, I resolved to replace M-Aero with Celesteela.
The Team
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- Defog
Articuno acts as a specially defensive check to a large portion of the Mono Meta-Game. Heal Bell provides additional sustainability and support to team members, while also ensuring that Articuno is always in a healthy condition. Maximum Special Defense in combination with its stellar 90/100/125 defenses allows it to soak a very heavy amount of punishment. Freeze Dry provides Articuno with some great coverage by itself, as well as a nifty freeze chance. Pressure Stalling has been the key to victory in many games.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Defog
I needed something to defog against M-Diancie, which was quite problematic, and also Heatran. Max SpD Gliscor was essential to stopping both these threats. It also helps check some problematic threats such as Z-Kommo-O and Toxic Spamming Hazard Setters. I run Knock Off for Utility, and prefer it over Facade. Gliscor also dissuades Specs Koko from just spamming Thunderbolt to win, as long as I watch out for HP Ice. It also acts as a great check for Zeraora.
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
Mantine acts as the specially defensive check for powerful Fire type attackers such as Charizard-Y and Volcarona. I started running Toxic on Mantine, so that it can deal with these threats adequately. Mantine also acts as an excellent check to many Water Attackers, such as Golisopod, Araquanid, Keldeo and Manaphy. Mantine can also act as a check for Z-Kommonium Kommo-O. I have moved over some SpD EVs to Defense, so that Mantine can tank physical attacks a bit better.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Counter
- Roost
- Whirlwind
No bird team is complete without Skarmory. This mon is one of the sole reasons I chose Flying, as it provided a very reliable physically defensive check to nearly all physical threats in the meta-game. Rocky Helmet is used to punish U-Turners and physical attackers. Counter + Sturdy provides a last minute emergency KO against dangerous threats such as Victini. I chose Stealth Rock over Spikes, due to the prevalence of Mono-Flying Teams. Whirlwind provides phasing for threats that get to out of control.
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Light Screen
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Discharge
Zapdos is another specially defensive check, so that this team doesn't lose straight-out vs Mono Electric and Tapu Koko. It's also very useful against Steel Types such as Celesteela, as well as Flying Attackers such as Thundurus, Hawlucha, Pinsir-Mega etc. I run Pressure to stall out more PP, and gain the victory against opposing Bulky Teams. I realised that I also needed Light Screen, so that Zapdos was able to sufficiently deal with Special Attackers. Heat Wave and Discharge provide excellent coverage against most mons. 16 Speed EVs to outrun Adamant Base 70s like Breloom and Bisharp.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Celesteela allows the team to deal better with some threats such as Stored Power Latias, Kyurem-B and Nihilego. All of these threats were limiting the team prior to this. I run a physically defensive set so that it could supplement Skarmory as a physical wall. Leech Seed provides pseudo-recovery and Flamethrower is there to threaten opposing Steel Types. Some SpD EVs are allocated so that Celesteela can handle attacks from both sides of the spectrum.
Conclusions
I've had a lot of fun with this team and Monotype has been an interesting experience too. There are some threats with this team though, primarily Kyurem-B, as BoltBeam coverage is quite strong, which means that it has to be ouplayed by Pressure-Stalling Fusion Bolts.
This will probably be my last RMT, since I've run out of tiers to play. I have provided some replays and the importable below. Apologies for the lack of replays.
Anyways, I decided to go with a stall team once more. Stall in Monotype is a bit tricky, but I think Flying is probably the best type for it, due to Skarmory, Zapdos and Gliscor. This team went through a few iterations, and I was constantly changing it every few games, until I was satisfied with the EVs, Movesets and Members. Still, it still has its fair share of problems, although they can usually be outplayed.
Proof of Peak:
*Character name is pizzabois.
Team at a Glance
Team-Building Process
Funnily enough, I started this Mono journey with Articuno once again. Articuno bolsters excellent special defense, allowing it to wall many of the special attackers in the tier. However, the key component of its success is Pressure. With Pressure + Defog, Articuno can outlast many of the common hazard users such as Nidoking. Articuno also has access to Heal Bell, which provided great cleric support for the team. The downside of Articuno is that it's 4x weak to SR, but since I was planning to go all-in on hazard warfare, this became irrelevant.
Next, I needed another specially defensive wall for the powerful Fire Types in the tier such as Volcarona and Charizard-Y. This was originally Moltres, but Mantine also allowed me to defeat Manaphy, so I decided to go for that instead. After some experimentation, I went with max SpD Mantine, to handle punishment from set-up sweepers, although I am considering switching it to Physically Defensive.
Sadly, two specially defensive walls aren't enough. I needed a third for all the electric attackers in the game. Thus I landed with Zapdos, as it really was the only viable option, since most electric attackers also run Ice coverage. Generally speaking, I run max SpD Zapdos with Light Screen as well, so that I don't get completely destroyed by Electric teams. Also, Zapdos has Pressure, and can actually avoid getting 2HKO'd by Kyurem-B Ice Beam most of the time. I run Heat Wave for Scizor and other Steel types.
Now, the only problem left was how to Defog against M-Diancie. Heatran was also annoying, as Mantine could lose with Toxic + Taunt, so Gliscor seemed the obvious choice. Unfortunately, I had to run max SpD, otherwise M-Diancie and Heatran can 2HKO. Gliscor also helps to defog against some of the Toxic Spamming threats in the tier, so Articuno doesn't have to constantly expend its Heal Bells.
Can't have a bird stall without Skarmory. Now that I had the specially defensive core, I needed something for the physical attackers in the tier. Skarmory basically counters most physical attackers in the tier without issues. Most of the other Pokemon in the team could also act as Mixed Walls due to their heavy bulk. Skarmory also acts as the primary SR user of the team.
I was pretty much done at this point, with all the defensive elements of the team, but I also needed a fast Pursuit user, to rid myself of trouble-some wall-breakers that could break through the team. It's probably the most expendable member on the team, but is still rather useful occasionally, in emergencies.
I thought I was done, but the Kyurem-B weakness was still quite annoying, and I realized I also began to have a weakness for Stored Power Latias. Anyways, Celesteela solves this problem quite nicely, as well as providing the team with another physically defensive check for threats that Skarmory cannot handle alone. Celesteela also helps out against my Nihilego match-up. Therefore, I resolved to replace M-Aero with Celesteela.
The Team
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- Defog
Articuno acts as a specially defensive check to a large portion of the Mono Meta-Game. Heal Bell provides additional sustainability and support to team members, while also ensuring that Articuno is always in a healthy condition. Maximum Special Defense in combination with its stellar 90/100/125 defenses allows it to soak a very heavy amount of punishment. Freeze Dry provides Articuno with some great coverage by itself, as well as a nifty freeze chance. Pressure Stalling has been the key to victory in many games.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Defog
I needed something to defog against M-Diancie, which was quite problematic, and also Heatran. Max SpD Gliscor was essential to stopping both these threats. It also helps check some problematic threats such as Z-Kommo-O and Toxic Spamming Hazard Setters. I run Knock Off for Utility, and prefer it over Facade. Gliscor also dissuades Specs Koko from just spamming Thunderbolt to win, as long as I watch out for HP Ice. It also acts as a great check for Zeraora.
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
Mantine acts as the specially defensive check for powerful Fire type attackers such as Charizard-Y and Volcarona. I started running Toxic on Mantine, so that it can deal with these threats adequately. Mantine also acts as an excellent check to many Water Attackers, such as Golisopod, Araquanid, Keldeo and Manaphy. Mantine can also act as a check for Z-Kommonium Kommo-O. I have moved over some SpD EVs to Defense, so that Mantine can tank physical attacks a bit better.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Counter
- Roost
- Whirlwind
No bird team is complete without Skarmory. This mon is one of the sole reasons I chose Flying, as it provided a very reliable physically defensive check to nearly all physical threats in the meta-game. Rocky Helmet is used to punish U-Turners and physical attackers. Counter + Sturdy provides a last minute emergency KO against dangerous threats such as Victini. I chose Stealth Rock over Spikes, due to the prevalence of Mono-Flying Teams. Whirlwind provides phasing for threats that get to out of control.
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Light Screen
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Discharge
Zapdos is another specially defensive check, so that this team doesn't lose straight-out vs Mono Electric and Tapu Koko. It's also very useful against Steel Types such as Celesteela, as well as Flying Attackers such as Thundurus, Hawlucha, Pinsir-Mega etc. I run Pressure to stall out more PP, and gain the victory against opposing Bulky Teams. I realised that I also needed Light Screen, so that Zapdos was able to sufficiently deal with Special Attackers. Heat Wave and Discharge provide excellent coverage against most mons. 16 Speed EVs to outrun Adamant Base 70s like Breloom and Bisharp.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Celesteela allows the team to deal better with some threats such as Stored Power Latias, Kyurem-B and Nihilego. All of these threats were limiting the team prior to this. I run a physically defensive set so that it could supplement Skarmory as a physical wall. Leech Seed provides pseudo-recovery and Flamethrower is there to threaten opposing Steel Types. Some SpD EVs are allocated so that Celesteela can handle attacks from both sides of the spectrum.
Conclusions
I've had a lot of fun with this team and Monotype has been an interesting experience too. There are some threats with this team though, primarily Kyurem-B, as BoltBeam coverage is quite strong, which means that it has to be ouplayed by Pressure-Stalling Fusion Bolts.
This will probably be my last RMT, since I've run out of tiers to play. I have provided some replays and the importable below. Apologies for the lack of replays.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833003357 (Long Match)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833011343
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833486217
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833454635
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-832915411
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833438253
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833011343
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833486217
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833454635
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-832915411
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-833438253
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Defog
- Freeze-Dry
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Counter
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Defog
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Protect
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Light Screen
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Discharge
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Defog
- Freeze-Dry
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Counter
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Defog
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Protect
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Light Screen
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Discharge
Last edited:
