(This is what my team looks like in team preview, this just plays a slight mind game, because of the arrangement.)
Hey I got to #1 on both Pokemon Online's Smogon University and Pokemon Online servers' Standard/Wifi Little Cup leader board and when I wrote this post which you now are seeing from the future, in case you didn't grasp that concept (I COULD BE AN OLD MAN RIGHT NOW O_O), I am still currently topping both leader boards. This team was a huge help obviously, but now I'm probably retiring it. It's also my case as to why Murkrow and Meditite are broken in LC at the moment. Although I still could use some help / suggestions for this team, it's definitely not perfect at the moment.
I utilized one of my favorite defensive core combos in LC, FerroPoke, if only it had a better sounding name. Ferroseed and Slowpoke have crazy good synergy, I've had times where I just kept switching back and forth from them using Hail and Iron Barbs damage to dwindle down a Dragon Danced Scraggy's / Life Orber's HP and saved my ass. Regeneration is so kick ass you wouldn't even believe.
Now to get more indepth:Team Building said:
CAWWWWW (Murkrow) (F) @ Evolution Stone
Trait: Mischievous Heart
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SDef / 192 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost
Despite Meditite being in the front, this is the Pokemon I usually lead with. Meditite plays a mind game so Pokemon like Dwebble (the bug/rock sturdy spiker thing) think twice about attempting to lead, because they might assume I have Fake Out on it. Alright now on to Murkrow.
Brave Bird kicks so much ass it actually is pretty funny. Although I lack Life Orb, it still hits like a giant ass brick, usually just picking off slightly damaged pokes or Pokemon with weak defenses. OHKOs almost all Fighting- and Grass-types or whatever. This is important, because when combined with Substitute and its typing, I use it to kill very troublesome Chlorophyll Pokemon in the Sun, while predicting Status using Substitute. Murkrow is my "denter" or something against the other team, along with being a lure for Gligar so I can 2HKO it with HP Ice, maybe OHKO some kind of weak version. Roost works wonders thanks to its "just good enough" bulk. A lot of Pokemon are scared shitless of Murkrow, is it CM FD Roost?! or is it MixKrow?! so I use that to my advantage. Naive / Hasty is stupid since I wouldn't even get a guaranteed OHKO on Evo Stone Gligar either way, and I would lower my defenses, that's why I chose Jolly. Also, Mischevious Heart kicks some serious ass.
Helps with Sun Teams (Fire-types + Chlorophyll), opposing Brave Bird + Mixed LOKrow, Evolution Stone Meditite, Gligar, and Misdreavus.
Things I've been thinking about changing:
Hidden Power Dark or Toxic even, over HP Ice, but that's probably it. I don't really need / want to change much on Murkrow, it's pretty good as it is at the moment.
PANTIESPARTY (Snover) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 36 HP / 36 Def / 184 SAtk / 36 SDef / 200 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Ice Shard
Sometimes I lead with Snover when I see a Vulpix / Hippopotas, just to check if Vulpix is a scarfer or not, or to kill Hippopotas.
Snover really is an excellent scarfer, killing Grass-, Ground-, and Water-Types, good bulk / typing, summoning hail, etc. Stops any silly Gligar trying to set up, though it's hard to switch into, because of Aerial Ace. It's just basically your standard Choice Scarf Snover, Blizzard does an assload, spam it sometimes, yada yada. Giga Drain for Frillish (ghost/water thing), but not for Slowpoke, because I don't want to get Fire Blasted. Messes up Chinchy too, thankfully not many Chin users wised up into using Hidden Power Fire, although I have to watch out for it if I'm low on HP, because CS Chinchou is faster than Snover. Hidden Power Fire is for Ferroseed and Magnemite though I hardly ever use it and when I do it usually blows up in my face. I am thinking about changing it to Hidden Power Ground, to at least threaten Fire-types a bit, while still killing Magnemite. Screw Ferroseed Blizzard 3HKOs or something anyway and so many people decided to use some kind of super special defense Ferroseed so I don't even OHKO with HP Fire anymore + Gyro Ball OHKOs Snover back. Ice Shard is priority *shrug*, no Hasty / Naive because I want my bulk, which comes in handy a lot more times than you would think. Fun Fact: Snover always survives an Adamant Max Attack LO Carvanha's Crunch at full health, and OHKOs it back with Giga Drain. Snover has a scarf because every team needs a scarfer, right? Otherwise it is shit slow and sucks, and I can smash Elekid in the face with Blizzard. It annoyingly outspeeds the rest of my team and has things to Super Effective them in the face (aside from Meditite, but I don't like wasting his HP like that), not sure if Blizzard OHKOs, but it at least comes close. If that fails, I would have to switch between Slowpoke and Ferroseed, using hail, Iron Barbs, and possibly LO damage to kill it.
Helps with Sun Teams (Fire-types + Chlorophyll), Brave Bird + Mixed LOKrow (Sucker Punch hurts although), Gligar, Misdreavus.
Things I've been thinking about changing:
Hidden Power Ground over Hidden Power Fire for above reasons (they're in the fat paragraph), and Toxic over Ice Shard to nail Frillish / Slowpoke without having to predict as much or something. Nothing likes getting Toxic'd either, aside from Guts / Quick Feet pokes in LC though I guess, but Slowpoke handles those.
Patty2Shoes (Meditite) (F) @ Evolution Stone
Trait: Pure Power
EVs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drain Punch
- ThunderPunch
- Ice Punch
- Bullet Punch
Star of the show? Crazy good, should be banned, that's why I'm using it, mm hmm.
I use this girl late game where it's super kick ass, early game it usually dies because of all the tricks these Pokemon have, SUCH LONG SLEEVES THEY HAVE. Anyway, destroys Lickitung and stops Dragon Dance Scraggy from sweeping my team. Usually takes something like around 65%~ish from a +1 DD Crunch, then OHKOs it back with Drain Punch. Yes, even the super crazy max/max +def versions are OHKOd. Angers pretty much all other Fighting-types too. Usually survives any non Super Effective hit (survives Gligar's Aerial Ace) and OHKOs, or 2HKOs with Bullet Punch, almost any Pokemon back. Drain Punch is ever useful for getting back my HP when I just ate a Blizzard to the face by a Snover or a Crunch to the face by Scraggy, and to OHKO them back. Also it is stab and stuff and yada yada. ThunderPunch is for Slowpoke and Frillish (ghost/water thing), it 2HKOs Slowpoke, but no one is usually stupid enough to let it be killed by it (damn you Regeneration), and sometimes OHKOs Frillish or something I'm not sure, usually around 85%~ish for Frill. Usually I predict for my ThunderPunches, so I use them on the switch. Ice Punch is for Gligar that fat bitch. It's neat to see so many confident players think, O HE HAS ICE PUNCH THAT MEANS HE DOESN'T HAVE THUNDERPUNCH, but think again bitch I'm running a punching party. Notice all the Moves end in punch? Neat huh, but stop thinking, hey Iron Fist would be, NO, because then Meditite would have shit attack, so don't even man. Anyway, Bullet Punch is for "hit like a brick" priority. It's a shame Ice Punch + Bullet Punch does not 2HKO Misdreavus, that thing is a pain. Seriously though, Meditite has pulled through for me so many times at end game where I should have died, but didn't because of Meditite's crazy power and bulk, along with priority.
Helps with DD Scraggy, Curse Lickitung + Stockpile Munchlax, opposing Evolution Stone Meditite, and Gligar.
Things I've been thinking about changing to:
Ice Punch to Zen Headbutt so I can nail Misdreavus on the switch then 2HKO it when I use Bullet Punch, though I would only do this if I change Slowpoke's Psychic to Boiling Water / Surf so I can still own Gligar, although Toxic Gligar still angers the shit out of Slowpoke.
Clawmumisst (Gligar) (F) @ Evolution Stone
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 76 HP / 76 Def / 76 SDef / 236 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Aerial Ace
- Roost
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
Made it defensive~ish in order to better take stuff like a Houndour Fire Blast and stuff, since I lack something to take hard hits from certain Pokemon, like strong Special attackers that can walk through Ferroseed and crew. You'd be surprised at how much bulk it has. I went with Aerial Ace to punish Grass- and Fighting-types, while still being able to hit Misdreavus, Will-O-Wisp sucks though. Helps with smashing a Chlorophyll Pokemon on the switch as well. Roost for recovering damage and shit, I dunno, conserve the bulk. Earthquake for a good, powerful STAB, and to kill things like Pawniard (steel/dark thing). Swords Dance so I can kill stuff or something, usually doesn't work out too well, but still helps. Especially if I want to attempt to OHKO a Frillish, usually does 80%~ish, though. My backup vs CM FD Roost Krow incase I can't or don't want my Slowpoke to Toxic it, Hyper Cutter + Swords Dance works wonders.
Helps with Sun Teams (Fire-types + Chlorophyll), Evolution Stone Meditite, and Misdreavus.
Things I've been thinking about changing to:
Not sure, maybe Toxic over Swords Dance or Aerial Ace just to own opposing Gligar, or Frillish and Slowpoke.
Sassy Bitch (Ferroseed) (F) @ Evolution Stone
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 148 SDef / 36 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Iron Head
Part 1 of FerroPoke. I opted for balanced defenses so I could take on things like Carvanha and Misdreavus at the same time. Usually I use this girl to take on Misdreavus who is an annoying bulky bitch, and it is still even towards Ferroseed. Iron Head does an average of 45%, which is a 2HKO with Hail damage (3HKO with Oran Berry), or around a 3HKO if it has Evolution Stone. Misdreavus gets especially annoying when it uses Will-O-Wisp / Taunt / Substitute or is just especially bulky. Sometimes I Thunder Wave it so it will be easier to take on with my team, or I just Iron Head it until it dies, hoping for around a 55% chance of ParaFlinch hax per turn. Ferroseed also takes on Carvanha like no other, resisting both of its STAB moves and even being able to cripple it with Thunder Wave, I'm only really scared of HP Fire versions, which actually do exist, but I don't think it OHKOs me at full HP. Ferroseed also comes with the ever useful, assloads of resistances. Iron Barbs + Hail damage really wreck some Pokemon, so switching between Slowpoke and Ferroseed is actually a strategy for wearing down troublesome Pokemon, hehe.
As for the set, I'm still a bit iffy about it. I recently changed it from a Sassy natured Spikes + Gyro Ball to Thunder Wave + Iron Head and I'm not exactly seeing too much improvement, although ParaFlinch is a hell of a lot of fun ^^. I found myself not using or utilizing Spikes as well as I could have or should have so I changed it to that set. Speed ties with Bold Slowpokes anyone (Ferroseed has 8 Speed now)? Basically the idea is to Thunder Wave and/or Leech Seed something, then bash their brains in so they hopefully get full para or flinch, thanks to Iron Head. Protect is still extremely useful for helping Hail kill off my opponent or getting free Leech Seed turns and scouting. Thunder Wave is neat to maybe even catch things like Meditite on the switch and/or not be a sitting duck to set sweepers, though honestly, my team really isn't suited for Thunder Wave abuse. Although, Ferroseed can abuse it herself. Leech Seed and Iron Head for getting HP back and attacking yada yada. Iron Head is much better when used with Thunder Wave as now, I am not completely screwed over by anything slower than 16 Speed, and I can actually hurt them now. I relocated an extra HP EV point (164 to 84) into both Atk and Spe EV points just to get more points out of them.
Sets I've been thinking about changing it to are:
Sassy natured Stealth Rock + Gyro Ball, adding Payback somewhere (for MissyD), adding Bullet Seed somewhere, or trying out a Curse variant.
HELGA (Slowpoke) (F) @ Evolution Stone
Trait: Regeneration
EVs: 196 HP / 236 Def / 36 SAtk / 36 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Toxic
- Slack Off
- Fire Blast
Part 2 of FerroPoke, Slowpoke is so kick ass. Regeneration omg I love you, seriously that ability is really really kick ass, and I know I say that a lot, but I mean it. I EVd Slowpoke max / max +def so it can almost never be 2HKO by a Jolly max Atk Brave Bird from LOKrow, which is freaking crazy, considering Slowpoke doesn't even resist it. CRAZY! Anyway, Slowpoke is my insurance vs. Fighters, since he rapes all of them (excluding Scraggy) one on one. It also helps stop a Shellder Shell Break sweep as Slowpoke isn't even near OHKO'd by a Skill Link Rock Blast. Psychic has decent coverage with Fire Blast and kills aforementioned Fighting-types. Screw Zen Headbutt, Timburr Bulks Up anyway and it can hardly do anything back, and Meditite freaking ThunderPunches Slowpoke's ass, why should I split up my EVs and crap for that. I don't have to lower my speed either. Toxic is for beating other Slowpokes and killing Frillish (although I don't stay in on Frill it's pretty much ruined after being Toxic'd) and is overall a good move, especially with Psychic and Fire Blast covering those who are immune to it. Slack Off for obvious recovery and makes it so she's fucking hard to kill, when combined with Regeneration. Fire Blast is mainly for Ferroseed and other Steel-types like Bronzor or even Magnemite on the switch. Honestly, Slowpoke is a juggernaut of defense, mainly thanks to Regeneration and its sky high HP + Defense.
Things I've been thinking about changing:
Psychic to Boiling Water / Surf if I change Meditite's Ice Punch to Zen Headbutt, although Toxic Gligar is still a fat bitch.
