Introduction
My friends and I had a get together the other day, and we decided to play a few rounds of LC, as none of us had played much LC SM, (all of us had been on hiatus from LC since ORAS) we decided to make it interesting.
We based the challenge off the SM LC viability ranking from the forums, each of us had to build a new team with the condition that we would only be able to select a certain number from each of the three ranks; 1 s tier, 1 a tier, 2 b tier, and 2 c tier. Our objective in this was to force us to find and use underrated threats, and to look at (and assess) all the major and minor players in the metagame.
After playing a few rounds on ranked, and against my friends, I got an inkling that my team is close to competitive, with the right mix of firepower and bulk to match my style, I figure it might be a good team for me to hone my skills as I ease back into my favorite metagame. (I certainly have been making plenty of mistakes which have cost me matches.)
Yesterday I broke the team out and made some changes before putting it to the test on my testing account. Ten matches and ten victories later I was a believer, but I know that this team is far from perfect.
My basic strategy for the team is the use of weather, and offensive pressure to wear down counters and break sashes preparing the way for a late game sweep. I know it looks like a strange way to play, but I have found it to be flexible, fun, and importantly effective, having played similar teams throughout gen 6.
I appreciate any help and criticism, especially with suggestions. I will try to be as thorough as possible with my explanations for why I am using what I am using, as well as what I have considered changing and why. In turn if you suggest something please let me know precisely why that would be a better choice for the slot, as I am not especially well versed in the current meta, so I won’t be able to make full use of any suggestion without a bit of an explanation.
Thanks again
-Mecoptera
P.S. this is my first RMT, so if I am missing something obvious, please let me know.
The Team
Dr. freeze (Amaura) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 60 HP / 220 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ancient Power
My Hail setter and one of the dedicated revenge killers, Amaura has proven to be dangerous in every phase of the match. both on his own, and by supporting sweepers Amaura makes the most of its every turn of hail, unfortunately there are precious few. The Set is very typical, intended to hit as hard as possible, and reach 14 speed, (out speeding the meta with a scarf) hence the speed and SPA investments and the modest nature. Moves are also straightforward. Blizzard is one move that that few things want to take un-resisted, and is a safe spam move in many cases, with its high BP and 100% accuracy, earth power is good coverage nice for steel types that want to switch in on predicted blizzards, thunderbolt is for bulky water types not named chinchou. Finally, ancient power is the best secondary STAB, hitting larvesta. The general rule with scarf revenge killers is that they are as good as the player, prediction is key. If you can get in the enemy’s head, you will reap the benefits tenfold.
-as far as I can see, there are three LC hail setters; vulpix-alola, snover, and Amaura. Of those I can see, myself using snover over amaura, but I can’t think of a good reason to do so as Amaura has the better coverage moves IMHO, and access to priority doesn’t appeal to me particularly on a scarf user. If there is a good reason let me know.
-He can place stealth rocks, which would be interesting, particularly if I went for a utility set with icy rock, but I would lose a powerful revenge killer in the process, and though the extra hail turns would be useful for sandshrew, It hasn’t been a huge problem for me as of yet. Also, due to its poor defensive typing, it dies to a stiff breeze.
-ancient power is the least useful move on the set, but to my knowledge, there isn’t a good replacement.
-He can place stealth rocks, which would be interesting, particularly if I went for a utility set with icy rock, but I would lose a powerful revenge killer in the process, and though the extra hail turns would be useful for sandshrew, It hasn’t been a huge problem for me as of yet. Also, due to its poor defensive typing, it dies to a stiff breeze.
-ancient power is the least useful move on the set, but to my knowledge, there isn’t a good replacement.
Penguin (Sandshrew-Alola) @ Life Orb
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
This guy is a monster in the hail. Icicle spear is a great stab which allows him to beat all abra variants so long as hail is up. Iron head is very powerful, and the hax gods smile upon its 30% flinch chance. Earthquake is a strong coverage move, great for steel type switch ins not named ferroseed. Finally, rapid spin is a utility move, it helps to keep my hail setter healthy. There is something particularly visceral about sandshrew Alola, as he really tears into bulky Pokemon. He seldom sweeps outright (hail doesn’t last long enough) but the holes he opens in enemy teams are often just what I need to sweep late game. as he has no set up moves, I have no qualms with withdrawing him bringing him back out after I get more hail.
-Though the loss of bulk due to life orb over eviolite is noticeable, the boost to damage is important to muscle past would be counters.
-Rapid spin is not important as the team is not weak to rocks, and we have foongus to beat t-spikes, and offensive pressure is often enough to keep stacked spikes off the field, however, it is still a good thing to have in the team somewhere, but I am considering replacing it with some form of coverage, any thoughts?
-Rapid spin is not important as the team is not weak to rocks, and we have foongus to beat t-spikes, and offensive pressure is often enough to keep stacked spikes off the field, however, it is still a good thing to have in the team somewhere, but I am considering replacing it with some form of coverage, any thoughts?
Poison Ivy (Foongus) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 124 HP / 160 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Regenerator user bulky pivot, and all around fun guy, the set is what one would expect. Spore puts things to sleep, which helps me set up, sludge bomb is a reasonable stab, giga drain is a secondary stab with the advantage of recovery, and HP fire gives him an option against Ferroseed, who is a real thorn in my side without it. There isn’t much to say about foongus.
-I am considering changing the EV spread to more of a special defense specialist, as that seems like it would better synergies with slowpoke’s more defensive stats, but I’m not sure how much that would help/hurt against common threats (something to look into)
Giant jellyfish (Slowpoke) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Def / 116 SpA / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psychic
- Thunder Wave
The second part of the regenerator core, slowpoke is a bulky water type, and a good one at that, alongside foongus, he can best the majority of the meta. Slack off is his main reliable recovery, allowing him to stay in and giving him an option besides regenerator. Scald is a nice stab with burn chance for those physical sweepers not named timburr, psychic hits the aforementioned timburr on the switch, and thunder wave is a crippling status against most sweepers who are far less dangerous at 25% speed.
Shocker (Zigzagoon) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 108 Def / 28 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Extreme Speed
- Thief
- Seed Bomb
My late game set up sweeper, this guy is a monster with a boost, and without one can still be useful when played correctly. Belly drum boosts the attack stat to the ludicrous level of 52 with the given investment. Extreme speed is the main move, it gets 2+ priority, a stab boost, and will OHKO on most un-resisted hits thief is for slow ghost types like pumpkaboo-super. And seed bomb hits bulky water types and rock/ground types that can take an e-speed.
solomon grundy (Timburr) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 116 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Bulk Up
Bulky attacker, setup sweeper, priority user, and status absorber, nothing less from one of the meta’s best Pokémon. STAB Drain punch hits hard and provides passive recovery. Mach punch is his priority move, useful for revenge killing noteworthy threats such as pawniard. Knock off hits abra on the switch, cripple’s tanks, and generally annoys people (you all know the feels) bulk up is for when you get the opportunity to sweep, It isn’t as common as you might think as most people have something to check you, but when it works...
-of the Pokémon on my team, this is the one I am most likely to change, a faster Pokémon such as scarf-foo might be an option, and it would provide U-turn support while not eliminating the ability to revenge kill. Of course, the cost of such a change would be a reduced ability to sweep, and vulnerability to burns.
Conclusion
Though I really like this team, it is held back by a small number of weaknesses, and my incompetence. The first part I hope to address here with your help, and the second part is just going to take me a bit of time. If played properly, this team can be a nightmare to play against, as the style forces the enemy to make tough choices often forcing sacrifices.
I usually begin the game with hail, though this depends on the enemy team. My hope is to reduce the chance of rocks, and break sashes, Amaura matches favorably with many leads. Next I can often pivot into sandshrew or into my bulky pivots. Even so, the team is highly flexible, and can win in several ways, with timburr, sandshrew, amaura, and of course zigzagoon being potential win conditions in the right circumstances. Feel free to give it a whirl, hopefully it works.
Again, I am under no illusions that this team is perfect, in fact I know it isn’t. That is the reason I am posting it here. Thanks for the read, double thanks for the rate.
-Mecoptera
Dr. freeze (Amaura) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 60 HP / 220 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ancient Power
Penguin (Sandshrew-Alola) @ Life Orb
Ability: Slush Rush
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
Poison Ivy (Foongus) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 160 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Giant jellyfish (Slowpoke) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Def / 116 SpA / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psychic
- Thunder Wave
Shocker (Zigzagoon) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Gluttony
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 108 Def / 28 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Extreme Speed
- Thief
- Seed Bomb
solomon grundy (Timburr) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Bulk Up
Ability: Snow Warning
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 60 HP / 220 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Ancient Power
Penguin (Sandshrew-Alola) @ Life Orb
Ability: Slush Rush
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
Poison Ivy (Foongus) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 160 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Giant jellyfish (Slowpoke) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Def / 116 SpA / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psychic
- Thunder Wave
Shocker (Zigzagoon) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Gluttony
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 108 Def / 28 SpD / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Extreme Speed
- Thief
- Seed Bomb
solomon grundy (Timburr) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Bulk Up