ORAS LC Kickin' It

[gali]

Hi everyone, Tahu here with another ORAS LC team. This team is an offensively-oriented dual Fighter balance team that I've had a lot of success with. The team is built around one of my favorite cores, Scarf Mienfoo and Berry Juice Magnemite. I built the original version of this team featuring Scarf Scraggy with Max Carvalho before the LC Open started. Since then, I've revised it significantly into the successful version you see today.

At A Glance

In-Depth

Mienfoo @

Jolly, Regenerator
236 Atk/36 Def/236 Spe
-High Jump Kick
-Knock Off
-U-Turn
-Stone Edge

Choice Scarf Mienfoo is easily one of the scariest wallbreakers, revenge killers, and late-game cleaners in ORAS LC. Its High Jump Kick is absurdly powerful, capable of 2HKOing practically anything that doesn't resist Fighting after Stealth Rock. 75% of the time, when this thing gets on the field, you just click High Jump Kick and watch one of the opponent's mons die. Knock Off softens up bulky Poison- and Fairy- types, usually resulting in them being 3HKOed by High Jump Kick later in the match, and 2HKOes at worst every Ghost- and Psychic-type in the metagame. U-Turn is an excellent way of capitalizing on the numerous switchins that Mienfoo forces in order to grab momentum. Stone Edge OHKOes Larvesta, a common switchin, 2HKOes Ponyta without the risk of a Flame Body burn, and gets better rolls than High Jump Kick versus Archen and Vullaby. The EV spread is self-explanatory - it maximizes Attack and Speed to do as much damage as possible, while putting the remaining EVs into Defense to weaken common priority moves. With Regenerator, you can pivot Mienfoo into weaker neutral attacks such as Ferroseed's Iron Head or Chinchou's Volt Switch and begin hurting the opponent without worrying about bringing it in safely, then restore its HP upon switching out.

Other Options: Poison Jab is a viable alternative to hit Fairy-types, but the team covers these well enough already. Reckless makes High Jump Kick noticeably more powerful but you lose out on the ability to pivot that Regenerator provides.​

Magnemite @

Modest, Sturdy
36 Def/236 SpA/236 Spe
-Flash Cannon
-Volt Switch
-Recycle
-Endure

Berry Juice Magnemite is a cool offensive pivot that, if played correctly, is nearly impossible to kill. Magnemite makes an amazing partner to Mienfoo, as it threatens almost all of Mienfoo's checks by virtue of its amazing typing and ability. In addition, the two form a hard-hitting VoltTurn core with incredible longevity due to Regenerator and Recycle+Berry Juice, respectively. Flash Cannon is Magemite's main STAB attack, sporting good neutral coverage and a lot of power courtesy of Magnemite's high 20 Special Attack. Volt Switch is a good secondary STAB, hitting Water-types that resist Flash Cannon super effectively and allowing Magnemite to preserve momentum. Recycle+Berry Juice gives Magnemite almost unlimited longevity, and is an especially potent combination when Sturdy is thrown into the mix. Endure allows Magnemite to live any one attack even after Sturdy is broken, making it an effective safety net even in situations where it is not at full health. Like Mienfoo, the EVs and nature maximize Magnemite's offensive stats with the rest being used to grab an extra point in Defense. Sturdy is amazing; it prevents Magnemite from being OHKOed at full health, making it an excellent emergency option to deal with any number of powerful sweepers, and synergizes very well with Berry Juice and Magnemite's low HP stat.

Other Options: Hidden Power Ground over Endure allows Magnemite to actually deal damage to Chinchou, although Endure makes it a more reliable check to lots of stuff. If HP Ground is used, an EV spread of 240 SpA/236 Spe should be used. Thunderbolt provides a strong Electric STAB that doesn't force Magnemite out.

Foongus @

Bold, Regenerator
124 HP/156 Def/156 SpD
-Spore
-Giga Drain
-Sludge Bomb
-Hidden Power Fire

Foongus is a bulky defensive pivot that is extremely difficult to wear down. Its useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, and Fighting-type attacks allow Foongus too serve as a switchin to many big threats in the metagame, most notably Chinchou, which Magnemite lures like a moth to a light. Spore and the threat of the move puts a ton of pressure on the opponent, as any team lacking a Grass-type or Vullaby is forced to choose which Pokemon will be put out of commission for basically the rest of the game. Giga Drain is a reliable Grass-type STAB that has the useful side effect of restoring Foongus's HP. Sludge Bomb is Foongus's primary STAB attack, sporting a high Base Power ad a nifty 30% chance to poison the opponent. Hidden Power Fire gives Foongus a way to damage opposing Pawniard and Magnemite, in additioin to 2HKOing Ferroseed, who is a major thorn in the team's side (pun intended) if Timburr is worn down. The EVs and Nature give Foongus solid 25/14/14 bulk, allowing it to avoid the 2HKO from numerous powerful attacks where the main roll is 12 HP while simultaneously hitting Eviolite numbers. Regenerator gives Foongus great longevity as it will be frequently switching in and out of battle throughout the course of a match.

Other Options: Stun Spore is viable for crippling switchins such as Ponyta. Other Hidden Powers such as Fighting for Pawniard or Rock for Larvesta could be used, although Fire is by far the most consistent. Gastro Acid is a cool innovation that I came up with that can allow Foongus to Spore Vullaby switchins, allow it to OHKO Sturdy Pokemon such as Tirtouga, and come out on top in the oh-so-common Foongus vs Foongus scenario.

Timburr @

Careful, Guts
36 Atk/156 Def/236 SpD/76 Spe
-Knock Off
-Drain Punch
-Mach Punch
-Rock Tomb​

I’ve always been a fan of 4 Attacks Timburr; its great bulk and power combined with the threat of the Bulk Up set allow it to check a large number of threats in the metagame. Timburr is my main Pawniard switchin and a secondary check to the metagame’s omnipresent bulky Fighters. Knock Off is the best move in the game; its high Base Power, unmatched secondary effect, and good coverage make it a staple no almost everything that gets it in LC. Drain Punch is a powerful and reliable STAB attack that also provides Timburr's only means of restoring its HP. Mach Punch is a powerful priority option that OHKOes Pawniard after a little bit of prior damage and is generally useful for picking off weakened opposing Pokemon. Rock Tomb is a really cool option that allows Timburr to actually beat Fletchling 1v1; after Rock Tomb's Speed drop, Timburr's Mach Punch outprioritizes Acrobatics and KOes. It is also useful for catching opposing Vullaby on the switch and making Ponyta much easier to deal with. The EV spread is slightly different than normal; the 76 Speed EVs allow Timburr to outspeed offensive Vullaby after Rock Tomb in addition to speed tying Download Porygon, which otherwise is a hassle to deal with. The rest of the EVs give it great 24/14/14 bulk and 15 Attack. Guts is a very useful ability; LC is full of Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave spam (shoutout to thiagoharry), and having a Pokemon that can absorb and even benefit from these statuses is worthwhile.

Other Options: Like on Mienfoo, Poison Jab can be used to hit Fairy-types. The 76 EVs in Speed could also be moved to HP; this allows Timburr to avoid the OHKO from both Abra's Psychic and +6 Zigzagoon's Extremespeed. Bulk Up capitalizes on forced switches and turns Timburr into a terrifying win condition.

Archen @

Jolly, Defeatist
236 Def/76 SpD/196 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Defog
-Rock Slide
-Roost​

Archen is probably the weak point of the team; However, its usefulness as a gluemon for the team cannot be overstated. Archen provides the team with much needed hazard support as well as a switchin to bulky Fire-types and Vullaby. Stealth Rock is mandatory for any serious team; the utility that the move provides bu punishing switches and securing 2HKOs and OHKOes in invaluable. Unfortunately, the team happend to have a bit of a Stealth Rock weakness itself, so hazard removal is needed. Defog guarantees the removal of hazards; however, this is where this Archen set's shortcomings show themself as it has no way to prevent Pawniard from simply switching in and grabbing a Defiant boost. Rock Slide is Archen's most reliable STAB, easily 2HKOing the Pokemon it's supposed to check such as Ponyta and Vullaby. Roost is useful for keeping Archen healthy throughout the match. The EVs give Archen usable 21/14/12 bulk and the golden Speed tier of 17.

Other Options: Acrobatics allows Archen to serve as an excellent Knock Off sponge; however, it substantially lowers Archen's effectiveness at checking Vullaby and Ponyta. Earthquake can be used to hit Pawniard, but non-STAB monoattacking Ground is not ideal at all. Knock Off can cripple switchins but it can make Archen very passive.

Vullaby @

Jolly, Overcoat
116 HP/156 Atk/76 SpD/116 Spe
-Brave Bird
-U-Turn
-Knock Off
-Roost​

Offensive Vullaby is extremely good in the current metagame – its combination of great bulk, a hard-to-switch-into STAB combination, and a useful Speed tier make it a dangerous threat to nearly every team. Vullaby serves as the team's primary method of dealing with the Fighting-types that are seen on every team in LC. Brave Bird is an extremely powerful STAB option, OHKOing or at the very least severely crippling every Fighting-type in the tier. U-Turn takes advantage of the numerous switches that Vullaby forces against Fighting- and Grass-types to gain momentum. Vullaby's STAB Knock Off is extremely powerful and is useful for severely weakening common switchins to Flying-types such as Chinchou, Magnemite, and Archen. Roost is essential for keeping Vullaby healthy in the face of the several Pokemon that it is used to check in a typical game. The EV spread and nature give Vullaby the magic 25/14/14 bulk that I explained with Foongus and 15 Speed to outspeed standard Chinchou and Magnemite, with the rest put in Attack to maximize Vullaby's damage output. Overcoat is a useful ability that allows Vullaby to counter Foongus and fare very well against Hippopotas.

Other Options: The given moveset is pretty much the optimal one 99% of the time. If you are worried about Pawniard or Ferroseed coming in, Heat Wave or Hidden Power Fighting can be run over U-Turn to hit them. However, giving up on the immense utility that U-Turn provides is usually not worthwhile.

Conclusion

I have had a lot of success with this team pretty much everywhere: On the ladder, in various roomtours, friendlies, and in the LC Open. My favorite part of the team is probably its longevity; every member has a method of recovering HP making the team as a whole tough to break while still applying lots of offensive pressure and not ceding momentum. This is probably one of the best team I have built in ORAS LC. I hope you enjoy it!

Importable

Mienfoo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Stone Edge

Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Recycle
- Endure

Foongus @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 156 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Timburr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 36 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rock Tomb

Archen @ Eviolite
Ability: Defeatist
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Def / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- Rock Slide
- Roost

Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpD / 116 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Roost

s/os

cute users Omastar42 Fiend trash OP QuoteCS GOAO. sparktrain Melonz Kingler12345 Mr. NudistoBeach Star. thecrystalonix ajernejcic Shrug
absdaddy Brazilian Army GlassGlaceon Aerow Cheek Pouch Caledrith unrip imo :(
Corporal Levi great friend who really pushed me to get more involved with lc, stick around
Coconut. thanks for making me do these, dont stand me up next time n_n
Sken (inlove)
other nerds ThatCrazyRussian H&MBerkeley Dustflier The Avalanches Vileman Mambo TheFenderStory Nineage RZL Merritt Splashyship

​

 

[Oma]

Hello user: Tahu! Impressive team, it has great synergy and makes the most of every Pokemon. There's not much to change other than a couple nitpicks so I'll just do those.

-Since nothing on your team other than Archen (which can just Defog away the hazards that it sets) outright loses to Ferroseed, and you have a Timburr to capitalize on Thunder Wave, you really don't need HP Fire on Foongus. I'd personally use HP Fighting simply because Vullaby and particularly Archen have no way of hurting Pawniard, and you don't want Timburr to come in every time on +2 or even unboosted Knock Off cause you depend on Timburr to check a lot of threats. This makes Foongus a better back-up option to beat Pawn if you need to save Timburr for something later in the match. (also be sure to use 160/160 defense evs cause of the IV drop)

-One of the Pokemon that really threatens this team is Life Orb Vulpix, as your Archen spread is 2HKOed after rocks and risks losing the tie. To help deal with Life Orb Pix and special attackers in general you could use a spread of 236 HP / 76 Def / 156 SpD / 36 Spe with a Careful Nature. With this spread you live a Fire Blast and an Overheat from pix after rocks, while also avoiding the 2HKO from Gastly's Shadow Ball and Houndour's Dark Pulse. You won't really miss the speed, as you're not running Acro to hit Mienfoo or EQ for Pawn and have no way to pressure Drilbur, and imo it's actually beneficial to be slower than Dril in order to Defog its hazards away because Dril will always move first.

That's all the changes i have to make, really nice team man and thanks for the shoutout :D

 

[Fiend]

Hi Tahu, I've been looking forward to you posting this for awhile now.

It's a very strong team that isn't weak to much save something to the extent of Gothita + SD Corphish or Knock Off Abra on Sticky Web. These are both very uncommon things despite being really strong, but with some prediction they can be played around. However, I do have two suggestions to give you:

Timid > Modest on Magnemite creates a very minor drop in power while giving you more options versus Defensive Archen, Defensive Vullaby, Mantyke, and more notably a 50/50 versus Overheat Fletchling. This is last advantage is very important for Gothita offense as Dragon Dance Corphish and Overheat Fletchling, two of the better sweepers to pair with Gothita run 14 or 15 speed. This removes a tie versus +0 Corphish while making Fletch have to risk the tie if they want a shot to win.

Adamant > Jolly on Mienfoo is another possible edit to make; this gives Mienfoo better rolls with High Jump Kick in general (only one 8 versus Spritzee and a 75% chance to OHKO versus Porygon and Ferroseed for example) which makes it all the more spammable. The only notable losses I foresee from this change is Jolly Tirtouga has a higher shot (something like a 0.864% chance up from a nice 0.007%) to sweep through your team from getting in on Archen without Stealth Rock on the field and the loss of speed ties versus other 17 speed scarfers, though you have much better options for all of them besides a speed tie.

I also strongly agree with Omastar42's suggestion of HP Fighting on Foongus for the reasons he has give, plus HP Fire only being used for Ferroseed which is both uncommon and generally predictable.

Cheers!