My Winning Regionals Team: A Goodstuffs RMT

[LPFan]

Hello guys! Today I will be showcasing my winning regionals team. It steamrolled through 7 rounds, 3 that I almost lost due to hax and careless misplays. The team is really nothing special, it's just good old goodstuffs, the most overused and unoriginal team. The teams that kids played at Houston were all similar and predictable, so I pretty much played the same team most of the time bar 1st round.

I don't necessarily post much in these forums due to common reasons such as school, etc. This is pretty much my first RMT on smogon, I used to lurk on skarmbliss a lot but due to the little activity in that forum, but now, I'm beginning to lurk here.

Now let's start!

@ Occa Berry
Clear Body
Adamant
EVs: 244 HP / 252 attack / 12 Spe
-Meteor Mash
-Bullet Punch
-Earthquake
-Protect
Pretty much your generic metagross, nothing interesting to say here. It pairs up and synergizes well with Latios and Zapdos. The 12 speed investment allows an opportunity to out speed other metagross, while 244 EVs allows it to have great bulk and a tank a few hits before it faints. Meteor Mash and Bullet punch are there to clean out common Rock and Ice type weather set-up pokes such as Abomasnow and Tyranitar. Earthquake is for pokes like Heatran, etc. Protect is obviously a staple on this Metagross and a staple for every other poke on my team. The Occa berry allows Metagross to survive non-boosted fire attacks from pokes like Rotom-H, Heatran, Zapdos, Chandelure, etc.

@ Charti Berry
Pressure
Modest
EVs: 140 HP / 252 SpA / 116 Spe
-Thunderbolt
-Heat Wave
-Hidden Power Ice
-Detect
Bulky Zapdos, 140 HP allows it to take a few hits before it faints. Zapdos pairs up well with Metagross and Latios, but my personal favorite pair is Cress/Dos lead. I chose Charti berry over a Sitrus berry since I had too many problems with pesky Tyranitar. Thunderbolt is obviously on every Zapdos since STAB boosted can hurt many pokes. Heat Wave is there for the common Metagross, and hidden power is there for taking out opposing Zapdos, Latias, Latios, and many other flying threats. Detect, similar to protect, is a must-have as well.

@ Fighting Gem
Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 SpD
Adamant
-Fake Out
-Sucker Punch
-Close Combat
-Detect
Yet another generic. Hitmontop's purpose is to rid of common pokes like Tyranitar, I had a picky choice between Fighting Gem and White Herb and ended up with fighting gem since it was to my liking. Hitmontop pairs up up with pretty much all my pokemon bar Gastrodon. Hitmontop's Fake Out makes prediction play in everyone's minds, most just double protect giving me a free turn to set up if I use Top/Cress or Top/Tios lead. Sucker Punch is another prio move, cleaning off Latios and other Psychics. Close Combat is his STAB move, OHKOing Tyranitar. Detect=staple.

@ Yache Berry
Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 6 HP / 252 Spe
Timid
-Draco Meteor
-Psychic
-Tailwind
-Protect
Latios is my TW poke, I'm threw a Yache berry on it since I had problems with Ice beam and blizzard. Latios pairs up well with all others on my team. Draco meteor and Psychic are his STAB moves, OHKOing many pokemon. Nothing much else to say.

@ Chesto Berry
Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm
-Psychic
-Reflect
-Rest
-Thunder Wave
Just a generic ChestoRest Cresselia, this thing really synergizes really well with most of her teammates especially Zapdos and Hitmontop. I really love her chestorest set, I think it is the most reliable for most teams due to the fact that she can tank hits real well and recover with rest. Psychic is STAB and does a decent amount of damage to pokes that don't resist it. Reflect + Intimidate from a Hitmontop hinders physical attacker's attacks rendered nearly useless. Rest is there for free HP recovery. Thunder Wave slows fast attacker like Latios, Ludicolo, Hydreigon, Kingdra, and other Swift swim abusers.

@ Rindo Berry
Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold
-Muddy Water
-Earth Power
-Ice Beam
-Recover
I simply love gastrodon. Gastrodon can absorb Scalds, surfs, etc. This slug also can tank hits and really takes care of common threats like Zapdos, Latios, and Metagross. I think this a great counter to rain. I have no problems with rain because of this slug. Muddy Water is there for accuracy drop and is one of the two STAB moves. Earth power OHKOs non-shuca berry heatran and 2KOs metagross. Ice beam weeds off Latios and Zapdos. Recover is if Gastrodon is a low health and needs recovery.

So that's the team! Special thanks to TheMantyke, Cassie, and Calibann for the supply of pokes!
Be sure to rate constructively!

 

[DreamTalon]

This rate will likely be useless, because you might change your team for Nationals, but w/e.

The teams that kids played at Houston were all similar and predictable, so I pretty much played the same team most of the time bar 1st round.

That powerful 15 minute stall team! He got his rocks up, so you couldn't switch in your Zapdos easily.

@ Occa Berry
Clear Body
Adamant
EVs: 244 HP / 252 attack / 12 Spe
-Meteor Mash
-Bullet Punch
-Earthquake
-Protect

It is a relatively standard set, but I have my opinion on Metagross. I recommend using Iron Head over Meteor Mash. You lose 30 attack power with it, but the accuracy is helpful in a live situation where one miss can make you miss out BIG. Also, you have Tailwind and Thunder Wave on this team, making you move first a lot. Iron Head has the chance to flinch, and if you have Cresselia paralyze most of their team, the chances that they attack is pretty slim. That is just me though, I prefer accuracy over power in most situations.

@ Charti Berry
Pressure
Modest
EVs: 140 HP / 252 SpA / 116 Spe
-Thunderbolt
-Heat Wave
-Hidden Power Ice
-Detect

Completely standard Zapdos. The item goes with the team. You said that you run Charti because you don't like Tyranitar. However, you really aren't that weak to it. You have Gastrodon, Metagross, Hitmontop who can really hurt Tyranitar. Because of this, I think Electric Gem or Sitrus Berry would be good for your team.

@ Fighting Gem
Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 SpD
Adamant
-Fake Out
-Sucker Punch
-Close Combat
-Detect

Good, standard Hitmontop set. One thing. Why not run Wide Gaurd over Detect? Most of your team is weak to spread moves, except for Gastrodon and Cresselia. You even run berries on Latios and Zapdos to make sure spread moves like Rock Slide and Blizzard not KO it easily. Wide Gaurd seems like it would be very beneficial to your team.

@ Yache Berry
Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 6 HP / 252 Spe
Timid
-Draco Meteor
-Psychic
-Tailwind
-Protect

If you run Wide Gaurd on Hitmontop, you can run Dragon Gem Draco Meteor. 'Nuff said. I see you run Tailwind on Latios. I personally run Subsitute on Latios, but that is because it makes predicting the opponent so easy. They see Substitute on a threating pokemon like Latios, they will double target most of the time. But you may prefer speeding up your team without needing Cresselia. Either option is good, but my personal playstyle makes Substitute worthwhile.

@ Chesto Berry
Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm
-Psychic
-Reflect
-Rest
-Thunder Wave

I like Sitrus Cresselia because I don't like to waste a moveslot on Rest. I can either run IcyWind, Ice Beam, Trick Room, Helping Hand, etc. Also, you have to waste a turn with Rest, and anything that outspeeds and 2HKOs doesn't let that happen. That is the advantage of Sitrus Berry. It makes most 2HKOs a 3HKO. However, I've used Resto-Chesto Cresselia. It is strong in many situations.

@ Rindo Berry
Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold
-Muddy Water
-Earth Power
-Ice Beam
-Recover

Um... yeah. Gastrodon. Storm Drain. Good Rain team counter outside of Ludicolo. Nothing much else to say.

Anyways, it is a pretty solid team. One flaw I see is that it is may be deadly is a weakness to dedicated Trick Room and a more subtle Trick Room team. Not sure how you handle it, but I saw your last match against Coach Muffin, who was running a TrickRoom(?) team, so I guess you have a plan.

 

[Pokérob]

It's a beautifully crafted standard normal team.

I especially like the EV investment though.

I don't rate teams because there is nothing to rate because it's done well, criticism I only have would mean changing two pokémon out and then that's pretty much changing the entire team concept just for what I personally believe and see in the metagame.

Well done, good luck at Nationals and hope to see you at Worlds. :)

 

[Dimsun]

Congrats, only thing I have to say would be to run 140 speed EVs on Hitmontop to outspeed standard Rotom-W before it's para'd/tailwind is up. It can be really helpful.
Otherwise, fantastic standard team.

 

[LPFan]

This rate will likely be useless, because you might change your team for Nationals, but w/e.

Yeah, it is useless, but I'm glad to see your opinions and what you have to say. :D

That powerful 15 minute stall team! He got his rocks up, so you couldn't switch in your Zapdos easily.

Also had a Rhyperior with Horn Drill with took out my cress on turn 3!

It is a relatively standard set, but I have my opinion on Metagross. I recommend using Iron Head over Meteor Mash. You lose 30 attack power with it, but the accuracy is helpful in a live situation where one miss can make you miss out BIG. Also, you have Tailwind and Thunder Wave on this team, making you move first a lot. Iron Head has the chance to flinch, and if you have Cresselia paralyze most of their team, the chances that they attack is pretty slim. That is just me though, I prefer accuracy over power in most situations.

Iron head would have had been a great idea, I've seen metagross with Iron head, should have had used it, but oh well ._. . To be completely honest, TW Latios didn't really do much for the team that day, so it sat on the bench on all my rounds except for one round.


Completely standard Zapdos. The item goes with the team. You said that you run Charti because you don't like Tyranitar. However, you really aren't that weak to it. You have Gastrodon, Metagross, Hitmontop who can really hurt Tyranitar. Because of this, I think Electric Gem or Sitrus Berry would be good for your team.

I really didn't try to test out Sitrus berry but yeah, tyranitar was actually easy to handle.

Good, standard Hitmontop set. One thing. Why not run Wide Gaurd over Detect? Most of your team is weak to spread moves, except for Gastrodon and Cresselia. You even run berries on Latios and Zapdos to make sure spread moves like Rock Slide and Blizzard not KO it easily. Wide Gaurd seems like it would be very beneficial to your team.

Wide guard is beneficial, but Psychic and Psyshock forces a switch...

If you run Wide Gaurd on Hitmontop, you can run Dragon Gem Draco Meteor. 'Nuff said. I see you run Tailwind on Latios. I personally run Subsitute on Latios, but that is because it makes predicting the opponent so easy. They see Substitute on a threating pokemon like Latios, they will double target most of the time. But you may prefer speeding up your team without needing Cresselia. Either option is good, but my personal playstyle makes Substitute worthwhile.

I was thinking about substitute since I pair it up a lot with Hitmontop and Latios didn't really have many threats at the time I was testing. Also, I was almost to a point to dropping Tailwind of something since I had cress but I felt I lacked speed if I played a team that could hurt Cress so I stuck with tailwind. Yache berry was something that I just slapped onto Latios the day before the regional since I really didn't have anything else to put on there. But on my second round of the tournament, the round I used Latios, I was glad I slapped on that yache berry or else I could have had lost that match.

I like Sitrus Cresselia because I don't like to waste a moveslot on Rest. I can either run IcyWind, Ice Beam, Trick Room, Helping Hand, etc. Also, you have to waste a turn with Rest, and anything that outspeeds and 2HKOs doesn't let that happen. That is the advantage of Sitrus Berry. It makes most 2HKOs a 3HKO. However, I've used Resto-Chesto Cresselia. It is strong in many situations.

I would still pick ChestoRest cress!

Um... yeah. Gastrodon. Storm Drain. Good Rain team counter outside of Ludicolo. Nothing much else to say.



Anyways, it is a pretty solid team. One flaw I see is that it is may be deadly is a weakness to dedicated Trick Room and a more subtle Trick Room team. Not sure how you handle it, but I saw your last match against Coach Muffin, who was running a TrickRoom(?) team, so I guess you have a plan.

Trick room doesn't seem to give me a problem at all.

It's a beautifully crafted standard normal team.

I especially like the EV investment though.

I don't rate teams because there is nothing to rate because it's done well, criticism I only have would mean changing two pokémon out and then that's pretty much changing the entire team concept just for what I personally believe and see in the metagame.

Well done, good luck at Nationals and hope to see you at Worlds. :)

Thank you! Good luck at worlds! I hope to see you there too!

Congrats, only thing I have to say would be to run 140 speed EVs on Hitmontop to outspeed standard Rotom-W before it's para'd/tailwind is up. It can be really helpful.
Otherwise, fantastic standard team.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to fit that in a future team, we will see you at nationals!

 

[pokemaster649]

Pretty good team! But heres one suggestion about your latios, I think you should have sub instead of tailwind (if tailwind worked for you, keep it). Hope to see you at nationals! I hope I don't battle you though.

 

[LPFan]

Pretty good team! But heres one suggestion about your latios, I think you should have sub instead of tailwind (if tailwind worked for you, keep it). Hope to see you at nationals! I hope I don't battle you though.

lol it was like 2 days before I used this team. I found a random Latios and one day I thought about teaching it sub wanted to teach it sub but forgot next day, lol.

 

[Lucien Lachance]

Shoulda used HH on either Top or Cress to make up for lack of Dragon Gem on Latios.

Too lazy to rate the same team for the 99th time. 9.9 Be original.

 

[Gamein99]

I like this team, generic bu clutch. This was going to be my nats team, but kick cres and gastrodon for my other preferences. Good luck at nats. :)