Jellicent @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Illumise @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
Manectric @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Lightning Rod
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Sawsbuck (Sawsbuck-Autumn) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 120 Def / 136 Spe
Impish Nature
- Aromatherapy / Leech Seed
- Horn Leech
- Jump Kick
- Megahorn
Flareon @ Firium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Quick Attack
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp / Heal Bell
- Superpower
Silvally-Ground @ Ground Memory
Ability: RKS System
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Parting Shot
- Multi-Attack
- Shadow Claw
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Illumise @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
Manectric @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Lightning Rod
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Sawsbuck (Sawsbuck-Autumn) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 120 Def / 136 Spe
Impish Nature
- Aromatherapy / Leech Seed
- Horn Leech
- Jump Kick
- Megahorn
Flareon @ Firium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Quick Attack
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp / Heal Bell
- Superpower
Silvally-Ground @ Ground Memory
Ability: RKS System
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Parting Shot
- Multi-Attack
- Shadow Claw
Since the original post of this team, I have changed it around and it has undergone surgery, so some of the below posts won't make much sense. Here is an updated version of the team. I need help with a particular goal for this team theme that I've had brewing (warning: it is not a particularly intelligent or powerful team design philosophy).
My goal is to make a team that WORKS well enough to reach and stick in 1300~ rating as well as two main themes:
A.) Run one of each Volt Absorb/Lightning Rod, Water Absorb/Storm Drain/Dry Skin, Flash Fire, Sap Sipper
and
B.) Run lots of U-Turn, Volt Switch, Parting Shot etc to build and maintain momentum.
Jellicent is one half of my defensive core, it is here to tank SpAtk's that I can't necessarily switch to otherwise - mainly Ice and Water type moves. None of the other Water immunity ability pkmn in this tier could make the cut (Poliwrath, Maractus, Lumineon, Lanturn) with Lanturn being the only pkmn with enough SpDef to make me pause for thought.
I decided to choose Jellicent because of its typing and movepool. This is not your regular defensive pivot Jelli, which means it is actually less flexible - although its spread offers much more raw power and the amount of surprise Giga Drain 80-100% turns on opponents only grows. I really like this pkmn as it is on my team, it has performed stellar.
It is weak to physical Atk wallbreakers, it is especially weak to Knock Off, and other tanky pkmn aren't really threatened out by Jellicent alone, making it prone to being set up on or getting trapped in hellish slogs. Regice in particular has caused me issues, as Flareon is quite frail and doesn't appreciate switching in to a move and then taking lots of recoil damage.
I decided to choose Jellicent because of its typing and movepool. This is not your regular defensive pivot Jelli, which means it is actually less flexible - although its spread offers much more raw power and the amount of surprise Giga Drain 80-100% turns on opponents only grows. I really like this pkmn as it is on my team, it has performed stellar.
It is weak to physical Atk wallbreakers, it is especially weak to Knock Off, and other tanky pkmn aren't really threatened out by Jellicent alone, making it prone to being set up on or getting trapped in hellish slogs. Regice in particular has caused me issues, as Flareon is quite frail and doesn't appreciate switching in to a move and then taking lots of recoil damage.
I've really fallen in love with Illumise, it's the star of the show and keeps my team healthy and supported. Switching around so much means i'm taking a lot of punishment from Hazards and taking some moves on the chin, so I wanted a Cleric/Healer type thing going on. With Rocky Helmet and Toxic, a lot of physical attackers really just hate fighting this thing. Encore lets me punish the plethora of pkmn who like to set up in your face.
Of course Illumise is helpless against Dark types. Absol in particular can get a completely free SD and from then it is very difficult to stabilise the game, which is pretty sucky. Spiritomb, Skuntank, and Liepard can also cause issues but don't completely ruin my day as much as Absols.
Another problem is that I want to perform too much with this pkmn - Defog, U-Turn, Protect, Wish, Encore, Toxic, Aromatherapy are all great moves and there's probably more to choose from. Unfortunately I can only fit 4.
Of course Illumise is helpless against Dark types. Absol in particular can get a completely free SD and from then it is very difficult to stabilise the game, which is pretty sucky. Spiritomb, Skuntank, and Liepard can also cause issues but don't completely ruin my day as much as Absols.
Another problem is that I want to perform too much with this pkmn - Defog, U-Turn, Protect, Wish, Encore, Toxic, Aromatherapy are all great moves and there's probably more to choose from. Unfortunately I can only fit 4.
Manectric is my Electric punisher, complete with Volt Switch to be able to take the SpAtk boost and use it to put a dent in and continue momentum. It outspeeds most of the tier and can often the damage you need to soften up teams at the start. It tries to cover its main weakness with HP Grass but it doesn't really hurt that much without the Lightning Rod boost.
Choice Scarf also can lock it out of Volt Switching when it's finished the job, or mean that it gets trapped in by other Electric type punishers. On the other hand, it's speed makes it a great late game janitor.
Choice Scarf also can lock it out of Volt Switching when it's finished the job, or mean that it gets trapped in by other Electric type punishers. On the other hand, it's speed makes it a great late game janitor.
Flareon is my Fire punisher, able to convert Will O Wisp's into Wish U Would's. Z Flare Blitz can often claim or lead to a KO, especially after Flash Fire. Flareon's movepool is also quite flexible for a team with this dumb strategy - it can learn Wish, Baton Pass and Heal Bell to support other members switching around. Weezing is annoying for this team because of Levitate, protecting it from Silvally. Silvally's Defog and Shadow Claw can often bait Weezing into using Will O Wisp, which Flareon can switch into and OHKO with Z Flare Blitz - problem solved.
It's quite frail, and doesn't like switching in to moves that it doesn't resist or absorb. Quick Attack offers some revenge killing possibilities or desperation chip. Other than that, it doesn't particularly perform well outside of it's 1-Dimensional role, and if there are no good opportunities to switch into a Fire move, it is just here to click Z and take a bow.
It's quite frail, and doesn't like switching in to moves that it doesn't resist or absorb. Quick Attack offers some revenge killing possibilities or desperation chip. Other than that, it doesn't particularly perform well outside of it's 1-Dimensional role, and if there are no good opportunities to switch into a Fire move, it is just here to click Z and take a bow.
Sawsbuck is my Grass punisher, offering big dents of physical damage and also running a bit of support for other members on the side. I needed a pkmn with Aromatherapy/Heal Bell because switching around so much makes it easy for Status to be spread around my team - especially for Silvally who will likely step on T. Spikes in order to Defog them.
I have found that this pkmn completely decimates all the other Grass types in the tier thanks to Megahorn, and can cover it's weakness with Jump Kick. Life Orb is there to offer an impact without having to rely on Sap Sipper boosts, and doesn't detriment too badly thanks to Horn Leech recovering HP.
It runs a weird spread because Flareon and Manectric are already glass cannons so I wanted to have some sort of defensive investment - especially to survive turns where I want to use Aromatherapy. I just.... I just wish so much that this pkmn could learn U-Turn.
I have found that this pkmn completely decimates all the other Grass types in the tier thanks to Megahorn, and can cover it's weakness with Jump Kick. Life Orb is there to offer an impact without having to rely on Sap Sipper boosts, and doesn't detriment too badly thanks to Horn Leech recovering HP.
It runs a weird spread because Flareon and Manectric are already glass cannons so I wanted to have some sort of defensive investment - especially to survive turns where I want to use Aromatherapy. I just.... I just wish so much that this pkmn could learn U-Turn.
S.G is here because obviously Hazards suck for my team who want to switch around a lot and carry lots of momentum. Rock type physical moves were also a problem for my team so I needed something to soak those up. So I needed a Rock-resistant Defogger who can U-turn/Parting Shot out.
Silvally Steel or Rock was another candidate, but I felt like it left my team too weak to Ground type moves. Unfortunately a this tier sports a whole host of Levitate pkmn, and I felt Shadow Claw covered them well (Haunter, Claydol, Mesprit). The hard thing for me here is deciding if I want my team to be vunerable to Ice or Ground moves.
Silvally Steel or Rock was another candidate, but I felt like it left my team too weak to Ground type moves. Unfortunately a this tier sports a whole host of Levitate pkmn, and I felt Shadow Claw covered them well (Haunter, Claydol, Mesprit). The hard thing for me here is deciding if I want my team to be vunerable to Ice or Ground moves.
Here are a couple of replays for those interested in what it looks like when this team does well, although if you are thinking of testing this team out - be warned - any player with more than half a brain can actually either outplay this team hard by counter-predicting your switches, or by simply mowing you down before you get a chance to build momentum. Once you lose one member on this team, the pieces slowly start to fall apart and before long it's exacerbated to the point where you crumble completely.
REPLAYS
Replay 1: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-836190827
Replay 2: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-835727574
Replay 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-836244677 (< this one is short lived, although it displays the core theme of the team at work - switch favourably, maintain momentum, keep denting away)
Replay 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-836868776
Replay 2: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-835727574
Replay 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-836244677 (< this one is short lived, although it displays the core theme of the team at work - switch favourably, maintain momentum, keep denting away)
Replay 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pu-836868776
Considerations:
Lanturn @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Heal Bell
- Volt Switch
So, Lanturn would replace Jellicent on this team as the SpDef tank / Water punisher. The first advantage that really jumps out at me is with Lanturn instead of Jelli, I can have 1 more momentum-move user on the team with it's ability to slow Volt Switch. An additional momentum-move like that would be really nice for this team as I feel like only having 2 with Manectric and Silvally isn't enough. Having Heal Bell lets it further support the team and allows Sawsbuck to run a different move instead of Aromatherapy. The reason I'm not using Lanturn is that I really prefer Jellicent's raw stats and better typing coverage... I would lose a lot of offensive SpAtk capability, having to rely on Manectric for any SpAtk impact.
After experimenting with this change a while, I realised that immediately my team just felt much weaker offensively and started losing a lot more often than I was used to. This is probably due to me running a dumb spread for Lanturn and well pretty much all of my PKMN. It's a damn shame that Sawsbuck and Flareon's Baton Pass is Smogon-banned because I'd love to have another momentum-switching move (that could also donate Sap Sipper's boost to Flareon or Silvally!), but not enough to sacrifice Jellicent for Lanturn. Woe is me.
After experimenting with this change a while, I realised that immediately my team just felt much weaker offensively and started losing a lot more often than I was used to. This is probably due to me running a dumb spread for Lanturn and well pretty much all of my PKMN. It's a damn shame that Sawsbuck and Flareon's Baton Pass is Smogon-banned because I'd love to have another momentum-switching move (that could also donate Sap Sipper's boost to Flareon or Silvally!), but not enough to sacrifice Jellicent for Lanturn. Woe is me.
Lumineon @ Assault Vest
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Signal Beam
- U-turn
In much the same vein as Lanturn, Lumineon could replace Jellicent with access to U-Turn and Storm Drain. It has high HP and fair enough defensive values where it could act as some sort of SpDef pivot. Again, the ability to soak and punish a Water move and be able to turn out of battle is exactly what I am looking for, but I seriously cannot stress enough just how much Jellicent's raw stats benefit the team. Lumineon is just quite a weak pkmn and can't make up enough for it to replace Jellicent.
I've started to think that maybe ZU tier would make more sense, Raichu would replace Manectric (who is above ZU) and Lumineon would replace Jellicent (also not in ZU). The team would function much closer to my stated goals, but would be much weaker. Of course every other team would be weaker too since it's a lower tier.
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