Introduction
I want to start off this RMT with some brief history and goals for the team. The main idea I had in mind was to build around Mega Scizor (my favorite mega), but I also wanted to build a strong 3 mon defensive core. When I put some thought into it, I decided on trying to build the strongest possible fire-water-grass tank line. Initially I thought about Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Rotom Heat, but I realized pretty quickly that Toxapex really didn't do much for the team. The next iteration of this core became the three mons I use now. They all have distinctive roles on the team and they work well synergy wise, too. For example, Heatran (and Rotom to an extent) can tank fire moves for Ferrothorn, Ferrothorn and Heatran can tank grass moves for Rotom, and Rotom is an excellent answer for ground moves used on Heatran. These are just a few examples of the synergy between the three, but I think it gets the point across well. In terms of the team archetype, I went down the Bulky Offense (BO) route because I felt that was what fit this team best, but I also added a slight Volt-Turn twist to it. Overall, this team has served me quite well and so far I've been able to break into the low 1500s with it (still climbing), but the team has been having a tougher time recently (especially against stall teams, namely Galarian Corsola), so I'm hoping this RMT will help me to hit higher peaks. Also if you're wondering about the title, it's because this team is completely immune to Toxic Spikes
The Team
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 224 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Dual Wingbeat
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Swords Dance
Role:
Damage / Late-Game Cleaner
As the role would imply, on this team Scizor is indeed used as an offensive threat. The set is relatively simple, it's a bulkier Scizor build (helps it to function as another tank on this team) that sets up with Swords Dance and does as much damage as possible. Ideally, Scizor is brought out towards the end of a game (once its threats have been eliminated) and is used to finish off the rest of the opposing team (similar to Landorus, which I'll explain later). Roost is there for sustain and I personally really like Dual Wingbeat in the last move slot (BP and Swords Dance are pretty standard Scizor) because of the sheer amount of utility it provides. First of all, I'll just explain the fact for those who don't know: On Scizor, Dual Wingbeat is effectively a 120 base power flying move than has no drawbacks (besides 90% accuracy). Aside from this though, it provides nice coverage overall and can definitely put a dent in many meta threats (if BP can't). Furthermore, while it's pretty niche, it can be a nice counter to Volcarona. A lot of people will hard switch to Volcarona on Scizor and, expecting a switch out (because what kind of dumbass would stay in and let their mega get destroyed), use Quiver Dance. Even without any attack boost, Dual Wingbeat is a one shot, which catches many players off guard (I've pulled this off multiple times, considering Volcarona is relatively common). As a whole, I'm very happy with how Scizor performs on this team and there isn't much I would change.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Role:
Pivot / Support
In my opinion, Rotom is the glue that holds this team together. A lot of the time, I end up leading with Rotom because it can get an early burn on potential physical threats and if the matchup is bad, it can easily Volt Switch out. As referenced in the introduction, it also serves as a good answer to ground types, as it has super effective damage on them + immunity to ground moves. Among other roles though, the reason I call Rotom the "glue" of this team is because of its ability to get me into an advantageous position. By constantly Volt Switching out, it is easy to generate momentum and force the opponent into a bad matchup (thereby forcing a switch and giving me a free turn). Finally, while it synergizes well with Heatran and Ferrothorn defensively, it pairs very well with Landorus as an offensive pivot duo (making the strategy I mentioned before even easier to pull off).
Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 232 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
Role:
Tank / Utility
I won't lie, this Ferrothorn set is pretty standard. The main thing that's slightly different about this Ferrothorn set is Knock Off. I added this on Ferrothorn to make dealing with Galarian Corsola easier (though this is a new change, so I haven't been able to put it into practice yet). The old move slot was Thunder Wave, but I really don't think it helped my team that much except for a few times. Some things that could be up for debate are the usage of Gyro Ball > Power Whip and Rocky Helmet > Leftovers. While neither of these options are bad, I have found that Gyro Ball has benefitted me much more than Power Whip did and Rocky Helmet finds a lot more value than Leftovers, so I have decided to stick with them. Other than that, this is a standard, run-of-the-mill tanky, Leech Seed / Stealth Rock Ferrothorn.
Heatran @ Grassium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpA / 32 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power
- Taunt
Role:
Damage
While most people opt for a more defensive / setup oriented Heatran, I have decided to use it offensively. Alongside Zapdos, I would say Heatran is probably one of the less impactful parts of this team, but it still definitely has qualities that justify its spot on the team. Firstly, Taunt is extremely useful against setup mons like Shuckle or Ferrothorn (though in this case you would probably just press Magma Storm). Earth Power finds significant value in the Heatran vs. Heatran matchup, which is why I chose it over something like Flash Cannon. For the last move slot, I chose Solar Beam solely for the amount of value Grassium Z provides (extremely effective, especially in cases where the opponent doesn't expect it), which is one of the main reasons Heatran is still on the team. The other major way that Heatran finds value (and is better than other Pokemon for the role) is through Flash Fire, which completely neutralizes fire moves (necessary to protect Scizor and Ferrothorn). One final note: there are 32 EVs in speed in order to outspeed one of the suggested sets on Smogon (which is semi-common, so it's good to outspeed) and still have an odd number of HP (entry hazard calcs).
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Role:
Pivot / Revenge Killer
Landorus acts as a mix between Scizor and Rotom. Like Scizor, Landorus makes for a good end-game win condition (easy cleanups with Earthquake if the other team's ground immunities are eliminated / resistances are sufficiently weakened). Similar to Rotom, though, Landorus acts as a strong offensive pivot, allowing me to gain momentum. Other than that, there isn't too much to note considering that this is a pretty standard Lando-T set. EQ for STAB, Rock Slide for coverage, HP-Ice for the Lando 1v1, and U-Turn for momentum. Intimidate has its uses, but it doesn't really change the way I play most of the time.
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 182 Def / 78 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Defog
Role:
Support
Last, but certainly not least, is Zapdos. As I mentioned before, Zapdos is one of the lower impact mons on this team, but it still provides some nice utility and support for the team. Even though this team is pretty strong against hazards (I'll explain later), Defog is still nice to get rid of rocks. Roost is good for sustain, and Discharge / Heat Wave provide nice attacking moves. One thing I will note, though, is that Static can be a nice deterrent for physical attackers, especially fighting types (when Static activates, games become much easier to win). Overall though, there really isn't too much to say here.
Strengths / Weaknesses
After using the team for a while, I've noticed some trends and different strengths / weaknesses. Starting off with the strengths, I referenced before that this team is pretty resistant against entry hazards, which is part of why I love this team so much. My entire team is immune to Toxic Spikes, half of my team is immune to Spikes (and the other half could care less unless the opponent somehow gets up 3 layers), and half of the team is immune to Sticky Web (while the other 3 could sort of care less. Scizor has priority, Ferrothorn actually benefits from it in a way, and Heatran is harmed, but it's just more of a nuisance). Finally, while Stealth Rocks does need to be dealt with, nothing on my team takes super effective damage from it, which is good. Another strength is that this team can generate momentum relatively easily with Rotom / Landorus. Finally, the team overall has very good sustainability (Scizor and Zapdos have Roost, Rotom has Pain Split / Leftovers, and Ferrothorn has Leech Seed [which can also benefit the rest of the team]). In terms of weaknesses, I would say the lack of a Ghost / Dark resistance is probably the worst problem for the team. While no one is weak to either of these types, it still gives the opponent a very clear winning condition if they have a mon that can abuse that weakness, such as Blacephalon, Gengar, or Greninja. Another weakness I've noticed is stall is very difficult to deal with on this team, so hopefully some rates can help with that weakness. Finally, I think it's worth mentioning that there are 3 steel types on the team, but overall there isn't too much overlap in movesets or weaknesses, so I don't think it's too much of a problem.
Closing Thoughts
If you've made it this far, hopefully you enjoyed the team! As a whole, I think this team is pretty solid and I'm happy with the way its performed thus far, but I know it also has some room for improvements. In terms of what could use improvement, I'm very open to ideas. One thing I've thought about is putting Defog on Rotom in place of Pain Split (I've never found too much use for it) and swapping out Zapdos for something else (I just don't really know what). Another possibility could be somehow adding Ash-Greninja? I've wanted to run it for a while because it can add more damage to the team, give a resistance to both ghost and dark (though it probably isn't the best mon to switch into a lot, considering it's pretty frail), and it can help make the team trend more towards Volt-Turn (my favorite archetype). I just don't really know what to replace, so maybe someone could help with that. Thanks for reading my post, I hope you have an amazing day! :D
Copy / Paste
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3 Attack Hidden Power Ice.