Gameciel (Tyranitar) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 232 HP / 148 Atk / 36 Def / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
Tyranitar’s EV Spread is 1 less than 400 HP at Level 100, for Leech Seed, Spikes, & Burn. It’s not good to start your spread from this, as the real reason behind this and 36 Defense EVs is to survive one hit from Infernape so I can T-Wave it, making it more manageable for the rest of my team. Life Orb Infernape with both Fake Out and Close Combat can still take Tyranitar out. Speed will outrun Base 115 after T-Wave. My question for my lead is that since I run this kind of utility set, should I go for paraflinch with T-Wave and Rock Slide? Would be accurate, too. I can’t decrease the ATK EVs because it’s to help Pursuit KO switching Starmie and Latias.
The “All-Purpose” Tyranitar had Fire Blast on it, but in all the games I had never used it or could have gotten the same outcome from Stealth Rock. You can’t use it as your first move against Metagross as it can Meteor Mash you harder than you can Fire Blast it, and against Skarmory, you have a window to SR or T-Wave it, so what’s the point of Fire Blast?
92 Spe outpaces the default EVs of the all-purpose Tyranitar set.
(Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ground]
Jirachi simply has my favorite set for it. People are unprepared for it. It doesn’t fit on just any team. The default SUPERACHI set has Max Speed on it, but I’ve never needed max speed unless contending with another SUPERACHI, as other Jirachi I face often have more slow defensive spreads. What’s the minimum SpA I need to run if I want to run at least 140 SpA? I mean for meaningful KOs?
Quaking Mirror (Gyarados) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Taunt
Gyarados was inspired by the battles/video where a tournament player did the greatest ragequit of all time in this game’s history, as documented by freezai on YouTube. It has both a Lum Berry and Taunt. Both moves are highly unexpected and help me get an extra kill off until I perish to my own Sandstorm. Lum Berry also makes it so I never have to worry about the Jirachi or Togekiss matchup. I tried to play with Ice Fang, but it didn’t help me as much as a solitary Ice Punch on my Machamp. Sometimes it wins me stuff I had anyway because it flinches stuff when I don’t have to ask.
Tag Force Special (Latias) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Surf
- Trick
Latias is a pre-made set. In theory it can be very useful one day against a stall team by Tricking something. Until then, Choice Specs in place of the banned Soul Dew has been great for me selecting how much intensity should be behind my Dragon-type attacks. This Pokemon generally has the highest damage output in any of my battles without boosts.
Crystal Clear Wing (Skarmory) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
Crystal Clear Wing Synchro Dragon is the fullest form of Clear Wing, a generic monster anyone has and doesn't use in Yu-Gi-Oh. I use a default EV spread. Fantastic to set up Spikes and wall things that would otherwise sweep me. Also the reason why Scizor isn’t as much of a quicksilver’d Bullet Punch as it often is.
Borrelsword (Machamp) @ Leftovers
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 128 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Dynamic Punch
- Payback
- Ice Punch
Machamp is here to deal with the versatility of opposing Tyranitar while being able to get one big hit off on Zapdos, Flygon, and take one hit from Infernape, which are hard to play against. It doesn’t help against Starmie, which remains a concern since I removed the recommended Passho Berry from Tyranitar. Substitute has only one purpose and it’s to use if I suspect Rotom on the opposing side. Only reason I didn’t add Bullet Punch is that it does so little to Starmie.
Speed EVs are default. Should they be changed?
Threats:
Starmie is a threat in that it outspeeds every Pokemon on my team and either hits many super effectively, or just Rapid Spins and runs away until it can return to threaten me again. One of the few ways I have to outplay it is to set up the CM Jirachi so I can endure hits better. Other way is ro hack the game and get AV Machamp. One of the questions I have is that since I barely use HP Ground on Jirachi, can I repurpose Jirachi in some way to make the team more viable?
Also, in theory I could have problems playing around the combo of Hippowdon + Rapid Spin / BoltBeam / Hydro Pump Starmie. So I feel it’s not as simple as just slapping Thunder or Trick Room on the Jirachi and believing that hippos don’t exist.
Steel trap plus Rotom-H or unique Latias is a great way to eliminate the major defense in my team. The reason it works so well (and doesn’t if it’s Magnezone by itself) is that Machamp cannot hit Rotom-H that switches in, and Payback’s power is only 50 while getting burned. Guts Machamp doesn’t solve the problem as when it’s opposing Latias switching in I’d want to confuse them with No Guard.
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 232 HP / 148 Atk / 36 Def / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
Tyranitar’s EV Spread is 1 less than 400 HP at Level 100, for Leech Seed, Spikes, & Burn. It’s not good to start your spread from this, as the real reason behind this and 36 Defense EVs is to survive one hit from Infernape so I can T-Wave it, making it more manageable for the rest of my team. Life Orb Infernape with both Fake Out and Close Combat can still take Tyranitar out. Speed will outrun Base 115 after T-Wave. My question for my lead is that since I run this kind of utility set, should I go for paraflinch with T-Wave and Rock Slide? Would be accurate, too. I can’t decrease the ATK EVs because it’s to help Pursuit KO switching Starmie and Latias.
The “All-Purpose” Tyranitar had Fire Blast on it, but in all the games I had never used it or could have gotten the same outcome from Stealth Rock. You can’t use it as your first move against Metagross as it can Meteor Mash you harder than you can Fire Blast it, and against Skarmory, you have a window to SR or T-Wave it, so what’s the point of Fire Blast?
92 Spe outpaces the default EVs of the all-purpose Tyranitar set.
(Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ground]
Jirachi simply has my favorite set for it. People are unprepared for it. It doesn’t fit on just any team. The default SUPERACHI set has Max Speed on it, but I’ve never needed max speed unless contending with another SUPERACHI, as other Jirachi I face often have more slow defensive spreads. What’s the minimum SpA I need to run if I want to run at least 140 SpA? I mean for meaningful KOs?
Quaking Mirror (Gyarados) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Taunt
Gyarados was inspired by the battles/video where a tournament player did the greatest ragequit of all time in this game’s history, as documented by freezai on YouTube. It has both a Lum Berry and Taunt. Both moves are highly unexpected and help me get an extra kill off until I perish to my own Sandstorm. Lum Berry also makes it so I never have to worry about the Jirachi or Togekiss matchup. I tried to play with Ice Fang, but it didn’t help me as much as a solitary Ice Punch on my Machamp. Sometimes it wins me stuff I had anyway because it flinches stuff when I don’t have to ask.
Tag Force Special (Latias) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Surf
- Trick
Latias is a pre-made set. In theory it can be very useful one day against a stall team by Tricking something. Until then, Choice Specs in place of the banned Soul Dew has been great for me selecting how much intensity should be behind my Dragon-type attacks. This Pokemon generally has the highest damage output in any of my battles without boosts.
Crystal Clear Wing (Skarmory) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
Crystal Clear Wing Synchro Dragon is the fullest form of Clear Wing, a generic monster anyone has and doesn't use in Yu-Gi-Oh. I use a default EV spread. Fantastic to set up Spikes and wall things that would otherwise sweep me. Also the reason why Scizor isn’t as much of a quicksilver’d Bullet Punch as it often is.
Borrelsword (Machamp) @ Leftovers
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 128 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Dynamic Punch
- Payback
- Ice Punch
Machamp is here to deal with the versatility of opposing Tyranitar while being able to get one big hit off on Zapdos, Flygon, and take one hit from Infernape, which are hard to play against. It doesn’t help against Starmie, which remains a concern since I removed the recommended Passho Berry from Tyranitar. Substitute has only one purpose and it’s to use if I suspect Rotom on the opposing side. Only reason I didn’t add Bullet Punch is that it does so little to Starmie.
Speed EVs are default. Should they be changed?
Threats:
Starmie is a threat in that it outspeeds every Pokemon on my team and either hits many super effectively, or just Rapid Spins and runs away until it can return to threaten me again. One of the few ways I have to outplay it is to set up the CM Jirachi so I can endure hits better. Other way is ro hack the game and get AV Machamp. One of the questions I have is that since I barely use HP Ground on Jirachi, can I repurpose Jirachi in some way to make the team more viable?
Also, in theory I could have problems playing around the combo of Hippowdon + Rapid Spin / BoltBeam / Hydro Pump Starmie. So I feel it’s not as simple as just slapping Thunder or Trick Room on the Jirachi and believing that hippos don’t exist.
Steel trap plus Rotom-H or unique Latias is a great way to eliminate the major defense in my team. The reason it works so well (and doesn’t if it’s Magnezone by itself) is that Machamp cannot hit Rotom-H that switches in, and Payback’s power is only 50 while getting burned. Guts Machamp doesn’t solve the problem as when it’s opposing Latias switching in I’d want to confuse them with No Guard.