Good evening, afternoon, and morning Smogoners!
This is a team that I have been using for the past few days and I'll be honest, I didn't put a great deal of thought into making it, it was mainly just thrown together at first with Pokémon that I had been thinking of using, but with a few tweaks here and there, it has brought me success, and I aim to get to #1 on the ladder with it soon.
RU is a new tier, and I had never really played it properly before, but I knew that there were certain threats that needed to be checked. These threats included Yanmega, Venomoth, Entei, Cresselia and Honchkrow, and my team has a way with dealing with all of them.
So, let's meet the team members!
Galvantula @ Choice Scarf 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 def
Timid, Compoundeyes
Thunder
Volt Switch
Bug Buzz
HP Ice
This thing is a very useful Pokémon. It gets me out of a lot of tight spots and keeps the momentum in my favour with Volt Switch. There are a lot of bulky water types and flying types in this tier, and Galvantula comes out on top against most of them.
I usually have this thing in the lead position, where it beats common Pokémon like Uxie, Claydol, Yanmega, Scyther, Moltres, Alakazam and Qwilfish.
Even the standard Cresselia takes a decent 34-40% from a Bug Buzz, and can't really do much back.
One of the main selling points of Galvantula is its ability, Compoundeyes, which increases Thunder's accuracy to 91% I believe, and this more than makes up for its slightly mediocre Special Attack stat.
Common switches to this Galvantula are Ground Pokémon like Rhyperior, Dugtrio, Gligar and Krookodile, as they expect the Volt Switch, only to be 1 or 2HKOed by HP Ice.
I do not run a Rapid Spinner on this team, and this can often mean that Galvantula suffers the most, as it is weak to all forms of entry hazards. This is one of the reason I did not opt for Life Orb, as it would simply be run down too quickly.
Honchkrow @ Life Orb 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 def
Jolly, Insomnia
Brave Bird
Sucker Punch
Superpower
Roost
This thing is a beast. You might look at this set and think, why no Moxie? Because Insomnia comes in useful more, as given Honchkrow's poor speed and the popularity of Substitute in this tier, it is hard to get a sweep going with Sucker Punch, and being able to destroy Venomoth once it's set up is gold. If I see a Venomoth in the lead position, I rub my hands with glee. Galvantula obviously outspeeds, and Volt Switches out to this badboy. That takes 33-39.4% of Venomoth's health out, and then Venomoth either uses Sleep Powder or Quiver Dance. If it uses Sleep Powder, I will usually opt for Brave Bird straight away, as the Venomoth will likely switch, but if it goes for Quiver Dance, then Sucker Punch easily takes it out (it almost OHKOes it at full health anyway). This results in Venomoth either dying, or switching out at 2/3 health, which in my opinion is a good result for the first two turns of the game. Honckrow is my go-to man for other threats too, but mainly defensive, as offensive threats tend to outspeed and OHKO.
For example, special wall Clefable is OHKOed 100% of the time by Superpower, Umbreon is 2HKOed, Aggron is OHKOed, Steelix takes a decent chunk, enough to wear it down over the course of the game.
Brave Bird is obviously Brave Bird, a ridiculously powerful attack that batters anything, even things that resist it.
Roost rounds off the set nicely, as a lot of things switch out in fear of Honchkrow's Sucker Punch, and Life Orb, Stealth Rock and Brave Bird recoil wear it down pretty quickly, so a quick Roost on the switch allows it to return later for another round of havoc, while the opponent probably facepalms thinking why on earth did I switch.
Magneton @ Eviolite 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 SpD
Modest, Magnet Pull
Thunderbolt
Volt Switch
HP Grass
Toxic
Magneton is a very important pivot on this team, both offensively and defensively. It serves as a good check to Speed Boost Yanmega without HP Ground, and generally finds plenty of options to switch in, with an incredible 12 resistances and an immunity. Admittedly, it has three weaknesses to arguably the three most common attacks, but that can be worked around with the other members of the team. Because of these resistances, and its natural bulk with Eviolite, Magneton can wall entire movesets of Pokémon, such as Rotom-C, Galvantula, Cresselia, Scyther, Sceptile, Durant, Porygon-Z, and as previously mentioned, Yanmega. With this EV spread, Magneton hits an impressive Special Attack stat of 371, and Thunderbolt has serious power, as well as Volt Switch denting things that switch in only to watch Magneton scurry off. HP Grass has good coverage with Volt Switch, and although Rotom-C does resist it, Toxic deals with that 9 times out of 10. HP Grass is mainly there for Rhyperior, Gastrodon and Quagsire, but also hits things like Sandslash for big damage, and Claydol doesn't like repeatedly switching into it either.
If Magneton is at decent health, it can also serve as a check to Sharpedo and Honchkrow, as it can live through Heat Wave, Superpower, Hydro Pump, Waterfall etc, and KO back with Thunderbolt/Volt Switch. It also threatens bulky waters in general, like Alomomola, Blastoise and Poliwrath.
Alomomola @ Leftovers 252 HP, 156 def, 100 SpD
Calm, Regenerator
Wish
Protect
Scald
Toxic
Enter probably the most important member of the team. Whether it's walling a physical attacker to hell and back, spreading Toxic around, stalling out half a team, or passing ridiculous amounts of HP to the other team members, Alomomola rarely fails to do its job. It has fantastic synergy with Magneton, as Magneton resists Electric and Grass and is immune to Toxic, and Almomola resists Fire, absorbs most Ground attacks as they are physical, resists Water which Magneton is neutral to, and Fighting attacks are fairly rare in this tier but are mainly physical also. This means it normally has no trouble sending a Wish to Magneton to keep its defensive partner healthy. It also has the ability to scout out Choice users with Protect, and deliver a crippling burn to physical attackers with Scald so they are doing practically Leftovers damage to this behemoth. This is my main check to Sharpedo and Entei, two of the biggest physical threats in the tier. It also fares well against Feraligatr, Rhyperior, Durant, Drapion and Qwilfish. I have no idea what this thing is doing in RU, as it has way more physical bulk than Vaporeon at the cost of some special bulk and special attack, but it is surprisingly bulky on the special side with a few EVs, as its massive 165 base HP covers that well, and it can survive things like Choice Specs Bug Buzz from Yanmega, and uninvested Thunderbolts from Magnetons, Lanturns etc.
Probably the best part about this sunfish is its ability, Regenerator. This heals 33.3% of its health every time it switches out, which means it is the ideal Wish-passer, and is what I believe should set it apart from Vaporeon.
Gligar @ Eviolite 252 def, 252 SpD, 4hp
Impish, Hyper Cutter
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Roost
Knock Off
This is a team that I have been using for the past few days and I'll be honest, I didn't put a great deal of thought into making it, it was mainly just thrown together at first with Pokémon that I had been thinking of using, but with a few tweaks here and there, it has brought me success, and I aim to get to #1 on the ladder with it soon.
RU is a new tier, and I had never really played it properly before, but I knew that there were certain threats that needed to be checked. These threats included Yanmega, Venomoth, Entei, Cresselia and Honchkrow, and my team has a way with dealing with all of them.
So, let's meet the team members!
Galvantula @ Choice Scarf 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 def
Timid, Compoundeyes
Thunder
Volt Switch
Bug Buzz
HP Ice
This thing is a very useful Pokémon. It gets me out of a lot of tight spots and keeps the momentum in my favour with Volt Switch. There are a lot of bulky water types and flying types in this tier, and Galvantula comes out on top against most of them.
I usually have this thing in the lead position, where it beats common Pokémon like Uxie, Claydol, Yanmega, Scyther, Moltres, Alakazam and Qwilfish.
Even the standard Cresselia takes a decent 34-40% from a Bug Buzz, and can't really do much back.
One of the main selling points of Galvantula is its ability, Compoundeyes, which increases Thunder's accuracy to 91% I believe, and this more than makes up for its slightly mediocre Special Attack stat.
Common switches to this Galvantula are Ground Pokémon like Rhyperior, Dugtrio, Gligar and Krookodile, as they expect the Volt Switch, only to be 1 or 2HKOed by HP Ice.
I do not run a Rapid Spinner on this team, and this can often mean that Galvantula suffers the most, as it is weak to all forms of entry hazards. This is one of the reason I did not opt for Life Orb, as it would simply be run down too quickly.
Honchkrow @ Life Orb 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 def
Jolly, Insomnia
Brave Bird
Sucker Punch
Superpower
Roost
This thing is a beast. You might look at this set and think, why no Moxie? Because Insomnia comes in useful more, as given Honchkrow's poor speed and the popularity of Substitute in this tier, it is hard to get a sweep going with Sucker Punch, and being able to destroy Venomoth once it's set up is gold. If I see a Venomoth in the lead position, I rub my hands with glee. Galvantula obviously outspeeds, and Volt Switches out to this badboy. That takes 33-39.4% of Venomoth's health out, and then Venomoth either uses Sleep Powder or Quiver Dance. If it uses Sleep Powder, I will usually opt for Brave Bird straight away, as the Venomoth will likely switch, but if it goes for Quiver Dance, then Sucker Punch easily takes it out (it almost OHKOes it at full health anyway). This results in Venomoth either dying, or switching out at 2/3 health, which in my opinion is a good result for the first two turns of the game. Honckrow is my go-to man for other threats too, but mainly defensive, as offensive threats tend to outspeed and OHKO.
For example, special wall Clefable is OHKOed 100% of the time by Superpower, Umbreon is 2HKOed, Aggron is OHKOed, Steelix takes a decent chunk, enough to wear it down over the course of the game.
Brave Bird is obviously Brave Bird, a ridiculously powerful attack that batters anything, even things that resist it.
Roost rounds off the set nicely, as a lot of things switch out in fear of Honchkrow's Sucker Punch, and Life Orb, Stealth Rock and Brave Bird recoil wear it down pretty quickly, so a quick Roost on the switch allows it to return later for another round of havoc, while the opponent probably facepalms thinking why on earth did I switch.
Magneton @ Eviolite 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 SpD
Modest, Magnet Pull
Thunderbolt
Volt Switch
HP Grass
Toxic
Magneton is a very important pivot on this team, both offensively and defensively. It serves as a good check to Speed Boost Yanmega without HP Ground, and generally finds plenty of options to switch in, with an incredible 12 resistances and an immunity. Admittedly, it has three weaknesses to arguably the three most common attacks, but that can be worked around with the other members of the team. Because of these resistances, and its natural bulk with Eviolite, Magneton can wall entire movesets of Pokémon, such as Rotom-C, Galvantula, Cresselia, Scyther, Sceptile, Durant, Porygon-Z, and as previously mentioned, Yanmega. With this EV spread, Magneton hits an impressive Special Attack stat of 371, and Thunderbolt has serious power, as well as Volt Switch denting things that switch in only to watch Magneton scurry off. HP Grass has good coverage with Volt Switch, and although Rotom-C does resist it, Toxic deals with that 9 times out of 10. HP Grass is mainly there for Rhyperior, Gastrodon and Quagsire, but also hits things like Sandslash for big damage, and Claydol doesn't like repeatedly switching into it either.
If Magneton is at decent health, it can also serve as a check to Sharpedo and Honchkrow, as it can live through Heat Wave, Superpower, Hydro Pump, Waterfall etc, and KO back with Thunderbolt/Volt Switch. It also threatens bulky waters in general, like Alomomola, Blastoise and Poliwrath.
Alomomola @ Leftovers 252 HP, 156 def, 100 SpD
Calm, Regenerator
Wish
Protect
Scald
Toxic
Enter probably the most important member of the team. Whether it's walling a physical attacker to hell and back, spreading Toxic around, stalling out half a team, or passing ridiculous amounts of HP to the other team members, Alomomola rarely fails to do its job. It has fantastic synergy with Magneton, as Magneton resists Electric and Grass and is immune to Toxic, and Almomola resists Fire, absorbs most Ground attacks as they are physical, resists Water which Magneton is neutral to, and Fighting attacks are fairly rare in this tier but are mainly physical also. This means it normally has no trouble sending a Wish to Magneton to keep its defensive partner healthy. It also has the ability to scout out Choice users with Protect, and deliver a crippling burn to physical attackers with Scald so they are doing practically Leftovers damage to this behemoth. This is my main check to Sharpedo and Entei, two of the biggest physical threats in the tier. It also fares well against Feraligatr, Rhyperior, Durant, Drapion and Qwilfish. I have no idea what this thing is doing in RU, as it has way more physical bulk than Vaporeon at the cost of some special bulk and special attack, but it is surprisingly bulky on the special side with a few EVs, as its massive 165 base HP covers that well, and it can survive things like Choice Specs Bug Buzz from Yanmega, and uninvested Thunderbolts from Magnetons, Lanturns etc.
Probably the best part about this sunfish is its ability, Regenerator. This heals 33.3% of its health every time it switches out, which means it is the ideal Wish-passer, and is what I believe should set it apart from Vaporeon.
Gligar @ Eviolite 252 def, 252 SpD, 4hp
Impish, Hyper Cutter
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Roost
Knock Off
Gligar is a menace defensively. Boasting 508 Defense and 343 Special Defense, alongside a usable 272 HP means that it is in a good position to be taking any sort of attack. You might be wondering why I have no HP investment, but I already have Alomomola as a physical wall, and the Special Defense EVs come in useful a lot, while still retaining considerable physical bulk. Cresselia fails to KO with an unboosted (and even +1) Ice Beam, and Gligar can use Knock Off to get rid of Cresselia's Leftovers, and then Roost off the damage as Ice Beams damage output is halved. I can then switch accordingly to Magneton to get off a Toxic on the Cresselia, as the majority in this tier run Moonlight, and my final member can go toe to toe with the RestTalk variants.
But taking Cresselia isn't Gligar's main duty. It is a sturdy physical wall, stopping things like Mightyena, Rhyperior, Medicham without Ice Punch, Drapion, Gallade, Durant and is a second line of defense against Entei. It rarely fails to set up Stealth Rock during a game, which cripples many things in this tier, particulary Yanmega, Honckrow and Venomoth, and if you get it up on an opposing Yanmega team, you're 80% of the way to nullifying their main threat. Gligar can also check Yanmega to an extent with its surprising special bulk, particularly Speed Boost versions as they are far less threatening than Tinted Lens ones. It takes laughable damage from non-Tinted Lens Bug Buzz, and is able to Knock Off Yanmega's item, especially on the switch, as getting rid of its Choice Specs can be vital to winning a game.
Alakazam @ Leftovers 200 HP, 56 SpA, 252 Spe
Timid, Magic Guard
Calm Mind
Recover
Psyshock
Focus Blast
In my opinion, the best late-game sweeper in the entire tier. This is through a combination of speed, power, and Magic Guard. Magic Guard is probably the most important factor, as it doesn't matter how many layers of entry hazards the opponent has set down, Alakazam is going to be coming in at full health to threaten 90% of the tier. Psychic and Fighting have remarkable coverage, and once certain threats are taken out, it's very hard to stop Alakazam after just a single boost. With no Blissey or Chansey to wall it (not that it would have mattered much with Psyshock) it can run riot. The only thing it fears is priority, and even then it can survive pretty much everything bar Sucker Punches, I've even survived CB Extremespeed from Entei when at full health. It can set up on and force out many common Pokémon in the tier, such as defensive Rotom-C, Aggron, Rhyperior, Krookodile, Qwilfish and Clefable. It is also superb at any time during the game for being able to outspeed so many things and hit like a truck at the same time. One of its best abilities, however, is to take out Calm Mind Cresselia without relying on a Critical Hit. It does this through Psyshock. You both sit there continously using CM until you're both at +6, and then Alakazam unleashes Psyshock on the unsuspecting Cresselia, which is enough to 2HKO 252HP 252def Bold Variants.
But taking Cresselia isn't Gligar's main duty. It is a sturdy physical wall, stopping things like Mightyena, Rhyperior, Medicham without Ice Punch, Drapion, Gallade, Durant and is a second line of defense against Entei. It rarely fails to set up Stealth Rock during a game, which cripples many things in this tier, particulary Yanmega, Honckrow and Venomoth, and if you get it up on an opposing Yanmega team, you're 80% of the way to nullifying their main threat. Gligar can also check Yanmega to an extent with its surprising special bulk, particularly Speed Boost versions as they are far less threatening than Tinted Lens ones. It takes laughable damage from non-Tinted Lens Bug Buzz, and is able to Knock Off Yanmega's item, especially on the switch, as getting rid of its Choice Specs can be vital to winning a game.
Alakazam @ Leftovers 200 HP, 56 SpA, 252 Spe
Timid, Magic Guard
Calm Mind
Recover
Psyshock
Focus Blast
In my opinion, the best late-game sweeper in the entire tier. This is through a combination of speed, power, and Magic Guard. Magic Guard is probably the most important factor, as it doesn't matter how many layers of entry hazards the opponent has set down, Alakazam is going to be coming in at full health to threaten 90% of the tier. Psychic and Fighting have remarkable coverage, and once certain threats are taken out, it's very hard to stop Alakazam after just a single boost. With no Blissey or Chansey to wall it (not that it would have mattered much with Psyshock) it can run riot. The only thing it fears is priority, and even then it can survive pretty much everything bar Sucker Punches, I've even survived CB Extremespeed from Entei when at full health. It can set up on and force out many common Pokémon in the tier, such as defensive Rotom-C, Aggron, Rhyperior, Krookodile, Qwilfish and Clefable. It is also superb at any time during the game for being able to outspeed so many things and hit like a truck at the same time. One of its best abilities, however, is to take out Calm Mind Cresselia without relying on a Critical Hit. It does this through Psyshock. You both sit there continously using CM until you're both at +6, and then Alakazam unleashes Psyshock on the unsuspecting Cresselia, which is enough to 2HKO 252HP 252def Bold Variants.
Threat list
Offensive
Offensive
Yanmega: Choice Specs variants can be difficult, but all others are dealt with by Magneton, Gligar, Honchkrow with Sucker Punch
Venomoth: Usually in the lead position, as I explained I have no trouble with them
Sharpedo: Alomomola and Magneton can dispose of this
Honchkrow: Probably the biggest threat, but Alomomola can take a Brave Bird well, and burn it with Scald. A combination of Life Orb, Stealth Rock and Brave Bird recoil wear it down, and Magneton can take it on at full health, and easily deal with Choice locked into Brave Bird/Sucker Punch, even if it has Moxie
Porygon-Z: Magneton does a fine job, and Alakazam outspeeds non Choice Scarf and OHKOes with Focus Blast, whereas Galvantula outspeeds any variant bar the rare Agility, and will likely KO with Thunder
Entei: Alomomola. And a bit of Gligar
Gallade: Gligar walls most of them
Alakazam: Galvantula obliterates with Bug Buzz, and Honchkrow likewise with Sucker Punch
Sceptile: Magneton, Alakazam, Galvantula all have little trouble, and Alakazam can set up on SubSeed ones
Venomoth: Usually in the lead position, as I explained I have no trouble with them
Sharpedo: Alomomola and Magneton can dispose of this
Honchkrow: Probably the biggest threat, but Alomomola can take a Brave Bird well, and burn it with Scald. A combination of Life Orb, Stealth Rock and Brave Bird recoil wear it down, and Magneton can take it on at full health, and easily deal with Choice locked into Brave Bird/Sucker Punch, even if it has Moxie
Porygon-Z: Magneton does a fine job, and Alakazam outspeeds non Choice Scarf and OHKOes with Focus Blast, whereas Galvantula outspeeds any variant bar the rare Agility, and will likely KO with Thunder
Entei: Alomomola. And a bit of Gligar
Gallade: Gligar walls most of them
Alakazam: Galvantula obliterates with Bug Buzz, and Honchkrow likewise with Sucker Punch
Sceptile: Magneton, Alakazam, Galvantula all have little trouble, and Alakazam can set up on SubSeed ones
Defensive
Cresselia: CM stall with Alakazam, Toxic with Magneton/Alomomola
Blastoise: Toxic stall, Galvantula/Magneton fry it
Rhyperior: Wilted by Scald, HPGrass, Focus Blast, walled by Gligar who can set up rocks on it
Mandibuzz: Takes hefty damage from Galvantula and Magneton, and can do little back to either of them. Also hates Toxic
Quagsire/Gastrodon: HP Grass from Magneton as they won't expect it, and neither of them like Toxic either, or Brave Birds from Honchkrow, also set-up bait for Alakazam usually, unless Quagsire is running Choice Band for some reason
Steelix: Alakazam, Alomomola
Weezing: Probably the Pokémon that gives the most discomfort, as if Alakazam is not there, I have nothing super effective against it, however it is 2HKOed by Magneton and Galvantula, and isn't a threat offensively
So, there is the whole team. Give me suggestions on EV spreads, alternative movesets, even alternative Pokémon that will help this team top the RU ladder!
Blastoise: Toxic stall, Galvantula/Magneton fry it
Rhyperior: Wilted by Scald, HPGrass, Focus Blast, walled by Gligar who can set up rocks on it
Mandibuzz: Takes hefty damage from Galvantula and Magneton, and can do little back to either of them. Also hates Toxic
Quagsire/Gastrodon: HP Grass from Magneton as they won't expect it, and neither of them like Toxic either, or Brave Birds from Honchkrow, also set-up bait for Alakazam usually, unless Quagsire is running Choice Band for some reason
Steelix: Alakazam, Alomomola
Weezing: Probably the Pokémon that gives the most discomfort, as if Alakazam is not there, I have nothing super effective against it, however it is 2HKOed by Magneton and Galvantula, and isn't a threat offensively
So, there is the whole team. Give me suggestions on EV spreads, alternative movesets, even alternative Pokémon that will help this team top the RU ladder!
