The Bulky Exploders
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 156 HP/252 Atk/100 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Selfdestruct
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Consistent pressure on the opponent is important. A great way to add additional pressure is to kill what they least expect will fall. Snorlax is a Pokemon that has a tendency to draw in a lot of walls and tanks with its bulk and power. However, they come in at a significant risk.
Snorlax is very bulky. The EVs we used allow Snorlax to hit 500 HP, and hit hard with max Attack. The remaining EVs were dumped into Defense, and allow Snorlax to even take a LO Outrage from Salamence. Body Slam was used over Return for a nifty 30% paralysis chance, which can make certain pokemon think twice before switching into Snorlax. With Paralysis, it makes sweeps even easier to perform with Ape and Mence. Snorlax is bulky and can special attacks for the team as well as certain physical attacks, but there's more to the bulk than just taking hits.
Offensively, Snorlax can kill in two ways. There's the normal Body Slam, Crunch, and EQ attacks, and then there's the panic button. Snorlax has the ability to take out something unexpectedly with Selfdestruct, meaning that the opponent is never safe. A Snorlax can OHKO a Scizor after SR is factored in with Selfdestruct. Skarmory takes about 70-75% of damage against a Selfdestruct of Snorlax, which is usually irreversible provided the offensive momentum is maintained. Explosion type moves not only do massive amounts of damage to threats, but it can also set you in the perfect spot for the match to become in your favor. The opponent, if done correctly, will lose more than what you have lost, thus putting you in a favorable position for a sweep.
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Metagross @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 200 HP/252 Atk/12 Def/44 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
- Meteor Mash
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Non-lead Metagross is usually identified as either Agiligross or Trappergross. However, this set takes a more simpler route in the form of attacking. With 44 Speed EVs, it can outspeed the standard Arghonaut and everything under it, including CBTar. Though not exactly a speed demon, this Metagross outruns what it has to and gains the bulk necessary to become a reliable hit-taker on the team, similar to Snorlax. Zen Headbutt does over 70% to most Arghonaut, while Meteor Mash and Earthquake deal with everything else. Explosion guarantees at least one Pokemon dies, if used correctly. Latias, who thinks that it could beat us off with Surfs before Meta can beat it with Meteor Mash has to think twice when an Explosion simply kills off one of Infernape's main threats.
Metagross is an amazing tank, and it works great in the CAP metagame in particular. Provided it doesn't have Earthquake, it covers against even Life Orb Kitsunoh considerably well, which would take a toll on our team otherwise. Furthermore, it provides the Dragon resist the team needs, and has great synergy with Salamence. Many times will we see a DD'd Outrage come in Salamences way, only to be destroyed by Gross. Both Metagross and Snorlax function as backbones to the team, and can explode at any moment, making them formidable to deal with at any given time.
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Threat List
The order of these pokemon were taken from the
March Server Statistics, in order from most common to least common. We emitted some of the pokemon, as we felt they weren't that common enough to be considered in today's meta.
Metagross: Rotom-h can switch into most of Metagross's attacks and come back with a nasty Overheat. Infernape and Mence can also OHKO Metagross with their respective fire moves, although they cannot switch in as easily as Rotom.
Latias: Snorlax can handle most of Latias's moves, and fight back with Crunch. Metagross can switch into a Draco Meteor and explode if need be as well. If it is a slower Latias, then Salamence will have an easy time with Draco Meteor and Outrage.
Scizor: Rotom can take scizor, and Metagross can wall a CBScizor Bullet Punch. EQ does about 40% to Scizor each time. If need-be, Mence can take a Bullet Punch with Intimidate and Fire Blast it to death.
Salamence: Quite tough to handle. It usually depends on what pokemon is in Salamence at the given time. Most of the time, you would lure in a Fire Blast with Snorlax, and Body Slam/Selfdestruct when necessary, or switch Metagross into a predicted Outrage. In the case that Salamence Dragon Dances, luring Salamence into Outrage in order for Meta to boom is essential.
Jirachi: Metagross can take Jirachi on, as can Rotom. During the case of CM Jirachi, Snorlax is usually the best option. Mence also does well with Fire Blast.
Starmie: Starmie generally has a really tough time coming in, as just about any attack from our Pokemon does respectable damage to it. Snorlax can handle it. It is also possible to predict a Rapid Spin or Trick and switch to Scarf Rotom in order to Thunderbolt/Shadow Ball it.
Tyranitar: Metagross outspeeds Tyranitar and usually OHKOs with Meteor Mash. It is 3HKO'd by CBTar's Crunch.
Heatran: Snorlax is the best option for Heatran, with Salamence being the second. Provided it does not run Dragon Pulse/HP Ice, Mixmence can dent Heatran quite hard for about 65% with Draco Meteor. Rotom outspeeds and can kill off a weakened Heatran with Thunderbolt.
Infernape: This one is quite tough as well. For most Infernape, it is necessary to lure in Close Combat and fight back with Scarf Rotom. If Stratagem is still intact, Earth Power would work provided no priority is run. Salamence can intimidate Infernape, in which it would be tempted to HP Ice. In this case, switching to Snorlax to kill Ape would cost about 70% of it's health. If it's a physically-based Mixape, Metagross can threaten to survive an Overheat after a SpA drop and OHKO back with Earthquake or Zen Headbutt.
Zapdos: Snorlax, yet again, does wonders against Zapdos. None of Zapdos's normal moves can do much to Snorlax, and can easily come back with a mean Body Slam. Salamence and Infernape both do ridiculous amounts of damage with Draco Meteor and Overheat/Stone Edge.
Fidgit: Since a lot of Fidgit are used as leads, Stratagem can Earth Power or Ice Beam in order to 2HKO Fidgit. Furthermore, Stratagem is immune to Fidgit's Earth Power. During mid to late game, Snorlax can come in and 2HKO most Fidgit with an EQ. Most Fidgit are completely non-threatening to Salamence, who hits back hard with any one of its attacks.
Machamp: Usually, Machamp has to be lured into using anything other than DynamicPunch. In this case, it is best to go to Rotom first to take a DynamicPunch, then go to Metagross and Zen Headbutt to OHKO Machamp. If caught in a tight spot and Rotom is gone, Salamence can Intimidate Machamp and Draco Meteor it.
Breloom: Sleeping something such as Strata would be ideal. Rotom could deal with Rotom then. Salamence is another option, although it isn't as reliable as Rotom since Breloom would most likely be under a sub.
Arghonaut: Metagross and Rotom take Arghonaut with relative ease. If for some reason it gets 2-3 Stockpiles, Tricking with Rotom is the best option. Explosion could work as well, if Rotom seems to be down. Salmence Draco Meteor does about 70%.
Skarmory: For Skarmory, Stratagem, Infernape, Rotom and Salamence can all take on Skarmory. If there seems to be trouble denting Skarmory, exploding is always a viable option in order to ensure Skarmory can not recover.
Celebi: Salamence is the best option if it can avoid Thunder Wave. Fire Blast and Draco Meteor cripple it very badly. Snorlax can fuck with Celebi to an extent. If it dishes out a Leech Seed, drop a Selfdestruct on it. Rotom can also deal with Celebi by using Overheat/Shadow Ball. Meta works similarly to Snorlax as well, with Meteor Mash and Explosion instead of Crunch and Selfdestruct.
Flygon: This is also annoying to handle. Prediction is the key to beating it. Anything can take a U-turn. Salamence, Rotom and Stratagem can take an EQ. Metagross walls a Flygon trapped into Outrage, and it can take one Earthquake if need be and strike back with Meteor Mash. Snorlax can take Fire Blast. A weakened Flygon is Mach Punch fodder for Ape.
Stratagem: Snorlax can take Stratagem. If it is Technician, EQ OHKOes it. Infernape can switch in after a kill and Mach Punch Stratagem. Watch out for Vacuum Wave though. Rotom can outspeed Strata and 2HKO with either Shadow Ball or Thunderbolt. Meta can survive just about anything that Stratagem throws at it short of +1 Fire Blast and strike back with Meteor Mash.
Snorlax: Infernape can kill off Snorlax, and Metagross can 2HKO with Meteor Mash. Tricking Snorlax with Rotom is also an option, though Crunch is something to watch out for.
Magnezone: Salamence, Stratagem, Infernape, and Snorlax can deal with magnezone. However, if it gets a sub up, it is harder to fend off and would usually have to result in sacrificing something.
Vaporeon: Rotom and Snorlax can deal with Vaporeon. Rotom, however, must watch out for Surf. Nonetheless, if problems occur, exploding is always there. If it doesn't have Ice Beam, Salamence wins.
Blissey: Everything on this team, except for Stratagem, can deal with Blissey to an extent. Rotom can Trick Blissey, Metagross 2HKOs with Meteor Mash, Snorlax can take all of Blissey's moves and Body Slam it, Infernape is obviously going to kill Blissey, and Salamence has Outrage.
Gyarados: When in danger, it is best to switch to Metagross/Snorlax and explode off. When Rotom is still intact, make sure to switch it on EQ/DD and revenge it with Thunderbolt. Draco Meteor can OHKO gyarados, and Infernape can kill off Gyara with Stone Edge without Intimdate factoring in SR.
Azelf: For leads, Stratagem can outspeed Azelf and kill with Flamethrower/Ice Beam. For non leads, there's Scarf Rotom that can outspeed and kill, as well as Snorlax for special variant Azelf.
Lucario: Salamence has Intimidate and can survive a +1 LO Extremespeed even with SR up. Infernape can kill off weakened Lucario with Mach Punch. Rotom can come in on SD/CC and Overheat Lucario.
Revenankh: Metagross and Rotom deal with Revenankh with Zen Headbutt and Shadow Ball respectively. Even with one Bulk Up, Metagross can 2HKO the standard Rev. Furthermore, Salamence can win out with a combination of Draco Meteor and Outrage.
Gengar: Let Gengar sleep something, then bring in Rotom on a Focus Blast/Tbolt to Shadow Ball. Snorlax can take about 2 Focus Blasts and come back with Crunch. Meta is bulky enough to take Shadow Ball on a switch, and Zen Headbutt while barely surviving.
Rotom-a: Snorlax can take on Rotom. If you predict a WoW, then Infernape can come in on that and Overheat to kill most Rotom after SR. Salamence can come in on Overheat, Hydro Pump or Leaf Storm from offensive Rotom-h, w and c, and any one of its attacks either OHKO or cripple.
Mamoswine: Quite annoying. We used to have even worse problems with Mamoswine, but Rotom now takes on Mamo as it can come in on EQ and Overheat.
Swampert: For Lead Swampert, Energy Ball Stratagem can dish out some nasty damage. Tricking Swampert with Rotom or exploding are also options. Draco Meteor can kill most Swampert off after some small damage as well.
Bronzong: Rotom can both Trick and Overheat on Bronzong. Infernape can kill most Bronong that have about 90% health left. Salmence Fire Blast stings like hell.
Jolteon: Snorlax can come in and EQ. However, Thunderbolt still does quite the amount. If Stratagem is still alive, it can speed tie with Jolteon and Earth Power. Metagross can last two non-Specs or LO Thunderbolts and EQ.
Empoleon: Snorlax can EQ Empoleon. If it happens to Sub-whore, Snorlax can still survive 2 surfs, factoring in Petaya. If Snorlax is too weak to take on Surfs, Infernape can clean up with Mach Punch. Rotom can kill off empoleon with Thunderbolt too, however, if it gets an agility up, it will be killed by Surf.
Dugtrio: This depends on what Duggy traps, and what it uses. Since most Duggy are Banded, If it uses EQ, Stratagem, Salamence, and Rotom can come in and kill it. In any other case, Snorlax is bulky enough to last 2 EQs and come back with Body Slam.
Togekiss: Snorlax can take most of Togekiss's moves. If it is Nasty Plot+Roost, exploding would work, as well as Rotom Thunderbolt, which is more of a safer option.
Kingdra: Snorlax does great against Rain-based Mixed Kingdra. If it is not under rain, Salamence can outspeed Kingdra. If it has DD, luring Kingdra into Outrage for Meta works.
Pyroak: If it's still alive, Stratagem's Paleo Wave hurts like hell. Salamence walls most of Pyroak's common moves, and Draco Meteor does about 70% to Pyroak. Factoring in SR, it would barely survive. Snorlax can Selfdestruct if Pyroak succeeds in surviving and recovering up. Be sure to Body Slam first to ensure that it will not switch and will continue to stall you out, thinking it is safe.
Hippowdon: Explosions can kill it, as can Salamence's Draco Meteor. Rotom can Trick Hippowdon and Stratagem can Energy Ball/Ice Beam it. Infernape can Overheat if need be, if Hippowdon's health is low enough.
Forretress: Salamence, Stratagem, Rotom-h, and Infernape can kill Forry with their respective fire moves.
Syclant: Snorlax can Body Slam Syclant, and Metagross can survive two non TG Earth Powers. Rotom can also Overheat when necessary. Stratagem can Flamethrower Syclant if it is still alive. Mach Punch from Infernape kills off a weakened Syclant.
Gliscor: Explosions will kill off Gliscor. Draco Meteor, Ice Beam Stratagem, and Shadow Ball from Rotom are also good in killing Gliscor off. Furthermore, Infernape's Overheat can deal quite a bit of damage to Gliscor.
Dragonite: Salamence can outspeed and kill off Dragonite. If it is DD Dragonite, go to Mence and lure in the Outrage so Meta can kill Dragonite off. If worst comes to worse, Snorlax can boom it away.
Roserade: Lead Roserade will take respectable damage from Stratagem and relies upon the inaccurate Sleep Powder to stop it. Infernape and Snorlax can take hits from Roserade and kill it off. Metagross, Rotom, and Mence also give Roserade trouble.
Yanmega: Hate this thing. Yanmega has trouble with Snorlax and Rotom, both of which can kill it off. However, it must sleep something first, such as Stratagem, before it has troubles.
Suicune: Suicune has to deal with Rotom, where it could be Tricked or Thunderbolted. If it has a few CMs up, Snorlax can Selfdestruct in order to kill this threat. Suicune sometimes has a tendency to switch into Mence, in which case it will probably be taking a Draco Meteor.
Cresselia: Rotom, Snorlax, and Metagross can fend off this beast by exploding, tricking, or Shadow Balling it. Lowering Cresselia's defense via Crunch is a longer yet still effective option as well. As was said for Suicune, Cress likes to come into Mence and it won't enjoy a Draco Meteor.
Heracross: Rotom can switch into most of Heracross's moves, other than Night Slash. Metagross can take all of Hera's moves, although it cannot switch into all of them. Exploding Meta on Hera can work, as well as Salamence which could switch in on Megahorn and Roost off the incoming damage.
Aerodactyl: Lead Aero speed tie with Strata, and die to Paleo Wave or Ice Beam. Any other Aero is kind of sucky in today's Meta, and would die easily to the hands of Rotom or Metagross.
Porygonz: Snorlax and Meta can handle this. In case this thing is Sub Salac and somehow gets Tri Attack Hax, Infernape can finish Pory Z with Mach Punch. Rotom picks off weakened non-Timid Scarf Porygon-Z with Thunderbolt.
Azumarill: Salamence can switch in on Waterfall, while Metagross can switch on Waterfall. Rotom can kill it off with Thunderbolt, although it is harder to switch in Rotom as opposed to the latter.
Dusknoir: Draco Meteor and Overheat from Salamence and Infernape can handle Dusknoir, and Rotom can Trick Dusknoir to make life easier. Shadow Ball could also work, but Shadow Sneak hurts.
Crobat: Most Crobat are leads, and Stratagem speed ties with it in order to Paleo Wave or Ice Beam it. Rotom can outspeed Crobat and hit with Thunderbolt, and Meta doesn't mind much of anything that Crobat throws at it.
Tentacruel: Snorlax EQ 2HKOes Tenta, whie Zen Headbutt OHKOes. Rotom's Thunderbolt also packs quite the punch.
Ludicolo: Snorlax is truly fantastic against this thing and, even in the rain, can take any attack and either Selfdestruct or Body Slam and hope for paralysis.
Ninjask: For lead ninjask, Rotom can deal with Jask quite nicely. Although there isn't much of a phazer in this team, it is most likely possible to deal with anything Jask may pass to.
Electivire: EQ from Snorlax can kill off Electivire, as Cross Chop will not kill it. Salamence outruns if it doesn't have a Motor Drive boost and kills back with just about anything.
Weavile: Metagross takes Weavile on nicely. Meteor Mash obviously kills it. Mach Punch From Ape also kills off Weavile.
Alakazam: Snorlax can deal with it's attacks and retaliate with Crunch. Metagross can last most of Zam's attacks as well and come back with Meteor Mash, and Rotom can outspeed Zam and Shadow Ball.
Kitsunoh: In the case of Choice Kitsunohs, we can switch around resists, but Life Orb attackers are a bit trickier. If it has Earthquake and not Superpower, Snorlax makes a good switch-in. If it has Superpower and not Earthquake, Metagross is your best bet. The worst case scenario is a Sub Status Kit, in which case Metagross will be forced to take a Will-O-Wisp in order to scare it away. Rotom outspeeds non-Scarf Kitsunoh and can kill it off with Overheat. If it's still alive, Stratagem works similarly with Flamethrower or Earth Power.
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Credits:
Cyzir- Your pictures are amazing
Everybody on the ladder- You helped perfect the team
Mag, Beej- You guys are just great <3
Thanks for reading ^_^