[RMT] Blinding Storm (Laddering Team Featuring Lapras)

[Air]

So I decided to build a team around Honchcrow, as I thought that he was a good choice. The "Literal" Big boss pokemon. Unfountalty for you Honchkrow Fans, It Lacked The Power I needed and was Dumped. But Out of Honchcrow, This team was made, and it is working well on Showdown! Anyways, Here's my team.

(This is my first RMT, so tell my anything I've done wrong)

So Here it is: Blinding Storm!

Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 172 Def / 252 HP / 84 SDef
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Slack Off

Hippowdown is my steath rock user, Sandstorm setter, and Talonflame counter. It also functions very well as a mixed wall. Smooth rock is to prolong the sandstorm so excadrill can potentially sweep. The evs allow Hippowdon to only be 3HKO'd 3 Choice banded talonflame Brave Birds And Slack off till recoil kills it. Earthquake a stone edge provide decent coverage and put a dent in anything that is weak to it. Slack off is for recovery.

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

Don't say its to popular, it works. The Air ballon rapid spinner. The Difference Here, is that in sandstorm, it turns into a powerfull sweeper. (And is wrecked by Rotom-W) The Air ballon is to avoid sticky web. Rapid Spin to get away pesky rocks and sticky web so Lapras and Talonflame aren't Affected. After That, in sandstorm, a good old swords dance can really help. Then I can start sweeping. Rock Slide is For Flying types which are the bane of my team. It can also OHKO Talon on the switch.

Lapras @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Surf
- Freeze-Dry

I know what your thinking, What? A lapras in an ou team? Well xy Gave lapras a huge buff this gen: Freeze Dry. this single handy move allows it to check many of its counters. And alot of its counters are a threat to my team. it's like game freak made this pokemon for my team. Lapras is an excellent counter to many threats against my team, including Gliscor, Rotom-w, Gyrados, and Talonflame. It can and unexpectedly OHKO Gastrodon and Kingdra on the switch. I usually bring it in in agiast any flying, water, or ground poke. Water absorb allows many free switch ins. This is a custom WP Resttalk set, with evs that allowed to deal damage while still bulky. Surf and Freeze dry provide almost perfect coverage bar Shednija and Jynx (Dry Skin) Rotom-w is a excellent lure for lapras. The evs allow it to survive 3 Choice Banded Talonflame Brave Birds, and 2HKO back.

Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast -> Adaptability
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse

This. This one. This was outright Banned on Pokemon online. (But showdowns fair game :D ) This is my Mega, and a powerfull sweeper. Steadfast is Situational, manly on ambipom (or anything with fake out) I can get a "free" speed boost. This is the standard nasty plot set. Flash cannon and Aura Sphere are useful stabs and are only not used against charizard and volcarona. Vaccum Wave Lacks the power to sweep, and I usually don't have trouble outspeeding

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 208 Spd / 252 Atk / 48 HP
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Sleep Talk

Yep. CB Talonflame. It works. The end.

But really, why so much hate on CB talonflame. It works very well as a lead, using u turn. And I a great late game sweeper and revenge killer. This has the standard BB and Flare Blitz Combo. Sleep talk is so it can absorb sleep from breloom and such. Common switch outs such as fighting, bug or grass types are very useful as talonflame can unexpectedly u turn to gain momentum. The ev spread is strait ripped of seribii. Yeh. It works though.

Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Night Slash
- Stone Edge

Heracross, The one that dethroned Honchrow. The big boss. Heracross works similarly to Honchkrow as a choice scarf moxie abuser and revenge killer. It is usually the pokemon that cleans up the opponents team late game, of lucario already hasn't killed everything. Megahorn and CC anayalates everthing. Absolutely everything. Stone edge can kill talonflame on the switch, and provide excellent coverage along megahorn and CC. Night slash is just for Ghousts, Mainly Jelecent

Threats:
-If Lapras dies, Fire and Water types can pose a threat.
-U turn Genesect is a pain.

Please Leave Suggestions, Thanks for reading!

Importable:

Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 172 Def / 252 HP / 84 SDef
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Slack Off

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

Lapras @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Surf
- Freeze-Dry

Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spd
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Sleep Talk

Heracross (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Night Slash
- Stone Edge

Change log:
- Roserade Changed to more bulky set. Hp Fire is now rest
- Excadrills Iron head is now rock slide
- New member replacing Roserade - WP Sleeptalk Lapras
- Talonflame Steel wing now Sleep talk
- Tyranitar is replaced with Hippowdon

 

[DJQuack8D]

I see that you only employ Roserade because of Rotom-W. This gives your team a pretty big weakness to Flying types. What I'd do is replace Roserade with Freeze Dry Mamoswine. It can still 2HKO Rotom-W, and Icicle Crash/Ice Shard damages Flying types really well with the exception of Skarmory.

 

[i excel]

Cool team. Heracross is suprisingly good. Your team does not like when Rotom-w(or other waters such as Keldeo) enters the field at all. Your current Roserade set is lacking any defensive investment and has no recovery. This means a couple Volt Switches will be all Roserade can take as Life Orb, Sand, and any hazards will quickly take their toll. I don't think you need all that speed on Roserade to be effective. Running max HP and 16 Speed EVs allows you to outrun Jolly Azumarill and anything that aims for that benchmark, while taking a lot less damage from Rotom-W and the other water types it will need to check. I would also drop Hidden Power Fire for Rest, as this allows you to Recover to full in one turn. Anything that you hit with Hidden Power Fire can be slept, which allows you to get a free switch to one of your powerful offensive options. Since Roserade often won't be staying in for more than a turn or two, I think Leaf Storm over Energy Ball would be a good change to make. Leaf Storm hits ridiculously hard, and Sludge Bomb strongly discourages Grass resists from coming in. The set would look like this:

Roserade @ Life Orb | Natural Cure
Modest | 252 HP / 240 SAtk / 16 Spd
Leaf Storm / Sludge Bomb / Rest / Sleep Powder

I would also strongly advise you use Rock Slide over Iron Head on Excadrill. Hitting Talonflame is a big deal in this metagame, and Tyranitar can be easily worn down by repeated U-turns. Running Iron Head for Fairy types isn't necessary, because Earthquake hits them hard to begin with, and Togekiss falls to boosted Rock Slides. If a Calm Mind Clefable were to set up, you have STAB Steel on Lucario and a Choice Band Talonflame to break it. Rock Slide also allows you to deal somewhat meaningful damage to Rotom-w in a pinch.

 

[Air]

Roserade @ Life Orb | Natural Cure
Modest | 252 HP / 240 SAtk / 16 Spd
Leaf Storm / Sludge Bomb / Rest / Sleep Powder

Thanks for the set, I changed my excadrills iron head to rock slide and it works great.

About the roserade, it basically the set above, with energy ball instead of leaf storm, I find it a lot better at 2HKO asleep defencive pokes. I was considering giga drain, but rest covers me for hp

 

[Air]

Bump for Lapras

 

[aPandaCub]

Hi! This is a really solid team you got here, and that Lapras set is definetely a great lure for its counters, its great to see not very common pokemon being used effectively. I dont really know how bulky it is, but Im going to assume that its working really well.

For Lucario, I would strongly advise running Vacuum Wave over Aura Sphere. Theres very little that Vacuum Wave cant kill that Aura Sphere can. I actually dont have calcs for that, but any Special attack coming from a +2 Base 140 is going to hurt like hell. The only reason I see to run Aura Sphere are bulky waters such as Milotic and Vaporeon. Its ultimately up to your preference, as priority can oftentimes be very useful in beating scarfers or priority. It comes down to your preference, are you afraid of faster threats, or bulkier ones? This isnt a big issue, and Im pretty sure Lapras can bring Vap or Milotic or Blastoise to within killing range of Vacuum Wave. However, your team does have ways of dealing with fast scarfers, such as Sand Rush Excadrill and CB Talonflame.

You could consider running something like a Smooth Rock Slack Off Hippowdown to deal with Talonflame. Not only do all its moves not 2HKO, you can still slack off, and basically watch as he kills himself with recoil damage.

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 151-178 (35.9 - 42.3%) -- 92.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 151-178 (35.9 - 42.3%) -- 92.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery


Again, its up to preference. Hippo can get up sand longer, have more staying power, but he is ultimately much more one dimensional than T-Tar. He can't pursuit trap anything, but his sand stays longer, giving Excadrill a longer time to sweep. Additionally, slack off gives him more staying power. Seeing how Talonflame checks grass types, and Lapras eats up water and ice, you aren't going to be as vulnerable. Also, Hippo is a great physical fighting check, which T-tar was weak to, along with Lapras, Excadrill, and Lucario, who all die/are extremely crippled by mach punch.

I would consider putting Sleep Talk over Steel Wing on Talonflame. Gives you sleep fodder, although unreliable, but also because Steel wing really wont be doing anything, you're better off U-Turning.

 

[Air]

You could consider running something like a Smooth Rock Slack Off Hippowdown to deal with Talonflame. Not only do all its moves not 2HKO, you can still slack off, and basically watch as he kills himself with recoil damage.

Yes Tyranitar is only used to set up sand and steath rock, I will probaly change to hippowdown. what set do you recomend?

Somthing like
Calm -252 hp/252/spd/4 def
- SR
- Slack off
- EQ
- Stone Edge?

 

[aPandaCub]

Yes Tyranitar is only used to set up sand and steath rock, I will probaly change to hippowdown. what set do you recomend?

Somthing like
Calm -252 hp/252/spd/4 def
- SR
- Slack off
- EQ
- Stone Edge?

I dont know. Ill have to play around with it in the Damage Calculator. At least put enough Defense EVs to comftorably avoid a 2HKO. Stone Edge seems solid, but then again you can always slack off and let him kill himself with recoil.

 

[Air]

I dont know. Ill have to play around with it in the Damage Calculator. At least put enough Defense EVs to comftorably avoid a 2HKO. Stone Edge seems solid, but then again you can always slack off and let him kill himself with recoil.

I calcs that I need 172 def evs to survive choice band:

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Hippowdon: 177-208 (42.1 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

And I only need 4 evs to survive Life orb/sky plate

252+ Atk Life Orb Talonflame Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hippowdon: 175-208 (41.6 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

So which should I go for?

 

[aPandaCub]

I calcs that I need 172 def evs to survive choice band:

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Hippowdon: 177-208 (42.1 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

And I only need 4 evs to survive Life orb/sky plate

252+ Atk Life Orb Talonflame Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hippowdon: 175-208 (41.6 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

So which should I go for?

Definetely 172. Choice Band is pretty much your biggest threat. In fact, the more defense EVs the better, as you also have to watch out for Swords Dance variants as well.

 

[Air]

Definetely 172. Choice Band is pretty much your biggest threat. In fact, the more defense EVs the better, as you also have to watch out for Swords Dance variants as well.

K thanks for the help

 

[DJQuack8D]

It's really nice to see Lapras being used! I used it in UU and had a blast, so I hope it helps your team!