Gen 3 Typhlosion Paracross Offense

[Bladedasher]

So I was watching an FSG video on Typhlosion in competitive (the old one) when I checked the comments and found this:

I checked TheFireMonarch's team, and they used a subpass team with Typhlosion, Vaporeon, Celebi, Jolteon, Metagross, and Salamence. This inspired me to build my first custom team for ADV OU, revolving around that same concept with Typlosion and Heracross as my threats. I edited my team as I played to account for matchups, and my playstyle in general, and after a few weeks, I ended up with a different team entirely from that subpass team. Instead, I used paralysis to help slow down threats to setup a sweep with Heracross.


Sage (Typhlosion) @ Leftovers
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Overheat
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Typhlosion acts as the lead pokemon on this team, who's goal is to strike fear into the skarmory lead trying to lay spikes, as well as any other Fire weak leads. If I get a good lead matchup, Typhlosion subs on the switch and either Focus punch a Blissey/ttar, or HP grass an incoming Swampert. I'll also send Typhlosion mid game and use the high firepower of Overheat to muscle through weakened targets, or come in on a fire weak pokemon to sub and regain momentum. For EV's I simply dumped everything into speed and Special attack, to capitalize on offense. I used to run a special sweeper set until Blissey started ruining my day, so focus punch replaced thunder punch. I also considered running Charizard on the team, until I realized just how Electric weak the team was.


Berserker (Heracross) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Brick Break
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ghost]

Heracross is the second member of my main offensive core, going all out in attack with a choice band set. The set is the same as the smogon set, which also dumps the EV's into attack and speed. I tend to play Heracross in both the midgame once the opponent's revealed pokemon have a shared weakness to exploit, either taking something down or revealing a new member. Once Typlosion cleans up the steels and the faster dudes are paralyzed, Heracross will show up and clean the game. I went swarm while I was using a lot more subpass, as I would use it to shield hera and make it difficult to activate guts, as well as getting more damage on stab Megahorn. I might replace HP Ghost for Subsitute and run a liechi berry, as I tend to almost never click the move in my games.

Paladin (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 224 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpA / 44 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Hydro Pump

I thought my old Subpass team looked pretty solid until I realized just how easily Electrics beat it, as I had no Electric immunity or Earthquake to hit back. This is where Swampert comes in, checking the electrics while packing the defensive utility to help my team pivot into the field, especially once Swampert protects and scouts an HP Grass that both Typhlosion and Heracross can use to get their foot in the door and hit the field. Swampert also helps with the Dragons that both Typhlosion and Heracross struggle with thanks to Ice Beam. This set is the smogon standard defensive set, with the one edit of taking 24 Ev's of HP and dumping it into Special attack, so that Ice beam is a guaranteed OHKO on the offensive salamence set packing HP Grass. Swampert comes in early in the game, mainly against a Ttar lead that Scares my Typhlosion out to get momentum back. Once late enough in the game, I'll trade Swampert for an important KO by letting it tank an HP grass to kill something back in return, so that my teammates and start to clean up.

General (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion

Back on my old SubPass team, Typhlosion was purely Special, and Heracross was only physical, meaning Skarmbliss could just run circles aound the duo. This is why when I added the Metagross from TheFireMonarch's team, I opted for the smogon mixed set, which uses HP fire to dent Skarmory, as well as Stab Mash and Boom for blissey. I use metagross along with Typhlosion to clear away the Steels and Rocks, as well as Pshycic to get rid of the spinblocking Gengar. Once those threats are gone, I trade with a boom, hopefully on a Blissey or CM Celebi, giving more breathing room for Typhlosion and Swampert Respectively.

Falcoknight (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder Wave
- Baton Pass

Zapdos serves as both a momentum grabber with Baton Pass, and one of my 2 paralysis spreaders. One of the problem matchups I found myself going up against were faster attackers, mainly Zapdos and Aerodactyl, as well as Gengar being a nuisance, and this is why I brought in Zapdos. Zapdos runs the smogon Offensive set with Thunder Wave and Baton pass, as well as HP Ice for a second way to deal with otherwise problematic Dragons. Blissey tends to come in on Zap a lot, so I predict the switch and baton pass into heracross to scare it out.


Dread Fighter (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave

For the longest time, I had NO idea what to use on my 6th slot. I was looking for another mon with some defensive utility to go along with Swampert. It fluctuated from Umbreon for a defensive wish passer, to a Claydol with a Ground Electric Immunity who could ALSO go boom. I eventually decided on a defensive Starmie, who could spin away spikes, paralyze with Thunder wave along with Zapdos, and absorb status thanks to natural cure. I use the same EV's as the smogon set, with the only change of the set being Hydro pump for the extra firepower.

Any ideas to help improve the team are appreciated. Right now, I find this team struggles with opposing Zapdos with HP Grass, Gengar, who can block my rapid spin against my Psychic-less Starmie, as well as faster threats until I can get the paralysis off. Any suggestions for EV's would also help, as i'm still new to EV building.
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/9537f09554ee0bd1

 

[vapicuno]

It's not clear to me why you're using Typhlosion instead of Blaziken. The main advantage of Typhlosion compared to Blaziken is its speed (to match Salamence) and compared to Charizard is its lack of Electric weakness (which you rightly pointed out). I suspect that Blaziken would be clearly better here and you can click Sky Uppercut without resorting to non-STAB weak Focus Punch.

The pace of the team is mismatched on some Pokemon. CB Heracross and defensive Swampert are mainly for balanced teams. To me there are two options here.

1. Drop Zapdos, use Sub/Salac/Megahorn/Fpunch on Heracross and Endeavor Swampert. Use a bulky offensive mon like Tyranitar/Mixmence in its place. In this manner you are trading Pokemon down.

2. Use Subpass Zapdos, use Leftovers Heracross and maybe offensive Leftovers Swampert fits better here, and then you would probably prefer Agiligross. In this manner you are using Zapdos to pivot and get the bulky attackers in.

More edits are probably needed beyond what I suggested but there are many variations so I don't want to distract from the main points.

 

[Bladedasher]

It's not clear to me why you're using Typhlosion instead of Blaziken. The main advantage of Typhlosion compared to Blaziken is its speed (to match Salamence) and compared to Charizard is its lack of Electric weakness (which you rightly pointed out). I suspect that Blaziken would be clearly better here and you can click Sky Uppercut without resorting to non-STAB weak Focus Punch.

The pace of the team is mismatched on some Pokemon. CB Heracross and defensive Swampert are mainly for balanced teams. To me there are two options here.

1. Drop Zapdos, use Sub/Salac/Megahorn/Fpunch on Heracross and Endeavor Swampert. Use a bulky offensive mon like Tyranitar/Mixmence in its place. In this manner you are trading Pokemon down.

2. Use Subpass Zapdos, use Leftovers Heracross and maybe offensive Leftovers Swampert fits better here, and then you would probably prefer Agiligross. In this manner you are using Zapdos to pivot and get the bulky attackers in.

More edits are probably needed beyond what I suggested but there are many variations so I don't want to distract from the main points.

Thanks for the advice, I originally used Typhlosion because he had a faster Thunder Punch than Ken, but for some reason never considered him once I switched to Focus punch, will definetly give Blaziken a try.

I'm planning on going down the Zapdos subpass route, so for Leftovers Heracross, should I switch to Guts for the attack boost, or stick with Swarm?

 

[vapicuno]

there are cases to be made for both, especially if you use substitute on hera (it's not needed) to get its hp into swarm range. at a glance though, i'd go with guts.