One Last Shot
Introduction
I never really got into competitive battling this generation, despite submitting a previous RMT. In honor of the U.S. release of Black 2 and White 2, I thought I'd give it another shot. After doing a little research about the current metagame, I decided to go with a team most similar to the Bulky Offense style.
Team Building
For my sweeper, I chose Lucario. His defenses and HP may not be ideal for a bulky team, but his defenses are pretty great. Also, basing my team around him lets me throw in some Star Wars references.
Next I began work on the core. Dragonite makes an excellent secondary sweeper and has pretty good bulk.
Celebi works well with Lucario and adds additional coverage.
Rotom-W helps take out Tornadus-T and blocks Rapid Spinners.
Donphan is a great rapid spinner, can set up stealth rock, and helps cover weaknesses.
Finally, I needed a good scout. There were other options, but Victini seemed to help round things out a bit, and covered a few more weaknesses.
Details and Analysis
Lucario ("Use the Forece, Luke") @ Air Balloon
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, - SpA)
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Close Combat
-ExtremeSpeed
-Ice Punch
Pretty much the standard Lucario set. After only a couple of Swords Dances, Lucario's Attack becomes very high. Air Balloon allows him to get an extra Swords Dance in. Close Combat is for STAB, has very high power, and takes out many walls after the Swords Dance boost. ExtremeSpeed helps make up for Lucario's less than ideal Speed stat, and allows it to beat Pokemon with Choice Scarves. Ice Punch gets rid of Dragons and Grounds. which can harm both Lucario and Victini. As mentioned before, Lucario can be pretty resilient, and should theoretically be able to take a few powerful attacks before going down. Max Attack and Speed mean that Lucario has the best chance of doing as much damage as possible.
Dragonite ("It's not wise to upset a Wookie") @ Expert Belt
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 8 HP / 64 Atk / 240 SAtk / 196 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Superpower
- Dragon Tail
Multiscale is an awesome ability that ensures Dragonite's bulk and helps it take an extra hit or so. Draco Meteor does massive damage. Thunderbolt hits Water types that Dragonite will have to counter. Superpower is good for breaking walls. Finally, Dragon Tail forces the opponent's Pokemon to take Stealth Rock damage courtesy of Donphan as they switch. The EV spread, suggested by Emvee, should give Dragonite a good mix of Physical and Special Attacking power.
Celebi ("Do or do not, there is no try.") @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Modest
EVs: 220 HP / 252 SpA / 36 Spe
-Nasty Plot
-Giga Drain
-Recover
-Earth Power
NP Celebi replaces Reuniclus as my primary Special Sweeper. Nasty Plot boosts his Special Attack to extreme levels. Giga Drain gives STAB, a recovery option, and the ability to destroy bulky Waters that could hinder the team's effectiveness. Recover further prolongs Celebi's existence, and offsets the damage from Life Orb. Earth Power eliminates Heatran and others who could do serious damage. 252 HP lets Celebi take a few hits, and 252 SpA with 36 Spe mean that it only takes a couple Nasty Plots to be ready to do massive damage.
Rotom-W ("R2D2, where are you?") @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Modest (+ SpA, - Atk)
EVs: 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe
-Volt Switch
-Hydro Pump
-Pain Split
-Will-O-Wisp
Rotom-W can help cover other weaknesses while hindering opponents. Volt Switch is for STAB and allows Rotom-W to get away if necessary. Hydro Pump is for secondary STAB. Pain Split gives him a recovery move and cripples the opponent, and Will-O-Wisp likewise injures the opponent. 152 HP EVs and Leftovers together allow Rotom-W to tank. 152 Special Attack and 104 Speed give him some ability to deal damage.
Donphan ("They're no match for Droidekas") @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Impish (+ Def, - SpA)
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Atk / 128 Def
-Rapid Spin
-Stealth Rock
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
Donphan can Spin to remove hazards, especially Stealth Rock which can cripple Dragonite and Victini. He can then put up his own Stealth Rock, which can in turn cripple enemies. Stone Edge and Earthquake provide excellent coverage when combined. The former should OHKO Volcanara, and the latter defeats other Fire types who can hurt the rest of my team. Leftovers and Sturdy give Donphan a few extra turns to use Rapid Spin or deal damage. Equal Attack and Defense plus 252 HP mean that he has both bulk and power.
Victini ("May the Force be with you always") @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
Nature: Timid (+ Spe, - Atk)
EVs: 252 HP / 144 SpA / 112 Spe
-Final Gambit
-Searing Shot
-Psychic
-U-turn
Victini can serve as a mid-game scout. Though you don't typically see Special Victini sets, in my opinion he has the stats and the move-pool to pull it off. Final Gambit can take out nearly anything at full HP. Searing Shot is a great STAB move with the chance of burning the opponent. Psychic is for secondary STAB, and it helps take out Fighting types if Celebi is unavailable. U-turn allows Victini to get out of a bad situation if need be. Max HP is a given for maximum power on Final Gambit, and 144 Special Attack with 112 Speed allows Victini to do some damage if Final Gambit isn't practical.
Threats
It seems like the team is pretty balanced, but I am open any warnings on what to look out for. Conkeldurr could do some serious damage, but won't be able to take on Celebi or Victini. Lati@s, Terrakion, and Landorus are all dangerous to the team, but should be able to be taken out by at least one of the team. Breloom and Genesect could be major problems.
Former Team Members
Magnezone ("Oh dear...") @ Light Clay
Ability: Magnet Pull
Nature: Calm (+ SpD, - Atk)
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Thunder Wave
-Volt Switch
Dual Screens Magnezone is designed to create a safe environment for Lucario and Reuniclus to set up and for Dragonite to force switching. Thunder Wave cripples enemy Pokemon, making it twice as easy to gain an advantage over the opponent. Volt Switch allows Magnezone to deal damage, then get out and let the others do their jobs. Max HP and equal Defenses mean that Magnezone can last long enough to put up both screens.
Reuniclus ("The Force is strong with this one") @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Modest (+ SpA, - Atk)
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpA
-Calm Mind
-Recover
-Psyshock
-Focus Blast
Magic Guard is another great ability that works well on a bulky team. Calm Mind helps boost Special Attack and Special Defense, making Reuniclus a great bulky Special Sweeper. Recover keeps him around longer so he can keep attacking. Psyshock allows Reuniclus to get around Special Walls, and provides a move with STAB. Focus Blast takes out Metagross, Hydreigon, and Rock and Steel types. Modest Nature and 128 SpA provide the basis for Reuniclus sweep, and 252 HP and 128 Defense likewise give it bulk.
Conclusion
So, thanks to anyone who has read this far. This has been my take on the Bulky Offense play style. The team is pretty balanced, and should work well as a group. However, there are some things that should probably be modified. I would appreciate any help I can get.
Thanks to Bulbapedia and Pokemon.Mariland.com for the pictures.
Credit to Smogon for set inspirations and strategy.