around the world INTRO around the world
Well, hello PokeBeach! It sure has been a long time, hasn't it? Last time I did an RMT, it was my final team for Gen. 4! Pretty sad, right? Right. Well, after that, I went away for a while, got a job, a car, and even a girlfriend. :3 Pretty cool, right? Right. Well, I thought it would be good to re-visit Pokebeach again, and it was really fun catching up with old friends, and meeting new ones as well. As for competitive battling, I had only gotten a taste of Gen. 5 before the English version was released, and I must say, it's good to be back in the swing of Pokemon again. A lot of friends have been helping me get back up on my feet, and I must admit, I still have a lot to learn. But that doesn't mean I'm a pushover by any means. So, without saying, I've been testing a LOT of teams on Pokebeach's and PO's server; some being effective, some being far from it. I had really run out of ideas. So, I came up with a drastic measure: Pick a Pokemon that you think can sweep a Team 6-0 if set up properly, and then build a Team around it. Now, I know to some that this can seem a bit stupid, but hey, it's the way I build teams. In today's metagame, weather is everything. Even teams that don't use weather-inducers still rely heavily on weather to win games for them. I didn't want to use weather for this team, partly because non-weather teams have their advantages, and partly because weather just isn't cool anymore.
So this team is a result of those criteria for team building. And as for the team name? Well, you can obviously surmise that I'm a huge fan of the French Electronic-music group Daft Punk, and I thought that such a unique and inspirational team should have a name to fit it, and it fits quite well indeed. If you want to read up on Daft Punk and their awesomeness, check this out. But enough of my weird music fetishes. I understand that since I created this team entirely by myself, there will be some mistakes/things I could improve on, so don't hesitate to help me out here. So, without further ado, I welcome you to ShadowLugia's first 5th gen RMT (No spoilers included!):Team Daft Punk!
Enjoy!
human after all TEAM BUILDING human after all
The Pokemon I decided to base my team around is Salamence. I've been using him since waaaaaay back, and I think it works like a goshdarn martyr against teams using the big threats of today's metagame. Dragon Dance is obviously the preferred set, causing massive destruction in a little amount of time. Salamence, as mentioned before, became the offensive core of my team:
So, now, with my core Pokemon, I've got the other five members to think about. For a lead, a clear option popped into my head pretty quickly. Deoxys-S is actually out and about in the new format, so I thought the Pokemon that can easily break 500 speed would make a great lead. I also discovered a nasty little trick that he could pull on other leads, more will be explained later:
Next came some stability provided by none other than Rotom-W, who was arguably the only Rotom form that got a boost from the generation shift, with all of the forms losing their ghost-typing and therefore, their spinblocking ability. However, Rotom-W has found a nice niche in being only weak to grass and a having a large spectrum of available movesets:
After some fiddling around, I discovered that Gliscor had great synergy with both Rotom and Salamence (Salamence, Rotom, and Gliscor were all in my first competitive Pokemon team! Can you believe that?) So, upon further inspection, I found that Gliscor got a new toy to play around with this gen: Poison heal. Bombastic! :
Next up came a Pokemon that I had personally wanted to try out for a very long time: Heatran. A defensive Heatran at that. This would add even more defensive power and support to the team, while allowing me to still posses incredible offensive potential. A rather old but still effective Heatran set was placed alongside the other team members; he fit well.
And so, I came to the final spot. I considered many Pokemon, but I decided a Swords-dance could really fit the bill here, becoming a backup sweeper in case Salamence was vulnerable to a specific Pokemon on the opponent's team. Another Pokemon I had been wanting to try for a while earned the spot: Terrakion. This guy was literally unstoppable once he was set up. Unstoppable. A Swords Dance or two (and maybe even Rock Polish) and there wasn't a Pokemon out there that could stop him, bar priority moves:
So, after the team was finished as a whole, I began testing it, along with many other teams, such as Rain or Sun teams. Making notes of particular strengths and weaknesses of each team, I began to pick this team apart. A big problem at first was the synergy between Heatran and Terrakion. If Heatran was knocked out, for example, chances are that the Pokemon that KO'd Heatran could do the same to Terrakion. This happened a lot, as tactical switching is not my forte.
So, I thought of another Swords Dancer that worked hand-in-hand with Heatran: Scizor. Scizor could troll in fire attacks, and let Heatran's flash fire absorb any attempted attack. The Stealth Rock/Roar variant of Heatran used this to a great effect, using the free turn to set up and proceed to Roar, if possible. Scizor also made a stunning powerhouse, surprising opponent's when they discovered he wasn't banded:
Well, this is where it got tough. I went on a pretty bad losing streak, so I reconsidered team positions. Heatran actually seemed to be doing the least for me, so I decided to try out WishRachi. WishRachi had a similar role to Heatran in that he set up Stealth Rock, but that's where the similarities ended. Salamence, my main offense, really likes wish support, especially if you're efficient at predicting your opponent so you know when you can get the wish and begin to set up DD. So, now the Team looks like this:
And so, this is where the team stands now, being pretty successful on both PO and Smogon servers, although I hope to do some laddering in the near future, with a little luck at my side. As for the most questionable members, Scizor and Jirachi were both added recently, so their long-term effectiveness is still in question, although they have shown to be great candidates so far. Suggestions for replacements are appreciated, but don't think that I want to get rid of either Pokemon; you'll have to convince me.
rock, robot rockTEAM ANALYSISrock, robot rock
~Changes are in bold~
~Changes are in bold~
Derezzed - Off the Wall
Deoxys-S @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EV's: 252 HP / 128 Atk / 96 SpD / 32 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
Moves:
- Trick
- Ice Punch/Thunder Punch
- Superpower
- Spikes
Description:
Since Deoxys-S was considered Uber for most of Gen 4, I thought it would make a fitting comeback as a lead for Gen 5. This Deoxys uses Trick, allowing it to switch items with the opponent, as you may be aware. This works great on Pokemon like Ttar, Excadrill, and bulky/defensive Pokemon that require items to survive or set up. Since weather is the most prevalent team type, I will usually be tricking Politoed, Tyranitar, Ninetails, or even Abomasnow. This can effectively ruin many Pokemon's movesets, making it a great lead. However, due to the fact that other leads also use Choice Items, Trick is then used in late-game, primarily against supporting Pokemon.
Moveset:
Trick is wonderful, and the details were explained above. Ice Punch/Thunder Punch works well on many common switch-ins the opponent uses after their lead has been tricked. Superpower also has a similar purpose, doing heavy damage against Ttar, and usually scaring it off, allowing me to set up some spikes or properly switch.
EV's:
This set has a strange but effective mix of EV's, allowing good damage with 128 Atk, and survivability with 252 HP. Special defense can get me a good switch in on, say, Reuniclus or Latias, without getting too hurt and allowing me to either Trick after Calm Mind or set up Spikes with a free turn. The remaining EV's were dumped in speed. A very effective set, if I do say so myself, but comments are always appreciated.
Short Circuit - We'll meet again, Someday
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EV's: 128 HP / 252 SpA / 128 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, - Atk)
Moves:
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-o'-Wisp
- Pain Split
Description:
Boy oh boy, did Rotom get good or what? Well, maybe just Rotom-Wash. Yeah. Just Rotom-Wash. This Rotom has great defensive typing, with offensive capability as well. Rotom makes a great part of almost any team, as he takes care of a lot of threats Salamence faces as my main sweeper. Although Rotom is great, this set is far from unique. It's used quite often today, but it's effectiveness doesn't give anyone a reason not to use it, including me.
Moveset:
This is your typical Rotom-W moveset, with the exception of Volt Switch replacing Thunderbolt. I find myself calling Rotom back and forth quite often, and being able to Pain Split/WoW quickly and then causing respectable damage with Volt Switch allows for a solid offense and scouting capabilities. Hydro Pump is a given, similar to Pain Split, being able to grasp victory from the clutches of defeat. Will-o'-wisp is great because not only does burn chip away at the likes of Blissey, but it also cripples offensive Pokemon that would seriously harm Salamence.
EV's:
Like I said before, pretty standard EV set. This is right for being able to take some hits while being fast enough to get the needed Pain Split in. Max SpA EV's allow for Volt switch and Hydro Pump to hit really, really hard. Since Volt Switch puts Rotom in harm's way more often than not, I thought a more defensive set could be used. Tell me what you think.
Aerodynamic - Soar through the Stars
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EV's: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 Spe
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
Moves:
- Protect
- Taunt
- Ice Fang
- Earthquake
Description:
Gliscor has always been a near and dear Pokemon to me, and he is quite overused in this Generation. Gliscor is one of the greatest physical walls of all time, rivaling Skarmory. That's why he makes such a great spot on my team. Gliscor takes care of a lot of frail attackers that would make trouble for Salamence, and is a very hard Pokemon to KO. Gliscor is seeing a lot of play today as one of Gamefreak's best creations.
Moveset:
Taunt, Ice Fang, and Earthquake all are common tools used by Gliscor along with Swords dance. But since I already had two boosting Pokemon (Scizor and Salamence), SD seemed unnecessary. I took out Facade for Protect because Gliscor had just enough offensive power to stay in the game, so Protect is used to let Toxic Orb heal Gliscor while I either stall the opponent out or prepare an offensive. If Gliscor is faster, Taunt can ruin opposing sets, while EQ and Ice Fang have great coverage.
EV's:
Again, pretty standard stuff. Max HP and Defensive EV's allow Gliscor to wall the crap out of just about anything, and giving him some speed could allow him to hit hard quickly, or prevent the opponent from setting up with taunt. Basic but effective.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Work it, Make it, Do it, Makes us
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
Moves:
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
Description:
Ah, the main man of Gen 3. During a Time when there were barely any Dragons, Salamence reigned supreme. However, in Gen 4, he got a little sparring partner named Garchomp. Due to Chomp's impressive moveset, ability, and sheer power and speed, Sally was outclassed for the longest time. But once Chomp was banned, Salamence got back the spotlight for the shortest time, after Gen 5 was released, he was exposed to all sorts of new threats, and Garchomp was even unbanned, if not for a short amount of time. But even so, I think Salamence is one of the most consistently great Pokemon out there, and that's why he made the spot for the main offensive Pokemon for my team. Hooray! The Mence makes his return as the premier Dragon-Dancer for Gen 5.
Moveset:
You can't have Dragon Dance without Salamence! The Pokemon that was nicknamed "Rayquaza's Dancing Partner" in Gen 4 shouldn't waste it's ability on a Choice set. DD is the way to go! After even one Dragon Dance, Salamence can hardly ever be stopped. Two and it's pretty much GG.
EV's:
Not really that much to explain here, really. EV's allow for Max Attack and Speed, allowing him to hit harder and be faster. (Hence: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger). The rest of the EV's are put into HP, for obvious purposes. Pretty simple, no? Although if I am to use a MixMence set, some EV's would be appreciated.
Voyager - Heroes will be remembered
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EV's: 252 HP / 216 SpD / 40 Spe
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
Moves:
- Iron Head
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Body Slam
Description:
Hoooo, Jirachi. An absolute monster during Gen 4, Jirachi's status as a "FlinchWisher" hasn't changed all that much. He's really hard to take down, and is perhaps the most HAX-prone Pokemon ever created, due to Body Slam, Iron Head, and Ice Punch. Jirachi goes great on this team, as he provides a few great roles: Wish Support, Stealth Rock, and Paraflinching. Each gives this team some much needed breathing room, and makes a type of "Special Wall" for the team. Switching in on a Ice Beam directed at Salamence is just a small part of what Jirachi does best. He is still in competition with Heatran over who should get the final spot on the team. Opinions needed!
Moveset:
Iron Head is an obvious choice, as Jirachi gets some good ol' STAB and the chance to make the opponent flinch, which can be very annoying. Body Slam allows me to cripple faster threats by Paralyzing them. Wish gives me great recovery not just for Jirachi, but for whoever I switch into for Jirachi, giving me a big advantage if I play my cards right. Stealth Rock is good for later game as I wear away at the opponent after I've scouted with Rotom-W, to see how SR would affect the outcome. I've considered Ice Punch over Body slam to get a freeze somewhere in game, and for some coverage against some flying genies, if you get my drift, but Body slam won out in the end.
EV's:
I wanted to make Jirachi as bulky as possible while still giving him a bit of speed. Walling special threats is his specialty, and it's something I've needed on the team for a long while. Calm Minders are his specialty, ignoring their boosted stats and crippling them with SR and Body Slam/Ice Punch. Max HP, impressive SpD, and slightly increased speed really make Jirachi what he is the metagame today.
Da Funk - Never let Music die
Scizor @ Leftovers
Trait: Technician
EV's: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SpD
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
Moves:
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Roost
Description:
And finally, we have Scizor. Perhaps one of the greatest threats in Gen 4, Scizor still manages to cling to the top in the new generation, but is using a different trick. Bulky Swords Dance is seeing a comeback from the days of Choice Band, and I must say, it's a fun set. It's even funner to see opponents try to lock my Scizor into one move, believing he has CB, when I get a free Swords Dance up. Bullet Punch goes well with this, making up for the lowered speed with priority and absolutely destroying dragons. Scizor makes a great final addition to the offensive core.
Moveset:
Swords Dance obviously gives Scizor the tools to take out 3-4 Pokemon on a good game. Bug Bite gets a boost from Technician, along with Bullet Punch. While both may not have perfect coverage, each is powered up with STAB and Technician, along with SD, making them lethal to those who don't resist them. Roost is good for recovery, and has often won me games by getting Scizor back on his feet and continuing to take down threats. Not bad, not bad at all.
EV's:
This Scizor is actually quite defensive, with Max HP and strong special defense, he can take a lot and retaliate with his boosted attacks. Roost actually makes it possible to wall some Pokemon while Scizor gets set up, although he ends up switching out more often than not. Other EV suggestions are appreciated.
brainwasherTHREAT LISTbrainwasher
*COMING SOON!*
around the worldCLOSING STATEMENTSaround the world
*COMING SOON!*
around the worldCLOSING STATEMENTSaround the world
Well, there you have it. Probably my first real team I created a while ago after the release of B/W. Definitely not the best team out there, but it sure is fun to play with and it's been a blast testing it with all of my friends here at Pokebeach. ^_^ I can't wait for all the great experiences I've yet to have with Pokebeach's competitive battling community, especially being able to improve on my own skills. At this point in my life, I'd hate for Pokebeach to just go away all of a sudden, so consider that, WPM
. Again, this team isn't set in stone, so make sure to comment and tell me what you think; there's always room to improve! I'd like to thank the pros here at Pokebeach for their help and support, and, of course, myself for being so awesome. And at last, thank You for reading!
