A team based around a terrible Pokemon

[asdfrozen]

I decided to make my team around a Lapras build I made (it's actually not exactly original), mostly just for the lulz, but also to prove that it can work.

Lapras @ Leftovers
Shell Armor
252 HP, 6 Def, 252 SpD, Careful
Curse
Roar
Rest
Ice Shard / Avalanche
I came up with this when I was using my CMShuffle Suicune (CM/Rest/Roar/Surf) and I kept getting pelted by critical hits, which made my +6 SpD useless. So of course my main attraction to Lapras was Shell Armor. The strategy here is simple: after a few Curses Lapras should be able to take most physical hits decently enough to stall with Rest while Cursing up once in a while. When you're up to +6, you won't really have much to fear from physical attackers and you can either hit back or Roar away stuff that laughs at your pitiful +6. Entry hazards are very useful here.
This Lapras isn't that great, as it has a bunch of weaknesses, but I still want to incorporate it somehow. The first weakness is that it only has 197 Def before Cursing up. Any neutral physical hit will hurt it pretty badly. The second is even with 464 HP and 317 SpD, Thunderbolt hurts it pretty badly, especially one from a Specs Jolteon, which will 2HKO. Third, Stealth Rocks will take 25%, which is not good for a wall.

So I'm going to need something that prevents SR and/or a Spinner, entry hazards of my own, something to absorb electric attacks, and burn support.

Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Pressure
6 HP, 252 Att, 252 Spe, Jolly
Taunt
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Stone Edge

The reason for Aerodactyl is simple: it's the fastest Taunt/SR lead in OU. Taunt prevents the opponent from setting up SR, which hurts Lapras, and SR is good for Shuffling with Roar.

Rotom @ Leftovers
Levitate
252 HP, 168 Def, 88 Spe, Bold
Will-O-Wisp
Discharge
Overheat
Shadow Ball

Rotom is here to take physical hits (especially Close Combat) and burn physical attackers, which can really hurt Lapras before it sets up.

Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Liquid Ooze
252 HP, 120 Def, 136 SpD, Calm
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Surf
Hidden Power Electric

This is here to spin away entry hazards. Why Tentacruel? I actually have no clue. It seemed to work, so why not? Toxic Spikes are nice, but normal Spikes would probably be better since I'm not really stalling, other than with Lapras, which can use Spikes more effectively anyway. It can absorb Toxic Spikes, but that's not too necessary since Lapras has Rest and I don't really have any other stallers.

Dugtrio @ Choice Band
Arena Trap
6 HP, 252 Att, 252 Spe, Adamant
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Sucker Punch
Shadow Claw

I decided to get a definitive counter for electric types. EQ, SE, and SP are self-explanatory, but I'm not sure about Shadow Claw, which is really just there as a filler.

Salamence @ Life Orb
Intimidate
16 Att, 252 Spe, 240 SpA, Naive
Draco Meteor
Outrage
Fire Blast
Earthquake

I needed something to fill in the gaps, and MixMence worked nicely. In fact, from testing out this team, Salamence is pretty much the star in most battles, even though its main job was to take out threats for Lapras.


One glaring problem with this team is a weakness to Rock, which is magnified tenfold by Stealth Rocks. Lapras, Aerodactyl, and Salamence are all weak to it and my only resistance is Dugtrio, which isn't going to take a Stone Edge anyway. I'm thinking about replacing Tentacruel with Hitmontop for this purpose. It would also ease the Electric weakness, although I think Rotom and Dugtrio have that covered.
Ice seems to be another weakness, with Salamence, Aerodactyl, and Dugtrio being weak to it. I guess Tentacruel can deal with most threats and weaken it enough for Dugtrio to revenge kill, but that leaves me exposed to SR.

 

[Saints Fan]

Interesting team, I actually was just thinking of making one based around Tauros's Anger Point, which would be the opposite of this. As for fixes:

I would suggest using Dusknoir over Rotom. It WoWs their physical attackers and serves as a SpinBlocker. Also, most fighting types would switch out with a ghost in play, not much they have hits it, exception is Lucario, which can attack from the special side as well and has attacks to hurt ghosts.

But a huge advantage Dusknoir has over Rotom is it can use Memento giving Lapras a free curse.

Taking off Rotom leaves you without an electric attack to counter Gyarados. You have HP Elec on tenta, but Gyra has EQ. Id suggest Starmie in place of Tentacruel, since it can learn Rapid Spin as well as Thunderbolt. Its TB will be stronger due to higher stats and base power. Starmie is also faster than Tenta. Its ability, Natural Cure allows it to absorb status problem. Starmie would have Tbolt and Surf/Hydro Pump, so the only move you'd miss is the toxic spikes. Up to you if you want to make that call.

Hope it helps.

 

[Flinch Grace]

Yay for Hitmontop!

I use him, and he is an excellent revenge killer. I ran a Life Orb / Technician / Fake Out / Mach Punch / Sucker Punch / Close Combat on mine, with full Atk EV's, but you may want to opt for a different approach... Maybe more defensive?

Leftovers / Intimidate / Careful (+ SpD) or Impish (+ Def)
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Mach Punch / Rapid Spin / Bulk Up / Rest

Depends whether you feel like you want more offense or not, or if you just want to come in and rapid spin. This set looks at Hitmontop's OK defenses, allowing you to Bulk Up up, and Rest until you feel like it. Then you can just Mach Punch everything away. Rapid Spin is also there if you just want to come in and Rapid Spin. Considering you already have Lapras doing the exact same thing, it is completely up to you whether you want to run a "back-up" pokemon, or if you just want to come in and take out Lapras threats. In the aforementioned, I would go with a similar set to mine, something which has Mach Punch, and a strong STAB move. Obviously though you have to scout the opponents team first, making sure you CAN Mach Punch everything, and that there are no ghosts hiding.

 

[asdfrozen]

I haven't had a chance to play much until recently, and I made one important change: my spinner is now a specially defensive Forretress with Spikes, Rapid Spin, Payback, and Explosion. I don't really need anything poisoned and a steel type would help me greatly. I won every ladder match yesterday!
I've also found that Ice Shard lets Lapras play more of a team role, and although Avalanche works better after setting up, I needed the priority for revenge kills.
From my games, I noticed that Forretress Rotom form somewhat of a defensive core, tanking hits, crippling threats, and setting up opportunities for Salamence and Dugtrio to switch in. It just so happens that by the time they're through, all of Lapras' threats are dead or burned and I can start setting up. Lapras also plays a team role with priority and resistances to ice (and most of the time they assume that Lapras has Water Absorb, so I can play that for free switch-ins).
The team feels somewhat gimmicky though. Whenever Lapras actually does something, it's because I get two or three free turns while my opponent figures out what's going on, and unless they have a good counter which hasn't been taken out, it's more or less game over.