Defiance
Hi All, and welcome to my first RMT in a very long while!
The announcement of Sun & Moon a few months ago rekindled the Pokémon spark within me and, with time ticking before the new games hit, I started playing the Gen VI games again, aiming to do all those things I'd never got round to.
Whilst that checklist remains incomplete, this resurgence has also brought me back to competitive Pokémon for the first time this Generation. I messed around in pretty much every tier there is, realising very quickly that I couldn't get to grips with the new OU. The shiny new PU tier and the familiarity of Ubers brought some success, but it was UU, and this team, with which I finally settled in for the long run. Almost 150 ladder matches, that is. Home to a huge amount of my favourite Pokémon, I've really enjoyed playing with this tier and with this team, and I'm pleased with the success I've achieved with it.
That said, this is far, far from a team with no holes, as the lengthy threat list at the bottom of this post will demonstrate. In many ways, I'm surprised at how well this team has done considering. Still, it does have its merits. It's a team that I've found very enjoyable team to play; revolving around laying as many hazards as possible to facilitate a Krookodile sweep (one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had in Pokémon!) or forcing the opponent to defog, into which I'll switch Tornadus, one of the two 'mons on the original team that gave the team its name, to sweep or cause huge damage. Although synergy is one of the team's strong points, often causing the opponent to switch out so much they do more job for me, it is also one of its biggest failings, being unable to deal with coverage moves from many powerful attackers in the tier, forcing me to sacrifice huge portions of my team to deal with them if, indeed, I ever can.
This is where I'm hoping the Smogon Community will come in. I'd love to push even higher up the ladder and I believe this team has the potential but, to do so, I'm going to need some help. Don't hold back, Smogon, and thanks in advance for your advice!
Teambuilding
The backbone of the first edition of the team was built around a FWG core designed to lay hazards and keep them there. Empoleon provided rocks (as well as Defiant defog-punishment), Chesnaught brought the spikes and Chandelure spin blocks. To this I added Tornadus, another, more powerful, Defiant attacker, to punish Defog users.
Knowing that hazard-stacking synergised well with fast attackers that could clean up, I added scarf Krookodile and Mega Sceptile to the team to complete the original line-up.
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The roles of rocker and Defiant sweeper were proving too much for poor Empoleon, and it wasn't taking hits as well as I would have liked, reducing its synergy with Chesnaught. I replaced it with Suicune, a much bulkier 'mon whose phazing capabilities were much appreciated. This left with me without a rocker as well as the much-needed defensive synergy of a steel type. To patch both holes, I added Metagross, using a Weakness Policy set that actually worked really well.
Despite the much-improved defensive synergy, I was still receiving a taste of my own medicine, majorly suffering from enemy hazards, in particular Toxic Spikes. To fix this I replaced with Suicune with Tentacruel. This also gave me Toxic Spikes of my own, which have proved very useful. Metagross also wasn't pulling its weight, leaving me open to many key threats, such as Hydreigon. I replaced it with Cobalion, who has quickly become one of the most useful Pokémon on the team, thanks to the utility of Taunt and the momentum provided by Volt Switch.
Team in Depth
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
One of my aforementioned favourite Pokémon that grace the UU tier, Chandelure is a really fun 'mon to use. Whilst its primary function on the team is to spinblock, Chandelure is ridiculously powerful with Specs and so is capable of blasting huge holes in enemy teams, OHKOing or 2HKOing an insane amount of stuff, especially if I have a few hazards down. Fire Blast and Shadow Ball are its main STAB moves, doing huge amounts of damage to even resistant Pokémon, making it often difficult to switch in to. More reliable, defensive switch-ins, such as Blissey and Snorlax are massively crippled by Trick, putting me at a pseudo 6-5 advantage with Chandelure still being at Death Star levels of fully armed and operational-ness. Although perhaps an odd choice for a spinblocker, suffering from a type disadvantage against many of the tier's spinners, its coverage move, Energy Ball, threatens many of these Pokémon, such as Blastoise and Donphan, with Energy Ball having a good chance of OHKO even Mega Blastoise after Stealth Rock, with it often being guaranteed in the event of less HP investment that the recommended Smogon set. It requires good prediction, but often I can deny the spin and KO the spinner in one fell swoop. Max Speed investment is, in my opinion, absolutely essential on Chandelure. It doesn't require the extra power from Modest, nor the defensive investment, and maximum speed investment ensures it outspeeds important Pokémon, such as the aforementioned Mega Blastoise, and at the very least ties with others, like Mamoswine.
~ ~ ~
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 96 HP / 236 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
- Close Combat
I was pleasantly surprised by how well Cobalion operates on the team. While it's halfway between a support 'mon and an attacking 'mon, it fills both roles well, and its initial appearance to be one or the other often confuses the opponent. It's amazing how few people expect Taunt, especially after seeing what appears to be a more offensive set with Volt Switch and Close Combat. Indeed, this has proved to be Cobalion's most useful move behind Stealth Rock, allowing it to shut down Pokémon that would otherwise cripple it, such as Weezing. The ever-present Stealth Rock is, as mentioned, an obvious addition, and Cobalion has proved to be an extremely reliable setter, on the most part being able to re-set up multiple times after they've been defogged or spun away. Volt Switch gives the team some extra momentum which, again, is invaluable in forcing the opponent to switch in and out as much as possible, taking damage from hazards in the process. Close Combat rounds off the moveset as a reliable STAB move that still hits surprisingly hard despite lower attack investment. 176 Speed EVs plus a Jolly Nature ensures that Cobalion outspeeds all Hydreigon not wearing the latest winter accessory, and the 236 Attack EVs ensure a OHKO on the aforementioned three-headed dragon, as well as Mamoswine, so long as neither have invested more than 4 EVs in HP. The rest of the EVs are placed in HP, to increase Cobalion's bulk, and also allow it to survive Adamant LO Honckrow's superpower at full health.
~ ~ ~
Tornadus @ No Item
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Acrobatics
- Superpower
The Pokémon that gives the team its name, Tornadus' role is to punish those who would be insolent enough to try and defog away my hazards. While in practice this very rarely results in a sweep, it does usually allow Tornadus to dent some pretty big holes in the enemy team. Acrobatics is the key move on this set that allows Tornadus to deal heavy damage, and the lack of an item is purely there to boost this move's power. Superpower is the alternative attacking move that provides good coverage with Acrobatics and nails certain defoggers, such as Empoleon. The attack drop also matters less when you're already at +2. I opted for Taunt over a third attacking move early on, primarily to help keep hazards off my side of the field before Tentacruel got put on the team and, although I occasionally miss having Knock Off, I find that Taunt has enough utility to warrant an inclusion. Most opponents don't seem to expect it on a non-Prankster Tornadus and so it allows me to shut down many defensive Pokémon. U-turn rounds off the set as a momentum-gaining move, helping shuffle my opponent around and, with Tornadus' high speed, allowing it to act as a decent lead. U-turn also works great with Taunt, with the latter shutting down defensive 'mons and using the former to quickly switch Tornadus out to something that can easily take said defensive Pokémon's one attacking move, dealing chip damage in the process.
~ ~ ~
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Acid Spray
- Scald
Tentacruel's addition to the team did a huge job in improving its effectiveness. It's a very reliable spinner and its poison typing not only auto-removes the troubling Toxic Spikes but also provides a useful Fairy resist. This is a fairly standard set, with Toxic Spikes used to rack up passive damage on enemy Pokémon as they - hopefully - struggle to get past the team's synergy, and Rapid Spin ensuring my own side stays free of hazards. Scald is the STAB move of choice, with the burn chance being very handy for helping Tentacruel take hits on its weaker physical side. Acid Spray rounds off the set as a secondary, albeit weaker STAB move, and a useful utility tool with its guaranteed SDef drop, allowing Tentacruel to muscle past threats such as CM Sylveon and bulky waters like Suicune and Blastoise. The 24 Speed EVs ensures that Tentacruel outspeeds max speed Honchkrow and Tyrantrum which, while a seemingly very niche benchmark, does come in handy considering Honchkrow is a threat and that it helps speed creep many other Pokémon who tend to be knocking around the same speed tier, such as Suicune, Celebi, Cresselia and Rotom-H. Liquid Ooze was chosen over Rain Dish to punish Leech Seed and Giga Drain users, most notably Mega Sceptile, who is quite a handful for this team.
~ ~ ~
Chesnaught @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spiky Shield
- Leech Seed
- Roar
- Spikes
Chesnaught acts as the team's principal hazard-layer and phaser, as well as physical wall. The combination of Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield punishes physical attackers who stay in and try and power past Chesnaught, racking up impressive passive damage, even more so if I've seeded them. Roar, as mentioned, is invaluable for phasing the enemy, racking up even more passive damage. It's particularly useful when used when physical attackers realise they can't beak past Spiky Shield and Rocky Helmet; it's often quite easy to predict when certain 'mons will switch away from Chesnaught. Roar also prevents Chesnaught from being set-up bait, which is particularly useful against Grass-type Pokémon or those with Substitute. Leech Seed is Chesnaught's only method of recovery and so is often just worth using on the switch for the one turn of recovery before being forced out; and the extra passive damage it racks up is always handy. Spikes rounds off the set for the obvious hazard-laying. Although this moveset makes Chesnaught complete Taunt bait, I often find that if there's nothing I can switch into after predicting the Taunt, or nothing to switch into when taunted, then the game is lost already. The 16 Speed EVs allow Chesnaught to outspeed zero speed Vaporeon and Umbreon as well as Machamp running Smogon's suggested EV spread. These are all Pokémon that Chesnaught likes staying in against, providing that Vaporeon isn't packing Ice Beam, and so the speed creep can often give me the edge or, at the very least, an extra layer of Spikes.
~ ~ ~
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
Last, but certainly not least, we have the caretaker, the late-game cleaner himself. Krookodile is another of my all-time favourite Pokémon and has been since he ripped his way through the in-game story in Black. Krookodile plays a similarly merciless role here, its high attack, speed (boosted by choice scarf) and great sweeping ability in Moxie allowing it to power through a weakened team. Indeed, the game plan with this team is often just remove the non-grounded 'mons, do some damage to everything else, and let Krookodile handle the rest. Even if Krookodile can't manage a sweep, it often does a good enough job as a revenge killer. Moxie makes it a particularly good choice for this, as the opponent often can't afford to simply to sacrifice a 'mon and bring in a counter, as the attack boost often allows Krookodile to power straight past it. The set is another straightforward one. Earthquake acts as the main STAB and sweeping tool, once fliers and levitators have been removed. Knock Off is a good alternative STAB that can not only be used to sweep in some situations, but also punishes switch-ins - particularly defensive ones - by removing their item as Krookodile forces something out. Superpower and Stone Edge are coverage moves, most often used to force something out or on a predicted switch. The former has great synergy with Moxie as it cancels out the attack drop, turning a one-shot wonder move into a potential sweeping move. Finally, Stone Edge is notable for nailing most of those pesky fliers on a predicted switch.
~ ~ ~
Threat list
As mentioned, even though this team has good synergy and has done quite well, there's a myriad of Pokémon that can do huge damage to the team thanks to coverage moves or favourable tying (e.g. physical flying attackers bypassing physical wall Chesnaught by having a 4x effective STAB). Generally, if a team has none of these Pokémon I'm almost guaranteed a win, but two or more proves to be a real challenge. I've sorted the threats into High, Mid and Low threats. High threats are ones that my team finds extremely difficult to deal with and usually I have to sacrifice a couple of my own 'mons to deal with them. Mid threats tend to be ones that are hard to switch into but can be revenge killed or forced out easily and Low threats are ones I just need to be very careful with, can be played around due to being choiced or just are a right pain in the ass.
Hi All, and welcome to my first RMT in a very long while!
The announcement of Sun & Moon a few months ago rekindled the Pokémon spark within me and, with time ticking before the new games hit, I started playing the Gen VI games again, aiming to do all those things I'd never got round to.
Whilst that checklist remains incomplete, this resurgence has also brought me back to competitive Pokémon for the first time this Generation. I messed around in pretty much every tier there is, realising very quickly that I couldn't get to grips with the new OU. The shiny new PU tier and the familiarity of Ubers brought some success, but it was UU, and this team, with which I finally settled in for the long run. Almost 150 ladder matches, that is. Home to a huge amount of my favourite Pokémon, I've really enjoyed playing with this tier and with this team, and I'm pleased with the success I've achieved with it.
That said, this is far, far from a team with no holes, as the lengthy threat list at the bottom of this post will demonstrate. In many ways, I'm surprised at how well this team has done considering. Still, it does have its merits. It's a team that I've found very enjoyable team to play; revolving around laying as many hazards as possible to facilitate a Krookodile sweep (one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had in Pokémon!) or forcing the opponent to defog, into which I'll switch Tornadus, one of the two 'mons on the original team that gave the team its name, to sweep or cause huge damage. Although synergy is one of the team's strong points, often causing the opponent to switch out so much they do more job for me, it is also one of its biggest failings, being unable to deal with coverage moves from many powerful attackers in the tier, forcing me to sacrifice huge portions of my team to deal with them if, indeed, I ever can.
This is where I'm hoping the Smogon Community will come in. I'd love to push even higher up the ladder and I believe this team has the potential but, to do so, I'm going to need some help. Don't hold back, Smogon, and thanks in advance for your advice!
Teambuilding
The backbone of the first edition of the team was built around a FWG core designed to lay hazards and keep them there. Empoleon provided rocks (as well as Defiant defog-punishment), Chesnaught brought the spikes and Chandelure spin blocks. To this I added Tornadus, another, more powerful, Defiant attacker, to punish Defog users.
Knowing that hazard-stacking synergised well with fast attackers that could clean up, I added scarf Krookodile and Mega Sceptile to the team to complete the original line-up.
The roles of rocker and Defiant sweeper were proving too much for poor Empoleon, and it wasn't taking hits as well as I would have liked, reducing its synergy with Chesnaught. I replaced it with Suicune, a much bulkier 'mon whose phazing capabilities were much appreciated. This left with me without a rocker as well as the much-needed defensive synergy of a steel type. To patch both holes, I added Metagross, using a Weakness Policy set that actually worked really well.
Despite the much-improved defensive synergy, I was still receiving a taste of my own medicine, majorly suffering from enemy hazards, in particular Toxic Spikes. To fix this I replaced with Suicune with Tentacruel. This also gave me Toxic Spikes of my own, which have proved very useful. Metagross also wasn't pulling its weight, leaving me open to many key threats, such as Hydreigon. I replaced it with Cobalion, who has quickly become one of the most useful Pokémon on the team, thanks to the utility of Taunt and the momentum provided by Volt Switch.
Team in Depth
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
One of my aforementioned favourite Pokémon that grace the UU tier, Chandelure is a really fun 'mon to use. Whilst its primary function on the team is to spinblock, Chandelure is ridiculously powerful with Specs and so is capable of blasting huge holes in enemy teams, OHKOing or 2HKOing an insane amount of stuff, especially if I have a few hazards down. Fire Blast and Shadow Ball are its main STAB moves, doing huge amounts of damage to even resistant Pokémon, making it often difficult to switch in to. More reliable, defensive switch-ins, such as Blissey and Snorlax are massively crippled by Trick, putting me at a pseudo 6-5 advantage with Chandelure still being at Death Star levels of fully armed and operational-ness. Although perhaps an odd choice for a spinblocker, suffering from a type disadvantage against many of the tier's spinners, its coverage move, Energy Ball, threatens many of these Pokémon, such as Blastoise and Donphan, with Energy Ball having a good chance of OHKO even Mega Blastoise after Stealth Rock, with it often being guaranteed in the event of less HP investment that the recommended Smogon set. It requires good prediction, but often I can deny the spin and KO the spinner in one fell swoop. Max Speed investment is, in my opinion, absolutely essential on Chandelure. It doesn't require the extra power from Modest, nor the defensive investment, and maximum speed investment ensures it outspeeds important Pokémon, such as the aforementioned Mega Blastoise, and at the very least ties with others, like Mamoswine.
~ ~ ~
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 96 HP / 236 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
- Close Combat
I was pleasantly surprised by how well Cobalion operates on the team. While it's halfway between a support 'mon and an attacking 'mon, it fills both roles well, and its initial appearance to be one or the other often confuses the opponent. It's amazing how few people expect Taunt, especially after seeing what appears to be a more offensive set with Volt Switch and Close Combat. Indeed, this has proved to be Cobalion's most useful move behind Stealth Rock, allowing it to shut down Pokémon that would otherwise cripple it, such as Weezing. The ever-present Stealth Rock is, as mentioned, an obvious addition, and Cobalion has proved to be an extremely reliable setter, on the most part being able to re-set up multiple times after they've been defogged or spun away. Volt Switch gives the team some extra momentum which, again, is invaluable in forcing the opponent to switch in and out as much as possible, taking damage from hazards in the process. Close Combat rounds off the moveset as a reliable STAB move that still hits surprisingly hard despite lower attack investment. 176 Speed EVs plus a Jolly Nature ensures that Cobalion outspeeds all Hydreigon not wearing the latest winter accessory, and the 236 Attack EVs ensure a OHKO on the aforementioned three-headed dragon, as well as Mamoswine, so long as neither have invested more than 4 EVs in HP. The rest of the EVs are placed in HP, to increase Cobalion's bulk, and also allow it to survive Adamant LO Honckrow's superpower at full health.
~ ~ ~
Tornadus @ No Item
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Acrobatics
- Superpower
The Pokémon that gives the team its name, Tornadus' role is to punish those who would be insolent enough to try and defog away my hazards. While in practice this very rarely results in a sweep, it does usually allow Tornadus to dent some pretty big holes in the enemy team. Acrobatics is the key move on this set that allows Tornadus to deal heavy damage, and the lack of an item is purely there to boost this move's power. Superpower is the alternative attacking move that provides good coverage with Acrobatics and nails certain defoggers, such as Empoleon. The attack drop also matters less when you're already at +2. I opted for Taunt over a third attacking move early on, primarily to help keep hazards off my side of the field before Tentacruel got put on the team and, although I occasionally miss having Knock Off, I find that Taunt has enough utility to warrant an inclusion. Most opponents don't seem to expect it on a non-Prankster Tornadus and so it allows me to shut down many defensive Pokémon. U-turn rounds off the set as a momentum-gaining move, helping shuffle my opponent around and, with Tornadus' high speed, allowing it to act as a decent lead. U-turn also works great with Taunt, with the latter shutting down defensive 'mons and using the former to quickly switch Tornadus out to something that can easily take said defensive Pokémon's one attacking move, dealing chip damage in the process.
~ ~ ~
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Acid Spray
- Scald
Tentacruel's addition to the team did a huge job in improving its effectiveness. It's a very reliable spinner and its poison typing not only auto-removes the troubling Toxic Spikes but also provides a useful Fairy resist. This is a fairly standard set, with Toxic Spikes used to rack up passive damage on enemy Pokémon as they - hopefully - struggle to get past the team's synergy, and Rapid Spin ensuring my own side stays free of hazards. Scald is the STAB move of choice, with the burn chance being very handy for helping Tentacruel take hits on its weaker physical side. Acid Spray rounds off the set as a secondary, albeit weaker STAB move, and a useful utility tool with its guaranteed SDef drop, allowing Tentacruel to muscle past threats such as CM Sylveon and bulky waters like Suicune and Blastoise. The 24 Speed EVs ensures that Tentacruel outspeeds max speed Honchkrow and Tyrantrum which, while a seemingly very niche benchmark, does come in handy considering Honchkrow is a threat and that it helps speed creep many other Pokémon who tend to be knocking around the same speed tier, such as Suicune, Celebi, Cresselia and Rotom-H. Liquid Ooze was chosen over Rain Dish to punish Leech Seed and Giga Drain users, most notably Mega Sceptile, who is quite a handful for this team.
~ ~ ~
Chesnaught @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spiky Shield
- Leech Seed
- Roar
- Spikes
Chesnaught acts as the team's principal hazard-layer and phaser, as well as physical wall. The combination of Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield punishes physical attackers who stay in and try and power past Chesnaught, racking up impressive passive damage, even more so if I've seeded them. Roar, as mentioned, is invaluable for phasing the enemy, racking up even more passive damage. It's particularly useful when used when physical attackers realise they can't beak past Spiky Shield and Rocky Helmet; it's often quite easy to predict when certain 'mons will switch away from Chesnaught. Roar also prevents Chesnaught from being set-up bait, which is particularly useful against Grass-type Pokémon or those with Substitute. Leech Seed is Chesnaught's only method of recovery and so is often just worth using on the switch for the one turn of recovery before being forced out; and the extra passive damage it racks up is always handy. Spikes rounds off the set for the obvious hazard-laying. Although this moveset makes Chesnaught complete Taunt bait, I often find that if there's nothing I can switch into after predicting the Taunt, or nothing to switch into when taunted, then the game is lost already. The 16 Speed EVs allow Chesnaught to outspeed zero speed Vaporeon and Umbreon as well as Machamp running Smogon's suggested EV spread. These are all Pokémon that Chesnaught likes staying in against, providing that Vaporeon isn't packing Ice Beam, and so the speed creep can often give me the edge or, at the very least, an extra layer of Spikes.
~ ~ ~
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
Last, but certainly not least, we have the caretaker, the late-game cleaner himself. Krookodile is another of my all-time favourite Pokémon and has been since he ripped his way through the in-game story in Black. Krookodile plays a similarly merciless role here, its high attack, speed (boosted by choice scarf) and great sweeping ability in Moxie allowing it to power through a weakened team. Indeed, the game plan with this team is often just remove the non-grounded 'mons, do some damage to everything else, and let Krookodile handle the rest. Even if Krookodile can't manage a sweep, it often does a good enough job as a revenge killer. Moxie makes it a particularly good choice for this, as the opponent often can't afford to simply to sacrifice a 'mon and bring in a counter, as the attack boost often allows Krookodile to power straight past it. The set is another straightforward one. Earthquake acts as the main STAB and sweeping tool, once fliers and levitators have been removed. Knock Off is a good alternative STAB that can not only be used to sweep in some situations, but also punishes switch-ins - particularly defensive ones - by removing their item as Krookodile forces something out. Superpower and Stone Edge are coverage moves, most often used to force something out or on a predicted switch. The former has great synergy with Moxie as it cancels out the attack drop, turning a one-shot wonder move into a potential sweeping move. Finally, Stone Edge is notable for nailing most of those pesky fliers on a predicted switch.
~ ~ ~
Threat list
As mentioned, even though this team has good synergy and has done quite well, there's a myriad of Pokémon that can do huge damage to the team thanks to coverage moves or favourable tying (e.g. physical flying attackers bypassing physical wall Chesnaught by having a 4x effective STAB). Generally, if a team has none of these Pokémon I'm almost guaranteed a win, but two or more proves to be a real challenge. I've sorted the threats into High, Mid and Low threats. High threats are ones that my team finds extremely difficult to deal with and usually I have to sacrifice a couple of my own 'mons to deal with them. Mid threats tend to be ones that are hard to switch into but can be revenge killed or forced out easily and Low threats are ones I just need to be very careful with, can be played around due to being choiced or just are a right pain in the ass.
Possibly the biggest threat my team faces, this thing literally is extremely hard to deal with. I have to rely on SR damage, Cobalion taking a hit and doing around 50-65% with Close Combat (though it can't switch in on anything other than Stone Edge) or Krookodile revenge killing it with the shakily accurate Stone Edge. Everything else it outspeeds and OHKOs after SR (and it's only Tentacruel that survives at full health). I can usually wear it down, even if it means sacrificing Chesnaught for a Spiky Shield + Rocky Helmet damage, but ones that pack Roost make it even harder to deal with.
The only defogger that I hate to see, Crobat is a real pain. It outspeeds Tornadus and 2HKOs with Brave Bird (even OHKOing in the case of a CB set) meaning that my prediction needs to be spot-on and Tornadus needs to be healthy to pull off a successful Defiant-Defog switch. Furthermore, it does huge damage to all of Pokémon with Brave Bird and the only Pokémon that can take its attacks reasonably well, Cobalion, lacks a reliable way to deal with it.
The one Pokémon that can straight up sweep my team, it completely shuts down Chesnaught, my usual Gyarados switch in, and grabs either one DD and a Sub or two DDs in the process, making it impossible to deal with, unless it's really low health and I can force it to take Rocky Helmet damage from Chesnaught. Thankfully these seem to be pretty rare.
Honchkrow's high attack, priority and flying typing make it very difficult to deal with. It OHKOs Tentacruel and Chesnaught with Brave Bird, forces Chandelure to take an obvious-OHKO Sucker Punch, OHKOs Tornadus with Sucker Punch after SR, can take out Cobalion with Superpower with a bit of prior damage, and even does a chunk of damage to Krookodile with Sucker Punch. And that's all before a Moxie boost. Fortunately Honchkrow tends to kill itself through recoil eventually, and I can pounce on Roost for an attacking opportunity, but it doesn't stop it doing huge damage before it goes.
Potential Fix (All of the above): With all these flying Pokémon running amok through my team, I feel a good electric type would be a good addition, and able to keep up momentum with Volt Switch, but I can't think of what to include or where to include it. I've also considered adding a Gravity user in somewhere, to force fliers and levitators to take Spikes damage as well as allowing Krookodile to spam Earthquake.
Although OHKOd by my primary sweeper, I still class Mega Ampharos as a threat. It's very hard to switch into, and only Chesnaught survives a hit from any of its moves after SR. Although all of my team out-speed it, only Krookodile can OHKO and EQ is relatively easy to switch in early-game. This often means that I have to sacrifice something just to put some damage on it, and wear it down it with hazards. Its bulk also means is fairly easy to switch it, and so a clever opponent will keep switching Mega Ampharos out when threatened, only to come in later to cause huge damage. This also requires my prediction to be spot on.
Potential Fix: Pursuit on Krookodile to deal some damage as it's forced out
Mamoswine's typing means it can hit every single member of my team with a Super-Effective STAB move, including priority Ice Shard that OHKOs Tornadus after can cause problems for Krookodile (especially seeing as Krookodile can't OHKO). Fortunately, most of my Pokémon are resistant or immune to the other STAB and so switching in is easy with some prediction. Chesnaught can also take a hit to phase out or rack up some Leech Seed damage although, annoyingly, cannot force Mamoswine to take Rocky Helmet/Spiky Shield damage. Chandelure and Cobalion also can switch in on ice moves and outspeed and usually OHKO, although Chandelure is reliant on winning a speed tie against max speed variants and Cobalion misses out on a guaranteed KO against bulkier variants.
The Nido duo are incredibly hard to switch into, as my dedicated special wall, Tentacruel, takes huge damage from Earth Power and doesn't outspeed, though it at least can take one hit and attack with a SE Scald if it's brought in safely. Chesnaught is easily KO'd by Sludge Wave, Chandelure is beaten by variants with a speed boosting nature and Cobalion does pittance with Close Combat and is promptly KO'd in return. Tornadus can do decent damage with Acrobatics but is taken out by Ice Beam. It's only Krookodile that can outspeed and OHKO and, as with Mega Ampharos, Earthquake is easy to switch into early-game, meaning that the Nidos usually end up causing huge damage to my team.
Potential Fix: More speed on Tentacruel, Potential Fix: Pursuit on Krookodile to deal some damage as they're forced out
Somewhat ironically, one big threat to my team is previous team-member, Mega Sceptile. This thing is very hard to switch into, with every member on my team risking a OHKO from another move after switching in. For instance, Cobalion can happily switch into Dragon or Grass mooves, but is OHKOd by Focus Blast. So this often means I have to sacrifice something to ensure a safe switch-in. Tentacruel takes hits from it fairly well but can't do a great deal in return. Chandelure and Chesnaught can both take a hit, but all the former can do in return is phase it out. Finally, the only Pokémon on my team that outspeeds it, Krookodile only does, at best, 54.8 - 64.7% with Superpower. It can normally be taken out by wearing it down with hazards but it invariably does a lot of damage before it goes.
Potential Fix: Ice Beam on Tentacruel, Dragon Claw on Krookodile (87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes - and unexpected)
Although CM Sylveon is relatively easy to deal with, the Specs variant is not. Everything but Chandelure and Tentacruel is OHKOd by Hyper Voice, and nothing can OHKO in return. Chandelure is also 2HKOd and can't guarantee a 2HKO in return without relying on hitting with Fire Blast both times. Tentacruel also does disappointingly little with Acid Spray and is OHKOd by Psyshock, so good prediction on my opponent's part can grab them a free KO. I'm reliant on sacrificing something to put damage on Sylveon or hoping it takes enough hazard damage to put it in KO range. This is sometimes easier said than done as it isn't threatened by any of my Pokémon whilst at high health, though I can often feign having Iron Head on Cobalion to force it out.
Mega Beedrill, again, is quite hard to switch into and must be carefully dealt with, especially considering it often just grabs momentum with U-turn whilst dealing huge damage in the process. It outspeeds Tornadus and Chandelure, having a decent chance of OHKOing with Poison Jab and Knock Off respectively, even without SR (which makes it guaranteed). Variants with Drill Run are more of a pain, as they can deal huge damage to Cobalion and Tentacruel and, although they can both take a hit, can't do a great deal in return. Despite its Poison weakness, Chesnaught can also take a hit and also forces Beedrill to take Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield damage. Krookodile also outspeeds and OHKOs.
Two Pokémon that are commonly seen with a scarf, Darmanitan and Infernape will both outspeed and KO Krookodile, forcing them to be dealt with before a sweep, and can deal huge damage to my team besides. Krookodile and Cobalion are KOd by both's STAB moves, with Tornadus being added to the list if SR are down. And, while Chandelure and Tentacruel are fantastic switch-ins to both, they fear EQ and so a good prediction from my opponent can leave me in a sticky situation. Chesnaught to its credit, can take a hit from Infernape and has a decent chance to also survive Darmanitan's Flare Blitz at full health. It can also scout what move they're locking themselves onto with Spiky Shield, and deal damage in the process, and also force them to take Rocky Helmet recoil if necessary. Both, especially Darmanitan, are also worn down by hazards as well as their own recoil, and so they usually die, its just a case of minimising the damage they cause, and doing my best to prevent them being kept healthy by Wish passers.
Like Crobat, Mandibuzz is a very annoying defogger to deal with. Even at +2, Tornadus only does 56.2 - 66.2% with Acrobatics and is promptly OHKOd by Foul Play, meaning that Mandibuzz needs to have a fair bit of prior damage on it to be dealt with, which isn't a common occurence, seeing as it can easily switch in on many of my team members and grab a Roost. However, it's not as problematic as Crobat seeing as it can't sweep my team. Cobalion is a very reliable switch-in as it takes very little from any of Mandibuzz's attacks, grabbing an attack boost from Foul Play and Knock Off, and can stop it using Defog with Taunt.
Sableye is that "pain in the ass" Pokémon, as it can stop a Krookodile sweep short with Prankster will-o-wisp, forcing it to be dealt with before sweeping. This is easier said that done as only Chandelure gets a OHKO with the shakily accurate Fire Blast, and Chandelure doesn't like switching in on Knock Off. Prankster Taunt also makes it hard to put down hazards and phase it out which would be the best way to put it into KO range, and with Recover it often just laughs at all hazards except two layers of Toxic Spikes.
Importable
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 96 HP / 236 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
- Close Combat
Tornadus
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Acrobatics
- Superpower
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Acid Spray
- Scald
Chesnaught @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spiky Shield
- Leech Seed
- Roar
- Spikes
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 96 HP / 236 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
- Close Combat
Tornadus
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Acrobatics
- Superpower
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Acid Spray
- Scald
Chesnaught @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spiky Shield
- Leech Seed
- Roar
- Spikes
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
Ladder Proof
Conclusion
So, many thanks for reading my RMT and kudos if you did, in fact, read the whole thing - it's a long RMT but I am like Treebeard in that we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say. Nonetheless, I hope this write up gives you a good idea of the team and its strengths and its weaknesses and produces some high quality rates. Be honest and merciless, but constructive! I'm interested to hear what you have to say about the italicised potential fixes in the threat list, as well as any and all suggestions of your own. Feel free to try the team for yourself using the importable and I look forward to hearing what you all have to say. I've really enjoyed playing in this fantastic tier and I can enjoy pushing even further up the ladder with this team!
Thanks again!
