I'll preface this thread with a slight introduction. I haven't been playing competitively that long, maybe since about September of this year, but I've been "familiar" with the scene since the early stages of Gen IV.
I started off playing UU, because I didn't want to jump straight into the powerhouses and sterotypical strategies of OU or Ubers, and eventually I strayed to Random Battling on Pokemon Showdown regularly. Random Battling so much made me lose my touch at trying to make my own teams, but it helped me become familiar with many, many different Pokemon and the possible strategies they may have. So I ripped a mono-Steel team from somewhere, tweaked it and tweaked it, until it became my own. Then I decided to start from scratch to make my own team, after monotype proved to appeal to me.
I decided on Ghost, because although it can be gimmicky, there's also plenty of predicting and skill that goes along with the gimmicks. It, along with Steel, is one of my favorite types. Here's the lineup that I chose:
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Froslass @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Destiny Bond
While reading up on Frosslass, it became clear fairly quickly that this one is a must if I want to have any entry hazards. I usually lead with Frosslass. In the best case scenario, I'd get out three sets of spikes, but that rarely happens. Usually it's one set, sometimes two. The whole premise is that it's fast to get out a Spikes or two, then outspeed the other guy with a Destiny Bond, guaranteeing a KO. Also, benefiting from its nice Speed, occasionally I can predict when to use Taunt - wither forcing them to attack me (which I then Destiny Bond), or forcing them to switch, letting me either repeat the Taunt or set up more Spikes. All in all, the only time this one has failed me is when someone is faster and/or gives it a damaging status - in that case I can't outspeed for the Destiny Bond, or the Focus Sash is ruined. Occasionally, Cursed Body will also ruin whatever setup the opponent was trying to use, by disabling their attack. Oftentimes, if I've Taunted them, Cursed Body will nullify their only attacking move and force them to switch - predicting this opens another channel through which I can get off another set of Spikes, if I wish.
Chandelure @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
Most often when I see Chandelure, I'm almost willing to bet that it is choiced in some way, probably Scarfed. I decided not to go that route, instead pump some Speed EV's into it to (hopefully) get (almost) the same effect. Reason being, Calm Mind is a great help. Also, Substitute allows me a free turn to hide if I'm not entirely sure what they're going to do. It also allows me to get a free Calm Mind (or two) before actually having to attack, depending on the situation. Flash Fire is a given (is Shadow Tag even released yet?) and I've used it to throw off some Fire users in the past. My one complaint about this guy is how frail it is. I can rarely switch it into an attack that he doesn't resist. So, like I said in the preface, this team relies on a few gimmicks and a LOT of good prediction. Isn't that the way a Ghost Pokemon should be?
Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
Here's the obligatory wall of the team. I didn't specify a gender, so this one surprises me with its colors whenever I go into battle. The EV spread is chosen so that its Def and SDef are just about equal (255 / 254), since I don't want to have a Special-only or Physical-only wall in this Jellicent. It's absolutely massive HP makes up for non-stellar-but-still-good defenses, and these two together make this wall pretty glorious. Its typing gives it two immunities (Normal and Fighting), and its ability gives it another: Water. I always try to use this to my advantage if I can, just like with Chandelure's Flash Fire. My typical strategy with Jellicent is to Toxic whatever the opponent has out, if possible. Sometimes getting an attack off is viable, though its attacks are definitely not strong and not intended to OHKO / 2HKO anything. Recover, rinse, repeat. Steels and Poisons pose a problem, though not impossible to deal with. Tentacruel is the biggest pain I can think of against this Jellicent.
Golurk @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Ice Punch
- Drain Punch
One of the only viable Physical attackers in the Ghost type, Golurk was a tough choice. I needed a Physical attacker because I didn't want to limit myself to Special attacks, but I'm still not 100% sure how to use this guy. His Ground typing is always being taken advantage of, his defenses aren't that great, and his Speed isn't that great - I tried to pump some speed into him with EV's, though. I've got my Golurk set up so that he packs a punch (a few punches, technically), and if he can get them off, it's a force to be reckoned with - Iron Fist is monstrous. I've seen people run Substitute / Focus Punch, but I don't feel the need to rely on that gimmick for a third time in this team (continue reading, you'll see). Drain Punch heals him istead if he can survive a hit, and the other coverage moves usually hit pretty hard. Grass types still pose quite a threat, and even though I tried to speed him up with EV's, sometimes I have no choice but to get him out of there if there's danger. That's what the other teammates are for, right?
Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Confuse Ray
This is, hands down, one of the most annoying Pokemon on the market - probably only outclassed by one (looking at you, Liepard). But that's why I picked it! Sometimes when Jellicent's walling isn't enough, I just have to throw out Sableye to annoy the opponent. Using prediction well is usually key to picking off opposing Pokemon with Sableye. If it's a sweeper I will always Taunt it first. Then, depending on situation, either confuse it or burn it. In desperate situations, using Confuse Ray first is a bit of a gamble, relying on the opponent to hurt itself in order to carry out whatever plan I'm trying to do. Fire types break the Will-O-Wisp whittle strategy, but I opted for that instead of Toxic because Jellicent does a good enough job of using Toxic when necessary.
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
And lastly, Gengar. I've been struggling on deciding what the fourth move should be (for coverage), and also whether or not to keep Disable. I've cycled through Focus Blast, Sludge Bomb, and now Thunderbolt. All seem to have their own individual uses and disadvantages, but I'm keeping Thunderbolt for now, because otherwise I've got next to nothing to take care of any Water types. It's about half-and-half for whether I choose to just start attacking, or try to set up a Sub / Disable, and it really depends on the situation. I gave him Black Sludge for this reason instead of a Life Orb, and tried to make up for that by pumping lots of power into him through EV's. Like I've said a few times, there are a few different gimmicky plays I can run with each of my Pokemon. Using Disable is pretty gimmicky, let's be honest. But when predicted well enough, it can cripple whatever the opponent has out, either forcing him to switch, or hit me with sometime I can survive, while I blast him away with STAB Shadow Ball. Using Substitute mainly to scout their moves, to see whether or not I should switch out or Disable. It still stands that it is hard to switch Gengar into an attack due to his pretty low defenses, but he has a good bunch of immunities and resistances to take advantage of in that case.
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So, there's the team! Let me know what you think.
The main issues I am struggling with are how to really effectively use Golurk and Gengar. That's bad, because they're my powerhouses. Perhaps it's just my playing style and I have to get used to glass-cannon sweepers. I also need to refine and make sure both of their movesets are optimized - currently running Thunderbolt on Gengar, even though switching into a Water type using Hydro Pump probably means bye-bye Gengar.
Any other tips or comments are welcome. Thanks for reading.
I started off playing UU, because I didn't want to jump straight into the powerhouses and sterotypical strategies of OU or Ubers, and eventually I strayed to Random Battling on Pokemon Showdown regularly. Random Battling so much made me lose my touch at trying to make my own teams, but it helped me become familiar with many, many different Pokemon and the possible strategies they may have. So I ripped a mono-Steel team from somewhere, tweaked it and tweaked it, until it became my own. Then I decided to start from scratch to make my own team, after monotype proved to appeal to me.
I decided on Ghost, because although it can be gimmicky, there's also plenty of predicting and skill that goes along with the gimmicks. It, along with Steel, is one of my favorite types. Here's the lineup that I chose:
_____________________________________________
Froslass @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Destiny Bond
While reading up on Frosslass, it became clear fairly quickly that this one is a must if I want to have any entry hazards. I usually lead with Frosslass. In the best case scenario, I'd get out three sets of spikes, but that rarely happens. Usually it's one set, sometimes two. The whole premise is that it's fast to get out a Spikes or two, then outspeed the other guy with a Destiny Bond, guaranteeing a KO. Also, benefiting from its nice Speed, occasionally I can predict when to use Taunt - wither forcing them to attack me (which I then Destiny Bond), or forcing them to switch, letting me either repeat the Taunt or set up more Spikes. All in all, the only time this one has failed me is when someone is faster and/or gives it a damaging status - in that case I can't outspeed for the Destiny Bond, or the Focus Sash is ruined. Occasionally, Cursed Body will also ruin whatever setup the opponent was trying to use, by disabling their attack. Oftentimes, if I've Taunted them, Cursed Body will nullify their only attacking move and force them to switch - predicting this opens another channel through which I can get off another set of Spikes, if I wish.
Chandelure @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
Most often when I see Chandelure, I'm almost willing to bet that it is choiced in some way, probably Scarfed. I decided not to go that route, instead pump some Speed EV's into it to (hopefully) get (almost) the same effect. Reason being, Calm Mind is a great help. Also, Substitute allows me a free turn to hide if I'm not entirely sure what they're going to do. It also allows me to get a free Calm Mind (or two) before actually having to attack, depending on the situation. Flash Fire is a given (is Shadow Tag even released yet?) and I've used it to throw off some Fire users in the past. My one complaint about this guy is how frail it is. I can rarely switch it into an attack that he doesn't resist. So, like I said in the preface, this team relies on a few gimmicks and a LOT of good prediction. Isn't that the way a Ghost Pokemon should be?
Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
Here's the obligatory wall of the team. I didn't specify a gender, so this one surprises me with its colors whenever I go into battle. The EV spread is chosen so that its Def and SDef are just about equal (255 / 254), since I don't want to have a Special-only or Physical-only wall in this Jellicent. It's absolutely massive HP makes up for non-stellar-but-still-good defenses, and these two together make this wall pretty glorious. Its typing gives it two immunities (Normal and Fighting), and its ability gives it another: Water. I always try to use this to my advantage if I can, just like with Chandelure's Flash Fire. My typical strategy with Jellicent is to Toxic whatever the opponent has out, if possible. Sometimes getting an attack off is viable, though its attacks are definitely not strong and not intended to OHKO / 2HKO anything. Recover, rinse, repeat. Steels and Poisons pose a problem, though not impossible to deal with. Tentacruel is the biggest pain I can think of against this Jellicent.
Golurk @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Ice Punch
- Drain Punch
One of the only viable Physical attackers in the Ghost type, Golurk was a tough choice. I needed a Physical attacker because I didn't want to limit myself to Special attacks, but I'm still not 100% sure how to use this guy. His Ground typing is always being taken advantage of, his defenses aren't that great, and his Speed isn't that great - I tried to pump some speed into him with EV's, though. I've got my Golurk set up so that he packs a punch (a few punches, technically), and if he can get them off, it's a force to be reckoned with - Iron Fist is monstrous. I've seen people run Substitute / Focus Punch, but I don't feel the need to rely on that gimmick for a third time in this team (continue reading, you'll see). Drain Punch heals him istead if he can survive a hit, and the other coverage moves usually hit pretty hard. Grass types still pose quite a threat, and even though I tried to speed him up with EV's, sometimes I have no choice but to get him out of there if there's danger. That's what the other teammates are for, right?
Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Confuse Ray
This is, hands down, one of the most annoying Pokemon on the market - probably only outclassed by one (looking at you, Liepard). But that's why I picked it! Sometimes when Jellicent's walling isn't enough, I just have to throw out Sableye to annoy the opponent. Using prediction well is usually key to picking off opposing Pokemon with Sableye. If it's a sweeper I will always Taunt it first. Then, depending on situation, either confuse it or burn it. In desperate situations, using Confuse Ray first is a bit of a gamble, relying on the opponent to hurt itself in order to carry out whatever plan I'm trying to do. Fire types break the Will-O-Wisp whittle strategy, but I opted for that instead of Toxic because Jellicent does a good enough job of using Toxic when necessary.
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
And lastly, Gengar. I've been struggling on deciding what the fourth move should be (for coverage), and also whether or not to keep Disable. I've cycled through Focus Blast, Sludge Bomb, and now Thunderbolt. All seem to have their own individual uses and disadvantages, but I'm keeping Thunderbolt for now, because otherwise I've got next to nothing to take care of any Water types. It's about half-and-half for whether I choose to just start attacking, or try to set up a Sub / Disable, and it really depends on the situation. I gave him Black Sludge for this reason instead of a Life Orb, and tried to make up for that by pumping lots of power into him through EV's. Like I've said a few times, there are a few different gimmicky plays I can run with each of my Pokemon. Using Disable is pretty gimmicky, let's be honest. But when predicted well enough, it can cripple whatever the opponent has out, either forcing him to switch, or hit me with sometime I can survive, while I blast him away with STAB Shadow Ball. Using Substitute mainly to scout their moves, to see whether or not I should switch out or Disable. It still stands that it is hard to switch Gengar into an attack due to his pretty low defenses, but he has a good bunch of immunities and resistances to take advantage of in that case.
_____________________________________________
The main issues I am struggling with are how to really effectively use Golurk and Gengar. That's bad, because they're my powerhouses. Perhaps it's just my playing style and I have to get used to glass-cannon sweepers. I also need to refine and make sure both of their movesets are optimized - currently running Thunderbolt on Gengar, even though switching into a Water type using Hydro Pump probably means bye-bye Gengar.
Any other tips or comments are welcome. Thanks for reading.