My team initially started out as a balance team with a gliscor-keldeo core but, after testing it and tweaking it, eventually became semi stall.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Toxic
- Iron Head
- Whirlwind
My team struggled a lot with u-turners at one point so I wanted to add something that could easily take a u-turn and punish my opponent for using u-turn. At the same time, I only had one pokemon with physically-offensive moves. I also only had one answer to mega metagross and scizor. Swords dance users (particularly bisharp and scizor) were also an annoyance to my team. Skarmory helps me with all of these threats.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Prior to adding skarmory, my team really struggled against physically offensive steel types (and, to a lesser extent, heatran). Mega metagross, mega scizor, and bisharp simply destroyed my team. I also wanted a good answer to heatran. Will-o-wisp has been a helpful addition in dealing with threatening physical attackers such as mega lopunny, garchomp, scizor, and metagross, and rotom's typing allows it to wall steel types. Plus, volt switch allows it to be used as a fun pivot.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
As I said earlier, my team is semi-stall, not pure stall. Tyranitar is my offensive support. It can pursuit trap the lateons, gengar, and starmie, superpower bisharp and chansey, and stone edge talonflame and both charizards. Tyranitar is choice scarfed to outspeed birsharp, unboosted volcarona, and both unboosted charizards. A choice scarf also allows my tyranitar to outspeed non-choice scarf tyranitars.
A notable damage calculation:
252 Atk Life Orb Bisharp Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 151-182 (44.2 - 53.3%) -- 30.1% chance to 2HKO
Tyranitar can survive an unboosted life orb bullet punch from bisharp. A choice scarf enables tyranitar to outspeed bisharp so I do not have to worry about tyranitar taking an iron head.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
Clefable initially had thunder wave instead of calm mind but I soon realized that almost everything that I would want to paralyze I was better off burning with rotom or pursuit trapping with tyranitar. Calm mind also allows clefable to better deal with calm mind sableye sets that can survive a moonblast use recover to regain some hp. Plus, I wanted a stealth rocker and clefable seemed to be a good fit for my team. If a volcarona gets off a quiver dance, it could easily bug buzz tyranitar. Volcarona has a much harder time with clefable, however.
Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Recover
While my team is almost entirely unfazed by spikes and toxic spikes and nothing on my team is particularly weak to stealth rocks, stealth rocks can still be annoying in case I need rotom to do a lot of volt-switching. Skarmory also does not like to switch in on stealth rocks since it breaks sturdy.
Latias outspeeds and revenge kills non-choice scarf garchomp should I lose rotom. More importantly, latias is my best answer for mega venusaur which I otherwise have to rely on skarmory to handle. Latias's draco meteor hits a lot of pokemon hard, as well, and I can often rely on latias to pick off members of my opponent's team with neutral hits. Before the special attack drop, it can bring choice band scizor down to almost half-health. While I would not send latias into scizor unless I knew it did not have sucker punch and it was already at a little less than half health, a lot of people switch scizor into latias. It is nice to do a good amount of damage to scizor before losing latias to pursuit.
Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 144 SpD / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
Before I had skarmory and rotom, I needed an answer to azumarill. My first thought was ferrothorn, but I eventually decided to go with mega venusaur. Mega venusaur can handle clefable and outstall many dedicated stall pokemon and walls. It can also force out opposing ferrothorns who have no method of recovery against venusaur (even though venusaur cannot really hit ferrothorn very hard). It also fits oddly well on my team. While venusaur does not appreciate tyranitar's sandstorm, tyranitar easily handles the flying and psychic types which venusaur fears. Mega venusaur's bulk and ability allow it to handle a lot of moves which one might not expect it to. It can handle two air slashes from togekiss and hit back with sludge bomb, as well.
The biggest threat to my team has so far been alakazam and mega alakazam, both of which outspeed choice scarf tyranitar and can hit it with focus blast. They can also shadow ball latias. Many sets can force me to use roost on skarmory instead of trying to attack or stall alakazam out, as well.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Toxic
- Iron Head
- Whirlwind
My team struggled a lot with u-turners at one point so I wanted to add something that could easily take a u-turn and punish my opponent for using u-turn. At the same time, I only had one pokemon with physically-offensive moves. I also only had one answer to mega metagross and scizor. Swords dance users (particularly bisharp and scizor) were also an annoyance to my team. Skarmory helps me with all of these threats.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Prior to adding skarmory, my team really struggled against physically offensive steel types (and, to a lesser extent, heatran). Mega metagross, mega scizor, and bisharp simply destroyed my team. I also wanted a good answer to heatran. Will-o-wisp has been a helpful addition in dealing with threatening physical attackers such as mega lopunny, garchomp, scizor, and metagross, and rotom's typing allows it to wall steel types. Plus, volt switch allows it to be used as a fun pivot.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
As I said earlier, my team is semi-stall, not pure stall. Tyranitar is my offensive support. It can pursuit trap the lateons, gengar, and starmie, superpower bisharp and chansey, and stone edge talonflame and both charizards. Tyranitar is choice scarfed to outspeed birsharp, unboosted volcarona, and both unboosted charizards. A choice scarf also allows my tyranitar to outspeed non-choice scarf tyranitars.
A notable damage calculation:
252 Atk Life Orb Bisharp Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 151-182 (44.2 - 53.3%) -- 30.1% chance to 2HKO
Tyranitar can survive an unboosted life orb bullet punch from bisharp. A choice scarf enables tyranitar to outspeed bisharp so I do not have to worry about tyranitar taking an iron head.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
Clefable initially had thunder wave instead of calm mind but I soon realized that almost everything that I would want to paralyze I was better off burning with rotom or pursuit trapping with tyranitar. Calm mind also allows clefable to better deal with calm mind sableye sets that can survive a moonblast use recover to regain some hp. Plus, I wanted a stealth rocker and clefable seemed to be a good fit for my team. If a volcarona gets off a quiver dance, it could easily bug buzz tyranitar. Volcarona has a much harder time with clefable, however.
Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Recover
While my team is almost entirely unfazed by spikes and toxic spikes and nothing on my team is particularly weak to stealth rocks, stealth rocks can still be annoying in case I need rotom to do a lot of volt-switching. Skarmory also does not like to switch in on stealth rocks since it breaks sturdy.
Latias outspeeds and revenge kills non-choice scarf garchomp should I lose rotom. More importantly, latias is my best answer for mega venusaur which I otherwise have to rely on skarmory to handle. Latias's draco meteor hits a lot of pokemon hard, as well, and I can often rely on latias to pick off members of my opponent's team with neutral hits. Before the special attack drop, it can bring choice band scizor down to almost half-health. While I would not send latias into scizor unless I knew it did not have sucker punch and it was already at a little less than half health, a lot of people switch scizor into latias. It is nice to do a good amount of damage to scizor before losing latias to pursuit.
Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 144 SpD / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
Before I had skarmory and rotom, I needed an answer to azumarill. My first thought was ferrothorn, but I eventually decided to go with mega venusaur. Mega venusaur can handle clefable and outstall many dedicated stall pokemon and walls. It can also force out opposing ferrothorns who have no method of recovery against venusaur (even though venusaur cannot really hit ferrothorn very hard). It also fits oddly well on my team. While venusaur does not appreciate tyranitar's sandstorm, tyranitar easily handles the flying and psychic types which venusaur fears. Mega venusaur's bulk and ability allow it to handle a lot of moves which one might not expect it to. It can handle two air slashes from togekiss and hit back with sludge bomb, as well.
The biggest threat to my team has so far been alakazam and mega alakazam, both of which outspeed choice scarf tyranitar and can hit it with focus blast. They can also shadow ball latias. Many sets can force me to use roost on skarmory instead of trying to attack or stall alakazam out, as well.
Last edited: