Move Trick Room

[NotBruceWayne]

Hi! I'm new here so forgive any noob questions (I'm sure there will be a lot lol). I've used various TR teams in the past (5th Gen NU to OU) with various degrees of success and now i'm trying to create another TR team since I had a lot of fun using TR. Can someone take a look at this TR team I'm working on? Thanks in advance!!

Gourgeist-Super (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Explosion
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp

Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Psychic

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Aerial Ace
- Iron Head

Dusknoir @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Def / 4 HP / 252 Atk
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Shadow Punch
- Earthquake
- Pain Split

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch/HP Ice
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam

Rhyperior @ Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 Atk
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Rock Blast
- Stone Edge

 

[Antibiotic]

Hmm, I want to try the team out but unfortunately have to go to work here pretty soon. I could definitely be wrong, but my impression overall is that the team might be a little underwhelming. I think you might be better off with only 2 TR setters, freeing up a space for a stronger pokemon to wreak havoc. I have had more success using things that will net KO's very quickly, rather than a more defensive team, although I'm sure they could work. Hazards are the main problems with games that drag out, as almost every team will have them up on you, whereas you usually don't want to take a break to set them up.

I think the most important thing for TR success is to have the pokemon you want to have sweep synergize well with the ones who set it up, since you'll need to switch back to them a lot. Which your TR setters don't carry very many resists. Subbing in Slowbro for Reuniclus/Dusknoir for example, would cover Scizor's fire weakness, Rhyperior's water/fighting weakness, Ampharos/Gourgeists's ice weakness, etc. Slowbro is a great TR setter because of regenerator also, I like running a set of TR/fire blast/psychic/then whatever you want. I actually use Slowking a lot because Slowking gets Nasty Plot, and can wreak havoc in his own right. But after TR is set, fire blast will destroy Scizor/Ferro and psychic destroys gengar, both mon's who can give him problems.

But overall, I think you would be better if you cut it down to 2 TR setters, and another stronger mon to take advantage. I've been destroying people with Choice Band Aggron, who absolutely destroys with Head Smash. I'll have Cresselia/Slowbro(king) to back him, as they cover his weakness perfectly and between Cress's bulk and Regenerator, get to come in all day long and set up TR again.

 

[NotBruceWayne]

Slowbro does seem like a good addition to the team with Regenerator and all. I think I'll give it a shot. But I'm really unsure if 2 TR setters will last the entire game with faster threats (Gengar, Megas possibly) without sponging huge hits without setting up TR. Plus, I'm using a suicide lead Gourgiest so if he explodes, then I'm down to 1 TR setter. I might have to do some changes though. Thanks for the help!

 

[SergantGold]

Slowbro does seem like a good addition to the team with Regenerator and all. I think I'll give it a shot. But I'm really unsure if 2 TR setters will last the entire game with faster threats (Gengar, Megas possibly) without sponging huge hits without setting up TR. Plus, I'm using a suicide lead Gourgiest so if he explodes, then I'm down to 1 TR setter. I might have to do some changes though. Thanks for the help!

You could use Oblivous Slowbro as a TR setter, as it isnt affected by taunt

 

[TheTtarManCan]

Hey guys, I made an account to participate in this thread! And Ttarman, I can totally understand the desire to be hyper offensive with Trick Room, but in my endeavors with the strategy, I find it's useful to not be a "one-trick-pony" for lack of a better term. I've been experimenting with a Trick Room/Stall team, and it's be on and off, I still need to find the right balance. As it stands, I've been using pokemon like Dusclops and SwagKey to status, and cripple the opposing team. The idea is to then set up a trick room sweep, without fear of severe retaliation.
In addition, almost all of my pokemon function as walls, making my team usable outside of Trick Room.
But hey, I'm new to the competitive scene so what do I know? lol Was wondering what the seasoned Trick Room users thought.

Hey, thanks for the response, and I'm sorry for being gone so long after creating a nice discussion. I don't necessarily think that what I am running is hyper offensive. After all, the biggest perk of using a TR team is being able to invest in 252 HP and not be reliant on a nature that raises Speed. All of the Pokemon I use for my TR teams are bulky attackers or supports. I do however believe that TR teams rely on the surprise of TR itself and quickly loses momentum after the first TR set up. The idea is to do as much damage to the enemy team as possible during the first TR. This is why I often use a lead with explosion so I can quickly get my setter out of the way of my sweeper and potentially do some damage right of the bat. If you manage to use that first TR to secure a solid 5-3 in your favor, then you have quite the lead. At that point, you can use your larger bulk to out last the rest of their Pokemon. It will be hard for an offensive team to come back from this because you can continue to threaten their sweeper TR. In my experience, battles with a TR team end very quickly regardless of the outcome.

Trick room's biggest challenge this gen is dealing with all the priority. Think talonflame, azumarril, lucario, dragonite, kanga, mawile, aegislash, klefki, all the old priority users that continue their popularity... I look at most teams I've built and realize that on average I'm including three or four priority moves without even intending it. The challenges priority brings are actually twofold - Most obviously, priority will bypass the effects of trick room. But additionally people are building teams to deal with the priority - sweepers are bulkier, walls are less likely to be sacrificing precious HP EVs to speed creep, etc. EDIT: To be clear, trick room is good at wrecking HO teams or teams with more frail, gen5-style sweepers like landorus-T and thundurus-T. These fast but frail sweepers have been less popular lately because they don't like eating a priority acrobatics or sucker punch.

Trick room also received some new toys just like a lot of other strategies, and can adapt. By definition I feel trick room is a gimmick - you know whether you'll win or lose before the first button is clicked at team preview.

Remember that TR Pokemon benefit from having higher bulk then most other teams. Priority can easily threaten fragile hyper offensive Pokemon such as Gengar. TR sweepers with 252 HP investment can tank these smaller attacks a lot easier. When I play TR I also include plenty of priority myself for the off chance that TR isn't up. While TR is up, the slower Pokemon with a priority move will go first. All in all, priority has never been a big issue for me throughout the years of playing TR. And also, we all know that TR is a gimmick, but that is it's greatest strength. I play TR because I enjoy catching others off guard with it. Think of it as anti-meta.

 

[acestriker19]

I've been using Trick Room since the end of Gen 5 and I just had to talk about one underrated trick room poke: Eelektross
With a VAST movepool getting flamethrower and giga drain and superpower, with 100+ in both attack and sp. attack it isn't the strongest pokemon to use trick room but its movepool lets it land SE attacks on basically anything it wants.

On top of that it gets levitate so with the exclusion of mold breaker excadrill (who really hates flamethrower and superpower) nothing can hit it for Super-Effective damage back and on top of that it can slow volt switch out after trick room and bring in a setter safely. Its movepool also allows it to run mixed, attack and sp. attack sets to surprise the opponent.
This is the set that I've been using and its been working wonders securing OHKOs on bulky mons like Blissey and Ferrothorn who think they can stall out Trick Room it can also giga drain Rotom-W for a clean 2HKO.

Eelektross @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 228 HP / 28 Atk (the 28 Atk Evs are to OHKO Mega-Khan)
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Giga Drain
- Flamethrower
- Superpower

I'm pretty sure that this is my new favorite poke to use in competitive battles.

 

[alexwolf]

This thread has been dead for over a month, and there is a more fresh one discussing the same topic. Locking.