Mission Briefing
This team began as a somewhat gimmicky team (See if you can catch the references) but ended up working very well. In fact, its own of my most successful teams to date and I've a lot of success with it both on PO as well as in game. It went through several minor changes, mainly the fighting slot but the team was largely unchanged since its inception.
This team doesn't have a "set strategy" in that there are no designated roles per se. Keeping with my preferences, this team is totally geared towards offense but there is more bulk than I usually run resulting in a more flexible and adaptable team which is important in the current fluctuating metagame.
Anyway, on to the best part of the RMT, the team!
The Squadron
Scarface-1 (Starmie) @ Life Orb Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Recover
I admit I had never been a big fan of Starmie before Gen IV. I always had the impression that it is too frail and doesn't hit hard enough with a deceptively average Special Attack of 100. I gave it a go in Gen IV and never looked back since. It's amazing coverage when complemented with Life Orb gave it far more bite then I had ever imagined possible and when coupled with its great speed, your opponents will be left hurting for sure. Natural Cure just sweetens the deal with the large amount of status users these days. Definitely one of the star performers of the team if you would pardon the overused pun. I would usually lead with it when unsure of my opponent's lead and trust its coverage and when I assume my opponent is leading with hazard leads. Starmie's reputation as a great user of Rapid Spin is such that even when I don't run it, I can benefit from the doubt that people will have setting up hazards against a Starmie which give me the time to land some nasty blows on the opponent.
Nemo (Scizor) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- Brick Break
I had tried to run a Scyther in this slot since Scyther was my favourite Pokemon but the overwhelming advantages the popular Scizor has were undeniable and I changed it to Scizor. I wanted a bulky SD Scizor but I did not appreciate the regular bulky SD set's EV spread which I tried in Gen IV. It sacrifices too much immediate power for speed which is rarely used making it only useful once it got a Swords Dance under its belt. I settled on maximizing bulk and attack and it resulted in a wonderfully sturdy mon with great power right off the bat and which only gets more ludicrous after Swords Dance. With Roost, I can usually get multiple Swords Dance making Bullet Punch do intense damage and putting enormous pressure on my opponent. Brick Break is there to have a good fighting STAB to complement Bullet Punch as well as to break the HO teams that relies on Dual Screens. I tried Superpower but the effects are generally unimpressive since the people you need it for are either those you will have to switch out of such as Heatran, those that BP will hit harder such as Tyranitar or those that are just setup bait for you such as Ferrathorn.
Mobius-1 (Salamence) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Outrage
DDmence continues to exert its brutal dominance of nearly everything. I had tried running Dragon Claw over Outrage but the lack of power was painfully obvious, especially when you did not have the time to Dance. Fire Blast is there for the obvious reasons of bringing the pain on those that stops Mence; namely steel types such as Ferrathorn and Scizor. Together with Earthquake, these hit 9 types super effectively and doing neutral damage to everything else. I have been considering switching over to a Choice Specs set but DDmence is still doing superbly and I would be reluctant to part with its great power which is very much appreciated especially in late game when most of its counters are already removed.
Razgriz-1 (Gallade) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Steadfast
EVs: 240 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SDef / 12 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Leaf Blade
I used to use a Gallade last Gen and was generally impressed by its SD and Choice sets but its lack of speed was noticeable on many counts as was its surprising bulk. With the addition of Drain Punch this generation, I gave Bulk Up Gallade a go and was immediately bought over by its bulk and great movepool. The EVs are to maximize its great special bulk which would allow me to patch up its subpar physical bulk with Bulk Up. Drain Punch provides a solid fighting STAB which also synergies well with Bulk Up and Leftovers in keeping it alive. Ice Punch is more or less a given due to the great offensive potency of Ice and its excellent coverage allowing it to nail most mons that resist Drain Punch such as Scizor and Dnite. Most people feel that Shadow Sneak is a must on Bulk Up Gallade to hit Ghosts and as a priority but after using it for a while, I find its lack of power very disappointing even after 2 Bulk Ups. I decided to go with a move I use on my in game Gallade which is Leaf Blade. This allows me to deal well with bulky water that may otherwise wall me as well as the surprise factor since apparently, many people do not consider that Gallade may run Leaf Blade.
While a very good performer on the team, I'm still debating whether I should replace it with something that has Mach Punch such as Conkeldurr or Infernape so that Scizor's BP is not the only priority on the team.
Galm-1 (Magnezone) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Part of the infamous Mag/Drag combo that had served me well on my previous team, here it is once again in all its glory. Main strategy with it is to come in on a steel that is unlikely to have Earthquake and start subbing and spamming Charge Beam to a satisfactory level which would then let you do great damage to whatever comes in next with Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Ice is the last move and definitely my favorite on Mag. It hits Gliscors and Dragons very, very hard with Mag's great Special Attack which are the two most common things to come in after I had KO'd whatever Steel that I had trapped.
Garuda-1 (Haxorus) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Dual Chop
- Brick Break
My favourite mon on the team bar none. Using CB Haxorus will finally let you know what does going mad with power really mean. I had used every variation of Haxorus so far on this as well as other teams but CB Hax still reigns supreme. Haxorus have neither the bulk to set up well nor the movepool to actually sweep. What it has is power and hell lots of it. Prediction is useful on it but moot in most cases since you are going to select Outrage 90% of the time. It does incredible damage to those that "resist" it such as Skarmory and Ferrathorn though physically defensive Skarmory is still a problem due to Roost. Dual Chop is there if I'm desperate to break a sub and Earthquake and Brick Break are more of auxiliary moves for Outrage rather than legitimate coverage in most cases. Rivalry is useful sometimes since it negates even the likes of Skarmory to whom it can deal around 60% damage in one blow but Mold Breaker is far more useful and reliable on the off chance that I have to hit something with Earthquake. All in all, Haxorus is a monstrous creature capable of destroying half your team in the blink of an eye and utterly baffling to me how much it is underestimated.
Debriefing
First of all due to personal quirks, I am really reluctant to use legendary mons which would explain the lack of them even when some of them would perform better. I do note that entry hazards are a problem due to my lack of Rapid Spin as well as me not carrying any. While I can run Rapid Spin since I already have a Starmie, I had tried using it and found the benefits not enough to justify giving up Recover for it. I don't carry any significant SR weaknesses besides Mence nor TSpike weaknesses as well. My battle plan is usually to maintain offensive pressure and to keep the initiative and it has worked pretty well so far. The only big change that I'm considering right now is switching out the effective but replaceable Gallade for a more offensive fighting mon such as Infernape or perhaps SubPunch Conkeldurr so that I have another powerful priority attack besides Scizor's BP.
This team began as a somewhat gimmicky team (See if you can catch the references) but ended up working very well. In fact, its own of my most successful teams to date and I've a lot of success with it both on PO as well as in game. It went through several minor changes, mainly the fighting slot but the team was largely unchanged since its inception.
This team doesn't have a "set strategy" in that there are no designated roles per se. Keeping with my preferences, this team is totally geared towards offense but there is more bulk than I usually run resulting in a more flexible and adaptable team which is important in the current fluctuating metagame.
Anyway, on to the best part of the RMT, the team!
The Squadron
Scarface-1 (Starmie) @ Life Orb Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Recover
I admit I had never been a big fan of Starmie before Gen IV. I always had the impression that it is too frail and doesn't hit hard enough with a deceptively average Special Attack of 100. I gave it a go in Gen IV and never looked back since. It's amazing coverage when complemented with Life Orb gave it far more bite then I had ever imagined possible and when coupled with its great speed, your opponents will be left hurting for sure. Natural Cure just sweetens the deal with the large amount of status users these days. Definitely one of the star performers of the team if you would pardon the overused pun. I would usually lead with it when unsure of my opponent's lead and trust its coverage and when I assume my opponent is leading with hazard leads. Starmie's reputation as a great user of Rapid Spin is such that even when I don't run it, I can benefit from the doubt that people will have setting up hazards against a Starmie which give me the time to land some nasty blows on the opponent.
Nemo (Scizor) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- Brick Break
I had tried to run a Scyther in this slot since Scyther was my favourite Pokemon but the overwhelming advantages the popular Scizor has were undeniable and I changed it to Scizor. I wanted a bulky SD Scizor but I did not appreciate the regular bulky SD set's EV spread which I tried in Gen IV. It sacrifices too much immediate power for speed which is rarely used making it only useful once it got a Swords Dance under its belt. I settled on maximizing bulk and attack and it resulted in a wonderfully sturdy mon with great power right off the bat and which only gets more ludicrous after Swords Dance. With Roost, I can usually get multiple Swords Dance making Bullet Punch do intense damage and putting enormous pressure on my opponent. Brick Break is there to have a good fighting STAB to complement Bullet Punch as well as to break the HO teams that relies on Dual Screens. I tried Superpower but the effects are generally unimpressive since the people you need it for are either those you will have to switch out of such as Heatran, those that BP will hit harder such as Tyranitar or those that are just setup bait for you such as Ferrathorn.
Mobius-1 (Salamence) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Outrage
DDmence continues to exert its brutal dominance of nearly everything. I had tried running Dragon Claw over Outrage but the lack of power was painfully obvious, especially when you did not have the time to Dance. Fire Blast is there for the obvious reasons of bringing the pain on those that stops Mence; namely steel types such as Ferrathorn and Scizor. Together with Earthquake, these hit 9 types super effectively and doing neutral damage to everything else. I have been considering switching over to a Choice Specs set but DDmence is still doing superbly and I would be reluctant to part with its great power which is very much appreciated especially in late game when most of its counters are already removed.
Razgriz-1 (Gallade) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Steadfast
EVs: 240 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SDef / 12 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Leaf Blade
I used to use a Gallade last Gen and was generally impressed by its SD and Choice sets but its lack of speed was noticeable on many counts as was its surprising bulk. With the addition of Drain Punch this generation, I gave Bulk Up Gallade a go and was immediately bought over by its bulk and great movepool. The EVs are to maximize its great special bulk which would allow me to patch up its subpar physical bulk with Bulk Up. Drain Punch provides a solid fighting STAB which also synergies well with Bulk Up and Leftovers in keeping it alive. Ice Punch is more or less a given due to the great offensive potency of Ice and its excellent coverage allowing it to nail most mons that resist Drain Punch such as Scizor and Dnite. Most people feel that Shadow Sneak is a must on Bulk Up Gallade to hit Ghosts and as a priority but after using it for a while, I find its lack of power very disappointing even after 2 Bulk Ups. I decided to go with a move I use on my in game Gallade which is Leaf Blade. This allows me to deal well with bulky water that may otherwise wall me as well as the surprise factor since apparently, many people do not consider that Gallade may run Leaf Blade.
While a very good performer on the team, I'm still debating whether I should replace it with something that has Mach Punch such as Conkeldurr or Infernape so that Scizor's BP is not the only priority on the team.
Galm-1 (Magnezone) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Part of the infamous Mag/Drag combo that had served me well on my previous team, here it is once again in all its glory. Main strategy with it is to come in on a steel that is unlikely to have Earthquake and start subbing and spamming Charge Beam to a satisfactory level which would then let you do great damage to whatever comes in next with Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Ice is the last move and definitely my favorite on Mag. It hits Gliscors and Dragons very, very hard with Mag's great Special Attack which are the two most common things to come in after I had KO'd whatever Steel that I had trapped.
Garuda-1 (Haxorus) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Dual Chop
- Brick Break
My favourite mon on the team bar none. Using CB Haxorus will finally let you know what does going mad with power really mean. I had used every variation of Haxorus so far on this as well as other teams but CB Hax still reigns supreme. Haxorus have neither the bulk to set up well nor the movepool to actually sweep. What it has is power and hell lots of it. Prediction is useful on it but moot in most cases since you are going to select Outrage 90% of the time. It does incredible damage to those that "resist" it such as Skarmory and Ferrathorn though physically defensive Skarmory is still a problem due to Roost. Dual Chop is there if I'm desperate to break a sub and Earthquake and Brick Break are more of auxiliary moves for Outrage rather than legitimate coverage in most cases. Rivalry is useful sometimes since it negates even the likes of Skarmory to whom it can deal around 60% damage in one blow but Mold Breaker is far more useful and reliable on the off chance that I have to hit something with Earthquake. All in all, Haxorus is a monstrous creature capable of destroying half your team in the blink of an eye and utterly baffling to me how much it is underestimated.
Debriefing
First of all due to personal quirks, I am really reluctant to use legendary mons which would explain the lack of them even when some of them would perform better. I do note that entry hazards are a problem due to my lack of Rapid Spin as well as me not carrying any. While I can run Rapid Spin since I already have a Starmie, I had tried using it and found the benefits not enough to justify giving up Recover for it. I don't carry any significant SR weaknesses besides Mence nor TSpike weaknesses as well. My battle plan is usually to maintain offensive pressure and to keep the initiative and it has worked pretty well so far. The only big change that I'm considering right now is switching out the effective but replaceable Gallade for a more offensive fighting mon such as Infernape or perhaps SubPunch Conkeldurr so that I have another powerful priority attack besides Scizor's BP.
