Hello Smogon! This is Limianic (a.k.a. Limi on the Smogon Server on PO, for those who know me) and I just recently started competitive battling (~2 weeks ago). I started out on the OU ladder but moved to RU in the last few days.
As you can probably imagine, I'm still rather inexperienced in teambuilding, but I believe I made a pretty good one here that has reached 42th place on the ladder (but has fallen again ;_;). I would call it a semi-stall team based (but actually not built) team around a FWG core with a lot of phazing, some statusing, as well as using setup moves to deal some nice damage on the opponent.
Without further ado, here is my team, first on a glance, then in detail:
Although this cat shows up in the lead spot on the team preview, she is not my standard lead. Leafeon is mainly there to heal the team - provide Wishes to everyone who does no have a good form of recovery (so, everyone but Moltres) as well as clear any pesky status with Heal Bell, which is important, as a good portion of my team hates being Toxic'd.
Leaf Blade is there to actually pose a threat to the opponent (especially Grass-weaks like Blastoise, Claydol or Omastar, for example) and not be Taunt bait.
Yawn is a great support move to phaze out Pokemon Leafeon cannot deal with since it cannot do much to opposing mons especially if they resist Grass. They have to choose between having to switch out, which means a free turn to make a Wish, or stay in and fall asleep.
The EVs are there to let this feline take special hits, her weaker side, as well as possible, as I think her physical defense is good enough as is.
Problems with Leafeon: Her healing prowess is needed quite a lot in this team which, except for Moltres, cannot heal itself outside of Leftovers. As such, once she faints, I often cannot keep up the health of my other mons. This means I have to play rather conservatively with her. Another weak point is the lack of Protect. While she often heals the others, she rarely does so herself and that puts quite a damper on her longevity. I could swap out Yawn for Protect, so tell me what you think!
Armaldo was temporarily removed from this team (actually, a lot of changes were made, but this one was recent), but I've grown to her - I mean him (yes, it was a female before, but TBH, male fits Armaldos a lot better :P) - quite a lot, so I put him back. Before, he had X-Scissor instead of Knock Off, but the latter has proven to be a nice support option. Knocking off Eviolites off Ferroseeds is especially fun, but getting rid of other items is very useful as well.
Curse goes hand in hand with the specially defensive EVs and nature I have given him. It serves to boost both his attack and defense (duh) which makes him a good late-game "sweeper" while being able to take hits very well from both sides (at +1, a Slaking's Earthquake only did 26%!).
The attacking moves provide the (in)famous EdgeQuake coverage, which hits most of the tier for neutral. A common resistor is the popular Claydol, however, which I could take care of with X-Scissor before. Might see whether I change that. In any case, a nice bulky attacker that can put a good dent in a lot of stuff when he gets the chance to set up.
Since Armaldo usually comes out late-game, he serves as my sleep fodder as he is the member I'm least likely to need early on. Once I defeat the sleeper, Leafeon can Heal Bell him up again.
Problems with Armaldo: As I said, the lack of X-Scissor to hit Claydol and also, maybe even more importantly, Cresselia for super effective hurts. I haven't had Knock Off for too long, but consider changing it back to X-Scissor. I'd like to hear your opinions on that!
Another thing is, he is weak to hazards. Stealth Rock means a quarter of his health is removes each switch and a slow, bulky setup "sweeper" doesn't like being poisoned, either. Spikes don't help this. As such, he requires spin support and healing and, although I have both, this does not always work as well as it should. Speaking of spin support...
This good ol' turtle is there to mix up the opponent's side a little. Rapid Spin, of course, is to clear hazards from my side (as well as the occasional Leech Seed, I guess...). Nothing much to say.
Scald, as Leafeon's Leaf Blade, allows Blastoise to pose a threat, although her average Special Attack stat doesn't allow her to do as much damage as is often desired. But dealing damage is not her main job - Scald also has that nice Burn chance to cripple physical attackers. And let's face it - against Water-weaks, which are usually rather weak on the special side, it still hurts.
Toxic is a nice status move to use against the bulkier opposing Pokemon, often crippling them to great extent. Mutual poisonings happen, but I don't mind them that much due to Leafeon's existance, meaning I can basically status them for almost free.
Roar was not originally there, but instead Ice Beam. I did not find much use for the latter, though, and the extra phazing option often comes in handy. All in all, a nice move to have!
The EVs are to maximise physical bulk, as 4/6 of my team concentrate on Special Defense. This also is different from before - Blastoise used to be specially defensive, while Leafeon and Steelix focused more on their physical side. I changed the latter two to let them take special hits better, so to counterbalance this, Blasty now provides some bulk on the other side.
Problems with Blastoise: Blastoise is probably the single biggest Wish recipient. At least, that's how it feels. As I said earlier, her being mutually poisoned means that Leafeon has to come in and Heal Bell, for which there is not always time.
Additionally, against hazard teams, getting her to spin is quite hard, as a Ghost will tend to come in and spoil the fun. She cannot beat them herself usually, so spinning does not always work. This is the reason why Hitmonlee carries Rapid Spin now, too.
Yes, the physical wall is specially defensively EV'd... but that is because Steelix's natural physical bulk is so good that the extra points are not all that necessary.
In any case, Steelix serves as my SR layer. Not much else to say about the purpose of that move, we all know what it does!
Curse is to increase my physical bulk as well as to let me hit harder - Steelix's Attack stat is not all that impressive and could use a nice boost.
Earthquake is the token I-don't-wanna-be-a-sitting-duck attack. After a few Curse boosts, it gets quite threatening.
Lastly, I opted for Dragon Tail instead of Roar to let the Curse boosts not go to waste if I face a Flying or Levitating Pokemon. Not being able to break through subs, as well as having the miss chance, is annoying, but I think it's worth it.
Problems with Steelix: I tend to overestimate her physical bulk sometimes, although it really is impressive, but staying in on strong Fighting-type attacks is not a good idea. Else, there is the problem of not hitting hard enough which could be fixed with some EV shifting. I'm fairly content with this iron snake, though, even if she is not my most valuable team member most of the time.
For once, a Pokemon without 252 EVs in HP! Yeah, the EVs and nature are pretty much the standard on any fast(ish) physical sweeper.
As I already mentioned, Lee serves as my back-up Rapid Spinner. This is good and all, but it also means Mach Punch had to go. Mach Punch was a reliable priority attack which could revenge a lot of pokes. I want to switch back, but I'm not sure about this.
Sucker Punch is another priority attack. It hits Ghosts and Psychics, but requires prediction, of course. I love this move, but it's not always reliable, especially against mons like Krookodile, which resist it, but are weak to Mach Punch.
Hi Jump Kick is of course the main attack. It's risky, but worth it, usually, and if it goes wrong, I could try and heal with Leafeon. I haven't really considered Close Combat for this spot before, but it could be a nice alternative.
Stone Edge is coverage and a nice move to test the waters with if the opponent has a Ghost or a Protecter. Of course, it misses at the worst times possible, but yeah, that's Stone Edge for you! :P
One might wonder about the item, Expert Belt. The reason why I chose this instead of Life Orb is actually really simple - I don't want to lose 10% of my health just for spinning. It also helps bluffing a Choice Item, which is always good. Before, when I had Mach Punch, I indeed used a Life Orb, however.
Problems with Hitmonlee: Aside from being really frail, my main gripe is the lack of Mach Punch. While I didn't use it very much, I sometimes wish I still had it, so I might reconsider changing it back. Tell me what you think on this one, please!
Moltres is simply awesome. He has been part of this team since the very start (and this team was very different at the beginning) and has shown his worth many times. This flaming bird is specially defensive, which is so useful in this tier packed with a lot of special attackers. For example, he pretty much counters Yanmega (except for those with HP Rock or AncientPower), only taking ~30% from Air Slash.
Speaking of Air Slash, that move originally was in the place of Will-O-Wisp. I considered it to be kinda redundant with Flamethrower, however, even though Air Slash has shown its merits. But WoW is helpful for dealing with the physical side of the spectrum, even though the accuracy sucks.
Flamethrower is the damage-dealing attack and due to his high base Special Attack stat, Moltres deals a lot more damage than Blastoise with Scald or Steelix with Earthquake.
Roost is for healing and very helpful, as it means I have one less Pokemon to rely on Wishes.
Substitute is a very nice move as well, as it protects Moltres from the status he hates so much, especially Toxic. It's also a good scouting move and gives me a free turn if it stays intact.
Pressure is a very useful ability that I can stall out many Pokemon with, for example RestTalkCM Cresselia. I bet this bird annoys opponents quite a lot, hehe. :P
Problems with Moltres: One of the first things that come to minds when one hears about Moltres is Stealth Rock. After all, he loses 50% of his health upon switching in on them! (seriously TrollFreak, what were you thinking?) This means he needs Rapid Spin support, as he can no longer switch into Yanmega's Air Slash and strike back (another option is Wish passing). I can usually cope with it, though.
Another problem is being walled by bulky waters/fires/rocks, as that forces him out. Omastar, whether it is a Shell Smasher or a supporter, can use the switch-out turn to set up, for example. To stop these kind of threats, prediction is required (or Mach Punch on Lee... *sigh*).
Overall, I am quite happy with Moltres, though, and he has shown to be an excellent team member.
Threat list:
Actually, quite a few. Hazards are a big threat, as it limits the switching this team employs so often. Toxic Spikes are especially a pain. The spinblockers that usually go with those teams (Eviolite Misdreavus and Cofagrigus) are annoying to deal with, which is the reason why I even have two spinners.
Yanmega, surprisingly, is not the biggest threat, thanks to Moltres, unless it carries AncientPower or HP Rock. Moltres is also able to PP stall Cresselia.
Fighting-types like Gallade, Hariyama and Medicham, tend to give me same of trouble, as my only resist is Moltres.
Set-up sweepers, especially those with Quiver Dance and Shell Smash are hard to deal with as well. I have three phazing moves (Roar, Dragon Tail, Yawn), but getting safe switches is difficult.
Lastly, my biggest problem is probably Swift Swim Ludicolo, which hits 5/6 of my team for super effective. I have no idea to deal with this thing at all.
So yeah, that was the overview of my team and its most dangerous enemies. As I said, I am quite content with it, even though I am not quite sure about several moveslots and it could maybe trade a slot for dealing with the aforementioned threats.
I really appreciate all constructive criticism! Thanks in advance!
As you can probably imagine, I'm still rather inexperienced in teambuilding, but I believe I made a pretty good one here that has reached 42th place on the ladder (but has fallen again ;_;). I would call it a semi-stall team based (but actually not built) team around a FWG core with a lot of phazing, some statusing, as well as using setup moves to deal some nice damage on the opponent.
Without further ado, here is my team, first on a glance, then in detail:
The Cleric
Leafeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Heal Bell
- Wish
- Yawn
- Leaf Blade
Leafeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Heal Bell
- Wish
- Yawn
- Leaf Blade
Although this cat shows up in the lead spot on the team preview, she is not my standard lead. Leafeon is mainly there to heal the team - provide Wishes to everyone who does no have a good form of recovery (so, everyone but Moltres) as well as clear any pesky status with Heal Bell, which is important, as a good portion of my team hates being Toxic'd.
Leaf Blade is there to actually pose a threat to the opponent (especially Grass-weaks like Blastoise, Claydol or Omastar, for example) and not be Taunt bait.
Yawn is a great support move to phaze out Pokemon Leafeon cannot deal with since it cannot do much to opposing mons especially if they resist Grass. They have to choose between having to switch out, which means a free turn to make a Wish, or stay in and fall asleep.
The EVs are there to let this feline take special hits, her weaker side, as well as possible, as I think her physical defense is good enough as is.
Problems with Leafeon: Her healing prowess is needed quite a lot in this team which, except for Moltres, cannot heal itself outside of Leftovers. As such, once she faints, I often cannot keep up the health of my other mons. This means I have to play rather conservatively with her. Another weak point is the lack of Protect. While she often heals the others, she rarely does so herself and that puts quite a damper on her longevity. I could swap out Yawn for Protect, so tell me what you think!
The Bulky Attacker
Armaldo (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Hardy Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Curse
- Knock Off
Armaldo (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Hardy Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Curse
- Knock Off
Armaldo was temporarily removed from this team (actually, a lot of changes were made, but this one was recent), but I've grown to her - I mean him (yes, it was a female before, but TBH, male fits Armaldos a lot better :P) - quite a lot, so I put him back. Before, he had X-Scissor instead of Knock Off, but the latter has proven to be a nice support option. Knocking off Eviolites off Ferroseeds is especially fun, but getting rid of other items is very useful as well.
Curse goes hand in hand with the specially defensive EVs and nature I have given him. It serves to boost both his attack and defense (duh) which makes him a good late-game "sweeper" while being able to take hits very well from both sides (at +1, a Slaking's Earthquake only did 26%!).
The attacking moves provide the (in)famous EdgeQuake coverage, which hits most of the tier for neutral. A common resistor is the popular Claydol, however, which I could take care of with X-Scissor before. Might see whether I change that. In any case, a nice bulky attacker that can put a good dent in a lot of stuff when he gets the chance to set up.
Since Armaldo usually comes out late-game, he serves as my sleep fodder as he is the member I'm least likely to need early on. Once I defeat the sleeper, Leafeon can Heal Bell him up again.
Problems with Armaldo: As I said, the lack of X-Scissor to hit Claydol and also, maybe even more importantly, Cresselia for super effective hurts. I haven't had Knock Off for too long, but consider changing it back to X-Scissor. I'd like to hear your opinions on that!
Another thing is, he is weak to hazards. Stealth Rock means a quarter of his health is removes each switch and a slow, bulky setup "sweeper" doesn't like being poisoned, either. Spikes don't help this. As such, he requires spin support and healing and, although I have both, this does not always work as well as it should. Speaking of spin support...
The Spinner
Blastoise (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Roar
- Toxic
Blastoise (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Roar
- Toxic
This good ol' turtle is there to mix up the opponent's side a little. Rapid Spin, of course, is to clear hazards from my side (as well as the occasional Leech Seed, I guess...). Nothing much to say.
Scald, as Leafeon's Leaf Blade, allows Blastoise to pose a threat, although her average Special Attack stat doesn't allow her to do as much damage as is often desired. But dealing damage is not her main job - Scald also has that nice Burn chance to cripple physical attackers. And let's face it - against Water-weaks, which are usually rather weak on the special side, it still hurts.
Toxic is a nice status move to use against the bulkier opposing Pokemon, often crippling them to great extent. Mutual poisonings happen, but I don't mind them that much due to Leafeon's existance, meaning I can basically status them for almost free.
Roar was not originally there, but instead Ice Beam. I did not find much use for the latter, though, and the extra phazing option often comes in handy. All in all, a nice move to have!
The EVs are to maximise physical bulk, as 4/6 of my team concentrate on Special Defense. This also is different from before - Blastoise used to be specially defensive, while Leafeon and Steelix focused more on their physical side. I changed the latter two to let them take special hits better, so to counterbalance this, Blasty now provides some bulk on the other side.
Problems with Blastoise: Blastoise is probably the single biggest Wish recipient. At least, that's how it feels. As I said earlier, her being mutually poisoned means that Leafeon has to come in and Heal Bell, for which there is not always time.
Additionally, against hazard teams, getting her to spin is quite hard, as a Ghost will tend to come in and spoil the fun. She cannot beat them herself usually, so spinning does not always work. This is the reason why Hitmonlee carries Rapid Spin now, too.
The Physical Wall
Steelix (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SDef
- Stealth Rock
Steelix (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Stealth Rock
Yes, the physical wall is specially defensively EV'd... but that is because Steelix's natural physical bulk is so good that the extra points are not all that necessary.
In any case, Steelix serves as my SR layer. Not much else to say about the purpose of that move, we all know what it does!
Curse is to increase my physical bulk as well as to let me hit harder - Steelix's Attack stat is not all that impressive and could use a nice boost.
Earthquake is the token I-don't-wanna-be-a-sitting-duck attack. After a few Curse boosts, it gets quite threatening.
Lastly, I opted for Dragon Tail instead of Roar to let the Curse boosts not go to waste if I face a Flying or Levitating Pokemon. Not being able to break through subs, as well as having the miss chance, is annoying, but I think it's worth it.
Problems with Steelix: I tend to overestimate her physical bulk sometimes, although it really is impressive, but staying in on strong Fighting-type attacks is not a good idea. Else, there is the problem of not hitting hard enough which could be fixed with some EV shifting. I'm fairly content with this iron snake, though, even if she is not my most valuable team member most of the time.
The Revenger
Hitmonlee (M) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Sucker Punch
- Rapid Spin
- Hi Jump Kick
- Stone Edge
Hitmonlee (M) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Sucker Punch
- Rapid Spin
- Hi Jump Kick
- Stone Edge
For once, a Pokemon without 252 EVs in HP! Yeah, the EVs and nature are pretty much the standard on any fast(ish) physical sweeper.
As I already mentioned, Lee serves as my back-up Rapid Spinner. This is good and all, but it also means Mach Punch had to go. Mach Punch was a reliable priority attack which could revenge a lot of pokes. I want to switch back, but I'm not sure about this.
Sucker Punch is another priority attack. It hits Ghosts and Psychics, but requires prediction, of course. I love this move, but it's not always reliable, especially against mons like Krookodile, which resist it, but are weak to Mach Punch.
Hi Jump Kick is of course the main attack. It's risky, but worth it, usually, and if it goes wrong, I could try and heal with Leafeon. I haven't really considered Close Combat for this spot before, but it could be a nice alternative.
Stone Edge is coverage and a nice move to test the waters with if the opponent has a Ghost or a Protecter. Of course, it misses at the worst times possible, but yeah, that's Stone Edge for you! :P
One might wonder about the item, Expert Belt. The reason why I chose this instead of Life Orb is actually really simple - I don't want to lose 10% of my health just for spinning. It also helps bluffing a Choice Item, which is always good. Before, when I had Mach Punch, I indeed used a Life Orb, however.
Problems with Hitmonlee: Aside from being really frail, my main gripe is the lack of Mach Punch. While I didn't use it very much, I sometimes wish I still had it, so I might reconsider changing it back. Tell me what you think on this one, please!
The Special Wall
Moltres @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Roost
- Substitute
- Flamethrower
- Will-O-Wisp
Moltres @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Roost
- Substitute
- Flamethrower
- Will-O-Wisp
Moltres is simply awesome. He has been part of this team since the very start (and this team was very different at the beginning) and has shown his worth many times. This flaming bird is specially defensive, which is so useful in this tier packed with a lot of special attackers. For example, he pretty much counters Yanmega (except for those with HP Rock or AncientPower), only taking ~30% from Air Slash.
Speaking of Air Slash, that move originally was in the place of Will-O-Wisp. I considered it to be kinda redundant with Flamethrower, however, even though Air Slash has shown its merits. But WoW is helpful for dealing with the physical side of the spectrum, even though the accuracy sucks.
Flamethrower is the damage-dealing attack and due to his high base Special Attack stat, Moltres deals a lot more damage than Blastoise with Scald or Steelix with Earthquake.
Roost is for healing and very helpful, as it means I have one less Pokemon to rely on Wishes.
Substitute is a very nice move as well, as it protects Moltres from the status he hates so much, especially Toxic. It's also a good scouting move and gives me a free turn if it stays intact.
Pressure is a very useful ability that I can stall out many Pokemon with, for example RestTalkCM Cresselia. I bet this bird annoys opponents quite a lot, hehe. :P
Problems with Moltres: One of the first things that come to minds when one hears about Moltres is Stealth Rock. After all, he loses 50% of his health upon switching in on them! (seriously TrollFreak, what were you thinking?) This means he needs Rapid Spin support, as he can no longer switch into Yanmega's Air Slash and strike back (another option is Wish passing). I can usually cope with it, though.
Another problem is being walled by bulky waters/fires/rocks, as that forces him out. Omastar, whether it is a Shell Smasher or a supporter, can use the switch-out turn to set up, for example. To stop these kind of threats, prediction is required (or Mach Punch on Lee... *sigh*).
Overall, I am quite happy with Moltres, though, and he has shown to be an excellent team member.
Threat list:
Actually, quite a few. Hazards are a big threat, as it limits the switching this team employs so often. Toxic Spikes are especially a pain. The spinblockers that usually go with those teams (Eviolite Misdreavus and Cofagrigus) are annoying to deal with, which is the reason why I even have two spinners.
Yanmega, surprisingly, is not the biggest threat, thanks to Moltres, unless it carries AncientPower or HP Rock. Moltres is also able to PP stall Cresselia.
Fighting-types like Gallade, Hariyama and Medicham, tend to give me same of trouble, as my only resist is Moltres.
Set-up sweepers, especially those with Quiver Dance and Shell Smash are hard to deal with as well. I have three phazing moves (Roar, Dragon Tail, Yawn), but getting safe switches is difficult.
Lastly, my biggest problem is probably Swift Swim Ludicolo, which hits 5/6 of my team for super effective. I have no idea to deal with this thing at all.
So yeah, that was the overview of my team and its most dangerous enemies. As I said, I am quite content with it, even though I am not quite sure about several moveslots and it could maybe trade a slot for dealing with the aforementioned threats.
I really appreciate all constructive criticism! Thanks in advance!
