Yep. But unlike the other topics (not trying to imply the other topics weren't good), I want something concrete (an article) to result from this. This topic will have 2 purposes: to generate a huge list of accepted combinations (which I will update in code format in this topic) for random future use and for a future article, and to generate a preliminary team combinations combination + synergy guide in the future (I'll do this based on a specific format I will require submitters to adhere to).
to help you guys with some prior topics, obligatory links:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49530 - offensive combos
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53905 - uu combos
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49496 - defensive combos
So, quick definitions:
defensive combinations - 2 Pokemon that use type resistances or general defensive stats (or both) to help switch into each other's threatening pokemon's attacks. Examples for type would be Salamence and Magnezone, as both resist all of the other's weaknesses (and coincidentally, all of the other types as well). Note I specifically used to offensively inclined pokemon to demonstrate this has to do with switching into attacks; offensive pokemon can be partners in defensive combinations. Examples for general defensive stats would be Hippowdon and Blissey; while they don't cover each other's type weaknesses, 1 covers the physical spectrum very well while the other covers the special spectrum excellently.
offensive combinations - 2 Pokemon whose attacks cover what the other cannot defeat. An example would be mix Expert Belt Tyranitar with Pursuit, Superpower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam and Life Orb Heatran (fire blast, earth power, hp grass, explosion); Tyranitar beats Blissey and Gyarados (and can take an eq from flygon to deal with that) that give Heatran trouble and Heatran beats Swampert / Steel Pokemon that give Tyranitar problems.
"both offensive and defensive" (someone give me a good name for this) - 2 Pokemon that both cover each other's defenses well and beat what the other has difficulty with. An example would be Gyarados and Magnezone; they cover each other's weaknesses perfectly and 1 hits hard from the physical side while the other hits hard from the special side, meaning they cover each other offensively as well.
strategic (this is my catch all for all random combinations) - 2 Pokemon (or concepts) who work together, not necessarily through typing or offensively benefits, to accomplish some goal. Examples would be Toxic Spikes + Substitute Special Attack, like Roserade and Substitute Calm Mind Jirachi. These 2 don't necessarily have optimal defensive typings for each other or possess attacks that cover each other well, but the Toxic Spikes that Roserade provides helps Jirachi against Pokemon like Blissey, Swampert, Tyranitar, and Hippowdon.
This the format I want your submissions in (to help me when I am writing the article):
[Pokemon A@item and nature, move 1 / move 2 / move 3 / move 4 + Pokemon B@item and nature, move 1 / move 2 / move 3 / move 4]
[Combination Type]
[Brief explanation (no more than 4 sentences, you can give specific names to the pokemon to provide a more in detail look at the combination)]
[What this combination doesn't work on]
[What direction to go in order to fix what it doesn't work on]
Example:
[Salamence@Lum Berry and Adamant, Dragon Dance / Roost / Outrage / Earthquake + Magnezone@Choice Scarf and Naive, Thunderbolt / Flash Cannon / Hidden Power Fire / Explosion]
[Both offensive and defensive]
[Bulky Dragon Dance Roost Salamence hits most Pokemon except for Skarmory, Forretress, Bronzong, and Scizor for big damage. Magnezone traps and ohkos 3 of them and deals significant damage to Bronzong. Both Pokemon also resist common attacks that the other often has to deal with.]
[This combination doesn't prevent Ice Shard users from revenging Salamence, nor does it deal with Steel Pokemon with Shed Shell. Also, Bronzong with Earthquake and max Speed Choice Scarf Scizor with Superpower both give Magnezone issues.]
[To deal with Ice Shard users, Pokemon that lure out Ice attacks, like Dragonite and Flygon, can be used with Yache Berry and a Fire move to eliminate most Ice Shard users. Pokemon with Knock Off that lure in Steel Pokemon, like Shuckle, Gliscor, or Drapion, can be used to deal with Steel Pokemon with Shed Shell. For general utility against Steel Pokemon, a Fire Pokemon can be chosen to provide additional offensive support.]
Remember, please try to be brief while still explaining the main, necessary points.
Thank you very for much for your future contributions to this article ^_^
Alright, I ordered these offensive, defense, both, strategic. also, within the groups, i had ou first, uu second, ubers third (in recognition of popularity of tier)
Offensive
OU
UU
Defensive
OU
UU
Strategic
OU
Both offensive and defensive
OU
UU
Ubers
to help you guys with some prior topics, obligatory links:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49530 - offensive combos
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53905 - uu combos
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49496 - defensive combos
So, quick definitions:
defensive combinations - 2 Pokemon that use type resistances or general defensive stats (or both) to help switch into each other's threatening pokemon's attacks. Examples for type would be Salamence and Magnezone, as both resist all of the other's weaknesses (and coincidentally, all of the other types as well). Note I specifically used to offensively inclined pokemon to demonstrate this has to do with switching into attacks; offensive pokemon can be partners in defensive combinations. Examples for general defensive stats would be Hippowdon and Blissey; while they don't cover each other's type weaknesses, 1 covers the physical spectrum very well while the other covers the special spectrum excellently.
offensive combinations - 2 Pokemon whose attacks cover what the other cannot defeat. An example would be mix Expert Belt Tyranitar with Pursuit, Superpower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam and Life Orb Heatran (fire blast, earth power, hp grass, explosion); Tyranitar beats Blissey and Gyarados (and can take an eq from flygon to deal with that) that give Heatran trouble and Heatran beats Swampert / Steel Pokemon that give Tyranitar problems.
"both offensive and defensive" (someone give me a good name for this) - 2 Pokemon that both cover each other's defenses well and beat what the other has difficulty with. An example would be Gyarados and Magnezone; they cover each other's weaknesses perfectly and 1 hits hard from the physical side while the other hits hard from the special side, meaning they cover each other offensively as well.
strategic (this is my catch all for all random combinations) - 2 Pokemon (or concepts) who work together, not necessarily through typing or offensively benefits, to accomplish some goal. Examples would be Toxic Spikes + Substitute Special Attack, like Roserade and Substitute Calm Mind Jirachi. These 2 don't necessarily have optimal defensive typings for each other or possess attacks that cover each other well, but the Toxic Spikes that Roserade provides helps Jirachi against Pokemon like Blissey, Swampert, Tyranitar, and Hippowdon.
This the format I want your submissions in (to help me when I am writing the article):
[Pokemon A@item and nature, move 1 / move 2 / move 3 / move 4 + Pokemon B@item and nature, move 1 / move 2 / move 3 / move 4]
[Combination Type]
[Brief explanation (no more than 4 sentences, you can give specific names to the pokemon to provide a more in detail look at the combination)]
[What this combination doesn't work on]
[What direction to go in order to fix what it doesn't work on]
Example:
[Salamence@Lum Berry and Adamant, Dragon Dance / Roost / Outrage / Earthquake + Magnezone@Choice Scarf and Naive, Thunderbolt / Flash Cannon / Hidden Power Fire / Explosion]
[Both offensive and defensive]
[Bulky Dragon Dance Roost Salamence hits most Pokemon except for Skarmory, Forretress, Bronzong, and Scizor for big damage. Magnezone traps and ohkos 3 of them and deals significant damage to Bronzong. Both Pokemon also resist common attacks that the other often has to deal with.]
[This combination doesn't prevent Ice Shard users from revenging Salamence, nor does it deal with Steel Pokemon with Shed Shell. Also, Bronzong with Earthquake and max Speed Choice Scarf Scizor with Superpower both give Magnezone issues.]
[To deal with Ice Shard users, Pokemon that lure out Ice attacks, like Dragonite and Flygon, can be used with Yache Berry and a Fire move to eliminate most Ice Shard users. Pokemon with Knock Off that lure in Steel Pokemon, like Shuckle, Gliscor, or Drapion, can be used to deal with Steel Pokemon with Shed Shell. For general utility against Steel Pokemon, a Fire Pokemon can be chosen to provide additional offensive support.]
Remember, please try to be brief while still explaining the main, necessary points.
Thank you very for much for your future contributions to this article ^_^
Alright, I ordered these offensive, defense, both, strategic. also, within the groups, i had ou first, uu second, ubers third (in recognition of popularity of tier)
Offensive
OU
Code:
LegacyRaider
[[B]Suicune [/B]@ Life Orb and Timid, Calm Mind / Surf / Hidden Power Electric / Ice Beam + [B]Lucario [/B]@ Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance / Close Combat / ExtremeSpeed / Crunch]
[Offensive]
[Suicune shares several checks with Lucario, so it can surprise its common switch ins with an offensive set that hits a lot harder than they are expecting. By Calm Minding on the switch, Suicune can then proceed to outspeed and OHKO defensive Celebi, Zapdos, and Gyarados with the respective super effective move, while also being able to take on Gliscor and Scarf Heatran well. In return, Lucario gets an easy set up on any Blissey that switches in to take Suicune's boosted attacks.]
[Scarf Magnezone can outspeed both Pokemon, hitting Suicune with a strong STAB attack and trapping Lucario. Scarf Rotom-a works in a similar way.]
[Tyranitar generally has no qualms coming into either of Rotom or Magnezone and Pursuiting or Earthquaking them away. Tyranitar can also be used to Pursuit Blissey if you want to focus on sweeping with Suicune. Be warned that sandstorm and Life Orb damage build up fast so Suicune will only have a brief window in which to attempt a sweep. Both Suicune and Lucario appreciate heavy Spikes support in addition to Stealth Rock.]
[[B]Scizor [/B]@ Choice Band and Adamant, Bullet Punch / SuperPower / U-turn / Pursuit + [B]Infernape [/B]@ Life Orb and Naive, Close Combat / Fire Blast / Grass Knot / Nasty Plot]
[Offensive]
[Latias counters Infernape so well that a surprisingly large number of people use it as their only check against the ape on their teams. This makes them extremely vulnerable to being swept by Infernape after Scizor Pursuits Latias to death. A specially defensive Scizor is recommended to take Specs Surfs if it needs to and still get the job done. Tyranitar would cause a problem with sandstorm further shortening Infernape's lifespan, and shares common weaknesses to Ground and Water.]
[Gyarados fears little from either Pokemon, can use them to set up, and can OHKO or severely damage both of them. Latias with Hidden Power Fire will also take out Scizor, meaning not only have you lost a member but Infernape is no closer to sweeping. Scarf Magnezone can trap and take out a weakened Scizor with Thunderbolt and then do big damage to Infernape as well.]
[You will need reliable answers to Gyarados and faster Pokemon such as Jolteon and Scarf Magnezone if you want to use this combo effectively. A Jolteon of your own can often fit the bill, since it outspeeds and OHKOes a +1 Gyarados, and can take on opposing Electric-types as well. With Baton Pass it also serves as an excellent lure for both Latias and Blissey, meaning you can either go straight in for the Pursuit with Scizor or use the opportunity to get a Nasty Plot with Infernape.]
Danyul
[[B]Latias[/B]@Life Orb and Timid, Calm Mind, Surf, (Thunderbolt/HP Fire), Draco Meteor + [B]Kingdra[/B]@Lum Berry and Adamant, Substitute, Dragon Dance, Waterfall, Outrage]
[offensive]
[Latias' LO +1 Draco Meteor and Surf should be able to power through any bulky water and severely damage any Steel type short of Empoleon, leaving the door wide open for Kingdra to wreak havoc. Substitute + Lum Berry makes it exceptionally easy to rack up two or three Dragon Dances against foes like Celebi, just substitute while they try to status you, DD while they break the sub, then DD again while they try to status you again. Lum Berry also protects you from Toxic Spikes once, or could potentially allow you to continue your sweep after being confused by Outrage. With Latias pummeling dragon counters, Kingdra should have a relatively easy time picking up the pieces.]
[The pair does not have the best defensive synergy, so a steel type or two to take dragon attacks is a necessity. Kingdra has trouble with opposing Choice Scarfers, so something like Jolly Choice Scarf Jirachi can be helpful to outspeed and put the hurt on them.]
Metanite
[[B]Empoleon [/B]@ Petaya Berry and Modest, Agility / Substitute / Surf / Ice Beam + [B]Heatran [/B]@ Life Orb and Rash, Fire Blast / Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass / Explosion]
[Offensive]
[Empoleon is a Pokemon stopped by few things, many of these Pokemon can be lured in by Heatran. Send out Heatran first and possibly Fire off Hidden Power Grass expecting a Water-type to switch in. With the boost from Life Orb, both Vaporeon and Suicune will be 2HKOed with the aid of Stealth Rock. Other Pokemon that will usually beat Empoleon are Blissey and Snorlax, who you can use Explosion on, eliminating another threat. You can then bring in Empoleon without fear of Blissey or a bulky Water-type.]
[Some things to watch out for would be Protect on Blissey. Since Blissey won't be able to kill you right off the bad, it may be better to scout with Fire Blast and see if Blissey uses Protect. More likely than not, it won't use Protect twice in the row so once it uses it, you are free to Explode. If Blissey has Softboiled this is a non-issue.]
[Unless you run a Naive nature and Hidden Power Electric, Gyarados can still switch in without too much trouble. For this reason, a Rotom-A will be helpful in keeping Gyarados in check. Rotom-A can also check Water-type Pokemon if one evaded Heatran's Explosion or Hidden Power. If Rotom-A has a Choice Scarf, it can further cripple Blissey that switch in, whom survived the Explosion or avoided it all together.]
[[B]Lucario [/B]@ Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance / Close Combat / Extreme Speed / Crunch + [B]Machamp [/B]@ Choice Band and Adamant, Close Combat / Payback / Ice Punch / ThunderPunch]
[Offensive]
[Lucario often has trouble with Ghost-types such as Rotom-H and Celebi too. Lucario is also walled by Gliscor pretty well. Usually, Machamp is too but with a Choice Band Machamp will be one shotting many Pokemon. It is always best to use Payback first when using Choice Band Machamp, as more likely than not, a Ghost-type will be switching in. This also does not give away the fact that you have Guts and not No Guard. This will hopefully catch Choice Scarf Rotom-H off guard, eliminating one counter. Payback will also 2HKO Celebi and usually Cresselia too, especially if they make the foolish choice to status you.]
[Machamp also has Ice Punch to kill Gliscor, and ThunderPunch for Gyarados, both Pokemon that Lucario has a lot of trouble with. Hopefully your opponent won't have Gliscor, Gyarados, and Rotom-A so you don't have to switch Machamp in and out so much.]
[Prediction is necessary with this combination. For this reason, it is a good idea to scout your foe's team earlier. Swampert makes a handy lead for setting up Stealth Rock, and can also use Roar to scout your opponent's team. Hippowdon can do something similiar, as can Skarmory who will help Lucario sweep by setting up Spikes.]
[[B]Starmie [/B]@ Life Orb and Timid, Surf / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Rapid Spin + [B]Breloom [/B]@ Substitute / Leech Seed / Focus Punch / Spore]
[Offensive / Strategic]
[Starmie is a pretty deadly sweeper to any team without Blissey. Starmie also supports the team by using Rapid Spin effectively. Breloom is able to defeat or put to sleep the main counters to Starmie, those being Blissey and Rotom-A. If Toxic Orb is activated, Breloom can even switch into Blissey, something few Pokemon can do because of fear of Thunder Wave / Toxic. From there, you can set up a Substitute as usually a Fighting-type resist comes in. It would not be unlikely that a Rotom-A switches in. You can then Spore it so it is out of your hair.]
[Later in the game, when Rotom-A tries to block Rapid Spin Starmie can then 2HKO it with Surf, not fearing Thunderbolt because it is sleeping. You should still be wary of Sleep Talk however, although there is still only a 1/3 chance of it choosing Thunderbolt. Starmie also handles many of Breloom's counters, such as Gyarados and Salamence fairly well thanks to Thunderbolt and Ice Beam.]
Jimbo
[[B]Latias [/B]@ Choice Specs and Timid, Draco Meteor, Surf, Thunderbolt, Trick + [B]Lucario [/B]@ Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance, Close Combat, ExtremeSpeed, and Crunch]
[offensive]
[Latias, especially Choice Specs Latias, is often called Pursuit bait as it is completely trapped by Choice Band Tyranitar and Scizor. Latias can do a good amount of damage by itself, but this combination really comes into play after Latias gets trapped and killed. Lucario can come in on the CB Pursuit and Swords Dance up. Your opponent could either choose to do minimal damage with another Pursuit or switch out, giving you a free SD. At +2 Attack, Lucario can do a ton of damage. Latias can also take out some of Lucario's main counters, such as Gliscor.]
[If Latias dies early, before taking out Lucario's counters, Lucario will still be stopped cold (my earlier example of Gliscor works for this). This pair is also destroyed if the Pursuit user is not CB'd (if it's a lure with an Expert Belt it could potentially take out both of your Pokemon).]
[Packing more than one Pokemon that can take out Lucario's counters definitely helps this combination.]
kd24
[[B]Zapdos[/B]@Leftovers and Timid, Roost / Toxic / Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass and [B]Lucario[/B]@Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance / Crunch / Extremespeed / Close Combat]
[Offensive]
[Besides the fact that Zapdos resists Fighting-type attacks and is immune to Ground-type attacks, (likewise, Lucario resists Ice- and Rock-type attacks), Zapdos does an excellent job of taking out many of Lucario's common switch-ins with Toxic, Thunderbolt, and Hidden Power Grass. Hippowdon, Swampert, Gyarados, opposing Lucario, Scizor, Rotom-a, and other Zapdos will either die or take a large amount of damage from Zapdos, opening up a Lucario sweep.]
[Infernape is still a threat, so a Tentacruel with Toxic Spikes would be an excellent partner to this duo. If you choose Tentacruel, you can even forgo Toxic on Zapdos for Substitute, allowing you to either PP or Toxic stall opponents out, making it even easier for Lucario. Salamence is also a threat but won't be able to switch into any of these Pokemon easily. For extra insurance, add a powerful Ice Shard user such as Mamoswine, who would also give you an immunity to Electric-type attacks.]
staraptor call
[[B]Infernape[/B]@Choice Band and Jolly, Close Combat / Flare Blitz / U-turn / Mach Punch + [B]Salamence[/B]@Life Orb and Naive, Dragon Dance / Outrage / Earthquake / Fire Blast]
[Offensive]
[One of the most common Pokemon that can revenge-kill DD Salamence is Scarf Latias. Latias also happens to be the most common Infernape counter, so if you have Infernape out and you predict a Latias switch-in, you can use U-turn and leave Latias with less than half its HP. Cresselia, which counters Salamence, suffers a similar fate, while any Vaporeon that can Ice Beam Salamence is 2HKOed by Close Combat. Pokemon with Choiced Steel moves also often revenge-kill Salamence, and since Infernape resists Steel, it can get a free turn to do some damage.]
[Even if Scarf Latias has taken heavy damage, it can still revenge-kill Salamence easily with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Infernape won't be able to lure out Ice Sharders like Mamoswine, although it does easily OHKO all common Ice Shard users but Donphan.]
[Scizor can use Bullet Punch to take away the last bit of a Choiced Latias's HP after U-turn, and can also trap Latias with Pursuit. Another Dragon, primarily Latias or Flygon, can be used to lure out Ice Sharders and leave them open to being KOed by Infernape later.]
joel22
[[B]Kingdra[/B]@Life Orb and Timid, Hydro Pump / Dragon Pulse / Signal Beam / Hidden Power Electric + [B]Ludicolo[/B]@Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance / Waterfall / Seed Bomb / Ice Punch]
[offensive]
[The main idea is reversing the usual roles and luring in certain Pokemon. Kingdra is expected as a mixed sweeper or dragon dancer so going special can trick many of its usual counters such as Celebi, Gyarados and opposing Kingdra into coming in. Ludicolo is almost always special so the last thing your opponent will expect is the swords dancer, you can therefore easily get off a Swords Dance as they switch to Blissey. Once Blissey, Snorlax and the bulky Water-types are gone, Kingdra can usually take care of your opponent's team.]
[This combinations worst fear is Toxic Spikes, it hinders their ability to sweep as they are drained of health. Paralysis destroys their sweeping ability and it also relies on the rain being up, as well as being prone to revenge killing with ExtremeSpeed from Lucario or Ice Shard from Mamoswine when weakened.]
[Having a Qwilfish or Roserade on your Rain Dance team, or using a Rapid Spin Starmie can take care of that Toxic Spikes weakness. Safeguard support from Latias or Aromatherapy support from Roserade can ensure paralysis doesn't stop its sweep. To keep rain up you should have at least 3 Pokemon with Rain Dance on your team, and at least 2 of which should have Damp Rock. Having Rotom-W or Zapdos on your team can help you deal with Lucario while Bronzong or Scizor can do well against Mamoswine.]
explorer_ace
[[B]Gyarados [/B]@Leftovers and Jolly, Dragon Dance / Waterfall / Earthquake / Bounce or Stone Edge + [B]Tyranitar [/B]@Choice Band and Adamant, Stone Edge / Crunch / Pursuit / Earthquake]
[Offensive]
[Sick of Rotom-A, Latias, and Zapdos ruining your Gyarados Sweep? Tyranitar covers all of them between a combination of Stone Edge, Crunch, and Pursuit.]
[The major issues with this combo are the bulky waters. Gyarados and Tyranitar do not pack super-effective moves against them, thus leaving them helpless.]
[A lure for Bulky waters and / or a layer of Toxic Spikes helps go a long way in aiding Gyarados' sweeping attempts. Hidden Power Grass Heatran makes an awesome lure, while Roserade does an excellent job of reliably laying down Toxic Spikes.]
arandomdude
[[B]Zapdos[/B]@Leftovers and Timid, Thunderbolt/Substitute/Roost/Baton Pass + [B]Lucario[/B]@Life Orb and Adamant, Swords Dance, Close Combat, Crunch, Extremespeed/Ice Punch]
[Offensive]
[Zapdos and Lucario have greay synergy, and Lucario is 10 times more dangerous behind a substitute. The procedure is simple: Zapdos comes in on something that's probably going to run and Substitutes. Zapdos Baton Passes its Substitute to Lucario. This works because Zapdos often attracts attacks such as Ice Beam or Stone Edge, which are great times for Lucario to come in, hopefully with an intact substitute. Also, no one is going to use Earthquake or Close Combat on a Zapdos, nor will they switch in Lucario counters such as Gyarados. Moreover, common switchins to Zapdos are Blissey, TTar, Swampert, and the like, none of whom like coming in on Zapdos to face a Lucario.]
[Lucario, without Extremespeed, might find it harder to keep his substitute intact, especially when many faster threats are KO'd by Extremespeed. Without Ice Punch, Lucario will suffer against Gliscor and Flygon.]
[The first group can be dealt with by using revenge killers or residual damage. The second group can be dealt with by using a Tyranniboah carrying Ice Beam.]
stalefish
[[B]Gyarados[/B]@Choice Band and Adamant, Earthquake/ Payback / Stone Edge / Waterfall + [B]Metagross[/B]@Life Orb and Adamant, Agility / Earthquake / Meteor Mash / Thunderpunch]
[Offensive]
[Gyarados lures in Rotom-A, Starmie, Celebi, Cresselia, Vaporeon, and Skarmory, who all give this combo some problems by throwing Will-O-Wisps, outspeeding with Thunderbolt, throwing LO Hydro Pumps, spreading Thunderwave, setting up Reflect, or simply walling and/or setting up Wish/Spikes. But it's easy to lure those guys in and KO them by spamming Payback early in the game and then switching it up as you scout the opponent's team for Vaporeons or Skarmories; by doing this, Metagross will have an easier time sweeping a team. Metagross also lures in bulky waters that give Gyarados trouble, and throws Thunderpunches at it so Gyarados can feel free to spam CB Waterfalls.]
[This combination is meant for 2 lures working with each other; not by switching in accordingly. Which means Rotom-A still forms problems if I were to allow it to switch into Metagross and allow it to spam Thunderbolt or WoW. Basically anyone with DD can set up on a locked Waterfall (Gyarados or Salamence) or Payback (Tyranitar) and harm this combo.]
[Either a revenge killer to take care of DD'ers (preferably Jirachi) or a Dual Screener (Rotom, Bronzong, or Jirachi again) to allow these two guys to be able to switch into each other accordingly]
Code:
whistle
[[B]Espeon [/B]@ Leftovers and Timid, Substitute / Calm Mind / Psychic / Baton Pass + [B]Dugtrio [/B]@ Choice Band and Jolly, Earthquake / Stone Edge / Night Slash / Sucker Punch]
[Offensive]
[The purpose of this combination is to use Dugtrio to trap many of Espeon's standard counters, opening the way for either an Espeon sweep or a sweep by a similar special sweeper. Dugtrio can effortlessly trap and KO Shed Shell-less versions of Registeel, Chansey, and Drapion, which lets Roserade, Mismagius, and Yanmega have an easier run at the opposing team. After the opponent's counter is down, the next time Espeon comes in it is all but guaranteed at least one Calm Mind, which can either be used to sweep or be Baton Passed to one of Espeon's teammates.]
[This combination has problems with fast (over 110 base Speed) physical attackers not easily trapped by Dugtrio because they can KO Espeon and most of its specially-oriented teammates while not being revenge killed at the same time. Shed Shell variants of Chansey, Registeel, and Drapion also rain on its parade.]
[Since this combination is heavily offensively oriented, it is usually better to play around faster threats rather than run a defensive core to take them on. Speed Boost Yanmega can Protect to get faster than the aforementioned Pokemon, while priority users in conjunction with Stealth Rock can also help. Defensive Pokemon with Shed Shell are a much larger problem, but can usually be dealt with through a lure with Knock Off. Knock Off Venusaur lures in both Drapion and Registeel (and Chansey to an extent), while Ambipom is almost a surefire way to draw in Registeel. A strong Pursuit user such as Honchkrow or Absol can easily remove Chansey regardless of what item it holds.]
heysup
[[B]Magmortar[/B]@Life Orb and Mild, Fire Blast / Cross Chop / Hidden Power Ice / Thunderbolt + [B]Espeon[/B]@Life Orb and Timid, Calm Mind / Psychic / Hidden Power Ground / Shadow Ball]
[Offensive]
[Espeon can't really get passed Registeel, Chansey, or Spiritomb, but other than that it can be quite deadly. With Magmortar being able to switch in fairly easily and KO all of these Pokemon, it makes them quite dangerous together. Magmortar also weakens Milotic (Espeon can't OHKO this) and gets rid of Speed boost Yanmega and bulky Drapion (Espeon can't OHKO this)]
[Magmortar and Espeon both have trouble with Dugtrio, who can easily pick off Magmortar or Espeon. Honchkrow needs to be played around as well. Magmortar also needs some defensive support, as Espeon obviously can't switch in to take a hit.]
[With a Scarf Roserade (Sceptile and Venusaur work too) helping eliminating faster Pokemon like Dugtrio, this combination will have a much easier time breaking through the opposing team, due to being alive longer. Something to lure out and KO Dugtrio can also work, like Shuca Berry Drapion or Regirock, or even a Pursuit Honchkrow helps there. Pokemon with priority also help get rid of these threats, so Azumarill is a good bet to use with this combination.]
d2m
[[B]Leafeon[/B]@Leftovers/Lum Berry Timid, Swords Dance / Leaf Blade / Wish / Baton Pass + [B]Arcanine[/B]@Life Orb Adamant, Flare Blitz / Fire Fang (or Fire Blast with Naughty) / Thunder Fang / Extremespeed]
[Offensive]
[Leafeon draws fire attacks and outspeeds all non-scarfed Fire threats in UU. She then Baton Passes a +2 or +4 to Arcanine who snags the Flash Fire boost and proceeds to sweep pretty much everything. Wish allows Leafeon to pass multiple times and allows Arcanine to come in for free on resisted hits and through SR.]
[Roserade is the biggest threat to this combo as Sludge Bomb will OHKO Leafeon and hurt Arcanine, though Arcanine can take him out easily. Having another Pass recipient with high SpD and/or resistance to poison is advisable. Dual Screen support from Uxie or Mr. Mime also helps quite a bit.]
[I built a team around this combo and using promient physical threats that cover a wide range of resistances is the way to go. Muk is a great recipient to take on Roserade with great SpD, access to Shadow Sneak and Brick Break for unresisted coverage and Fire Punch and Thunderpunch for great coverage. Rest/talk is also viable for bulky sweeping.]
Defensive
OU
Code:
LegacyRaider
[[B]Celebi [/B]@ Leftovers and Bold, Grass Knot / Thunder Wave / Recover / Leech Seed + [B]Heatran [/B]@ Life Orb and Naive, Fire Blast / Earth Power / Dragon Pulse / Explosion]
[Defensive]
[CeleTran is a noteworthy combination because of the way in each can cover many of the other's threats and resist the majority of types between them. For example, Heatran can take on any Scizor that is threatening Celebi, and Celebi can take on the likes of Gyarados for Heatran. Celebi's Thunder Wave offsets Life Orb Heatran's middling Speed, and Leech Seed negates Life Orb recoil and can be used to wear Blissey down.]
[Any Pokemon that weilds super effective STABs on both Celebi and Heatran and outspeeds them will have no problem with CeleTran. Infernape and Heracross quickly come to mind. Similarly, many variants of Tyranitar (Dragon Dance in particular) can take out both Pokemon with ease.]
[Usually adding a Water-type to complete the core of Fire / Water / Grass patches up many of the weaknesses that the duo have, but one Pokemon can't cover them all. For example, Gyarados helps against Heracross and somewhat against Infernape, but loses to Tyranitar; Vaporeon is good insurance against Infernape but can't take strong hits from Heracross or Tyranitar; and Swampert takes on Heracross and Tyranitar well but will be dispatched by Infernape's Grass Knot.]
[[B]Blissey [/B]@ Leftovers and Bold, Seismic Toss / Toxic / Wish / Softboiled + [B]Skarmory [/B]@ Leftovers and Impish, Spikes / Whirlwind / Brave Bird / Roost]
[Defensive]
[SkarmBliss isn't an infallible defensive combo, but it is still a good core for many defensive teams. The strategy is simple - tank special hits with Blissey and use Wish to heal comrades when given a free turn, and tank physical hits with Skarmory and set up Spikes or phaze with Whirlwind whenever given the chance.]
[Infernape single-handedly destroys the combo with its power mixed attacking stats and super effective STABs. Boah versions of Tyranitar are specifically designed for dismantling the combo, and a simple Choice Band Tyranitar can cause grief if it outspeeds Skarmory. If you don't run Shed Shell on Skarmory, Magnezone can trap and kill it and leave Blissey open to physical attackers. Substitute Charge Beam Rotom-a can set up on both Pokemon, OHKOing Skarmory and using Blissey to accumulate boosts and eventually 2HKO.]
[There is no one way to complete this combination, but there are several Pokemon that do well alongside it. Tentacruel can deal with Infernape and can also set up Toxic Spikes to further support the combo, while Blissey heals it with Wish. Scarf Rotom-a can come in on Infernape's Close Combat and severely weaken it, or come in to revenge Magnezone or Rotom. Cresselia and Latias take on Infernape well, but they do make the combo all the more vulnerable to Tyranitar. It's well worth noting that there is no single Pokemon that perfectly covers all the weaknesses, and instead SkarmBliss should have a supporting team built around it.]
PurpleWeezing
[[B]Vaporeon [/B]@ Leftovers and Bold, Surf / Wish / Protect / Hidden Power [Electric] + [B]Gliscor [/B]@ Leftovers and Jolly, Earthquake / Taunt / Toxic / Roost]
[Defensive/Strategic]
[This is such a great core to base a defensive team off. Those two take care of most offensive threats, such as Infernape, Gyarados and Lucario, while Vaporeon can break many offensive teams who simply can't bypass it and Gliscor breaks stallish teams by preventing them from recovering while slowly killing them. Entry hazard support really helps there.]
[There are still many problem pokes for this combination. Latias and Dragon Dance Salamence can switch into both, set up, and destroy. BoltBeam users such as Starmie and Zapdos have little to no problem breaking through both of them. Toxic Spikes really limit Vaporeon's life span, making the combination useless as well.]
[To solve these problems, it's useful to pack Scizor with them; Scizor is easily capable of killing Latias and Starmie, while revenging most Salamence. To get rid of Toxic Spikes a poison type or spinner is needed. Forretress is a good choice, as is Roserade. Both can also set up entry hazards to support the combination. Generally it's a good choice to run Sandstorm when running Gliscor and Vaporeon. Scarfed Tyranitar is a great insurance against Gengar, Zapdos, Latias and Starmie, all of whom trouble the combination.]
witness315
[[B]Swampert[/B]@ Leftovers and Relaxed, Stealth Rock/Roar/Earthquake/Ice Beam+ [B]Scizor[/B]@ Choice Band and Adamant, Bullet Punch/U-Turn/Superpower/Pursuit]
[Defensive]
[Swampert and Scizor are two excellent partners for each other, resisting each other's weaknesses perfectly. Swampert has always been considered to be an amazing physical wall, but like most walls, it has it's flaws. Swampert does not enjoy boosted special attacks coming from the likes of Latias or Gengar. However, with Scizor it can easily scare of these Pokemon. Pokemon like Blissey and Cresselia easily wall it, but with Scizor, these Pokemon are less threatening to Swampert. With Pursuit, U-Turn, and Superpower to deal with these Pokemon, Scizor is easily the best Swampert partner.]
[Swampert's worst fear is Grass attacks. Celebi and Tangrowth don't take much from Swampert's Ice Beam, and they can come in and easily OHKO Swampert with Grass Knot or Leaf Storm. This problem is eliminated with Scizor's 4x resistance to Grass, and the ability to do huge damage with it's STAB U-Turn.]
deluge
[[B]Quagsire[/B]@Leftovers and Adamant or Impish, Yawn / Stone Edge / Focus Punch / Protect + [B]Scizor[/B]@Occa Berry and Adamant, Light Screen / U-Turn / Roost / Pursuit]
[defensive]
[These two have a wonderful defensive synergy.]
[Quagsire is completely immune to the common attacks that hit Scizor for neutral damage and resists fire while scizor has that toxic immunity, 4x grass resist and the ability to absorb powerful special dragon/ghost/dark/psychic attacks intended for Quagsire. Obviously, once it comes in on a ghost or psychic pokeon it immediately threatens with pursuit or acts as a team player by setting up Light Screen before U-Turning out. Most fire types and Gyarados do not enjoy Quagsire switching in on attacks intended for Scizor to threaten with Stone Edge. It may also Yawn to induce sleep or rack up stealth rock/sandstorm damage if the opponent switches. Yawn also works well with the other moves. Protect allows for scouting and guarantees sleep against the last pokemon while Focus Punch is used on the switch or to pummel a sleeping foe.]
[Leftovers was chosen for Quagsire because it works well with Protect to guarantee a free turn of recovery.
Occa Berry was chosen for Scizor because it was centrally important not to lose him to a random HP Fire.
With Occa Berry it will usually survive and have a chance to Roost off the damage later]
[I had reasonable success with this stall combination on PBR but the three pokemon format meant I could not try this against teams with certain Empoleon or worse yet, Infernape. Infernape outruns everything and slaughters with Grass Knot or a fire attack. Empoleon is exceedingly difficult to penetrate if it possesses Grass Knot since it wears Scizor down with Surf or maims with Hydro Pump while Quagsire lives in fear of Grass Knot. Continued switching, even if impeccably done, will accomplish little since Empoleon is immune to sandstorm damage. It was also necessary to play very carefully around Ludicolo but it's bug weakness really helped.]
Code:
kd24
[[B]Milotic[/B]@Leftovers and Bold, Surf / Recover / Ice Beam / Hidden Power Grass + [B]Roserade[/B]@Leftovers and Timid, Spikes / Energy Ball / Rest / Sludge Bomb]
[Both strategic and defensive]
[Roserade resists all the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that Milotic would normally fear. Switching Roserade in will give an easy opportunity to use Spikes. When Roserade feels threatened, it can Rest and switch right back to Milotic, who resists Ice- and Fire-type attacks.]
[Strong Choice Band Pokemon can easily kill Roserade while still keeping pressure on Milotic. The easiest solution is adding a Registeel or a Steelix, as they can take the majority of Choice Band attacks that threaten both Roserade and Milotic. Registeel or Steelix can also Stealth Rock to accompany the Spikes. Rapid Spin would be a huge threat so adding a Ghost-type would also be ideal. Taking this route is optional, and you may choose a more offensive route that abuses Spikes to get more OHKOs.]
eo ut mortus
[[B]Chansey[/B]@Leftovers and Calm, Seismic Toss / Toxic / Softboiled / Aromatherapy + [B]Milotic[/B]@Leftovers and Bold, Surf / Recover / Hidden Power Grass / Haze]
[Defensive]
[While there is little to no synergy between them in terms of typing, sheer bulk enables the combination of Chansey and Milotic has the ability to cover almost all special attacking threats in UU. Between Haze and Toxic, there is also little fear of being set up upon by Calm Minders. Despite the massive amount of special bulk that this combination bears, it still has enough physical bulk to withstand the assaults of a number of physical attackers, as Milotic's defensive stats enable it to cover a good amount of physical threats.]
[A small percentage of special attackers can break this combination, including Calm Mind / Thunderbolt Mismagius, Nasty Plot Toxicroak, and Life Orb Roserade. Certain dedicated physical attackers, such as choiced Fighting-types, Flying-types, and Grass-types also give this combination trouble.]
[There are several Pokemon that can help patch up the weaknesses in this combination. Thanks to key resistances and solid defensive stats, a special defensive Drapion can cover the special attackers that Milotic and Chansey cannot handle . Dedicated defensive Pokemon with key resistances like Rotom (Fighting, Flying) and Registeel (Grass, Flying) are good answers to the physical threats that Milotic cannot handle.]
OU
Code:
LegacyRaider
[[B]Roserade [/B]@ Focus Sash and Timid, Sleep Powder / Leaf Storm / Hidden Power Fire / Toxic Spikes + [B]Suicune [/B]@ Leftovers and Bold, Surf / Calm Mind / Rest / Sleep Talk]
[Strategic]
[A RestTalk Suicune is a difficult opponent to fight at the best of times, but it is made all the more harder when you have to combat increasing Toxic Spikes damage as well. By supporting Suicune with Toxic Spikes, it means you can simply Calm Mind up against two of its biggest counters - Blissey and Celebi - and let the poison damage do the rest. Roserade is a great candidate to support Suicune because not only does it function as a good lead, it can come in on most Electric- and Grass-type attacks with ease.]
[Latias is the biggest problem this combo faces, as it resists all the attacks of both Pokemon, can Calm Mind up alongside Suicune, outspeeds both, and is immune to Toxic Spikes.]
[A supporting Pursuit user is the obvious answer, but a specially defensive Scizor is preferred over Tyranitar here. Suicune really appreciates the extra recovery it gets from Leftovers, and Roserade might have an intact Focus Sash to work with, so Tyranitar's Sand Stream is not the most helpful thing to have on your team.]
Huntofthelion
[[B]Gengar[/B]@Expert Belt and Timid, Shadow Ball / Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire / Protect + [B]Magnezone[/B]@Choice Scarf and Naive, Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire / Flash Cannon / Explosion]
[Strategic Combination]
[One of Gengar's biggest issues is Scizor, who can Bullet Punch it if it stays in, and Pursuit if it switches out. Protect + Magnezone take advantage of this, by allowing Gengar to scout what Scizor is going to do and acting accordingly. Magnezone can also Explode on a predicted Blissey switch in, which can open the way for Gengar to sweep.
[A Life Orb trapper Scizor will be still be able to beat this Gengar, as it eliminates the ability to scout with Protect that you gain against a Choice Band variant. Blissey can take any attack between the two other than Explosion, and in turn Paralyze either one.] 00
[Pokemon with a strong Pursuit can help wear down Blissey, with the added benefit of taking out two of Gengar's main revenge killers, Scarfed Gengar/Rotom-a. Tyranitar is a good choice, since he can also benefit from the removal of Steel-types.]
OU
Code:
Legacy Raider
[[B]Heatran [/B]@ Leftovers and Timid, Substitute / Toxic / Fire Blast / Earth Power + [B]Gyarados [/B]@ Life Orb and Adamant, Dragon Dance / Waterfall / Earthquake / Stone Edge]
[Both offensive and defensive]
[Heatran lures in Vaporeon and Swampert and surprises them with Toxic, crippling them and weakening them to the point where they can no longer stop Dragon Dance Gyarados from sweeping. The type synergy between the two is decent as well, with Gyarados being able to switch into Water-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Heatran, and Heatran can switch into Rotom quite well in return.]
[Stone Edges from Choice Band Tyranitar and others can really damage the combo, since Tyranitar can come in on Heatran without too much bother and neither Heatran nor Gyarados can take a strong Rock-type attack. Pokemon with Rest and Sleep Talk can generally go unaffected by the combo.]
[While it does nothing to benefit the combo defensively, Infernape can definitely make use of weakened Water-types and clean up afterwards if Heatran and Gyarados fail to sweep. Swampert covers the Electric- and Rock-type attacks that neither of the other two really like to take, and can set up Stealth Rock to help both sweep as well.]
m_dragon
[[B]Latias [/B]@ Leftovers and Timid, Calm Mind/Dragon Pulse/Recover/Refresh + [B]Magnezone [/B]@ Choice Scarf and Timid, Thunderbolt/HP Fire/Flash Cannon/Explosion]
[Offensive and Deffensive]
[After a few CM, latias can completely destroy teams, and it can also beat Blissey thanks to Refresh. The biggest threats to CM latias are steels and pursuiters with lots of sp def, like Tyranitar. Magnezone can easily trap steels that wants to destroy latias, but they are trapped and killed or nearly killed by magnezone (scizor is a really common switch when they see latias, and very often, the only latias counter of an offensive team, which is destroyed by zone. Forry is usually the only latias counter of a stall team. After zone eliminates it, latias has a clean sweep). The most common switches to magnezone are bulky grounds and blissey, which are set up fodders for Latias. They also resist every type]
[Like i have said before, bulky pokemons with Pursuit, like CBlax or Tyranitar, give this combo a lot of trouble, and things with physical attacks + a ground/fighting attack can also give a lot of trouble. A Scizor using Superpower to zone in the switching is also really dangerous]
[A fighting pokemon can help dealing with Tyranitar and Snorlax, and can fit really good in the combo, as generally the counters of a fighting pokemon like Luke, Machamp or Heracross are set up baits for Latias]
maxim
[[B]Empoleon[/B]@Focus Sash and Modest, Hydro Pump/Aqua Jet/Stealth Rock/Grass Knot + [B]Electivire[/B]@Expert Belt and Adament, Thunder Punch/Ice Punch/Cross Chop/Earthquake]
[both Offensive and defensive]
[Empoleon is a potent anti-lead, but one of it's main flaws is that it can be forced out by a number of factors. This combination works because of the fact that most players try to send in their electric type to combat Empoleon, then they try to Thunderbolt it, allowing Electivire to switch in and get a Motor Drive boost.]
[Later in the battle, if Electivire finds itself facing Skarmory [for the sake of example], Empoleon could switch right in and either set up SR or take it out with hydro pump.]
[Sadly, despite being a powerful sweeper, this Electivire set is rather easily walled, so the combo is really only good so that you don't have to get one of your pokes hit by a tbolt, even so, Electivire could easily run a mixed set to good effect since everyone expects this set.]
[This combo has problems with Metagross, as Hydro Pump can only 2HKO it, so something like Salamence would be a good to absorb the EQ and set up, or simply barbeque it with Fire Blast.]
mtr12
[[B]Yanmega[/B]@Focus Sash and Modest, Protect / Air Slash / Hidden Power Ground / Shadow Ball + [B]Heatran[/B]@Leftovers and Modest, Stealth Rock / Will-O-Wisp / Flamethrower / Earth Power]
[Both offensive and defensive]
[Despite the presence of Stealth Rock, Yanmega is still a decent lead, capable of defeating common leads such as Azelf, Infernape, and Heatran. Yanmega is used here for its unique Speed Boost ability, which often forces the opponent to use a Choice Scarf or priority attacks to defeat it. The specific attacks, both of which are choiced, that Yanmega has to deal with include Scizor's Bullet Punch and Jirachi's Iron Head. Heatran enters on both these attacks and either cripples Scizor or Jirachi (or Gyarados, who is apt to switch in) with Will-O-Wisp or sets up Stealth Rock.]
[This combo really suffers against Tyranitar, who is not bothered by Yanmega or Heatran, and defeats both of them. Also, Hippowdon is a problem for this combo, as it easily takes hits from Yanmega and Heatran and can Slack Off to heal the damage. Finally, Blissey can cause trouble, but if you use Explosion over Earth Power on Heatran, you can take it out.]
[Breloom is a great option for dealing with Hippowdon, and it also takes advantage of the possible status on Gyarados, who often switches in to it after one of its partners has taken the sleep. Breloom can also defeat most Tyranitar sets with Mach Punch or Superpower, but a Dragon Danced Fire Punch is a OHKO.]
raikizen
[[B]Heatran[/B]@Choice Specs and Modest, Overheat / Earth Power / HP Grass / Flamethrower + [B]Celebi[/B]@LO and Modest, Leaf Storm / HP Fire / Rest / Stealth Rock or Status Inducer]
[both offensive and defensive]
[While most people think of Celetran as a defensive combination, it more that easily works offensively. Using it as a lead, Specstran can OHKO Metagross, Swampert, and Azelf, the three most popular leads. Overheat even OHKO's Metagross through it's Occa berry. Azelf is a 2HKO if it has Focus Sash, barring a burn, but can't do anything in return. Celebi can OHKO Tyranitar with Leaf Storm, OHKO Scizor with HP Fire, and take down any bulky water with ease. SR is useful, since you don't get to set it up first turn with Heatran, but could be moved for Thunder wave or Toxic is someone is better suited for it.]
[This combination does not stop bulky dragons like Dragonite or Salamence from coming in (though Specs Overheat will severely cripple them both) or things such as Gyarados, though LO Leaf Storm will OHKO after SR damage. It also does not enjoy things such as Infernape. This combination is walled endlessly by Blissey, though not many other Special Walls can come in due to the sheer power of the moves.]
[To deal with the above Pokemon, a bulky water completes the cycle of Fire/Water/and Grass and allows optimal defensive bulk. Something such as Suicune or Vaporeon can fit that niche nicely, as both can. Crocune can easily use Blissey as set up bait. A strong pursuit user can also be used against Blissey, such as Tyranitar or Scizor.]
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heysup
[[B]Azumarill[/B]@Choice Band and Adamant, Waterfall / Aqua Jet / Superpower / Double Edge + [B]Roserade[/B]@Life Orb and Modest, Leaf Storm / Sludge Bomb / Sleep Powder / Synthesis]
[Offensive and Defensive]
[This combination excels because they both abuse each others counters. Roserade has trouble reliably KOing Chansey, and can't get passed Registeel, while Azumarill loves switching into either of these Pokemon and unleashing it's 120 Base Power moves coming off its monstrous +1 436 Atk. Azumarill has a bit of trouble with Slowbro, Venusaur, and Milotic, but Roserade easily switches in (Slowbro can't KO with Psychic), Recovers, and fires off 140 BP STAB attacks off of a Life Orb boosted 383 SpA stat.]
[This combo will have a bit of trouble with Feraligatr, or even Swords Dance Leafeon. They can both set up on Azumarill and outspeed + KO Roserade, while Azumarill can't do anything back with Aqua Jet because they resist it.]
[Having a Choice Scarfed Pokemon with a super effective attack on each of these Pokemon is a great step towards softening this weakness. Rotom can outspeed and KO Feraligatr, and Will-O-Wisp Leafeon. Keeping something like Milotic could also help versus Feraligatr, while Arcanine helps with Leafeon.]
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fireburn
[[B]Wobbuffet[/B]@Leftovers and Calm, Counter / Mirror Coat / Encore / Tickle + Scizor@Choice Band and Adamant, Bullet Punch / U-turn / Pursuit / Superpower + [B]Palkia[/B]@Choice Specs and Timid, Surf / Spacial Rend / Thunder/Fire Blast / Draco Meteor]
[Both offensive and defensive]
[Tickle Wobbuffet can easily trap Blissey, the only true counter to Specs Palkia. After Three Tickles, a Choice Band Scizor can switch in, OHKO Blissey with Pursuit, leaving Palkia to wreak utter haoc on your foes team with mighty Specs boosted attacks. The threesome also deal with each's others checks and counters quite well.]
[A set up Pokemon that resists Pursuit, such as Lucario and Darkrai can easily come in after Scizor Pursuits, set up, and then easily run through this combination. Powerful attackers with Thunder can also be bad, as can Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp (Cripples Scizor) users, since Wobbuffet lacks Safeguard to shield from it.]
[Choice Scarf Garchomp can easily switch in on Lucario and Darkrai and will OHKO then both with its dual Dragon and Ground STABs. Garchomp also provides an electric immunity for the threesome. Should Scizor be crippled by Will-O-Wisp, Garchomp also provides a secondary answer to Blissey. A cleric might also be useful to help protect your team from status.]
[[B]Forretress[/B]@Leftovers and Careful, Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes / Payback / Rapid Spin +[B]Giratina-O[/B]@Griseous Orb and Modest, Rest / Sleep Talk / Calm Mind / Dragon Pulse]
[Both offensive and defensive (Could be strategic as well :\)]
[Forretress and Giratina-O is a very tough combination to beat. Forretress can take any Dragon-, Ice-, Ghost-, or Dark-type move coming Giratina-O's way and set up Toxic Spikes, which also helps Giratina-O sweep more effectively by allowing it to break Blissey more easily. Giratina-O also blocks Rapid Spin while providing a Fire-type resistance for Forretress.]
[Powerful Mixed attackers such as Palkia, Dialga, and Rayquaza can easily break the pair with powerful Fire and Dragon attacks. Forry is also set up bait for a lot of Pokemon, such as Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Darkrai.]
[Scarf Palkia can use its tremendous speed and attacking power to easily destroy the majority of Pokemon that want to set up on Forretress and Giratina-O. Garchomp is capable of checking all three of the aforementioned mixed attackers thanks to being faster than all of them and having a super effective attack against each of them.]