It's been a longass time since I posted my last team here. I built a few other teams with pretty moderate success, but here is the team I've wanted to work with since I started the 5th generation - a Baton Pass team. I'd always get swamped by them, but never had the courage or patience to build a strong, competitive one.
After playtesting with it for a while, I'd love to get some comments on how to make my Baton Pass team better. It's decent right now, but I feel like I'm missing something. Tear it apart!
So I started with Smeargle, because I had used Baton Pass teams in the 4th gen and remembered how good he was.
Ninjask came next - I thought he would be a natural player on a Baton Pass team, and for a while, he was.
Mew was also a natural star, and I had wanted an excuse to use one for a while. I plopped him on as my Special Defense passer.
I knew I needed some Defense, so Scizor came along with his bulky Iron Defense set.
I had encountered Baton Pass teams in the past, and Espeon was regularly a major player. So she got added.
Finally, I needed a receiver. I had been thinking Dragonite, but I was worried about Stealth Rocks becoming a problem. So I added Metagross instead.
After a few playruns, I noticed Ninjask was definitely not pulling his weight. I needed something that could come in a few times...so I chose Gliscor, who's definitely pulled his weight so far.
After some helpful suggestion, I decided to try Vaporeon out as a contender on the team to replace Scizor. I might try Mr. Mime at some point, too.
Alright, guys, thanks for reading! Hopefully my team isn't too bad. :) Here's a final look and the code for the team in case you want to test it.
After playtesting with it for a while, I'd love to get some comments on how to make my Baton Pass team better. It's decent right now, but I feel like I'm missing something. Tear it apart!
So I started with Smeargle, because I had used Baton Pass teams in the 4th gen and remembered how good he was.
Ninjask came next - I thought he would be a natural player on a Baton Pass team, and for a while, he was.
Mew was also a natural star, and I had wanted an excuse to use one for a while. I plopped him on as my Special Defense passer.
I knew I needed some Defense, so Scizor came along with his bulky Iron Defense set.
I had encountered Baton Pass teams in the past, and Espeon was regularly a major player. So she got added.
Finally, I needed a receiver. I had been thinking Dragonite, but I was worried about Stealth Rocks becoming a problem. So I added Metagross instead.
After a few playruns, I noticed Ninjask was definitely not pulling his weight. I needed something that could come in a few times...so I chose Gliscor, who's definitely pulled his weight so far.
After some helpful suggestion, I decided to try Vaporeon out as a contender on the team to replace Scizor. I might try Mr. Mime at some point, too.
THE BREAKDOWN
(changes and comments will be in red)
Da Vinci the Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Normal, Technician, Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
252 HP, 4 SpDef, 252 Spd
~Ingrain
~Baton Pass
~Spore
~Shift Gear
Da Vinci has been a really important member of the team - but only when he's able to pull off Spore+something else. If he gets hit beforehand, he's only really able to get the Spore off, and Hail and Sandstorm demolish him. But, when he does get his combo off, he's really important to the team.
I tend to go Spore/Shift Gear/Baton Pass, and later in the game if I get the chance, Da Vinci will come back and pull off an Ingrain, too. He's pretty nice, and can even take some Ghost attacks aimed at Espeon and Mew. I guess my only problem with him is that sometimes Ingrain doesn't really matter. It definitely does whenever there's a Heatran or another Roarer, but other than that he just does his job.I might switch Agility for Quiver Dance or something. Can't believe I missed Shift Gear...
Batty the Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Flying/Ground, Poison Heal, Impish (+Def, -SpAtk)
252 HP/184 Def/72 Spd
~Substitute
~Swords Dance
~Baton Pass
~Earthquake
Batty does work when he gets the chance. It's easy for him to come in on Pokemon like Terrakion and most Tyranitar, and with the combination of Poison Heal and Ingrain, he can recover HP like nobody's business. With Swords Dance and Earthquake, he's not only able to pass big boosts, but also abuse Ground's coverage against many threats in today's metagame.
Batty has a few problems, though, namely Special Attacks and Ice Shard. When he hasn't gotten passed a Defense boost, Mamoswine and Donphan can take him out fairly reliably, meaning I tend to go into my Scizor first before bringing Batty out. I do really like having Earthquake as a move, though, because with a Baton Pass team it can really throw people off guard to have to worry about attacks.
Mewone the Mew @ Leftovers
Psychic, Synchronize, Careful (+SpDef, -SpAtk)
248 HP/8 Atk/252 SpDef
~Baton Pass
~Amnesia
~Substitute
~Flame Charge
Sooooooo Mewone. I've always wanted to use a Mew, and by god I was going to put one on this team. Thus, Mewone was born.
I experimented a bit with his moveset, but settled on a Special Defensive boosting one. It's able to tank a hit in most cases, and then immediately set up. Flame Charge is there for anyone who wants to bring in Scizor, because after getting some Attack boosts, Flame Charge will wreck them. Otherwise, it's a great way to keep gaining Speed after Smeargle has been switched out.
While I like to have Substitute always up, sometimes a Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Will-o-Wisp will get through before I'm able to predict and switch to Espeon. Thankfully, with Mewone, statusing it will really backfire in most cases, like when the opponent's Jellicent is suddenly Toxicked, or an Xatu gets paralyzed.
Merman the Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Water, Water Absorb, Bold (+Def, -Atk)
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpAtk
~Baton Pass
~Acid Armor
~Scald
~Wish
Vaporeon has definitely solved my problem with both Volcarona and Rain teams. He's bulky enough to properly tank hits, and under Rain can even threaten some Pokemon with Scald. Just the threat of burn has been enough to force some switches, and it definitely helps Vaporeon both wall and Baton Pass effectively.
Kitty Purry the Espeon @ Leftovers
Psychic, Magic Bounce, Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
252 HP/4 SpAtk/252 Spd
~Baton Pass
~Calm Mind
~Stored Power
~Substitute
I always forget how powerful Stored Power can be after even a few boosts, and usually end up Baton Passing until later, when I proceed to sweep with Stored Power. I have absolutely no complaints about Kitty Purry. The Speed is there to screw over anyone who thinks they can outspeed, like Landorus-T and most anything after a Flame Charge or something.
Panzer the Metagross @ Leftovers
Psychic/Steel, Clear Body, Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
252 HP/252 Atk/4 SpDef
~Meteor Mash
~Ice Punch
~Thunderpunch
~Earthquake
There have been times when my Baton Pass chain gets broken before it gets to Panzer. That's when people get to see how good Metagross is even without boosts. He's taken many full powered attacks, like a Flare Blitz from an Arcanine to an Earthquke from a Landorus-T. It's times like those that people usually freak out and quit.
Metagross really helps when it comes to Intimidaters, too, as whatever his Attack is when he comes out, it tends to stay that way (or get boosted from Meteor Mash).
THREATS
I hate this thing. It boosts, and then there's not much I can do about it besides hope I've already gotten some boosts myself. My best best is usually getting to +6 with Mew, and then going into Gliscor to hopefully KO with Earthquake.
This thing's bad, but not as bad as Volcarona. I'm actually able to threaten it out with Gliscor, who can also KO pretty easily with Earthquake after a Swords Dance. Will-o-Wisp isn't a problem, either, because of Substitute, Espeon, and Toxic Orb.
Similar to Arcanine, he's an issue, but not a big one. He can take out Smeargle, which hurts in the short run, but other Pokemon I have like Scizor and Arcanine can tend to demolish it.
Also, most Pokemon with Taunt seem to hurt my team a lot. Priority also hurts when I don't have boosts up.
(changes and comments will be in red)
Da Vinci the Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Normal, Technician, Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
252 HP, 4 SpDef, 252 Spd
~Ingrain
~Baton Pass
~Spore
~Shift Gear
Da Vinci has been a really important member of the team - but only when he's able to pull off Spore+something else. If he gets hit beforehand, he's only really able to get the Spore off, and Hail and Sandstorm demolish him. But, when he does get his combo off, he's really important to the team.
I tend to go Spore/Shift Gear/Baton Pass, and later in the game if I get the chance, Da Vinci will come back and pull off an Ingrain, too. He's pretty nice, and can even take some Ghost attacks aimed at Espeon and Mew. I guess my only problem with him is that sometimes Ingrain doesn't really matter. It definitely does whenever there's a Heatran or another Roarer, but other than that he just does his job.
Batty the Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Flying/Ground, Poison Heal, Impish (+Def, -SpAtk)
252 HP/184 Def/72 Spd
~Substitute
~Swords Dance
~Baton Pass
~Earthquake
Batty does work when he gets the chance. It's easy for him to come in on Pokemon like Terrakion and most Tyranitar, and with the combination of Poison Heal and Ingrain, he can recover HP like nobody's business. With Swords Dance and Earthquake, he's not only able to pass big boosts, but also abuse Ground's coverage against many threats in today's metagame.
Batty has a few problems, though, namely Special Attacks and Ice Shard. When he hasn't gotten passed a Defense boost, Mamoswine and Donphan can take him out fairly reliably, meaning I tend to go into my Scizor first before bringing Batty out. I do really like having Earthquake as a move, though, because with a Baton Pass team it can really throw people off guard to have to worry about attacks.
Mewone the Mew @ Leftovers
Psychic, Synchronize, Careful (+SpDef, -SpAtk)
248 HP/8 Atk/252 SpDef
~Baton Pass
~Amnesia
~Substitute
~Flame Charge
Sooooooo Mewone. I've always wanted to use a Mew, and by god I was going to put one on this team. Thus, Mewone was born.
I experimented a bit with his moveset, but settled on a Special Defensive boosting one. It's able to tank a hit in most cases, and then immediately set up. Flame Charge is there for anyone who wants to bring in Scizor, because after getting some Attack boosts, Flame Charge will wreck them. Otherwise, it's a great way to keep gaining Speed after Smeargle has been switched out.
While I like to have Substitute always up, sometimes a Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Will-o-Wisp will get through before I'm able to predict and switch to Espeon. Thankfully, with Mewone, statusing it will really backfire in most cases, like when the opponent's Jellicent is suddenly Toxicked, or an Xatu gets paralyzed.
Merman the Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Water, Water Absorb, Bold (+Def, -Atk)
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpAtk
~Baton Pass
~Acid Armor
~Scald
~Wish
Vaporeon has definitely solved my problem with both Volcarona and Rain teams. He's bulky enough to properly tank hits, and under Rain can even threaten some Pokemon with Scald. Just the threat of burn has been enough to force some switches, and it definitely helps Vaporeon both wall and Baton Pass effectively.
Kitty Purry the Espeon @ Leftovers
Psychic, Magic Bounce, Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
252 HP/4 SpAtk/252 Spd
~Baton Pass
~Calm Mind
~Stored Power
~Substitute
I always forget how powerful Stored Power can be after even a few boosts, and usually end up Baton Passing until later, when I proceed to sweep with Stored Power. I have absolutely no complaints about Kitty Purry. The Speed is there to screw over anyone who thinks they can outspeed, like Landorus-T and most anything after a Flame Charge or something.
Panzer the Metagross @ Leftovers
Psychic/Steel, Clear Body, Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
252 HP/252 Atk/4 SpDef
~Meteor Mash
~Ice Punch
~Thunderpunch
~Earthquake
There have been times when my Baton Pass chain gets broken before it gets to Panzer. That's when people get to see how good Metagross is even without boosts. He's taken many full powered attacks, like a Flare Blitz from an Arcanine to an Earthquke from a Landorus-T. It's times like those that people usually freak out and quit.
Metagross really helps when it comes to Intimidaters, too, as whatever his Attack is when he comes out, it tends to stay that way (or get boosted from Meteor Mash).
THREATS
I hate this thing. It boosts, and then there's not much I can do about it besides hope I've already gotten some boosts myself. My best best is usually getting to +6 with Mew, and then going into Gliscor to hopefully KO with Earthquake.
This thing's bad, but not as bad as Volcarona. I'm actually able to threaten it out with Gliscor, who can also KO pretty easily with Earthquake after a Swords Dance. Will-o-Wisp isn't a problem, either, because of Substitute, Espeon, and Toxic Orb.
Similar to Arcanine, he's an issue, but not a big one. He can take out Smeargle, which hurts in the short run, but other Pokemon I have like Scizor and Arcanine can tend to demolish it.
Also, most Pokemon with Taunt seem to hurt my team a lot. Priority also hurts when I don't have boosts up.
Alright, guys, thanks for reading! Hopefully my team isn't too bad. :) Here's a final look and the code for the team in case you want to test it.
Kitty Purry (Espeon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Substitute
Batty (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 184 Def / 252 HP / 72 Spd
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Baton Pass
- Earthquake
Da Vinci (Smeargle) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Ingrain
- Baton Pass
- Spore
- Agility
Merman (Vaporeon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Def
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Acid Armor
- Scald
- Wish
Mewone (Mew) @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Atk
Careful Nature
- Baton Pass
- Amnesia
- Substitute
- Flame Charge
Panzer (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- ThunderPunch
- Earthquake
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Substitute
Batty (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 184 Def / 252 HP / 72 Spd
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Baton Pass
- Earthquake
Da Vinci (Smeargle) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Ingrain
- Baton Pass
- Spore
- Agility
Merman (Vaporeon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Def
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Acid Armor
- Scald
- Wish
Mewone (Mew) @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Atk
Careful Nature
- Baton Pass
- Amnesia
- Substitute
- Flame Charge
Panzer (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- ThunderPunch
- Earthquake
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