Bulky IS Beautiful

[Count Clark]

I may not have as much experience as some other guys when it comes to Pokémon, but I do know strategy and technique. Since I started back in Emerald, I've focused on hyper-offense and high-octane insanity. I quickly realized, however, that my teams were fragile and relied too much on muscle. Thanks to this new generation's toys and tricks I've realized the magic of defenses and waiting.

Aggron@ Aggronite
Ability: Filter
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpDf / 6 Df
Nature: Careful
~Stealth Rock
~Thunder Wave
~Dragon Tail
~Heavy Slam

The point of this set is to essentially lay down SR and paralyze sweeper threats. Dragon Tail is used to phase out set-up sweepers, or to sometimes just sprinkle TWave around their team. Without EV investment in Attack, MAggron still hits things that are weak to it surprisingly hard, letting it put serious dents in Togekiss, Florges, Mamoswine, and others. Most people just use Iron Head over Heavy Slam, but I find that MAggron's immense weight allows it to still smack fairies around. Also, his ability allows him to tank potentially deadly hits from the likes of Choice Specs Typhlosion and the Mega Zards.

Volcarona@ Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 6 SpDf
Nature: Modest
~Quiver Dance
~Fiery Dance
~Bug Buzz
~Roost

Quiver Dance is honestly one of my favorite setup moves ever. It helps up the speed Volcarona loses when it runs Modest over Timid, and it allows it to hit even harder. Also, the 50% chance to boost with every Fiery Dance use is just beautiful, isn't it? Bug Buzz deals with pesky psychic and dark types that try and take it down. Also, its many resistances make it fairly easy to switch in, as well as its blessed neutrality to the almighty Earthquake.

Dragonite@ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 6 HP
Nature: Adamant
~Dragon Dance
~Outrage
~Fire Punch
~Roost

Ah, Dragonite. Thanks to Multiscale, he's my absolute favorite setup sweeper in the game. Many people choose to run a Choice Band or a Life Orb to give him extra muscle, but he performs absolutely beautifully with Lum Berry. As long as you avoid Fake Out users and Stealth Rock, You will always setup successfully, thanks to his natural awesome bulk. After eliminating fairy types, you can essentially sweep entire teams with Outrage, thanks to Lum Berry. Roost in the final slot allows him to regain that coveted Multiscale bulk.

Metagross@ Assault Vest
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 156 HP / 102 SpDf
Nature: Adamant
~Bullet Punch
~Meteor Mash
~Hammer Arm
~Zen Headbutt

He may have had an interesting run through the years, but I find that he is better suited as a bulky attacker/wall breaker/wall. Unfortunately, the nerf to steel typing limits Metagross's usefulness as a sweeper, so an Assault vest is a near necessity to keep him up against the likes of Yveltal or Houndoom. Also, Bullet Punch coming off massive attack stat (as well as STAB) makes Metagross a decent check to weakened Terrakion. Meteor Mash is a must for this big fellow, as it destroys puny little fairies that would otherwise threaten its buddy, Dragonite. Zen Headbutt puts dents in Fighting types, and Hammer Arm provides reliable coverage against dark types.

Gyarados@ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 240 HP / 194 Df / 76 Spd
Nature: Impish
~Toxic
~Protect
~Earthquake
~Dragon Tail

Stall stall stall stall stall. Its awesome defensive typing (let's ignore electricity for now), its natural bulk, and its good stat layout screams for Gyarados to be a wall. In the case of Mega Aggron failing (his priority is to set up SR anyway), Gyarados makes an even better fallback wall. Toxic and Dragon Tail can be used in conjunction with each other to smear the opponent's team with poison, or it can be used with EQ and Protect to effectively stall out anything that isn't a steel type (but that's why we have Dragon Tail, isn't it?). Intimidate along with Leftovers seriously discourages physical attackers. However, having SR on the field (thanks, Aggy) can discourage the opponent from switching out their physicals, allowing you to neuter, then slowly kiss their physical attackers goodbye.

Alakazam@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 6 HP
Nature: Timid
~Psyshock
~Shadow Ball
~Dazzling Gleam
~Energy Ball

Alright, it's time for the mandatory revenge killer. With its wildly diverse movepool and coverage options, I think Alakazam functions better as a mix-and-match revenger than an all out special sweeper. Choiced Psyshock allows it to revenge any fighting type weakened by its teammates. With scarf, it outspeeds Mega Alakazam and Mega Gengar and can decimate either with shadow ball. Dazzling Gleam allows it to snipe off pesky dragons, and Energy ball makes for a good coverage move against Vaporeon and Rhyperior.

​

Well, that's my team. I think I'm balanced on the physical/special attacking ratio, but I'm quite lacking in the Special Defense area. I could use some advice if I need to make changes to my team, but I will certainly not budge on my Dragonite or my Gyarados. Thank you for analyzing this.

 

[Merqury]

I'm a bit of a newbie so don't take my word as gospel, but I think metagross is your weak link here. You already have a steel fairy killer (aggron) and a psychic type (alakazam). If it were me I'd take him out and put in something to work as a special wall. You can either go dedicated (goodra, sylveon, and other pink blobs), or do something like assault vest tyranitaur or conkeldur.

Anyway those are my ideas, hope they help!

 

[Count Clark]

Well, Aggron isn't my fairy killer, per-say, it just basically provides support while occasionally doling out a hit. My Metagross is the dedicated fairy-slaughterer. Also, I don't have anything, other than Metagross, that can easily deal with fighting types. Many of them hit hard enough to destroy my Alakazam, even with a resisted hit, so Metagross is kinda who I depend on.

 

[The Great Gastly]

Just a quick thing I'd recommend -- use Magic Guard + Focus Sash on Kazam. It does a much better job at revenge killing, and that looks like what you're aiming to do with it anyway!

Simulator play isn't concerned with whether you can get a pokemon ingame, so don't worry about that when making a RMT. ^_^

 

[Count Clark]

Ah, I thought that we were literally just splaying out our in-game team, haha. And I tried using Focus Sash, but some of my friends who I tested with easily neutered it with their own Choice Scarfed 'mon, like Terrakion or Garchomp. Besides, Greninja is probably going to be a real threat to Alakazam in the future, and most Greninja sets I see avoid Choice items to keep up a versatile guy on the field (you know, for Spikes and Substitute and the like). Choice Scarf on my Alakazam allows me to outspeed Greninja (along with the majority of the non-Choiced metagame) and snipe it with a quick Dazzling Gleam or Energy Ball.

 

[Jirne]

Hello,

Just a little thing on your Dragonite EV Spread, if you want you can put only 230 EV in speed and add the 22 left in HP.

This spread allow you to outspeed timid max speed Noivern after a DD and since you cannont reach anything intresting (talonflamme and weavile gonna juste use priority moves) higher in terms of speed it's better to invest in some extra bulk.