VGC Calyrex-ShadowRider Sweeper Team

[crumpet12345]

I've made a team focused around Calyrex-Shadow for Reg G. Problem is I am very bad so I don't know if I'm losing because of a skill issue or because my teams poorly built

OgrePond (Ogerpon-Wellspring) (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 148 Atk / 100 Def / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Follow Me
- Helping Hand
- Horn Leech
- Ivy Cudgel
Built to protect Calyrex, using follow me to ward off strong attacks while using nasty plot or when Calyrex can't one shot. Helping hand for when I'm outspending non priority users for the extra insurance on the kill, horn leech and ATK evs to make sure I can OHKO Kyogre and incase it's in a stalling situation I get healing of my own. Ivy Cudgel to get OHKO Fire types and considerable damage to other mon.

Very Dead Honse (Calyrex-Shadow) @ Covert Cloak
Ability: As One (Spectrier)
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Astral Barrage
- Draining Kiss
- Nasty Plot
- Protect

Pretty typical set, max Spe so without modifiers it's almost always the fastest thing on the field. Astral Barrage for good stab I mean, it's a insanely busted move. Draining kiss for healing and when against dragons. Tera Fairy to counter dark types with their quad strong attacks, draining kiss also helps to counter them further. Protect is there because well... why wouldn't it? Being able to get good protect reads has been able to win me lots of games and it's good for surviving ofc. Covert Cloak to get around fake out after Tera, and it's just generally good.

Better Mismagius (Flutter Mane) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Protosynthesis
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Power Gem
- Thunderbolt

I used to have Iron Hands here and I simply never felt the need to bring it, and since sometimes Draining Kiss felt like it didn't do too much, I wanted a fast fairy sweeper. Moonblast and Shadowball for good stab, tera fighting for... I forgot . I'm sure I had a decent reason for it. Tera grass is probably better for anti amoonguss but uhm I haven't had trouble with it yet! Power gem and thunderbolt for consistent coverage against flying and fire types.

frostbite (Chien-Pao) @ Clear Amulet
Ability: Sword of Ruin
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Icicle Crash
- Sacred Sword
- Protect

Sucker Punch is the star move here, won me countless games with the sole ability to still go first against enemy Tailwind with the right read. Tera Fighting and Sacred Sword to have another good Dark type counter, and be able to put damage on the board against ground types and such. Icicle Crash if I'm feeling lucky and really need that ice stab against a dragon and flutter is down. Clear Amulet to protect against Incin.

Switzerland (Incineroar) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 108 Atk / 148 Def
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Knock Off
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Flare Blitz

I went for a less supportive set on Incin here purely because I think it's very expected that I run parting shot or taunt or smth like that, so I'm able to get in their heads a bit. Knock off comfortably 2hKOs all psychics I'm pretty sure. Fake out is obviously amazing for just not letting the opponent play, and the threat of it sometimes forces double protects which will let me set up a nasty plot if I have Calyrex on the board. Flare Blitz to deal with Rillaboom and U Turn to switch out and also does decent damage to fighting types and grass types. Tera Grass for anti Among Us.

Twisted (Tornadus) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tailwind
- Bleakwind Storm
- Sludge Bomb
- Protect

Perfect counter to Tailwind teams, does AMAZING damage with Bleakwind and provides even more speed control. Tera Poison and Sludge bomb to mess with Rillaboom, Cottonee (common tailwind setter), and Flutter Mane. Running Leftovers just for a tiny bit extra hp yk.

 

[Pengu]

Heyo crumpet12345, this looks like a solid start! There are some changes, big and small, that I would make to this team, however. Let's get into it!

--> RS
I personally don't enjoy the idea of double Ghost-types for two major reasons. First is faster Ghosts, notably Calyrex-S in Tailwind and Speed Booster Flutter Mane, which can easily OHKO either piece (no Tera). Second is Dark-types, so things like Incineroar, Chien-Pao, Urshifu-S, and others can give you issues. Sucker Punch especially warrants some concerns, even if you have redirection and Intimidate.

Urshifu-R is not only able to easily OHKO these Dark-types, but can also take out most Calyrex-S and all Flutter Mane, surviving a hit thanks to Focus Sash and retaliating with Tera Stellar Surging Strikes. Here is the set I recommend for Urshifu-R, and a bit on a explanation:

Urshifu-Rapid-Strike

Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unseen Fist
Level: 50
Tera Type: Stellar
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Taunt / Aqua Jet
- Detect

Pretty standard build, a few things though. Tera Stellar lets you OHKO way more things, notably picking up Sash Chien-Pao with Surging Strikes as well as most Calyrex-S builds. Taunt is useful for the Trick Room matchup as well as against Amoonguss, and I find Taunt to be more useful than Aqua Jet most of the time. I just don't really see you needing Aqua Jet here tbh.

-->
Chien-Pao on Calyrex-S balance just doesn't feel right to me. Maybe on Hyper Offense but even then...

Anyways, I think Rillaboom is a good fit here, as it grants more windows for Calyrex-S to set up thanka to Fake Out and heals it up with G-terrain. Wood Hammer and Grassy Glide also help a lot with spreading damage. Here is the build, although I don't think it takes too much explaining:

Rillaboom

Rillaboom @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Atk / 4 Def / 44 SpD / 76 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
- Fake Out
- U-turn

Standard build, not really going to explain lol

Those were the big changes, now for some rapid fire ones:

New EVs for Calyrex-S: 92 HP / 84 Def / 76 SpAtk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe and a Timid Nature (gives more bulk)

Incineroar
--> (AV is being given to Rillaboom)
U-turn --> Parting Shot (better utility)
Flare Blitz --> Will-O-Wisp (same as above)
Tera Grass --> Tera Ghost (better for fighters like zama and hands)
New EVs for Incineroar: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 188 Def / 60 SpDef / 4 Spe and a Impish nature (better spread tbh)

Tornadus
--> (blocks fake out, very useful)
Tera Poison --> Tera Dark / Steel (one grants immunity to prankster Taunt and ghost resist, other is just very solid defensivly)
Sludge Bomb --> Rain Dance (boosts ur waters and makes Bleakwind 100% acc, also helps in the groudon and Koraidon matchups)

Yeah, that's all! Hope this helps, glhf in your battles!

 

[crumpet12345]

-->
Chien-Pao on Calyrex-S balance just doesn't feel right to me. Maybe on Hyper Offense but even then...

Anyways, I think Rillaboom is a good fit here, as it grants more windows for Calyrex-S to set up thanka to Fake Out and heals it up with G-terrain. Wood Hammer and Grassy Glide also help a lot with spreading damage. Here is the build, although I don't think it takes too much explaining:

Rillaboom

Rillaboom @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Atk / 4 Def / 44 SpD / 76 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
- Fake Out
- U-turn

Standard build, not really going to explain lol

Those were the big changes, now for some rapid fire ones:

New EVs for Calyrex-S: 92 HP / 84 Def / 76 SpAtk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe and a Timid Nature (gives more bulk)

Incineroar
--> (AV is being given to Rillaboom)
U-turn --> Parting Shot (better utility)
Flare Blitz --> Will-O-Wisp (same as above)
Tera Grass --> Tera Ghost (better for fighters like zama and hands)
New EVs for Incineroar: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 188 Def / 60 SpDef / 4 Spe and a Impish nature (better spread tbh)

Tornadus
--> (blocks fake out, very useful)
Tera Poison --> Tera Dark / Steel (one grants immunity to prankster Taunt and ghost resist, other is just very solid defensivly)
Sludge Bomb --> Rain Dance (boosts ur waters and makes Bleakwind 100% acc, also helps in the groudon and Koraidon matchups)

Yeah, that's all! Hope this helps, glhf in your battles!

Tysm for helping out! I'll definitely implement urshifu R so ty for that. As for everything else.

I'm not exactly comfortable replacing Chein Pao because of just how good it is against Indeedee and Farigiraf and Incineroar. Its won me a lot games just by being able to deal priority dark type damage and such yk. I will try out rillaboom for a few games but I don't know if it meshes with my playstyle. Ty for the set and who knows maybe I'm wrong and my Pao favoritism is blinding me (hes my fav gen 9 mon haha)

Cant put covert cloak on Landorous because it's on Calyrex which I am far too scared to take off in case I make a bad read and get fake outted after tera. Everything else I'll try out and see how I go! Tysm. Oh and I changed Calyrex Tera to Normal for the mirror match. Ima do 5 games with rilla and 5 without. whatever wins more I'll keep unless I think I got lucky with one.

 

[crumpet12345]

bump
I'm thinking about replacing Ogrepon with Amoonguss Rocky helmet because I have absolutely 0 counterplay to Urshifu rn.

 

[gephicka]

bump
I'm thinking about replacing Ogrepon with Amoonguss Rocky helmet because I have absolutely 0 counterplay to Urshifu rn.

i think that works well! Amoonguss also does a good job of providing spore pressure into opposing shadow rider and ice rider, as well as healing your own calyrex with pollen puff and providing a sturdy redirector into the miraidon matchup!

wellspring's offensive typing can definitely struggle a lot more into this format and its bulk is definitely worse in G than it used to be– Amoonguss is a smart replacement here!