The team
Super fun team I've had some great success with, featuring some undervalued mons like Toedscruel, Iron Moth, Iron Hands, and the elusive Vaporeon. Open to all suggestions for tweaks to the team!
Toedscruel @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mycelium Might
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Energy Ball
- Rapid Spin
-Spikes Knock Off
My lead 90% of the time. Great anti-lead mon with positive matchups against Glimmora (Rapid Spin removes Toxic Debris immediately so Sash Glimmora is useless), Great Tusk, Iron Treads, Torkoal, etc. Most expect a Spore immediately and will either look to absorb or just throw out a Taunt, but Earth Power and Energy Ball OHKO or 2HKO almost all the mons above while outspeeding them all except Iron Treads, who typically will not have any way to threaten it. Depending on the immediate start you can look to sack and trade into a better position or save it and pivot out, and most attacks that threaten it are easily taken by Vaporeon or Garganacl. Wish support can come in clutch if you take chip but don't break the Focus Sash as well, usually on a predicted Electric move that is baited by Vaporeon.
EDIT: I've switched Spikes to Knock Off, as I've realized half the time I want to click Spikes, I actually would've rather used Knock Off. Having Knock Off in the team feels much more natural for what Toedscruel fulfills in the team. Currently considering HDB over Focus Sash as well as Leaf Storm over Energy Ball (specifically to OHKO Great Tusk leads).
Iron Moth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Energy Ball
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Psychic
My emergency Iron Valiant and Volcarona stop buttons. AV Iron Moth lets it sponge moves and threaten a Fiery Dance sweep, while also serving as my Toxic Spikes absorber. Tera Grass Energy Ball flips a lot of poor matchups against stuff like Great Tusk, Dondozo, Rotom-W, and Quaquaval, though it isn't used all too much. Considering a HDB set for it as well but AV catches a lot of opponents off guard with what it can stomach, while also receiving Wish support through a pivot into a Grass move Vaporeon will bait out.
Iron Hands @ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Drain Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Earthquake
Lefties Iron Hands can handle a lot of threatening mons, and is my main Chien Pao answer. Tera Steel Heavy Slam OHKOs and baits Iron Valiant, while also flipping the Espartha and Chien Pao matchups. Drain Punch and Thunder Punch is my STAB choices over Close Combat and Wild Charge, since a healthy Iron Hands is a happy Iron Hands. Earthquake is there for the Clodsire switch in, which you cleanly 2HKO all variants. It can also catch Gholdengo on a predicted Drain Punch but it rarely happens. Main consideration is switching Earthquake for Volt Switch for a slow pivot, but it really hasn't seemed necessary, and Clodsire/Gholdengo are everywhere. Speed EVs are to outspeed Azumarill and Blissey.
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Ice Spinner
Standard Dragonite set, nothing special here. My usual clean up mon and revenge killer with ESpeed. Garganacl and friends tend to do a solid job chipping away at problem mons like Corviknight, Dondozo, Rotom-W, etc, so having a flexible sweeper that can also carry priority to revenge kill is necessary. I lack a Choice Scarf user so speed control is pretty lacking, and Dragonite fills that better than most. Uses Tera the second most behind Garganacl, but if it seems like I'll need the extra power in ESpeed to clean up threats and sweep, he gets it done.
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Salt Cure
- Stealth Rock
- Recover
- Protect
Standard Fairy Garganacl with Rocks and Protect. Double Protect alongside Vaporeon makes Salt Cure spam a bit more obnoxious, and the Steel and Poison attacks that Fairy typing would bring in are easily taken by Vaporeon and Iron Moth. Gets a lot of opportunities to set up Stealth Rocks and serves as the primary win condition and progress achiever for the team. Everyone knows what it does. Everyone knows how effective it is. Speed EVs to bring HP to 401 and outspeed opposing Garganacl.
Vaporeon @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
- Copycat
- Wish
- Protect
- Chilling Water
The star of the show and a surprisingly effective anti-meta mon, Copycat Vaporeon. I've written pretty extensively about it here, but Covert Cloak + Copycat ruins every version of Garganacl other than Block Ghost Curse. I also have a pretty big weakness to Water and Rain teams, and could really use some longevity, so Vaporeon fits into the team like a glove. Chilling Water lets it 1v1 Dragonite, Great Tusk, and other physical mons that look to set up and sweep. Speed EVs to outspeed Corviknight and Copycat Roost in its face.
The 2 main struggles I've faced are BD Azumarill and Tera Ice Sandy Shocks, as I lack solid answers that can reliable check both of them. BD Azumarill wins if its running Speed over HP for EVs, but otherwise Iron Hands lives Aqua Jet and KOs with Thunder Punch. If Azumarill has some chip damage Dragonite can ESpeed and revenge, but fails to do so if Azumarill got a safe BD off. Tera Ice Sandy Shocks outspeeds Toedscruel and wins the matchup, and nothing has a safe switch in into it. Dragonite can again revenge kill it but either needs Toedscruel to hit it first, or burn Tera Normal to 1v1, putting my sweeper at critical HP.
Its worth noting that the defensive synergies between the core 4 mons are almost seamless:
Garganacl and Vaporeon will be tanking the most damage, and they bait out the following:
Vaporeon baits Grass and Electric moves, easily taken by Iron Moth and Toedscruel respectively.
Garganacl rarely stays as a Rock mon, but Grass Fighting (both Iron Moth) Water Steel (both Vaporeon) Ground (Toedscruel) are all covered
Fairy Garganacl baits Steel and Poison, taken by Vaporeon and Iron Moth respectively
Toedscruel baits Ice Fire (Vaporeon) Flying (Garganacl) and Bug (Iron Moth)
Iron Moth baits Water (Vaporeon) Ground Rock (Toedscruel) and Psychic, which unfortunately none of my mons resist. Luckily Psychic spam is nowhere to be found in this meta. If necessary for mons like Hatterene and Espartha, Tera Steel Iron Hands is the choice for the game.
Replays (all completely pulled from the Vaporeon VR nomination post):
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775651730-8xx35ngeoypn1h08pn2cb8l8sj1u5yhpw Vaporeon tanks Gholdengo MIR and revenge kills. Also Copycats Rotom-W Volt-Switch to regain momentum and threaten Hatterene.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775645051 Vaporeon hard walls Floatzel sweep, letting me play quite a bit looser with Iron Hands and securing a ton of KOs. Wish pass also used to get Toedscruel in safely to Rapid Spin. The weird Copycat on Spore was simply that I wanted to absorb sleep with Vaporeon and had the smallest possibility of Copycat Spore on the switch, but in hindsight I should've just used Chilling Water.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775722859 Yes I lost this one because I threw away Iron Moth like an idiot but it shows that Vaporeon can 1v1 E-Killer Dragonite without much issue.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775786546-styhv6qr3f2548zu13kkg24cmej2x1mpw 1v1 Orthworm (if it Shed Tail I could Copycat it) and hard walled Dragonite again. Why don't people just accept they won't beat Vaporeon and switch out of Dragonite smh
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775830170 Tanks MIR and kills Meowscarada with Copycat MIR on the switch. Could have 1v1'd DD Dragapult if I didn't have -1 from MIR but Fairy Garganacl always pulls through.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775863180-34yh5kt5t5q8oww7x3pv6og9oewxmgypw More of the same. Completely stuffs his entire team other than Kilowattrel, 1v1s Dragonite until its forced out, threatens Iron Treads, and scouts Kilowattrel's Choice move for an informed switch. Was considering Copycat Toxic back on Quagsire but knew I didn't need to with Garganacl still alive, but was interesting I had that option.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1776705499 Walled and stalled Dragonite and Kingambit, Protect scouted against Iron Valiant. Didn't need to sack it but it was a roll so I gambled.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777277764 Really poor matchup for Vaporeon but still found use by stalling and killing Skeledirge, and Copycat U-Turn on Corviknight scouting the Rocky Helmet and getting momentum. If Azumarill was Choice locked into a Water move when scouting with Garganacl I could heal up and Wish pivot on the switch too.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777384308 Wish healed Iron Hands, who was my best answer into most of their team and ended up getting 3 KOs total with the extra health. Also brought Dragonite Atk down enough where I wasn't risking him OHKOing my own Dragonite through Multiscale with Ice Spinner. Covert Cloak Toxapex caught me off guard but the Wish on Iron Hands saved the game.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777774365 Finally an example of Covert Cloak Copycat against Garganacl. Vaporeon basically walled 4 of their mons and this match was never in jeopardy. Chilling Water covered Dragonite and Quaquaval, and Garganacl had no chance as long as Vaporeon was alive.
Replays not from Vaporeon VR nomination:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777407868-5wmxg0mluomlgc6xozo8t1zti02p7bnpw Garganacl and Iron Hands punch holes through the team, with Copycat Vaporeon using Volt Switch to prevent a safe Chien Pao switch maintains momentum. Sacking Toedscruel at the beginning of the game was totally fine given it didn't have a strong matchup into their team other than a potential Volt Turn absorption.
Super fun team I've had some great success with, featuring some undervalued mons like Toedscruel, Iron Moth, Iron Hands, and the elusive Vaporeon. Open to all suggestions for tweaks to the team!
Toedscruel @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mycelium Might
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Energy Ball
- Rapid Spin
-
My lead 90% of the time. Great anti-lead mon with positive matchups against Glimmora (Rapid Spin removes Toxic Debris immediately so Sash Glimmora is useless), Great Tusk, Iron Treads, Torkoal, etc. Most expect a Spore immediately and will either look to absorb or just throw out a Taunt, but Earth Power and Energy Ball OHKO or 2HKO almost all the mons above while outspeeding them all except Iron Treads, who typically will not have any way to threaten it. Depending on the immediate start you can look to sack and trade into a better position or save it and pivot out, and most attacks that threaten it are easily taken by Vaporeon or Garganacl. Wish support can come in clutch if you take chip but don't break the Focus Sash as well, usually on a predicted Electric move that is baited by Vaporeon.
EDIT: I've switched Spikes to Knock Off, as I've realized half the time I want to click Spikes, I actually would've rather used Knock Off. Having Knock Off in the team feels much more natural for what Toedscruel fulfills in the team. Currently considering HDB over Focus Sash as well as Leaf Storm over Energy Ball (specifically to OHKO Great Tusk leads).
Iron Moth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Energy Ball
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Psychic
My emergency Iron Valiant and Volcarona stop buttons. AV Iron Moth lets it sponge moves and threaten a Fiery Dance sweep, while also serving as my Toxic Spikes absorber. Tera Grass Energy Ball flips a lot of poor matchups against stuff like Great Tusk, Dondozo, Rotom-W, and Quaquaval, though it isn't used all too much. Considering a HDB set for it as well but AV catches a lot of opponents off guard with what it can stomach, while also receiving Wish support through a pivot into a Grass move Vaporeon will bait out.
Iron Hands @ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Drain Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Earthquake
Lefties Iron Hands can handle a lot of threatening mons, and is my main Chien Pao answer. Tera Steel Heavy Slam OHKOs and baits Iron Valiant, while also flipping the Espartha and Chien Pao matchups. Drain Punch and Thunder Punch is my STAB choices over Close Combat and Wild Charge, since a healthy Iron Hands is a happy Iron Hands. Earthquake is there for the Clodsire switch in, which you cleanly 2HKO all variants. It can also catch Gholdengo on a predicted Drain Punch but it rarely happens. Main consideration is switching Earthquake for Volt Switch for a slow pivot, but it really hasn't seemed necessary, and Clodsire/Gholdengo are everywhere. Speed EVs are to outspeed Azumarill and Blissey.
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Ice Spinner
Standard Dragonite set, nothing special here. My usual clean up mon and revenge killer with ESpeed. Garganacl and friends tend to do a solid job chipping away at problem mons like Corviknight, Dondozo, Rotom-W, etc, so having a flexible sweeper that can also carry priority to revenge kill is necessary. I lack a Choice Scarf user so speed control is pretty lacking, and Dragonite fills that better than most. Uses Tera the second most behind Garganacl, but if it seems like I'll need the extra power in ESpeed to clean up threats and sweep, he gets it done.
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Salt Cure
- Stealth Rock
- Recover
- Protect
Standard Fairy Garganacl with Rocks and Protect. Double Protect alongside Vaporeon makes Salt Cure spam a bit more obnoxious, and the Steel and Poison attacks that Fairy typing would bring in are easily taken by Vaporeon and Iron Moth. Gets a lot of opportunities to set up Stealth Rocks and serves as the primary win condition and progress achiever for the team. Everyone knows what it does. Everyone knows how effective it is. Speed EVs to bring HP to 401 and outspeed opposing Garganacl.
Vaporeon @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
- Copycat
- Wish
- Protect
- Chilling Water
The star of the show and a surprisingly effective anti-meta mon, Copycat Vaporeon. I've written pretty extensively about it here, but Covert Cloak + Copycat ruins every version of Garganacl other than Block Ghost Curse. I also have a pretty big weakness to Water and Rain teams, and could really use some longevity, so Vaporeon fits into the team like a glove. Chilling Water lets it 1v1 Dragonite, Great Tusk, and other physical mons that look to set up and sweep. Speed EVs to outspeed Corviknight and Copycat Roost in its face.
The 2 main struggles I've faced are BD Azumarill and Tera Ice Sandy Shocks, as I lack solid answers that can reliable check both of them. BD Azumarill wins if its running Speed over HP for EVs, but otherwise Iron Hands lives Aqua Jet and KOs with Thunder Punch. If Azumarill has some chip damage Dragonite can ESpeed and revenge, but fails to do so if Azumarill got a safe BD off. Tera Ice Sandy Shocks outspeeds Toedscruel and wins the matchup, and nothing has a safe switch in into it. Dragonite can again revenge kill it but either needs Toedscruel to hit it first, or burn Tera Normal to 1v1, putting my sweeper at critical HP.
Its worth noting that the defensive synergies between the core 4 mons are almost seamless:
Garganacl and Vaporeon will be tanking the most damage, and they bait out the following:
Vaporeon baits Grass and Electric moves, easily taken by Iron Moth and Toedscruel respectively.
Garganacl rarely stays as a Rock mon, but Grass Fighting (both Iron Moth) Water Steel (both Vaporeon) Ground (Toedscruel) are all covered
Fairy Garganacl baits Steel and Poison, taken by Vaporeon and Iron Moth respectively
Toedscruel baits Ice Fire (Vaporeon) Flying (Garganacl) and Bug (Iron Moth)
Iron Moth baits Water (Vaporeon) Ground Rock (Toedscruel) and Psychic, which unfortunately none of my mons resist. Luckily Psychic spam is nowhere to be found in this meta. If necessary for mons like Hatterene and Espartha, Tera Steel Iron Hands is the choice for the game.
Replays (all completely pulled from the Vaporeon VR nomination post):
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775651730-8xx35ngeoypn1h08pn2cb8l8sj1u5yhpw Vaporeon tanks Gholdengo MIR and revenge kills. Also Copycats Rotom-W Volt-Switch to regain momentum and threaten Hatterene.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775645051 Vaporeon hard walls Floatzel sweep, letting me play quite a bit looser with Iron Hands and securing a ton of KOs. Wish pass also used to get Toedscruel in safely to Rapid Spin. The weird Copycat on Spore was simply that I wanted to absorb sleep with Vaporeon and had the smallest possibility of Copycat Spore on the switch, but in hindsight I should've just used Chilling Water.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775722859 Yes I lost this one because I threw away Iron Moth like an idiot but it shows that Vaporeon can 1v1 E-Killer Dragonite without much issue.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775786546-styhv6qr3f2548zu13kkg24cmej2x1mpw 1v1 Orthworm (if it Shed Tail I could Copycat it) and hard walled Dragonite again. Why don't people just accept they won't beat Vaporeon and switch out of Dragonite smh
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775830170 Tanks MIR and kills Meowscarada with Copycat MIR on the switch. Could have 1v1'd DD Dragapult if I didn't have -1 from MIR but Fairy Garganacl always pulls through.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1775863180-34yh5kt5t5q8oww7x3pv6og9oewxmgypw More of the same. Completely stuffs his entire team other than Kilowattrel, 1v1s Dragonite until its forced out, threatens Iron Treads, and scouts Kilowattrel's Choice move for an informed switch. Was considering Copycat Toxic back on Quagsire but knew I didn't need to with Garganacl still alive, but was interesting I had that option.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1776705499 Walled and stalled Dragonite and Kingambit, Protect scouted against Iron Valiant. Didn't need to sack it but it was a roll so I gambled.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777277764 Really poor matchup for Vaporeon but still found use by stalling and killing Skeledirge, and Copycat U-Turn on Corviknight scouting the Rocky Helmet and getting momentum. If Azumarill was Choice locked into a Water move when scouting with Garganacl I could heal up and Wish pivot on the switch too.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777384308 Wish healed Iron Hands, who was my best answer into most of their team and ended up getting 3 KOs total with the extra health. Also brought Dragonite Atk down enough where I wasn't risking him OHKOing my own Dragonite through Multiscale with Ice Spinner. Covert Cloak Toxapex caught me off guard but the Wish on Iron Hands saved the game.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777774365 Finally an example of Covert Cloak Copycat against Garganacl. Vaporeon basically walled 4 of their mons and this match was never in jeopardy. Chilling Water covered Dragonite and Quaquaval, and Garganacl had no chance as long as Vaporeon was alive.
Replays not from Vaporeon VR nomination:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1777407868-5wmxg0mluomlgc6xozo8t1zti02p7bnpw Garganacl and Iron Hands punch holes through the team, with Copycat Vaporeon using Volt Switch to prevent a safe Chien Pao switch maintains momentum. Sacking Toedscruel at the beginning of the game was totally fine given it didn't have a strong matchup into their team other than a potential Volt Turn absorption.
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