Its been quite awhile since my first RMT for Sand Bluff, and this is yet another team that tries to capitalize on an "un-meta" poke. After all the work I put in, I didn't want this team to just fade into the background without sharing it. So its time for another RMT with my latest BSS team "Fire & Ice."
Teambuilding Process
This team was an on-and-off WIP team for the last two months, so there was a crap ton of stuff thrown against the wall. There is a lot of detail to unpack that is better left in the individual member breakdowns. However, much like Rotom-F on my former Sand Bluff team, I do think it is worth taking a moment to talk about the team's very early stages as well as it's unusual key piece: Aurorus.
The team started with a joint interest in Moltres-G and Aurorus, the former being the subject of much early hype and the latter being a cool ice dinosaur who looked like a nifty Veil user. The main reason to use Aurorus over Ninetales-A--as I have repeated several times in other places--is access to a Thunder Wave -> Setup Move combo. Other members that got bounced around were sweepers for physical mode (
) as well as WP sweepers (
) in back for last-ditch reverse sweeps. As a hyper offense/screens team there was decent success but there were definitely problems. I don't think its so much of a hot take now, but it turns out Galarian Moltres actually kinda sucks. It needs way too much setup to snowball and current S-Tier Zapdos essentially laughs it to the moon and back. As for Aurorus, well...- Aurorus was rather inconsistent as a Veil setter with Hippo existing and fast Dynamax mons changing weather. On top of that, top meta threats like Urshifu-R and Rillaboom had ways of negating Aurorus's setup combo.
- After landing T-Wave, foes would often get fully paralyzed and just sit in front of me, preventing Aurorus from sacking and wasting precious Veil turns.
- Other meta threats like Nihilego could've cared less about Veil, harassing Moltres-G while it set up and effectively still trading 2-for-1 through screens. Not at all worth it on my end.
Aurorus looks like a screens user. Access to Aurora Veil? Check. Weather summoning ability? Check. But that speed? Pretty bad by meta standards. Two x4 weaknesses? Gross. Aurorus, the Aurora Pokemon, not good at using Aurora Veil? Sheesh! There were a lot of reasons to not use Aurorus, but I was determined. I strongly believed that its Thunder Wave niche and coveted Ice-typing could not only be capitalized on but could be done so consistently. After experimenting with some more unorthodox strategy involving different coverage (it does get electric and ground coverage) and even Scarf (!!!), I finally arrived at the set that I will describe below.
Individual Breakdowns
Aurorus @ Focus Sash
Level: 50
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Icy Wind
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
Aurora Veil is not the best option for Aurorus in my opinion; Stealth Rock is. And once I combined Thunder Wave and Icy Wind on the same set, it really came into its own as a cripple lead. Basically, you're gameplan as a Focus Sash lead looks like this:
- Are you leading against Swampert or Tapu Fini? Hit Freeze-Dry. Most Swamperts aren't Sash, let alone Yache, and Freeze Dry will cover you decently against both Trick and Taunt variants of Fini.
- Can it be paralyzed? As a general rule, use Thunder Wave and then set Stealth Rocks.
- If Thunder Wave is iffy, click Icy Wind; 252+ speed allows you to outspeed up to base 112 mons after a drop, so there is a lot of flexibility. Set Stealth Rocks thereafter.
- Once Rocks are down, spam Icy Wind.
With our crippler/suicide lead established, let's look at the sweepers to complement it.
Nihilego @ Power Herb
Level: 50
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 84 HP / 172 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Meteor Beam
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Grass Knot
The primary special sweeper and second oldest member of the team, it appreciates paralysis of key threats like Cinderace and the chip Icy Wind puts down. There isn't much to write home about here: its your standard "click Meteor Beam and destroy everything" Power Herb set. It does share a common weakness to Steel types with Aurorus that needs to be considered at team preview, but otherwise this thing is just as crazy as ever.
The EV spread is pretty standard, built to ensure a speed boost off of Beast Boost. As for the moveset: Meteor Beam and Sludge Wave are your primary STAB's with Grass Knot covering ground types. Instead of expanding coverage farther, I opted for Power Gem. I tried running Thunderbolt for awhile but it honestly made little difference; both moves are somewhat situational but I think Power Gem is the superior choice in the face of opponents smart enough to Protect/Max Guard on an obvious Meteor Beam turn. Psyshock is another consideration for opposing Nihilego but is honestly only useful if you're already up momentum at +1 (and given this team's structure that's usually not the case.)
Landorus-Therian @ Sitrus Berry
Level: 50
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 212 HP / 196 Atk / 4 Def / 92 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Fly
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
Bulky Swords Dance Lando is our main physical sweeper, using Intimidate + Aurorus support to comfortably set up. In the same vein as Nihilego, this thing has been going absolutely bonkers since adding it to the team. It also provides a critical ground immunity for the team, something that has been far more impactful then what first impressions may imply.
Again, not much to say here. I kind of feel like there should be some grand revelation here or deep insight, but there isn't. Landorus does Landorus things just like Nihilego does Nihilego things, and if you're familiar with the scene its doubtful I have to explain much. The only major change Landorus has had since being added is dropping Rock Tomb for Rock Slide, as the extra power under +2 Max Rockfall is needed to down Dynamax Glastrier after Rocks chip.
Intermission
I was painfully aware that several big weaknesses were present on this team. The main sweepers, despite a very strong general synergy with Aurorus, did not help at all to alleviate the big Urshifu-R and Rillaboom problem I had. This is what stumped me for the longest time and I tried several different things, but trying to cover both very common threats without overcompensating seemed impossible.
There was also another problem: Ferrothorn. Iron Defense Ferrothorn has been making a big comeback, and Aurorus and Nihilego both lose to it. Now, Landorus can win if it sets up first, but otherwise Ferrothorn screws me over.
Hey, you know what pressures Ferrothorn? Fire-types. But you know what kills fire types? Urshifu-R. And so I ended up caught between multiple dilemmas that seemingly could not be reconciled. This is where the question "Is Aurorus really worth it?" comes up, because if I'm having to overprepare to cover my suicide lead of all things then it probably isn't worth it to bring. These are all top 15 threats, and if my primary mode has no way to deal with two or even all three of them on the same team than am I running an effective team?
At the end of the day, the solution I came up with was far from perfect. I acknowledge that. But I do think it "saved" this team without being a one trick pony:
Individual Breakdowns, Pt. 2
Torkoal @ Leftovers
Level: 50
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Clear Smog
- Yawn
What? Torkoal takes super-effective damage from Urshifu-R? Did I not notice that? Spoiler: I actually did, and its hilarious.
252 Atk Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Torkoal (in sun): 58-70 (32.7 - 39.5%) -- 18.7% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
It is quite possibly the only pure Fire-type in the game that can hard switch into non-banded Surging Strikes and get away with it, thanks in no small part to Drought. If one was looking for a single epiphany moment for this team, this is probably it.
Torkoal brings decent pressure for all three of the major threats above: Urshifu-R, Rillaboom and Ferrothorn. And with Yawn in the wings, its not an easy mon to switch in to especially if Aurorus did actually get a chance to put rocks down. Its by no means an instant-out: you're effectively left with one sweeper if you decide to bring it together with Aurorus, but its ability to tank and otherwise pressure Ferrothorn are valuable even outside of that particular context.
Priority was given to consistency on the moveset. Solar Beam hits common switch-ins that Flamethrower can't hit. Clear Smog is to hit things like Calm Mind Fini and typical Lum setup mons. Otherwise though, you should be spamming Yawn. If Zapdos or opposing Nihilego play in the back is a threat, letting them in for free can cost you the game. Ultimately, Torkoal can operate on this team because its partners attract the attention of things it wants to switch into.
Now, I think Torkoal is a critical piece that stabilizes the team, but it cannot be the only bring against the threats mentioned above. But it did allow me to diversify a little bit with the last two slots.
Blaziken @ Weakness Policy
Level: 50
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Scorching Sands
- Protect
I decided to try Blaziken for the Speed Boost momentum offense and to provide a more direct answer to Ferrothorn. Theoretically he'd fit as a follow-up sweeper to Aurorus, but as reality turned out he actually tends to just outright lead himself. Protect scouting and stalling combined with Speed Boosting make him fairly reliable from the lead position, even if he needs a Weakness Policy hit to truly snowball.
Blaziken is a relatively new addition so theoretically some refinements could still be made. I opted for Modest nature originally, but I'm considering switching to Timid if only so I can Protect -> Max Flare into Timid Dracovish for a weakened WP hit. Fire Blast is used for maximum damage, but Flamethrower could also be used for consistency so that Blaziken can "mirror" the occasional Scolipede stall into Baton Pass shenanigans. Solar Beam is once again here for hitting things that resist fire, while Scorching Sand is a more reliable move to use outside of sun.
Rillaboom-Gmax @ Choice Band
Level: 50
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Superpower
- Knock Off
So Water and Ground types still suck for this team. If I'm being honest, I had a Rillaboom ready to go and it fit the bill as a defensive resist. So I threw it in there--much like I did a lot of things--but it stuck enough that I considered it worth keeping. All things considered, its got teammates that go well with it: Ferrothorn and to a lesser extent Celesteela and Kartana have to worry about losing momentum against Blaziken if they want to switch into Grassy Glide or Wood Hammer, and Zapdos has to be wary of Nihilego.
Another standard 252/252 EV spread for this guy. Grassy Glide is the star of the show, but I also brought Wood Hammer because without a resist it is nigh impossible to switch into and gives Rillaboom serious wall-breaking power. Given its rather short stint on the team compared to the other members, Superpower and Knock Off have seen limited usage. Superpower is mainly for hitting Steels when forced to. Knock Off used to be U-Turn but I almost never clicked that either since Rilla is rarely the one scouting; I switched to Knock Off (& Max Darkness) mainly because I wanted something to hit Dragapult with. I wouldn't write off trying High Horsepower either.
General Strategy & Notable Threats
This team is extremely offense-oriented and has very noticeable weaknesses, so getting team preview right is extremely important. Without a Mimikyu or other reverse momentum sweeper, the margin of error for a misplay can be huge. As such, it only makes sense to talk about the general strategy alongside the rather long list of notable threats. I emphasize that these threats can be beat; its just that the nature of this team is that most matches (I would approximate about 2/3 of games) are games where you flip the switch and run over everything or get run over yourself. I will say that when in doubt, Landorus is often the go-to sweeper.
With that in mind, there are basically two modes you run with this team:
Cripple Mode : Lead Aurorus and try to cripple something for one of your sweepers to abuse. Bring Torkoal for specific threats, otherwise a second sweeper is generally the play. This mode generally fares best against opposing offense teams with limited hard walls. If their isn't a clear snowball win condition or if Aurorus will require overpreparation to protect, then look to the second mode.
Full Offense Mode : Bring all sweepers or, occasionally, two sweepers with Torkoal. Basically if it is risky to go all-in on one of your sweepers, bench Aurorus and go for immediate offensive momentum. Blaziken and Nihilego are the most common leads for this mode. This mode allows you to best respond to defense stoppers like Ferrothorn and other cycle heavy teams by piling on multiple snowball tactics.
Again, the idea is to get momentum so your primary threats can't counter you. Here are some breakdowns for notable threats:
Urshifu-R : Eating clean through Aurorus Sash and severely threatening all my main sweepers (ignores Lando Intimidate and Blaziken Protect,) this is easily the biggest problem the team can face.
If leading Aurorus in Cripple Mode, Torkoal can hard-switch into Urshifu-R as long as it isn't banded. Even if no rocks are down, Yawn is generally what you want to spam so you can manuever a teammate in off a predicted switch. If opting for full offense, Rillaboom can be brought instead as the hard-switch.
Dracovish : Another hard-hitting water type but no multi-hit means that Aurorus can use Sash to proc paralysis. Whether you run Aurorus or not, Rillaboom is almost always mandatory. Alternatively, Torkoal Sun plus Landorus Intimidate is a hilarious--albeit really unorthodox--way to neuter and set up on the distant relative of the Dopefish.
Lapras : Another water who also has strong ice coverage to smack Rillaboom and annoys with G-Max Resonance. Thankfully, its usage is sub-30 so its not the biggest concern.
Surprisingly, I find full offense mode to be the ticket here. Nihilego can sit in front of it pretty well, wasting Veil turns and dealing out significant damage. Once you've cleaned it up, its a matter of having the right combination of defensive tools (Lando Intimidate, Rillaboom bulk, etc.) to overcome screens and whatever else the opponent has in back. With the team up in the Dynamax battle, its totally doable if you play the team preview game correctly.
Rillaboom : Grassy Glide doesn't care about speed control, so Aurorus has to be careful around this thing. You can opt to set Rocks on your Sash turn and hard switch to Torkoal to start a Yawn chain. If not seen from the lead, this thing is usually forced to Dynamax if it wants to contest something like boosted Nihilego.
Glastrier : Doesn't particularly care about anything Aurorus can do and has the raw stats to trade favorably with nearly everything. Stealth Rocks are desirable if going for a Lando sweep, since as mentioned earlier +2 Max Rockall can get the Dynamax KO after rock chip. Torkoal can also hard switch into unboosted Max Hailstorm -> Max Quake and get a Yawn off.
Mamoswine : What a bugger! It can Earthquake + Ice Shard into Aurorus, 2HKO Torkoal, ignore Lando Intimidate and does it all without losing its Sash to Hail. If going Aurorus mode and playing for the suicide sleep, you had better be confident in your primary sweeper (usually Lando.) Much like Lapras, its STAB combo hits everything on the team for super-effective damage, so make sure after it trades you have something in back that will minimize collateral.
Conclusion
For all the pain and turmoil this team has been through, it had a good run. I racked my brain hard trying to patch up some of the glaring weaknesses the team had, and all things considered I think I did pretty good. There was a lot of interesting decision-making that went into this team, and that was a big part of what I wanted to share here. I do think Aurorus or Aurorus + Torkoal is worth using again. Hopefully my musings here will lead to someone else trying Aurorus. At some point I might consider a complete rebuild of my own, but at the moment I think burn out has definitely set in with this team. Its time to move on to a new black horse, at least for now. But Aurorus... we sure had fun!
Thank you for reading!
