Hey y'all! This is my first team, cobbled together from various inspirations (particularly RedEmption's team), and I wanted to get some helpful feedback on what I can do to improve it!
The Team
Importable: https://pokepast.es/a07997a623c44a36
The idea of this team is to wear the opponents down with hazards (spikes and rocks) and hard-hitting STAB U-turns (Protean Greninja and Beedrill-Mega).
Z-Dig Greninja, Magma Storm Heatran, and Scarf Lele can get surprise kills on each others checks, which then allows me to then keep momentum for the rest of the game.
Team Breakdown
Greninja (M) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- Dig
This thing is the MVP. Honestly, I don't know why people use Ash-Greninja (so predictable) when Protean Greninja is way more versatile and is often gets surprise KOs. Just make sure to scout for opposing scarfers so that you don't accidentally lose this guy, which can cripple your team.
Z-Dig OHKOs many pokemon Greninja lures in (Magearna, Jirachi, Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Charizard-X). Z-Dig only does about 75% to Toxapex, so wait to use your Z-move until you already have hazards up and Toxapex has been chipped, because your other moves can't touch it. Its usually good to pick a target for your Z-Dig at the beginning of the match based on who threatens your team the most. Gunk Shot and Ice Beam are for standard coverage. I'm considering putting some EV's into SpA because right now I don't OHKO Kartana without spikes up. I run U-turn because Ferrothorn provides my spikes, plus STAB U-turn does serious chip to opposing psychics and darks who otherwise threaten me (Latis, Tyranitar, Mew, Gyarados-Mega, Hoopa-U, and opposing Greninja if you win the speed tie).
Threats: Basically anything that is faster, doesn't get OHKOed, and resists U-turn. Anything scarfed, Ferrothorn, Toxipex, Zapdos, Tornadus-T, Charizard-Y, Koko, Hawlucha, Lopunny-Mega, Alakazam-Mega, Medicham-Mega, Mamoswine, Scizor, Volcarona. Watch out for Alakazam-Mega stealing Protean and sweeping your team.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
This thing has amazing synergy with Z-Dig Greninja, who can take out the pesky steels and chip psychics who otherwise wall Lele. Between scarf and psychic terrain, Lele outspeeds the entire non-boosted metagame making it a great revenge killer and late game sweeper. Moonblast and Psychic are your reliable STABS, Psyshock is for opposing Chancey, and HP fire is for revenge killing Scizor and Kartana because Focus Blast is a terrible move. Lele is my check to Alakazam-Mega who gets 2HKOed by Moonblast while I survive Shadow Ball.
Threats: Steels and psychics, other Tapu's who remove psychic terrain, faster boosted mons (especially Vocarona), rain teams.
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Defog
- U-turn
Landorus-T has a couple compressed defensive roles on my team as my Stealth Rock setter, my ground and electric immunity, and my slowest U-turn pivot. Landorus-T can be used as a lead to get up Stealth Rocks quickly, but try and keep it alive as long as possible as otherwise the team is very weak to ground and electric. EV spread is just speed creep to outspeed and 2HKO other Landorus-T with HP Ice.
I'm considering replacing HP Ice with Defog to reduce hazard chip and webs crippling my team, but then I lose my own rocks and spikes which is a problem for my team. I would love advice about how to deal with hazards and if there's a good spinner/defogger/magic bouncer I could replace Landorus-T with.
Threats: Anything packing ice moves.
Beedrill @ Beedrillite
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- Knock Off
I don't want to say that Beedrill-Mega is underrated, because it does has a lot of flaws and is UU for a reason, but this thing packs a mean punch with 150 attack and adaptability. At 145 Speed it is outspeeds every non-boosted pokemon in the tier other than Alakazam-Mega, and with Psychic Terrain coverage it is protected from otherwise problematic priority attacks. Like Greninja, it is fragile and shouldn't be kept in on anything it can't OHKO, but it is a great lead/scouter and chips hard with U-turn. This thing is fun and messes hard with teams that aren't prepared for it. Also it can absorb T-Spikes which Greninja and Lele appreciate. Hazards really reduce the amount of times Beedrill-Mega can switch in and use U-turn, but people often underestimate its power. After the opponent has taken some hazard chip Beedrill-Mega can stay in and clean. Make sure to avoid being statused, because after it is burned or paralyzed the only use it has is removing items with Knock Off.
Threats: Like Greninja, anything that is scarfed, doesn't get OHKOed, or resists U-turn. Hazards, Status, Static Zapdos, Steels that resist Drill Run. I haven't found priority moves to be a problem because you can plan around them and only bring in Beedrill-mega when psychic terrain is up.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic
Together with Landorus-T, Heatran and Ferrothorn form a nice defensive backbone for the team to fall back on. Magma Storm's 75% accuracy is annoying, but its ability to trap helps kill pokemon that would otherwise wall my team.
Threats: Heatran's problem is that it is easy for the opponent to predict when I'm going to switch it in, and then catch it with an earthquake.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
I hate when I'm up against opposing Ferrothorn, so I figured why not use one of my own? This thing walls every non-HP Fire Greninja set, and more importantly it allows you to scout to see what set they are running (Greninja-Ash, Scarf, ect). Spikes and Leech Seed are to chip opponents down so that they can be cleaned up by one of my sweepers, and Knock Off is really helpful for removing items and identifying Z-users.
Team Threats:
Rain - Ferrothorn is the only thing on my team that doesn't get OHKOed by Swampert-Mega in the rain.
Stall - I'm not sure if the team is weak to stall, or if I am just bad against stall.
Opposing scarfers - Its often worth it to switch to Ferrothorn or Landorus-T if you are worried something is scarfed that way you don't accidentally lose one of the more fragile pokemon.
Quiver Dance/Dragon Dance - QD Volcarona, DD Charizard-X, DD Zygarde, and even DD Dragonite fuck me up if I don't stop them early.
Ferrothorn - Heatran is my only pokemon who can hurt Ferrothorn, and it is an extremely predictable switch in. I fucking hate Ferrothorn.
The Team
Importable: https://pokepast.es/a07997a623c44a36
The idea of this team is to wear the opponents down with hazards (spikes and rocks) and hard-hitting STAB U-turns (Protean Greninja and Beedrill-Mega).
Z-Dig Greninja, Magma Storm Heatran, and Scarf Lele can get surprise kills on each others checks, which then allows me to then keep momentum for the rest of the game.
Team Breakdown
Greninja (M) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- Dig
This thing is the MVP. Honestly, I don't know why people use Ash-Greninja (so predictable) when Protean Greninja is way more versatile and is often gets surprise KOs. Just make sure to scout for opposing scarfers so that you don't accidentally lose this guy, which can cripple your team.
Z-Dig OHKOs many pokemon Greninja lures in (Magearna, Jirachi, Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Charizard-X). Z-Dig only does about 75% to Toxapex, so wait to use your Z-move until you already have hazards up and Toxapex has been chipped, because your other moves can't touch it. Its usually good to pick a target for your Z-Dig at the beginning of the match based on who threatens your team the most. Gunk Shot and Ice Beam are for standard coverage. I'm considering putting some EV's into SpA because right now I don't OHKO Kartana without spikes up. I run U-turn because Ferrothorn provides my spikes, plus STAB U-turn does serious chip to opposing psychics and darks who otherwise threaten me (Latis, Tyranitar, Mew, Gyarados-Mega, Hoopa-U, and opposing Greninja if you win the speed tie).
Threats: Basically anything that is faster, doesn't get OHKOed, and resists U-turn. Anything scarfed, Ferrothorn, Toxipex, Zapdos, Tornadus-T, Charizard-Y, Koko, Hawlucha, Lopunny-Mega, Alakazam-Mega, Medicham-Mega, Mamoswine, Scizor, Volcarona. Watch out for Alakazam-Mega stealing Protean and sweeping your team.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
This thing has amazing synergy with Z-Dig Greninja, who can take out the pesky steels and chip psychics who otherwise wall Lele. Between scarf and psychic terrain, Lele outspeeds the entire non-boosted metagame making it a great revenge killer and late game sweeper. Moonblast and Psychic are your reliable STABS, Psyshock is for opposing Chancey, and HP fire is for revenge killing Scizor and Kartana because Focus Blast is a terrible move. Lele is my check to Alakazam-Mega who gets 2HKOed by Moonblast while I survive Shadow Ball.
Threats: Steels and psychics, other Tapu's who remove psychic terrain, faster boosted mons (especially Vocarona), rain teams.
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Defog
- U-turn
Landorus-T has a couple compressed defensive roles on my team as my Stealth Rock setter, my ground and electric immunity, and my slowest U-turn pivot. Landorus-T can be used as a lead to get up Stealth Rocks quickly, but try and keep it alive as long as possible as otherwise the team is very weak to ground and electric. EV spread is just speed creep to outspeed and 2HKO other Landorus-T with HP Ice.
I'm considering replacing HP Ice with Defog to reduce hazard chip and webs crippling my team, but then I lose my own rocks and spikes which is a problem for my team. I would love advice about how to deal with hazards and if there's a good spinner/defogger/magic bouncer I could replace Landorus-T with.
Threats: Anything packing ice moves.
Beedrill @ Beedrillite
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- Knock Off
I don't want to say that Beedrill-Mega is underrated, because it does has a lot of flaws and is UU for a reason, but this thing packs a mean punch with 150 attack and adaptability. At 145 Speed it is outspeeds every non-boosted pokemon in the tier other than Alakazam-Mega, and with Psychic Terrain coverage it is protected from otherwise problematic priority attacks. Like Greninja, it is fragile and shouldn't be kept in on anything it can't OHKO, but it is a great lead/scouter and chips hard with U-turn. This thing is fun and messes hard with teams that aren't prepared for it. Also it can absorb T-Spikes which Greninja and Lele appreciate. Hazards really reduce the amount of times Beedrill-Mega can switch in and use U-turn, but people often underestimate its power. After the opponent has taken some hazard chip Beedrill-Mega can stay in and clean. Make sure to avoid being statused, because after it is burned or paralyzed the only use it has is removing items with Knock Off.
Threats: Like Greninja, anything that is scarfed, doesn't get OHKOed, or resists U-turn. Hazards, Status, Static Zapdos, Steels that resist Drill Run. I haven't found priority moves to be a problem because you can plan around them and only bring in Beedrill-mega when psychic terrain is up.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic
Together with Landorus-T, Heatran and Ferrothorn form a nice defensive backbone for the team to fall back on. Magma Storm's 75% accuracy is annoying, but its ability to trap helps kill pokemon that would otherwise wall my team.
Threats: Heatran's problem is that it is easy for the opponent to predict when I'm going to switch it in, and then catch it with an earthquake.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
I hate when I'm up against opposing Ferrothorn, so I figured why not use one of my own? This thing walls every non-HP Fire Greninja set, and more importantly it allows you to scout to see what set they are running (Greninja-Ash, Scarf, ect). Spikes and Leech Seed are to chip opponents down so that they can be cleaned up by one of my sweepers, and Knock Off is really helpful for removing items and identifying Z-users.
Team Threats:
Rain - Ferrothorn is the only thing on my team that doesn't get OHKOed by Swampert-Mega in the rain.
Stall - I'm not sure if the team is weak to stall, or if I am just bad against stall.
Opposing scarfers - Its often worth it to switch to Ferrothorn or Landorus-T if you are worried something is scarfed that way you don't accidentally lose one of the more fragile pokemon.
Quiver Dance/Dragon Dance - QD Volcarona, DD Charizard-X, DD Zygarde, and even DD Dragonite fuck me up if I don't stop them early.
Ferrothorn - Heatran is my only pokemon who can hurt Ferrothorn, and it is an extremely predictable switch in. I fucking hate Ferrothorn.
