I swear I'm not still a tiny bit salty about Cyclizar being gone. Nope. Not at all ;)
I'm a bit of a lurker here. It has been so long since I've played competitively at all that I'm honestly pretty intimidated by the whole thing. I haven't played competitively since the good ol' DPP days, back when I used my "infamous" (to me...) Triple Trick Scarf team. Those were the days... I like to think that I run unusual sets that might catch people off guard, but I'm probably just being ironically and unintentionally pretentious. Oops!
This is the third iteration of my Shed Tail team. Walking Wake came and changed EVERYTHING.
https://pokepast.es/8e69df3760c815f0
Akūpāra (Torkoal) (F) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Will-o-Wisp
Odahviing (Roaring Moon) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Dragon Dance
- Iron Head
- Throat Chop
- Earthquake
Jörmungandr (Walking Wake) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 8 HP / 244 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Steam
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
Satao (Great Tusk) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
Grothama (Orthworm) (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Earth Eater
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Stealth Rock
- Shed Tail
- Heavy Slam
- Body Press
Hecate (Hatterene) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Healing Wish
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Nuzzle
Hecate is a Greek goddess of magic, among other things. It seemed to fit. Besides, one of my favorite songs by Stormlord, one of my favorite bands, is "Dance of Hecate."
I had a Calm Mind set initially, but after doing a bit of research into the suggestions that were made further below, I decided to switch to the Healing Wish set. I care more about the free pivots than the healing, but I certainly won't turn healing down! Aside from that, she's here as a defensive pivot with some hazard control. I love VoltTurn and other pivots, so having a unique pivot in Hecate was something that I found too good to ignore.
I opted for Psyshock over Psychic to give Hecate some mixed damage and Nuzzle over Mystical Fire for a bit of control. Hopefully, she'll stay alive long enough to be able to paralyze threats like Iron Valiant and opposing Walking Wake. I may switch Dazzling Gleam back to Draining Kiss, but I don't know how much the healing actually matters because of her goal of paralyzing a thing and then using Healing Wish to safely switch something in.
My goal with this team is to apply relentless offensive pressure on my opponents after setting up just a little bit. I fully expect many of my games to leave me with 1-3 'mons left, but that's okay. I don't mind trading if I have to, but I want to make sure that my trade actually means something and that it facilitates a win.
I feel like this team is almost where it needs to be, but it's missing something. I can't quite figure out what it is. Great Tusk feels like the weakest link. Dragapult may solve some of the problems, but I'm just not quite sure.
Thank you in advance for any help you're able to give!
I'm a bit of a lurker here. It has been so long since I've played competitively at all that I'm honestly pretty intimidated by the whole thing. I haven't played competitively since the good ol' DPP days, back when I used my "infamous" (to me...) Triple Trick Scarf team. Those were the days... I like to think that I run unusual sets that might catch people off guard, but I'm probably just being ironically and unintentionally pretentious. Oops!
This is the third iteration of my Shed Tail team. Walking Wake came and changed EVERYTHING.
Change 1: April 1, 2023
-Removed Iron Valiant (Mixed Booster Energy)
-Changed Torkoal's Yawn to Will-o-Wisp
-Added Great Tusk as a placeholder
-Changed Hatterene's set from Calm Mind to Healing Wish
-Changed Walking Wake's set from
https://pokepast.es/a2795b42a469216a
Change 2: TBD
-Removed Iron Valiant (Mixed Booster Energy)
-Changed Torkoal's Yawn to Will-o-Wisp
-Added Great Tusk as a placeholder
-Changed Hatterene's set from Calm Mind to Healing Wish
-Changed Walking Wake's set from
https://pokepast.es/a2795b42a469216a
Change 2: TBD
https://pokepast.es/8e69df3760c815f0
Akūpāra (Torkoal) (F) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Will-o-Wisp
You can't really have Walking Wake without some sun support, right? Well, you technically can, but it really needs sunlight to get the job done. This will probably become Ninetails whenever it's released, assuming this is even still a viable strategy.
Torkoal's nickname here is based on the mythological World Turtle in Hindu mythology. Why? I just think the name sounds neat.
I opted for Will-o-Wisp over Body Press since I have Fighting damage covered already. I don't expect Torkoal to stay in long, so getting a burn out may mean more for the team in the long run, especially against physical revenge killers and common threats like Great Tusk.
Torkoal's nickname here is based on the mythological World Turtle in Hindu mythology. Why? I just think the name sounds neat.
I opted for Will-o-Wisp over Body Press since I have Fighting damage covered already. I don't expect Torkoal to stay in long, so getting a burn out may mean more for the team in the long run, especially against physical revenge killers and common threats like Great Tusk.
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Dragon Dance
- Iron Head
- Throat Chop
- Earthquake
Odahviing is a dragon in Skyrim that becomes an ally later on in the story.
I opted for Adamant over Jolly because I really want to be able to get that power through. My goal is to try to get this thing in under Shed Tail and set up 2 DDs if at all possible. If I can, then Jolly becomes meaningless. Otherwise, the set is generally standard, though I opted for Iron Head instead of Acrobatics because of the fact that I can't reliably use Booster Energy. I still wanted to use a Dragon Dance set, though. I decided that the best way to do that was to add a bit of Steel damage to my team and bump it up even more under the sun with Life Orb. If I'm doing my math right, Protosynthesis + Life Orb basically puts Odahviing at 700 Attack without a single Dragon Dance.
I opted for Adamant over Jolly because I really want to be able to get that power through. My goal is to try to get this thing in under Shed Tail and set up 2 DDs if at all possible. If I can, then Jolly becomes meaningless. Otherwise, the set is generally standard, though I opted for Iron Head instead of Acrobatics because of the fact that I can't reliably use Booster Energy. I still wanted to use a Dragon Dance set, though. I decided that the best way to do that was to add a bit of Steel damage to my team and bump it up even more under the sun with Life Orb. If I'm doing my math right, Protosynthesis + Life Orb basically puts Odahviing at 700 Attack without a single Dragon Dance.
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 8 HP / 244 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Steam
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
Walking Wake is named for the World Serpent from Norse mythology. It seemed to fit this primordial monstrosity that I adore ever so much. Norse dragon pupper is best pupper.
I was originally running an Agility set, but at the suggestions of others and due to the lack of Iron Valiant providing valuable speed support, I decided to switch back to the standard +Speed Choice Specs set. I would honestly prefer to be able to set up behind Shed Tail and unleash, but at the same time, I feel like this team is going to be particularly weak to certain Trick Scarfers as it currently stands. This will outspeed basically everything in the game that isn't boosted. It does fall short of outspeeding Iron Valiant, which is something that nothing on this team can do. I'll have to figure out the best way to play around that without needing to change my Roaring Moon over to Jolly...
What I liked about the Modest Agility set was the fact that after 1 Agility, it became an absolute menace. It would have 634 Speed and effectively 647 Special Attack when counting Protosynthesis and Life Orb. However, I have to either force a switch or get it in under Shed Tail in order for it to be useful.
water puppo go brrrrr
I was originally running an Agility set, but at the suggestions of others and due to the lack of Iron Valiant providing valuable speed support, I decided to switch back to the standard +Speed Choice Specs set. I would honestly prefer to be able to set up behind Shed Tail and unleash, but at the same time, I feel like this team is going to be particularly weak to certain Trick Scarfers as it currently stands. This will outspeed basically everything in the game that isn't boosted. It does fall short of outspeeding Iron Valiant, which is something that nothing on this team can do. I'll have to figure out the best way to play around that without needing to change my Roaring Moon over to Jolly...
What I liked about the Modest Agility set was the fact that after 1 Agility, it became an absolute menace. It would have 634 Speed and effectively 647 Special Attack when counting Protosynthesis and Life Orb. However, I have to either force a switch or get it in under Shed Tail in order for it to be useful.
water puppo go brrrrr
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
I'm going to be honest... this really is just here as a placeholder, though with how good it is, there's a strong possibility that it'll end up staying on the team. I'm just not sure if it's the glue that the team really needs to bring it all together. It still leaves me extremely weak to strong Special Attacks, but it gives me valuable hazard and item control in addition to excellent bulk and powerful STABs.
Satao's name comes from the elephant of the same name, who had tusks so long that they almost touched the ground. He was tragically killed by poachers in 2014.
Satao is really mostly here as a strong pivot and a Knock Off abuser. I do already have some hazard control, so I'm really not sure how much more I could possibly need. However, keeping hazards off the field means that Akūpāra can potentially come back later in the game if needed, assuming it stays alive. Besides, those strong STABs can really help threaten a good portion of the metagame.
Satao's name comes from the elephant of the same name, who had tusks so long that they almost touched the ground. He was tragically killed by poachers in 2014.
Satao is really mostly here as a strong pivot and a Knock Off abuser. I do already have some hazard control, so I'm really not sure how much more I could possibly need. However, keeping hazards off the field means that Akūpāra can potentially come back later in the game if needed, assuming it stays alive. Besides, those strong STABs can really help threaten a good portion of the metagame.
Ability: Earth Eater
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Stealth Rock
- Shed Tail
- Heavy Slam
- Body Press
Grothama is a Legendary worm creature in Magic: the Gathering that I had a lot of fun with in an old casual deck I used to play.
I relied very heavily on Cyclizar before it was banned. My all-time favorite move in this game is Dragon Dance, so I wanted to make sure that I could fully support that since Odahviing is the centerpiece of my team..
The strategy here is extremely simple. Switch this in on something that can't threaten it, set up Stealth Rock if reasonably able or necessary, and pivot out with Shed Tail. The chances of me being able to set up Stealth Rock are slim to none, but that's okay. Grothama is really just here to ensure as safe of a switch-in as possible for Odahviing. It can also deter opposing Ground moves, though many of the 'mons that have those (looking at you, Great Tusk...) have other moves that will make Grothama squirm.
I'm considering dropping Body Press for something else since I have fighting coverage already, but I'm not sure what I'd use instead. I could use Spikes, but I don't think I'll ever get the chance to actually use it.
I relied very heavily on Cyclizar before it was banned. My all-time favorite move in this game is Dragon Dance, so I wanted to make sure that I could fully support that since Odahviing is the centerpiece of my team..
The strategy here is extremely simple. Switch this in on something that can't threaten it, set up Stealth Rock if reasonably able or necessary, and pivot out with Shed Tail. The chances of me being able to set up Stealth Rock are slim to none, but that's okay. Grothama is really just here to ensure as safe of a switch-in as possible for Odahviing. It can also deter opposing Ground moves, though many of the 'mons that have those (looking at you, Great Tusk...) have other moves that will make Grothama squirm.
I'm considering dropping Body Press for something else since I have fighting coverage already, but I'm not sure what I'd use instead. I could use Spikes, but I don't think I'll ever get the chance to actually use it.
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Healing Wish
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Nuzzle
Hecate is a Greek goddess of magic, among other things. It seemed to fit. Besides, one of my favorite songs by Stormlord, one of my favorite bands, is "Dance of Hecate."
I had a Calm Mind set initially, but after doing a bit of research into the suggestions that were made further below, I decided to switch to the Healing Wish set. I care more about the free pivots than the healing, but I certainly won't turn healing down! Aside from that, she's here as a defensive pivot with some hazard control. I love VoltTurn and other pivots, so having a unique pivot in Hecate was something that I found too good to ignore.
I opted for Psyshock over Psychic to give Hecate some mixed damage and Nuzzle over Mystical Fire for a bit of control. Hopefully, she'll stay alive long enough to be able to paralyze threats like Iron Valiant and opposing Walking Wake. I may switch Dazzling Gleam back to Draining Kiss, but I don't know how much the healing actually matters because of her goal of paralyzing a thing and then using Healing Wish to safely switch something in.
My goal with this team is to apply relentless offensive pressure on my opponents after setting up just a little bit. I fully expect many of my games to leave me with 1-3 'mons left, but that's okay. I don't mind trading if I have to, but I want to make sure that my trade actually means something and that it facilitates a win.
I feel like this team has to have some obvious flaws that I'm not seeing because of my inexperience. Here are the weaknesses I currently see:
- Strong Fairy moves (Iron Valiant)
- Strong Special Attacks in general
- Hazard stacks
- Unaware walls (especially Dondozo)
- No Ghost STABs/attacks
- Not enough pivoting
- No reliable way to switch in against strong Special Attacks and no pivots to work around them
- Reliance on suicide trades to set up revenge kills and sweepers
- Utility Iron Treads (Stealth Rock, Knock Off, Rapid Spin, Volt Switch)
- Specs Dragapult for Ghost STAB spam and fast pivoting
- Scizor with Bullet Punch + U-Turn + Swords Dance + Defog for priority, slow pivoting, spinning, and cleaning
- Trick Scarf Rotom-W
- Grimmsnarl for Grimmsnarl reasons
- Glimmora as Grimmsnarl 2: Electric Boogaloo with Stealth Rock, dual Screens, and Memento
I feel like this team is almost where it needs to be, but it's missing something. I can't quite figure out what it is. Great Tusk feels like the weakest link. Dragapult may solve some of the problems, but I'm just not quite sure.
Thank you in advance for any help you're able to give!
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