Introduction
One day I got bored and put together a team composed of Pokemon with the ability intimidate. As a gimmick I didn't really care too much about it, so I just threw together some pokes. Once I actually started racking up wins, I started taking the team seriously, and now I need help with a huge problem...Chansey and Blissey completely wall my entire team
The Team
Krookodile @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Knock Off
Krookodile is typically my lead unless I see little need for stealth rock and a lot of bad matchups for him. The choice for an intimidate-rocker was tied between him and Lando-T, but but due to his ability to deal with ghost types that switch easily into rapid spin, I picked this guy. As mentioned before pursuit and knock off are both mainly for ghost types, but these moves also serve as the only super effective attack on my team against psychic types. For some reason, I've literally never had a ghost or psychic type switch out on Krookodile, so I'd be more than willing to replace it. Earthquake and Earth plate allow me to take out the trash with a late game sweep and stealth rock allows much of my team to get typically unattainable ohkos. Flying types almost always switch out when they see this guy, b/c they think he has a rock move, so I see no need to add one. EV's are standard.
Hitmontop @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Fake Out
- Foresight
- Toxic
I needed a spinner for all the birds on my team, so I got this little guy, since he is the only spinner with intimidate. Fake out allows this guy to revenge kill sashes, and end outrages, which proves VERY useful, I've literally never used foresight, but it's for using rapid spin on ghost switch-ins, and toxic is to rack up damage on walls. After the opposing rocker dies, I typically just use this guy as fodder. Given the intimidate drop, I made Hitmontop specially defensive to take hits and still spin and toxic the hell out of their defending pokemon.
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Discharge
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch
I really needed a specially offensive intimidate user, and Manectric fit the role perfectly. This guy acts as my other lead, when the opposing team has too many threats to Krookodile, acting a a volt switcher to gain my team some much needed momentum. Manectric outspeeds most of the OU metagame, so he also acts as a great late game sweeper. Overheat is useful for OHKOing Ferrothorn, and other grass/ steel types. HP ice is really useful for OHKOing defensive Gliscor and Lando-T after stealth rocks, and discharge was chosen over t-bolt due to the higher paralysis chance. EV's are standard.
Salamence @ Wide Lens
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Outrage
- Iron Tail
One special attacker is nowhere near enough for a team, so I added a mixed Salamence to deal with physical walls, and plow through everything else with outrage. Strangely, Salamance acts as the first line of defense against faires, who often switch in to find an iron tail; this situation is not ideal, but it works. Fire blast is used to counter the grass types it switches in on, and draco meteor and outrage act as effective and powerful STAB moves. Salamence has the item wide lens to boost the accuracy of iron tail, fire blast, and draco meteor, ensuring they miss less. EV's are arranged to ensure that Salamence hits hard no matter what move he uses, while maintaining lightning fast speed
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bounce
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
This set is pretty straightforward. Gyarados is a hard hitting sweeper that can take out almost anything with a dragon dance boost and some stealth rocks. Waterfall acts as Gyarados's main STAB, chosen over aqua tail for the flinch chance and better accuracy; earthquake is useful for plowing through incoming electric types, and bounce is used to 2HKO Mega Venusaur, and other grass types that wall Gyarados, as well as take advantage of a STAB move that inflicts paralysis. I never put too much thought into EV's, but Gyarados still does his job well, so I never bothered with them.
Staraptor @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Final Gambit
Staraptor acts as the wild card, taking out whatever I see as hard to deal with, using various self damaging moves. Typically I use him in an eye for an eye sort of way, OHKOing whatever my team has no counter for, and dying in the process. Brave bird and double edge act as Staraptor's primary source of STAB, and typically my default attack; however, If i know I can OHKO with final gambit I will use that instead. U-turn is for when I believe the opponent is going to sack something I don't want to take recoil damage from, as it is not a threat to my team. I choose power over speed in both item (band instead of scarf) and nature (adamant instead of jolly) because the majority of threats I need to do away with using Staraptor are slower tanks.
As you can probably tell, my team is usually fine against physically offensive pokes due to the overwhelming use of intimidate. I'm currently winning about 75% of the games I use this team for, excluding matches with Chansey or Blissey, both of whom softboil away any damage I dish out to them and proceed to seismic toss me to oblivion. In addition, fairies shred through 1/2 of my team, so a better counter could also help my team out. Despite these being my main issue, any suggestions are appreciated, no matter how small. Just try to keep in mind I don't want to use and non-intimidate Pokemon on this team. In the very near future I will be adding a threat list and some replays, so if you need a little more information before rating, fear not! Thanks a million!
