Have a listen to this if you like whilst you're reading (if you like a bit of jazz :] )
At A Glance:
This is a pretty standard looking VGC team i've been thinking of running on the battle spot doubles ladder on my Alpha Sapphire cartridge. The Kangaskhan/Azumarill combo is one of my favourite set-up combos to use in VGC, as it overwhelms the opponent with a massive amount of offensive pressure, as well as having the ability to maintain a decent amount of consistency. The beauty of this combo is that neither mon has to set up to dish out a tonne of damage to most opponents, and azumarill and its partners have almost perfect switching synergy. Without further ado, lets get into the team:
To start with, i researched some ideas for sets and EV spreads for these two mons. The fake out support from kangaskhan is invaluable for azumarill to set up a belly drum, as it reduces or even removes the damage done to azumarill so that it has the best chance to set up after it has taken damage from the opposing mons. if i predict a double-target into azumarill, it can use protect and let kangaskhan set up a power-up punch, playing mind games with the opponent.
Amoonguss seemed very fitting here. Rage powder support is incredibly useful for any set up sweeper, as any damage done by the opponent is redirected towards amoonguss, giving the set-up mon a free turn. This meant i could lead with either kangaskhan or azumarill and still have the ability to successfully sweep the opponent's team. Sleep turns are also vital for maximising your chance against RNG, for which amoonguss is one of two viable spore users (sorry parasect).
To complete my FWG core, i needed a mon that had great defensive typing which covered azumarill's weaknesses as well as having good synergy with the rest of the team. Substitute heatran came to mind, as it has fantastic typing and has great synergy with fake out and rage powder, which allow it to get behind a sub as safely as possible.
Fake out + spore + taunt is a core that i always try to fit onto a team, as it shuts down gimmicky low ladder strategies and trick room very efficiently. Bulky thundurus is one of the best taunt users, and it provides vital speed control in prankster thunder wave, so it got added to the team.
Scarf landorus-t seemed to me like a perfect fit here. Having a reliable form of fast offence on top of intimidate support makes for a fantastic bulky pivot, which landorus provides. The double-genie combo is widely known throughout VGC as being a reliable mind+brawl core to slap onto pretty much any goodstuff team which both dishes out heaps of damage and keeps RNG in check with rock slide and thunder wave.
Overall, the type chart looks pretty solid, although the ice/rock weakness (as well as the pretty large weakness to landorus-t) can be averted by switching up some slots, such as Rotom-H>Heatran and Bisharp>Thundurus or changing up moves on some pokemon on the team (although i haven't got a HP ice thundurus in-game).
Sets In Depth:
Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch
This set is designed to be as offensively orientated as possible. A jolly nature with maximum investment in attack and speed ensures kangaskhan does as much damage as it can whilst it is on the field, and it still has a good amount of bulk. Double-edge over return means more damage output in exchange for a lack of staying power, which in the fast-paced environment of VGC is pretty negligible.
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 12 SpD / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Belly Drum
- Protect
MVP in my opinion. Azumarill is an absolute powerhouse once it gets set up. a +6/max attack/adamant/huge power aqua jet will pretty much rip up most unresistant opposition. The spread is taken from amr97's virginia team report. In case you don't know what it does, the defensive investment takes a double-edge from jolly mega salamence, the HP investment produces an even number at level 50, which means the sitrus berry is always propped after belly drum from full HP, and the speed investment speed creeps other base 50's, such as mega sableye and mega mawile, as play rough has a higher chance of OHKOing a 252/4 mega mawile than aqua jet does.
- 252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 196 HP / 20 Def Azumarill: 169-199 (84.5 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
- HP stat at level 50: 200
- Speed at level 50: 74 (outspeeds 20 spe adamant mega mawile; Speed: 73)
- 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Mawile: 156-184 (99.3 - 117.1%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
- 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Mawile: 139-165 (88.5 - 105%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 164 Def / 156 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Protect
This is also amr97's spread, as amoonguss' bulk is very well optimised. It has a very good chance to survive a double-edge from adamant kangaskhan without needing a relaxed nature, and it also has a very high chance to survive a fire blast from modest specs hydreigon. Minimum speed IVs allow amoonguss to operate best as a trick room check, and rocky helmet means amoonguss functions pretty well as a kangaskhan counter.
- 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 188 HP / 164 Def Amoonguss: 178-213 (83.5 - 100%) -- 0.4% chance to OHKO
- 252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Fire Blast vs. 188 HP / 156+ SpD Amoonguss: 182-216 (85.4 - 101.4%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 132 HP / 20 Def / 132 SpA / 12 SpD / 212 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
This is a great spread from Dawoblefet for sub heatran. It speed creeps one of the most common heatran spreads which are designed to outspeed bisharp (usually 204 speed EVs), which nicely handles both of those threats. 132 SpA EVs will guarantee an OHKO on non shuca berry heatran with earth power, and the rest of the EVs are simply optimised bulk.
- 132+ SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 200-236 (119.7 - 141.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Thundurus @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 212 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 44 SpD / 36 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Safety goggles was my item of choice here, as azumarill takes up the sitrus berry, and safety goggles allows thundurus to avoid rage powder and spore, which is really useful for my matchup versus breloom/amoonguss (the core's breloom matchup is quite shaky; it stands in good stead versus kangaskhan/azumarill/amoonguss/heatran). The EV spread allows thundurus to survive a double-edge from jolly kangaskhan, the speed investment outpaces breloom by two points and the rest falls into SpA/SpD.
- 252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 212 HP / 212 Def Thundurus: 155-186 (85.6 - 102.7%) -- 6.6% chance to OHKO
- Speed at level 50: 136, 252 Spe Positive Base 70s: 134
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 220 Atk / 92 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- U-turn
This spread is adapted from another spread from amr97, however, amr97's original spread failed to out speed 252 Timid mega gengar (who is quite a big threat to the kangaskhan/azumarill combo). a fast U-turn+Intimidate makes scarf landorus-t a fantastic bulky pivot, earthquake+rock slide offers excellent coverage as well as producing vital flinches from rock slide. To sum up the EV spread, the defensive investment allows landorus to survive a +1 sucker punch from life orb bisharp, and the rest of the EVs optimise its remaining offensive capability.
- +1 252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Sucker Punch vs. 12 HP / 92 Def Landorus-T: 140-165 (84.3 - 99.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
- 220+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Charizard Y: 184-220 (120.2 - 143.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- Speed at Level 50: 134 x 1.5 = 201 after choice scarf
- Timid 252 Spe Mega Gengar speed stat at level 50: 200
- 220+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 180-212 (133.3 - 157%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 12 SpD / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Belly Drum
- Protect
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 164 Def / 156 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Protect
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 220 Atk / 92 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- U-turn
Thundurus @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 212 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 44 SpD / 36 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Protect
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 132 HP / 20 Def / 132 SpA / 12 SpD / 212 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 12 SpD / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Belly Drum
- Protect
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 164 Def / 156 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Protect
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 220 Atk / 92 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- U-turn
Thundurus @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 212 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 44 SpD / 36 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Protect
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 132 HP / 20 Def / 132 SpA / 12 SpD / 212 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Thanks for reading :] I appreciate any kind of constructive criticism
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