SM UU Mega Altaria Semi-Stall by Christo

[RMT Staff]

Introduction

This team is a more stall-inspired take on the common Dragon-type + Magneton core, in this case with the Dragon being Mega Altaria. A lot of stall builds utilize Mega Altaria because of its ability to blanket check common threats to fatter teams. This team is centered around that idea while also taking advantage of Dragon Dance Altaria paired with Magneton as the team's wincon. It's a defensive team that contrasts heavily with most of the more offensive "DragMag" teams, relying on Toxic spam and trapping to keep up the offensive pressure.

Team Members

Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Happiness: 0
EVs: 248 HP / 108 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Frustration
- Refresh
- Roost

Mega Altaria is the focal point of this team, acting as a late-game sweeper that can also aid the rest of its team with its defensive utility. Due to its typing and near-maximum HP investment, Mega Altaria can check several key threats to the team such as Crawdaunt and Infernape. The Adamant nature and Speed investment allow it to become a threatening offensive presence and help it break through Unaware Pokemon such as Quagsire and Pyukumuku. Refresh allows Mega Altaria to act as the team's counter to major threats such as Suicune and Block Slowbro while also allowing it to stall out Toxic users, making taking on Pokemon such as Empoleon and Alomomola and setting up a sweep against bulky teams significantly easier.

Magneton @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power Fire

Magneton is a very straightforward choice on most teams, as its main purpose is almost always going to be trapping Scizor along with other Steel-type Pokemon with Magnet Pull. On this team, it aids Mega Altaria by taking out the aforementioned Steel-types, allowing Mega Altaria to win games more effectively. Choice Scarf helps it pivot on Flying-types that can annoy the team otherwise such as Togekiss and allows it to revenge kill threats such as Terrakion and chip down foes like Cobalion.

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Knock Off
- Toxic

Alomomola is an important addition to the team and a focal point of the defensive core of the team. With its solid defensive typing, Wish support, and Regenerator, it can reliably pivot into threats to Mega Altaria such as Scizor. Alomomola's fantastic natural bulk also allows it to switch into threats such as Krookodile, Mamoswine, and Mega Sharpedo with ease, which other teammates struggle to take on. Wish is fantastic support for the rest of the team, being able to easily replenish their health and letting them pivot in with more ease. Knock Off and Toxic can help whittle down bulkier Pokemon such as Blissey and Quagsire, helping the matchup versus opposing stall, allowing it to win in the long run.

Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled

Continuing down this semi-stall route, Blissey offers a lot of utility for this team, as it blanket checks most special attackers in the tier such as Hydreigon, Volcanion, Moltres, and non-Psyshock Latias, just to name a few. Toxic allows Blissey to prevents setup sweepers such as Calm Mind + Roost Latias to set up for free while also punishing potential switch-ins such as Terrakion. Blissey and Alomomola synergize very well together, as Blissey can pivot into most special threats while Alomomola can pivot into an overwhelming range of physical threats.

Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- Toxic
- Roost

Completing the stall trio core of Blissey + Alomomola + Gligar, Gligar offers hazard removal support while also blanket checking most Fighting-type Pokemon such as Choice Band Terrakion and Cobalion. Running Toxic over other options such as U-turn and Knock Off allows it to keep the pressure up, especially against fatter teams. Gligar also blocks Volt Switch, disrupting momentum from VoltTurn-based teams semi-reliably.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower

Choice Band Scizor brings the team full circle and ends it off on a more offensive and momentum-driven note. Scizor forms a trapping and pivoting core with Magneton; in Scizor's case, it traps Calm Mind Latias and Ghost-types semi-reliably, which can otherwise be annoying to play around for the rest of the team. Choice Band-boosted Bullet Punch also offers another way to threaten faster foes if need be. Scizor also generally offers more immediate breaking power, which the team can be lacking in otherwise.

Threatlist

Offensive Ghosts - Chandelure and Gengar specifically can cause a lot of issues for this team. If either of the aforementioned Ghosts come in on Blissey, they pretty much have free rein. Chandelure can set up a Substitute and Calm Mind or attack. Gengar can also freely set up a Substitute and spam attacks. Scizor's Bullet Punch and Pursuit threaten Gengar, while Gligar can tank a STAB attack from Chandelure if need be, but it's a rough matchup.

Toxic Spikes - Toxic Spikes are an annoyance to any bulky team that lacks a grounded Poison-type. Luckily their use is rare, since common users such as Tentacruel prefer moves such as Knock off or Haze. However, with only one form of hazard removal, Toxic Spikes plus pressure on Gligar can cause trouble to the defensive core of Blissey + Alomomola + Mega Altaria, putting the team on the back foot.

Toxic-immune Setup Sweepers - Doublade, Nasty Plot Lucario, Bisharp, and Heracross are all Pokemon that can threaten this team because of their immunity to Toxic. This team relies pretty heavily on Toxic to keep up the offensive pressure, and due to it not having an Unaware Pokemon like Quagsire as there traditionally is on stall builds, these can pose a big threat.

Mega Sharpedo - Naturally Mega Sharpedo can do a lot of damage with Spikes support, as Mega Altaria and Scizor aren't bulky enough to take on Sharpedo's attacks and hazard damage all at once. Stalling it out with Toxic, Wish, and Regenerator can stop it from winning, as can just keeping hazards off the field to the team's best extent and keeping Mega Altaria healthy.

Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7uu-432204 SPL Finals vs Pearl

Importable

Team

Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Happiness: 0
EVs: 248 HP / 108 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Frustration
- Refresh
- Roost

Magneton @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Knock Off
- Toxic

Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled

Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- Toxic
- Roost

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower

Credits
Created by: Christo
Written by: Christo & vivalospride
Grammar checked by: The Dutch Plumberjack
Image made by Ticken & Text made by TPP​