Hello everyone! This is an offensive team built around Mega Gardevoir.
A really special person in my life loves Gardevoir, so I wanted to make a team around Mega Gardevoir. Once I’m satisfied with the team, I’m also going to build it in-game, so that poses one limitation on what I can use: I won’t be able to get great IVs on legendaries, so I’d like to avoid non-breedable Pokemon if possible. I know this is a hindrance to the teambuilding process, but I think the following is a good start. Hopefully this restriction won’t be too annoying.
The Team
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Will-O-Wisp
This is usually my lead. I know Thunder Wave seems strange, but I’ve used this build quite a lot and it’s surprisingly effective. Special attackers such as Latios, Keldeo, and Kyurem-B like to switch in on Rotom, thinking I’ll use Will-O-Wisp, but instead get paralyzed. This greatly helps Gardevoir outspeed these threats. I usually use either Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp first depending on the opposing lead and my prediction of whether they’ll switch. Opponents also don’t expect both Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp together, and this surprise factor comes into play sometimes in midgame.
This build is specially defensive. I like this because Will-O-Wisp already shuts down physical attackers and because I often stay in on special attackers to paralyze them. Also, the EV spread lets me always survive Solarbeam from Mega Charizard-Y, which otherwise really threatens the team. Against opposing Charizard leads, I always Thunder Wave, which nullifies both Mega Charizard-X and Mega Charizard-Y. Another reason I choose to be specially defensive is because I usually stay in on opposing Rotom-W leads, first burning them and then spamming Hydro Pump until they Volt Switch out. If the opponent goes to a special attacker, I can then surprise them with a Thunder Wave.
Of course, lacking recovery means I play this Rotom more like a tank than a wall.
Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Swords Dance
This is my Stealth Rocker and forms part of the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core of my team. Lum Berry lets Garchomp set up rocks or a Swords Dance in the face of status moves and helps Garchomp break past Scald users. Stealth Rock support is quite useful to the team, as the chip damage helps Gardevoir and Talonflame get kills (breaking Sturdy, sashes, and Multiscale).
I’m not yet sure if the bulky Rocky Helmet with Dragon Tail set would be more effective. I’m also not sure if I should replace Swords Dance with Stone Edge, since otherwise I can’t touch Togekiss at all.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
This is a pretty standard wallbreaking Mega Gardevoir set and is also part of the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core. I like Focus Blast because it lets me heavily damage Steel types on the switch (e.g., Heatran, Skarmory, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and Mega Metagross). This is crucial because Steel types really threaten Gardevoir and need to be eliminated carefully. However, the accuracy of Focus Blast is a pain and sometimes costs me matches…
Calm Mind is very useful but could possibly be replaced with Taunt. Some Mega Gardevoir use Will-O-Wisp, but I don’t want to use that because it would be redundant given Rotom-W’s Will-O-Wisp and Starmie’s Scald.
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 192 HP / 220 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Bisharp serves several purposes. First, it rounds out the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core. Second, it traps certain Pokemon that give Gardevoir trouble (e.g., Jirachi, Victini, Gengar, and Mega Metagross), as well as Defoggers and Spinners like Latios and Starmie. In some cases though, I’ll have to decide between using Sucker Punch and Pursuit. The Assault Vest eases this prediction, letting me tank a special attack and hit back with Pursuit. Third, Bisharp punishes the use of Defog, which helps my rocks stay on the field. Finally, Knock Off is a very spammable move that is useful against pretty much all targets except opposing Megas.
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Talonflame is my revenge killer and partners nicely with Gardevoir. Talonflame pressures opposing Steels and fast-but-frail Pokemon, and Gardevoir pressures many of Talonflame’s checks simply by being a great wallbreaker.
I’m not sure if this set or the specially-defensive set would be better on this team.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpD / 244 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect Type
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Starmie provides Rapid Spin support for Talonflame. Reflect Type is a great move that gives Starmie much more longevity, for instance allowing Starmie to beat Ferrothorn. Scald also helps Gardevoir by weakening physical attackers and by wearing down opposing Pokemon in general. Recover is mandatory so that Starmie can spin throughout the match. Starmie’s speed EVs allow it to outrun Scarfed Magnezone, reflect its typing, and wear it down (or the switch-in) with Scald.
Threats:
Mega Diancie: this beats Garchomp, Talonflame, and Gardevoir. My best option is to tank a hit with Rotom-W and paralyze it, which makes it easy to beat with Garchomp or Bisharp.
Scarf Excadrill or Sand Rush Excadrill: this easily beats Bisharp, Talonflame, Gardevoir, and Rotom-W (if running Mold Breaker). If Garchomp is weakened or dead, Excadrill will tear apart this team.
Tyranitar: this also beats Bisharp, Talonflame, Gardevoir (if scarfed), Starmie (if scarfed), and Garchomp (if running Ice Beam). This is worsened by the fact that Rotom-W frequently takes a lot of damage early in the game while spreading status.
Mega Charizard-X: if this gets off a Dragon Dance and isn't paralyzed by Rotom-W, this breaks through the team sadly :(
Stall??: I’m unsure if my team is actually weak to stall, but I’ve lost many times to stall teams on the ladder. This is somewhat surprising to me since Mega Gardevoir is supposedly one of the best wallbreakers in the game. Perhaps I’m making too many mistakes? (Once I thought that Gardevoir could set up Calm Minds and Focus Blast through Skarmory, only to be severely dented by Steel Wing… Gardevoir also can’t singlehandedly take down a stall team since it’ll eventually get burned or poisoned…)
Final thoughts:
I have a feeling that a bit of work needs to be done on this team because so far it hasn’t been doing as well on the ladder as I had hoped (peaked at around 1400). However, I’m struggling to find any glaring flaws in the team, despite having playtested for more than 10 hours. Honestly, this team looks better to me on paper than it performs on the ladder (for me). I’m also not a terrible player, since I created a team that peaked at 1700+ (around 300-th on the ladder) about a year ago. One possibility is that I’m just unfamiliar with the current ORAS metagame, having not played in about a year. Another possibility is that I’m inexperienced with this playstyle; I’ve played more balanced teams before, and this team is offensive. Thus, it would be really helpful to me if someone else could playtest with my team to see where on the ladder it truly belongs.
Thank you to everyone who rates my team!
A really special person in my life loves Gardevoir, so I wanted to make a team around Mega Gardevoir. Once I’m satisfied with the team, I’m also going to build it in-game, so that poses one limitation on what I can use: I won’t be able to get great IVs on legendaries, so I’d like to avoid non-breedable Pokemon if possible. I know this is a hindrance to the teambuilding process, but I think the following is a good start. Hopefully this restriction won’t be too annoying.
The Team
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Will-O-Wisp
This is usually my lead. I know Thunder Wave seems strange, but I’ve used this build quite a lot and it’s surprisingly effective. Special attackers such as Latios, Keldeo, and Kyurem-B like to switch in on Rotom, thinking I’ll use Will-O-Wisp, but instead get paralyzed. This greatly helps Gardevoir outspeed these threats. I usually use either Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp first depending on the opposing lead and my prediction of whether they’ll switch. Opponents also don’t expect both Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp together, and this surprise factor comes into play sometimes in midgame.
This build is specially defensive. I like this because Will-O-Wisp already shuts down physical attackers and because I often stay in on special attackers to paralyze them. Also, the EV spread lets me always survive Solarbeam from Mega Charizard-Y, which otherwise really threatens the team. Against opposing Charizard leads, I always Thunder Wave, which nullifies both Mega Charizard-X and Mega Charizard-Y. Another reason I choose to be specially defensive is because I usually stay in on opposing Rotom-W leads, first burning them and then spamming Hydro Pump until they Volt Switch out. If the opponent goes to a special attacker, I can then surprise them with a Thunder Wave.
Of course, lacking recovery means I play this Rotom more like a tank than a wall.
Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Swords Dance
This is my Stealth Rocker and forms part of the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core of my team. Lum Berry lets Garchomp set up rocks or a Swords Dance in the face of status moves and helps Garchomp break past Scald users. Stealth Rock support is quite useful to the team, as the chip damage helps Gardevoir and Talonflame get kills (breaking Sturdy, sashes, and Multiscale).
I’m not yet sure if the bulky Rocky Helmet with Dragon Tail set would be more effective. I’m also not sure if I should replace Swords Dance with Stone Edge, since otherwise I can’t touch Togekiss at all.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
This is a pretty standard wallbreaking Mega Gardevoir set and is also part of the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core. I like Focus Blast because it lets me heavily damage Steel types on the switch (e.g., Heatran, Skarmory, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and Mega Metagross). This is crucial because Steel types really threaten Gardevoir and need to be eliminated carefully. However, the accuracy of Focus Blast is a pain and sometimes costs me matches…
Calm Mind is very useful but could possibly be replaced with Taunt. Some Mega Gardevoir use Will-O-Wisp, but I don’t want to use that because it would be redundant given Rotom-W’s Will-O-Wisp and Starmie’s Scald.
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 192 HP / 220 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Bisharp serves several purposes. First, it rounds out the Dragon-Steel-Fairy core. Second, it traps certain Pokemon that give Gardevoir trouble (e.g., Jirachi, Victini, Gengar, and Mega Metagross), as well as Defoggers and Spinners like Latios and Starmie. In some cases though, I’ll have to decide between using Sucker Punch and Pursuit. The Assault Vest eases this prediction, letting me tank a special attack and hit back with Pursuit. Third, Bisharp punishes the use of Defog, which helps my rocks stay on the field. Finally, Knock Off is a very spammable move that is useful against pretty much all targets except opposing Megas.
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Talonflame is my revenge killer and partners nicely with Gardevoir. Talonflame pressures opposing Steels and fast-but-frail Pokemon, and Gardevoir pressures many of Talonflame’s checks simply by being a great wallbreaker.
I’m not sure if this set or the specially-defensive set would be better on this team.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpD / 244 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect Type
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Starmie provides Rapid Spin support for Talonflame. Reflect Type is a great move that gives Starmie much more longevity, for instance allowing Starmie to beat Ferrothorn. Scald also helps Gardevoir by weakening physical attackers and by wearing down opposing Pokemon in general. Recover is mandatory so that Starmie can spin throughout the match. Starmie’s speed EVs allow it to outrun Scarfed Magnezone, reflect its typing, and wear it down (or the switch-in) with Scald.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Will-O-Wisp
Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Swords Dance
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 192 HP / 220 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpD / 244 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect Type
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Will-O-Wisp
Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Swords Dance
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 192 HP / 220 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpD / 244 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect Type
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Threats:
Mega Diancie: this beats Garchomp, Talonflame, and Gardevoir. My best option is to tank a hit with Rotom-W and paralyze it, which makes it easy to beat with Garchomp or Bisharp.
Scarf Excadrill or Sand Rush Excadrill: this easily beats Bisharp, Talonflame, Gardevoir, and Rotom-W (if running Mold Breaker). If Garchomp is weakened or dead, Excadrill will tear apart this team.
Tyranitar: this also beats Bisharp, Talonflame, Gardevoir (if scarfed), Starmie (if scarfed), and Garchomp (if running Ice Beam). This is worsened by the fact that Rotom-W frequently takes a lot of damage early in the game while spreading status.
Mega Charizard-X: if this gets off a Dragon Dance and isn't paralyzed by Rotom-W, this breaks through the team sadly :(
Stall??: I’m unsure if my team is actually weak to stall, but I’ve lost many times to stall teams on the ladder. This is somewhat surprising to me since Mega Gardevoir is supposedly one of the best wallbreakers in the game. Perhaps I’m making too many mistakes? (Once I thought that Gardevoir could set up Calm Minds and Focus Blast through Skarmory, only to be severely dented by Steel Wing… Gardevoir also can’t singlehandedly take down a stall team since it’ll eventually get burned or poisoned…)
Final thoughts:
I have a feeling that a bit of work needs to be done on this team because so far it hasn’t been doing as well on the ladder as I had hoped (peaked at around 1400). However, I’m struggling to find any glaring flaws in the team, despite having playtested for more than 10 hours. Honestly, this team looks better to me on paper than it performs on the ladder (for me). I’m also not a terrible player, since I created a team that peaked at 1700+ (around 300-th on the ladder) about a year ago. One possibility is that I’m just unfamiliar with the current ORAS metagame, having not played in about a year. Another possibility is that I’m inexperienced with this playstyle; I’ve played more balanced teams before, and this team is offensive. Thus, it would be really helpful to me if someone else could playtest with my team to see where on the ladder it truly belongs.
Thank you to everyone who rates my team!
Last edited:
