Hello Smogon community, this is Dcae/Galvatron, here with my 5th RMT on Smogon and my first LC RMT. Some of you may know me from Pokemon Showdown, some of you may not. LC is a tier I had always wanted to join, so the voice challenge gave me an opportunity to do so. Here is a short summary of my competitive background because I like to rant.
I first came to know of Smogon and competitive battling at the onset of Gen V. I lurked for a good while, playing through Round 1 all the way until Deoxys S was banned on Pokemon Online. I joined Smogon quite a while back, and played OU back in the day. I had quit, and finally came back about a month ago, where I saw Smogon moved to Pokemon Showdown, a new, online server. I immediately joined and lurked around a bit, coming to terms with BW2 and the new server. I noticed quickly the ranks of authorities, and came to know of the voice challenge. I decided to test myself by taking the challenge, and, at the same time, enter a tier I had always wanted to play: LC.
To familiarize myself with the meta, I hopped over to the LC forums and checked out the viability rankings as well as the usage statistics. I then read a few analyses, and from there, gained a general idea of the meta game. I set about building my first team with this information. I decided to focus my team on abusing Scraggy’s immense sweeping potential. I tinkered with many pokemon through my teambuilding process, until at last, I found the team I was most happy with. Following this, I began to ladder, and to my great surprise, streaked out to win my first twenty games in a row. This led me to peak first on the LC ladder for a bit, before I was knocked down by user Crescendo, who then snatched first place. That was the highest I was to get on the ladder, but in the end, this team got me voiced. I was very happy with the team, and it led me to continue playing and contributing to LC, and thus it then led me to create this RMT. I was not aware that I had achieved first place during my laddering, I only noticed that I had been first on the ladder after I lost to Crescendo and dropped about 50 ACRE. Thus, I do not have any solid proof that I ever peaked first.
I began with the DD Scraggy set that wrecks so many teams thanks to wonderful STABs and an excellent ability in Moxie.
To partner Scraggy I added the NP Misdreavus set that hit hard on the special side, and also provided decent synergy with Scraggy.
With my main offensive core complete, I chose to add a third set-up sweeper, Shell Smash Dwebble. I picked it over Tirtouga for one main reason: most people assume it is a lead set, so it can setup easier and cause more damage overall.
I then decided to throw in bulky Murkrow in order to take on setup sweepers my opponent may have. Also, it could revenge kill with Sucker Punch.
With two SR weak pokemon and no hazards, I picked Mold Breaker Drilbur to provide offensive pressure and spinning/hazards laying.
Completing the team, I put in Mienfoo, former king of LC. I ran the defensive set in order to sponge hits and support the team with Knock Off and priority Fake Out.
The team was decent, but I had bad synergy, with no water resists whatsoever, and this caused me to lose a lot of games. I replaced Drilbur with Staryu and changed Dwebble to a hazard lead.
I got swept by Scraggy a couple times, and so I experimented with Choice Scarf Murkrow, finding its combination of speed and power impeccable. Since I changed its set, I haven’t been swept by a Scraggy, which shows its effectiveness. Staryu wasn’t offering much, and was being pretty useless most of the time, and I was getting torn apart by Sand, so I dropped it in favor of a bulky Snover set, so I could still tank water and electric attacks now. I also switched Dwebble back to Shell Smash.
At this point I started laddering, and won a few games, but it was too close to call. Several people I battled suggested Scarfed Snover, so I switched the set to Scarf Snover, which allowed me to check sand even better, and have a dual Scarf core that really hurt the opponent.
This team led me to peak first, but after I lost a few battles and started going downhill, I realized I had to get it together, and find the problem. After dropping about fifteen matches and a record of 41-15, I switched Mienfoo out for bulky attacker Chinchou. Chinchou offered so much for the team, namely a strong electric immunity, a powerful attacker with decent speed, a Murkrow counter and flying resist in general. Chinchou was a great addition, and since adding him, my fortunes turned back up and I finished strong with 80-19-1 at 100 battles.
To partner Scraggy I added the NP Misdreavus set that hit hard on the special side, and also provided decent synergy with Scraggy.
With my main offensive core complete, I chose to add a third set-up sweeper, Shell Smash Dwebble. I picked it over Tirtouga for one main reason: most people assume it is a lead set, so it can setup easier and cause more damage overall.
I then decided to throw in bulky Murkrow in order to take on setup sweepers my opponent may have. Also, it could revenge kill with Sucker Punch.
With two SR weak pokemon and no hazards, I picked Mold Breaker Drilbur to provide offensive pressure and spinning/hazards laying.
Completing the team, I put in Mienfoo, former king of LC. I ran the defensive set in order to sponge hits and support the team with Knock Off and priority Fake Out.
The team was decent, but I had bad synergy, with no water resists whatsoever, and this caused me to lose a lot of games. I replaced Drilbur with Staryu and changed Dwebble to a hazard lead.
I got swept by Scraggy a couple times, and so I experimented with Choice Scarf Murkrow, finding its combination of speed and power impeccable. Since I changed its set, I haven’t been swept by a Scraggy, which shows its effectiveness. Staryu wasn’t offering much, and was being pretty useless most of the time, and I was getting torn apart by Sand, so I dropped it in favor of a bulky Snover set, so I could still tank water and electric attacks now. I also switched Dwebble back to Shell Smash.
At this point I started laddering, and won a few games, but it was too close to call. Several people I battled suggested Scarfed Snover, so I switched the set to Scarf Snover, which allowed me to check sand even better, and have a dual Scarf core that really hurt the opponent.
This team led me to peak first, but after I lost a few battles and started going downhill, I realized I had to get it together, and find the problem. After dropping about fifteen matches and a record of 41-15, I switched Mienfoo out for bulky attacker Chinchou. Chinchou offered so much for the team, namely a strong electric immunity, a powerful attacker with decent speed, a Murkrow counter and flying resist in general. Chinchou was a great addition, and since adding him, my fortunes turned back up and I finished strong with 80-19-1 at 100 battles.
Dwebble
Dwebble @Oran Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Shell Smash | Rock Blast | X-Scissor | Stealth Rock
Ah yes, Dwebble. Dwebble is the least used pokemon on this team on the usage statistics, but is one of the most vital of the team. Dwebble is almost always my lead, to keep Sturdy intact and start off with an advantage. Almost everyone assumes this is a typical lead set, and try to set up on it, only to be shocked as it Shell Smashes and proceeds to rampage through the team. Dwebble sports flawless coverage, and generally permits me to start games 5-4, or even sweep outright. After a Shell Smash, its speed allows only priority to revenge kill it, and with its high defense stat, it is sometimes tough. This pokemon oftentimes wears down my opponents team a lot as they rush to defeat it, and is honestly a five star member of the team. It has swept outright countless times, and is overall a worthy part of this team.
Moves and EVs: Pretty standard moves here, Shell Smash is the obvious boosting move, along with strong, consistent STAB with X-Scissor. Rock Blast is preferred over Stone Edge to bypass Sturdy and Sash users, such as Sash Abra or other Dwebble. Earthquake rounds off the coverage, hitting Steels hard and taking out Chinchou and pokemon that resist the STAB moves. EVs are used for maximum offensive potential, with Jolly nature in order to beat out other Dwebble and all Scarfers after a boost. Very standard, not much to mention.
Snover
Snover @Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 104 Atk / 204 SpA / 200 Spe
Nature: Naïve
Blizzard | Giga Drain | Ice Shard | Hidden Power Fire
Snover is a top 10 pokemon in LC right now, and justly so. It is the best Sand check in the tier, by setting up Hail and cutting Drilbur sweeps short. With Blizzard boosted to 100% accuracy, it can smash pokemon to pieces with powerful 120 BP STAB. That is the move I almost always click, rarely do I use anything else. This pokemon allows me to take on Sand teams without a problem, and helps revenge dangerous pokemon like Misdreavus and Murkrow thanks to the Scarf. It is a pretty vital part of the team, because it helps cover many threats to the team that would otherwise tear me apart.
Moves and EVs: The moves are fairly self-explanatory: Blizzard is the OP SPAM ALL THE TIME move that hits everything that doesn’t resist hard. Giga Drain is the other STAB move that hits Water types that resist Blizzard, along with providing useful recovery to keep Snover healthy longer. Ice Shard may seem an unusual move on a Scarf pokemon, but provides great utility by knocking out very weakened pokes who have a higher number of boosts, and allows it to bypass priority moves other pokemon may use, like Murkrow. Hidden Power Fire covers the Steel types that wall Snover, along with opposing Snover that are hit 4x by it. EVs attempt to maximize mixed stats and speed, so it can outspeed more threats and still hit hard on both sides of the spectrum.
Chinchou
Chinchou @Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 224 Spe
Nature: Modest
Hydro Pump | Thunderbolt | Volt Switch | Heal Bell
Chinchou was the last pokemon that I added to my team, but it was an addition of utmost importance. Chinchou is the glue of this team: without it, it would not function as well. It takes all the dirty hits no other pokemon wants to take, and shrugs it off with excellent bulk. I chose the bulky attacker set as it fit the team more than the RestTalk variant, which killed offensive momentum. This one helps offensive momentum and scouts through the use of Volt Switch, and hits very hard. Its excellent typing and ability allow it to check a wide range of pokemon, such as Staryu and Murkrow. It is also a cleric, and heals burns and paralyze that can potentially cripple my sweepers. This guy plays a huge role in the success of my team, and is thus very important.
Moves and EVs: This is the standard bulky attacker set that works so well. Hydro Pump is the most powerful move here, hitting many pokemon in the tier hard and dealing strong damage overall. Thunderbolt is the more reliable STAB move, used to finish off opponents when they are weak. Volt Switch is chosen over Hidden Power Grass to provide momentum. Chinchou has great speed in the fact that it outspeeds defensive pokemon but is slower than offensive ones, which allows Volt Switch to bring in my sweepers unharmed from opposing attacks, while hitting defensive pokemon hard on the switch. Heal Bell heals status, obvious really. The EVs are standard, maximizing SpA to hit hard, while putting in some bulk to take Brave Birds. Max Speed actually outspeeds a lot, and provides utility.
Murkrow
Murkrow @Choice Scarf
Trait: Insomnia
EVs: 236 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe
Nature: Naughty
Brave Bird | Sucker Punch | Heat Wave | Hidden Power Grass
Murkrow is my main revenge killer. This bird is the reason why I never get swept by Scraggy, period. With speed that allows it to outspeed practically all of LC with a boost and an Atk stat with such a great STAB attack, this is a gift from the heavens. Brave Bird is the go to move here, taking out Fighting types like they were never there. Sucker Punch takes out problematic Shell Smashers, and the last two coverage moves grant hits on Magnemite and Chinchou respectively. This pokemon is a great slap-on poke that helps out teams deal with fast threats, and completes my dual Scarf offensive core with Snover. Most people assume only one Scarf, so either pokemon can catch them offguard by outspeeding threats and eliminating them. It is the second most used pokemon in LC right now, and boy is it good.
Moves and EVs: Touched on a bit, the moves are pretty obvious: Brave Bird to beat up stuff, Sucker Punch for useful priority, and two coverage moves to hit its counters on the switch and KO them. Very self-explanatory. However, one notable thing here is the use of Insomnia. This ability is extremely useful in the fact that it allows Murkrow to switch into Shroomish and Foongus with impunity, immune to their Spore, and then KO them with a powerful Brave Bird. EVs allow me to hit a benchmark for speed, while maxing out Brave Bird’s power. 80 SpA allows Hidden Power Grass to 2HKO RestTalk Chinchou, allowing Murkrow to beat it.
Misdreavus
Misdreavus @Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 28 HP / 240 SpA / 240 Spe
Nature: Timid
Nasty Plot | Shadow Ball | Taunt | Hidden Power Fighting
Good old queen of LC. Misdreavus usurped Mienfoo during March and stole the #1 spot, but it was not unforeseeable. Misdreavus is a top pokemon in the tier, able to run several sets effectively. It also manages to wall Mienfoo and certain other Fighting types like Croagunk. I chose the Nasty Plot set over the others because my team was very offensive, and Nasty Plot provided a quick, hard-hitting sweeper that also has tremendous bulk. Misdreavus is lightning fast, hitting 19 Speed with this spread, and obtains flawless coverage with two moves. I typically use her as a mid game sweeper, carving holes into my opponent’s team and making way for Scraggy sweeps or Murkrow cleanup. Misdreavus is a five star pokemon because honestly put, Fighting types would give me a hard time if she were to go down.
Moves and EVs: The moves are straightforward for the Nasty Plot set. Nasty Plot, obviously, is the set-up move of choice here, and Shadow Ball is the main STAB. Coupled with Hidden Power Fighting and you garner perfect coverage. Thunderbolt allows me to hit bulky waters harder and also Murkrow is taken on more easily. EVs are standard fair, maxxed out Special Attack and Speed, with the rest dumped into HP to increase bulk marginally.
Scraggy
Scraggy @Eviolite
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Dragon Dance | Hi Jump Kick | Crunch | Knock Off
And here is the final pokemon of my team, the indomitable, invincible Scraggy. This little gangster is the deadliest sweeper in the entire LC tier. Any team lacking a Scarfed flyer or some way of statusing him is going to feel very sad as their entire team is swept. All it takes is one DD, and Scraggy is on its way to victory. Excellent bulk permits him to set up on common walls like Lileep, and then using high powered STAB to quickly rack up Moxie boosts. This is my third sweeper, and the one that generally sweeps the most. This pokemon is deadly when left unchecked and every team in LC must have a way to deal with it. I built the team around this guy, and all the concerted efforts of the rest of the team culminates in a final sweep by this lizard.
Moves and EVs: The moves here are pretty common, using Dragon Dance as the boosting move of choice, allowing it to outspeed the unboosted metagame after a single boost. The hard hitting STAB is Hi Jump Kick, which hits exponentially harder than Drain Punch but comes with its drawbacks. However, it is too powerful to pass up on, as it notches OHKOs that Drain Punch can’t. Crunch is the reliable STAB used, hitting Ghosts and weakened opponenets reliably. Zen Headbutt is the final move, picked over Knock Off, due to two reasons: One is that it hits Croagunk, who could stop Scraggy’s sweep, and second is that it allows Scraggy to beat Riolu one on one. If Riolu protects on the Zen Headbutt hoping to copy Drain Punch/Hi Jump Kick, they are instead left with a move that Scraggy is immune to. This makes it a very useful move to use. EVs max out sweeper stats, while the rest are dumped into Defense to protect from priority moves.
Conclusion
Well there you have it. This team was much more successful than I ever thought it would be, and has really made me get into the LC tier. Shoutout to Dr Ciel for supporting me, and all the LC voices who also got voiced in this wonderful tier. Shoutout to Electrolyte for convincing me to write this RMT. I hope I can contribute more to these forums and that anyone reading this will enjoy it and try the team out for themselves, and hopefully have the same success I had with it.
Here is a replay, I will try to add more after I get some good battles:
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc13720500
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc-14090038
http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc13913072
Offensive:
Tirtouga: This is the only offensive threat to my team that scares me. If I see Tirtouga on Team Preview, I play my scarfers more cautiously, so I don’t get stuck on Brave Bird with Murkrow and give Tirtouga a free switch-in.
Defensive:
None. The strategy of this team involves overwhelming walls, and all of the defensive threats listed are 2HKOd by one of my pokemon, making them relatively easy to beat. Shelmet was annoying the first time I faced it, because I didn’t know what it did, but since then it’s been fine.
Importable:
Code:
Chinchou (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 232 SAtk / 52 Def / 224 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Heal Bell
Scraggy (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hi Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt
Murkrow (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Insomnia
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 80 SAtk / 188 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Brave Bird
- Heat Wave
- Sucker Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Snover (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
Level: 5
EVs: 104 Atk / 204 SAtk / 200 Spd
Naive Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Misdreavus (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 28 HP / 240 SAtk / 240 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Dwebble (M) @ Oran Berry
Trait: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- X-Scissor
