VGC Really Cool Reshiram VGC Team, Peaked 1476 Rating on Showdown

[Reffrey]

Hi guys. This is my first RMT, and let me just say that the team being featured is definitely not the best team that I have created. However, the whole point of this team was to feature reshiram, which is a very underused restricted legendary, and is looked down upon due to not being able to counter much in the metagame. However, this team, in my opinion, is probably one of the best reshiram vgc teams out there. Although this team is probably not good enough to win any regionals or big tournaments, it is still very cool since it really brings out the best in reshiram and shows what it can do. Anyway, onto the team building process.

The first pokemon that I put on the team was obviously reshiram. I decided that I wanted to run a trick room team so that I could maximize reshiram's bulk without having to worry much about it's speed stat. I also decided to give reshiram an assault vest to beef up it's special bulk, thus enabling it to tank a +2 moonblast from xerneas and kyogre's origin pulse. I also gave it max special attack, a quiet nature, 252 HP and 4 def. The HP and defense evs are enough to give reshiram a chance of not being OHKOed by primal groudon's precipice blades. Here's the reshiram set:

Reshiram @ Assault Vest
Ability: Turboblaze
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Blue Flare
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor

Next I had to decide which restricted legendary to pair with reshiram. I actually made a chart of all of the restricted legendaries and how they pair with reshiram based on what they counter and what they are weak to, and I wasn't surprised to find that reshiram pairs terribly with nearly all of them. The only restricted legend that paired decently with reshiram was primal groudon, due to giving reshiram the sun boost on blue flare. So that's what I chose to partner him with. Since reshiram is a full special attacker, I chose to make my primal groudon a full physical attacker, so it lacks eruption. I should also mention that reshiram's blue flare in the sun OHKOes almost anything that doesn't resist it. Here's the pdon set:

Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 28 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Precipice Blades
- Fire Punch
- Protect
- Swords Dance

Once again I chose to run 0 speed IVs, to minimize my chances of getting outsped by other base 90s in trick room. The evs are slightly weird, but they actually maximize primal groudon's power (if you understand how pokemon damage calculations work, you can derive these same evs with a little math), and also give primal groudon a high chance of surviving an earth power from an opposing primal groudon (I will post a few damage calcs at the end of the rmt).

Before choosing which trick room users to throw on the team, I decided to put on mega kangaskhan, simply due to it's sheer power and usefulness in the metagame. I used a pretty standard set but I gave it minimum speed, so that I could maximize its bulk. I gave it inner focus instead of scrappy, since inner focus comes in handy when my opponent leads with a faster fake out user (and since this kangaskhan has minimum speed, it almost always gets outsped by opposing fakeouts). It is also important to note that this kangaskhan always survives a low kick from opposing mega kangaskhan if it is at max hp, unless the opponent gets a crit.

Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Fake Out
- Low Kick
- Return
- Sucker Punch

Next I really needed a pokemon with intimidate, and landorus-t was the obvious choice. Mega salamence is good as well, but I didn't want to have 2 megas on my team, since if I did then I wouldn't be able to send both of them out at the same time.

Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 132 HP / 124 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Knock Off

Interestingly this landorus lacks earthquake, and has earth power instead. I simply couldn't afford to give it earthquake, since primal groudon and reshiram are both weak to ground, and plus reshiram lacks protect. Earth power is still good, since with the life orb boost and maximum special attack it OHKOes even the bulkiest primal groudon sets. I chose to run knock off instead of superpower, since my team doesn't really struggle against opposing mega kangaskans. Rock slide is very important on landorus, since my primal groudon has swords dance instead of rock slide.

At this point I really needed a good trick room user. Cresselia seemed like a good choice, but the problem with cresselia is that it has poor offensive capability. 75 base special attack just isn't good. Porygon2 is actually a superb trick room user in my opinion, since with eviolite it becomes extremely bulky, and 105 base special attack is not terrible. Plus, it has access to download, which gives it a chance to have a very high special attack stat. Porygon2 also has tri attack, which comes in handy once in a while with its 20% chance to burn, paralyze, or freeze a target. This is the porygon2 set that I used:

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Tri Attack
- Trick Room
- Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt does a good chunk of damage to primal kyogre, especially if porygon2 gets the special attack boost, and ice beam is useful for OHKOing mega salamence, landorus-t, and non mega rayquaza. Btw, a 1.5X spa porygon2 ice beam has a chance to OHKO max HP mega rayquaza, depending on the roll and the bulk investment. Porygon2 also has enough bulk to tank even a critical hit precipice blades, and can tank a water spout from primal kyogre at max hp in the rain.

Lastly, I needed a back up trick room user. This time I chose cresselia. I realized that my team was a little weak to smeargle, although a mega kang + porygon2 lead takes smeargle out most of the time, so I gave my cresselia magic coat. Also, rather than giving my cresselia the classic supportive moves that it usually has, such as helping hand and skill swap, I gave it psychic and ice beam, so that it could have at least some offensive presence. Ice beam ohkoes mega mence and lando, and psychic does a good chunk of damage to primal groudon, amoongus, and crobat.

Cresselia @ Mental Herb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
- Magic Coat

Tips on how to use this team:

• Try not to lead with primal groudon or reshiram, it's just too risky most of the time.
• Usually lead with either porygon2 + kang or lando, or cresselia + kang or lando. There are only extremely rare instances in which you shouldn't lead with one of the trick room pokemon. You should usually use trick room turn 1.
• If your opponent has a smeargle, you probably want to bring cresselia since it has magic coat. Just don't bring cresselia if your opponent has a dark type or ghost type along with smeargle. A mega kang + porygon2 lead can handle smeargle most of the time, but not all of the time.
  
• If you're up against a big 6 team, you probably shouldn't bring reshiram, becuase chances are it will do very little.
• Don't bring both trick room users, it just doesn't work.

Notes: This team has a good matchup against most other teams. It handles rayogre surprisingly well, and also does a good job against dialga + kyogre, and primal groudon + yveltal. Big 6 teams are a little scary, but they can definitely be handled the majority of the time if you make the right plays. This team often loses to king's shield smeargle, and also has a higher chance of losing against a smeargle with no speed investment. Amoongus is also a big pain in the neck for this team, but there are ways to get around that annoying mushroom.

Replays: (I was laddering under the name usingreshiram4fun)

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-391238796
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-391245330
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-391295124
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-391321877
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-391329025 (this is the battle that got me to 1476)

I'm feeling too lazy to post damage calcs, but I can post them if you guys want me to.

Credit to serebii for the images.

Here's the full team:

=== [vgc2016] Reffrey's Reshiram VGC 2016 Team ===

Reshiram @ Assault Vest
Ability: Turboblaze
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Blue Flare
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor

Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 28 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Precipice Blades
- Fire Punch
- Protect
- Swords Dance

Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Fake Out
- Low Kick
- Return
- Sucker Punch

Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 132 HP / 124 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Knock Off

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Tri Attack
- Trick Room
- Thunderbolt

Cresselia @ Mental Herb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
- Magic Coat

 

[Reffrey]

oops it looks like I accidentally posted 2 images of pdon, oh well

 

[Steven Stone]

How does this team have a good match-up against Yveltal + Groudon? Honestly, a special variant (with Foul Play) could do nasty damage to this team, but I'm pretty sure we can all agree the real threat for this team would be the Life Orb physical variant. Outside of Trick Room, everything gets outsped by it which would usually mean you would have to Protect the other Pokemon and / or use Kangaskhan's Fake Out to pressure which isn't the best answer against it. Under TR it becomes more manageable but nothing saves this team from getting hit by Sucker Punch under it, not to mention Foul Play rendering Intimidate from Lando-T almost useless and Knock Off hitting Cresselia REALLY hard together with reducing Porygon2's bulk a considerable amount. Yveltal's match-up is really hard with this team, fixing this weakness is necessary.

Also, as a minor detail, Psychic on Cresselia isn't nearly as useful because of the few Psychic-type weak Pokemon on the meta. Another support move, such as Skill Swap or Gravity, would do on that slot.

GradeAGarchomp , Draconid997 , the more complete rate is up to you: I'm out of home and about to play for Nats so I can't help him any longer. Keep the points I mentioned in your mind though, the team is pretty solid bar the physical Yveltal weakness.

 

[Reffrey]

How does this team have a good match-up against Yveltal + Groudon? Honestly, a special variant (with Foul Play) could do nasty damage to this team, but I'm pretty sure we can all agree the real threat for this team would be the Life Orb physical variant. Outside of Trick Room, everything gets outsped by it which would usually mean you would have to Protect the other Pokemon and / or use Kangaskhan's Fake Out to pressure which isn't the best answer against it. Under TR it becomes more manageable but nothing saves this team from getting hit by Sucker Punch under it, not to mention Foul Play rendering Intimidate from Lando-T almost useless and Knock Off hitting Cresselia REALLY hard together with reducing Porygon2's bulk a considerable amount. Yveltal's match-up is really hard with this team, fixing this weakness is necessary.

Also, as a minor detail, Psychic on Cresselia isn't nearly as useful because of the few Psychic-type weak Pokemon on the meta. Another support move, such as Skill Swap or Gravity, would do on that slot.

GradeAGarchomp , Draconid997 , the more complete rate is up to you: I'm out of home and about to play for Nats so I can't help him any longer. Keep the points I mentioned in your mind though, the team is pretty solid bar the physical Yveltal weakness.

Yeah I can definitely see how yveltal threatens this team. However porygon2 and mega kangaskhan can usually take care of yveltal, since ice beam and return both do a hefty chunk of damage to it, and trick room also helps. However, if my opponent has a mega mawile and an yveltal, then I'm pretty much screwed, since mega mawile reduces kang's power with intimidate, resists porygon2's and kang's moves, and functions well in trick room. Fortunately landorus, reshiram, and primal groudon can all easily take out mega mawile. Still, I agree that the team doesn't handle yveltal quite well enough, since yveltal can hit porygon2 and kang very hard (with knock off and foul play). If trick room fails to go up then yveltal also screws me over.

 

[GradeAGarchomp]

sorry i couldn't get to this sooner Reffrey, but here's a rate while i can give it you:

as was said before, you're quite yveltal weak. the easiest thing to do is go mega mawile > porygon2. while this drops a trick room setter, it makes the team much more solid overall against yveltal as well as xerneas and other kangaskhan. a standard set and spread is fine here.

i know you enjoy having a reshiram on this team, but it's really creating more weakness that are difficult to fix. there are a few different routes you can go with this team, all of which i'll elaborate on throughout this rate.

Dual Primal:

replacing reshiram with kyogre gives you a dual primal trick room team which is fairly solid at the moment. at this point, running an amoonguss > landorus is an option to have a consistent kyogre check as well as a trick room abuser, letting you set up with groudon and incapacitate members of the opposing team whilst in trick room. in this case, the analysis set is best. talonflame > kangaskhan helps you against late game groudon, a potential threat i see at the moment.

a consistent and effective primal kyogre spread is 252 hp / 180 def / 76 spa with a quiet nature. this spread allows you to live a magnet boosted volt takcle from raichu from full health, as well as living attacks such as mega rayquaza's dragon ascent. a simple set of water spout / origin pulse / ice beam / protect is fine. i'm sure you've seen this kyogre set many times so there is little need for me to explain it. this keeps more of a full trick room aspect to the team, which is a bit different than the next variant you can choose.

Yveltal + Groudon:

replacing reshiram with yveltal gives a consistently achieving yveltal + groudon team. this turns your team into a semi room team, with the option of running tailwind on yveltal and altering some of your spreads to fit the new style. this specific archetype requires you to change nothing more about the team, so i'll do an overview of the sets you'd need to change if you go with either new archetype.

Dual Primal:

Reshiram -> Kyogre
Landorus -> Amoonguss (analysis spread)
Analysis set on Cresselia
Kangaskhan -> Talonflame

Yveltal + Groudon:

Reshiram -> Yveltal
Fast Primal Groudon (252 Jolly, helps against thundurus + groudon leads, big 6, just helps against the mirror match)
Max speed / Max attack on Kangaskhan, Brave -> Jolly, Return -> Double Edge (generally seen with low kick; if you want to keep return try power-up punch over low kick)
Life Orb -> Choice Band on Landorus, Protect -> Superpower, Knock Off -> Explosion, Earth Power -> Earthquake, spread change to 4 hp / 156 atk / 92 def / 4 spdef / 252 spe Jolly (makes adamant life orb talon's brave bird a 3hko)
same changes to Cresselia as before

importable 1

Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Origin Pulse
- Water Spout
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 228 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Precipice Blades
- Fire Punch
- Protect
- Swords Dance

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Taunt
- Quick Guard

Amoonguss @ Lum Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 244 HP / 60 Def / 204 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Grass Knot
- Spore
- Rage Powder
- Protect

Mawile-Mega @ Mawilite
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Protect

Cresselia @ Mental Herb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
- Helping Hand
- Skill Swap

importable 2

Yveltal @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Dark Aura
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 28 Def / 4 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe (creeps base 90s, lives myriads of attacks)
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Snarl
- Tailwind
- Protect

Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 228 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 252 Spe (makes dazzling gleam from xern a 3hko; moonblast a 2hko)
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Precipice Blades
- Fire Punch
- Protect
- Swords Dance

Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
- Double-Edge
- Low Kick

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 156 Atk / 92 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe (makes adamant lo talon's brave bird a 3hko
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- Explosion

Mawile-Mega @ Mawilite
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spe (hits 84 spe; underspeeds primals by 1 outspeeds base 100s and below in tailwind)
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Protect

Cresselia @ Mental Herb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
- Helping Hand
- Skill Swap