VGC Reg G: a rather crappy miraidon team

[GGholdengo]

Here's my pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/82fd1efa584f9cc9

Greetings, good people of the internet, I am posting today to release yet another team that I have been tinkering around with a while. Even though I believe most of the major flaws have been fixed, I still believe there is room for improvement, which is why I’m here.


toothless (Miraidon) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Hadron Engine
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 96 HP / 36 Def / 252 SpA / 124 Spe
Timid Nature
- Electro Drift
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
- Dazzling Gleam

Let's address the elephant in the room, miraidon is perhaps one of the best-performing pokemon that is newly introduced in gen 9, with its gargantuan special attack and hadron engine, miraidon is an absolute powerhouse that few mons want to be on the wrong end of. I used the set as recommended by the lovely SoulboyVGC during my last RMT about miraidon; and how this set works is simple: by changing miraidon's nature, not only can you outspeed most other miraidons but can also save a lot of EVs to invest in your bulk. Volt switch turns miraidon into a fast pivot but I believe D-gleam is the go-to choice here since it offers more coverage.


kitty (Incineroar) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Impish Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Parting Shot

As much as I hated it, incin is basically mandatory if you wanted to build a decent team without going through all the efforts to find a way to replace it. I don't suppose I needed to explain how it functions, only that I used will-o-wisp instead of flare blitz since it provides more utility shutting down physical attackers with the like of zamezanta-c.


AFRO CIRCUS (Whimsicott) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Tailwind
- Energy Ball
- Fake Tears

My team's go-to prankster tailwind setter, it synergies with miraidon better than tornadus since its STABs are capable of covering mons such as groudon which would otherwise wall miraidon. I'm not counting on whimsicott to do massive damage or anything, but investing EVs in sp.atk just seems like a wise choice, which is why I am using sash; but still, c.cloak seemed like a viable option too.


spoodr (Araquanid) @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Bubble
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Atk / 164 Def
Impish Nature
- Liquidation
- Wide Guard
- Protect
- Leech Life

Urshifu-r is supposed to go into this slot, but after careful consideration, I felt like using araquanid gives me more utility. Wide guard is a godsend for any mon during restricted formats, and with a great typing and massive bulk, araquanid is very difficult to remove on the field. Don't let its bulky presence fool you though, tera-water mystic water water bubble boosted liquidation hits like an 18-wheeler and 2HKOs groudon in the sun, allowing araquianid to also be an offensive menace. This doesn't mean this set is all without flaws though, I am still tinkering about and working on this set to the moment I am writing this thread; I've noticed a lot of araquanid sets using power split, which I'm assuming is for weakening attacker with the likes of zacian and calyrex-s, while araquanid itself is unaffected thanks to water bubble; but is it worthwhile to swap leech life/protect for power split?


long necc (Farigiraf) @ Electric Seed
Ability: Armor Tail
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 228 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 180 SpD / 28 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand

A standard farigiraf set that I see getting paired up with miraidon, blocking fake outs which miraidon can't otherwise counter. I also think of farigiraf as a niche counter to trick room teams by reseting trick room and tailwind teams with mons like calyrex-s that would outspeed miraidon even in tailwind; I may be wrong tho.


Isshin Ashina (Kingambit) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Defiant
Level: 50
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Kowtow Cleave
- Protect
- Iron Head

Since we already have farigiraf, we'll be need of a trick-room sweeper in case things ever turn south; normally it is paired with ursaluna-bloodmoon, but i felt like kingambit is a better choice as it has a better matchup to calyrex-i, which poses the biggest threat to my team.

 

[Animecatbelike]

A few things

• Miraidon does not need timid nature. especially if it has tailwind support from Whimsicott, it also does not need dazzling gleam for coverage, draco meteor will OHKO most dragon types and the sheer power of modest choice specs Miraidon will OHKO most dark or fighting types, I reccomend using overheat instead of dazzling gleam to ensure a kill on Rllaboom and Zamazenta. Also run tera electric and not tera fairy because tera electric offers more power and removes your fairy weakness anyways

• Incineroar is a good choice and an important counter to mons like Calyrex but I would recommend investing more into SpDef.

• Whimsicott is good because it offers a lot of support and grass typing is pretty good, but I would suggest running encore instead of moonblast and taunt instead of fake tears to discourage other tailwind strategies. Also idk why your running 36 hp evs if your also using focus sash? just use max SpAtk, max speed and make it modest nature because most of its moves are priority anyways.

• Araquianid is a niche pick but i do think it could work, althought there is no real reason to use leech life, Araquianid is super weak without its ability boosting its water attacks so I would probably just use pain split or even entrainment if you want a good gimmick.

• Farigiraf looks good

• Just use choice band urshifu dark

 

[Pengu]

A few things

• Miraidon does not need timid nature. especially if it has tailwind support from Whimsicott, it also does not need dazzling gleam for coverage, draco meteor will OHKO most dragon types and the sheer power of modest choice specs Miraidon will OHKO most dark or fighting types, I reccomend using overheat instead of dazzling gleam to ensure a kill on Rllaboom and Zamazenta. Also run tera electric and not tera fairy because tera electric offers more power and removes your fairy weakness anyways

• Incineroar is a good choice and an important counter to mons like Calyrex but I would recommend investing more into SpDef.

• Whimsicott is good because it offers a lot of support and grass typing is pretty good, but I would suggest running encore instead of moonblast and taunt instead of fake tears to discourage other tailwind strategies. Also idk why your running 36 hp evs if your also using focus sash? just use max SpAtk, max speed and make it modest nature because most of its moves are priority anyways.

• Araquianid is a niche pick but i do think it could work, althought there is no real reason to use leech life, Araquianid is super weak without its ability boosting its water attacks so I would probably just use pain split or even entrainment if you want a good gimmick.

• Farigiraf looks good

• Just use choice band urshifu dark

OK, idk about what you're saying.
- Your not always under Tailwind, and the Modest Nature isn't needed because Miraidon is already super powerful. And Tera Fairy doesn't just invalidate your Fairy weakness, but Dragon as well (makes the raging bolt MU better).
- The Incineroar EVs are completely fine, and unless you have some reasoning I don't see any reason to change this.
- I would not drop Moonblast, so much more versatile than Energy Ball. I would drop Energy Ball for Encore though. Fake Tears is a more niche option, sure. But Taunt isn't great. If you want to stop TW or TR, then just use Encore. Timid is on Whims to out speed other Whims and Tornadus btw. Just go for the 252/252/4 on Whims, but Timid.
- Leech Life is run because it heals Araquianid. And it isn't even that weak.
- Urshifu-S hasn't been doing so well, but it could slot due to the synergy with Whims.

 

[Animecatbelike]

-I don't agree, fake out + tailwind means most of the time its outspeeding or getting to move with fake out so you might as well run modest.

-I don't really have reasoning for Incineroar but I believe Incineroar should run more SpDef due to intimidate

-I would keep energy ball because it can hit water types like kyogre, I do understand running moonblast though and taunt is for torn

- Leech life is weak asf coming off base 70 Atk and because its so weak its not healing much of anything so just use pain split at that point.

 

[Omastar68]

Hm. I guess that reasoning on Leech Life is ok. Maybe try Lunge, if Pain Split is not chosen instead. Drops their Atk instead of a modicum of healing, same BP bug coverage, if that matters. Idk, I just like moves that drop their Atk/SpA, like Breaking Swipe. Also idk what else makes sense. In most cases Skitter Smack is a worse special drop lunge, and idk about mirror coat since you might not even get targeted, or killed by double target, etc. Webs isn't for doubles, Chilling Water would be ridiculous, Poison Jab is extra weak. The only two options I can easily see that aren't given already are Lunge and Reflect.

 

[Mr.GX]

Miraidon, the bike we all wish we had. So, to start off, I'll try providing some of my 2 cents on the above comments:

• Run Tera Electric on Miraidon. The multiple multipliers boosting your damage through the roof is it's entire thing in these sort of offense teams. I would ditch Gleam for Discharge, it can come in clutch. You also run Wide Guard, and can run Tera Ground Farig.
• Timid Miraidon can actually work to outspeed and OHKO opposing Modest Mirai which is more common. Speed tie'ing Chien-Pao is also a nice bonus. Mirai already hits hard enough.
• Incineroar running physical bulk as opposed to special do have some merit; you can EV to survive a Glacial Lance AND High Horsepower from Calyrex-I. Having Intimidate is not enough of an incentive to ditch physical defense in this format considering how the majority of the physical restricteds/attackers are straight up immune to it thanks to Clear Amulet or Inner Focus.
• Definitely drop Energy Ball for Protect. Whimsi is frail, and surviving to stagger Tailwind vs opposing Tailwind teams can win games. You can also try ditching Fake Tears for Encore so Whimsi can be more threatening on its own. Do NOT drop Moonblast, it is very good.
• Keep Leech Life on Araq. Hitting Rillaboom, Farig and even Tera-grass/Base Caly-I is very neat.
• I would run Foul Play on Farigiraf over Dazzling Gleam. It's very good into both horses.
• Not quite sold on Kingambit, mainly because of Mienshao and Iron Hands picking up popularity. You could try your own Iron Hands in that slot, see how it works out.
• Consider Tera Grass on Araquanid. With Wide Guard, you don't care about Glacial anyways Tera Grass helps you handle Iron Hands more easily, and ignore Amoonguss. Also resists Electric from Bolt. Just an option you could test.

Hope this helped, good luck!