Some question why (Volturn!)

[TerminusTactican]

Playing around on LC, I found a tier I was comfortable in, and I decided to use my hand in one of my preferred team types, the ever so common, Volturn! It's not even Volturn anymore ha. I've had decent success with this team, reaching semi finals of a tournament.
The team at a glance
I tried to make a Volturn team, and then after one rate, and about 3 days on PS!, I made a team that both went along with the metagame, and also went against it. (I've stalled a whole bunch, such fun)

Mienfoo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk / 36 Def
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
Although it's purpose is of a revenge killer, it can also fill the use of a late game sweeper (I think that's what they're called?). I use it at the start of the battle, since it's incredible blazing speed is very useful, where I can normally predict and shift momentum in my favor. If there's a ghost, I use knock off, and a lot of the time, it successfully nets me a 6-5 on turn 1. With the advent of calm mind Swirlix, it became more difficult to take it down on the special side, so I added poison jab. HJK and U-turn should be self explanatory.

Chinchou @ Eviolite
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 224 Spd / 232 SAtk / 52 Def
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam

Chinchou has a variety of uses on my team, and a majority of the time, it can accomplish it with ease. Chinchou is meant to remove many of the issues my team tends to have, the most common providing my team with the momentum I prefer to have. Chinchou now has ice beam, netting me KOs, if the opponent predicts a electric or water attack, where they switch to a ground type or grass type, respectively.

Natu @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 116 HP / 36 Atk / 76 Def / 76 SDef / 196 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave
- Roost
I really don't like have a rapid spinner on my team. It provides a hassle, and the only reliable option is to have a magic bouncer, and there's only one option. Natu's immune to taunt, allowing it to set up dual screens with no consequence, which is a very valuable asset for the team, since it can help offensive and defensive pokemon take hits better, which commonly brings the game back in my favor. Thunder wave has been added, allowing me to cripple many of the sweepers that may be too fast to handle.

Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 232 Spd / 232 Satk
Timid Nature
- Recycle
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Magnemite has a wide array of uses, depending on the situation.The most common one it ever gets brought up for is to take down set up sweepers, most commonly shell smashers, since a majority of them my team can't outspeed. Should a pokemon fall, I can send in Magnemite, and guarantee a free hit (Which is normally all it needs). If worst comes to worse, I can recycle over and over, until eventually switches, starting the process all over. I never do understand why LC doesn't have much stall.

Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 232 Def / 232 HP
Impish Nature
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Defog
Gligar is the tank, easily taking hits physically very well, along with dishing out it's own damage. I decided not to go with stealth rock, due to testing causing me to prefer a reliable way of recovery, rather than a hazard that commonly gets put up from magic bouncing. Defog doesn't get much use, as hazards only ever got put up once on my side. I made purposeful to not give it any speed EVs, so when put up against another Gligar, mine will normally get it's Acro boosted up first.

Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Adamant Nature
76 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Def / 36 Spe
- Will-o-Wisp
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Wild Charge

Larvesta is the other physical tank, who can more easily take fightings who carry an ice type move. Although I am very careful with my other teams to stick to only one status, the burn can cripple attackers very well. Larvesta doesn't commonly see the end of battle, but many victories have been aided with the help of this torchy bug. The recoil does stack up, however.​

Threat list!

• Meditite is annoying, but that's really it, since Larvesta so easily takes care of it.
• Swirlix with cotton guard AND calm mind is GG
• Drillbur doesn't actually make a threat on my team, but since mold breaker allows hazards to get pass, it's annoying to play with, but it's not all that common.

That's it, thanks and please leave a comment!

Importable (It's out of order though.)
​

Mienfoo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab

Chinchou @ Eviolite
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SAtk / 224 Spd
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam

Natu @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Def / 76 SDef / 196 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave
- Roost

Gligar @ Berry Juice
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 240 Atk / 240 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Defog

Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 232 SAtk / 232 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Recycle
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 76 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Def / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- U-Turn
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Wild Charge

 

[Electrolyte]

Hey TerminusTactican, welcome to LC, and cool team! :)

I used a team similar to this one in BW, and can agree that VoltTurn is a great strategy. However, I feel as if you're lacking ways to deal with a lot of the tier's most powerful sweepers, mainly things like Shell Smashers, Murkrow, Misdreavus, and Swirlix. Nosepass is a relatively poor Pokemon to use in the LittleCup tier because it's weak offensively and weak defensively to a lot of common attacking threats. It also seems relatively difficult for you to muscle past walls and bulky teams with steady recovery because there is no powerful offense besides Volt Switch and U-Turn. Some changes can be made to improve the team.

The first thing I'm going to suggest here is that you use Larvesta instead of Nosepass. (I will provide a set below) There are several reasons as to why Larvesta helps this team a lot more than Nosepass. For one, Larvesta / Chinchou / Mienfoo is an extremely solid VoltTurn core that can handle a lot of the metagame offensively and defensively. Larvesta easily beats Meditite and most other Fighting-types, resisting their attacks and burning them with its ability, Flame Body. Larvesta also provides valuable Fire-type coverage to hit Steel-types such as Honedge hard, and does not drop the VoltTurning momentum at all. Larvesta also has a lot more longevity than Nosepass, as it can heal itself with Morning Sun and serve as a decent Sun check to nonAncientPower Tangela. Nosepass really does nothing that Larvesta and the rest of the team don't cover together.

You may notice that with Larvesta, your team becomes weaker to Stealth Rock. Fortunately, you won't be forced to run Rapid Spin- Gen IV mechanics mean that you can use Bulky Offensive Defog support Gligar instead of your current Gligar and remove hazards reliably. (set will be provided below) Defog erases all hazards on the field and even can't be spinblocked, making it a great way to ward off Stealth Rock. Speaking of Stealth Rock, your own Gligar should carry it as well, giving you a way to damage the opponent and take advantage of the switches you'll force with VoltTurn. It also breaks Sturdies, making Sturdy reliant berry juice Pokemon less of a threat. I'm suggesting an offensive Gligar along with this because your Gligar doesn't apply enough offensive pressure. It has no attacking moves, so it becomes pure setup bait for things that don't mind Knock Off and Toxic for a few turns (like Swirlix, Magnemite, and other Gligar) You need Acrobatics and Earthquake to be able to counter Fighting-types with greater ease and hit things for quite a lot of damage. This lets you hit SSmashers for solid damage, and also hit other Gligars for good amounts as well. You simply don't have time to Toxic stall when keeping momentum is so important for a team like this.

Speaking of momentum, I don't think you need 2 scarfers on this team. Being that you are weak to Swirlix, Tangela, Berry Juice sweepers, and a lot of other powerful threats, try Berry Juice over Choice Scarf on Magnemite. Berry Juice Sturdy Magnemite is one of the best multipurpose threat checks in the tier, countering nearly every single offensive threat now that Sneasel is banned. Berry Juice lets Mag take advantage of Sturdy, basically ensuring it at least 2 hits against everything in the tier. This Magnemite is a hard counter to Swirlix, a huge threat, as it can outspeed and OHKO with Flash Cannon. It counters dwebble, too, easily sponging an EQ, recovering HP, and KOing with Flash Cannon. It even beats Gligar, easily switching into anything but Knock Off / Acrobatics and OHKOing with HP Ice. It doesn't even lose momentum either, as it can still Volt Switch, but doesn't have to be locked into an attack and therefore be weak to Ground-types. Berry Juice Magnemite is such an awesome set that you need to use on this team. You don't need scarf as Mienfoo plays that role more than well enough already.

I'm also finding that Natu's presence on the team is questionable. After all of my changes, you're still kind of weak to things like Tangela and Misdreavus, though getting up Light Screen would help. I don't want to change too much in your team, so Natu can stay- but I think you should at least alter its moveset. Try Thunder Wave over Reflect. Reflect doesn't help this team as much as its moveslot should because you already handle almost all physical attackers well anyway. Thunder Wave lets you cripple switch ins, which is essential again to prevent Natu from being setup bait. It can cripple a whole lot of troublesome threats, giving the team a lot more breathing room. If you predict and paralyze the right opponents, you can pretty much guarantee yourself win conditions against any team, helping you out a lot more than Reflect.


Other than that, there's not much else I have to say. Maybe Adamant Mienfoo will suit you better because it outspeeds most things anyway and hits A LOT harder. Maybe try Scald over Surf on Chinchou to burn things and deal with physical attackers with greater ease.

Either way, those are my thoughts. I'm really glad you like the littlecup tier! Don't be afraid to ask me or any other LC knowledgeable person for advice or hop on #littlecup on irc if you have questions. Good luck! :)

summary of changes

Nosepass --> Larvesta
Gligar --> Offensive Support Gligar
Choice Scarf Magnemite --> Berry Juice Magnemite
Reflect Natu --> Thunder Wave Natu

Possibly:
Adamant Scarfoo
Scald Chinchou

sets

Larvesta @ Eviolite
Flame Body | Adamant
76 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Def / 36 Spe
- U-Turn
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Wild Charge

Gligar @ Berry Juice
Hyper Cutter | Jolly
240 Atk / 240 Spe
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Defog