Other Metagames [SS NFE] IPHONE

[hayedenn]

After losing in the NFE DLC 2 Tour, I'm here to post my favorite team that I've made so far. My goal going into making this team was to make the most disgusting, basic NFE balance team and I succeeded! Nothing on this team has any crazy tech and it's a fairly easy team to pick up and be moderately successful with (in my humble opinion).

Teambuilding Process​

I started with a pretty simple defensive core here. SpDef Clef/Marshtomp/Ferroseed basically cover most offensive mons in the tier and they synergize very well together. Ferroseed is a great special wall that can come in on most mons and go for Leech/Knock/Spikes depending on what's in front of it. Marshtomp is the bulky water on the team and has a great matchup against other rockers in the tier and can spread Toxic to most anything that switches in outside of a couple things like Hattrem/Golbat/Ferroseed. Clef is the glue of this team and is the special wall that can cover things like Mime-Galar and specs Magmar (to a degree) that Ferro couldn't handle itself. Wish is also a really nice move that helps the other walls stay alive longer.


There are a couple roles on this team that Koffing compresses very well. First, I needed a better fighting resist as SpDef Clef still struggles with physical attackers like Raboot, Thwackey, and Gurdurr. Second, Toxic Spikes are everywhere in NFE right now, and I needed something that could not only remove Toxic Spikes easily but also spread them themselves. It also rounds out the defensive core very nicely and can spread burn itself.


Gurdurr is just amazing on balance. It has a great attack and HP stat, access to Knock Off, and it's own form of (mild) recover in Drain Punch. Plus, most importantly for this team, access to Defog. I was very unsure originally of whether I wanted a spinner (Wartortle) or a Defogger (like Golbat) and I found through testing this team out that Gurdurr just worked nicely. Plus, it has a nice defense stat that allows it to also serve as a check to threatening Rockers like Piloswine and Gabite.


Like Gurdurr, Electabuzz is just a great mon right now. I realized that this team was lacking a solid offensive presence and Electabuzz serves as a solid pivot, cleaner, and check to other offensive mons. Base 105 speed is the fastest thing in the tier right now (bar scarf and boosted mons) and Volt Switch just lets me constantly pivot into my other walls. Eviolite lets me pivot a bit longer than I'd be able to otherwise and also let Electabuzz sponge a few hits from things like Mime-Galar.

The Team More Closely​

Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Moonblast / Heal Bell
- Wish
- Knock Off / Heal Bell

Clefairy is just good. Softboiled/Wish are used in conjunction so that Clef can not only heal itself freely but also spread healing to its teammates. Moonblast/Knock are used here as the attacking moves. Moonblast lets Clef check fighting and dragon types like Gurdurr and Gabite (although I wouldn't switch in on these directly as you aren't physdef) and also have STAB while Knock is needed so that Clef can check the Psychic types it's supposed to beat like Kadabra/Gime as well as to hit things that may switch in on Clef and remove their item. Heal Bell is something I've considered and it can help remove those annoying statuses but I really like having both Knock and Moonblast. SpDef is used over PhysDef mainly due to Magmar being incredibly problematic (in general) and it helps check the myriad of special attackers better. I could tailor an EV spread specifically for it's role here but that takes brainpower I'd rather use elsewhere.

Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Knock Off
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Spikes

Ferroseed is my favorite special wall and hazard setter in NFE right now. Spikes are a pretty solid hazard in the tier right now and it also lets the team pack a second hazard outside of rocks to do more damage to Stealth Rock resists like Gurdurr. Knock is of course on Ferro because it's Knock Off and everything has eviolite. Leech Seed in conjunction with Spikes/Rocks/TSpikes help get off a LOT of residual damage onto everything that switches in and also is a form of recovery for Ferro. Gyro is the stab brought because Ferro is hella slow. It can get a bit testy as Gyro only has 8 PP but it isn't a huge concern in most games.
​

Koffing @ Eviolite
Ability: Neutralizing Gas
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Will-O-Wisp*
- Sludge Bomb
- Pain Split

Toxic Spikes in NFE right now are very good. Not only can Koffing soak up Toxic Spikes but it can also spread them itself. Even though there are a wide variety of hazard removal or blocking (in Hattrem's case) options, even getting one or two mons poisoned helps dramatically, as the absence of Leftovers in NFE allows mons to get chipped and worn down much more easily. Neutralizing Gas allows Koffing to set up TSpikes in the face of Hattrem and is in general a very good ability. PhysDef helps you check Thwackey/Gurdurr and cover the weaknesses that Clefairy/Ferro have. Will-O-Wisp is pretty self-explanatory and helps you spread status even if TSpikes aren't up. Sludge Bomb acts as STAB and Pain Split helps you recover some HP.

*I guess if you want you could run something like Flamethrower in this spot but you aren't always going to be able to get Toxic Spikes up and being able to stop physical attackers in their tracks is much more helpful imo.

Marshtomp @ Eviolite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Marshtomp is one of my favorite hazard setters in the tier right now. PhysDef makes Marshtomp very bulky and helps check opposing rockers and also things like Raboot that can sometimes get testy. Earthquake/Scald round out the STAB moves and are pretty self-explanatory on their own. Stealth Rocks function as this team's third layer of hazards and Toxic helps spread status to grass types that may switch in like Tangela or Thwackey as well as rapid spinners and defoggers outside of Golbat/Hattrem. Marshtomp also helps me stop Volt Switch mons like Pikachu and Electabuzz and prevent them from pivoting constantly in and out.
​

Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
- Defog

Gurdurr acts as a sort of second physical wall as well as this team's hazard removal. Guts is a very handy ability as, while things like TSpikes can be annoying, it at least gives me a boost in attack and can sometimes help me get through some annoying walls that would usually trouble me. Since I'm not running Bulk Up I decided to go max HP max Attack in order to maximize Gurdurr's offensive potential, as well as going with an Adamant Nature. Drain Punch/Knock Off/Mach Punch act as the three standard attacking moves usually carried by Gurdurr and are plenty effective on their own. You could run some tech here like Bulk Up > Mach Punch or Poison Jab but I've never felt like I'm ever lacking coverage.

Electabuzz @ Eviolite
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Focus Blast

Electabuzz acts as speed control and also something that can offensively check and sponge attacks from weaker mons in the tier. The four moves here are basically the only coverage Electabuzz can run and help round out the set very nicely. Buzz also acts as a nice Golbat check (but you do have to worry about toxic). Electabuzz has a lot of special bulk, and with Eviolite you can sponge a lot of attacks that you wouldn't be able to with Boots or Scarf. You can also bluff those items if you want to and Focus Blast/Psychic the things that would usually switch in.
​

Threatlist

What is there to say about this mon that hasn't already been written on every bathroom stall? Specs is a menace and Taunt/Three Attacks or even Taunt/Toxic/Two Attacks can break through everything in the tier.
This thing isn't usually a big issue but Stallbreaker variants can just be incredibly annoying to deal with
RestTalk is annoying, point blank periodt. I haven't ever run into CM variants but I know they exist and I know I would die inside if I ever ran across one.
CB and Bulk Up can definitely be an issue but if I can get a TSpikes off I can usually at some point switch into EBuzz and kill it
Acro variants can be problematic but Koffing is usually able to handle them​

Possible Changes​

• I have toyed around with the idea of compressing and -> and running a separate rocker (maybe rocks on Ferro or just using spikes alone) or another offensive mon but I haven't actually found anything I liked yet.​
• Running SpDef Defog Golbat > Koffing and making Clef Physdef / BU Gurdurr, but it opens me up a bit more to Magmar​

Credits
Miyami~~~ for playing NFE battles with me in the upwards of tens or even hundreds of times in the past two weeks, and also getting me involved in the tier by proxy of just existing and me being bored
Cheryl. for constantly throwing and keeping me entertained, even if you talk smack way too much
and a few other people in the NFE tier but i dont know your smogon handles but you guys have been really helpful, thanks!

Pokepaste
https://pokepast.es/1e688925ee53eef2​

 

[Eris]

hello!
as an nfe main I was really happy to see that we finally have gotten an NFE rmt, so thank you so much for this post!

I have tested out your team this morning against some of my favourite players and while the process behind your team building was good there are a few factors which render your team less effective than it could be imo. I think team composition wise you're not on a bad path but you're not really doing yourself any favours by not going all the way on this team either. I think if your goal was to make the most disgusting NFE team ever there were other great options that could have easily fit onto this team with better synergy, perhaps. Now keep in mind I'm not a great player myself and I still think your team is fine the way it is but I'm just going to point out a few problems I have found and some ways to remedy them.

• 1. No way to threaten out or pressure hazard removal

While your team is quite bulky as a whole the main problem with it is the lack of recovery it contains, and this will carry on for pretty much every point I'm going to make, it's just not sustainable enough to carry itself against fatter teams. Your match up against offense is not bad but you do have a prominent weakness to Mr.Mime and Golbat which are too common to ignore. Clefairy like you have pointed out is your main answer against Galarian Mr.Mime and while it works fine on paper, you rely too much on your opponent making a bad play against it than you should. Since Clefairy is also your main switch in to Pokemon like Mareanie and Gurdurr it is normal for it to lose its Eviolite quite early on, now this renders it unreliable entirely since it is probably the one if not the most vital Pokemon on your team. Clefairy cannot afford to be weaken down by Mr.Mime because you need it to recover every other Pokemon on your team, and that is where Golbat comes in. In all of the games I have used your team, Golbat has had no trouble breaking down each Pokemon without any repercussion, maybe this is a metagame problem to begin with but this team just cannot break Golbat reliably. Taunt + Super Fang + Brave Bird just breaks all of the possible counterplays that you could make, and there are not many since your only option against Golbat really is to switch in with Electabuzz; Marshtomp doesn't force anything out sadly, maybe if you changed Scald to Yawn but that's not where I'm getting at for now. Another Pokemon that pressures you is Hattrem, but mainly Sleep Talk Hattrem which is becoming more and more popular as well, nothing in your team can reliably take care of it due to the lack of power damage you hold, Hattrem completely blocks Ferroseed and Marshtomp from doing anything and if you pair it with a Golbat or Mr.Mime then your team will struggle immensely.

• 2. Too weak to hazard

As I mentioned earlier your team does not like to be against bulkier teams and this is the main reason why. The team has very little counterplay to hazards, no taunt users, no trick users, just nothing but a Defog Gurdurr. This is not ideal especially when Gurdurr is the main breaker and source of priority on your team and something you rely on too much to be chipped on from hazards constantly. When hazards are on your side your offensive presence is just gone, you cannot afford to chip your Electabuzz too much because it won't be able to do everything your team lacks offensively, and the same goes for Marshtomp and Ferroseed. Now I'm aware that the solution to that is just having your Clefairy but as a whole I will say that Clefairy without teleport struggles a little to pass on Wishes especially to Pokemon like Marshtomp and Ferroseed who cannot attend a lower range than 30% after hazard damage or Electabuzz as a whole who isn't particularly bulky either. But the main argument here again comes back to Golbat where it strikes again with the move Taunt, this is why Golbat is such a threat to your team because you are forced to being chipped off every time you want to pressure it out.

• 3. Too weak offensively / defensively

This will be my final point but I honestly think that the middle ground in which this team is at in terms of playstyle is just too weak offensively to pull it off more, now I realise that the entire point of the team is for it to be fat, but your team isn't fat enough to do so which is why Electabuzz was added onto your team but Electabuzz isn't an offensive saviour and is quite weak in itself especially without a Choice Specs. Like I have mentioned your team struggles to break bulkier teams and this is the reason why.

I have tried to make my own little versions of this team and I have had quite a long amount of unsuccessful drafts, I think this kind of team is quite hard to pull off since it's hard to find a good middle ground of what you're really trying to do with it, after a few tries I decided to go back to the root of your team and realised I didn't like Clefairy too much so I switched it out for Koffing. I'm not sure if this team is the best version I could have made but it is what it is I guess and here it is;

Now this team does have a better match up against the things I have pointed out at but it probably lost a bit of value against what your team was able to do well, probably against more offensively driven teams so this really just is a different version of it. Hattrem is your main use of hazard removal so you have to make sure it stays consistently healthy throughout the time hazard setters are. Pikachu is just your main way into offense and revenge killing, it does more damage than Electabuzz and pairs greatly with Koffing and the momentum of this team. Tangela is just your main defensive wall. Tangela is just solid overall and I needed another Eviolite remover outside of Koffing and this one worked greatly as it better our match up against general threats like Thwackey and Raboot which you mentioned having a bit of a hard time against, the evs are pretty flexible however if you feel like you want to go bulkier or more offensive with spa investments and leaf storm.

thank you again for making an NFE RMT, and I hope my feedback was okay!