SS LC The Kung-Foo Kid

[DC]

[Overview]
Hi, Dreamcatcher here, bringing you another one of my favorite LC creations. Initially, I planned to release this team for my 333th post and after I got Reqs for the Rufflet suspect test. However, I ended up forgetting about the suspect and didn't managed to complete it after a hot start . Anyways, I thought that the team should be shared as it was the first team I built after the release of the DLC and has been consistent for the past few months. Without further ado, lets dive into the actual teambuilding process and the team members.

[Teambuilding Process]

The team's concept is centered around Choice Band Mienfoo and Trace Porygon, two superb additions to LC from the DLC. That core is supplemented by Staryu, providing additional Speed control with Thunder Wave, and Abra, a deadly cleaner that can take advantage of walls that Mienfoo struggles with like Mareanie and Foongus. The final additions are Knock Off support; Pawniard provides Stealth Rock support while Vullaby functions as a pivot, letting Mienfoo enter the battle more safely and frequently.

[Actual Team]


Mienfoo @ Choice Band
Ability: Reckless
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch

Choice Band Mienfoo is the masterpiece and namesake of the team, a Pokemon I have vouched for as extremely underrated and potent in the current metagame. The combination of Choice Band and Reckless turns High Jump Kick into a nuke, capable of luring and OHKOing standard Vullaby and practically everything that doesn't resist it, while having the ability to 2HKO Foongus and Mareanie after Stealth Rock damage. U-turn and Knock Off are options to pivot away from or weaken Mareanie and Spritzee, but in most scenarios, you are better off clicking HJK. Drain Punch is a way for Mienfoo to not risk the HJK miss and recoil while potentially getting recovery to prevent Diglett from trapping it.


Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Trace
Level: 5
EVs: 236 HP / 36 Def / 236 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
- Recover

Specially defensive Porygon was the Pokemon I chose to complement Choice Band Mienfoo with, benefitting from Mienfoo's ability to threaten annoying Steel- and Fighting-types like Ferroseed, Pawniard, and opposing Mienfoo. It provides the team with an answer to Abra and Wingull, two foes that can completely decimate the team if played around incorrectly. Furthermore, Trace provides valuable utility, allowing Porygon to potently reverse-trap Diglett or gain recovery by Tracing a Foongus or Mareanie's Regenerator. Moves are simple; Standard TriBeam coverage with Thunder Wave to provide valuable speed control for Mienfoo and Recover for longevity.


Staryu @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Def / 116 SpA / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Recover

The third DLC addition forms a stable core with the other two. Defensive Staryu shores up the team's weakness to Fire-types like Ponyta and Vulpix, and an additional soft check to Wingull and Abra. Thunderbolt is used over Rapid Spin to better pressure Mareanie and OHKO Wingull, bringing more opportunities for Mienfoo to click HJK. Having a 19 Speed Pokemon that can spread status with Scald and Thunder Wave is also really nice, crippling potentially problematic foes like Vullaby, Abra, and Ponyta. The EVs are relatively standard, helping take physical hits better from the likes of Onix and Ponyta.


Abra @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 236 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Counter
- Protect

Abra is the fourth member, providing the team with a devastating cleaner that pairs well with Choice Band Mienfoo. Abra helps deal with Poison-types like Mareanie and Foongus that can live HJKs, while appreciating Mienfoo threatening OHKOs on Vullaby, Pawniard, and Ferroseed. The team initially had a Life Orb Abra, which provided better wallbreaking potentials with really strong Psychics and Dazzling Gleams, but had little to no defensive utility at all. I switched over to Focus Sash to provide the team with a fail-safe measure, helping it fare better against revenge killers like Choice Scarf Mienfoo and Weak Armor Vullaby with Counter.


Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

The team is round out by Pawniard and Vullaby. Onix was the original Stealth Rock setter for the team, but had some issues that made it less appealing than Pawniard. Pawniard provides the team with a bunch of valuable utility (setting up Stealth Rock, crippling foes with Knock Off, and serving as a Knock Off absorber). In particular, its ability to threaten Spritzee is appreciated by basically every member on this team. Sucker Punch allows Pawniard to potentially play around a trapping attempt by Diglett. The EVs are standard, reaching 16 Speed to tie pivot Vullaby.


Vullaby (F) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 76 Atk / 76 Def / 156 SpD / 36 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Defog

Defensive Vullaby finishes the team. The EVs are tailored to live Focus Sash Abra's Dazzling Gleam after Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb Abra's Dazzling Gleam from full, while investing into some Defense to help with opposing Fighting-types and some Speed to outspeed most variants of Mareanie. Knock Off weakens Spritzee, Mareanie, and Foongus, allowing Vullaby to dish out some good damage with Brave Bird. U-turn allows Vullaby to pivot out and bring in Mienfoo or Abra, while Defog provides the team with entry hazard removal. Overcoat is preferred over Weak Armor, to prevent Spore from Foongus.

[Threats]
- The seagull is really annoying since nothing on the team resists both Water- and Flying-type STAB moves. Try to not let Staryu or Porygon get weakened, and you should be able to play around it.

- Choice Scarf Mienfoo is extremely threatening to this team as the team has no Fighting resists outside of Abra. Preserving Abra's Focus Sash is the key to winning against a potential late-game sweep from it.

- Choice Scarf Magnemite is manageable, but deadly since the team does not have a Ground-type (rip Onix). Having Porygon healthy, along with Pawniard's Sucker Punch, can pressure it enough to stop it from being a major threat.

[REQs I did not get ]

S/O that one guy who called CB Foo an unset.
Not all the games were played with this team, but it had a good run in the early stages of laddering during suspect.

[Team Import]
Yep, I clicked HJK

[Shout Outs]
2018 Discord, My LPL teams (both past and present), LC Community, C&C peeps
Dont wanna name all the people since there would be way too many

Thanks for reading till the end! Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions you may have for this team.

 

[Berks]

Great team! I remember fighting this team or stuff like it several times and it’s obnoxiously effective. My one suggestion would be to run Teleport over Thunder Wave on Porygon. If you’re using Porygon to check things like Staryu, Wingull, Ponyta, and Abra, it’s usually pretty unlikely that they’ll be staying in once you bring Porygon in. Wingull specifically is going to be U-turning out even after a Hurricane or Scald, and it’ll be bringing in a Steel-type or a fighter just about every time. Teleport would give you free switches into Mienfoo in those situations, which is always nice, but it does come at the cost of not having a full health Porygon for lack of having clicked Recover. Regardless, the pressure that switching CB Foo or Abra in for free puts on the other team will probably be good enough to outweigh the loss of a paralyzed Pawniard.

Great stuff!

 

[PyProd]

Hey, this team feels really good (saw it from the Samples thread)! Banded Foo's 17 Speed tier allows it to come in on most Pokémon in this meta and outright threaten to wreck havoc, and it's rather interesting.

However, a glaring issue I can see with it is that it doesn't pack any fighting check despite having most of the mons inviting them in. A quick fix would be using Mareanie over Staryu, as it can check Fighting-types, keeps Staryu's Water-type, and can aid Mienfoo in sweeping with Toxic Spikes or Knocking Off different mons (plus the potential scald burn that could make Foo hard to revenge even when Evioless). The only downside is that you lose a 19 speeder and a Spinner, but since you pack Defog Vullaby and Abra as a 19 Speeder, I can see Staryu depart for Mareanie. Plus, as a Sample for people to explore the tier, it'd make sense if it packed a Fighting-check.