Underdog

[Feliburn]

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Introduction:

Hi it's Feliburn again, I said I was going to post another RMT after losing in RU open so here it is, a really fun balance team built around Calm Mind Delphox that also features Eelektross. It had a nice run during open and a couple of rounds of the seasonal tour as well, enjoy reading it!

Teambuilding Process

Like I said, I decided to start building around Calm Mind Delphox, a pokemon which I think is really underestimated despite being so good.

Added a really cool defensive core I've been using a lot, defensive Venusaur and Stealth Rocks Diancie complement each other very well and still provide support to Delphox, beating pokemon such as Alomomola and Sneasel.

I decided to use Scarf Drapion for some speed control, the ability to revenge kill a lot of threats and being able to pursuit trap, overall a very cool set.

Added Blastoise for hazard removal and a secondary fire and water check.

At the time I started building this, threats such as Sub Bulk Up Braviary and Magneton were everywhere, Eelektross just happened to be a pokemon that could easily deal with both while still fitting perfectly on the team.

The team:

Delphox (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Calm Mind
- Grass Knot / Dazzling Gleam​

Calm Mind Delphox is an absolute monster and it's weird it doesn't get a lot of usage as other pokemon, it threatens a lot of bulky builds and hits really hard without any prior boost, not to mention its decent speed stat. Mandatory stabs in Fire Blast and Psychic to hit as hard as it can with the Life Orb boost. Decided to use Grass Knot to damage water and ground types such as Slowking and Rhyperior for super effective damage but Dazzling Gleam is always an option to hit pokemon like Flygon, although Psychic does enough to 2HKO non specially defensive variants.

Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm​

My rock setter of choice, despite being mainly used as a Dark and Fighting check, Diancie also provides Heal Bell support for the entire team, the EV spread is to have more defensive bulk to deal with pokemon such as Sneasel comfortably while still having enough special defense to tank hits from strong special attackers such as Delphox, Meloetta, etc. Moonblast and Diamond Storm are used to have some offensive presence and scare away pokemon such as Sigilyph and fighters like Hitmonlee and Gurdurr.​

Venusaur (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
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A lot of people know how much I like to spam this set, and that's because it's simply too good, having 3 forms of recovery in Black Sludge, Leech Seed and Synthesis is amazing, allowing it to beat pokemon such as Registeel, Scrafty, Hitmonlee and other fighting types while still serving as a physical wall in general. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are mandatory STABs in order to damage even more the opposing team, the speed EVs allow it to outspeed max speed Rhyperior and opposing Blastoise and Venusaur who creep for Rhyperior. A more speedy set of 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spe can be used to outspeed Clawitzer.

Drapion (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake / Toxic Spikes
- Poison Jab
- Pursuit​

When DTC first mentioned Scarf Drapion I thought he was crazy, then I started using it and realized how good of a set it is, being able to revenge kill stuff like Virizion and Sigilyph is amazing, pursuit trapping weakened pokemon that would normally outspeed you such as opposing Delphox is really nice too. The set is pretty straightforward, STABs on Knock Off and Poison Jab to just damage the opposing team as much as it can, Pursuit is used for pokemon such as Hoopa, Meloetta and the others psychic types, as it is able to outspeed them so it's not always a mindgame if they switch or stay in. Toxic Spikes can be used to pressure the opposing team even more, but Earthquake allows you to damage Registeel, Rhyperior and Emboar for super effective damage. An Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible, though if you want to outspeed Adamant Scarf Flygon and Jolly Scarf Hitmonlee feel free to use Jolly.​

Blastoise (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Roar / Refresh / Protect​

Blastoise fits the role of spinner and also provides a secondary Fire check for pokemon like Emboar and a primary Ice check for Glalie and Sneasel. This one is another straightforward set, Scald is the mandatory STAB to scare away Fire types and spread burns in geneal, Toxic is used to catch pokemon that completely wall Blastoise such as Alomomola and Slowking; since I already have Heal Bell on Diancie, I often use Roar to phaze setup sweepers such as Braviary, but Refresh can always be used to beat Alomomola 1v1. The EVs on speed allow it to outspeed max speed Rhyperior. Protect works to scout choiced pokemon and get extra Leftovers recovery and is overall a better slot than the other 2, thanks to 49 for this suggestion.

Eelektross (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD (240 HP / 16 Spe / 252 SpA with Mild nature and 31 attack IVs if using Aqua Tail)
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Flamethrower
- Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ice / Aqua Tail
- Thunderbolt
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I know Eelektross isn't really considered a good pokemon in the current metagame, but it fit this team so well I just decided to stick with it. Eelektross is mainly used to beat Magneton and Braviary 1v1 and pressure opposing teams thanks to its amazing coverage. I like using dual STAB Eelektross because it keeps momentum with Volt Switch, and Thunderbolt is used so I don't have to switch Eel out whenever I want to deal STAB damage. Flamethrower beats pokemon such as Venusaur, Registeel, Escavalier and Magneton, which are really dangerous for the team. Giga Drain is used to beat Seismitoad, Rhyperior and Diancie and regain lost HP back, Hidden Power Ice can be used to beat Flygon. Aqua Tail is mainly to hit Camerupt which can really threaten the team; if you opt for Aqua Tail make sure to run 16 speed EVs to outspeed fast Camerupt after the mega evolution. I originally started using Assault Vest, but I found Leftovers to be more useful for passive recovery and allowing me to check Braviary and Fletchinder better, but you can always go back to AV for more special defense.

Rotom

Rotom @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 176 / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Discharge
- Substitute

49 suggested using Rotom over Eelektross to provide a better way of breaking regimola cores while still having a way of beating Braviary and Dugtrio. If you decide to use this I really recommend using specially defensive Blastoise with 236 SpD and a Calm nature to have a better Mega Camerupt answer since you miss on Aqua Tail from Eel.

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Conclusion:

This is honestly one of the teams I enjoy using the most, was very effective during RU open and it doesn't really have any major weaknesses, although LO Medicham can be a pain to deal with but it can still be played around with Delphox, Drapion and Venusaur. The idea behind the team is to be able to tank hits with bulky pokemon while still being able to pressure opposing teams a lot, so either Delphox or Drapion can finish the job. Overall a really fun team, I enjoy using Delphox and Eelektross and hopefully you enjoy using it as much as I did!

Importable

Delphox (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Calm Mind
- Grass Knot

Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm

Venusaur (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis

Drapion (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Pursuit

Blastoise (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Protect

Eelektross (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Mild Nature
- Volt Switch
- Flamethrower
- Aqua Tail
- Thunderbolt

Replays

Here are some replays showcasing the team and how it's used:
Vs VoltTurn

Vs Balance

Vs Exploud

Vs Semistall I misplayed a lot in this one, but it shows that the team doesn't have terrible matchup vs bulkier teams.

Not too much to show, but still good games to watch nonetheless.

Shoutouts

I'll keep it shorter this time, if you had a s/o in the last rmt you have on in this one as well, but some people deserve special mentions
Josh (1st s/o)
Ajna (team tester guy)
Killintime & Psynergy (ajna subs when he was offline)
Natalie. (slam partner)
tko , xastify , Kableye & aoemica (ugly minions)
Ryoma Nagare (I promised)
MainEvent , Ice Tea & Lax (gimme likes)

 

[col49]

what it do. i've been getting complaints that i don't do enough pokemon / people think i quit, so i'm just using this as an excuse to convince people otherwise!!!

jk, i swear i'd wanna rate more but w.e, this looks neat too. delphox is a pokemon i think is really interesting to build around; i like how it covers two of the big parameters of a solid, self-sufficient booster in this meta (beats water / steel / fight resist structures, outpaces jolly gonner), and i would argue that plenty of teams don't account for it very well atm. however, the main issue i might tend to observe with it (on a purely fundamental level, tho there's some carry-over here), is that it tends to fall under the blanket of trap fodder. with a team such as this, little it done to properly substantiate counterplay for this, which makes me feel as though it would find it falling victim to simply picking up a ko w/phox, getting trapped in turn, then failing to break a proper defensive build. the replay you showcased here tends to reinforce that idea, which (overlooking a few really suspect sequences from the opp's end) saw a necessity to catch the opp's dudes w/poison jab + flamethrower status to get leg room.

somethin i'd give consideration to here might be subwisp rotom > eelektross. it tends to cut down on sustain of your magneton switches here, but frankly in opting out of an immune and / or wish support, you're being pressed equivocally via proper volt switching. this'd keep the whole 'duggy resistant brav check' angle (plus the ground-immune dillio to come w/it) while offering something of a counterplay angle to dugtrio traps. the way regimola type balances are structured currently, this can pan out in a pretty significant fashion, to the point of even pressing a panic button response from their pursuit user in some more favourable cases. the fight immune and added speed can also come into play w/your cham issues, so yeah!

other minor bits i might consider would be going up to 88 speed evs on to outpace clawlitzer (its actually a beast, just weird to slot on teams properly, pinky promise) and tect in the final blastoise slot. the rationale behind the latter is that, given the pacing set by a team like this, being able to pick up extra lefties turns and choice scout seems really lucrative here, helping to iron out a bit more against the more spa-heavy glalie n the like. furthermore, i'm kinda struggling to id exactly what boosters you'd be lookin to panic button via roar that you're not handling through ulterior means, and the idea that mola would be looking to solo toise rather than knocking lefties then continuing only if it's got backing cleric support seems suspect to me.

hope some of this was of use to u, gl in the future

 

[Feliburn]

what it do. i've been getting complaints that i don't do enough pokemon / people think i quit, so i'm just using this as an excuse to convince people otherwise!!!

jk, i swear i'd wanna rate more but w.e, this looks neat too. delphox is a pokemon i think is really interesting to build around; i like how it covers two of the big parameters of a solid, self-sufficient booster in this meta (beats water / steel / fight resist structures, outpaces jolly gonner), and i would argue that plenty of teams don't account for it very well atm. however, the main issue i might tend to observe with it (on a purely fundamental level, tho there's some carry-over here), is that it tends to fall under the blanket of trap fodder. with a team such as this, little it done to properly substantiate counterplay for this, which makes me feel as though it would find it falling victim to simply picking up a ko w/phox, getting trapped in turn, then failing to break a proper defensive build. the replay you showcased here tends to reinforce that idea, which (overlooking a few really suspect sequences from the opp's end) saw a necessity to catch the opp's dudes w/poison jab + flamethrower status to get leg room.

somethin i'd give consideration to here might be subwisp rotom > eelektross. it tends to cut down on sustain of your magneton switches here, but frankly in opting out of an immune and / or wish support, you're being pressed equivocally via proper volt switching. this'd keep the whole 'duggy resistant brav check' angle (plus the ground-immune dillio to come w/it) while offering something of a counterplay angle to dugtrio traps. the way regimola type balances are structured currently, this can pan out in a pretty significant fashion, to the point of even pressing a panic button response from their pursuit user in some more favourable cases. the fight immune and added speed can also come into play w/your cham issues, so yeah!

other minor bits i might consider would be going up to 88 speed evs on to outpace clawlitzer (its actually a beast, just weird to slot on teams properly, pinky promise) and tect in the final blastoise slot. the rationale behind the latter is that, given the pacing set by a team like this, being able to pick up extra lefties turns and choice scout seems really lucrative here, helping to iron out a bit more against the more spa-heavy glalie n the like. furthermore, i'm kinda struggling to id exactly what boosters you'd be lookin to panic button via roar that you're not handling through ulterior means, and the idea that mola would be looking to solo toise rather than knocking lefties then continuing only if it's got backing cleric support seems suspect to me.

hope some of this was of use to u, gl in the future

Yo 49, I really appreciate the rate man! I'll definitely give Rotom a try, completely forgot about this mon and it sounds really promising based on what you said. I agree with you on toise, I can see a lot of scenarios where protect can come in handy, also the 88 speed EVs are on venu right? I'd assume so, anyway thanks again for the rate

 

[feen]

Aight so I really dislike how Dugtrio can rip apart half of this team, Delphox is indeed terrifying and underrated, but it is susceptible to Dugtrio trapping it quite easily. One of the easiest ways to bring Dugtrio in is by a slow Volt-turn Pokemon, like Flygon (it's not slow in general, but slower than Delphox in this case). Dugtrio can easily break Diancie, as Diancie tends to switch into Flygon predicting U-Turn, and then it gets trapped. Moreover, Scarf Drapion is a great trapper, trapping Sigilyph, Meloetta, Hoopa, and other Pokemon in general, but Dugtrio can easily switch in after it gets a kill and beat it. In order to reduce the danger of Dugtrio, I believe sacrificing Diancie's recovery is essential. Therefore, I'd suggest you to run Shuca Berry over Leftovers on it in order to lure / check it in a pinch.

I do understand that running that Venusaur set is great and all, but trust me it's very easy to PP stall and wear down. Its Giga Drain does not do half to Alomomola, whereas you need more than 56% in order to actually beat it if it has Leftovers. Yes you can Leech Seed + Giga Drain to beat it, but that gives Alomomola more breathing space and it can switch out to Registeel, passing huge Wish in the process. In order to mitigate the issue, I'd suggest running Knock Off over Leech Seed in order to permanently cripple Registeel and Alomomola, while running Modest nature to actually deal damage to it. Yes, it's not that much, but it's enough to pressure Alomomola after a Knock Off without sacrificing any more bulk.

I also agree with Rotom over Eelektross, although I think the Speed creep on the Venusaur might be redundant because it's common in ladder and not in tours, and you should only creep if you want to use on the ladder.

Hope I helped!

 

[DTC]

In my opinion, you should not use SubWisp Rotom. Instead, Colbur Rotom with Will-o-Wisp / Hex / Discharge / Volt Switch seems more desirable for your team. A SubWisp Rotom can't beat Braviary well unless it gives up Volt Switch because you have to use Hex, which seems pretty undesirable to me. Also, SubWisp means you have to use Leftovers to really benefit from Substitute, when I think Colbur Berry would be a lot more useful if part of the incentive to use it is its ability to lure in Pursuit trappers. I know SubWisp is much better at handling Regi + Mola, but I feel like if you implement Arifeen's change of Knock Off on Venusaur, you should be fine vs that combination between Venusaur and Delphox.

I think Shuca Diancie + Colbur Rotom would synergize very nicely with Delphox as both of those Pokemon could lure in the trappers that pick off Delphox, which is honestly the most irritating part of using an otherwise terrifying threat in CM Delphox.