Vgc team

[TrollFreak]

Well Guys, this team took me to a top 8 finish at Atlanta and a top 16 finish at Indy in the 2011 VGC, so with all pokes being out, i decided to keep my old team, just revise it a little bit
    Spoiler:- Team Buliding Process:

Show Spoiler

 




Well, This is a Trick Room Team, so i need a poke with Trick Room. Musharna has Telepathy(An ability that makes it immune to my partners moves) and amazing bulk so i had to use it. Though Cress has better defensive stats, an 85 base speed makes it iffy,musharna's 30 is ideal for TR



Scizor is risky, espically with moves like heat wave common in doubles, but this more defensive scizor works really well, and patches some holes my hitting bulky psychics like cress, taking pressure of scafty.



45 base speed, 120 base attack, and intimidate, makes granbull worthy of at least getting tested. Really great especially with the one weakness and the great HP stat, crippling many physical treats.



I was thinking conkeldurr, but scarfty, with 2 Great STAB for VGC + Fake Out, its helps my team more than Conkeldurr, tho its a BIG drop in power.



I was thinking a Physical one at first, but the special set im using has great coverage. No weaknesses, and a great 105 base special attack. Did i say no weaknesses. Electric STAB is for Water types used in rain, which causes problems to my team(Scarfed ones, not so much)



Well, with no sleep clause at VGC, great bulk and Rage Powder, i had to use ammonguss.

 

Musharna (M) @ Mental Herb
Trait: Telepathy
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand
- Protect
- Psychic

This is my custom set, it's a 2-3HKO w/ Volcarona Bug Buzz and Life Orb, 2-3HKO w/ Chandelure Scarfed, 2-3KO on Hydregion Crunch/Dark Pulse and Life Orb. Well, you get where thats going. Trick Room is Standard(Its a Trick Room Team) Helping Hand is for boosting my allies moves. Psychic is for STAB so if the oppo is close to dying, i can finish it off.


Scizor (M) @ Occa Berry
Trait: Technician
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Night Slash/Brick Break
- Protect

Scizor is really powerful, as anyone who plays OU will tell you. Bullet Punch is great for killing t-tar/ obamasnow/ ice types, and since its priority, useful in and out of TR. Bug Bite is Boosted by the ability, killing cress and other bulky psychics, like reunclus.


Granbull (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Return
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Protect

Intimidate is crucial thanks to more physical pokes being used now, and granbull is great for my team. Rock slide is for dual hits, return is STAB, crunch for cress and CO. I may use hitmontop, but so far granbull is working


Scrafty (M) @ Chople Berry
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Crunch
- Drain Punch
- Fake Out
- Protect

This could be Conkeldurr come VGC time. Crunch is for Bulky Psychics, Drain Punch is for Dark Types and Terrkion. Fake Out can help out when i send it out, Flinching my opponent and giving me time to set up TR if needed.


Eelektross (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Thuderbolt/Discharge
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Ice]

I tried Electric Gem and Life Orb, but This Set can devastate teams. Thunderbolt is STAB and w/ specs, deals HEAVY damage if not resistant. Flamethrower is for Grass Types, Grass Knot for Grounds, and Hidden Power Ice for Dragons. Great Coverage all in all for this set.


Amoonguss (M) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Effect Spore
EVs: 144 HP / 132 Def / 52 SAtk / 180 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Rage Powder
- Protect

Standard Ammonguss for VGC. Spore and Rage Powder are standard, as he allows me to disrupt my opponent team and Giga Drain is to get HP back and to deal damage when needed.

[TheBluePorygon]

SHouldnt you have more than 1 TR set up? Plus id go with HP fighting, it works a little better, protect wastes a turn of TR

[3.14kachu]

What exactly are the limitations for VGC? I have some suggestions, but I want to know if they're doable. Your team is entirely 5th Gen pokemon. Is any other Gen allowed?

[TrollFreak]

What exactly are the limitations for VGC? I have some suggestions, but I want to know if they're doable. Your team is entirely 5th Gen pokemon. Is any other Gen allowed?

no. i wish it was tho

its also doubles as well, make sure if you rate you know that

[Farfan]

Yeah, maybe chandelure should have Trick Room instead of energy ball or protect, because when the first TR is over, your team will always attack last

[TrollFreak]

@ pory, yeah i was thinking that too, but protect helps me scout out what moves my oppo has, or keep musharna around for one more turn if needed to say, set up another TR

@farfan no, energy ball coverys jellicent and terrakion really well, and protect is for when i set up a TR, its safe from harm until its set up. i was thinking whimsicott w/ this set > ammonguss

whim@leftys
prankster
252 HP/252 Sp.Def/4 Def
Calm

Trick Room
Helping Hand
Taunt
Encore

it has prankster, so all moves are priority, so i dont need speed evs and TR dosent affect it

[DarkLink3]

Looks Interesting

[AJ]

hmm, interesting. since it is doubles, beware of widegaurd with your electross using discharge. t-bolt is safer, but i like its moveset as is. it seems you have SAZA/JELLY covered as well, a cleric might be helpful, but not needed. pretty good over all, secondary TR setter is nice if musharna goes down early...

[TrollFreak]

@aj yeah, but a choice specs discharge hits all pokes HARD(unless its resisted) and w/ helping hand, OVERKILL

[mattj]

You have a very well thought out team here. I could see this working very well. Very good job. I can only suggest a few small things from the experience I have with testing TR in VGC '11.

Firstly, as already suggested, I would strongly encourage you to at least test TR on Chandelure. It's especially necessary to be able to set up your team with more than one mon this year because of team preview. You might see something and just go "Oh god, I can't lead with musharna!!" Having options is very valuable this season. Way moreso than in the past. Had this been '09, or '10 I'd say one solid TR lead would be enough because the matches are generally fast. But there's a high chance you're gonna have to switch things up at some point.

Secondly, if you haven't tried it yet, I would suggest testing Overheat on Chandelure inplace of flamethrower. Obviously, the accuracy is lower, which is a risk you have to decide on, but in my thorough testing of TR for this season I came across soooooooooooooooooooooooooo maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany OccaShrooms and OccaCotts all with HP, and some with 252+SDef. Flamethrower cannot 1HKO them. Overheat has a chance. It's really your decision because the accuracy is just flat out a deal breaker for some players, but i would suggest at least trying it because Occamons have been fairly popular in my experience so far.

Thirdly, you've got to, got to, GOT TO make sure you're prepared for Kojondo/Tornadus + Sashed Imprison Chandelure. I was watching the live feed of Nats, and there was a picturesque battle where a Sashed Imprison Chandelure 4/0'd COMPLETELY OBLITERATED a TR team completely by itself. I also carry it on all my non-TR teams just because they're so effective. However you want to go about it is up to you, there are several ways, some of which could even use the mons that you have in your party (say putting it to sleep, killing it, etc...) but you must, must, MUST know how to take care of it T1 if you plan to use a TR team. Human and Deagle made it so popular on PO, and it's made it's way to even Randomwifi now. If you aren't 100% confident you can counter it T1, you're going to lose.

Even with those 3 small things in mind, you've got a really great team here and I'm sure you'll do very well with it.

Best of luck!!!!!!!!

[TrollFreak]

1-hmmm yeah, but ghost and psychic are to similar in type weaknesses that i may use audino/whimsicott for TR and replace energy ball for HP Ice for dragons, since energy ball hits only seismitoed, which is only on rain teams from my experience

2- I wonder if Fire Blast gets the OHKO on Occa Shroom/Occa Whimsi, ill do calcs later

3- human and deagle ruined TR teans, a imprision chandelure 3-0'd my team on random wifi maybe i can replace beartic for either druddigon/samurott, both have moves to take care of chandelure

well, thx for rate, i will keep your comments in mind

[AJ]

as for something like a threatlist:
Mandibuzz-dont underestimate it. With whirlwind it can and WILL screw over Beartic/Electross. Only really they can hurt it. Ammongus has the worst matchup, but Mandibuzz can have trouble with it, even with Brave Bird.
Landorus-With the exception of Beartic, this guy will walk right over your team. It hits your team hard(half of them super effectively with dual STAB) Again, Beartic and Electross with hp ice can take it, but thats it.
Pretty much all fire types-With oneo fire check(Who is fire weak, Heatmor and Simisear can keep killing, if they can survive a rock slide.(which they can, given enough bulk/a rarley used charti)


Not much of a threat list, but at least a bump. Thats all from the top of my head atm, add more later.

[Appoh]

Try changing musharnas moves to : trick room, charge beam, psychic, helping hand. With charge beam you have an electric attack and with the sp.a boosts yOu can do some damage because with out the boosts musharna can't do anything

[T.W.I.]

My only suggestion is in regards to what mattj said about chandelure. I would suggest a wide lens to make the accuracy 99%. I honestly hate missing moves and in VGC thats DEFINIETLY a slap in the face to you. Sure u lose the sash, but if hes not gonna be TR and purely attacking, aqua jet is the only priority than can -possibly- knock him out as long as nothings slower than him on the field.

Or heat wave/flamethrower + fire gem. (trying to avoid the life orb you use already)

[TrollFreak]

@twi yeah,ill try fire blast&fire gem for OHKO on Occa mon.

@appoh- musharna is not meant for attacking, its meant to set up TR, then use helping hand to boost my allies moves.band w/ no special attack investment, psychic 2HKO all fight pokes w/o sp.def investment and hp investment, and charge beam is a horrible attack to use, as it hits nothing that musharna would be scared off, so thats why hp fight is slashed next to protect, since fight hits darks (Bisharp/Hydregion)

[T.W.I.]

@twi yeah,ill try fire blast&fire gem for OHKO on Occa mon.

@appoh- musharna is not meant for attacking, its meant to set up TR, then use helping hand to boost my allies moves.band w/ no special attack investment, psychic 2HKO all fight pokes w/o sp.def investment and hp investment, and charge beam is a horrible attack to use, as it hits nothing that musharna would be scared off, so thats why hp fight is slashed next to protect, since fight hits darks (Bisharp/Hydregion)

Recently, I created a support musharna based purley on defense. I can vouche that this little monster does NOT need any IV or positive nature in special attack. With psychic and HP fighting hes pretty much all round good.

[TrollFreak]

updated OP

[Shreyas]

You may want to consider the Coba Berry on Amoonguss (like our conversation in the VMs), and Conkeldurr can nicely check Bisharp, making Musharna not give up Protect just to take him out.

And, as for Chandelure, why have Energy Ball? You'll probably only be seeing Jellicents which can be taken out with Shadow Ball.

I also don't see Discharge on Eelectross working too well since he can only work with Amoonguss, so Thunderbolt is slightly better unless you want a Landorus in there, which isn't that great of an option.

[TrollFreak]

revised with new pokes for 2012

[PokeMaster366]

If you're not going to teach any of your pokemon moves like EQ or Surf, you'll want to replace Musharna's Telepathy ability with something else.

On another note, why use Granbull instead of Snorlax, who resists Heat Wave and Blizzard thanks to Thick Fat, can survive longer, and can sweep more efficiently under Trick Room's effect?