NG Spencer
Banned deucer.
Hi smogon, I'm here today to share with you a gothitelle stall team I made, essentially an attempt at revamping cleanerthanrotomws team but for the gen 8 meta. Thankfully shadow tag has been banned but it lasted too long in gen 8. How anyone can look at this ability and the abusers with their movepools and what they are capable of and say it should have any room in SS OU I have no idea. Being able to restrict switches and cripple bulkier pokemon with a choice scarf then use them as fodder forcing them to struggle and then regaining the scarf is ridiculous and should never have been allowed this gen nor should it be in the future which is why I want to illustrate just how cancer this ability is in hopes it won't come back. One thing I should note is I did not ladder with this team, I only built it the credit goes to my bro CK James who came back from over a year w/o playing and not knowing anything about the meta including dynamax then went undefeated to top 10 then peaked w the highest gxe on the ladder. Combine a beast player like him with something as ridiculous as goth your only real options of winning are having very specific mons to counter team or haxing.
Proof of peak:
Team Breakdown:
Gothitelle @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 80 HP / 140 Def / 36 SpA / 12 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Trick
- Calm Mind
- Rest
Originally I was using cleaners spread from his original team, but felt it would be better to update for the SS meta. Speed is for duggy, special attack ensures you ohko toxtricity after stealth rock as that thing can be a nuisance to the team, defense ensures you eat 2 ferrothorn whips from full after either a round of stealth rock or leech seed making it easier to trap, rest thrown into spdef. Goth being here lets you cripple at worst and remove at best key pokemon such as toxapex, ferrothorn, corviknight and clefable that would otherwise be a real pain for this team, and if you play your cards right you can take down multiple if you know which to trap first. Its purpose here is simply to invalidate threats to the other 5 stall pokemon and it does so phenomenally seeing as the risk vs reward is skewed heavily in favor of the gothitelle player as they only need to get it in once vs the opposing pokemon meanwhile the opponent has to constantly double in order to prevent this from happening.
Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Defog
- Roost
- Brave Bird
Corviknight was chosen next as a defogger and a win condition with its bulk up being a huge fuck you to offense teams as it can sweep with the increased power and speed it gets from dynamaxing and using brave bird. Defog to keep hazards off which it does well with pressure and many setters not being able to pressure it that efficiently. The spread was chosen to hit a jump point in defense vs threats like excadrill while spdef was for life orb stalling offensive aegislash as with close combat they can muscle through umbreon and the rest of the team doesnt particularly enjoy switching in so I wanted something that could take it on slightly easier 1v1 rather than be totally overwhelmed.
Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast
Unaware clefable helps against the various setup threats in the tier such as hawlucha, hydreigon and gyarados. While unable to guard against excadrill and bisharp, corviknight is able to deal with both and seismitoad can help as well if needed. Pretty standard set, clef has done this since gen 6 on stall and will continue to do so: stopping setup sweepers, wishpassing into teammates to sustain them and aromatherapy to heal inflicted status making it tougher to whittle down this team.
Seismitoad (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rest
Seismitoad acts as a complete shutdown to rotom wash, preventing it from gaining any momentum as well as stopping nasty plot sets in conjunction with clefable if you can accurately pivot around the dynamax on clefs part. Seismitoad is a decent rocker, being able to inflict burns on various removers with scald chipping them down the rest of the game, as well as making it easier for gothitelle to come in vs a ferrothorn or corviknight that is now burned. Rest may seem weird, but it helps against other stall teams for PP war and gives seismitoad a semi reliable form of recovery as you can aromatherapy it with clefable if needed or just burn turns vs things like the aforementioned rotom you shut down. EVs were chosen to avoid the ohko from banded galarian darmanitans icicle crash with the rest thrown into spdef to cushion vs aegislash better. Sassy is chosen to not reduce the power of either of toads stab moves while also allowing you to underspeed corviknight and nail a sub variant as they attempt to roost.
Umbreon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Yawn
- Foul Play/Snarl
Umbreon serves as a secondary wish passer with clefable and a stop to various special attackers such as specs dragapult so you don't have to risk clefable on shadow ball or let get pex chipped into range of banded galarian darms icicle crash. Inner focus may seem weird but not having to worry about togekiss flinching or flinch in general is a godsend. Yawn allows umbreon to force out the pokemon it aims to beat seeing as it lacks offensive pressure, also forcing the opposing teams pokemon to switch out or be put to sleep and rendered useless temporarily. Foul play was what james used when he was laddering up, giving it more respectable damage output vs harder hitting threats, but snarl can also be used to really serve as a stop to special attackers you aim to beat, personal preference really.
Toxapex (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
Everyones favorite pokemon is back again for gen 8, serving as the teams primary ice resist against galarian darmanitan. While you definitely need to watch out for earthquake, corviknight is a possibility they need to consider giving you outs vs the hardest hitting pokemon in the tier. The defense also helps toxapex guard against barraskewda seeing as life orb has a small chance to 2hko with psychic fangs/drill run and banded you can pivot out against if they click it as they are locked or stay in to recover if they go for anything else. Toxic helps cripple anything that isnt poison, steel or magic guard and haze prevents setup from things like sub bulk up corviknight.
Ownages:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011248188
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011256784-9scvgfkm5yxynyrfqpcc52istkt1ctdpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011653680-yazrsqeq9161k0zzkz3xofm2kz7c0cwpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011650686
Stag banned but at the time I am writing this its not implemented on ladder so if you want to goth stall one last time: https://pokepast.es/23c0e321db101d95
Conclusion: Trapping is uncompetitive, if you disagree you are a moron. Pursuit and magnet pull being gone this gen is amazing, hurry up and ban arena trap because I guarantee you it will be aids once the tier stabalizes if it is not banned. You are not slick for dynamaxing with your toxapex to "beat" dugtrio 1v1, duggy can very easily switch out baiting this then come in at a later time trap you and you cannot defend vs this, also you wasted your 3 turn god tier buffs on a toxapex wp!
Proof of peak:
Team Breakdown:
Gothitelle @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 80 HP / 140 Def / 36 SpA / 12 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Trick
- Calm Mind
- Rest
Originally I was using cleaners spread from his original team, but felt it would be better to update for the SS meta. Speed is for duggy, special attack ensures you ohko toxtricity after stealth rock as that thing can be a nuisance to the team, defense ensures you eat 2 ferrothorn whips from full after either a round of stealth rock or leech seed making it easier to trap, rest thrown into spdef. Goth being here lets you cripple at worst and remove at best key pokemon such as toxapex, ferrothorn, corviknight and clefable that would otherwise be a real pain for this team, and if you play your cards right you can take down multiple if you know which to trap first. Its purpose here is simply to invalidate threats to the other 5 stall pokemon and it does so phenomenally seeing as the risk vs reward is skewed heavily in favor of the gothitelle player as they only need to get it in once vs the opposing pokemon meanwhile the opponent has to constantly double in order to prevent this from happening.
Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Defog
- Roost
- Brave Bird
Corviknight was chosen next as a defogger and a win condition with its bulk up being a huge fuck you to offense teams as it can sweep with the increased power and speed it gets from dynamaxing and using brave bird. Defog to keep hazards off which it does well with pressure and many setters not being able to pressure it that efficiently. The spread was chosen to hit a jump point in defense vs threats like excadrill while spdef was for life orb stalling offensive aegislash as with close combat they can muscle through umbreon and the rest of the team doesnt particularly enjoy switching in so I wanted something that could take it on slightly easier 1v1 rather than be totally overwhelmed.
Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast
Unaware clefable helps against the various setup threats in the tier such as hawlucha, hydreigon and gyarados. While unable to guard against excadrill and bisharp, corviknight is able to deal with both and seismitoad can help as well if needed. Pretty standard set, clef has done this since gen 6 on stall and will continue to do so: stopping setup sweepers, wishpassing into teammates to sustain them and aromatherapy to heal inflicted status making it tougher to whittle down this team.
Seismitoad (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rest
Seismitoad acts as a complete shutdown to rotom wash, preventing it from gaining any momentum as well as stopping nasty plot sets in conjunction with clefable if you can accurately pivot around the dynamax on clefs part. Seismitoad is a decent rocker, being able to inflict burns on various removers with scald chipping them down the rest of the game, as well as making it easier for gothitelle to come in vs a ferrothorn or corviknight that is now burned. Rest may seem weird, but it helps against other stall teams for PP war and gives seismitoad a semi reliable form of recovery as you can aromatherapy it with clefable if needed or just burn turns vs things like the aforementioned rotom you shut down. EVs were chosen to avoid the ohko from banded galarian darmanitans icicle crash with the rest thrown into spdef to cushion vs aegislash better. Sassy is chosen to not reduce the power of either of toads stab moves while also allowing you to underspeed corviknight and nail a sub variant as they attempt to roost.
Umbreon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Yawn
- Foul Play/Snarl
Umbreon serves as a secondary wish passer with clefable and a stop to various special attackers such as specs dragapult so you don't have to risk clefable on shadow ball or let get pex chipped into range of banded galarian darms icicle crash. Inner focus may seem weird but not having to worry about togekiss flinching or flinch in general is a godsend. Yawn allows umbreon to force out the pokemon it aims to beat seeing as it lacks offensive pressure, also forcing the opposing teams pokemon to switch out or be put to sleep and rendered useless temporarily. Foul play was what james used when he was laddering up, giving it more respectable damage output vs harder hitting threats, but snarl can also be used to really serve as a stop to special attackers you aim to beat, personal preference really.
Toxapex (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
Everyones favorite pokemon is back again for gen 8, serving as the teams primary ice resist against galarian darmanitan. While you definitely need to watch out for earthquake, corviknight is a possibility they need to consider giving you outs vs the hardest hitting pokemon in the tier. The defense also helps toxapex guard against barraskewda seeing as life orb has a small chance to 2hko with psychic fangs/drill run and banded you can pivot out against if they click it as they are locked or stay in to recover if they go for anything else. Toxic helps cripple anything that isnt poison, steel or magic guard and haze prevents setup from things like sub bulk up corviknight.
Ownages:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011248188
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011256784-9scvgfkm5yxynyrfqpcc52istkt1ctdpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011653680-yazrsqeq9161k0zzkz3xofm2kz7c0cwpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8oubeta-1011650686
Stag banned but at the time I am writing this its not implemented on ladder so if you want to goth stall one last time: https://pokepast.es/23c0e321db101d95
Conclusion: Trapping is uncompetitive, if you disagree you are a moron. Pursuit and magnet pull being gone this gen is amazing, hurry up and ban arena trap because I guarantee you it will be aids once the tier stabalizes if it is not banned. You are not slick for dynamaxing with your toxapex to "beat" dugtrio 1v1, duggy can very easily switch out baiting this then come in at a later time trap you and you cannot defend vs this, also you wasted your 3 turn god tier buffs on a toxapex wp!
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