In need of some help.

[Jevrath]

Before I get to the team I just want to say that I am relatively new at team building. So, being new, I am fully aware that this team may, in fact, completely suck. I am posting this RMT thread in order to pick the brains of seasoned team builders on the synergy of this team and what you would suggest in order to make it better. Obviously constructive criticism is appreciated whilst nonconstructive comments will be ignored. With that out of the way I present my team:

Gigaiasu (F) @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Hardy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion

This creature is my lead and clearly is a suicide lead meant to set up stealth rocks and explode. The Custap/Sturdy combo I feel is very efficient in netting at least one KO at the beginning of the match. Usually my opponent sets up themselves (whether it be Swords Dance, Stealth Rock, etc.) so I have a chance to set up my rocks and KO before the Custap Berry activates which then allows me to explode on the pokemon that comes in to revenge kill. His typing also allows him to be immune to sandstorm which would normally ruin a sturdy or focus sash set I believe. Overall Gigaiasu serves me well as my lead, and I cannot foresee another lead on this team. Of course I've been wrong before.

Ninetales (F) @ Wide Lens
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SDef / 108 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- SolarBeam
- Calm Mind
- Hypnosis

After Gigaiasu explodes (or, in the rare case, faints before doing his job) typically I send in my Ninetales who gets the sun shining. I chose a wide lens over other items in order to improve Hypnosis' and Fire Blast's shaky accuracy. Very often a hypnosis miss can be the difference between winning and losing. After putting the opponent to sleep I go with a few different options. The first of which being to calm mind up in preparing for the switch; however, should my opponent have in a pokemon that resists both of her attacks I typically switch out. Setting up the sun and putting things to sleep is what she does best, after that she isn't much help unless I lose Shandera.

Tentacruel (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 20 SAtk / 16 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Evil Eye
- Ice Beam

Because Stealth Rock is the bane of half this team's existence I threw Tentacruel in here to be my rapid spinner/special wall. I chose Tentacruel as opposed to other spinners because he absorbs Toxic Spikes, is neutral to Stealth Rock, and resists my fire types' water weakness and my grass types' ice weakness. Liquid Ooze usually catches pokemon with leech seed off guard, damaging them for the same amount that they damage me. Since these pokemon typically like to hide behind subs Tentacruel can be a real thorn in their side. It's bad to say but he is also my only real check to Dragons with her ice beam. Evil Eye and Toxic Spikes I don't use all that much (Toxic Spikes less so than Evil Eye) so I could change one or both of those moves out for other things. Perhaps magic guard or haze?

Leafeon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 108 Def / 116 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Synthesis
- Heal Bell
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade

Since most people who use sun teams have a Leafeon with Chlorophyll I chose to go with Leaf Guard. Typically I wait to send Leafeon out until after Ninetales because I clearly need the sun in order for Leafeon to doone of his jobs, and that job is absorbing status. Leafeon acts as my teams cleric/tank I guess? He takes physical hits (that aren't super effective) like a champ and retaliates with a +2/4/6 boosted Leaf Blade. Because most people run the Chlorophyll Leafeons mine usually has time to set up at least two (though it's not uncommon for me to get three) Swords Dances before the opponent switches, and by then Leafeon has grown too strong. I'm not quite sure what his average KO rating is but if I had to guess I would say one to two a match.

Shandera (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ground]

My only argument against Heatran. Assuming that my opponent doesn't carry any variation of BalloonTran, Shandera usually can take him out which is a huge burden off my back considering that my team is very Heatran weak. I've honestly been thinking of changing Shandera to something other than the calm mind version because I rarely ever get the chance to Calm Mind, most pokemon that I send him in to check stay in and wipe him out when I CM up. He works well as a spin blocker and a good pokemon to switch to when I think my opponent is going to use High Jump Kick (or any other damaging Normal/Fighting move). I'm not sure what to do with Shandera, though I know he works well with the team I find that at the same time he doesn't quite mesh well. Of course that's just a feeling I get.

Hahakomori (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Leaf Blade
- X-Scissor
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw

And finally we come to Hahakomori, the amazing leaf bug of doom. Sort of a glass canon, Hahakomori is the only real "sweeper" I have on this team and she is very good at her job. Even without getting a Swords Dance I've found that she hits like a truck with SE damage, and when it's neutral damage she still hits pretty hard. I've seen her wipe out a number of pokemon that were sent in to counter her, before they even get a chance to attack. Her speed reaches a max of 622 after Chlorophyll takes effect, and before Chlorophyll she's still fast enough to do some damage to unsuspecting opponents. Shadow Claw is for coverage against Ghost Types or other pokemon that are 4x weak to my Leaf Blade/X-Scissor combo. She doesn't have the greatest move pool to choose from so this might be the best she can get for what I'm using her for.​

I apologize if I'm at all vague because this is my first RMT and I'm not quite sure what I need to put down. Sure ignorance isn't the best excuse but at least I'm admitting it instead of pretending that I know what I'm talking about, so I should get some credit for that right? Anyway. Thoughts, Suggestions, Comments? I'm eagerly awaiting any tips you guys could give me.

 

[Jevrath]

Perhaps a reply telling me what form you all would prefer to see?

This is my bump.

 

[Benlisted]

Okay I'm gonna do quite a big rate for you, so apologies for the wall in advance. I like this Sun team, it's pretty unique, so I'll do my best to suggest some improvements.

Gigaisu is fine as it is - the set performs exactly how you would want it to. However due to its vulnerability to Taunt leads, ghosts tanking the Explosion and priority, you could consider alternative options for getting SR up at the onset of the match. A Sturdy steel like Skarm or Forry serves valuably as a SRer and phazer/spinner as well as providing you useful resists (and not being dead after two turns). The fire weakness isn't too much to worry about since a lot of Fire moves OHKO Forry in particular anyway. Forry also brings something else to the table - Volt Change, letting you bring in your Ninetales much easier due to his slow speed. Mental Herb could be used if you really want to be sure of SR (it now cancels Taunt once - but check if it works on PO), but Lefties is in general better.

Your Tales set I have some big problems with. Wide Lens should not be the item - it gives a boost of 10% of a move's accuracy, only raising Hypnosis by 6% - not something to be risking a match on. Lefties is the best choice due to the great importance of keeping her alive to get Sun up. I'd suggest a Sub WoW set for you as a more useful one than your current - letting you burn TTar safely as it switches into you to avoid being pursuited, and beat Heatran (which you otherwise have issues with) coming due to your Lefties recovery with HP Fight - the two biggest problems to Tales. Here's the set from the Contributions page:

Flamethrower/WoW/Sub/HP Fight
Lefties, Timid Nature
252 HP(assuming this makes your HP an odd number)/88SpD or SpA/164Spe

The Speed lets you revenge all Dory with flamethrower, and putting some EVs in SpA assures a KO on Dory with some HP, though SpD is useful to help with most threats.

If you choose a Forry then you no longer really need Tentacruel and can instead run whatever you feel helps your team most in that slot. in any case he doesn't seem the best choice due to having no useful STAB in Sun, making him entirely unthreatening. You really don't need him for Leech Seed when you're running Grass types, either. I'd perhaps advise the use of something to deal with Dragons here. Your own ScarfLatias/os may work wonders, as it can abuse HP Fire, whilst slaying the problematic Dragons with Draco Meteor. Similarly ScarfChomp/ScarfSazzy using U-Turn to help get Tales in may work well.

I'm really not sure why you picked Leafeon as a status absorber with Leaf Guard as there are far better options who also work outside of Sun and actually have some Special Defence. In general Sun teams have the resources to OHKO status inflicters before they trouble you, as well. Monoattacking with Leaf Blade is also an idea that will never work, given that so many things resist it. A much better set for Leafeon, if you keep it, is a Chlorophyll SD, Baton Pass and 2 Attacks set (Leaf Blade/Return) who can move his attack boosts on if he finds himself walled by something (which is likely). Alternatively, a Blissey or Vaporeon would work as a Heal Beller/Wishpasser if you really need one, or another attacking poke could go in this slot. Venusaur really is the premier Sun sweeper this generation, so try it out and see if you prefer it. Growth with Giga Drain/HP Fire and either Sludge Bomb or EQ is an excellent set.

Shandera isn't too great at Calm Minding, either. Try out a Sub+3 attacks set, as people will often simply try to force it out with a faster mon, but Sub allows you to often OHKO the intended counter, or deal heavy damage to it. This also allows it to evade pursuit, and if using HP Fight, cripple TTar. Try Energy Ball/HP Fight/your choice of Fire move. It can still deal with non-scarfed Heatran (but you get to detect them and counter appropriately). If using Leafeon as a SD passer, you may want something that resists its weaknesses that can recive that boost - so Flash Fire Arcanine could replace Shandy. +2 Extremespeed, CC and Flash Fire is an absurdly deadly combination, and a FF boost is possible when coming in from Leafeon.

As a main chlorophyll sweeper I really would try something other than Hahakurimo. It's very cool, but it's coverage leaves much to be desired. Simply put, as a fast SD chlorophyll sweeper, Mebukijika outclasses it with its wide range of coverage options. Wood Horn/Double-Edge/Jump Kick gets pretty good coverage, though any of Wild Bolt, Megahorn, Faint Attack, or Nature Power (EQ) can be used on a 4 attacks set, which may be a good idea as a cleaner if running a SD Leafeon too.

Hope I've helped, and sorry for the colossal wall, I just guess I had a lot to say XD.

 

[Jevrath]

No, don't be sorry you've actually given me quite a bit of insight. Quite a few changes are likely to happen with this team, the switch from Shanderra to Arcanine seems like a good one.

I chose most of these pokemon due to either preference or through wanting to be different from most other sun teams. I see a lot of Venusaur so I chose not to put him on the team, though thinking about it I think it would be wise to include him in my thought processes. So thanks for your insight it was quite helpful.

Anyone else have some suggestions?

 

[Rakan]

Baton Pass is illegal with Chlorophyll since all DW Leafeon come at Level 10 and are male. Thus egg moves such as Baton Pass and Heal Bell etc. etc. are illegal.

and...

OMG 100th post!

 

[Benlisted]

Baton Pass is illegal with Chlorophyll since all DW Leafeon come at Level 10 and are male. Thus egg moves such as Baton Pass and Heal Bell etc. etc. are illegal.

If the DW pokemon comes as an Eevee, then it learns BP by level up and is legal as you can simply wait to evolve it. If it is actually a Leafeon, then you're right, and damn.

EDIT: according to the DW thread, DW Eevee has been released via a promotion, so BP Leafeon with Chlorophyll is legal.

No, don't be sorry you've actually given me quite a bit of insight. Quite a few changes are likely to happen with this team, the switch from Shanderra to Arcanine seems like a good one.

I chose most of these pokemon due to either preference or through wanting to be different from most other sun teams. I see a lot of Venusaur so I chose not to put him on the team, though thinking about it I think it would be wise to include him in my thought processes. So thanks for your insight it was quite helpful.

No worries if you would like to keep most of your pokemon out of preference - just let us know that in your RMT so we can think of better options for what you have :). Leafeon+Arcanine is quite a potent combo together, so I'd not worry about them. Hahkurimo's poor coverage is really the a big problem, however, so I'd really consider something else over him. The most viable fast chlorophyll sweepers are Venusaur, Shiftry, Victreebel and Mebukijika, so consider any of those for your team in its place.