Battle Spot ORAS Battle Spot Doubles

[Bren]

So, this is only my second team on here. The first three Pokemon are ones that I've used in previous teams, and the last three I chose based on having more balance between physical and special attacking Pokemon. I've made some minor edits to it since making it, and (to my surprise) it's working better than any of the other teams I've previously made on showdown. I need some help figuring out how to better counter trick room teams because I'm hesitant about using up a slot just for a dedicated counter too it.

Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch

I chose Kangaskhan as my team's mega because it's a very good physical sweeper, especially at the beginning when other Pokemon still need to set up. It's good for buying a bit of time for me to set up if needed (such as Cresselia), and sucker punch also makes it a good opportunity to work as a revenge killer. Sucker punch is very important to me because of my team's weakness against trick room, so this helps out a lot.

Talonflame (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Taunt
- Tailwind
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird

Talonflame is here for support against dark void Smeargle or trick room teams by using taunt. Tailwind is good for speed control, although Talonflame is very fragile, so I usually opt to go for an attacking move instead. Brave bird's priority makes Talonflame a good revenge killer and counter to Abomasnow and other metal types.

Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Ice Beam

Cresselia was originally used as speed control support with thunder wave, but it seems to work much better with calm mind. Calm mind allows it to deal a good amount of damage without sacrificing its defenses. I usually use it to switch in to threats, or alongside Kangaskhan so that it can get a calm mind in.

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower

Landorus is a great physical attacker, especially since it has access to such great spread moves in my opinion. I originally chose it because I felt I needed another sweeper, and it has worked great alongside Kangaskhan, which can fake out possible ice type attacks long enough for Landorus to defeat it, or to switch out to Cresselia.

Gengar (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Icy Wind
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Gengar is on my team because I previously had no dedicated special attacker. Icy wind works great for speed control, and I felt that I needed hidden power fire because my team is particularly weak to physically defensive metal types. (I'm looking at you, Bronzong.) It can usually be OHKO'd, so it seems to really need this focus sash.

Sylveon (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 68 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Moonblast

Sylveon works as another special sweeper, and is much less fragile than gengar. Its speed was too low to invest EVs in, so the resulting gain in hp and defences makes it viable to switch in to threats that would knock out some of my other Pokemon, particularly an ice beam towards Landorus. Sylveon also seems to work well with Landorus because they both have spread moves and good type coverage.

 

[Omastar68]

idk about TR, but I see a problem with rain teams. Ruin Cress' Moonlight, Talon dies hard to rain boosted Scald, etc. Talon gets past Ludicolo, wich is a common sight on rain, but standard AV Colo can actually live Jolly Kang's Return from full, and is rarely 2hkod by even Psyshock from Sylveon, ad can take strong special attacks with AV and natural bulk.

Swampert hurts everything pretty bad, tho it does take a lot from Kang if it's not in rain or fails to KO/flinch. It hits Cress on the physical side tho, and the weak Moonlights mean you can't out heal it. Talon is ruined, Intimidate from Landog hurts but it still is in danger, Gengar does ok but isn't a counter or anything, and Sylveon doesn't oko Swamoert from full and takes a lot while also being worried about the rare flinch(if you wanna call 20% rare.)

Politoed is a staple on rain. You're not too bad against it, just the usual stuff with Talon and Landog failing. The bulky set in the strat dex is only 4hkod by Gengar bar poison and cleanly 2hkos even with 0 SpA. Perish Song can also be really bad.

Common sights on rain teams like Thund can also be pretty bad.

Rotom-W seems bad. Perfect counter to Talon, not much worse against Landog, and ruins yer two best answers to it with possible TrickScarf. Gengar isn't veryu good against it, tho not really bad either, and Kang can be burned by it.

Anyways there's prolly more but that's what jumped out at me. With all those problems with grass weak things(Ludicolo isn't really too bad,) grass coverage would be nice. With your current mons only Cress and Gengar have any grass attacks bar Hidden Power, but neither are very good. Energy Ball is 90 BP tho, so maybe over HP Fire, which doesn't seem too helpful. I like Focus Blast in the last slot too. Good chance to miss, but does as much to Ferro as HP fire wen it hits, and has other uses. In particular it's not weakened by rain.

Hope that helps. Weather is really common and you don't want to be unprepared against it.

 

[Bren]

That's a very good point. I may replace Gengar with another special attacker, but I'm not sure yet. I've switched out Cresselia's psyshock for energy ball, so I'll see how that works. Thanks for mentioning the rain dance weakness, that's really helpful!

 

[Omastar68]

Energy Ball I was thinking more on Gengar than Cress, if at all. Cress' STAB is much stronger than the other attacks, so you'll need extra boosts to hurt things that aren't weak to ice/grass. Steels that resist ice/psychic are tough either way, but with Psyshock you at least hit a teeny bit harder on most. Still with two opponents it might be ok, you just go after the one you can hit harder. idk if it's a good idea but i'm wondering how you do with it.

Another thing you can do is give Cress a Rocky Helmet. I'm a huge fan of Lefties in general, but Helmet is nice too. Punishes stuff that tries to hit you on the unboosted side, especially Kang.

 

[cant say]

I don't think he's actually that weak to rain though. Kang, Talon, Sylv, and Gengar all put in serious work against Politoed, Ludicolo, Kingdra, Swampert, and Amoongus. The troublesome ones look like Ferro and Scizor, so keeping Talon alive for knocking them out it going to be the most important thing to think about. Energy Ball on either Cres or Gengar is not a great idea at all...

 

[Omastar68]

yea you're right. Another thing that's threatening is Bisharp. Not too bad if you don't activate Defiant, but be careful that you don't. +1 Sucker Punch even from non-LO usually kills Landog. +1 Knock Off is strong enough to put Cress at very low health if she still has an item, and +1 LO always ohkos. Talon does good, but Flare Blitz leaves you open to take a Knock Off if sash, and isn't priority so doesn't avoid Sucker. BB does, but it's ineffective and thus only good if Bisharp is very weakened. Sylveon dies hard to Iron Head. Gengar is brot down to sash by anything, and can be Suckered from there if Bisharp is still alive. Kang is your best answer to it, so keep it healthy if you see Bisharp. +1 Sucker won't ohko unless you've been weakened quite a biut, and PuP is an ohko through sash. If Kang is paralyzed you have more problems since you lose to +1 Low Kick and just one Iron Head flinch means next turn Sucker takes you out. kang being burned is very bad too since PuP won't kill, so try to avoid that too.

Basically just be very wary of Bisharp in team preview. Often you prolly won't even want to bring Landog with it for fear you'll have to switch in, or you both ;ead, triggering Defiant.

 

[Bren]

So I've tried energy ball on Cresselia a bit, and while it is helpful, the need for psyshock seems to be more common. I've also just now realized how effective Kangaskhan's low kick can be against Heatran. I agree, my team does seem to be weak to metal types like Scizor and Ferrothorn. That's why I have Talonflame and hidden power fire on Gengar (although those are the two most fragile Pokemon in my team, so I'll need to do something about that.)