Hello everyone. I'm ungulateman, and this is my latest team, based around setting up a Crocune sweep.
Teambuilding Process
I wanted to make a team about sweeping with Crocune, so naturally I have to have the star of the show!
Suicune really appreciates having Water-type Pokemon removed, so Rotom-H found a place on the team.
Crocune also likes having paralysis support, and Rotom-H can't deal with Water/Ground types like Swampert. Celebi can spread its paralysing touch far and wide, as well as demolishing bulky Waters.
Grass-types also stop Crocune from sweeping easily, so Scarf Heatran deals with them easily. He also rounds out a Fire/Water/Grass trio which forms the core of this team.
The team at this stage had a problem with Ghost and Dark-types, especially Gengar. Scizor makes light work of these, as well as pulverising the specially defensive Pokemon which can stop Crocune.
The lead was a troublesome decision for this team. I didn't want to add to the Ghost and Dark problems, which ruled out a Psychic-type. Tyranitar, my first pick, inconvenienced my team with Sandstorm. Eventually I settled on Weavile, who has served me very well.
The Team
Weavile (M) @ Focus Sash Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
Weavile's Focus Sash is imperative for its SashCounter strategy. The EVs are fairly obvious, with speed maxed to tie with other Weavile, and the Hasty nature to make Counter more powerful.
- Fake Out - Fake Out is key to Weavile, breaking sashes and making the next attack the definitive one.
- Taunt - Taunt forces my opponent into attacking, as well as preventing SR or other hazards.
- Counter - Counter is pivotal to this set, meaning I almost always score a KO. Leads that U-Turn often get a nasty surprise as over 500 damage gets lumped onto their switch in.
- Night Slash - Night Slash is for Azelf, as well as giving me an attacking option for later in the game, should Weavile survive.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
Suicune greatly appreciates Leftovers recovery. The EVs and nature given let Suicune take hits from the physical side of the spectrum better, seeing as CM boosts Special Defence anyway.
- Calm Mind - Calm Mind makes Suicune the powerhouse she is, as well as making her virtually invincible from the special side. Put it like this: At +6, Specs Jolteon's Thunderbolt is a 5HKO.
- Surf - Surf is the obvious STAB move which combines high power, good PP and few resistances.
- Rest - Rest is another major factor of Suicune's bulk. Being able to instantly heal to full health lets Suicune continue to gain CM boosts and continue attacking.
- Sleep Talk - Sleep Talk means I'm not helpless while the North Wind takes a power nap. My luck means that it almost always picks Rest, but it can still help me accumulate more boosts and keep attacking.
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
Choice Scarf lets Heatran beat out a large portion of the metagame, letting it revenge kill, among other things. The EVs are standard, as is the nature.
- Fire Blast - Fire Blast's extra power is greatly appreciated on Heatran, and the accuracy drop hasn't let me down yet.
- Earth Power - Earth Power hits opposing Heatran and Electric-types hard, as well as complementing Heatran's other moves.
- Dragon Pulse - Dragon Pulse is still very useful in today's Mence and Latias-free metagame, scoring neutral hits against everything not Steel-type, and allowing Heatran to devastate Kingdra, Flygon and Dragonite.
- Explosion - Explosion always makes for a nice "ohshi-" button for when something like Gyarados gets a DD up and is starting to rampage through my team.
Rotom-H @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
Leftovers are Rotom's only method of healing beyond Rest, so they are obviously useful. The EVs are standard, letting Rotom outspeed max speed Adamant Scizor (who runs max speed Scizor again?) and increasing its bulk.
- Discharge - Discharge's paralysis is very useful for common Rotom switch ins, like Heatran and Infernape.
- Shadow Ball - Shadow Ball is a powerful STAB move which slaps around Psychic-types and opposing Ghosts.
- Overheat - Overheat crisps Scizor, Forretress and other Steels to a medium brown after 90 minutes at 200 degrees.
- Will-O-Wisp - Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers which lack Guts or the Fire type. It's also useful for counteracting Leftovers recovery on enemy Pokemon.
Celebi @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 232 HP / 32 Spd / 244 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
Celebi appreciates the extra power a Life Orb grants her. The EVs minimise LO damage, while also outspeeding Jolly Tyranitar.
- Leaf Storm - Leaf Storm devastates Pokemon not resistant to it, along with many who are.
- Thunder Wave - Thunder Wave cripples many Celebi switch ins, while also assisting Crocune's sweep.
- Psychic - Psychic hits Heracross and Breloom heavily, preventing them from setting up, even after a Leaf Storm.
- Rest - Rest, combined with Natural Cure, is an excellent healing move. If used while the opponent is completely paralysed, it amounts to completely risk-free healing.
Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
Surely I don't have to explain CB Scizor to you?
- Bullet Punch - This move has become one of the best in the game thanks to Scizor. For good reason, too.
- U-turn - U-Turn is great for scouting, as always. Scaring away Dark and Psychic-types is an added bonus.
- Superpower - Superpower is always nice if you want your opponent to get their Ghost-type in safely. It does have the advantage of smashing Steels and Blissey extra hard, though.
- Pursuit - The Pursuit trap is one of the greatest things about Scizor. While it can be played around (Protect Gengar, anyone?), it's still the doom of many Ghost and Psychic-types everywhere.
Last Look
