Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here(Like I was shocked my Oth the Goth the Gothitelle didn’t work any more). I have actually gotten pretty high on randbat ladder before , and I consider myself decent at this game, but its been a while since I actually made a (usable) team. I was pretty good with U-turn back in the day, so I decided to make a Volturn team out of whatever I could.
LEAD
Zoroark @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 SpA/ 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power Ice
- Flamethrower
- Taunt
- Focus Blast/Dark Pulse
Volturn hates landing on top of rocks. This lead is more of a general counter-lead that kills or taunts anything that wants to set stones. This set with Focus Blast OHKOs: Ferro, Lando, Tank Chomp, Aggron, Tyranitar, and Defense Klefki. It shuts down most defensive Mega Aggron, two shots Sturdy Forretress and Skarmory after taunt, and can simply taunt most other bothersome leads. The downside with this set is that if it is predicted, Zoroark without STAB can be easily set up on. Also, the lack of U-turn limits scouting.
CORE
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP/ 200 Def/ 60 SpA
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP/ 8 SpA/ 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Hidden Power Ice
This is a pretty solid metagame-walling core. Either of my cores can stop a Talon. Both can also stop Mega Meta. Rotom-W threatens Gyarados and its Mega(albeit less), and Heatran can stop Charizard x and Y. The core has many resistances and covers its weaknesses well. Guts Conkeldurr however, poses a serious threat to it.
Scout/Backup Sweeper
Landorus-T @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 SpD/ 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Superpower
This set can, with proper prediction, be the perfect supplement to my core. It is not very bulky, but Intimidate is the perfect counter for many bothersome fighting types. U-turn allows Lando to Intimidate, deal chip damage, and then leave. Adamant Nature over Timid because from what I have seen, this metagame is polarizing towards bulky offense and Timid doesn’t really have a relevant purpose.(Unless Manectric is faster when Adamant? I guess I should check.)
Revenge Killer/Backup Sweeper/Utility
Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/ 252 Atk/ 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Defog
I wish I could say the only reason that this set exists is to draw out the HP Fire that is inevitably targeted towards it. Heatran loves flash fire. This set, unfortunately, has a few more uses than that. It can easily revenge kill things with Bullet Punch, anticipat switches and gain momentum with U-turn, and clear rocks through Defog. Swords Dance is for backup sweeping.
Pinsir @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Return
- X-Scissor
Mega Pinsir is BACK!!! I don’t know how upset I was when I found out(because I don’t use Talon). Fortunately, Mega Pinsir is easy to counter for this team. My own Mega Pinsir is actually quite frail. It lacks any HP investment and chooses X-Scissor coverage over Quick Attack. My Pinsir does not need to tank anything, hence the lack of defensive investment. It is also slower than Talon, even in Mega form, so Quick Attack is useless. This is a bog standard setup sweeper set. I don’t really like Mega Pinsir too much, but it works on this team.
I do realize tho:
Things that Pinsir hates:
Note: I have recently tried full SpD Balloon Klefki cheese. Works great as a lead.
Against Lando or Chomp: Spikes->Spikes->Recycle. While he uses rocks, Knock Off/U-turn(Lando), Stone Edge/Fire Blast(Chomp), and then Quake. While he misses his Quake and wastes more turns: Spikes->Switch out.
This works against all kinds of other leads too:
Against: Sableye: Moonblast while he taunt, free switch to counter while he Calm Mind/Recover.
Against: Tyranitar+Donphan: Same as Chomp/Lando
Against Ferro: Spike Spam
Second Note: Things that Goth used to do:
LEAD
Zoroark @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 SpA/ 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power Ice
- Flamethrower
- Taunt
- Focus Blast/Dark Pulse
Volturn hates landing on top of rocks. This lead is more of a general counter-lead that kills or taunts anything that wants to set stones. This set with Focus Blast OHKOs: Ferro, Lando, Tank Chomp, Aggron, Tyranitar, and Defense Klefki. It shuts down most defensive Mega Aggron, two shots Sturdy Forretress and Skarmory after taunt, and can simply taunt most other bothersome leads. The downside with this set is that if it is predicted, Zoroark without STAB can be easily set up on. Also, the lack of U-turn limits scouting.
CORE
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP/ 200 Def/ 60 SpA
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP/ 8 SpA/ 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Hidden Power Ice
This is a pretty solid metagame-walling core. Either of my cores can stop a Talon. Both can also stop Mega Meta. Rotom-W threatens Gyarados and its Mega(albeit less), and Heatran can stop Charizard x and Y. The core has many resistances and covers its weaknesses well. Guts Conkeldurr however, poses a serious threat to it.
Scout/Backup Sweeper
Landorus-T @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 SpD/ 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Superpower
This set can, with proper prediction, be the perfect supplement to my core. It is not very bulky, but Intimidate is the perfect counter for many bothersome fighting types. U-turn allows Lando to Intimidate, deal chip damage, and then leave. Adamant Nature over Timid because from what I have seen, this metagame is polarizing towards bulky offense and Timid doesn’t really have a relevant purpose.(Unless Manectric is faster when Adamant? I guess I should check.)
Revenge Killer/Backup Sweeper/Utility
Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/ 252 Atk/ 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Defog
I wish I could say the only reason that this set exists is to draw out the HP Fire that is inevitably targeted towards it. Heatran loves flash fire. This set, unfortunately, has a few more uses than that. It can easily revenge kill things with Bullet Punch, anticipat switches and gain momentum with U-turn, and clear rocks through Defog. Swords Dance is for backup sweeping.
Pinsir @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Return
- X-Scissor
Mega Pinsir is BACK!!! I don’t know how upset I was when I found out(because I don’t use Talon). Fortunately, Mega Pinsir is easy to counter for this team. My own Mega Pinsir is actually quite frail. It lacks any HP investment and chooses X-Scissor coverage over Quick Attack. My Pinsir does not need to tank anything, hence the lack of defensive investment. It is also slower than Talon, even in Mega form, so Quick Attack is useless. This is a bog standard setup sweeper set. I don’t really like Mega Pinsir too much, but it works on this team.
I do realize tho:
Things that Pinsir hates:
- Manectric-Mega
- Balloon Heatran
- Talon
- Stone Edge(Scarf Lando, etc)
- Stealth Rock
- Weavile
- Priority Will’s
Note: I have recently tried full SpD Balloon Klefki cheese. Works great as a lead.
Against Lando or Chomp: Spikes->Spikes->Recycle. While he uses rocks, Knock Off/U-turn(Lando), Stone Edge/Fire Blast(Chomp), and then Quake. While he misses his Quake and wastes more turns: Spikes->Switch out.
This works against all kinds of other leads too:
Against: Sableye: Moonblast while he taunt, free switch to counter while he Calm Mind/Recover.
Against: Tyranitar+Donphan: Same as Chomp/Lando
Against Ferro: Spike Spam
Second Note: Things that Goth used to do:
- Set up on Ferrothorn after Sub
- Set up on Klefki after Sub
- Set up on Clefairy after Sub
- Set up on Venusaur after Sub
- Set up on Bisharp with Torment/Protect
- Set up on Bisharp by giving it Scarf when it use SD
- Set up on almost every misplay by using Trick
- VENUSAUR KILLER(Scarf)
- Conkeldurr KILLER(Scarf)
- Kill most walls
- Trap defoggers
- Yeah, it probably needed a ban considering the present bulky meta, but I say the meta should change, not Gothitelle. It’s actually completely underwhelming statwise. Now Tag Chandelure used to be SCARY...