Hey guys! I'm new to this forum. I want to create a mono steel team that would be fun but would not end up in a humiliating defeat. So far this is my team, I played and tweaked around a bit and so far this is the most effective:
Empoleon @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 240 Spd
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Agility
- Substitute
This guy, when set up correctly, can sweep the other team real hard! I usually wait for a slow/weak/vulnerable pokemon to come in and then set up 1 agility (or if I see the other team is very slow I don't set up agility), and then set up substitute. If I see the other pokemon he/she has left does not have a priority move, I immediately go for scald or ice beam. However, Empoleon's biggest weakness is the frailty of switching in (I usually wait until one of my pokemon is KO'd as to secure a safe switching), priority moves (because I have to wait for my torrent and petaya berry to set off, which requires me to be at <25% HP, and a priority mach punch, extreme speed, ice shard, etc. usually kills me), lastly, burns are deadly to it. (I don't have to worry about toxic, steel is immune to it! :D)
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
Lucario is my baby. <3. Anyway, he is the main physical sweeper second to aegislash. He usually does a better job, but that's because I weakened everything with my other pokemon. His set is pretty common, bullet punch for priority (because I lack fake out and sucker punch and mach punch and ice shard, etc.) Earthquake just in case a pesky fire type comes along or so, and close combat is his main attack and STAB. I usually cannot get a swords dance up but whenever the opportunity comes I will try not to miss it. Close combat can 2HKO rotom-w if I don't die before so. Also, his pre-mega ability steadfast lets me switch into fake-outs so I can get leverage on fast pokemon with the extra speed boost.
Aegislash @ Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
- King's Shield
Since I had to switch out skarmory to get more leverage against water types and some flying types, I decided to use aegislash as not only my suicide lead but also my physical wall. So now, instead of sending in Aegislash and not switching out until it dies like I did previously, now I switch him out whenever I see a threat to him such as klefki. However, Talonflame and Infernape are OK, because of King's shield. I usually have to do a huge prediction for using swords dance and king's shield, and if I predict nicely, I can sweep with just aegislash. He is usually the first pokemon I send in. If his health is low, or burned, or paralyzed, I use shadow sneak regardless (unless it's a normal type) so I can deal extra damage before it goes. I sacrificed air balloon for lum berry because he usually gets paralyzed or burned.
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drill Run
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
Escavalier is a tank! I rarely see him in showdowns but he just looks so cool I can't let go of him! But seriously though, he is really a special tank. Other than fire types, he can tank hydro pump from rotom-w and really make the foe frustrated. I especially love switching escavalier onto alakazam or gengar or starmie, because I absorb the shadow ball/psychic/scald and even hidden power fire, and I attack them with pursuit when they change. With its massive attack, pursuit does some heavy damage even if its not a dark type weakness. Megahorn makes up escavalier, and he can dent rotom-w really hard (from 100% hp to 14%). The only drawbacks to escavalier are burns, failed predictions, and megahorn's 85% accuracy. Megahorn's accuracy can be compensated by his bulkiness, however any burns on escavalier almost immediately makes him useless. Drill run is usually for tyrannitar or aggron or of those sort, and iron head just eliminates any fairy.
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Lava Plume
- Ancient Power
- Dragon Pulse
I had the hardest time getting this guy to work out. Before, I ran a special defense set with him and paired him up with skarmory, but with threats in OU (mainly infernape), he couldn't switch into any attacks other than fire, and could not retaliate! Therefore, I chose to scarf my heatran, and it worked wonders! I switch into a fire type, absorb the damage, and attack back with either earth power or ancient power (4x on talonflame and regular and Y mega charizards). The biggest drawback to heatran is of course the choice scarf's 1 option, earthquakes, and mach punches. I doubt heatran could survive a mach punch from infernape or darmanitan, and because I had to sacrifice air balloon for choice scarf, switching into an earthquake is the most unfortunate thing that would ever happen to me.
Magnezone @ Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave
- Flash Cannon
- Charge Beam
Finally, magnezone. I switched skarmory for this pile of magnets. This is mostly because I needed some sort of coverage for waters and flyings, but I also wanted to test out the subchargebeam strategy. So far I've been able to trap a ferrothorn and charge up my special attack and kindaaa sweep. I'm not so sure about this guy, if anything he goes out first. I just haven't had to use him yet so I can't say all too much about him. I use an air balloon instead of leftovers because since I switched out skarmory I needed an earthquake switch in.
Final self-analysis:
My steel team went through multiple revises (I'm sure everyone's team has), and this is the best one of my tests. The main advantage of steel type is its ability to tank so many things, but at the same time be able to sweep.
My main disadvantage is my slowness, since I did not go for a trick room team. The only fast pokemon I have is Lucario, and empoleon and magenzone (they are decent, only outspeeding ones like tyrannitar). Everyone else (with the exception of my choice scarfed heatran), are slow. But priority moves make up for my slowness.
Also, fire types usually ruin the heck out of me, but ever since I chose to have a choice scarf heatran, I can tank them, and aegislash can as well.
The other huge problem I have is sableye, but I think I can take him out with heatran as well, since toxic and will o wisp cannot affect me.
I'm actually slightly worried about this little guy. Nothing I have can really outspeed him and even if I can (with lucario or heatran), he is most likely sashed and has spore. I previously had a klefki that knew substitute which could have gotten rid of that annoying status. However, now I'm not too sure.
Lastly, the guy I had the most trouble with is GARCHOMP! There are so many sets of him I cannot predict what would come next. Usually it's either fire fang or earthquake, which in both cases send me straight into the dirt. The only guys able to take him down are empoleon, heatran, and aegislash, but even a choice scarfed heatran might not be able to outspeed garchomp (or maybe it was mega garchomp). I really need a way to solve this problem.
Also, I'm proud to say that these guys are finally not a problem for me anymore! (Or at least not AS much as a problem).
EDIT #1:
I did not expect a clefable to ruin everything xD because I did not have taunt with me, and this clefable tanked my iron head from escavalier, and kept using cosmic power, softboil, and belly drum to sweep me.
Empoleon @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 240 Spd
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Agility
- Substitute
This guy, when set up correctly, can sweep the other team real hard! I usually wait for a slow/weak/vulnerable pokemon to come in and then set up 1 agility (or if I see the other team is very slow I don't set up agility), and then set up substitute. If I see the other pokemon he/she has left does not have a priority move, I immediately go for scald or ice beam. However, Empoleon's biggest weakness is the frailty of switching in (I usually wait until one of my pokemon is KO'd as to secure a safe switching), priority moves (because I have to wait for my torrent and petaya berry to set off, which requires me to be at <25% HP, and a priority mach punch, extreme speed, ice shard, etc. usually kills me), lastly, burns are deadly to it. (I don't have to worry about toxic, steel is immune to it! :D)
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
Lucario is my baby. <3. Anyway, he is the main physical sweeper second to aegislash. He usually does a better job, but that's because I weakened everything with my other pokemon. His set is pretty common, bullet punch for priority (because I lack fake out and sucker punch and mach punch and ice shard, etc.) Earthquake just in case a pesky fire type comes along or so, and close combat is his main attack and STAB. I usually cannot get a swords dance up but whenever the opportunity comes I will try not to miss it. Close combat can 2HKO rotom-w if I don't die before so. Also, his pre-mega ability steadfast lets me switch into fake-outs so I can get leverage on fast pokemon with the extra speed boost.
Aegislash @ Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
- King's Shield
Since I had to switch out skarmory to get more leverage against water types and some flying types, I decided to use aegislash as not only my suicide lead but also my physical wall. So now, instead of sending in Aegislash and not switching out until it dies like I did previously, now I switch him out whenever I see a threat to him such as klefki. However, Talonflame and Infernape are OK, because of King's shield. I usually have to do a huge prediction for using swords dance and king's shield, and if I predict nicely, I can sweep with just aegislash. He is usually the first pokemon I send in. If his health is low, or burned, or paralyzed, I use shadow sneak regardless (unless it's a normal type) so I can deal extra damage before it goes. I sacrificed air balloon for lum berry because he usually gets paralyzed or burned.
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drill Run
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
Escavalier is a tank! I rarely see him in showdowns but he just looks so cool I can't let go of him! But seriously though, he is really a special tank. Other than fire types, he can tank hydro pump from rotom-w and really make the foe frustrated. I especially love switching escavalier onto alakazam or gengar or starmie, because I absorb the shadow ball/psychic/scald and even hidden power fire, and I attack them with pursuit when they change. With its massive attack, pursuit does some heavy damage even if its not a dark type weakness. Megahorn makes up escavalier, and he can dent rotom-w really hard (from 100% hp to 14%). The only drawbacks to escavalier are burns, failed predictions, and megahorn's 85% accuracy. Megahorn's accuracy can be compensated by his bulkiness, however any burns on escavalier almost immediately makes him useless. Drill run is usually for tyrannitar or aggron or of those sort, and iron head just eliminates any fairy.
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Lava Plume
- Ancient Power
- Dragon Pulse
I had the hardest time getting this guy to work out. Before, I ran a special defense set with him and paired him up with skarmory, but with threats in OU (mainly infernape), he couldn't switch into any attacks other than fire, and could not retaliate! Therefore, I chose to scarf my heatran, and it worked wonders! I switch into a fire type, absorb the damage, and attack back with either earth power or ancient power (4x on talonflame and regular and Y mega charizards). The biggest drawback to heatran is of course the choice scarf's 1 option, earthquakes, and mach punches. I doubt heatran could survive a mach punch from infernape or darmanitan, and because I had to sacrifice air balloon for choice scarf, switching into an earthquake is the most unfortunate thing that would ever happen to me.
Magnezone @ Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave
- Flash Cannon
- Charge Beam
Finally, magnezone. I switched skarmory for this pile of magnets. This is mostly because I needed some sort of coverage for waters and flyings, but I also wanted to test out the subchargebeam strategy. So far I've been able to trap a ferrothorn and charge up my special attack and kindaaa sweep. I'm not so sure about this guy, if anything he goes out first. I just haven't had to use him yet so I can't say all too much about him. I use an air balloon instead of leftovers because since I switched out skarmory I needed an earthquake switch in.
Final self-analysis:
My steel team went through multiple revises (I'm sure everyone's team has), and this is the best one of my tests. The main advantage of steel type is its ability to tank so many things, but at the same time be able to sweep.
My main disadvantage is my slowness, since I did not go for a trick room team. The only fast pokemon I have is Lucario, and empoleon and magenzone (they are decent, only outspeeding ones like tyrannitar). Everyone else (with the exception of my choice scarfed heatran), are slow. But priority moves make up for my slowness.
Also, fire types usually ruin the heck out of me, but ever since I chose to have a choice scarf heatran, I can tank them, and aegislash can as well.
The other huge problem I have is sableye, but I think I can take him out with heatran as well, since toxic and will o wisp cannot affect me.
I'm actually slightly worried about this little guy. Nothing I have can really outspeed him and even if I can (with lucario or heatran), he is most likely sashed and has spore. I previously had a klefki that knew substitute which could have gotten rid of that annoying status. However, now I'm not too sure.
Lastly, the guy I had the most trouble with is GARCHOMP! There are so many sets of him I cannot predict what would come next. Usually it's either fire fang or earthquake, which in both cases send me straight into the dirt. The only guys able to take him down are empoleon, heatran, and aegislash, but even a choice scarfed heatran might not be able to outspeed garchomp (or maybe it was mega garchomp). I really need a way to solve this problem.
Also, I'm proud to say that these guys are finally not a problem for me anymore! (Or at least not AS much as a problem).
EDIT #1:
I did not expect a clefable to ruin everything xD because I did not have taunt with me, and this clefable tanked my iron head from escavalier, and kept using cosmic power, softboil, and belly drum to sweep me.
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