ORAS LC Moroccan Sunset

[Yagura]

۞ Moroccan ✹ Sunset ۞

~★ Introduction ★~​

Hello everyone I'm Yagura, most of you know me as an LC player who contributes in the RMT and B101 sections of Smogon and I mod the latter. I've started playing LC since more than 2 years and I really like this metagame even though it became kinda stale lately, hopefully when the 7th generation comes out the meta shakes up a little bit with the introduction of some new threats.

Anyways, enough talking about me and LC and let's talk about this team: I always liked Shellder, when I started playing LC I used Scarf Shellder and I liked it, however, after XY came out I didn't use it in any team until I built this one after thinking how Shellder + Magnet Pull Magnemite can be run effectively together and I built this team, however I didn't use it at all for some months until I found it in the last few days, I started laddering with it a little and I had a record of 35-1 while using it (shoutouts to Eniigma for being the guy behind the only loss silly HJK miss tho) and I peaked #3 on the ladder thanks to it, I'll probably ladder more but I tend to get jynxed once I hit 1600. So I decided to post it as it's very fun and easy to use, and this will probably be my last LC RMT before the next gen.
​

​

~★ Teambuilding Process ★~

So I started with this core, Shellder can be a great late game sweeper but it needs a bunch of Pokémon out such as Ferroseed, Staryu, Corphish, and more.. All of which are dealt with by Scarf Magnemite, it can also trap annoying Steel-types and take them down.

That core has a problem against Chinchou which totally walls both of them as well as Fighting-types and the thing that can check both Chinchou and Fighting-types is Foongus, not only that but it can also use Spore which can be very handy for Shellder if it's attempting to Shell Smash on some bad scenarios as well as being a nice check for Ground-types.

Next I wanted something that can Knock Off items from Pokémon such as Spritzee allowing Shellder to OHKO it after a Shell Smash, and the best lure for it was Mienfoo, it can also pivot very well with Foongus and Magnemite.

Diglett was the mon to go with after, being able to revenge kill a lot of stuff that Shellder can't set up on such as Ponyta and Larvesta as well as giving Memento support to it was a cool thing to have, it's also a good teammate for Magnemite, Foongus, and Mienfoo since they can pivot out and trap some annoying mons such as Larvesta.

Lastly I went with Pawniard, I needed rocks and Knock Off support is always appreciated as well as being a nice secondary Fletchling check especially with the fact that I don't want to bring in Magnemite early game and reveal that it's scarfed and it let me check Vullaby which can be threatening.
​

​

~★ The Squad ★~

@

Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear
- Rapid Spin / Ice Shard

Shellder.. the star of this team, like I said above I've always wanted to use it in the current gen and if you didn't know so it's quite underrated and one of the best antimeta Pokémon at the moment thanks to Skill Link which abuses the way rolls are in LC and it's a huge threat for a lot of teams thanks to its high Defense and decent Attack. Icicle Spear and Rock Blast have a cool coverage that is only resisted by Steel-types and the last move can be either Rapid Spin which is the move I usually go by since my team has no way of hazards removal and I use Sash Diglett but Ice Shard can be used to deal with Fletchling which can be quite annoying if it's still around. The EV spread lets Shellder hit 13 in Speed so after a Shell Smash it hits 26 in Speed allowing it to outspeed a bunch of stuff such as Scarf Jolly Mienfoo, Scarf Chinchou, etc..

@

Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Next is Choice Scarf Magnemite, another decent anti-meta mon with the ability to revenge kill, pivot with Volt Switch, trap Steel-types that annoy Shellder such as Ferroseed and Pawniard to a lesser extent and hurt them with either HP Fire or Thunderbolt, and even late game clean when its checks are down thanks to its high SpA, all these useful roles and its unpredictability make Scarf Magnemite one of the biggest threats in the metagame atm. A Modest Nature is for maximum SpA and it hits 14 in Speed if it has it which is enough as it reaches 21 Speed after the Choice Scarf boost allowing it to outspeed every unboosted/non-Scarf mon in the meta. Even though its typing makes it resist a bunch of stuff don't send it out early game to avoid revealing that you're scarfed.

@

Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 124 HP / 156 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Clear Smog

Foongus is the glue of this team and it can fulfill a lot of roles thanks to its nice Defenses and great defensive typing: checking Chinchou, Fighting-types, and Ground-types, pivoting thanks to Regenerator, and crippling stuff with Spore. Giga Drain + Regenerator extend Foongus' longevity and it's its main STAB attack along with Sludge Bomb which has a nice chance of poisoning the target, Clear Smog can be used to cripple setup sweepers such as CM Spritzee but the latter isn't a threat for this team and Sludge Bomb is usually better for some 1v1 situations, lastly there is Clear Smog to deal with setup sweeper like DD Scraggy and Bulk Up Timburr which can tear the team apart if played well.
​

@

Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 10 Spe
- High Jump Kick / Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Acrobatics / Stone Edge

Mienfoo is another glue Pokémon for this team with its ability to pivot thanks to U-turn and Regenerator, it can also lure in a bunch of mons such Spritzee and Knock Off their item allowing Shellder to always OHKO them with the presence of rocks after a Shell Smash. For the STAB attack I usually go with HJK since it allows me to win in a 1v1 against Timburr and Mienfoo before they use Knock Off (and in case I don't want to reveal Acrobatics) and let me hurt them with Acrobatics but Drain Punch is also useful for the recovery and the 100% accuracy allowing it to check Pawniard better, U-turn allows Mienfoo to pivot quite well thanks to Regenerator and Acrobatics is there to deal with Fighting-types that can be quite problematic especially Croagunk, however Stone Edge can be useful to deal with Larvesta and Ponyta both of which are a pain to deal with. The low Speed IVs allow me to hit 12 which gets outsped by the common sets Larvesta and bulky slow Mienfoo allowing me to U-turn out into Diglett from the first one and use Acrobatics after getting Knocked Off on the latter, I'd go with a negative Speed nature but it makes me hit 11 which lets me speed tie with Porygon.​

​

@

/

Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Memento
- Sucker Punch / Substitute
- Rock Slide

Diglett is one of the best mons in the meta atm thanks to the support it gives to teams by easily trapping and revenge killing plenty of mons allowing sweepers that can't sweep with those mons around to have an easier time setting up and most likely winning. During my ladder run I went with Focus Sash since it allowed me to check reliably Choice Scarf Chinchou which can be a huge pain to deal with, it also let me use Memento when it stays at 1HP and allow Shellder to set up more safely, however Life Orb can be used to get the OHKO on Ponyta and Larvesta most of the times and if it's used you'll appreciate using Sub along with it for the mindgames against Pawniard, a thing that you won't have a problem with if you're using Sash but the problem about it is that you'll need rocks/spikes away before you switch Diglett it, Sucker Punch is there to revenge kill weak faster mon if the Sash is broken or you want to stay 100% healthy, and Rock Slide is for Larvesta and Flying-types as well as Gastly, however with the Sash it won't do much to Flying-types such as Vullaby.

@

Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock

Lastly we got Pawniard another influential mon in the meta thanks to the variety of roles it plays, it has Knock Off as its main STAB which can also remove items from switch-ins such as Mienfoo allowing Shellder to OHKO it at +2, Iron Head as a secondary STAB attack which can be used to hit Archen and Fairy-types (keep in mind Archen's EQ doesn't OHKO Eviolite Pawniard while Iron Head OHKOs every variant of Archen except the Eviolite ones), Sucker Punch is another nice STAB which can be used to hit faster mons and it's pretty useful in various other situations, and lastly we have Stealth Rock which is almost mandatory in every team and it allows Shellder and Magnemite to secure a bunch of OHKOs and 2HKOs. Pawniard can be a decent check for most Flying-types too since you won't want to switch in your Magnemite into Vullaby or Doduo only to be hit by Knock Off and crippling it. The EV spread doesn't have max Attack and has more SpD EVs to be able to hit an even number in SpD allowing Pawniard to not get OHKOed/2HKOed by a bunch of Special attacks such as Foongus' HP Fighting etc.. However the smaller amount of power can be noticeable sometimes.

~★ Threats ★~​

: Fire-types can be quite a huge problem if you don't play well against them since I have no safe switch for them, however, they can be played around and easily being trapped by Diglett and taken down, if Shellder sets up it can take them down with Rock Blast and Magnemite can revenge kill weakened versions if Diglett fainted. To fix this problem Chinchou can be used over Magnemite but that'll open a bunch of problems for this team.

: Timburr and Croagunk can be a pain to deal since they can revenge kill both Magnemite and Shellder with priotity but Mienfoo with Acrobatics can check them as well as Foongus, and Shellder can set up on Timburr if it got its Eviolite removed and if it's still at full health.

: Not very problematic thanks to the presence of Foongus, Diglett, and Knock Off spam, but don't set up with Shellder when it's around unless you confirmed it's scarfed.

: Same as Chinchou, the team deals well with it but don't set up when it's still around.

~★ Conclusion ★~

Well that's the team, feel free to use it and rate it and give me feedback about it. Also, even though the name may imply that I'm quitting but I'm not, the sunset is the most beautiful time during the day and it shows how much I like my stay Smogon at the moment, the night will start soon though and with it the stars will start shining to prepare for the dawn of a new day.​

Importable

Shellder @ Eviolite
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear
- Rapid Spin

Magnemite @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Foongus @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 156 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Clear Smog

Mienfoo @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 10 Spe
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Acrobatics

Diglett @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Memento
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide

Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock

Shoutouts aka the only thing you'll guys read -_-

-Leon-: I remember you being a clanfag on PO and we used to dislike each other, you're pretty chill and I enjoy talking with you. Arwa sucks tho.
ajernejcic: you're the hugest 13yo I've ever seen.
Amir: Zeb Plate.
Arkian: Be more active imo, I miss talking with you :(
fran17: one of my closest friends out there, however you're one crazy Team Rater who has potential xd
GOAO.: the mind is 14 but the botty is 20.
IronBullet: One of the chillest and humblest mods on these forums, you do a lot of job for Smogon yet you still have the time to talk with your friends, you deserve a higher rank!
Lord Outrage: ya sharmoot ya bni metnaka
Enki: ^
slurmz, thecrystalonix, Natural Talent, and Joshz: aids incarnate.
Sonired: a nice indian user.
Team Pokepals: one of my best friends here, you have a high potential here so don't waste it on talking to silly users such as the one above you.

Shoutouts to my fellow Team Raters frens: Celticpride, Reymedy, Alkov, Eyan, Enki, Snowy., Alastor Law, Analytic, shaian, shui3, Nedor, Tricking, Gigo, DennisEG, Trinitrotoluene, -Clone-...

And to some LC frens: @absadaddy, Brazilian Army, cityfolk, Corporal Levi, GlassGlaceon, Jetpack, Pikasohn x Kumiho, Jetpack, Max Carvalho, Rowan, Sken, Superpowerdude, Vileman, Caledrith, Vubon ....

There are also other chill users I met here such as Snobalt, Mysteria, Ununhexium, praj.pran, Scythe., Arikado, TraceofLife, unfixable, Minus, Arifeen, MFahim, m00ns, Kingler12345, Kotori, EdwardElric15, Don Honchkrorleone, Disenchanted, BlackBloodz, etc...

I'm sorry if I forgot about anyone but those who I really like and respect know themselves, and the rest yeddkom fih.

 

[Corporal Levi]

Hello Yagura,
Pretty cool team you have there - Magnet Pull Magnemite was an interesting twist to ShellDig that definitely benefits your team.
I think that you should consider running Clear Smog over HP Fighting on Foongus. Once Sleep Clause is activated, Bulk Up Timburr can muscle through Foongus and then your entire team without much trouble. Dragon Dance Scraggy only needs Mienfoo's Eviolite removed to sweep through your entire team. Less relevant set-up sweepers, such as Bulk Up Chespin, Swords Dance Riolu, and CURSELAX are quite threatening as well. Clear Smog remedies all of these issues. I don't suggest replacing Sludge Bomb, because Foongus deals 0 to most of the metagame without it after Sleep Clause, and would completely shut down your team's momentum without it. On the other hand, HP Fighting seems somewhat unnecessary when you're not very weak at all to Pawniard - you have not one, but two trappers for it (even if Magnemite needs Pawniard weakened a bit first, which is pretty easy to do anyways), as well as two soft checks in Mienfoo and your own Pawniard.

Another suggestion is to change Shellder to an Impish nature. 16 vs 17 Atk doesn't affect any of Shellder's important rolls for a team that already has Diglett, whereas an Impish nature affects a lot of rolls because it hits an Eviolite number, like the 2HKO from Fletchling's Acrobatics after Stealth Rock.

That's all I've got - this is a very solid team. Great work, and good luck!

 

[Oma]

Hi Yagura, great team man. I really like the way it uses double trappers to make sure nothing can stop Shellder once it's set up. I agree with the changes Levi suggested but I would also suggest running fast Taunt Mienfoo>Slow Acrofoo. Your team really dislikes Spikes Offense, as it wears down your defensive backbone in Mienfoongus rather easily, breaks Diglett's Sash, and gives Shellder a harder time setting up. (Mag and Dig also dislike Sticky Web but Foo ties with surskit so you'd just have to play your pawn well if it goes up) From my experience using Shell Smash Spin Shellder it usually tries to do too much in one set and either fails to spin or fails to sweep, mostly just setting up and not spinning. Taunt gives you another way to beat hazards offense by letting you stop Dwebble and other Spikes users from stacking hazards on you while also just being good utility, and you have U-turn+Dig for Croagunk and HJK to 2hko Timburr so you don't really need Acrobatics. Slow Foo's still really nice on this team because it lets trappers get in easier, but with Taunt you have an easier time against Spikes teams and can still pivot.

 

[Yagura]

Hello Yagura,
Pretty cool team you have there - Magnet Pull Magnemite was an interesting twist to ShellDig that definitely benefits your team.
I think that you should consider running Clear Smog over HP Fighting on Foongus. Once Sleep Clause is activated, Bulk Up Timburr can muscle through Foongus and then your entire team without much trouble. Dragon Dance Scraggy only needs Mienfoo's Eviolite removed to sweep through your entire team. Less relevant set-up sweepers, such as Bulk Up Chespin, Swords Dance Riolu, and CURSELAX are quite threatening as well. Clear Smog remedies all of these issues. I don't suggest replacing Sludge Bomb, because Foongus deals 0 to most of the metagame without it after Sleep Clause, and would completely shut down your team's momentum without it. On the other hand, HP Fighting seems somewhat unnecessary when you're not very weak at all to Pawniard - you have not one, but two trappers for it (even if Magnemite needs Pawniard weakened a bit first, which is pretty easy to do anyways), as well as two soft checks in Mienfoo and your own Pawniard.

Another suggestion is to change Shellder to an Impish nature. 16 vs 17 Atk doesn't affect any of Shellder's important rolls for a team that already has Diglett, whereas an Impish nature affects a lot of rolls because it hits an Eviolite number, like the 2HKO from Fletchling's Acrobatics after Stealth Rock.

That's all I've got - this is a very solid team. Great work, and good luck!

I've never really thought of running Clear Smog over HP Fighting and only used it over Sludge Bomb so I discarded it after seeing how underwhelming Foongus was after my change. Anyways I made the changes and I'll surely test them out, thanks a bunch!

Hi Yagura, great team man. I really like the way it uses double trappers to make sure nothing can stop Shellder once it's set up. I agree with the changes Levi suggested but I would also suggest running fast Taunt Mienfoo>Slow Acrofoo. Your team really dislikes Spikes Offense, as it wears down your defensive backbone in Mienfoongus rather easily, breaks Diglett's Sash, and gives Shellder a harder time setting up. (Mag and Dig also dislike Sticky Web but Foo ties with surskit so you'd just have to play your pawn well if it goes up) From my experience using Shell Smash Spin Shellder it usually tries to do too much in one set and either fails to spin or fails to sweep, mostly just setting up and not spinning. Taunt gives you another way to beat hazards offense by letting you stop Dwebble and other Spikes users from stacking hazards on you while also just being good utility, and you have U-turn+Dig for Croagunk and HJK to 2hko Timburr so you don't really need Acrobatics. Slow Foo's still really nice on this team because it lets trappers get in easier, but with Taunt you have an easier time against Spikes teams and can still pivot.

I didn't make it clear in the Mienfoo description or the the teambuilding process but I used Taunt Mienfoo at first since when building I noticed that the team is weak to hazards stacking but when I noticed the weakness to both of Croagunk and Fire-types I decided to run Acrobatics on a slow variant that gets outsped by Larvesta so that I can U-turn out after they used a move (ofc if Larvesta doesn't U-turn) and go to Diglett allowing me to trap them and take them down so that was the reason I chose Slow Acrofoo and used Rapid Spin on Shellder over Ice Shard.

Another thing that made me do this is that during my ladder run I noticed that my team doesn't have much of a hard time vs Dwebble and Ferroseed since I can set up with Shellder and ruin the opponent's plans at turn 1 which gives me easy momentum or trap the latter with Magnemite, for Surskit I can easily set up on it with Shellder too and go through the same scenario as Dwebble and it can easily wall Surskit if it doesn't burn with Scald.

Anyways thanks a lot about the suggestion, much appreciated ^^