Hello everyone, and welcome to my team "Snowing Slowly". First of all i apologize for my bad english, so forgive me if i do errors or similar (and feel free to correct me). After playing around 1500 games on showdown with my team i decided to write here, asking for a hand to improve it and fit the weak spots.
Now let's give a first glance at the team:
The Idea Behind
My idea was to counter tailwind teams, weather teams, the annoying Thunderwave spam, and also the prevalence of fast sweepers all at once. This ofcourse choosing a Trick Room setter and a weather inducer, and then building a team around this strategy.
If you're asking why Hail, instead of the stronger Rain or also Sand...well, first i like it more, then i think that if the original idea was to build a counter-strategy team, with the prevalence of teams built on those strategies (rain/sand/tw) hail is a good choice, cutting out pokemon with weather boost (like the annoying SpD buff on Tar, for example), and also the elemental benefits induced in rain and sun.
Also Abomasnow is the slowest weather inducer, so i can lead with him and set my Hail without problems (bar Iron Ball inducers, and the rare Hippowdon).
Pokemons
A Hug? @Mental Herb
Trait Mummy
Evs 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick Room
- Protect
My TR setter, ladies and gentlemen: Cofagrigus!
With a huge (unbuffed) Def and a good special defence, this guy is an ethereal tank. The ghost type is a given in a tier where fighting type and the move fake out are so common.
I prefere him on Cresselia because he doesn't matter about fake out, and i find this crucial when partnering with any of my slow pokemon, giving them the chance to protect the first turn, while setting up.
Also he doesn't need an eviolite like Dusclops, leaving space for the taunt-counter, the mental herb.
His move pool is pritty standard, exept for Protect instead of Pain Split. Often players try to focus him with a dual attack, trying to stop my setting...this allows me to gain a free turn and hit back freely.
Mr.Snow @Focus Sash
Traint Snow Warning
Evs 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Protect
My weather inducer. Thanks to his ability he doesn't only counters other weathers, but he also breaks focus sash and preserve his own one. His main STAB move, Blizzard, is so strong in the VGC tier hitting both of the opponent pokemon, OHKOing many dragons, birds, genies, and hitting all that doesn't resist it with a good, 100% accuracy, damage. Giga Drain is another STAB move, great to deal with water types (expecially with gastrodon and swampert) and to heal some Hp. Ice Shard is his last attack, a great priority stab that sweeps low hp pkms and helps when TR fade out.
It's true that the Frosted Tree has 7 weakness, with 3 of them being very bad for this tier (rock, fighting and fire), but he resist to water, ground and lightning gaining also a chance to absorb common moves like thunderbolt or discharge, surf or hydropump, and earthquake, fitting also very well two weakness of my slowking.
Headaches @Sitrus Berry
Trait Regenerator
Evs 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Scald
- Flamethrower
- Protect
He covers some of Abomasnow weakness, like fire, fighting and steel (expecially good vs bullet punch or mach punch if abomasnow is alive thanks to the Sash), and can do good if my team is under the rain, tanking dual STABbed surf while i try to set up again my Hail. The coverage of his move pool is huge, hitting so many threats of my team like Metagross or (if the TR is up) Scizor with flamethrower; Tyranitar with scald (if hail is up) having also a 30% to burn him; blizzard to close the coverage.
When he is on the Abomasnow's side, the dual blizzard spam is so OP giving me a 19% chance to freeze at least 1 of the 2 enemy every turn.
GoalKeeper @Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
Evs 214 HP / 44 Def / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Mach Punch
- Drain Punch
- Rock Slide
- Protect
This guy is a war machine. He can OHKO pokemon weak to fighting type with just a mach punch when statussed, if you consider 1 or 2 hail damage (and this is huge when TR fades). He recovers so much when he Drain Punch a Tyranitar, and can cripple also pokemon that take neutral damage from it. Rock Slide a coverage move that i need to OHKO Volcarona (that really scares me), and hit the thunder and the air genies for very, very good damage. Plus he works as a status absorber. The investiment in Def is to tank Dark moves, and protect Cofagrigus, and Rock/Bug moves, to cover Abomasnow.
The only bad thing about him is the 18% of life that loses every turn with Hail up. Anyway, when TR is up, i usually don't have problems to recover with Drain Punch.
RhastaBoy @Flying Gem
Trait: Levitate
Evs 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Acrobatics
- Wild Charge
- Dragon Claw
- Protect
i use him, instead of conkeldurr, expecially vs rain teams and their Ludicolos and Toxicroak OHKOing both with a boosted acrobatics and also doing huge damage to Politoed with his STABbed Wild Charge, and to Kingdra with Dragon Claw. His levitate is a given in this tier, leaving him with no weakness and letting him, with his natural bulk, to survive and hit back also if TR is not up.
Sup Buddy? @Chople Berry
Trait Intimidate
Evs 252 Hp / 4 SpD / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Protect
I often switch this guy with conkeldurr when the other team has a Latios, Latias or also a Cresselia if i don't need Mach Punch. His ability, Intimidate, is great to cripple enemy's attackers (killing them totally if in combo with WoW), plus his great bulk can really help when TR fades (just like eelektross). Also i use him when i need to set up facing a Gengar or a Chandelure, protecting my Cofagrigus and killing them with Crunch (or just scaring them and setting up, it's all about predict i guess). His Fake out also help greatly to set up, or just to avoid/deal damage.
Major Threats and Problems:
If i don't set up TR and i lose Cofagrigus my chances of winning the game lowers very much, this usually happens cause of a bad predict, but there are also some moves and pokemons that i find (very) hard to deal with:
MOVES
- Swagger
I hate it...i have so much bad luck that sometimes i hit my self like 3 times in a raw, poorly losing the chance to set up TR or also to attack.
- SpA Bug moves
If conkeldurr can tank a u-turn or a megahorn, he can't deal as good as hes does with physical moves with a bug buzz, expecially if is Volcarona's.
- Ghost Gem Shadow Ball / Dark Gem Dark Pulse
Cofagrigus can tank a max attack SB from any pokemon, and also a Dark Pulse even from Hydreigon, but he get an OHKO if those moves are boosted with a Gem, so i'm forced to risk a hard predict and gamble.
POKEMONS
- Volcarona
he is really a pain for me. i can't ohko him with Scald (not even 2koing him in the sun). The only way to deal with him is to Rock Slide, hoping i won't miss, or to take time and Scald him when he is at 3/4 of the life (and trust me, it's very hard for my team to take time vs him. Forcing me to take risks). With Heat Wave and Bug Buzz he can kill abomasnow and slowking, or just bait me to death dealing damage to every one else.
- Scizor (without TR)
if i don't get my TR up, bug bite can destroy Abomasnow and Slowking (also eating his Sitrus Berry). if he has also Acrobatics, he can take away also Conk.
- Chandelure
Man...If he leads for me it's a pain. He can OHKO Cofagrigus plus he can use Imprison, he also can Heat Wave (leaving abomasnow with the sash) and can also deal massive damage to Slowking (OHKO with ghost gem).
I'm trying Scafty expecially to counter him, but i feel this is not the best way to do it...
- Escavalier
With a 20 base speed, in the TR he can outspeed also my slower pokemon, killing with megahorn either abomasnow and slowking...
I'm forced to WoW him and to choose Scrafty for the Intimidate unbuff, or just to not TR, but i usually have problems vs him....
Conclusion
At the moment i'm top 10 in the VGC tier of pokemon showdown (and i was top 30 in the vgc2013dev), but i still feel this team has some big weak spots. I tryed to find a way to improve it, but i'm stucked so i would really appreciate the community help, or also just a simple rate!
I hope you will enjoy reading my team, Snowing Slowly
Now let's give a first glance at the team:
The Idea Behind
My idea was to counter tailwind teams, weather teams, the annoying Thunderwave spam, and also the prevalence of fast sweepers all at once. This ofcourse choosing a Trick Room setter and a weather inducer, and then building a team around this strategy.
If you're asking why Hail, instead of the stronger Rain or also Sand...well, first i like it more, then i think that if the original idea was to build a counter-strategy team, with the prevalence of teams built on those strategies (rain/sand/tw) hail is a good choice, cutting out pokemon with weather boost (like the annoying SpD buff on Tar, for example), and also the elemental benefits induced in rain and sun.
Also Abomasnow is the slowest weather inducer, so i can lead with him and set my Hail without problems (bar Iron Ball inducers, and the rare Hippowdon).
Pokemons
A Hug? @Mental Herb
Trait Mummy
Evs 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick Room
- Protect
My TR setter, ladies and gentlemen: Cofagrigus!
With a huge (unbuffed) Def and a good special defence, this guy is an ethereal tank. The ghost type is a given in a tier where fighting type and the move fake out are so common.
I prefere him on Cresselia because he doesn't matter about fake out, and i find this crucial when partnering with any of my slow pokemon, giving them the chance to protect the first turn, while setting up.
Also he doesn't need an eviolite like Dusclops, leaving space for the taunt-counter, the mental herb.
His move pool is pritty standard, exept for Protect instead of Pain Split. Often players try to focus him with a dual attack, trying to stop my setting...this allows me to gain a free turn and hit back freely.
Mr.Snow @Focus Sash
Traint Snow Warning
Evs 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Protect
My weather inducer. Thanks to his ability he doesn't only counters other weathers, but he also breaks focus sash and preserve his own one. His main STAB move, Blizzard, is so strong in the VGC tier hitting both of the opponent pokemon, OHKOing many dragons, birds, genies, and hitting all that doesn't resist it with a good, 100% accuracy, damage. Giga Drain is another STAB move, great to deal with water types (expecially with gastrodon and swampert) and to heal some Hp. Ice Shard is his last attack, a great priority stab that sweeps low hp pkms and helps when TR fade out.
It's true that the Frosted Tree has 7 weakness, with 3 of them being very bad for this tier (rock, fighting and fire), but he resist to water, ground and lightning gaining also a chance to absorb common moves like thunderbolt or discharge, surf or hydropump, and earthquake, fitting also very well two weakness of my slowking.
Headaches @Sitrus Berry
Trait Regenerator
Evs 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Scald
- Flamethrower
- Protect
He covers some of Abomasnow weakness, like fire, fighting and steel (expecially good vs bullet punch or mach punch if abomasnow is alive thanks to the Sash), and can do good if my team is under the rain, tanking dual STABbed surf while i try to set up again my Hail. The coverage of his move pool is huge, hitting so many threats of my team like Metagross or (if the TR is up) Scizor with flamethrower; Tyranitar with scald (if hail is up) having also a 30% to burn him; blizzard to close the coverage.
When he is on the Abomasnow's side, the dual blizzard spam is so OP giving me a 19% chance to freeze at least 1 of the 2 enemy every turn.
GoalKeeper @Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
Evs 214 HP / 44 Def / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Mach Punch
- Drain Punch
- Rock Slide
- Protect
This guy is a war machine. He can OHKO pokemon weak to fighting type with just a mach punch when statussed, if you consider 1 or 2 hail damage (and this is huge when TR fades). He recovers so much when he Drain Punch a Tyranitar, and can cripple also pokemon that take neutral damage from it. Rock Slide a coverage move that i need to OHKO Volcarona (that really scares me), and hit the thunder and the air genies for very, very good damage. Plus he works as a status absorber. The investiment in Def is to tank Dark moves, and protect Cofagrigus, and Rock/Bug moves, to cover Abomasnow.
The only bad thing about him is the 18% of life that loses every turn with Hail up. Anyway, when TR is up, i usually don't have problems to recover with Drain Punch.
RhastaBoy @Flying Gem
Trait: Levitate
Evs 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Acrobatics
- Wild Charge
- Dragon Claw
- Protect
i use him, instead of conkeldurr, expecially vs rain teams and their Ludicolos and Toxicroak OHKOing both with a boosted acrobatics and also doing huge damage to Politoed with his STABbed Wild Charge, and to Kingdra with Dragon Claw. His levitate is a given in this tier, leaving him with no weakness and letting him, with his natural bulk, to survive and hit back also if TR is not up.
Sup Buddy? @Chople Berry
Trait Intimidate
Evs 252 Hp / 4 SpD / 252 Atk
Brave Nature
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Protect
I often switch this guy with conkeldurr when the other team has a Latios, Latias or also a Cresselia if i don't need Mach Punch. His ability, Intimidate, is great to cripple enemy's attackers (killing them totally if in combo with WoW), plus his great bulk can really help when TR fades (just like eelektross). Also i use him when i need to set up facing a Gengar or a Chandelure, protecting my Cofagrigus and killing them with Crunch (or just scaring them and setting up, it's all about predict i guess). His Fake out also help greatly to set up, or just to avoid/deal damage.
Major Threats and Problems:
If i don't set up TR and i lose Cofagrigus my chances of winning the game lowers very much, this usually happens cause of a bad predict, but there are also some moves and pokemons that i find (very) hard to deal with:
MOVES
- Swagger
I hate it...i have so much bad luck that sometimes i hit my self like 3 times in a raw, poorly losing the chance to set up TR or also to attack.
- SpA Bug moves
If conkeldurr can tank a u-turn or a megahorn, he can't deal as good as hes does with physical moves with a bug buzz, expecially if is Volcarona's.
- Ghost Gem Shadow Ball / Dark Gem Dark Pulse
Cofagrigus can tank a max attack SB from any pokemon, and also a Dark Pulse even from Hydreigon, but he get an OHKO if those moves are boosted with a Gem, so i'm forced to risk a hard predict and gamble.
POKEMONS
- Volcarona
he is really a pain for me. i can't ohko him with Scald (not even 2koing him in the sun). The only way to deal with him is to Rock Slide, hoping i won't miss, or to take time and Scald him when he is at 3/4 of the life (and trust me, it's very hard for my team to take time vs him. Forcing me to take risks). With Heat Wave and Bug Buzz he can kill abomasnow and slowking, or just bait me to death dealing damage to every one else.
- Scizor (without TR)
if i don't get my TR up, bug bite can destroy Abomasnow and Slowking (also eating his Sitrus Berry). if he has also Acrobatics, he can take away also Conk.
- Chandelure
Man...If he leads for me it's a pain. He can OHKO Cofagrigus plus he can use Imprison, he also can Heat Wave (leaving abomasnow with the sash) and can also deal massive damage to Slowking (OHKO with ghost gem).
I'm trying Scafty expecially to counter him, but i feel this is not the best way to do it...
- Escavalier
With a 20 base speed, in the TR he can outspeed also my slower pokemon, killing with megahorn either abomasnow and slowking...
I'm forced to WoW him and to choose Scrafty for the Intimidate unbuff, or just to not TR, but i usually have problems vs him....
Conclusion
At the moment i'm top 10 in the VGC tier of pokemon showdown (and i was top 30 in the vgc2013dev), but i still feel this team has some big weak spots. I tryed to find a way to improve it, but i'm stucked so i would really appreciate the community help, or also just a simple rate!
I hope you will enjoy reading my team, Snowing Slowly
