Shandeur Presents:
Anti-Cheese Spikes with a side of Cheese
I'm mainly a builder of spike stacking offense and balance teams. Fitting that idea, I decided to build an Anti-Cheese Spike Stack team. This is a team where you are built to fight-cheese, whilst also viably having a chance vs balance teams. (Foo, Koffing, Ferro balance cores, etc.) This also fights fire with fire, as it involves cheese of it's own. The goal intended was to have a solid matchup into every mon in the post that Drifting (#DriftingSweep) put up.
D4C (Venipede) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 220 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Pin Missile
- Protect
- Endeavor
Named after one of the best AC/DC songs, Venipede is an anti Abra and Carv lead. It also manages to lead well into Screens Natu and the Lead Diglett that people run on screens teams. This is a Venipede designed to destroy Diglett leads, with max attack and an Adamant nature, Pin Missile is a guaranteed One Hit KO against Lead Diglett if it gets three hits. It can also Endeavor Screens Natu and Pin Missile it to finish it off. If you're really lucky and you have the Sash intact, you can use Pin Missile, and if you get 5 hits, you beat screens Natu. Now they have no screens, and no rocks and a Sash Venipede waiting to Endeavor.
HiiiPower (Golett) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: No Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 244 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poltergeist
- Earthquake
- Dynamic Punch
- Rock Slide
Golett has been rising in popularity on offensive teams due to its ability to stave off a +6 Magby, unlike Scarfers such as Porygon. It is also a good cleaner, and can help vs neutral Ponyta and goes solidly into Natu and Abra that is not behind a Substitute.
I'm Still Standing (Timburr) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 36 Atk / 76 Def / 236 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Bulk Up
Bulk Up Timburr, but with Stone Edge to crit through screens, Natu, and Shellos, as even a +6 Shellos can't take a +6 Stone Edge due to the crit.
+6 36 Atk Timburr Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 132+ Def Eviolite Shellos on a critical hit: 30-36 (111.1 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
It's an anti-crit me not sweeper mon, as well as being a solid win condition against things that can't deal with it. The evs also let it outspeed Scarf Porygon in Tailwind, and live Focus Sash Abra's Psychic, letting it scout for which set it is in a pinch. If it's Sash, you can damage it heavily with Drain Punch into Mach Punch. If it's Life Orb, you can revenge kill it with Golett.
Hot for Teacher (Ponyta) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Flame Charge
- High Horsepower
Ponyta is the most normal mon on the team. It's the standard Berry Juice Attacker set, Flame Charge + STAB and Coverage, nothing too special here. It also appreciates Cottonee's Memento, allowing it to grab a Flame Charge or two even more easily.
5/4 (Shellder) @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Substitute
I've wanted to build King's Rock Shellder for a while, and with a build that was going to include Memento Cottonee, I jumped at the chance. This is the main cheese mon on this team, as Sub + Smash can take advantage of switches, and King's Rock is the nail in the coffin for things that can probably take a hit, such as Ferroseed and Pawniard. It can click these moves for free. Memento + Substitute is an amazing combination with Cottonee's help, and Flinches + Substitute will infuriate your opponent to no avail. It's sticking its tongue out at you for a damn REASON.
Dream On (Cottonee) @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 36 Def / 140 SpA / 36 SpD / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Memento
- Encore
- Dazzling Gleam
- Tailwind
Finally, Cottonee is the last mon here. It's a dedicated Carvanha check, an Acrobatics-less Grookey check (and even with Acro, it can Memento Grookey.), and isn't totally stuffed by Natu, due to Memento + Tailwind. The latter is also very good for Ponyta, Timburr, and Shellder. Its grass typing also allows it to come into trappers such as Diglett and Trapinch and start messing with the opponent. It can also Encore setup sweepers into set-up moves and revenge kill them with Memento and Tailwind.
This is a very fun team from my testing experience, and it does solidly into other cheese and balance teams. Hope this does well in the competition!