Hey there. This here is my first attempt at creating a proper Gen VI team, at least until tiers will settle. Since after all these months my teambuilding skills are still poop (my only very succesfull team ever was a long time ago in NU lol), I'm hoping for feedback. Let's get this show on the road!
Alexandra York (Kangaskhan) (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Return
- Power-Up Punch
- Fake Out
One of the most improved pokes this gen. Parental Bond is just godly, breaking subs, sashes and sturdy. Faces fierce competition from many other Megas, but for me - comes on top. EVs couldn't be more standard really. She has enough natural bulk to survive quite a lot of neutral hits without investment. She's a sweeper who shines in the spotlight when fighting types are removed.
Sucker Punch is for priority, obviously. Not the most reliable move, but still, important. Makes it considerably harder to revenge kill her, especially since it hits twice.
Return is for STAB. There is simply no better option.
Power-Up Punch with Parental Bond is like using Swords Dance while still doing damage. This move is a perfect fit for Kangaskhan and rounds up coverage quite nicely (despite Sucker Punch being an unreliable option).
Fake Out was chosen over Earthquake for a few reasons. First, it gives me a guaranteed Mega transformation. Second, it makes Kanga an immediate threat whenever she's switching in due to this move always going first (well, excluding Protect). And third, it actually does quite a lot of damage, not to mention abusing Parental Bond's double hit effect.
Mr. Hughes (Excadrill) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 176 HP / 80 Atk / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
Right, so, this might require some explanation. What makes this set work so well on Excadrill is Mold Breaker. It allows me to set up rocks even in the face of Magic Bounce and hit levitating pokes. Due to Exca being specially defensive (with some attack investment), he's actually scary for things Rotoms and - to a certain extent - Lati twins. Being able to spin hazards, set up rocks and actually get some kills is what makes this guy very good in my eyes.
Earthquake is obvious STAB.
Rapid Spin because, well I need a spinner, especially for Talonflame, but generally my whole team hates hazards a lot.
Swords Dance is something I'm really thinking about changing, simply because I don't really have opportunities to set up. Due to this Excadrill being mostly a support, he's often needed to come in and either set up hazards or remove them, or quickly hit something with EQ, thus making SD kinda obsolete, especially without any speed investment. It's here for now, though, just as an option.
Stealth Rock is well, obvious hazards are obvious, amrite? Being able to set these regardless of Magic Bounce is amazing.
Terry Taylor (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 100 SAtk / 36 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
Despite the fact that he's not needed to check Rain anymore, Rotom-W is still as awesome as ever, being a very potent threat in the metagame. His EV spread is supposed to be a mix between defensive and offensive power, and it seems to work very well. He definetly prefers a physically defensive spread to better check things like Talonflame or Gyarados. Extremely important member of my team.
Hydro Pump is for obligatory STAB.
Pain Split for recovery. It was either this or Chesto/Rest, after much thinking and trying both options I finally settled for Pain Split, however I'm still not convinced.
Volt Switch provides a second STAB and momentum. The only times when I regretted not having Thunderbolt here was against Torment Klefki and some random Manaphy.
Will-O-Wisp makes him an even better physical tank, and it pretty much makes physical attackers scared of switching into him. Obviously also negates Leftovers.
Michael Wallstreet (Talonflame) (M) @ Flying Gem
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 60 Spd / 252 Atk / 192 HP / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Acrobatics
- Roost
- Swords Dance
By far my favourite pokemon in Gen 6. Blistering speed and Gale Wings makes him not only an amazing revenge killer, but also a very potent sweeper. He's cockblocked by most bulky rock types, has to run from a full-health physically defensive Rotom-W, but - contrary to popular belief - is not walled by Heatran. Actually, Heatran is just set up fodder for this guy, because he can't really touch me unless he's carrying HP Rock or Ancientpower (and that's more rare than a shiny in previous gens, lol), or Roar me out. Enough Speed to outspeed Jolly Excadrill outside of sand, max attack and the rest into bulk. This is a placeholder moveset btw, as Smogon will probably ban Flying Gem soon (not available in game after all), so I'll be switching to Brave Bird with Leftovers and possibly Bulk Up.
Flare Blitz obvious STAB is obvious.
Acrobatics is a placeholder as stated above, but for now, best option possible for a second STAB.
Roost for recovery.
Swords Dance seems to be better choice for Acrogem Talon, but I'm opting for Bulk Up after Flying Gem is banned, which will make Talon harder to revenge kill and should keep him alive easier with double recoil from Flare Blitz and Brave Bird.
Tommy Rich (Trevenant) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 140 SDef / 252 HP / 116 Spd
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Will-O-Wisp
- Phantom Force
This guy is a walking experiment of mine, and sort of a gimmick. I basically faced this thing in one of my battles and decided that I just have to use it myself. Works as a spin blocker (a pretty damn good one too) and general annoyance. Harvest is not very reliable without sun, but if luck favors me, he can stay in quite long between infinite Sitrus and Leech Seed. Enough speed to outpace standard Tyranitar and Skarmory, and everything else in bulk.
Leech Seed is for additional recovery. A very safe option against anything other than grass types. Also debating using Curse in this slot.
Substitute works extremely well with Harvest/Sitrus and Leech Seed, and makes Trev even harder to kill, especially with an additional escape mechanic in the form of Phantom Force.
Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers. It makes those TTars cry, among other things.
Phantom Force is actually an amazing move due to one "free" turn. You might think that my opponent can use this turn for setting up, but quite frankly, he won't, because at the point when I'm using this, he's most likely at least seeded or burned, which chips away his health while I disappear. Adds to general annoyance very nicely, and honestly - this thing is not an attacker and does not need Shadow Claw or anything like that.
Ricky Morton (Azumarill) (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
- Play Rough
Can't really call this guy anything other than "obligatory Fairy type because fuck dragons". He does have decent physical bulk, but due to horrible speed he keeps taking damage anyway. Makes up for it with sheer power. I'm using Expert Belt to bluff Band, since most Azumarills around seem to be banded, it's a great surprise factor.
Aqua Jet for priority.
Ice Punch for x4 damage on dragon/ground and dragon/flying, also nails grass types on the switch, so grass/poison isn't a full counter, and that's probably the biggest reason why I'm using this move.
Superpower because I can. Being able to score an SE hit on normal and steel types is always good. Works extremely well with Expert Belt, as Steel types are often lured in by my Fairy STAB.
Play Rough speaking of which.. I find that having a Fairy STAB is simply more important than having Waterfall.
Now, when it comes to threats, I don't think there are any pokes who flat out destroy me, but I probably haven't seen everything yet. Biggest obstacles so far were:
- Mega Lucario and Mega Medicham. Sure, I can revenge them easily, but I seriously can't switch in on them. Okay, I can, but that's a heavy prediction game. If they come in, something will usually die. I can only hope to nail them with priority and WoW on the switch.
- Torment/TWave/Swagger/Sub Klefki. More of a joke than a real threat, but god damn.. this is like Gen 5 Liepard except worse.
- Status. Burned Azu or Kanga are useless. Poisoned Rotom just can't do his job well. I can't really seem to fit a cleric anywhere though..
Wow, that was a wall of text. Kudos to anyone who actually reads all that and decides to help ;p See you around!
Alexandra York (Kangaskhan) (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Return
- Power-Up Punch
- Fake Out
One of the most improved pokes this gen. Parental Bond is just godly, breaking subs, sashes and sturdy. Faces fierce competition from many other Megas, but for me - comes on top. EVs couldn't be more standard really. She has enough natural bulk to survive quite a lot of neutral hits without investment. She's a sweeper who shines in the spotlight when fighting types are removed.
Sucker Punch is for priority, obviously. Not the most reliable move, but still, important. Makes it considerably harder to revenge kill her, especially since it hits twice.
Return is for STAB. There is simply no better option.
Power-Up Punch with Parental Bond is like using Swords Dance while still doing damage. This move is a perfect fit for Kangaskhan and rounds up coverage quite nicely (despite Sucker Punch being an unreliable option).
Fake Out was chosen over Earthquake for a few reasons. First, it gives me a guaranteed Mega transformation. Second, it makes Kanga an immediate threat whenever she's switching in due to this move always going first (well, excluding Protect). And third, it actually does quite a lot of damage, not to mention abusing Parental Bond's double hit effect.
Mr. Hughes (Excadrill) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 176 HP / 80 Atk / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
Right, so, this might require some explanation. What makes this set work so well on Excadrill is Mold Breaker. It allows me to set up rocks even in the face of Magic Bounce and hit levitating pokes. Due to Exca being specially defensive (with some attack investment), he's actually scary for things Rotoms and - to a certain extent - Lati twins. Being able to spin hazards, set up rocks and actually get some kills is what makes this guy very good in my eyes.
Earthquake is obvious STAB.
Rapid Spin because, well I need a spinner, especially for Talonflame, but generally my whole team hates hazards a lot.
Swords Dance is something I'm really thinking about changing, simply because I don't really have opportunities to set up. Due to this Excadrill being mostly a support, he's often needed to come in and either set up hazards or remove them, or quickly hit something with EQ, thus making SD kinda obsolete, especially without any speed investment. It's here for now, though, just as an option.
Stealth Rock is well, obvious hazards are obvious, amrite? Being able to set these regardless of Magic Bounce is amazing.
Terry Taylor (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 100 SAtk / 36 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
Despite the fact that he's not needed to check Rain anymore, Rotom-W is still as awesome as ever, being a very potent threat in the metagame. His EV spread is supposed to be a mix between defensive and offensive power, and it seems to work very well. He definetly prefers a physically defensive spread to better check things like Talonflame or Gyarados. Extremely important member of my team.
Hydro Pump is for obligatory STAB.
Pain Split for recovery. It was either this or Chesto/Rest, after much thinking and trying both options I finally settled for Pain Split, however I'm still not convinced.
Volt Switch provides a second STAB and momentum. The only times when I regretted not having Thunderbolt here was against Torment Klefki and some random Manaphy.
Will-O-Wisp makes him an even better physical tank, and it pretty much makes physical attackers scared of switching into him. Obviously also negates Leftovers.
Michael Wallstreet (Talonflame) (M) @ Flying Gem
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 60 Spd / 252 Atk / 192 HP / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Acrobatics
- Roost
- Swords Dance
By far my favourite pokemon in Gen 6. Blistering speed and Gale Wings makes him not only an amazing revenge killer, but also a very potent sweeper. He's cockblocked by most bulky rock types, has to run from a full-health physically defensive Rotom-W, but - contrary to popular belief - is not walled by Heatran. Actually, Heatran is just set up fodder for this guy, because he can't really touch me unless he's carrying HP Rock or Ancientpower (and that's more rare than a shiny in previous gens, lol), or Roar me out. Enough Speed to outspeed Jolly Excadrill outside of sand, max attack and the rest into bulk. This is a placeholder moveset btw, as Smogon will probably ban Flying Gem soon (not available in game after all), so I'll be switching to Brave Bird with Leftovers and possibly Bulk Up.
Flare Blitz obvious STAB is obvious.
Acrobatics is a placeholder as stated above, but for now, best option possible for a second STAB.
Roost for recovery.
Swords Dance seems to be better choice for Acrogem Talon, but I'm opting for Bulk Up after Flying Gem is banned, which will make Talon harder to revenge kill and should keep him alive easier with double recoil from Flare Blitz and Brave Bird.
Tommy Rich (Trevenant) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 140 SDef / 252 HP / 116 Spd
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Will-O-Wisp
- Phantom Force
This guy is a walking experiment of mine, and sort of a gimmick. I basically faced this thing in one of my battles and decided that I just have to use it myself. Works as a spin blocker (a pretty damn good one too) and general annoyance. Harvest is not very reliable without sun, but if luck favors me, he can stay in quite long between infinite Sitrus and Leech Seed. Enough speed to outpace standard Tyranitar and Skarmory, and everything else in bulk.
Leech Seed is for additional recovery. A very safe option against anything other than grass types. Also debating using Curse in this slot.
Substitute works extremely well with Harvest/Sitrus and Leech Seed, and makes Trev even harder to kill, especially with an additional escape mechanic in the form of Phantom Force.
Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers. It makes those TTars cry, among other things.
Phantom Force is actually an amazing move due to one "free" turn. You might think that my opponent can use this turn for setting up, but quite frankly, he won't, because at the point when I'm using this, he's most likely at least seeded or burned, which chips away his health while I disappear. Adds to general annoyance very nicely, and honestly - this thing is not an attacker and does not need Shadow Claw or anything like that.
Ricky Morton (Azumarill) (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
- Play Rough
Can't really call this guy anything other than "obligatory Fairy type because fuck dragons". He does have decent physical bulk, but due to horrible speed he keeps taking damage anyway. Makes up for it with sheer power. I'm using Expert Belt to bluff Band, since most Azumarills around seem to be banded, it's a great surprise factor.
Aqua Jet for priority.
Ice Punch for x4 damage on dragon/ground and dragon/flying, also nails grass types on the switch, so grass/poison isn't a full counter, and that's probably the biggest reason why I'm using this move.
Superpower because I can. Being able to score an SE hit on normal and steel types is always good. Works extremely well with Expert Belt, as Steel types are often lured in by my Fairy STAB.
Play Rough speaking of which.. I find that having a Fairy STAB is simply more important than having Waterfall.
Now, when it comes to threats, I don't think there are any pokes who flat out destroy me, but I probably haven't seen everything yet. Biggest obstacles so far were:
- Mega Lucario and Mega Medicham. Sure, I can revenge them easily, but I seriously can't switch in on them. Okay, I can, but that's a heavy prediction game. If they come in, something will usually die. I can only hope to nail them with priority and WoW on the switch.
- Torment/TWave/Swagger/Sub Klefki. More of a joke than a real threat, but god damn.. this is like Gen 5 Liepard except worse.
- Status. Burned Azu or Kanga are useless. Poisoned Rotom just can't do his job well. I can't really seem to fit a cleric anywhere though..
Wow, that was a wall of text. Kudos to anyone who actually reads all that and decides to help ;p See you around!
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