This is really my first foray into double battling, as my router does not support DS wifi, so I cannot practice it at all. And with a local doubles tournament coming up, there is nowhere I can really look to for sound advice other than smogon, despite not being very doubles focused, before I actually train this team. As such I am unsure about a fair few aspects, but this is my best shot at a RMT.
The rules, put simply, are item clause, a banlist of many legendaries and rotom (see below), and using 4 out of your 6 pokemon after seeing your opponent’s whole team. Items can be moved around between pokemon after each battle, however.
I decided to go with Sun as a theme for the team having used it to great effect in UU and the doubles format opening up even more possibilities for it. So without further ado, here is my rough plan for the team:
Leads:
Switchins:
Spare slots:
Banlist:
Mewtwo
Mew
Lugia
Ho-Oh
Celebi
Kyogre
Groudon
Rayquaza
Jirachi
Deoxys
Rotom
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina
Phione
Manaphy
Darkrai
Shaymin
Arceus
To anyone brave enough to read all this and rate, thankyou in advance.
The rules, put simply, are item clause, a banlist of many legendaries and rotom (see below), and using 4 out of your 6 pokemon after seeing your opponent’s whole team. Items can be moved around between pokemon after each battle, however.
I decided to go with Sun as a theme for the team having used it to great effect in UU and the doubles format opening up even more possibilities for it. So without further ado, here is my rough plan for the team:
Leads:
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Naive
EVs: 64Atk/252SpAtk/192Spe
Fake Out
Heatwave
Close Combat
Vacuum Wave
Crobat @ Lum Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252Hp/20Def/20SpDef/216Spe
Sunny Day
Taunt
Protect
Super Fang
The aim of my two leads is to get Sun up as soon as possible and begin breaking down the opponent’s team, while going some way to prevent other strategies.
Fake Out is there to prevent a Dark Void, Trick Room, or other potential threats from doing their thing first turn, and is the main reason I chose Infernape as a lead. Heatwave, when boosted by sun, becomes almost as powerful as a fire blast on each opposing pokemon. Close Combat is a Powerful STAB with good coverage, and can be used once without affecting my other moves. A priority move is to allow Infernape to do a little more damage once his sash has been activated, or take out a weakened foe. I chose vacuum wave due to fear of double intimidate.
Crobat was chosen for his ability, and my paranoia of being fake-outed. I opted for a sleep berry to ward off any occasional scarfed sleepers while being able to get sun up, although I am debating a Heat Rock, but due to my inability to test, I have no idea if 5 turns of Sun in doubles is a lot or not. Super Fang is mostly to bring many opponents into KO range for the rest of my team. Protect is to allow survival of an impending explosion, and taunt helps Infernape counter dual setup. Fakeout protects Crobat from fast attacks that would KO it.
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Naive
EVs: 64Atk/252SpAtk/192Spe
Fake Out
Heatwave
Close Combat
Vacuum Wave
Crobat @ Lum Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252Hp/20Def/20SpDef/216Spe
Sunny Day
Taunt
Protect
Super Fang
The aim of my two leads is to get Sun up as soon as possible and begin breaking down the opponent’s team, while going some way to prevent other strategies.
Fake Out is there to prevent a Dark Void, Trick Room, or other potential threats from doing their thing first turn, and is the main reason I chose Infernape as a lead. Heatwave, when boosted by sun, becomes almost as powerful as a fire blast on each opposing pokemon. Close Combat is a Powerful STAB with good coverage, and can be used once without affecting my other moves. A priority move is to allow Infernape to do a little more damage once his sash has been activated, or take out a weakened foe. I chose vacuum wave due to fear of double intimidate.
Crobat was chosen for his ability, and my paranoia of being fake-outed. I opted for a sleep berry to ward off any occasional scarfed sleepers while being able to get sun up, although I am debating a Heat Rock, but due to my inability to test, I have no idea if 5 turns of Sun in doubles is a lot or not. Super Fang is mostly to bring many opponents into KO range for the rest of my team. Protect is to allow survival of an impending explosion, and taunt helps Infernape counter dual setup. Fakeout protects Crobat from fast attacks that would KO it.
Switchins:
Tangrowth @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252Atk/252Spe/4HP
Protect
Earthquake
Rock Slide
Power Whip
Powerful spread attacks and huge speed in Sun is my reason for choosing Tangrowth. He is bulky enough to take a physical attack while he swords dances, but preferably he will be partnered with Togekiss to follow me targeted special attacks while he hits things hard. The attacks speak for themselves, and Power Whip is obligatory STAB. Protect is for exploding things, and possible Heatwave users while Togekiss hits them. Wide Lens is a possible swap for Tangrowth for added accuracy.
Togekiss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252HP/64SpAtk/192Spe
Follow Me
Heatwave
Air Slash
Sunny Day
Primarily her purpose is to allow Tangrowth to sweep, and reset sun, leading to the somewhat filler moves. Heatwave is for coverage on the Grass-types which wall Tangrowth somewhat, and as a second attack STAB Air Slash, with a nice chance to flinch. Follow me is to draw some SpAtk fire from Tangrowth, or any attacks from Typhlosion. Supporting a weakened Infernape with this is also an option.
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252Atk/252Spe/4HP
Protect
Earthquake
Rock Slide
Power Whip
Powerful spread attacks and huge speed in Sun is my reason for choosing Tangrowth. He is bulky enough to take a physical attack while he swords dances, but preferably he will be partnered with Togekiss to follow me targeted special attacks while he hits things hard. The attacks speak for themselves, and Power Whip is obligatory STAB. Protect is for exploding things, and possible Heatwave users while Togekiss hits them. Wide Lens is a possible swap for Tangrowth for added accuracy.
Togekiss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252HP/64SpAtk/192Spe
Follow Me
Heatwave
Air Slash
Sunny Day
Primarily her purpose is to allow Tangrowth to sweep, and reset sun, leading to the somewhat filler moves. Heatwave is for coverage on the Grass-types which wall Tangrowth somewhat, and as a second attack STAB Air Slash, with a nice chance to flinch. Follow me is to draw some SpAtk fire from Tangrowth, or any attacks from Typhlosion. Supporting a weakened Infernape with this is also an option.
Spare slots:
Shiftry @ Expert Belt
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252SpAtk/212Spe/44Atk
Leaf Storm
Dark Pulse
Icy Wind
Explosion
Shifty is an alternative Chlorophyll abuser, for if I feel the need to swap for a more specially offensive sweeper if the enemy packs a physically tough team, or some nasty psychic or dragon pokemon. The given EVs allow me to outspeed dragon dance boosted max speed Garchomp, as well as the Lati@s twins.
Dark Pulse does 65%+ to the most specially defensive Latias set, without Soul Dew, as it is banned in my tourney. Icy wind serves a dual purpose - to get the jump on nasty dragons, and though it does not do too much damage, to slow them down to help the rest of my team deal with them. It does 45-75% on Salamence, depending on the EV spread, but only 25% to Latias/os.
Icy Wind's other purpose is to combine with Typhlosion when the enemy looks like they have a team that can be easily decimated by Eruption. On their first turn out, he protects while Shiftry slows down the opponent, allowing for a powerful Eruption to go off at least once, while Shiftry covers with other attacks. Once it is nearly dead, Explosion and Protect can then be used for yet more damage, as well as otherwise being a panic button for anything getting out of hand.
Typhlosion @ Charcoal
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252SpAtk/252Spe/4Def
Eruption
Heatwave
Solarbeam
Protect
A high risk Pokemon, this would come out only if I saw a team lacking flash fire pokemon and able to be abused by STAB Eruptions from Typhlosion. Thanks to the Masked Nitpicker's advice, I now have two possible combos to abuse it with. Shiftry and Typhlosion can do their Protect + Icy Wind combo, or if I see few spread abusers, Togekiss and Typhlosion can abuse Eruption and Follow Me.
My concerns are as follows. With Shiftry and Typhlosion, I really need them out at the same time to be able to pull off the combo. If they lead, then I lose Sun, and the KO on a few specially defensive and resisting pokemon. If they go in second, then I either have to time my Infernape and Crobat's deaths with focus sash and protect (and luck), or try to make sure they die on the same turn by friendly firing, which is clearly not a great idea. I am considering Protect somewhere on Shiftry for to allow it to come in a turn earlier than Typh and the combo to still work.
Overall, I should be able to overcome these issues by only using him if I can see him working, however.
Exeggutor @ Wide Lens
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Rash
EVs: 252SpAtk/252Spe/4Atk
Sleep Powder
Explosion
Psychic
Leaf Storm
REPLACED BY SHIFTRY
A sweeper of sorts, Exeggutor is perhaps a specially based replacement for Tangrowth. The obvious Sleep Powder in the first slot is able to subdue a number of unsuspecting threats due to chlorophyll. Psychic and Leaf Storm are its primary attacks, with it being able to explode when its job is done. My team will have to protect or die, though this could be a good way to clear the field for a combo I need to get in all at once.
Also, few people know exactly how fast Exeggutor is under sun, able to reach 458 Speed - outspeeding many scarfers and boosters. This allows his Explosion to function as an unexpected panic button should I face scarfers, as my spread gives him 218 speed.
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252SpAtk/212Spe/44Atk
Leaf Storm
Dark Pulse
Icy Wind
Explosion
Shifty is an alternative Chlorophyll abuser, for if I feel the need to swap for a more specially offensive sweeper if the enemy packs a physically tough team, or some nasty psychic or dragon pokemon. The given EVs allow me to outspeed dragon dance boosted max speed Garchomp, as well as the Lati@s twins.
Dark Pulse does 65%+ to the most specially defensive Latias set, without Soul Dew, as it is banned in my tourney. Icy wind serves a dual purpose - to get the jump on nasty dragons, and though it does not do too much damage, to slow them down to help the rest of my team deal with them. It does 45-75% on Salamence, depending on the EV spread, but only 25% to Latias/os.
Icy Wind's other purpose is to combine with Typhlosion when the enemy looks like they have a team that can be easily decimated by Eruption. On their first turn out, he protects while Shiftry slows down the opponent, allowing for a powerful Eruption to go off at least once, while Shiftry covers with other attacks. Once it is nearly dead, Explosion and Protect can then be used for yet more damage, as well as otherwise being a panic button for anything getting out of hand.
Typhlosion @ Charcoal
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252SpAtk/252Spe/4Def
Eruption
Heatwave
Solarbeam
Protect
A high risk Pokemon, this would come out only if I saw a team lacking flash fire pokemon and able to be abused by STAB Eruptions from Typhlosion. Thanks to the Masked Nitpicker's advice, I now have two possible combos to abuse it with. Shiftry and Typhlosion can do their Protect + Icy Wind combo, or if I see few spread abusers, Togekiss and Typhlosion can abuse Eruption and Follow Me.
My concerns are as follows. With Shiftry and Typhlosion, I really need them out at the same time to be able to pull off the combo. If they lead, then I lose Sun, and the KO on a few specially defensive and resisting pokemon. If they go in second, then I either have to time my Infernape and Crobat's deaths with focus sash and protect (and luck), or try to make sure they die on the same turn by friendly firing, which is clearly not a great idea. I am considering Protect somewhere on Shiftry for to allow it to come in a turn earlier than Typh and the combo to still work.
Overall, I should be able to overcome these issues by only using him if I can see him working, however.
Former Members:
Exeggutor @ Wide Lens
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Rash
EVs: 252SpAtk/252Spe/4Atk
Sleep Powder
Explosion
Psychic
Leaf Storm
REPLACED BY SHIFTRY
A sweeper of sorts, Exeggutor is perhaps a specially based replacement for Tangrowth. The obvious Sleep Powder in the first slot is able to subdue a number of unsuspecting threats due to chlorophyll. Psychic and Leaf Storm are its primary attacks, with it being able to explode when its job is done. My team will have to protect or die, though this could be a good way to clear the field for a combo I need to get in all at once.
Also, few people know exactly how fast Exeggutor is under sun, able to reach 458 Speed - outspeeding many scarfers and boosters. This allows his Explosion to function as an unexpected panic button should I face scarfers, as my spread gives him 218 speed.
Banlist:
Mewtwo
Mew
Lugia
Ho-Oh
Celebi
Kyogre
Groudon
Rayquaza
Jirachi
Deoxys
Rotom
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina
Phione
Manaphy
Darkrai
Shaymin
Arceus
To anyone brave enough to read all this and rate, thankyou in advance.