Introduction: Hello everyone, This is my first rmt and I am writing because I recently broke 1500 for the first time using a self built team! (second time breaking 1500, first time was with tss). I have found this team to be quite fun to use and pretty good on ladder in my experience so I would like to share it with all of you. Team Building process:
The original idea for this team was a sp def breloom with toxic, as, in my experience, I have only seen offensive variations of breloom on ladder. The next addition to the team was pursuit tyranitar to trap gengar and moltres for breloom, as well as provide team support for later members.
The next two members added were Rachi and Skarm. Having used and enjoyed using this archetype with pursuit tyranitar+wish rachi+skarm in the past, I thought the sp def toxic leech breloom would add to the passive damage that this skarmrachi core already spreads so consistently.
Gardevoir was the next member on the team. I was debating adding a p2 onto the team for dug/magneton because the team so far was going to have trouble with mag offense/dug/jolt spikes teams, but p2 was a little too passive and I needed a pokemon that put out damage output to make up for the passiveness of skarmrachi and breloom. Gardevoir fit this role perfectly as it has damage output, checks the mons I needed it to, and resists fighting.
Starmie was the final member of the team. I put on starmie because I needed speed control, a secondary fire check, and spin.
Breloom @ Leftovers
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Atk / 236 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Sky Uppercut
So Breloom is the lead of this team. This breloom set has heavy sp def to be a strong zapdos and secondary special wall check. Leech seed provides recovery for breloom and its teammates and adds to the passive damage that this team is very strong at spreading while toxic cripples most of brelooms checks/counters like zapdos and further adds to the passive damage.
Defensive calcs:
252+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 236 SpD Breloom: 90-107 (27.7 - 33%) -- 85.7% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 236 SpD Breloom: 90-107 (27.7 - 33%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 188 HP / 240 SpA / 80 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Pursuit
- Fire Blast
- Crunch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Pursuit tyranitar is my favorite pokemon to use in adv. The amount of mons it supports and the number of teams it can fit on is incredible. On this team it is crucial for checking moltres and pursuiting gengar. Ttar’s hp grass is also one of the ways this team deals with swampert if need be. It is also worth noting the damage pursuit racks up when paired with toxic/leech seed/wisp on opposing pokemon.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 140 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Fire Punch
- Toxic
Wish rachi is a very fun pokemon to use. The combination of fire punch+toxic+protect adds more passive damage that this team can spread, but on different targets then the other pokemon, such as swampert. Wish rachi is crucial in matchups vs opposing bulkier teams as well, as wish is very helpful for breloom and starmie when it needs to spin more than once.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 248 SpD / 8 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
- Protect
Standard prot-tox skarm. Skarmory is on this team because of its access to spikes, its tremendous physical walling ability, and its ground immunity. Skarmory's synergy with wish rachi makes a very strong walling duo that can win games by themself because of their ability to stay healthy to the endgame while the opponent’s team gets worn down.
Gardevoir @ Leftovers
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 196 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Punch
- Psychic
Now Gardevoir is probably the most unique member of this team as it would seem to be a strange fit. However Gardevoir is potentially the most important member on the team in otherwise troublesome matchups. Gardevoir’s ability to reverse trap dugtrio and magneton, both of which would otherwise hinder this team greatly as well as being a secondary check to flygon, and being a strong switch into jolteon. Gardevoir is also on the team because of its access to will-o-wisp, which burns its common switch-ins such as metagross and tyranitar, further adding on to the passive damage. The special attack evs ohko bulky dugtrio with one layer of spikes.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Starmie was the last member added to the team, because I needed a spinner and speed control, with starmie being the only mon in the game that provides both of these at once. Without starmie’s spinning support, this team does not work, and it is a strong wincon in the late game after the opponent has been worn down by the passive damage this team spreads.
Challenges
Medicham:this team’s fighting resists aren't very bulky and medicham can exploit the slow nature of this team incredibly well. A well played medicham can be a huge problem for this team.
Zapdos: Zapdos locks rachi into wish protect spam which can be exploited if zapdos has not been toxic’ed and breloom is in bad shape.
Refresh dol+magneton teams can prove to be an issue but with good play is a doable matchup.
I peaked at 1506 but didn't take a screenshot.
Shoutouts-
A lot of people have helped me get this far but I would like to shout out a few in particular
SH0YU: SH0YU has been my mentor and my practice partner since the very start, without him I would not be anywhere near where I am now.
Everything Is Something (SEA): SEA has helped me with evs upon many occasions and is a very enjoyable person to discuss the game with and play versus.
vapicuno: Without Vapicuno’s guide to team building, I would probably be stuck in the 1300s still, Vapicuno is also a blast to play versus on ladder or in friendlies
nchmax: grammar checked this rmt and gave helpful suggestions
Mushi Musha’s Advanced league discord server: This server has entertained my stupid ideas and helped me build teams from the very start. I joined this server after Mushi dmed me on pokemon showdown inviting me while I was using an all bl team on ladder and I have grown so much as a player since then, so thanks to all of you.
Thank you for reading.
The original idea for this team was a sp def breloom with toxic, as, in my experience, I have only seen offensive variations of breloom on ladder. The next addition to the team was pursuit tyranitar to trap gengar and moltres for breloom, as well as provide team support for later members.
The next two members added were Rachi and Skarm. Having used and enjoyed using this archetype with pursuit tyranitar+wish rachi+skarm in the past, I thought the sp def toxic leech breloom would add to the passive damage that this skarmrachi core already spreads so consistently.
Gardevoir was the next member on the team. I was debating adding a p2 onto the team for dug/magneton because the team so far was going to have trouble with mag offense/dug/jolt spikes teams, but p2 was a little too passive and I needed a pokemon that put out damage output to make up for the passiveness of skarmrachi and breloom. Gardevoir fit this role perfectly as it has damage output, checks the mons I needed it to, and resists fighting.
Starmie was the final member of the team. I put on starmie because I needed speed control, a secondary fire check, and spin.
Breloom @ Leftovers
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Atk / 236 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Sky Uppercut
So Breloom is the lead of this team. This breloom set has heavy sp def to be a strong zapdos and secondary special wall check. Leech seed provides recovery for breloom and its teammates and adds to the passive damage that this team is very strong at spreading while toxic cripples most of brelooms checks/counters like zapdos and further adds to the passive damage.
Defensive calcs:
252+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 236 SpD Breloom: 90-107 (27.7 - 33%) -- 85.7% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 236 SpD Breloom: 90-107 (27.7 - 33%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 188 HP / 240 SpA / 80 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Pursuit
- Fire Blast
- Crunch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Pursuit tyranitar is my favorite pokemon to use in adv. The amount of mons it supports and the number of teams it can fit on is incredible. On this team it is crucial for checking moltres and pursuiting gengar. Ttar’s hp grass is also one of the ways this team deals with swampert if need be. It is also worth noting the damage pursuit racks up when paired with toxic/leech seed/wisp on opposing pokemon.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 140 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Fire Punch
- Toxic
Wish rachi is a very fun pokemon to use. The combination of fire punch+toxic+protect adds more passive damage that this team can spread, but on different targets then the other pokemon, such as swampert. Wish rachi is crucial in matchups vs opposing bulkier teams as well, as wish is very helpful for breloom and starmie when it needs to spin more than once.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 248 SpD / 8 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
- Protect
Standard prot-tox skarm. Skarmory is on this team because of its access to spikes, its tremendous physical walling ability, and its ground immunity. Skarmory's synergy with wish rachi makes a very strong walling duo that can win games by themself because of their ability to stay healthy to the endgame while the opponent’s team gets worn down.
Gardevoir @ Leftovers
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 196 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Punch
- Psychic
Now Gardevoir is probably the most unique member of this team as it would seem to be a strange fit. However Gardevoir is potentially the most important member on the team in otherwise troublesome matchups. Gardevoir’s ability to reverse trap dugtrio and magneton, both of which would otherwise hinder this team greatly as well as being a secondary check to flygon, and being a strong switch into jolteon. Gardevoir is also on the team because of its access to will-o-wisp, which burns its common switch-ins such as metagross and tyranitar, further adding on to the passive damage. The special attack evs ohko bulky dugtrio with one layer of spikes.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Starmie was the last member added to the team, because I needed a spinner and speed control, with starmie being the only mon in the game that provides both of these at once. Without starmie’s spinning support, this team does not work, and it is a strong wincon in the late game after the opponent has been worn down by the passive damage this team spreads.
Challenges
Medicham:this team’s fighting resists aren't very bulky and medicham can exploit the slow nature of this team incredibly well. A well played medicham can be a huge problem for this team.
Zapdos: Zapdos locks rachi into wish protect spam which can be exploited if zapdos has not been toxic’ed and breloom is in bad shape.
Refresh dol+magneton teams can prove to be an issue but with good play is a doable matchup.
I peaked at 1506 but didn't take a screenshot.
Shoutouts-
A lot of people have helped me get this far but I would like to shout out a few in particular
SH0YU: SH0YU has been my mentor and my practice partner since the very start, without him I would not be anywhere near where I am now.
Everything Is Something (SEA): SEA has helped me with evs upon many occasions and is a very enjoyable person to discuss the game with and play versus.
vapicuno: Without Vapicuno’s guide to team building, I would probably be stuck in the 1300s still, Vapicuno is also a blast to play versus on ladder or in friendlies
nchmax: grammar checked this rmt and gave helpful suggestions
Mushi Musha’s Advanced league discord server: This server has entertained my stupid ideas and helped me build teams from the very start. I joined this server after Mushi dmed me on pokemon showdown inviting me while I was using an all bl team on ladder and I have grown so much as a player since then, so thanks to all of you.
Thank you for reading.
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