Teambuilding Summary:
I was bored of my Trick Room team from back in the X/Y pre-Pokebank days, and the recent Pokemon World Championships inspired me to make a new team. I tried to find a core that would be great defensively, and I discovered that Hydreigon and Aegislash complement each other’s weakness just fine.
I then wanted to add in a Fairy type, given how powerful they were, so I was juggling between Mawile, Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Gardevoir eventually won out since it gets a STAB spread attack and doesn't have to rely on a Choice item.
Having three special attackers, I decided I needed a physical one. I thought about Kangaskhan, but I already had a Mega, and regular Kangaskhan wouldn’t cut it, so I thought about Landorus-T. Sure, it’s commonly used, but it’s commonly used for good reasons.
I needed another physical attacker, so I tried using Breloom for its rare Rock and Ground resistance. However, I found that Breloom added to the team’s Ice-Weakness, so I went for Talonflame instead. Though I had powerful priority with Talonflame, I didn’t have any speed control. I was thinking about Tailwind, but being Choiced into Tailwind meant that there would be a turn wasted by switching out, so I had to find something else.
Cresselia fit the bill with its possible selection of Trick Room, Icy Wind and Thunder Wave, not being weak to Ice, and being able to levitate away from Landorus’ STAB attack.
When I used this team last, it gave me a really nice position at a local tournament, but I do feel predictable for using so many staples.
Here is the team:
...and here are the Pokémon at a closer look:
Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Modest
Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Dark Pulse
Draco Meteor
Earth Power
Fire Blast
It’s a pretty typical Hydreigon. Choice Specs was an option, but then I would have way too many Choice items on the team. If I do decide to use it in the battle, it would be one of my leads to start off with offensive pressure since most Hydreigon are known to carry a lot of coverage moves. The Dark Pulse flinches are what I would rely on against Trick Room setters that I know are untauntable like Slowking and Aromatisse, though the latter is not hit supereffectively. Sometimes I try to double target the potential Trick Room setter to KO it before it can set the room and find that it used Protect that turn, so I’m not sure if that’s the best strategy. If I see a threat like a faster Dragon or Fairy attack coming, I would switch to Aegislash to take it (and hope I predicted correctly).
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Modest
Stance Change
232 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 20 Spd
King’s Shield
Shadow Ball
Flash Cannon
Substitute
20 Speed EVs to outspeed other Aegislash so I can set up a Sub while another Pokemon takes care of the opposition. Also, this can outspeed Cresselia and Tyranitar if they are running negative speed and 0 IVs if out of Trick Room, and be able to hit them super-effectively with STAB attacks. 4 SDef to potentially avoid a Download boost to Special Attack for Porygon-Z. Aegislash, in the battles it has won, has usually been the last ‘mon standing.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Modest
Trace
108 HP / 124 Def / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 20 Spd
Psychic
Hyper Voice
Shadow Ball
Protect
Gardevoir is my mega for this team, and given the popularity of it during US Nationals, I’m guessing many people know its power and its spammable move. Gardevoir has the Smogon suggested set of EVs… 108 HP and 4 SDef to dodge the OHKO by Modest Gengar’s typical STAB attacks, and 20 Speed to outspeed Bisharp. I use Protect to help it mega evolve and gain the speed it needs, since I find that the times I forget to do that, Gardevoir gets statused with something by a Pokemon it could have outsped on the following turn. I chose Psychic instead of Psyshock since Cresselia already has it, but maybe there’s a reason to switch the two moves around.
Cresselia @ Sitrus Berry/Lum Berry/Rocky Helmet
Modest
Levitate
174 HP / 236 SAtk / 100 SDef
Psyshock
Ice Beam
Helping Hand
Thunder Wave
This Cresselia has been in many battles, but I still can’t decide on which item would suit her best overall. There have been situations where I wish the item was different, but of course, changing it to that other item would give it troubles in the next match when the original item would have helped a lot more. Using a more offense oriented Cresselia may be unexpected. 236 SAtk with a Modest nature is enough to OHKO 4HP / 0SpDef Mega Salamence with Ice Beam at Level 50, which then means it can do the same to non-Assault Vest Landorus-T. It has a possibility of missing the OHKO for Garchomp, though. Psyshock is for STAB and hitting specially defensive Pokemon like Blissey harder, and given that I only have two physical attackers available on this team, I could use more support in this department from someone who doesn’t care about Intimidates. Thunder Wave is what I’m using for speed control, as I don’t really know if having 2 ice attacks is necessary, and even then it has a chance of missing, but then again, T-Wave misses out on hitting Ground and Electric types. T-Wave does have the benefit staying with the opponent after it switches (bar abilities) as well as potentially stopping an attack from happening, which has saved me a few times. Helping Hand is great for getting KOs on Pokemon that EV themselves to just barely live the typical attack, such as Politoed trying to survive a Talonflame Brave Bird.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Adamant
Gale Wings
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Brave Bird
Flare Blitz
U-Turn
Taunt
Having Taunt with Choice Band is not a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s necessary to stop Trick Room or redirectors. Adamant is for the most power possible. I get nervous when it’s a Talonflame vs Talonflame and wondering if the other one is Jolly or luckier with the speed tie. If the other is Jolly, it might not be strong enough to OHKO (about 96% damage at minimum), but even then my Talonflame would faint from its recoil with its own Brave Bird. I’m not sure now which nature I would rather have for it. Jolly Flare Blitz is enough to OHKO the typical Mega Metagross, but sometimes I would need the extra power. Maybe that’s what Helping Hand can help with.
Landorus-T @ Choice Scarf
Adamant
Intimidate
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Earthquake
Rock Slide
Knock Off
Superpower
Opting for Knock Off instead of U-Turn may seem strange, but I’ve knocked off enough important items to make it worthwhile. I’m not sure about Superpower, though. Yeah, it’s the only fighting move on my team so far, but that Attack drop means he’s going to have to switch out right away and I feel the opponent will see that coming and be ready to T-Wave that slot. On the plus side, it’s not as bad as Hydreigon’s stat drop, and switching out means that when he switches back in, it’ll mean another Intimidate.
Things I think I’m missing but can’t find room:
Redirector: Gardevoir and Landorus-T seem to draw most of the fire. It would be great to have a redirector like Volcarona who resists Steel and Ice, although the shared Water weakness with Landorus could be a problem.
Another Taunter: I’ve tried taunting a Musharna to stop it from setting up Trick Room, but of course it has a Mental Herb... then again, double taunting the same spot could also mean a waste of a move if it doesn’t have the herb, or running into Protect.
A slow Pokemon: In the event of Trick Room, Talonflame can bypass it easily due to priority, but the rest of the team seems to be at a disadvantage… even Aegislash with its 20 speed EVs.
Weather changers: I have no way of stopping weather from forming, and am at my opponent’s mercy.
A Wide Guard user: I’m not sure which has more utility for Aegislash. Sure, Substitute helps it survive longer, dish out powerful attacks, and last to the end of the battle, but Wide Guard benefits the team if the opponent is using spread moves.
...and there you go. Any help would be appreciated.
I was bored of my Trick Room team from back in the X/Y pre-Pokebank days, and the recent Pokemon World Championships inspired me to make a new team. I tried to find a core that would be great defensively, and I discovered that Hydreigon and Aegislash complement each other’s weakness just fine.
I then wanted to add in a Fairy type, given how powerful they were, so I was juggling between Mawile, Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Gardevoir eventually won out since it gets a STAB spread attack and doesn't have to rely on a Choice item.
Having three special attackers, I decided I needed a physical one. I thought about Kangaskhan, but I already had a Mega, and regular Kangaskhan wouldn’t cut it, so I thought about Landorus-T. Sure, it’s commonly used, but it’s commonly used for good reasons.
I needed another physical attacker, so I tried using Breloom for its rare Rock and Ground resistance. However, I found that Breloom added to the team’s Ice-Weakness, so I went for Talonflame instead. Though I had powerful priority with Talonflame, I didn’t have any speed control. I was thinking about Tailwind, but being Choiced into Tailwind meant that there would be a turn wasted by switching out, so I had to find something else.
Cresselia fit the bill with its possible selection of Trick Room, Icy Wind and Thunder Wave, not being weak to Ice, and being able to levitate away from Landorus’ STAB attack.
When I used this team last, it gave me a really nice position at a local tournament, but I do feel predictable for using so many staples.
Here is the team:
...and here are the Pokémon at a closer look:
Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Modest
Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Dark Pulse
Draco Meteor
Earth Power
Fire Blast
It’s a pretty typical Hydreigon. Choice Specs was an option, but then I would have way too many Choice items on the team. If I do decide to use it in the battle, it would be one of my leads to start off with offensive pressure since most Hydreigon are known to carry a lot of coverage moves. The Dark Pulse flinches are what I would rely on against Trick Room setters that I know are untauntable like Slowking and Aromatisse, though the latter is not hit supereffectively. Sometimes I try to double target the potential Trick Room setter to KO it before it can set the room and find that it used Protect that turn, so I’m not sure if that’s the best strategy. If I see a threat like a faster Dragon or Fairy attack coming, I would switch to Aegislash to take it (and hope I predicted correctly).
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Modest
Stance Change
232 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 20 Spd
King’s Shield
Shadow Ball
Flash Cannon
Substitute
20 Speed EVs to outspeed other Aegislash so I can set up a Sub while another Pokemon takes care of the opposition. Also, this can outspeed Cresselia and Tyranitar if they are running negative speed and 0 IVs if out of Trick Room, and be able to hit them super-effectively with STAB attacks. 4 SDef to potentially avoid a Download boost to Special Attack for Porygon-Z. Aegislash, in the battles it has won, has usually been the last ‘mon standing.
Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Modest
Trace
108 HP / 124 Def / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 20 Spd
Psychic
Hyper Voice
Shadow Ball
Protect
Gardevoir is my mega for this team, and given the popularity of it during US Nationals, I’m guessing many people know its power and its spammable move. Gardevoir has the Smogon suggested set of EVs… 108 HP and 4 SDef to dodge the OHKO by Modest Gengar’s typical STAB attacks, and 20 Speed to outspeed Bisharp. I use Protect to help it mega evolve and gain the speed it needs, since I find that the times I forget to do that, Gardevoir gets statused with something by a Pokemon it could have outsped on the following turn. I chose Psychic instead of Psyshock since Cresselia already has it, but maybe there’s a reason to switch the two moves around.
Cresselia @ Sitrus Berry/Lum Berry/Rocky Helmet
Modest
Levitate
174 HP / 236 SAtk / 100 SDef
Psyshock
Ice Beam
Helping Hand
Thunder Wave
This Cresselia has been in many battles, but I still can’t decide on which item would suit her best overall. There have been situations where I wish the item was different, but of course, changing it to that other item would give it troubles in the next match when the original item would have helped a lot more. Using a more offense oriented Cresselia may be unexpected. 236 SAtk with a Modest nature is enough to OHKO 4HP / 0SpDef Mega Salamence with Ice Beam at Level 50, which then means it can do the same to non-Assault Vest Landorus-T. It has a possibility of missing the OHKO for Garchomp, though. Psyshock is for STAB and hitting specially defensive Pokemon like Blissey harder, and given that I only have two physical attackers available on this team, I could use more support in this department from someone who doesn’t care about Intimidates. Thunder Wave is what I’m using for speed control, as I don’t really know if having 2 ice attacks is necessary, and even then it has a chance of missing, but then again, T-Wave misses out on hitting Ground and Electric types. T-Wave does have the benefit staying with the opponent after it switches (bar abilities) as well as potentially stopping an attack from happening, which has saved me a few times. Helping Hand is great for getting KOs on Pokemon that EV themselves to just barely live the typical attack, such as Politoed trying to survive a Talonflame Brave Bird.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Adamant
Gale Wings
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Brave Bird
Flare Blitz
U-Turn
Taunt
Having Taunt with Choice Band is not a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s necessary to stop Trick Room or redirectors. Adamant is for the most power possible. I get nervous when it’s a Talonflame vs Talonflame and wondering if the other one is Jolly or luckier with the speed tie. If the other is Jolly, it might not be strong enough to OHKO (about 96% damage at minimum), but even then my Talonflame would faint from its recoil with its own Brave Bird. I’m not sure now which nature I would rather have for it. Jolly Flare Blitz is enough to OHKO the typical Mega Metagross, but sometimes I would need the extra power. Maybe that’s what Helping Hand can help with.
Landorus-T @ Choice Scarf
Adamant
Intimidate
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Earthquake
Rock Slide
Knock Off
Superpower
Opting for Knock Off instead of U-Turn may seem strange, but I’ve knocked off enough important items to make it worthwhile. I’m not sure about Superpower, though. Yeah, it’s the only fighting move on my team so far, but that Attack drop means he’s going to have to switch out right away and I feel the opponent will see that coming and be ready to T-Wave that slot. On the plus side, it’s not as bad as Hydreigon’s stat drop, and switching out means that when he switches back in, it’ll mean another Intimidate.
Things I think I’m missing but can’t find room:
Redirector: Gardevoir and Landorus-T seem to draw most of the fire. It would be great to have a redirector like Volcarona who resists Steel and Ice, although the shared Water weakness with Landorus could be a problem.
Another Taunter: I’ve tried taunting a Musharna to stop it from setting up Trick Room, but of course it has a Mental Herb... then again, double taunting the same spot could also mean a waste of a move if it doesn’t have the herb, or running into Protect.
A slow Pokemon: In the event of Trick Room, Talonflame can bypass it easily due to priority, but the rest of the team seems to be at a disadvantage… even Aegislash with its 20 speed EVs.
Weather changers: I have no way of stopping weather from forming, and am at my opponent’s mercy.
A Wide Guard user: I’m not sure which has more utility for Aegislash. Sure, Substitute helps it survive longer, dish out powerful attacks, and last to the end of the battle, but Wide Guard benefits the team if the opponent is using spread moves.
...and there you go. Any help would be appreciated.
