Hey guys, new user here and this is my very first RMT post (it's also my very first post in general but whatever), and it's about a possible VGC 18 team.
So, the basic idea of the team is to gain advantage by using Shadow Tag, a powerful ability that forbids the opponent to switch his Pokèmons. This can lead to enormous advantages, such us locking them against Pokèmon that they cannot severly damage, giving me free turns to boost, or allowing me to kill dangerous threats.
Introduction given, here is the team:
Gengar-Mega (M) @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 244 SpA / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Taunt / HP Ice
- Protect
The 12 Evs in SpD allow him to survive a Draco Meteor from Timid Naganadel, while still having enough power to sweep the enemies.
Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb are his primary way of damaging the enemy, being two powerful STAB moves.
Taunt provides a nice support as it shuts down Tailwind and Trick Room setters and possible setup baits, while HP Ice is used to OHKO Landorus-T and Mega Salamence.
Gothitelle (F) @ Mental Herb / Leftovers
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 164 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Charm / Taunt
- Heal Pulse / Thunder Wave
The given EVs allow her to survive the OHKO from Modest Mega Gengar's Shadow Ball, Adamant Mega Tyranitar's Crunch, Adamant Pheromosa's Lunge and Modest Volcarona's Bug Buzz.
Leftovers obviously provide a nice recovery, while Mental Herb avoids her from being locked on Psychic / Psyshock, making her impossible to boost and forcing her to switch, which means no more Shadow Tag.
Calm Mind boosts both her SpA and her SpD, making her stronger but at the same time harder to kill.
Psychic is her only way of damaging the enemy, and it can be pretty useful after just one boost from CM, after which she 2HKOs Toxapex. Psyshock can be used too if we want to eliminate annoying enemies like Snorlax or Nihilego, who both have a pretty good SpD but a low Def.
The third and fourth moves are the support ones: Taunt, as said before, shuts down many strategies; Charm gives Gothitelle even more bulk, making her extremely difficult to kill since after one use it allows her to survive even Blackhole Eclipse STAB from Adamant Tyranitar.
Heal Pulse is really useful at is lets our allies stay healthy while boosting themselves, since trapping disadvantaged enemies allows us to take extra turns while receveing little to no damage. Thunder Wave can be preferred over Heal Pulse to kneecap faster enemies.
Tapu Bulu @ Life Orb
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Horn Leech / Wood Hammer
- Zen Headbutt
- Swords Dance
In a world full of dangerous Landorus-T, when our Gengar is weak to STABed Earthquakes, nothing is better than a Terrain that halves those damages. Not only that, but our loved Bulu can also take advantage of Shadow Tag, boosting his Attack to extremely high levels.
Life Orb is necessary to give Bulu as much damage as possible.
Horn Leech gives us a sweet recovery and, after a SD boost, it can seriously damage everything, 2HKOing defensive Lando-T (Intimidate included). Wood Hammer is a really solid alternative, OHKOing everything that Horn Leech doesn't after SD (such as defensive Lando-T, Intimidate included, and Toxapex).
Zen Headbutt hits super effectively every dangerous poison Pokèmon, notably OHKOing Naganadel.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Ice Punch / Superpower
Choice Scarf with maximux investment in Spe allows him to outspeed Charizard, Landorus, Blaziken-Mega, Bulu, Latias and Latios. I've played both Band and Scarf, but I prefer the latter as Tyranitar already has enough power to kill primary targets, he only needs the speed to do so.
Sand Stream gives Tyranitar a nice SpD bonus, while also providing control against weather-based teams.
Rock Slide is useful as a global attack against Pokèmons that are weak to it, nothing more to say.
Ice Punch OHKOs Landorus and Salamence, except when Intimidate comes in. Superpower can be used against other Tyranitars, Snorlax and Steel Types.
Excadrill (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Drill Run
- Swords Dance
- Protect
Excadrill is a great physical sweeper, checks and eliminates Electric, Fairy and poison types and makes an awesome work when paired with Tyranitar's Sandstorm, as it outspeeds every non-boosted Pokèmon in the tier. Not only that, but he possesses a really good Atk stat and two really good STABs in Iron Head and Drill Run (I prefer not to run Earthquake as it is incompatible with Gengar, Tyranitar and Bulu's Terrain).
He gains advantage over Shadow Tag's trapping by boosting even more his Atk with SD, after which only bulky Pokèmons like Fini can resist it.
Thundurus-Therian @ Electrium Z
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
- Protect
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
- Protect
After all these physical attackers, a nice special one is needed. In particular, Thundurus-T checks Earth, Electric and Flying types, while also eliminating water types.
HP Ice OHKOs Offensive Lando-T and 2HKOs his defensive counterpart. Also, after a Nasty Plot boost, he is able to OHKOs Defensive Zapdos with Thunderbolt Z, while that same damage OHKOs Specially Defensive Celesteela.
There isn't much to say about him.
THREATS
PRANKSTER TAILWIND SETTERS: Taunt is useless against these guys, since they have priority and can just set Tailwind with ease. The team lacks a Fake Out user and, while it has the damage to kill any Tailwind setter, it can't do anything to prevent it.
PHEROMOSA: This UB has a movepool that allows her to OHKO almost everyone in the team. Drill Run against Gengar and Excadrill, Lunge against Gothitelle, Poison Jab against Tapu Bulu, High Jump Kick against Tyranitar and Excadrill and Ice Beam against Thundurus-T. Our saviors here are Excadrill under Sand, as he outspeeds her and can OHKO her with Iron Head, and Gothitelle, since she resists any of the aformentioned moves and can OHKO her with Psychic.
DARK TYPES: even if Bulu has access to Superpower and can resist them, Dark remains a huge threat for the team as it destroys my Shadow Tag users.
MENTAL HERB TRICK ROOM SETTERS: This is almost the same problem as the Prankster setters: they're not fast, but Taunt is useless on them. The only solutions are:
-killing them before they set Trick Room (difficult, as it may be a Mimikyu or its ally may have Follow Me);
-double taunting them (I put Gengar on a really risky situation by doing this);
-giving Gothitelle Trick Room to eliminate it (it's kind of a double-edged sword, because if the enemy predicts that, he can bait a free Trick Room for himself).
So, here it is! What do you think of the team? How can I improve it to at least partially fight the aformentioned threats?
Let me know and thanks for reading :)
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