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Hi there Smogon Community! TH638 here, bringing you a BSS RMT. You can always find me in the OU and Other Metas Rooms, again as TH638.
This team is special in that it features 2 (imo) very underrated Pokemon in Houndoom and Reuniclus. These Pokemon have high untapped potential and can be devastating if used correctly. Without further ado, let's get started.
TEAMBUILDING PROCESS
I started off with the core of Mega Houndoom and standard MG CM Reuniclus because honestly I tried to be creative and use something that you don't see everyday (looking at you, aegis and kangaskhan.)
Countering Mega Kangaskan and Mega Salamence is my top priority when building a team, so I picked Phydef Skarmory, who also handled Landorus-T and Breloom for Houndoom and provided Stealth Rock support for those pesky Sashers. After that, I noticed an immediate Electric-type (more specifically, Thundurus and Mega Manectric) weakness on my team, so I chose ScarfChomp.
I like playing Double Mega, so I picked standard DD Mega Altaria to complete my Dragon-Fairy-Steel core and also to handle Mega Blaziken.
I desperately needed something to handle Mamoswine and Mega Gardevoir reliably, so I decided to slap an offensive LO Scizor in the last slot.
TEAM DETAILS
Houndoom-Mega@Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire pre-Mega
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe and 0 Atk IVs
Moves:
-Will-O-Wisp
-Fire Blast/Flamethrower
-Dark Pulse
-Nasty Plot
Nasty Plot Houndoom is my soft check to Mega Kangaskhan and counter to Aegislash and Gengar lacking Focus Blast. Will-O-Wisp is the key to this set's success, with its blazing Speed and the amount of switches it forces it's sure to burn some stuff. Nasty Plot is also important, as it can find some openings to set up such as on Choice-locked Pokemon, and if it does it is sure to at least dent huge holes in the opponent's team.Also note that Houndoom OHKOes standard Aegislash, so don't bother with Will-O-Wisping it. This would be true, if it could hold a Life Orb. Don't know how that slipped by me lol. Flamethrower is a better choice imo, since Fire Blast doesn't achieve many notable KOs. You can still run Fire Blast for more power, though. Houndoom also deters Zardy from switching in in fear of activating Houndoom's Solar Power, so keep that in mind.
Maximum SpA and Speed EVs along with a Timid nature maximize Houndoom's sweeping potential whereas 4 HP EVs allow Houndoom to switch in to Stealth Rock 4 times without fainting by making its HP odd. 0 Atk IVs minimize the amount of damage Houndoom takes from Foul Play. Houndoominite is self-explanatory. Flash Fire allows Houndoom to switch into Fire-type attacks safely before going Mega, creating opportunities to safely Mega Evolve and force ScarfChomp locked into Fire Blast out.
Reuniclus@Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD and 0 Atk IVs
Moves:
-Calm Mind
-Psyshock
-Focus Blast
-Recover
This is my counter to Suicune, Conkeldurr and Rotom-W since it "outCM's" them and proceeds to destroy things. Psyshock is a Calm Minder's greatest tool in Calm Mind wars, whereas Focus Blast gives Reuniclus a way to beat Dark-types and common Pursuit users like Bisharp and Tyranitar. Recover is key to keeping Reuniclus alive.
Maximum HP and Defense investment on top of a Bold nature maximize Reuniclus's physical bulk as its SpD is already boosted by Calm Mind. 0 Atk IVs are for reasons explained before. Leftovers increases Reuniclus's recovery and increases its HP even while boosting. Magic Guard prevents Reuniclus from falling prey to Toxic and passive damage.
Skarmory@Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Impish
EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/4 SpD/4 Spe
Moves:
-Stealth Rock
-Roost
-Whirlwind
-Brave Bird
Skarmory is used for Mega Kangaskan and Mega Salamence, stopping their sweeps cold. Stealth Rock is always great to have, and goes hand-in-hand with Whirlwind, slowly whittling away at the opponent 's team while also revealing it, allowing for more riskier decisions to be made more safely. Roost is a must on every Skarmory ever period. Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from being completely passive and deals nice damage. I should note, however, that I think of switching one of these moves to Toxic because without it, Salamence destroys my team if it's the last Pokemon since I can't phaze it out and it heals any damage incurred with Roost.
248 HP EVs hit a Stealth Rock number. 252 Defense EVs maximize Skarmory's physical bulk. 4 EVs into Speed and SpD are used instead of (i.e) 8 SpD EVs because at level 50, giving a stat 8 EVs or 4 EVs is the complete same. Rocky Helmet deals around 25% to Mega Kangaskan each time it makes contact, making this item a valuable asset in countering it. It also helps punish U-Turners such as Landorus-T by dealing chip damage. Sturdy is the obvious choice of ability as Weak Armor should never be considered and Sturdy acts as an emergency button.
Garchomp@Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Moves:
-Outrage
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Dragon Claw
ScarfChomp is an excellent revenge killer, outspeeding major threats-even some boosted ones like Volcarona and Gyarados(do note that these outspeed at +2 and above.)-and in general disrupt the opponent. It is used here as a Mega Manectric and Thundurus check, notably absorbing Prankster Thunder Waves from Thundurus and having a high chance to OHKO Mega Manectric even past Intimidate. Outrage and Earthquake provide near-perfect coverage and offer high Base Power. Stone Edge rounds off the coverage by hitting Togekiss and Thundurus without resorting to Outrage. The last slot is mainly filler, although I use Dragon Claw to hit Dragons with the freedom to switch afterwards, and Fire Blast is redundant since Reuniclus and Houndoom already handle Ferrothorn.
Maximum Speed and Attack EVs are necessary on a revenge killer. Choice Scarf is Garchomp's greatest tool in revenge killing. Rough Skin punishes weak physical attacks such as Fake Out and non-STAB U-Turn.
Altaria-Mega@Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure pre-Mega
Nature: Jolly
Moves:
-Dragon Dance
-Return
-Earthquake
-Roost
This is my most reliable and primary sweeper and it also counters Mega Blaziken. Dragon Dance allows Altaria to sweep, while Pixilate Return and Earthquake provide it with great coverage. Roost keeps Altaria healthy.
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs aid in Altaria's sweep. A Jolly nature is a must to outspeed up to maximum Speed Jolly Mega Lopunny after a boost. Altarianite is needed to go Mega, and Natural Cure is used to switch into Will-O-Wisps from the likes of Rotom-W, though you won't be using it much in general and it is highly situational.
Scizor@Life Orb
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
Moves:
-Knock Off
-Bullet Punch
-U-Turn
-Roost
This is my check to Mamoswine and counter to Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Knock Off hampers Porygon2 and all non-Megas in general. Bullet Punch is any Scizor's best friend and helps it keep Pokemon weak to Steel at bay. U-Turn keeps up momentum and Roost allows it to recover from Life Orb recoil and increase its longevity.
Maximum HP makes Scizor more bulky as Speed investment does not achieve much and Scizor will mostly be usin Bullet Punch anyway. Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature boost Scizor's power to great heights, while Life Orb only increases this power.
LIST OF DOUCHEBAGS
blue:meh,yellow:should be considered,red:threat
(Mamoswine)- even though Scizor manages to check this, it has to take 2 Earthquakes and an Ice Shard(considering it switched into it) which basically ends it there. Even though they face off as leads Scizor still has to take an Earthquake and an Ice Shard, forcing it to Roost the next turn.
(Salamence-Mega)- if it is the last mon on the opponent's team, this wrecks my team. Otherwise, Skarmory can dent it by shuffling. If it lacks Roost it's not a threat at all. This is all about the DD variant though, if it is special it destroys Skarm but gets wrecked by Garchomp.
(Sableye-Mega)- if I don't pick Houndoom it causes issues but as soon as I see it I'm going to pick Houndoom anyway.
(Porygon2)- It basically forces me to pick Reuniclus but that's about it.
(Garchomp)- After Altaria goes Mega, I have no switch-ins to Fire-Blasting variants which is more common than not.
(Thundurus)- I can usually only rely on Garchomp's shaky Stone Edge to take care of Zeus and if it hits but doesn't kill LO variants will OHKO back. I also have no switch ins and it can freely set up on me, and it is nearly guaranteed to T-Wave something. It forces me to pick both Garchomp and Scizor, which is quite bad.
(Aegislash)- Houndoom eradicates him but if I miss Fire Blast things could get bad. It also stops Reuniclus' sweep if it is physical.
Gliscor(I'm not even bothering with images anymore because of the curse of IMG)- If he is
the last Mon, I'm in for a loop. Basically it's a stalemate, one that's against me if it packs Guillotine. It's just so much time consuming and annoying, and my only hope is my opponent actually having a heart and forfeiting(this is straight up torture on the DS where there is no skip turn and you have to watch the looooong animations, ones that take even longer with its Substitute jumping in and out, and you have to wait for the commands to connect.) Reuniclus is not even an option against this because as per the rule of "If you are slower than Gliscor and lack a phazing move, Taunt, Encore or multi-hit move (or anything that stops its Substitute shenaninans), you are doomed.".
Leave your suggestions in the comments below. I hope you enjoy using this interesting team :)
Hi there Smogon Community! TH638 here, bringing you a BSS RMT. You can always find me in the OU and Other Metas Rooms, again as TH638.
This team is special in that it features 2 (imo) very underrated Pokemon in Houndoom and Reuniclus. These Pokemon have high untapped potential and can be devastating if used correctly. Without further ado, let's get started.
TEAMBUILDING PROCESS
I started off with the core of Mega Houndoom and standard MG CM Reuniclus because honestly I tried to be creative and use something that you don't see everyday (looking at you, aegis and kangaskhan.)
Countering Mega Kangaskan and Mega Salamence is my top priority when building a team, so I picked Phydef Skarmory, who also handled Landorus-T and Breloom for Houndoom and provided Stealth Rock support for those pesky Sashers. After that, I noticed an immediate Electric-type (more specifically, Thundurus and Mega Manectric) weakness on my team, so I chose ScarfChomp.
I like playing Double Mega, so I picked standard DD Mega Altaria to complete my Dragon-Fairy-Steel core and also to handle Mega Blaziken.
I desperately needed something to handle Mamoswine and Mega Gardevoir reliably, so I decided to slap an offensive LO Scizor in the last slot.
TEAM DETAILS
Houndoom-Mega@Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire pre-Mega
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe and 0 Atk IVs
Moves:
-Will-O-Wisp
-Fire Blast/Flamethrower
-Dark Pulse
-Nasty Plot
Nasty Plot Houndoom is my soft check to Mega Kangaskhan and counter to Aegislash and Gengar lacking Focus Blast. Will-O-Wisp is the key to this set's success, with its blazing Speed and the amount of switches it forces it's sure to burn some stuff. Nasty Plot is also important, as it can find some openings to set up such as on Choice-locked Pokemon, and if it does it is sure to at least dent huge holes in the opponent's team.
Maximum SpA and Speed EVs along with a Timid nature maximize Houndoom's sweeping potential whereas 4 HP EVs allow Houndoom to switch in to Stealth Rock 4 times without fainting by making its HP odd. 0 Atk IVs minimize the amount of damage Houndoom takes from Foul Play. Houndoominite is self-explanatory. Flash Fire allows Houndoom to switch into Fire-type attacks safely before going Mega, creating opportunities to safely Mega Evolve and force ScarfChomp locked into Fire Blast out.
Reuniclus@Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD and 0 Atk IVs
Moves:
-Calm Mind
-Psyshock
-Focus Blast
-Recover
This is my counter to Suicune, Conkeldurr and Rotom-W since it "outCM's" them and proceeds to destroy things. Psyshock is a Calm Minder's greatest tool in Calm Mind wars, whereas Focus Blast gives Reuniclus a way to beat Dark-types and common Pursuit users like Bisharp and Tyranitar. Recover is key to keeping Reuniclus alive.
Maximum HP and Defense investment on top of a Bold nature maximize Reuniclus's physical bulk as its SpD is already boosted by Calm Mind. 0 Atk IVs are for reasons explained before. Leftovers increases Reuniclus's recovery and increases its HP even while boosting. Magic Guard prevents Reuniclus from falling prey to Toxic and passive damage.
Skarmory@Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Impish
EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/4 SpD/4 Spe
Moves:
-Stealth Rock
-Roost
-Whirlwind
-Brave Bird
Skarmory is used for Mega Kangaskan and Mega Salamence, stopping their sweeps cold. Stealth Rock is always great to have, and goes hand-in-hand with Whirlwind, slowly whittling away at the opponent 's team while also revealing it, allowing for more riskier decisions to be made more safely. Roost is a must on every Skarmory ever period. Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from being completely passive and deals nice damage. I should note, however, that I think of switching one of these moves to Toxic because without it, Salamence destroys my team if it's the last Pokemon since I can't phaze it out and it heals any damage incurred with Roost.
248 HP EVs hit a Stealth Rock number. 252 Defense EVs maximize Skarmory's physical bulk. 4 EVs into Speed and SpD are used instead of (i.e) 8 SpD EVs because at level 50, giving a stat 8 EVs or 4 EVs is the complete same. Rocky Helmet deals around 25% to Mega Kangaskan each time it makes contact, making this item a valuable asset in countering it. It also helps punish U-Turners such as Landorus-T by dealing chip damage. Sturdy is the obvious choice of ability as Weak Armor should never be considered and Sturdy acts as an emergency button.
Garchomp@Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Moves:
-Outrage
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Dragon Claw
ScarfChomp is an excellent revenge killer, outspeeding major threats-even some boosted ones like Volcarona and Gyarados(do note that these outspeed at +2 and above.)-and in general disrupt the opponent. It is used here as a Mega Manectric and Thundurus check, notably absorbing Prankster Thunder Waves from Thundurus and having a high chance to OHKO Mega Manectric even past Intimidate. Outrage and Earthquake provide near-perfect coverage and offer high Base Power. Stone Edge rounds off the coverage by hitting Togekiss and Thundurus without resorting to Outrage. The last slot is mainly filler, although I use Dragon Claw to hit Dragons with the freedom to switch afterwards, and Fire Blast is redundant since Reuniclus and Houndoom already handle Ferrothorn.
Maximum Speed and Attack EVs are necessary on a revenge killer. Choice Scarf is Garchomp's greatest tool in revenge killing. Rough Skin punishes weak physical attacks such as Fake Out and non-STAB U-Turn.
Altaria-Mega@Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure pre-Mega
Nature: Jolly
Moves:
-Dragon Dance
-Return
-Earthquake
-Roost
This is my most reliable and primary sweeper and it also counters Mega Blaziken. Dragon Dance allows Altaria to sweep, while Pixilate Return and Earthquake provide it with great coverage. Roost keeps Altaria healthy.
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs aid in Altaria's sweep. A Jolly nature is a must to outspeed up to maximum Speed Jolly Mega Lopunny after a boost. Altarianite is needed to go Mega, and Natural Cure is used to switch into Will-O-Wisps from the likes of Rotom-W, though you won't be using it much in general and it is highly situational.
Scizor@Life Orb
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
Moves:
-Knock Off
-Bullet Punch
-U-Turn
-Roost
This is my check to Mamoswine and counter to Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Knock Off hampers Porygon2 and all non-Megas in general. Bullet Punch is any Scizor's best friend and helps it keep Pokemon weak to Steel at bay. U-Turn keeps up momentum and Roost allows it to recover from Life Orb recoil and increase its longevity.
Maximum HP makes Scizor more bulky as Speed investment does not achieve much and Scizor will mostly be usin Bullet Punch anyway. Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature boost Scizor's power to great heights, while Life Orb only increases this power.
LIST OF DOUCHEBAGS
blue:meh,yellow:should be considered,red:threat
Gliscor(I'm not even bothering with images anymore because of the curse of IMG)- If he is
the last Mon, I'm in for a loop. Basically it's a stalemate, one that's against me if it packs Guillotine. It's just so much time consuming and annoying, and my only hope is my opponent actually having a heart and forfeiting(this is straight up torture on the DS where there is no skip turn and you have to watch the looooong animations, ones that take even longer with its Substitute jumping in and out, and you have to wait for the commands to connect.) Reuniclus is not even an option against this because as per the rule of "If you are slower than Gliscor and lack a phazing move, Taunt, Encore or multi-hit move (or anything that stops its Substitute shenaninans), you are doomed.".
Leave your suggestions in the comments below. I hope you enjoy using this interesting team :)
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