Hello everybody,
as I'm trying to get myself familiar with the new XY meta, after some battles and few team modifications I ended up with a very offensive team, a style I'm not usually a great fan of, that works fine for me.
I would appreciate very much any suggestions or comments of what and why to improve.
The Team :
Noivern @ Life Orb
Ability : Infiltrator
Nature : Hasty
Ev Spread : 4 Attack, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Boomburst/Hurricane
- U-turn
My only member to not have a boosting move. Draco Meteor hits hard and can kill non specially defensive pokemon like gliscor. U-turn is to scout early game, gain momentum and to get Noivern out after it got it's minus special attack drop. Flamethrower is for necessary coverage. The last slot seems to have minor usage so I'm currently running Boomburst for powerful accurate hit.
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability : Justified --> Adaptability
Nature : Jolly
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Crunch
- Sword Dance
The main goal is to force a switch while setting up and using STAB close combat, crunch for ghost and psychic coverage and priority bullet punch to sweep. I switch him in when I know a weak resisted hit is incoming like Hidden Power Ice, especially if it's choiced. When I can't set up, I just try to tear as much holes with sheer power as I can before Lucario dies.
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability : Gale Wings
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 252 Hp, 252 Attack, 4 Speed
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Sword Dance
I didn't want to contribute to the bird's high usage but it fitted the team's role of a revenge killer fantastically. Brave Bird is obvious and Flare Blitz is a secondary STAB. I opted for a life orb set rather than a choice band since I wanted to have a final stand priority Tailwind to boost the success rate of the next incoming pokemon chance's of sweeping, especially Kingdra. Sword Dance is when I force a switch or know I shrug of a hit. Max HP instead of speed is since I already have a powerful priority, but it would be wiser to mix between the two stats according to common threats I am yet familiar with.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability : Mold Breaker
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 252 Hp, 252 Attack, 4 Speed
- Earthquake
- Rockslide
- Rapid Spin
- Sword Dance
Balloon Excadrill is a great hazard spinner, especially the damn rocks Talonflame dislikes so much. Usually Talonflame won't get much switch-in opportunities at all since this team's style is very offensive and matches tend to be very short, but the support Excadrill provides and can provide is important. Since I don't lay any hazards of my own, I might as well use a defog user that won't face problems against ghost types but Excadrill is yet to prove unfit for the team. Edgequake has a fantastic coverage and great power with Sword Dance, although Excadrill is too slow to pull of a sweep or even break walls good enough. Togekiss is annoying to my team and Excadrill is a good switch in.
Kingdra @ Scope Lens
Ability : Sniper
Nature : Timid
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Iv Spread : 0 Attack
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Energy
A member I was eager to try is the underrated Sniper Kingdra, which after a turn of setup has 100% accuracy to land critical hits. Draco Meteor's stat drops are ignored. Hydro Pump is a secondary STAB and Ice Beam is an excellent coverage. Initially I had Politoed to bluff the Swift Swim but it was proven bad tactic in practice. Kingdra's bulk and just two weaknesses grant him great chances of surviving the one turn of setup and afterwards it just sweeps. It lacks speed so Talonflame's Tailwind can help immensely to win the match.
Scolipede @ Life Orb
Ability : Speed Boost
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab
- Earthquake
- Sword Dance
A less successful version of Blaziken. The idea is to force a switch, set up and plow through the enemy's team with strong STAB megahorn, fairy killing secondary STAB poison jab and coverage Earthquake. When the setup is risky and I can just 1hko, the enemy's next switch in will have to face with a +1 speed Scolipede so it's a great solidary pokemon who nets the upper hand.
as I'm trying to get myself familiar with the new XY meta, after some battles and few team modifications I ended up with a very offensive team, a style I'm not usually a great fan of, that works fine for me.
I would appreciate very much any suggestions or comments of what and why to improve.
The Team :
Noivern @ Life Orb
Ability : Infiltrator
Nature : Hasty
Ev Spread : 4 Attack, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Boomburst/Hurricane
- U-turn
My only member to not have a boosting move. Draco Meteor hits hard and can kill non specially defensive pokemon like gliscor. U-turn is to scout early game, gain momentum and to get Noivern out after it got it's minus special attack drop. Flamethrower is for necessary coverage. The last slot seems to have minor usage so I'm currently running Boomburst for powerful accurate hit.
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability : Justified --> Adaptability
Nature : Jolly
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Crunch
- Sword Dance
The main goal is to force a switch while setting up and using STAB close combat, crunch for ghost and psychic coverage and priority bullet punch to sweep. I switch him in when I know a weak resisted hit is incoming like Hidden Power Ice, especially if it's choiced. When I can't set up, I just try to tear as much holes with sheer power as I can before Lucario dies.
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability : Gale Wings
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 252 Hp, 252 Attack, 4 Speed
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Sword Dance
I didn't want to contribute to the bird's high usage but it fitted the team's role of a revenge killer fantastically. Brave Bird is obvious and Flare Blitz is a secondary STAB. I opted for a life orb set rather than a choice band since I wanted to have a final stand priority Tailwind to boost the success rate of the next incoming pokemon chance's of sweeping, especially Kingdra. Sword Dance is when I force a switch or know I shrug of a hit. Max HP instead of speed is since I already have a powerful priority, but it would be wiser to mix between the two stats according to common threats I am yet familiar with.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability : Mold Breaker
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 252 Hp, 252 Attack, 4 Speed
- Earthquake
- Rockslide
- Rapid Spin
- Sword Dance
Balloon Excadrill is a great hazard spinner, especially the damn rocks Talonflame dislikes so much. Usually Talonflame won't get much switch-in opportunities at all since this team's style is very offensive and matches tend to be very short, but the support Excadrill provides and can provide is important. Since I don't lay any hazards of my own, I might as well use a defog user that won't face problems against ghost types but Excadrill is yet to prove unfit for the team. Edgequake has a fantastic coverage and great power with Sword Dance, although Excadrill is too slow to pull of a sweep or even break walls good enough. Togekiss is annoying to my team and Excadrill is a good switch in.
Kingdra @ Scope Lens
Ability : Sniper
Nature : Timid
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Iv Spread : 0 Attack
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Energy
A member I was eager to try is the underrated Sniper Kingdra, which after a turn of setup has 100% accuracy to land critical hits. Draco Meteor's stat drops are ignored. Hydro Pump is a secondary STAB and Ice Beam is an excellent coverage. Initially I had Politoed to bluff the Swift Swim but it was proven bad tactic in practice. Kingdra's bulk and just two weaknesses grant him great chances of surviving the one turn of setup and afterwards it just sweeps. It lacks speed so Talonflame's Tailwind can help immensely to win the match.
Scolipede @ Life Orb
Ability : Speed Boost
Nature : Adamant
Ev Spread : 4 Hp, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab
- Earthquake
- Sword Dance
A less successful version of Blaziken. The idea is to force a switch, set up and plow through the enemy's team with strong STAB megahorn, fairy killing secondary STAB poison jab and coverage Earthquake. When the setup is risky and I can just 1hko, the enemy's next switch in will have to face with a +1 speed Scolipede so it's a great solidary pokemon who nets the upper hand.
