Battle Tower Hail Team

[Illithian]

Finally have the time to start up Battle Tower. Just designed a Hail team.

Basically, the difference between the Battle Tower and competitive battling is that theres virtually no switching from the opponent and generally there are few choice items.

This team is based on Abomasnow setting up hail and the rest using it to sweep.

Overview

Abomasnow @ Big Root

Rash

Snow Warning

252 HP 180 SpA 76 Spe

Energy Ball

Blizzard

Leech Seed

Hidden Power (Ground)

Abomasnow is my lead (obviously). His EV spread is taken from smogon. I don't really know what its based on, but it looks good. Special build. Energy Ball is a simple special STAB move. Blizzard goes hand in hand with Hail. Leech Seed is excellent for keeping this guy alive. HP Ground goes a long way with Electric types and potentially slow fire types, although thats very risky. Big Root is there to increase Leech Seed's healing, although it seems totally useless at this point. Need suggestions on a different item that isn't already in use.

Froslass @ Petaya Berry

Timid

Snow Cloak

4 Def 252 SpA 252 Spe

Substitute

Blizzard

Shadow Ball

Thunderbolt

My main sweeper. Simple Sub Petaya set from Smogon. She is blazing fast already and the speed EVs make her a monster. Substitute is obvious for activating Petaya. Blizzard is the main STAB assisted by Abomasnow's hail. Shadow Ball is secondary stab. With Thunderbolt she has perfect coverage and gives her something with at least neutral against steel types.

Vaporeon @ Leftovers

Bold

Water Absorb

188 HP 252 Def 68 Spe

Wish

Protect

Surf

Hidden Power [Dark]

Wish Support. Wish is a given on this guy and is great for helping my Abomasnow switch in. Protect is good for getting Wish on Vaporeon himself. This guy also acts as my main Fire counter, so Surf is a given and with STAB it works well as a bread 'n butter move. HP Dark is the only dark move on this team, and I think its rather needed as a Psychic counter.

There you go. Any suggestions? As a Hail team, Abomasnow is invaluable and can't be switched out. I'd like to keep Froslass as its my new favorite pokemon. Vaporeon is my replacement for Gardevoir and my fire counter. No legendaries (and I mean NONE) since they can't be used in Battle Frontier.

Edited May 6, 2009 by Illithian

[ZMaster]

Hmm, rather interesting.

I just beat Battle Tower with my Starmie =) Because of its Recover =D

[wraith89]

Those are my favorites! I use a hail team for my competitive battle too... and a Gardevoir?

I will have to say though beware of Scizor, Lucario and fire types... your Gardevoir MIGHT want Protect with Wish but it looks hard to fit in. Other than that, this looks really nice

[Illithian]

Those are my favorites! I use a hail team for my competitive battle too... and a Gardevoir?

I will have to say though beware of Scizor, Lucario and fire types... your Gardevoir MIGHT want Protect with Wish but it looks hard to fit in. Other than that, this looks really nice

Gardevoir was my favorite pokemon back in RSE, I just had to put her in.

Abomasnow's EQ should take care of Lucario but I know I have some big problems with Scizor. Wish on Gardevoir is more designed to ease switching. Fire types will screw me over.

I need suggestions for a good fire counter, since Abomasnow can't really do that job effectively with only EQ and a 4x weakness.

I think I'm proudest of this team because it isn't just a Smogon copy. Rash on Abomasnow is there because honestly I'd rather have him be attacking then defending.

[wraith89]

Vaporeon? Vaporeon can also Wish Support and is the best team player of all Bulky Waters, while Abomasnow takes care of her weaknesses with his Grass and Electric resist. Trust me, Abomasnow is a monster if used right... he's helped me win a lot of battles... and took down Bronzong, Metagross and Vaporeon... one on one (my Abomasnow is the Subseeding set).

If you don't like Vaporeon, you can use Swampert... he only has one weakness but isn't really a supporter other than Stealth Rock/Roar combo...

[Illithian]

Vaporeon? Vaporeon can also Wish Support and is the best team player of all Bulky Waters, while Abomasnow takes care of her weaknesses with his Grass and Electric resist. Trust me, Abomasnow is a monster if used right... he's helped me win a lot of battles... and took down Bronzong, Metagross and Vaporeon... one on one (my Abomasnow is the Subseeding set).

If you don't like Vaporeon, you can use Swampert... he only has one weakness but isn't really a supporter other than Stealth Rock/Roar combo...

1. Nice new sig.

Vaporeon sounds great and I love the pokemon but I'm not sure who to switch. I could switch Froslass but she's my current favorite pokemon. I could switch Gardevoir. I'm hesitant to do that since Gardevoir is one of my favorites, but I can't help but think that she doesn't add THAT much to the team. On the other hand, a special wall along with a psychic stab & a fighting type move is quite useful, but Vap would be more useful against fire types.

Help?

[wraith89]

Thanks

But Froslass tends to be a monster in hail... and has a nice coverage. I'd get rid of Gardevoir (sorry... hey just look at my avatar ) because two Wishers sound redundant (unless Gardevoir is a status platform). Plus Vaporeon is pretty bulky, even without any investment in Special Defense (invest in Defense though, Bold natured and max would be preferred). Vappy is very versatile so you might as well try. My in-game Vaporeon helped me win a lot of times but it may be due to my terrible luck, but she ALWAYS hits herself in confusion, like 7 times in a row (o_O). But I digress...

[Illithian]

I'd get rid of Gardevoir (sorry... hey just look at my avatar ) because two Wishers sound redundant (unless Gardevoir is a status platform). Plus Vaporeon is pretty bulky, even without any investment in Special Defense (invest in Defense though, Bold natured and max would be preferred). Vappy is very versatile so you might as well try. My in-game Vaporeon helped me win a lot of times but it may be due to my terrible luck, but she ALWAYS hits herself in confusion, like 7 times in a row (o_O). But I digress...

I'll take that advice. Editing my first post now.

[wraith89]

But beware... there are random circumstances that happen in the tower. I got swept by a Quick Clawing Guillotining Crawdaunt... the Quick Claw activates 100% of the time and that Guillotine hit everyone 100% of the time... Battle Tower is strange o_O

[Illithian]

Okay, first post edited. Comments/suggestions on my new Vaporeon please & any other suggestions are appreciated.

[Destati]

I don't usually rate Battle Tower teams since they behave differently from regular matches (and I really don't like calculating Garchomp into the equation), but I think you need a fighting move somewhere. Maybe using HP Fighting over Dark on Vaporeon?

[randomspot555]

I don't usually rate Battle Tower teams since they behave differently from regular matches (and I really don't like calculating Garchomp into the equation), but I think you need a fighting move somewhere. Maybe using HP Fighting over Dark on Vaporeon?

HP Dark does suck, but what is HP Fight hitting that Vaporeon can't already hit? Vap's best HP is HP Electric or HP Fire. But breeding for HP in-game is a hassle, so it's fine to go without it.

Full rate coming soon/

[Destati]

Well, I am of course, assuming the TC has the ability to work with Pokesav : /

No doubt Vaporeon's best HP is electric, but my concern is if a pokemon like Lucario comes along or some steel or ice type.

[randomspot555]

Well, I am of course, assuming the TC has the ability to work with Pokesav : /

No doubt Vaporeon's best HP is electric, but my concern is if a pokemon like Lucario comes along or some steel or ice type.

Lucario won't be able to do much. Ice types won't like Vaporeon. Vap can't knock around steel types, true, but they can't exactly harm him either, outside of Magnezone.

Vaporeon's standard Wish-Protect means you'll leave yourself open to more than a few threats.

STAB Surf is almost always a given. Hydro Pump is also an option, but it can easily get pressure-stalled away.

Your last slot can be:

HP Electric: Covers Gyarados. While it technically hits bulky waters for SE damage, they won't care too much.

Ice Beam: Covers most dragons, but leaves you open to Gyarados and other bulky waters.

Toxic: Covers bulky waters that aren't Empoleon.

Rain Dance: What?!?!?!?!?!. Gets rid of harmful hail.

Based on the rest of your team, I think Toxic would be your best bet. It'll give you the best coverage that the rest of the team lacks. Plus hail damage+Toxic+leech seed would be amazing if you ever got it set up.

[Illithian]

Lucario won't be able to do much. Ice types won't like Vaporeon. Vap can't knock around steel types, true, but they can't exactly harm him either, outside of Magnezone.

Vaporeon's standard Wish-Protect means you'll leave yourself open to more than a few threats.

STAB Surf is almost always a given. Hydro Pump is also an option, but it can easily get pressure-stalled away.

I totally agree with all of this, and HP Dark is bad type, but it an important move type that I don't have anywhere else.

Your last slot can be:

HP Electric: Covers Gyarados. While it technically hits bulky waters for SE damage, they won't care too much.

Ice Beam: Covers most dragons, but leaves you open to Gyarados and other bulky waters.

Toxic: Covers bulky waters that aren't Empoleon.

Rain Dance: What?!?!?!?!?!. Gets rid of harmful hail.

Based on the rest of your team, I think Toxic would be your best bet. It'll give you the best coverage that the rest of the team lacks. Plus hail damage+Toxic+leech seed would be amazing if you ever got it set up.

HP Electric is covered by Froslass's Thunderbolt. Ice Beam is Blizzard on Abomasnow & Froslass. I agree that Toxic is the best choice, and I will put it in.

Also, big change to Abomasnow: Earthquake wasn't doing enough damage for my taste. I wish it could learn Earth Power, but unfortunately that isnt an option, so I'm settling for HP Ground and moving all the Atk IVs to SpA which should help a lot with damage. If this is a bad change, tell me =).

Also, I need a new item for Abomasnow. I don't even notice the extra Leech Seed healing so Big Root is a complete waste. And since its a Battle Tower team, I can't use Leftovers since thats already on Vaporeon.