looking for team help plz

[zerg999999]

This is my team ive been using over random wifi, I have a decent record but im looking to round the team out some more

Starmie@ choice specs

-timid/natural cure

6 hp/ 252satk/252 spd

--thunderbolt

--ice beam

-- surf

-- psychic

Blaziken@ life orb

-adamant/speed boost

252hp/252atk/6 spd

--flare blitz

--hi jump kick

-- stone edge

--protect

Hydreigon@ choice scarf

-hardy/levitate

6hp/252satk/252 spd

--dark pulse

--draco meteor

--surf

--flamethrower

Machamp@ lum berry

-adamant/ No gaurd

252hp/252atk/6spd

--dynamic punch

-- stone edge

--payback

--substitute

Ferrothorn@ rocky helmet

relaxed/iron barb

252hp/252def/6sdef

--stealth rock

--thunder wave

--leech seed

--power whip

zapdos@leftovers

timid/pressure

252hp/128def/128sdef

--toxic

--thunderbolt

--substitute

--roost

I find that i rarely ever use zapdos, but Im not sure what to replace it with.

Also, in spite of my machamp bein sorta bulky i find that i never have a good opportunity to use substitute. Any ideas of what I could replace it with?

[Tbird]

Can you add an explanation of the sets please. You have a few unusual things in there that I can't rate unless you explain how ypu're using them. Just tell me why each move's on the set and why you've chosen the nature, evs and items. If you can't justify these things then you need to change them.

But also, Blaziken is banned in standard play if this is a 5th gen team.

[zerg999999]

starmie

-switches in after hydreigon to eat fighting moves, also why it has psychic

-natural cure works well with choice specs

-surf for stab

-ice beam for dealing with dragons which there seem to be a ton of online

-thunderbolt for dealing with other waters, the team currently lacks grass moves

Blaziken

-would probably be replaced with CB/sheer force darmanitan to make the team legal (flare blitz/u-turn/rock slide/EQ)

-flare blitz is a great stab and with CB/sheer force even water types take massive dmg

-u-turn for scouting, also used to bring in starmie/hydriegon to avoid water attacks or earthquake

-rock slide for fliers

Machamp

-opener if opponent has more than 1 steel, since they would resist draco meteor and would be weak to dynamic punch

-100% confusion chance is very useful, dynamic punch is a solid stab that even causes a lot of dmg to walls

-stone edge covers fliers, i use this move if i expect a ghost to come in

-payback deals with psychics, machamp can eat a psychic if hes healthy, payback shows em whats what

-i never get a good chance to use sub

ferrothorn

-ability+ helmet does lots of damage to physicals, and with leech seed enemies are whittled down quickly

-stealth rock hurts fire types who would come after ferrothorn, also deals with my biggest pet peeves: lvl 1 endeavor pokemon and focus sashers

-power whip does a lot of damage considering ferro is a wall

-thunder wave mitigates dmg and makes things easier for my sweepers

zapdos

-didnt know what else to put on, i dont have any electric types and only one pokemon with an electric attack

-needs to be replaced imo, but i dont know what to use

Hydreigon

-opener/revenge killer

-If the opponent doesnt have a lot of steel, draco meteor is a solid bet if i think they are going to switch out

-dark pulse for stab, flinch chance can save me in a pinch

-surf and FT are good coverage, it seems most opponents dont see it coming and dont switch out when surf/FT are super effective

[Tbird]

Ok I can work with that somewhat.

I'll go through changes I think could work first then go on about stuff that counters your team etc.

Lead champ doesn't really want to use substitute. a lot of things can taunt it and or kill it before it gets a sub up. So I suggest putting bullet punch in over that. This way you can smack something with Dynamic Punch then finish off sashers with BP. It also means it can kill stuff that are around the 12 / 15% (red health mark) later on in the game if need be. I'm also going to suggest an alternate EV spread of 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe. You lose out on bulk but you are out pacing a whole host of things that sit at 176 speed, such as Skarmory, some Ttar, some Scizor and even some speedy blissy. This is quite vital as it means dynamic punch will OHKO a post-Superpower Scizor which will mean Hydreigon has less to worry. about.

Psychic on Starmie is a nice touch and it doesn't look like you have too much need for rapid spin anyway. So that counters Conkeldur quite nicely, as that too would be problematic for hydreigon and Ferrothorn. Even though you have choice specs on the set, I still recommend you go for Hydro Pump over Surf, as you're not going to be staying in anyway. So if you miss you can quite easily switch out, and if scizor stays in on it the next hydro pump will be sure to take it out anyway.

Now I don't recommend you go the darminitan route. And here's why; The set you are talking about is very very vulnerable. Yes it hits like a truck but at the same time it takes so much recoil that it's hardly worth it if you don't have Wish support of some form. As you were running blaziken, why not run Starmie's old favourite partner; Mixape. It will take out all of the walls that will hinder your team, and you have Ferrothorn to counter those pesky bulky waters. You'll then have a lovely strong FWG core that that's both beautifully defencive as they can all switch in on each other's weakness whilst also being very scary as an offencive force.

The set would be:

Infernape (M) @ Life Orb / Choice Scarf

Trait: Blaze

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd

Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)

- Fire Blast / Overheat

- Hidden Power [ice] / Stone Edge

- Close Combat

- U-turn / Grass Knot / Thunder Punch

Hidden power is very necessary so I strongly urge you to find the means of achieving it, as it will get rid of gliscor, chomp, mence... a plethora of things that you may struggle to get rid of. The choice between LO and Scarf is if you fear other scarf users that have a high Speed, like garchomp, or not. However that would be deviating from this set's purpose as a wall breaker, so Starmie might be the one that should be scarfed. You might just want to test different things out. You got your standard stabs there, Stone edge can work in place of HP Ice, but have fun with gliscor if you lack HP ice. Now the last move is up to you really. U turn is a great scouting tool and can gain you a ton of momentum if you use it at the right time, whilst GK and Tpunch get rid of Bulky water, I suggest you go Tpunch if you opt for one of the two as it means you can hit Tentacruel harder with it and it's working off of the stronger offence.

Ferrorthorn's EVs want tweaking. 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD w/ either Careful or impish. And this is because its typing is more apt for special walling so it wants to be taking as much Special defence as possible. The moveset I can't fault though.

The reason you're disliking Zapdos is because it's sort of on the wrong team. It works really well on teams that can abuse entry hazards like Toxic spikes to whittle the opponent down as it sub roosts. Seeing as you have toxic in place of roost, I'm going to say drop toxic and add roost. This way you can stall out Dynamic Punch, fire blasts and Stone edges all day long. However to do that you're going to need more speed

So I recommend:

Zeus (Zapdos) @ Leftovers

Trait: Pressure

EVs: 192 HP / 64 Def / 252 Spd

Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

- Substitute

- Roost

- Thunderbolt

- Heat Wave / Hidden Power Ice / Toxic

You could possibly use gliscor over it.

Hydreigon has the support it needs for this team but it doesn't feel right. And certainly not scarfed, I don't like it scarfed at all. Its speed means most over scarfed things are oupacing it unlike say garchomp, who struggles to be outpaced by a lot of scarfed mons. And if you're adamant on keeping it scarfed you need to be running Fire blast over flamethrower as you don't have the needed LO boost. You also need U turn as that's its selling point over say Garchomp or salamence. I would suggest U turn over dark pulse.

With the given changes I recommend you've now got a bigger portion of the metagame checked IMO. The only things I can see giving you problem are Excardrill, quiver dance Volcarona and landulos and double dance Terrakion. SD Terrakion and Landulos can be taken out much easier if you put a scarf on starmie, whilst Infernape is at a speed tier with terrakion. An option you could go for is running Technitop on the team which can remove all of those, bar landolus, or Azumarill which will take them all out. Azumarill would go over Starmie, and technitop would go over Machamp. But without starmie you will be all but forced to run a scarf on Infernape if you want any chance of beating DD mence or Scarf Chomp.

I think that's about it. I can't see many Glaring holes if you apply the necessary changes.

[zerg999999]

thanks a ton, I'll put your advice to good use.

[wraith89]

I used to run 252 HP/84 Atk/172 SpDef Careful with Lum Berry on lead Machamp as that allowed it to survive a LO Psychic from Azelf, and can still take it down with Payback + Bullet Punch (and Dynapunch still hurts everything else no matter how you look at it... if Gengar disables Payback then Stone Edge will still 2HKO it), but Azelf is nowhere near prominent in this gen but it may still pop out as a lead. Other than that, go with what Tbird said.

Machamp (M) @ Lum Berry

252 HP/84 Atk/172 SpDef

Careful Nature

No Guard

- Dynamicpunch

- Payback

- Stone Edge

- Bullet Punch

Any EVs I suggest are assuming the RELEVANT stats have 31 IV in it. If not, you will have to sacrifice some EVs from someplace (like Attack in this case) and move to SpDef or HP where it is needed to make up for it.

Mind you, Bullet Punch is a hereditary move, so you will need to breed a female (eww) with a Hitmonchan for a baby Machop with Bullet Punch. But priority moves are very invaluable, especially one that no one is immune to.

As for Hydreigon, a Choiced Hydreigon wants U-turn, as it is functioning as a Scouter, and is very well capable of U-turning in and out akin to Flygon. Hardy nature isn't suiting it at all. You want to at least boost its power as Surf and Flamethrower is NOT gaining STAB and therefore may not plow through as you want it to. I'd raise its Special Attack and either lower its Defence or Special Defence through Mild or Rash since there is a scarf attached. Yeah, you're not outpacing 100 scarfers, or even Haxorus + 1, but you can still provide a nasty check to some of the slower Pokemon out there.

Edited April 27, 2011 by wraith89