Here's a baton pass team I've been having a lot of fun with, and have also had quite a bit of success with. I would like some critique to make it more effective in general. At the time of typing this, this team reached rank 15 on Bank Ladder with a score of 1777.
Proof of peak obtained with this team:
Now then, onto the team:
The general idea here is to have Landorus-T and Tapu Bulu clear the way for Xurkitree or Manaphy to sweep, while Smeargle is generally a nuisance. Smeargle puts in a lot of work here as well, due to its set working to irritate and slow the opposing team down, making them less reliant on Scolipede as a whole.
Xurkitree @ Electrium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Energy Ball
- Tail Glow
Baton Pass sweeper #1. With +2 speed (+2.5 if you wanna be really safe vs rain teams, or if they have scarf Pheromosa) this Pokemon outspeeds everything, and with a tail glow boost it can immediately delete almost anything thrown out it, aside from Alolan Marowak or Excadrill and also Zygarde if rocks aren't up and it's not at least at +1. (Two Pokemon that Manaphy and Landorus-T can clean up very well) Electrium Z allows Xurkitree to do one of two things: Take out an opponent that can survive a +whatever thunderbolt, or should using tail glow be very risky (such as if you fail to Baton Pass with a substitute), get the ball rolling for it to snowball. +4 points of defence is to make Genesect with extreme speed less annoying. Against stall, it generally doesn't need the +speed once Dugtrio has been dealt with, and sometimes with Sticky Web up it doesn't need speed at all vs certain teams.
Some walls or Pokemon that aren't OHKO'd by a +3 t-bolt that Gigavolt Havoc can plow through:
Some Pokemon that Gigavolt Havoc can get the ball rolling against at +0:
Manaphy @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 80 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Energy Ball
- Ice Beam
- Tail Glow
Baton pass sweeper #2. A bit easier to get in vs Xurkitree, though has a little bit of a harder time cleaning house, sometimes barely missing out on OHKOs like vs Mega Metagross if rocks aren't up (+3 252 SpA Manaphy Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Metagross-Mega: 282-333 (93.6 - 110.6%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO) Surf, Energy Ball, and Ice beam give it the best coverage and power in my opinon, though it is walled by Toxapex, Tentacruel, and Ferrothorn. (Coincidentally Xurkitree beats Toxapex and Tentacruel without boosting, and OHKOs Ferrothorn with +3 Gigavolt Havoc. Landorus-T can also pressure these Pokemon) Much less immediate power than Xurkitree so it absolutely needs Tail Glow to sweep, but its better bulk allows it to set up a bit easier should its substitute break upon being baton passed, or just unable to be passed with one. As per usual, 4 points of defence over special defence is to make Genesect with Extreme speed less of a nuisance. Doesn't really need speed vs stall, and sometimes not at all vs various other teams with sticky webs up.
Scolipede (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Protect
- Poison Jab
- Baton Pass
The baton passer. Full attack allows it to seriously damage the Tapus with poison jab, OHKOing Bulu and Lele (93.8% chance to OHKO on Lele), while also doing sizeable damage to Koko and Fini. Very standard. Black Sludge is there so that mons that try to trick it end up getting hurt every turn.
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Swords Dance
Swords dance lets it hit incredibly hard, making it a lot harder to switch into. The speed is so that should baton Passing it be ideal, then it has enough speed to outspeed all scarfers barring Pheromosa and Dugtrio (or the occasional Greninja that decides to run scarf for whatever reason) at +2. You may wonder, why would I carry Stealth Rock on a Swords Dance Landorus-T, and that I should carry Rock Polish instead. That is exactly my reasoning for it, no stall player has ever switched into their Mega Sableye after I reveal Swords Dance, letting me get up Stealth Rock vs whatever they switch into.
Tapu Bulu @ Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
- Bulk Up
Grassy Terrain supports Scolipede, Xurkitree, and Manaphy, giving them increased Longevity. Bulu itself obviously benefits from this too, and it can be very frightening for certain teams to face. Bulk up is over choice band, as I'd really rather not be locked into one move here, and once special threats are down it becomes a lot harder to take down. Horn Leech doesn't need to be explained, Superpower lets it smash right through Ferrothorn, while Stone Edge lets it nail things like Zard Y on the switch in, and if it has a bulk up or two under its belt, pressure Skarmory.
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Taunt
- Spore
- Parting Shot
I tried both Espeon and Mega Sableye for some anti phazing utility, but on this team they just fell flat. So I thought, why not try adding another layer of annoyance here instead? Smeargle here is very standard. Spore to put something to sleep, Sticky Web to slow things down, Taunt to prevent any defogger that thinks that they can just get rid of Sticky Web (or hazard setter that is either immune to spore, of if something is already asleep), and finally Parting Shot to let something else get in safely. This also adds a layer of trickery to Landorus-T, as unless all four of its moves are revealed, basically everyone thinks that this has Stealth Rock instead.
Threats to this team include: Zard Y. Can't really switch into it without mind games, but Scolipede can always stall out the sun should it be at full health, and then Baton Pass to Manaphy to cause quite a bit of trouble. Nihilego can be a problem if it manages to snowball, as no rock resists. Phazers aren't as big of an issue here as before, since Smeargle can generally be a nuisance to them. Now there isn't hazard removal here, which probably seems crazy (and probably is tbh), but the team doesn't really mind Stealth Rock or a layer or two of Spikes, and while Sticky Web can be problematic, I have sticky web of my own, two Pokemon that don't really mind it (Tapu Bulu is slow as hell anyways, and Landorus-T is flying), and finally a speed booster which outspeeds a majority of the non scarfed tier at +0. I guess I could add Rapid Spin over like, Spore on Smeargle or something if you guys think it's super important.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-502937798
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-502910580
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-503320388
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-503399203
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-503402795
Critique is very appreciated. If you try this team and you like it, let me know.
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