[STK] Devon's Prototype 6th Gen League Team: Help Me Out Here

[Devonaki]

A continuous string of losses to Saphira caused me to take a hiatus from league. The recent introduction of Gen 6 and Fairy typing has made me wonder if I should just re-register with my teams Gen 6 variant. I ask that you take a look at the team and the pre gen 6 one in my signature and tell me if it's worth my time to replace the latter with the former or if trying with this team would be pointless.

Pardon if any stubbornness on my part frustrates you. I'm stodgy, stubborn, and not quick to change (its pre-fairy variant is one I've used since my intro to reborn several years ago). All comments are appreciated.

Without further ado.

The Team

The High-Speed Lead and Dragon Slayer:

Grace the Gardevoir
Trait: Trace
EVs: 240 SAtk / 16 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
Item: Choice Scarf
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Moonblast
- Thunderbolt

She can outspeed Gengar (both with and without megastone boost) and Thundurus, she hits hard, and Trace has always been good for a surprise (an unpleasant one if I've copied Truant or Defiant, but that's only happened once on each of them). Grace has been my go-to-gal for Scouting since I joined reborn. STAB-Psychic takes out Poison types and Thunderbolt at least keeps steel and water types wary. Shadow ball takes care of ghosts. All three of them hit Fire types reasonably allowing STAB-Moonblast to be the go-to for everything else that isn't Fire, Steel or Poison. Unfortunately she drops like a rock if she so much as trips. At least she doesn't have to worry as much about Pursuit and U-turn now with the Fairy typing.

Glass Cannon Pup:

Sirius the Lucario
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Item: Lucarionite
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Bullet Punch

Lucarios are the epitome of Glass Cannons, in that they hit hard as hell if used right, but crumple like a house of cards at the merest indication of fire, psychic, ground or electricity. Close Combat's debuff's only worsen this, but at least it resists Stealth Rock. One Swords Dance and a Mega-Evolution make this guy hit like a tactical nuke (so long as you're not Chandlure or Jellicent, who break Sirius' stride pretty well). Surprise Ice-Punch has made this guy Grace's Dragon Slayer partner and helps with the Ground types that plague him and the grass types which worry Gustave and Wayne. However, using that does sacrifice the ability to deal with the aforementioned ghosts. Adaptability boosted Bullet Punch has allowed me to survive the onslaught of Grace's Fae brethren.

Queen of Spores, Multi-hits and Priority

Toph the Breloom
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Item: Life Orb
- Swords Dance
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch

I've called her Brebroom, as she cleans things up for me nicely, and her occasional sweeps are beautiful. Gen 6 has given her the ability to block spore for me (though other can do it to her now too), and taken a bit of the fear out of Magic Bounce. Bullet Seed deals with water types and Substitutes. Mach Punch is consistently useful and becomes devastating once Swords Dance becomes a factor. Ghosts are troublesome to her as they were to Sirius but she's useful against Blissey, Chancey and Audino walls.

The Ever Reliable Calamity

Gustave the Feraligatr
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Item: Leftovers
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake

The reason I first came to the Reborn Server is because Sheer Force is legal for my favorite starter here. It's biggest issues are Jellicent (which walls it), Rotom-W (Volt-Switch dude), and speedy Electric and Grass types (both of which become a non issue with a few DD's and either Earthquake or Ice Punch). Other than that Gustave has just enough bulk to be a good fall-back and packs a ridiculous punch after a Dragon Dance or two. Fire, Ground and Rock types beware.

Death From Above and Below

Wayne the Gliscor
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Item: Flying Gem
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Toxic

Flying Gem Acrobatics hits hard, add a Sword Dance and it just straight up destroys. Wayne is my striker, pin point and good for cover. Poison Heal keeps him legal on the main server and Toxic has been at times replaced with Thunder Fang, Ice Fang and Poison Jab. Grass and Water are troublesome, and the only defense he has against Ice is speed, but he's neutral to everything else and negates troublesome electric types.

The Derptastic Heavy Hitter

Nidhoggr the Dragonite
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Item: Lum Berry
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Extreme Speed

I love this derpy bastard, I really do. So long as I get her in before someone pulls off a Stealth Rock this one can always tank at least one hit (unless its a ridiculously suped up Fairy, Ice or Dragon attack). Dragon Dance is instrumental to this set. One and she's troublesome, two and she hits like a freight train, three and she has become death on stupid wings. Extremespeed has been useful in the excess, but I have to be careful in the setup if I want to use outrage. Lum Berry furthers tanking ability and wards off the unfortunate confusion debuff for one use of Outrage.

Possible Replacements:

If I'm really well convinced that any of the earlier need to be replaced (something I'd very much like to avoid) here are some of my suggestions:

Roserade for Breloom
@ Life Orb/Black Sludge
Trait: Technician/Natural Cure
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SAtk / 240 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm/Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]/Shadowball
- Toxic Spikes

Talonflame for Gliscor
@ Life Orb/Flying Gem
Trait: Gale Wings
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird/Acrobatics
- Flare Blitz
- Roost

Threats:
Alakazam- Only with a Megastone. Same goes for Medicham and Kangeskhan.
Chandelure- Without Choice Scarf he's manageable. With it he's a freaking nightmare.
Ditto- Never let a set-up Mon near him. NEVER.
Espeon- Magic Bounce was a lot more troublesome for me pre-gen-6.
Ferrothorn- Easy enough to take out but there's still something to worry about here.
Genesect- SCREW THIS ROBOT JERKOFF AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY (insert rageface here).
Gengar- Grace takes him out pretty quick as she can outspeed him even when he's Mega and Psychic drops him like a rock. If Grace is gone however...yikes dude, just yikes.
Jellicent- Stalls are a pain in general for me and Alfred here epitomizes that. Grace and Toph have to work in tandem to take care of him or Nidhoggr or Wayne have to be set up reeeeeealy well.
Rotom-W- Nasty little switcher, the source of many a headache. Thankfully a low Defense and Special Defense.
Skarmory- I want to take the guy who thought up this Stall-King and kick him in the balls. This thing is a headache.
Wuagsire- Unaware makes this thing dangerous, as does its stall strategies.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Devonaki

[Shanco]

Three issues:

- Lucarionite is banned in League, and could be banned in OU as well, so this item is obviously not recommended.

- Your team lacks special presence. You need another special attacker alongside Gardevoir. Roserade replacing Breloom will help out in that regard, not to mention Breloom's weakness (speed) is EASILY exploited. You may need to explore more special options.

- You have only one multi-target move, which means they will take you out before you can take them out. One possible solution is switching out Earthquake in favor of Rock Slide on Feraligatr, and another multi-target move on a special Pokemon whom you add to the party.

Hope this helps!

[Devonaki]

Three issues:

- Lucarionite is banned in League, and could be banned in OU as well, so this item is obviously not recommended.

- Your team lacks special presence. You need another special attacker alongside Gardevoir. Roserade replacing Breloom will help out in that regard, not to mention Breloom's weakness (speed) is EASILY exploited. You may need to explore more special options.

- You have only one multi-target move, which means they will take you out before you can take them out. One possible solution is switching out Earthquake in favor of Rock Slide on Feraligatr, and another multi-target move on a special Pokemon whom you add to the party.

Hope this helps!

Fair points on all three bits there.

Didn't know that Lucarionite is banned in league (I really hope its not banned in OU). Maybe I can use this necessary Lucario revamp to use my little dog buddy as that requisite special attacker? Nasty Plot, Flash Cannon, Vacuum Wave and Shadowball seem nice, though I'd miss Ice Punch. That thing was useful in the extreme. Vacuum Wave will give me a typed priority move, which I'll need if I'm getting rid of Breloom. Roserade does add a nice poison prescence though.

For the multi target issue, perhaps dazzling gleam instead of moonblast on gardevoir? Not sure if that's worth the drop from 95 to 80 in power. Rock Slide would be a valid change on Feraligatr for Doubles and Triples, and Flying Types would have something to fear, but that does leave him open to electric types so I question if it would be a wise change on a one on one level.

Thanks for the comment dude!

[Lynxiechan]

Fair points on all three bits there.

Didn't know that Lucarionite is banned in league (I really hope its not banned in OU). Maybe I can use this necessary Lucario revamp to use my little dog buddy as that requisite special attacker? Nasty Plot, Flash Cannon, Vacuum Wave and Shadowball seem nice, though I'd miss Ice Punch. That thing was useful in the extreme. Vacuum Wave will give me a typed priority move, which I'll need if I'm getting rid of Breloom. Roserade does add a nice poison prescence though.

For the multi target issue, perhaps dazzling gleam instead of moonblast on gardevoir? Not sure if that's worth the drop from 95 to 80 in power. Rock Slide would be a valid change on Feraligatr for Doubles and Triples, and Flying Types would have something to fear, but that does leave him open to electric types so I question if it would be a wise change on a one on one level.

Thanks for the comment dude!

Personally? I think you should switch moonblast for dazzling gleam. Mainly because Gardevoir already has a smashing Special Attack base, so it wont make too much of a massive difference.

One-on-One being a dissuading theme, I think you should keep Earthquake. After all, It simply just ruins everything, regardless of type (save for flyers and levitating pokemon). If its allowed, try getting a Gardevoir with telepathy? Then you could just put sludge wave on Roserade to boost that special offensive and also add an extra move to your multi-target arsenal (plus it adds that poison factor~ who doesnt love poison~). Thats what I normally do, and it works pretty well (I cant remember where it hasnt worked haha)

This is just my suggestion, you don't have to take it if you've already set up an even better team (which, most of the time, seems to occur when I put these suggestions down.)

[Chevaleresse]

>Devon team

>no Metagross

pls.

also, you have a lot of pokemon that look like they are expected to set up before sweeping. What do you have to break through someone that just whirlwind/roars you through stealth rocks over and over?

Edited January 26, 2014 by KingMurdoc