Coal Team Explanation

https://pokepast.es/b3041518bb329313
So with the team...

I wanted to emulate this team here, that I used to almost top the showdown ladder back in vgc '15

https://pokepast.es/47689735b7709eed

I saw one of my friends top the women's cup with a reshiram team, and I eventually worked it into this. I ended up getting top 8 in a local online tournament with it https://pokepast.es/c390a99bce8ef270

I ended up wth this core, https://pokepast.es/107d0cefe31bcfdb but didn't like cinderace because of intimidate and fake out, Swampert not being the fastest mon there and only used Cinderace for it's fighting move. I joked with my friend about using Volcalith Coalossal instead of Cinderace because that slot was dang near useless anyways, but I could force some leads from my opponent with it. I had trouble against Spectrier, and wanted a check to the genies because their move coverage is absolutely ridicuolous, so I decided to use Breaking Swipe + WoW Dragapult and Moltres. I also wanted a Dark STAB move at the time, since Incineroar really needs Flare Blitz to work in this format in my opinion, specifically against Venusaur and Glastrier.  I was more inclined to use Dragon instead of Swampert for a fast surf, since the first reason I threw Swampert in was to check the Genies. I threw Urshifu-Water in because I didn't like P2 and wanted something to hit normal types while keeping my water typing. To make Urshifu more deadly, I gave Coalossal Heat Wave to create a late game pin of Close Combat/Surging Strikes + the Spread Damage to prevent opponents from safely switching out. I also wanted a Fire Move for Sun, against non-sashed Venusaur (in a b01 or if I know this information prior), and the STAB overall.

I took Urshifu out for Aqua Jet Primarina because I didnt like rain, wanted to give dragapult sash, more defensive switches and honestly really wanted fairy coverage. I felt that I didn't need the fighting coverage as much as I thought, since I had ways to at least check P2 until I got it off the field. At first, It was sitrus, until I realized my matchup against clefairy spectrier was absolute garbage, and gave the item to moltres. I also EV'd Rillaboom and to help against that matchup (it needed AV to do so), and had shuca incine. I wanted a LO user, and since everybody else had a clear item that fit their role (besides incineroar, it was shuca), I gave it to primarina to try out. The results were AMAZING, and afterwards I switched to Torrent with Hydro Pump instead of Liquid Voice with Hyper Voice because I noticed I would max it almost twice as much compared to Coalossal.

I wanted an additional way to beat Hatt Indeedee, and after many days of testing/theory-monning, I decided to give Incinerar Lum Berry to actually have a reliable way to beat it. For that, Parting Shot and Taunt were self-explanatory.

The team was consistent, but its main flaw was the lack of physical power. I also didnt like how my pivots to Max Quake/Geyser could also be hit harder for Max Airstream/Hailstorm. I wanted more speed control on the team, and I wanted a steel type for more defensive synergy and to bonk fairies. I ended up testing many things but I honestly didn't think I could have everything I wanted with this team, and was actually going to scrap it. But then, ZONG appeared in my dreams and I slapped it on.

I wanted mental herb but switched to leftovers, because that thing can win games on its own, and leftovers comes into effect every game. I also wasn't fond of how much damaged Max mon's could chunk Bronzong for, so having some special bulk with leftovers really comes into play. Bronzong had a free moves lot, so I gave it protect because it would end up discarding leftovers, and I didn't fancy Bronzong getting doubled into (especially after an Iron Defense).. Iron Defense and Body Press were put on to make it an offensive mon, and to severely counter specifically Offensive Genies + Check P2.

Moltres hadn't been pulling its weight, and I couldn't effectively find a strategy against Regieleki and Follow Me. To keep a positive sun matchup and have a counter to Regieleki, I looked to the best Ground/Flying Pokemon, Landorus-T. It also carries U-Turn to make my matchup even stronger against Sun (Regardless of Charizard or Hatterene Indeedee Modes in the team.) However, Landorus-T needs a Life Orb to effectively OHKO non Maxed Coba Berry Venusaur. I also wanted. a Life Orb on this team, because I feel ike Assault Vest, Life Orb and Weakness Policy are the best items in the format. To perform these roles, Earthquake and Fly were self explanatory. I used protect because I like that move in general.

Follow me + Dragapult/Regueleki/Spectrier was giving me issues, so I made the switch to sash on Bronzong to keep all 6 members, and to reliably lead it and Trick Room in their face. I could also support it well with my two Fake Out users. I missed not having an inherent recovery in leftovers, but Sash allows me to play around HO teams with Follow Me support.

I swapped U-turn for Wood Hammer on Rillaboom to chunk Fini, because Bulky Water types can really give my team issues. Rillaboom was given knock off to help against WP strats, and knocking off eviolites from Dusclops and P2 really made playing against them easier. Without Bronzong, Knock Off was a must for Porygon2 in my honest opinion, and the moveslot never changed. I also ended up switching hydro Pump for Hydro Cannon on Primarina. Anytime I wold click it out of Max, the game was already over (in my favor most of the time), and I try my best not to Hydro Pump at all, unless I am maxed. Sometimes I noticed I would immediately max to get the Water Move off, and Hydro Cannon is actually more reliable due to the fact it's less likely to miss. It has Mystic Water now because its main role is to do as much damage in Trick Room as possible. Sitrus is nice, but Mystic Water seems better to fully abuse TR. I could KO Kingdra with Max Starfall + Priority anyways, and Rain isn't that common to warrant the use of Expert Belt/Life Orb.

I also gave Coal Earth Power for the following reasons:
1: An 100% accurate move out of max and (especially) for the endgame
2: It supports the team defensively by giving each member an Assault Vest
3: It OHKO's Max Regieleki with Max Quake

However, with Sash on Bronzong I could also give Coalossal Solarbeam to also chunk Fini.

Weaknesses:
- Ghost types in general
- Waters

I personally feel like Landorus-T's Protect/Rock slide slots, as well as Coalossal's Earth Power Slot could be up for debate. Life Orb could given to Primarina, but I don't know what Landorus-T could hold. Lum is absolutely needed n Incineroar, and the team would crumble to Hatterene without it. U-Turn could possibly work on Landorus-T as well.
Calcs:
https://pastebin.com/MwQBKh9Q


Landorus-T didn't mesh with the team...only one Pokemon to dodge Earthquake, middling speed with the entire team and Grassy Terrain to conflict with that move made it all the worst. In my opinion, Landorus-T is one of the best Pokemon ever introduced, but there was a better option for this team. I looked towards Offensive Dragapult because it had speed (which I desperately wanted), gave Coalossal more chances to shine (especially late game) and did everything else I wanted in that Slot (Check Sun and Regieleki.) It needs Life Orb to dunk Spectrier through Friend Guard after one turn of it's own Life Orb recoil (and trading Dragapult for their Spectrier is honestly fine with me because I could threaten a Trick Room sweep next turn, though I'd lead Incineroar Bronzong against them). I added snarl and gave Incineroar Shuca to help against this matchup so I could legitimately stay alive against Spectrier. (I was ever put in a situation where I needed to hit parting shot through confusion because this team can actually counter that strategy with Grassy Terrain), so I could parting shot into Rillaboom and take out their Spectrier by ignoring follow me with fake out and Using Max Phantasm. Coalossal became timid max speed specifically for the mirror, now that Landorus-T is gone. Primarina had to lose Life Orb, so I gave it Rindo Berry to play more aggressive against Rillaboom. I also don't like missing and the recharge, so Primarina has scald. In theory, I lost a lot of power by removing Landorus, taking out Hydro Cannon for Scald, Life Orb for Rindo Berry, and changing Coalossal's nature to timid. However, Dragapult's natural speed, Max Phantasm and power give this team much more flexibility, and Max Volcalith can circumvent this.
Dragapult has protect because it needs it as a sweeper. I need fly, otherwise Grass Types will give me a run for my money, and Max Phantasm is crucial for the aforementioned Ghost Types. I don't like this moves, because it becomes absolutely useless after its max. Rindo could also be swapped for Mystic Water with Primarina.
Knock Off was swapped for U-Turn because I get more value on that slot with Rillaboom...it's being tested out but it helps with this team's flexibility.


https://pokepast.es/31836d299edd1cf1

I'm still impressed with this team. Each successful change makes it stronger, and I'm at the point where I can see damage calcs now with every member. I'm also happy that this is my personal team, and that I took what I liked out of my previous teams to keep my preferences.