Teambuild & Analysis by Aristhus

Hi, this is Aristhus and I'm sharing my (clearly awesome :]) team, which is based around a defensive core in Rotom and Heatran (Credits for the core idea go to VGC Pinoy Pwnage). I managed to make #17 on the doubles ladder with this team and had a 5/1 W/L. By the way, Showdown has made an error and Breloom with Bullet Seed is temporarily illegal, replace bullet seed with Seed Bomb if you run into that problem. I've received word that it will be fixed soon (which means I asked the lobby :]).

Read below the raw paste for strategies, explanations, and teambuilding information.

Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 168 HP / 252 SAtk / 88 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Substitute
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power

Rotom-Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 44 SAtk / 100 SDef / 12 Spd
Calm Nature
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp

Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Quick Guard
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball




::::: TEAMBUILDING :::::

A short while ago I was facing VGC Pinoy Pwnage on the ladder and at one point in the match he had both Rotom and Heatran on the field. I was trying to figure out how to best offensively pressure this duo he had and realized that I had absolutely nothing on my team that could hit both mons hard. I did end up taking the match but thought more about the core and decided that it was just an all around great core. There are (as with any core) a few mons that get past it --namely Ludicolo, Breloom, and some CharY-- but all in all it is a great core that has excellent defensive synergy and can check almost any mon in the meta.

I usually prefer to play with bulky mons, but with such an excellent defensive core in place I realized I could use some offensive and versatile powerhouses that wouldn't have enough bulk to survive on most teams. Thus, I chose Talonflame and Breloom.

Lastly I needed glue mons, if you will. I chose choice scarf Landorus-T because of it's incredible utility. I had two floaters on the team already so there would be ample opportunity to spam Earthquake, and access to intimidate and U-turn on a mon that forces so many switches is simply incredible. I then realized I had a team built with an open mega slot (always a nice thing to have) and as the team was looking physically heavy, I wanted a special mega. Char-Y first came to mind, but two flying/fire types simply weren't an option, and as I did like playing with bulky mons I decided on Gardevoir over Gengar or Alakazam. I had never before used Gard on a team, and found that I absolutely love it. MVP about half the time and it's amazing how many relevant threats it checks and OHKOs.




::::: EXPLANATIONS :::::

 Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 168 HP / 252 SAtk / 88 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Substitute
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power

Standard Sub-Tran with just enough speed to speed creep a slightly speed crept (namely my) Rotom. Chople Berry has saved me so many times it's not even funny, even when I often forget about that juicy little thing. Heatran's goal is to switch in when nothing threatens it (which is quite often) and use the free turn/turns to sub up. It then proceeds to terrorize every team known to man.

Rotom-Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 44 SAtk / 100 SDef / 12 Spd
Calm Nature
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp

Slightly speed crept but rather standard rotom. At full HP it easily absorbs Charizard Y's solarbeam (~85%) and still has good physical bulk (Mega Kang return does ~80% even w/o sitrus berry) and offensive presence. Will-o-Wisp is to patch up the weaker physical side and of course wreck Kang.

Breloom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch

Basically Standard. Breloom boasts the most powerful mach punch in the game (about 75% to bulky Kang, 85% to speeedy Kang), a 100% accurate sleep inducing move, and technician bullet seed. Note that mach punch also manages to OHKO Ttar, Greninja, and Excadrill while Bullet seed has a very high chance of OHKOing rotom-W-which it usually outspeeds to avoid the WoW.

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Quick Guard
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz

Speaking of Powerful priority, say hello to Talonflame. A super fast quick guard is pretty damn good, BB + FB is standard, and I prefer protect > u-turn (which I did try out at the beginning). some people don't use LO on Talonflame because it already takes enough recoil damage but I don't mind it (the thing already dies to a light breeze, why not have it die to rain drop?) and I like the extra damage LO provides.

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Landorus has access to u-turn and intimidate, which is an excellent combination as it forces so many switches and patches up so many weaknesses. To give you an idea of the switches it forces - it OHKOs Char-Y, Talonflame, Heatran, does ridiculous damage (80-90%) to Excadrill, Bisharp, TTar and Aegislash, manages to OHKO Greninja with U-turn, and OHKOs the vast majority of grounded fire and electric types. Scarf Landorus is truly an excellent mon that patches up a great many weaknesses.

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball

Excuse me, did someone say OP? because this thing is. 165 base special attack, I think it has at least neutral coverage on anything, and Pixelate Hyper Voice is pretty damn good. It's noteworthy that Talonflame's quick guard patches up Gard's weakness to bullet punch, and Psyshock OHKO's most poison types with the exception of mega-Venusaur. Psyshock also allows Gard to OHKO all the wide guarding Hitmontops that think they're smart.



::::: LEADS :::::

I would encourage anyone using this team to experiment with leads and adapt to the teams they face, as almost any combination works pretty well and any combination works excellently in the right situation. I will however provide my standard lead and my anti-TR lead.

Landorus + Gardevoir

This is the lead I choose against most opponents, at least for the first time I face them. First turn intimidate is pretty damn good, and since both Gard and Landorus tend to force switches I usually U-turn out first turn into whatever can deal with their counter to Gardevoir. if you spy fake out mons (namely Hitmontop), lead with Talonflame > Landorus instead. And dont lead with Landorus if you see something like Bisharp on the opponents team.


Anti-Trick Room

Talonflame + Breloom

I use this to counter most trick room unless I see a trick room team without fake out or a grass TR setter in the mix. The basic idea is to use quick guard to avoid fake out and then to use spore on the TR setter. TR is a pretty anti-meta strategy so if a good trick room player manages to get TR up, don't stress, the team has enough priority and bulk to win in or out of trick room.