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SHUCKLE SWEEP FTW (Rate my team)

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PokemonFan227

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OK, so I recently realized that Shuckle learns Acupressure, which is great because it is a stat-upping move that takes up only one moveslot and can improve all stats, making it an unkillable beast. The other goal of this team is to use only 3 OU pokemon, and then 3 pokemon of other tiers. I liked my old competitive team, but after having my ass handed to me too many times I decided to create a new one.


Anti-lead Kangaskhan@Life Orb/Muscle Band(???)
Naive
Early Bird
252 HP/218 Atk/20 Def/20 SpDef

Fake Out
Return/Fire Punch (?)
Wish
Sucker Punch

Kangaskhan is a fantastic anti-lead, with the speed and attack stats needed for the job. Her passable defenses and great HP also help. The HP EVs are maxed out to bolster physical and special Defense, and a few EVs are thrown into those stats to round it out. Everything else goes into Attack. Fake Out breaks the lead's sash, Sucker Punch gives priority against other anti-leads and removes annoying ghost- and fire- types, and Wish allows for some sort of Wish support late-game. The last moveslot is basically for coverage-- Return is neutral on most things and has STAB. but Fire Punch is useful for KOing Steel- types. Lastly, Early Bird lets it absorb sleep relatively easily against annoying leads such as Roserade.


Mixed Sweeper Crobat@Life Orb
Jolly
Inner Focus
201 Atk/88 SpA/216 Spe

Brave Bird
Heat Wave
Roost
Super Fang

Crobat is awesome because he looks cool and is as fast as a friggin' laser. The given EVs boost its attack stats and bring that Speed even higher. Brave Bird is for STAB, Heat Wave gives good coverage, especially against Steel types, and Roost helps to heal the Life Orb and Brave Bird damage. Super fang is good to use when you know your enemy is going to switch to something, as it takes 50% health off of everything but Ghosts.


Support Tentacruel@Black Sludge
Calm
Clear Body
252 HP/120 Def/133 SpDef

Rapid Spin
Toxic Spikes
Ice Beam/Sludge Bomb
Surf

To make up for my heinous lack of entry hazards on my lead, Tentacruel can come in to spin away opponent's entry hazards, absorb Water and special attacks, and then set up layers of Toxic Spikes for itself. Surf is for STAB power, and Ice Beam could help for taking out Dragons. Sludge Bomb is also a good secondary STAB option.


Special Sweeping Gengar@Life Orb
Lonely
Levitate
4 Def/252 Spe/252 SpAtk

Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Focus Blast
Explosion

This should be pretty straightforwards. Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast are for coverage (Shadow Ball is the STAB option), and Explosion is good for taking out a big threat on the opponent's team. As Gengar can't take a hit, the given EVs allow for maximum speed and power, so he can easily tear through the opponent's team.


Support Smeargle@Leftovers
Naughty
Own Tempo
252 Spe/100 Def/100 SpDef/58 HP

Ingrain
Spider Web
Spore
Baton Pass

The only reason Smeargle is on my team is to support Shuckle, although it can be used for other things too. There are two things that I can do with this guy. He can come in after an opponent KO's one of my other pokes and Spore it, then Spider Web on the switch. After that, it can Baton Pass to an appropriate counter to the Spider Web'd pokemon. The other option is to Spore, then Ingrain on the switch and Baton Pass to Shuckle for the set-up.



Late game set-up Shuckle@Leftovers
Adamant
Gluttony
248 HP/252 Atk/8 Def(or SpD, whatever)

Acupressure
Rock Slide
Earthquake/Toxic
Rest

This guy comes in late-game, when the opponent's threats are mostly neutralized, and sets himself up to finish off anything the opponent can throw at him. Ingrain support from Smeargle prevents him from being phazed away as he Acupressures up to maximum levels in all stats. While doing this, healing from Leftovers and Ingrain and intermittent Rest usage can keep him alive. To things that try to set up on him, he can throw a Toxic in their direction to damage them while he is setting up himself. However, Rock Slide, despite STAB, is not good as the only attacking option. For this reason, I'm considering replacing Toxic with Earthquake.

Please, rate this team. I want to make sure that I haven't just been convincing myself that it'll work all along. Feel free to make suggestions for changes in the lineup, but I want to keep at least Kangaskhan and Shuckle.


EDIT TIEM:

I'm considering this instead of Tentacruel, on the advice of Feliciano:

Forretress@Leftovers
Careful nature
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
-- Spikes/Toxic Spikes
-- Stealth Rock
-- Rapid Spin
-- Payback

REASONS WHY I LIKE THIS OPTION:
-It's generally bulkier
-Steel typing makes a good defensive core/poison absorber for the team
-I have the option of setting up spikes of toxic spikes

REASONS WHY I DISLIKE THIS OPTION:
-It provides very little offensive coverage
-It's weak to Ground type, a very common offensive type
-I will normally use Toxic Spikes anyway
-I already EV-trained Tentacruel (lol)
 
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Natures, please.

If you really want to make hell for your opponent with entry hazards, you could try a specially defensive Forretress over Tentacruel.

@Leftovers
Careful nature
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
-- Spikes/Toxic Spikes
-- Stealth Rock
-- Rapid Spin
-- Payback

I advise you go with either Spikes or Toxic Spikes, but Forretress can set up everything Tentacruel can and more. Spikes is probably better because a) they don't get absorbed by certain types like Toxic Spikes do and b) you can't inadvertently give something like Heracross or Machamp a Guts boost.
 
I new I forgot something!

I'll try that Foretress, thanks--however, I do tend to prefer Tentacruel because he provides more offensive and defensive coverage. Also, he can't be trapped by Magnezone.

NOTE: Some of the natures might seem odd (Naive Kanga and Lonely Gengar) But those were the natures of the pokemon that I already have EV-trained, so it's not worth my time to get new ones. This team is intended mostly for battling my friends, anyway, so I'm not intensely competitive.
 
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the smogon entry that has crobat has naive, not jolly, but you could just alway switch to a jolly set.

ok, so your running a bulky lead that has good priority, a fragile sweeper, another fragile sweeper, a supporting pokémon, a solely supporting pokémon, and a funny set up pokémon. hmm... you seem to always assume a switch with smeargle...what if your opponent just attacks? You take a hit with the sash, and spore. IF they have lum or chesto, your finished. That's pretty rare though. Also, taunt shuts smeargle, tentacool, and shuckle down. But if your fighting just friends, they prob won't taunt.
overall, good job. Really.
 
Wait, were you being sarcastic? :p Kind of hard to tell through the internet.

Taunt seems to me like it's most commonly used on leads like Aerodactyl, so if I take the lead out then I won't have to worry about it that much.

OK, if I got rid of the Smeargle and Shuckle, do you guys have any ideas for a replacement? I'm thinking of maybe using an Agility Zapdos. Maybe Tyranitar to add some bulk to my team?

btw, Smeargle is fast enough to get the jump on a relatively large amount of Pokemon, so if I know that it will be able to I will bring it in and Spore. Even if it doesn't switch, i can still Spider Web and switch in a counter.
 
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If you want to Acupressure to be Bulky, keep Toxic on Shuckle, but change your EVs around. Otherwise, just go with Earthquake. I don't think this strategy will work most of the time in standard battling, but it is definitely worth giving a shot. Because it'll be awesome every time it does work.
 
I've tried it on shoddy--it's difficult to pull off, but oh-so-satisfying when it works. Normally I just pray for evasion boosts, as those are the best.

I might run

248 atk/128 Def/128 SpDef/4 Atk, but then I doubt its ability to sweep even if it has +6 atk. What do you think?
 
picture.php

this might help you.
 
Thanks! I'm not to worried about the 3 weaknesses to Psychic, as it's not a commonly used offensive stat imo. I am pretty glad about the lack of 4x weaknesses. That means that most things (besides maybe Gengar) will be able to take a hit at least.
 
<_< using sprites is overrated? You literally posted a wallpaper dude...either spoiler/re-size the images or get sprites...it's simply not necessary for a RMT thread.
 
D: My bad... I'll spoiler-ify them.

EDIT: Or replace them with sprites, since I don't know how to make spoilers
 
I wouldent worry about the Psychic weakness, Gengar takes care of most Psychic types with Shadow Ball. I was going to say Dark Pulse untill I realized that Gengar got STAB on Shadow ball xD

Consider it if your terrified of Girafarig though lol.

I'd consider something else over roost though, because if your opponent predicts a Roost, EQ is going to spoil your day, and nearly every Earthquake user is slower than Crobat.
 
I guess I could run another attack for more coverage, but Life Orb, Brave Bird, and 25% Stealth Rock damage really adds up. Maybe Bite for Ghosts and Psychics?
 
Ubermensch said:
I guess I could run another attack for more coverage, but Life Orb, Brave Bird, and 25% Stealth Rock damage really adds up. Maybe Bite for Ghosts and Psychics?
Click to expand...

U-Turn. I hit's harder and you can go to something to take it out. Or maybe X-Scissor, or Payback.

It also learns Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball if you maybe wanna have a Mix Sweeper.
 
I'm still not convinced that I want to replace Roost with an attack though. While it gives me a Ground weakness, it also removes weaknesses to Ice, Rock, and Electricity. Plus, Crobat is frail enough without the Life Orb and Brave Bird recoil.
 
Oh yeah don't take Roost out if you're gonna have Life Orb. Just keep it the way it is if you want...plus it would be best since Crobat can force a switch if people think it has Hypnosis so you can Roost on that turn.
 
The thing is, hypnosis is incompatible with Brave Bird, so after I use BB I can't felt Hypnosis.
 
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