The Hell Master invades the battle arena

[Hell Master]

Just tried my hand at competitive battling, if that's what you call it, and put together a team. Here it is:

Gallade
Item: Focus Sash
EVs: 252 Attack, 200 Speed, 56 HP
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Steadfast

-Taunt
-Close Combat
-Shadow Sneak
-Destiny Bond

Yep, ripped off right from Smogon. I watched few battles on "Shoddy" and found a hell lot of people use Fake Out leads, but never saw a Gallade being used. At 120 Base Power Attack, respectable Special Defense, the only letdown with Gallade is Speed and Defence. But he's got that spectacular movepool, I couldn't resist it. CC and SS provide perfect coverage and are quite useful for finishing off some leads. Although the only drawback is its Speed, which means unless the other one uses a Fake Out, the opponent getting a Stealth Rock is almost inevitable.

Swampert
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 4 Attack, 252 HP, 252 Defense.
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Torrent

-Ice Beam
-Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
-Roar

Pseudo-Hazer Swampert, usually comes in after Gallade. Lays down Stealth Rock, then somewhat reveals the opponent's team with Roar, which also ruins Baton Pass chains. Earthquake and Ice Beam provide coverage. Handles Tyranitar and somewhat lessens the Scizor threat(stupid bug).

Gyarados
Item: Leftovers/Life Orb
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Intimidate

-Dragon Dance
-Ice Fang
-Earthquake
-Waterfall

I've loved a Gyarados ever since I used one in the RBY days, and now that this beast has come in to the spotlight once again in the 4th Generation, I had to have it. Gyarados usually comes in to Heatran/Metagross leads which Gallade can't handle, assuring him of a DD. After that, you know what happens. After 2 Dragon Dances, Gyarados outruns Jolteon and Earthquakes it to knock it out. Same for Gengar, but it uses Waterfall instead.

Magnezone
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 Special Attack, 216 Speed, 40 HP
Nature: Timid
Ability: Magnet Pull

-Magnet Rise
-Substitute
-Hidden Power Grass
-Thunderbolt

Keeps Scizor in check, and is the most useful Skarmory/Forretress counter. Hidden Power Grass is for Swampert. I wanted to go for Fire, but Thunderbolt 2HKOs Scizor anyway.

Flygon
Item: Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Levitate

-Earthquake
-Outrage
-U-Turn
-Stone Edge/Thunder Punch

An incredibly useful late game sweeper, immune to ground yet not weak to Stealth Rock, and more importantly, unlike Latias, not walled by an ugly fat pink blob. Unsure about the last move slot, unsure about the nature. Help appreciated.
E: Went for Jolly on suggestion, to outspeed DD Salamence.

Rotom-c
Item: Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Nature: Modest
Ability: Levitate

-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power Ice/Leaf Storm
-Shadow Ball
-Trick

Trick Rotom grass. I dunno what would be better, Leaf Storm or HP Ice, so help is appeciated in that regard. Great Blissey counter once the Trick thing works, and a good revenge killer.

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So that's my team. I know there's a LOT of room for improvement, but that's exactly why I've taken the trouble to post it up here.
Any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

 

[coolking503]

this is a pretty good team to start, actually. On flygon, stone edge tends to be the better option, since 75 base power times 2 for super effective is equal to 150, which is equal to earthquake times 1.5 for STAB. that means against, say, vaporeon, EQ will do as much damage as thunder punch. sonedge has a higher base power and thus does more damage in the right situation, so its the better choice. Also, on flygon I would go with jolly nature to outspeed +1 base 100's, like ddmence. I am being dragged off the computer so I will do a full rate later.

edit: ok, Im back to finish the rate. I like gallade lead, however you need to pack counter to common leads hich beat it. Metagross and swampert pretty much counter it, while they dont set up stealth rock. You need a pokemon to absorb explosion and also a pokemon to kill swampert, or taunt is useless. I think gyarados can counter gross, however it explodes on you, and swampert really isnt killed by anything on your team. For that reason, I think grass rotom would be a good pokemon to add to your team. I would replace jolteon because you already have an electric immune pokemon in flygon. It carries an electric resist anyways.

bronzong looks good and common switch ins tend to be set up pokemon like skarmory, so magnezone works well with it. gyarados can also be stopped by fortress and skarmory, along with pokemon like vaporeon and suicune, which is another reason magnezone works well with your team. Flygon takes electric attacks directed at gyarados and ground attacks at magnezone, so i also works well. Only jolteon is there seemingly for the sake of taking electric attacks, which is why I suggest it be replaced. You already have a revenge killer in flygon anyways.

 

[Cheesus Is Lord]

Magnezone
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 Special Attack, 216 Speed, 40 HP
Nature: Timid
Ability: Magnet Pull

-Magnet Rise
-Substitute
-Hidden Power Grass
-Thunderbolt

Keeps Scizor in check, and is the most useful Skarmory/Forretress counter. Hidden Power Grass is for Swampert. I wanted to go for Fire, but Thunderbolt 2HKOs Scizor anyway.

I like this Magnezone a lot. Just be careful, because you can't come in on a non-weakened Scizor and expect a KO. Scizor will completely destroy you with Superpower.

 

[Hell Master]

this is a pretty good team to start, actually. On flygon, stone edge tends to be the better option, since 75 base power times 2 for super effective is equal to 150, which is equal to earthquake times 1.5 for STAB. that means against, say, vaporeon, EQ will do as much damage as thunder punch. sonedge has a higher base power and thus does more damage in the right situation, so its the better choice. Also, on flygon I would go with jolly nature to outspeed +1 base 100's, like ddmence. I am being dragged off the computer so I will do a full rate later.

Okay. Flygon will be Jolly-fied.

edit: ok, Im back to finish the rate. I like gallade lead, however you need to pack counter to common leads hich beat it. Metagross and swampert pretty much counter it, while they dont set up stealth rock. You need a pokemon to absorb explosion and also a pokemon to kill swampert, or taunt is useless. I think gyarados can counter gross, however it explodes on you, and swampert really isnt killed by anything on your team. For that reason, I think grass rotom would be a good pokemon to add to your team. I would replace jolteon because you already have an electric immune pokemon in flygon. It carries an electric resist anyways.

I thought of a Gross explosion, and I thought of a Substitute Kingdra/Empoleon, then I thought of a Substitute Gyarados, now I'm thinking of a Rotom.

bronzong looks good and common switch ins tend to be set up pokemon like skarmory, so magnezone works well with it. gyarados can also be stopped by fortress and skarmory, along with pokemon like vaporeon and suicune, which is another reason magnezone works well with your team. Flygon takes electric attacks directed at gyarados and ground attacks at magnezone, so i also works well. Only jolteon is there seemingly for the sake of taking electric attacks, which is why I suggest it be replaced. You already have a revenge killer in flygon anyways.

So choice scarf grass Rotom in place of Jolteon?

I like this Magnezone a lot. Just be careful, because you can't come in on a non-weakened Scizor and expect a KO. Scizor will completely destroy you with Superpower.

Yeah, me too. Well, I do know Choice Band Scizor is most common, and tends to be locked into Bullet Punch for my Zone to kill it, I do always ake sure of that.

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So basically, a Rotom grass might be good for the last slot, instead of Jolteon. I was thinking of a Scarfed Rotom, thoughts?

 

[coolking503]

I just realized you run HP grass on magnezone, which is uneeded if you have rotom lawnmower so switch it for fire and give it 4 more speed evs (since you only have 30 speed iv when using HP fire). I also think you should use scarf rotom because other sets are just rapid spin blocking, which you dont need too much with only SR.

 

[Hell Master]

Okay, Jolteon goes, Scarf Rotom-c comes in, but I still have doubts regarding its moveset, please check the first post.

 

[Gatr Golf]

Hmmm... Rotom-c doesn't get STAB for leafstorm, does it?

HP Ice provides nice coverage for Ground, Grass, Flying and Dragon types, Leaf Storm for Ground, Rock and Water. While I'd say Leaf Storm should go because it kills SpA, Choice Scarf locks you into one move, so it'd be likely you'd switch, as the opponent would probably have done so (or immediately will) to avoid a supereffective hit and counter. Leaf Storm would likely be a little more expected seeing as that's the move Rotom learns when changing to this form, so HP Ice might add a slight surprise factor. Plus, it has a higher hit chance and more PP, meaning the only way it might lack is the raw power Leaf Storm affords. HP Ice covers more types when ignoring both hits the Ground type hard, and you already have coverage thanks to Magnezone having HP Grass.

I suppose, based on what types is are favored whenever you battle, go with HP Ice, and switch to Leaf Storm as needed. Depends on if Rock and Water are more prevalent than Dragon, Grass and Flying in the tier you are fighting in.

 

[Cheesus Is Lord]

I just realized you run HP grass on magnezone, which is uneeded if you have rotom lawnmower so switch it for fire and give it 4 more speed evs (since you only have 30 speed iv when using HP fire). I also think you should use scarf rotom because other sets are just rapid spin blocking, which you dont need too much with only SR.

Although I see your point, the logic of keeping HP Grass is that it's unexpected. Swampert is a perfect counter to Magnezone if it's not carrying this, so it's possible you could pull some surprise KOs on damaged Swampert. I'd keep this for the moment and see how it works for you. Only switch to HP Fire if you need to.

 

[coolking503]

THe reason I picked rotom-c was for leaf storm for swampert leads, bu I understand the unpredictability. If you dont run leaf storm, certainly keep HP grass on magnezone, though HP kos scizor before it kills you with superpower. Its your schoice, though I find HP fire effective with my usage, and you need something to kill Swampert. Swampert will always switch out of rotom-c however, so you could nail a switch in the first couple times, but after a while they may catch on, and then you have to rely on magnezone to kill swampert.

 

[Hell Master]

I experimented with HP Fire on Magnezone and Leaf Storm on Rotom-c, and frankly, HP fire though deals well with the likes of Metagross and Jirachi and OHKOes Scizor, Swampert still walls me to no end and I cannot just wait for Rotom-c to be dragged out by Roar and watch the rest of my party(and thus most of my strategy) be given away.
After Stealth Rock and any damaging move, I've noticed Swampert falls to HP Grass from Magnezone, so my best bet when Swampert comes is to get Flygon in there when it is going to use Earthquake, U-Turn out, switch to Magnezone, who takes the Ice Beam rather well, and kill it.
For Scizor, I still have Rotom who is an excellent counter, Tricking it a Choice Scarf and doing massive damage through Thunderbolt.
To answer lOnE-WolF's question, no, Rotom-c is a Ghost/Electric type with Leaf Storm as its signature move.

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I've decided to add a Swampert to the team to both support Rotom as well as do some scouting and lay Stealth Rock and whatnot, replacing Bronzong. Check it out.