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Single Rates - READ THE FIRST POST

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
The only reason I didn't list defog is because I'd have to breed it in my platinum and I don't have any decent IV pokemon to use for breeding. I'm confused though..in platinum I chained a shiny starly a while ago and recently I taught it defog and tried to transfer it and it wouldn't let me as defog was an HM, so I'm not sure how people are getting defog skarmorys on X/Y. Making it bulky makes sense..and it would be no problem to re-breed for the correct nature on my Y game. If not I'll breed a 5-6 I've poke with egg moves to trade for one with defog/good IVs/nature. Thanks for the help :), I'm glad I didn't EV train it yet.

IIRC, you have to transfer it from HG/SS because it isn't considered an HM in those games.

I don't think spikes is a bad move on skarmory, but in your case I think defog is better because you don't have access to the recovery needed to set up three layers (ie leftovers + roost).

Anybody want to give me their opinion on my smeargle? :p I'm not sure about his moveset.

Smeargle @ Focus sash
Nature: Hasty
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Ability: Own tempo
-Dark void
-Reflect
-Parting shot
-Foul play

*this was the smeargle I used during the May 2014 International Global Link comp, so it's for doubles and the same rules as VGC 2014 (I think..)

Smeargle was one of my main leads alongside belly drum azumarill. The primary point of smeargle was to set up dark void to put the opposing two pokemon to sleep (well, best case scenario lol usually I only hit one) so that azumarill could set up belly drum and start aqua jet / play rough (if aqua jet wouldn't OHKO or if quick guard was a threat) sweeping. It's main secondary purpose was to lure mega kangaskhan into using fake out on it - if kangaskhan is leading, I switch straight into my ferrothorn and kangaskhan takes a solid 2/3rds of its health in iron barbs + rocky helmet damage and wastes its fake out.

The moves besides dark void were just filler, really. I got usage out of everything, though nothing was game-breaking besides that one time I OHKO'd a scizor with foul play because he set up a SD immediately before my turn. Reflect was nice to have, I guess... parting shot was interesting though if it saw usage at all it would only be once per match.
 

varanus_komodoensis

they call me Varanus
IIRC, you have to transfer it from HG/SS because it isn't considered an HM in those games.

I don't think spikes is a bad move on skarmory, but in your case I think defog is better because you don't have access to the recovery needed to set up three layers (ie leftovers + roost).

Anybody want to give me their opinion on my smeargle? :p I'm not sure about his moveset.

Smeargle @ Focus sash
Nature: Hasty
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Ability: Own tempo
-Dark void
-Reflect
-Parting shot
-Foul play

*this was the smeargle I used during the May 2014 International Global Link comp, so it's for doubles and the same rules as VGC 2014 (I think..)

Smeargle was one of my main leads alongside belly drum azumarill. The primary point of smeargle was to set up dark void to put the opposing two pokemon to sleep (well, best case scenario lol usually I only hit one) so that azumarill could set up belly drum and start aqua jet / play rough (if aqua jet wouldn't OHKO or if quick guard was a threat) sweeping. It's main secondary purpose was to lure mega kangaskhan into using fake out on it - if kangaskhan is leading, I switch straight into my ferrothorn and kangaskhan takes a solid 2/3rds of its health in iron barbs + rocky helmet damage and wastes its fake out.

The moves besides dark void were just filler, really. I got usage out of everything, though nothing was game-breaking besides that one time I OHKO'd a scizor with foul play because he set up a SD immediately before my turn. Reflect was nice to have, I guess... parting shot was interesting though if it saw usage at all it would only be once per match.

Smeargle almost always runs a complete hazard set. I'm not sure why you're using Reflect, Foul Play, or Parting Shot. Smeargle could be a dual-screener, but there are better Pokemon for that, such as Prankster Klefki or Metagross or Espeon. If I were you, I would do Dark Void/Stealth Rock/Sticky Web, and then a priority move for the attacking move. Smeargle is so slow that it's only going to get a chance to attack if it has priority. Magic Coat is probably your best bet, but Smeargle can also run Explosion or Endeavor even though they aren't priority.
 

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
I've decided that instead of building a huge team right away, that I would get individual Pokémon I'd like, raise their potential as much as possible, and then slot them in where necessary. Because of that, a thread like this might help me, I'd think?

I have some Pokémon already finalized - an Umbreon and an Absol that I'm planning. But I do have one in particular I've been considering, but I haven't started IV breeding for just yet.

Mienshao (I don't have an item that I would want to equip to it just yet I'm afraid?)
Regenerator
For its nature, something that preferably raises its speed, but raising its attack would do fine, so long as it doesn't lower either of those two stats. Preferred stat to be lowered would be Sp. Atk. In other words, Adamant or Jolly would be my absolute most preferred.

- Drain Punch
- Power-Up Punch
- U-turn
- Poison Jab


It's mainly used as an attack sweeper, built to last too with its ability to regenerate HP. U-turn is supposed to utilize the Regenerator ability; it learns this by level up as well as Drain Punch. Power-Up Punch would be useful as it both attacks and allows Mienshao to up its Attack stat. Poison Jab is there in case of poor match up (Fighting type is resisted by the foe). Preferably it would be set up by Power-Up Punches on either weaker Pokémon first and then it would do considerably more damage with Drain Punch. I am definitely thinking of keeping Power-Up Punch and U-turn at the very least, but the other moves are up for reasonable debate if there's something that's more suitable. I went through the moveset for Mienshao and those were the best options I could get that weren't by transfer.

I'm not entirely sure what I'll do with EV distribution. I was thinking of maxing out Speed, but I'm not sure about the others. I do know that its Attack stat is naturally its highest stat. The speed is mostly there because well, what use would U-turn be if Mienshao doesn't go first?

I think that set is pretty much the standard for Mienshao, except it uses High Jump Kick over Power-Up Punch. I'd also replace Drain Punch with Knock Off because it has such amazing utility. Dual Chop is an option as well, offering pretty fantastic neutral coverage combined with Fighting and Poison. This set works amazingly with a Choice item (either Band or Scarf, depending on whether you'd prefer it to outspeed a lot of things or just hit really hard); if you have a move that'll hit everything on the opponent's side for at least neutral damage, go for that, otherwise just pop out U-turn. For the EVs, just max out Speed and Attack, and the last 4 points can go into any one of its other stats (besides SpAtt, which is useless on this set). HP would probably be your best bet, but you could go for SpDef if you're worried about the random Download Porygon-Z getting a SpAtt buff :p

Smeargle almost always runs a complete hazard set. I'm not sure why you're using Reflect, Foul Play, or Parting Shot. Smeargle could be a dual-screener, but there are better Pokemon for that, such as Prankster Klefki or Metagross or Espeon. If I were you, I would do Dark Void/Stealth Rock/Sticky Web, and then a priority move for the attacking move. Smeargle is so slow that it's only going to get a chance to attack if it has priority. Magic Coat is probably your best bet, but Smeargle can also run Explosion or Endeavor even though they aren't priority.

Honestly on Smeargle I wouldn't even bother with an attack. Its Att and SpAtt are both base 20, so even Explosion isn't going to be leaving much of a dent in anything. Foul Play is actually the most feasible attack it could use, since it is based in the opponent's Attack stat and not the user's own. If you must go with a priority attacking move, go with Extreme Speed, as it not only has priority over most other priority, but also is the strongest priority attack in terms of damage and benefits from STAB.

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119.png

Seaking @ Assault Vest/Choice Band/Life Orb
Lightningrod
Adamant
4 HP/SpDef, 252 Attack, 252 HP/Speed
- Drill Run/Poison Jab
- Megahorn
- Waterfall/Aqua Tail
- Knock Off

Seaking is a pokemon I first gained interest in due to its having Lightningrod to eliminate one of its two weaknesses. Its stats aren't really much to write home about, but it should be more than capable of holding its own in RU and NU tiers. It has decent enough HP and SpDef, though, so it could make use of an Assault Vest set with max HP and a little SpDef investment, or it could make for a stronger overall attacker with a Choice Band or Life Orb. and Speed investment. Very little can resist the combination of Water, Bug, and Dark, and what does is locked in OU with the exception of Poliwrath. For the fourth attack one could go for Poison Jab to help handle Fairies and some of the Bug-neutral Grass types, while Drill Run can act as a surprise for Electric types that aren't anticipating Lightningrod, as well as helping handle many Steel and Poison types.

Probably the things Seaking will have the biggest issues handling will be Grass/Poison types. The only Flying type physical moves it has to handle them are Bounce and Peck, both of which are pretty horrid for a mostly offensive pokemon. And it has absolutely no access to physical Psychic, Ice, or Fire moves either, meaning it'll have to rely on Megahorn to take them out. Other defensive Bug-neutral Grasses (such as Verizion or Gourgeist) could present some challenges to Seaking that run Drill Run over Poison Jab. On the plus side, it can be a dark horse for intercepting Specially offensive pokemon that use Fire, Water, and Ice, particularly an AV variant.
 

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Smeargle almost always runs a complete hazard set. I'm not sure why you're using Reflect, Foul Play, or Parting Shot. Smeargle could be a dual-screener, but there are better Pokemon for that, such as Prankster Klefki or Metagross or Espeon. If I were you, I would do Dark Void/Stealth Rock/Sticky Web, and then a priority move for the attacking move. Smeargle is so slow that it's only going to get a chance to attack if it has priority. Magic Coat is probably your best bet, but Smeargle can also run Explosion or Endeavor even though they aren't priority.

This is for doubles as stated in my first post... 4x4 doubles at that. Hazards are pretty much worthless in that metagame. Sticky web might have some merit although I've never seen anybody use it so I'm not even sure about that. Smeargle's speed isn't half bad in the VGC 2014 metagame either, honestly.

I actually tried duel screens and light clay on a smeargle once ... it didn't go over so well, ha. Like you said there are far better pokemon for that, but its primary role is to use dark void. I'm just looking for bonus stuff.

Endeavor is an interesting idea.

Honestly on Smeargle I wouldn't even bother with an attack. Its Att and SpAtt are both base 20, so even Explosion isn't going to be leaving much of a dent in anything. Foul Play is actually the most feasible attack it could use, since it is based in the opponent's Attack stat and not the user's own. If you must go with a priority attacking move, go with Extreme Speed, as it not only has priority over most other priority, but also is the strongest priority attack in terms of damage and benefits from STAB.

Yeah, foul play was the best thing I could think of. It's great to be taunted and not totally worthless was my logic, although taunt wasn't as common as I thought so it could be replaced.
 

AlexBW

Better, though...
Hi, currently I'm building a rain-team for online double battles but I have problems deciding the item and movesmy politoed should know. I've already trained it so I would appreciate if you give advices on my Politoed without needing to breed another one.

Politoed @ Choice Specs/Metronome/ Damp Rock/??? ( It can't be leftovers since I already used it on my Meowstic)
Ability: Drizzle
EVs:252 HP/ 180 SpA/76 SpD
Nature: Modest
- Surf
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
First of all, my Polioted tries to fulfill a Bulky and semi-Sweeper spot in my team. Surf because it can hit both pokemon in a double battle and it does pretty damage. Hydro Pump is a powerfull STAB move Politoed should know. Ice Beam stands for the grass and dragon types. Psychic can attack Fighting Pokemon, the only type I have no more super-effective moves to deafeat.

Please, I'm gettig desesperated!
 

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
Hi, currently I'm building a rain-team for online double battles but I have problems deciding the item and movesmy politoed should know. I've already trained it so I would appreciate if you give advices on my Politoed without needing to breed another one.

Politoed @ Choice Specs/Metronome/ Damp Rock/??? ( It can't be leftovers since I already used it on my Meowstic)
Ability: Drizzle
EVs:252 HP/ 180 SpA/76 SpD
Nature: Modest
- Surf
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
First of all, my Polioted tries to fulfill a Bulky and semi-Sweeper spot in my team. Surf because it can hit both pokemon in a double battle and it does pretty damage. Hydro Pump is a powerfull STAB move Politoed should know. Ice Beam stands for the grass and dragon types. Psychic can attack Fighting Pokemon, the only type I have no more super-effective moves to deafeat.

Please, I'm gettig desesperated!

I honestly don't have much doubles experience, so I'm not gonna be too helpful here. I will suggest, though, if your Politoed is gonna be all-out bulky offense, why not try Assault Vest? Also, while I understand the logic behind it, I don't really see the use in having both Surf and Hydro Pump on him. Would Hyper Voice be an option? It could help if there's enemies with Water Absorb or resistance to Water, or if your partner is weak to Water and not able to Protect itself.
 

AlexBW

Better, though...
Thanks, the Surf/Hydro Pump tip was a good one, I never thought of Hyper Voice. I already going to use an Assault Vest on my Goodra but thank you.
 

Raikou_fan

Well-Known Member
I've been thinking about pokemon for my ORAS team, and I've decided I want to use a Milotic. I've already got a shiny Feebas that I'm hoping to transfer over and use, but I have no idea what to do with it. I've looked around online and no one can seem to agree upon a good Milotic build, so I'm trying to come up with something on my own. I was thinking something like this:

Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive/Marvel Scale
EVs: 256 HP, 256 Def, 4 SpA
Nature: Modest
-Scald/Surf
-Ice Beam
-Recover
-Haze

That's just kind of my rough shot at it, though. With that spread, I guess it kind of fills the role of a bulky special attacker. I know back in the day Milotic was a tank, but with all the new physical attacks that came with gen 6, I don't know if it can effectively fill that role anymore. My Feebas, in particular, is modest, so I don't know if it's still worth it to invest so much in Def, or if I should take the modest nature and run with it to make a more offensively focused set.

Then as far as the ability goes, I have absolutely no idea. It can definitely benefit from the Def boost that comes from Marvel Scale, but in that case it still has to deal with status conditions. Since the most common status thrown at bulky waters is poison, that means its time would be limited anyway. Competitive would probably not be hard to activate, with all of the stat-lowering moves, sticky web, and intimidate that gets thrown around. However, it is completely dependent on the opponent, and I'm not sure if it would be worth it to use over Marvel Scale.

It has some interesting attack options, but I thought this might be best. I've had awful luck with Hydro pump's accuracy, so I didn't really consider it. Scald is great for the burn chance, but Surf has that little extra power that might be nice. With the coverage that comes from water/ice, Ice beam was just kind of a given. Recover helps its longevity, especially with the lower bulk from the modest nature. I chose Haze over Dragon tail to get around substitutes and hit fairies. I had thought about putting Mirror Coat in there somewhere too. It could be a nice surprise, and with Milotic's great special bulk, it could definitely get a shot off. It takes a lot of prediction, though, and I'm not sure what I would replace for it. I also checked its hidden power, and unfortunately it's dark, so that's useless.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
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Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
Thanks, the Surf/Hydro Pump tip was a good one, I never thought of Hyper Voice. I already going to use an Assault Vest on my Goodra but thank you.

Well, if Assault Vest and Lefties are already in use, I guess your next best option is gonna be Damp Rock to extend the Drizzle, assuming your team is actually going to make use of the rain. Specs could work too, although I'd personally save them for something faster. Expert Belt and Life Orb wouldn't be good ideas though, IMO, since your set doesn't have the super-effective coverage for the former, and the latter counteracts the point of being a bulky offensive pokemon. Also, if this isn't a rain team, you actually might do better with Water Absorb than with Drizzle, since it gives Politoed an immunity, and would allow your partner pokemon to use Surf more effectively, which in turn would allow Politoed to carry Hydro Pump or Scald over its own Surf.

I've been thinking about pokemon for my ORAS team, and I've decided I want to use a Milotic. I've already got a shiny Feebas that I'm hoping to transfer over and use, but I have no idea what to do with it. I've looked around online and no one can seem to agree upon a good Milotic build, so I'm trying to come up with something on my own. I was thinking something like this:

Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive/Marvel Scale
EVs: 256 HP, 256 Def, 4 SpA
Nature: Modest
-Scald/Surf
-Ice Beam
-Recover
-Haze

That's just kind of my rough shot at it, though. With that spread, I guess it kind of fills the role of a bulky special attacker. I know back in the day Milotic was a tank, but with all the new physical attacks that came with gen 6, I don't know if it can effectively fill that role anymore. My Feebas, in particular, is modest, so I don't know if it's still worth it to invest so much in Def, or if I should take the modest nature and run with it to make a more offensively focused set.

Then as far as the ability goes, I have absolutely no idea. It can definitely benefit from the Def boost that comes from Marvel Scale, but in that case it still has to deal with status conditions. Since the most common status thrown at bulky waters is poison, that means its time would be limited anyway. Competitive would probably not be hard to activate, with all of the stat-lowering moves, sticky web, and intimidate that gets thrown around. However, it is completely dependent on the opponent, and I'm not sure if it would be worth it to use over Marvel Scale.

It has some interesting attack options, but I thought this might be best. I've had awful luck with Hydro pump's accuracy, so I didn't really consider it. Scald is great for the burn chance, but Surf has that little extra power that might be nice. With the coverage that comes from water/ice, Ice beam was just kind of a given. Recover helps its longevity, especially with the lower bulk from the modest nature. I chose Haze over Dragon tail to get around substitutes and hit fairies. I had thought about putting Mirror Coat in there somewhere too. It could be a nice surprise, and with Milotic's great special bulk, it could definitely get a shot off. It takes a lot of prediction, though, and I'm not sure what I would replace for it. I also checked its hidden power, and unfortunately it's dark, so that's useless.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Yeah, Milotic still works as a bulky pokemon, and your set looks like a good one. I'd suggest Competitive if your team is heavy on hazards, as it'll make the opponent much less willing to use their Defogger, as well as if your opponent happens to run Sticky Web. While Marvel Scale is great, it works better holding a Flame Orb or with a RestTalk set IMO, but it by no means is bad even without those. Both are great abilities so unless there's a specific strategy you're going for you can't go wrong either way. The moveset looks great, too; personally I'd go with Scald, since it'll help you lure out opposing users of Heal Bell/Aromatherapy, get residual damage going, and help Milotic survive most foes' physical attacks better when it Burns them. I honestly don't think Mirror Coat would be very useful unless you were going to come out of left field with a Weakness Policy or Salac Berry set; it could work, but since Milotic won't be taking that much damage from special attacks, it won't be doling out much via Mirror Coat either, and there's far better users of Weakness Policy out there.
 
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Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
A few more attempts at unique sets for use in RU (possibly NU) tier...

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103.png

Exeggutor @ Jacoba/Rowap Berry
Harvest
Calm/Bold
252 HP, 252 Def/SpDef, 4 SpAtt
- Giga Drain/Energy Ball
- Psyshock
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed/Sunny Day

Yes, folks, there's other berries out there besides Sitrus and Lum! And this is the idea behind this set. With Jacoba and Rowap Berries being recovered with Harvest, Exeggutor essentially has a Rocky Helmet that has lower damage and a chance to fail to trigger, but also doesn't require contact to function. Honestly any combination of the suggested items and EVs could work: if you go with Jacoba and physical defense or with Rowap and special defense, you have a tough wall that could absorb a lot of abuse on one side and dish it right back out with its berry, while equipping the berry that'd correspond to the user's weaker defensive stat will make the opponent think twice about trying to focus on that type of defense. Of course, since we're removing the healing from Sitrus Berry, I've given it a mostly defensive moveset, with the option of Giga Drain or Energy Ball for its Grass STAB and Psyshock for Psychic STAB so it's not walled completely by specially-defensive pokemon. Synthesis acts as main healing move. For the last moveslot, we could go for Leech Seed to further bolster Exeggutor's recovery as well as chip away at the opponent, or we could go with Sunny Day, allowing it to activate Harvest every turn as well as have better healing from Synthesis at the cost of exaggerating its Fire weakness.

----------

567.png

Archeops @ Choice Specs
Defeatist
Modest/Timid
4 HP, 252 SpAtt, 252 Speed
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Rock/Flying]/Ancient Power

Archeops has an awesome Special Attack stat, but unfortunately it seldom sees use as a special attacker thanks to a lack of good STAB attacks on the special side. However, if you're willing to overlook this, it could make a decent Choice user on the special side. Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, and Heat Wave have perfect neutral coverage together, so the choice of what to use for its STAB is really dependent on what your team already covers. Rock covers more things than Flying when combined with the other three moves, but Ancient Power has the same power as HP Rock as well as a small chance to beef up Archeops' stats across the board, but at the cost of a LOT of PP. Then again, this guy is mostly a revenge killer, so having a high amount of PP may not really matter in the long run. Probably its biggest downside is the lack of a switch initiative move; physical Band/Scarf Archeops could U-Turn out, but special Archeops doesn't have that option unless you sacrifice its STAB for it (which, in all honesty, isn't too bad a trade, since even with a neutral nature Archeops' Attack is through the roof). Due to Defeatist, it'd work better with a Wish passer, or if you knock out anything that outspeeds it, has priority (especially Aqua Jet or Ice Shard), or could survive a hit from it before sweeping with it.
 

AlexBW

Better, though...
Hi ,again, I have an Aegislash for VGC 14 Rules that I need it to be a Physical Sweeper and I thought of a Moveset that could work, Here it is:

Aegislash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Stance Change
Nature: Brave
252 Atk/88 HP/84 Def/84 Sp. Def
- Rest
- Sword Dance
- King´s Shield
- Sacred Sword
First, I chose a brave nature becasue that way, Aegislash is almost sure to move last so he can take any damage in his Shield Form and attack in Blade Form, the next turn use King´s Shield and back to Shield Form. In shield forme, I start using Sword Dance trying to maximize his Attack until he can´t stand any more damage, then I use Rest to recover helath and the Chesto Berry wakes him up, then use Sacred Sword-King´s Shield Cycle to devastate the other team. He is planned to be used along with my Drizzle Politoed to Reduce damage taken from Fire Type moves and Politoed can take care of Ground and Fire Type Pokemon.
 
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Kitt Geekazaru

Infernape Trainer
^What about the ghost types?^
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd???
IVs: 1 HP / 1 Def / 1 SDef/ 1 Spd???
- Shadow Claw
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Mach Punch
I have tried this set out, I wanted to see if you guys thought it would be better. Essentially, this set is supposed to set up rocks if it can, and use endeavor the turn it gets hit. Then, Mach Punch finishes that pokemon off. It might be able to hit another poke with endeavor, then it faints. Shadow Claw is for the ghost types that are immune and the rare Xatu/Espeon that thinks I can't hurt it while it sets up Calm Mind. I might edit in a good example of it working. My main thing is the speed. Should I go all out or slow?
 

Mye

Someone has to win..
^What about the ghost types?^
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd???
IVs: 1 HP / 1 Def / 1 SDef/ 1 Spd???
- Shadow Claw
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Mach Punch
I have tried this set out, I wanted to see if you guys thought it would be better. Essentially, this set is supposed to set up rocks if it can, and use endeavor the turn it gets hit. Then, Mach Punch finishes that pokemon off. It might be able to hit another poke with endeavor, then it faints. Shadow Claw is for the ghost types that are immune and the rare Xatu/Espeon that thinks I can't hurt it while it sets up Calm Mind. I might edit in a good example of it working. My main thing is the speed. Should I go all out or slow?

Fake out could actually be a nifty option on that as all the ghosts in the current metagame (aegis, gengar, trevenant) fear flare blitz horribly. With fake out, you could break the sash of the enemy lead, set up rocks on the switch, and then use endeavor when they hit you with their counter.
 
I'm giving garchomp an audition on my team as a physical sweeper. I've already bred and ev trained this one and I'm a little unsure about the best combo of moves for it.

Garchomp@That ice weakening berry? (No choice items, I don't like them)
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Rough Skin
Evs: Attack and speed
-Dragon Claw
-Iron Head
-Outrage
-EQ

Dragon claw for general type stab. I bred the egg moves iron head to counter fairy types and outrage so that at least I have it and if I want to change my mind I can just use a heart scale to bring it back. I'm a little iffy about having two dragon type moves but as outrage will lock me in I figure its a good revenge move if I'm in a tight spot (and I'll aim to take out the opponents fairy type pokemon before I use outrage). EQ for stab and its a good strong move. I've thought about fire fang for ice types but that move is so weak compared to outrage.
 
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Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
I'm giving garchomp an audition on my team as a physical sweeper. I've already bred and ev trained this one and I'm a little unsure about the best combo of moves for it.

Garchomp@That ice weakening berry? (No choice items, I don't like them)
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Rough Skin
Evs: Attack and speed
-Dragon Claw
-Iron Head
-Outrage
-EQ

Dragon claw for general type stab. I bred the egg moves iron head to counter fairy types and outrage so that at least I have it and if I want to change my mind I can just use a heart scale to bring it back. I'm a little iffy about having two dragon type moves but as outrage will lock me in I figure its a good revenge move if I'm in a tight spot (and I'll aim to take out the opponents fairy type pokemon before I use outrage). EQ for stab and its a good strong move. I've thought about fire fang for ice types but that move is so weak compared to outrage.

Honestly, I wouldn't run something intended for sweeping with a Yache Berry. If you don't like Choice items that's perfectly fine; you could potentially go with Life Orb instead. However, I strongly feel like you don't need both Dragon Claw and Outrage; just pick one or the other. It doesn't especially matter which, since even going with Outrage you could just save this for when you've taken out all of the opponent's Fairies. You could keep both just so you can have Dragon Claw if you're unsure and don't want to be locked into Outrage, but I'm pretty sure that's more for a standard Scarfchomp. I would suggest going with a Fire move anyway, not for Ice types, but rather for Skarmory, as it resists or is immune to everything you have. And that Fire move shouldn't be Fire Fang, but Fire Blast; Fang has mediocre power and if you're going to be using it primarily for Skarm, which is a pokemon that generally has great physical defense, you'll more than likely want to use Fire Blast to act as a wall-breaking move. Also, running Iron Head is almost completely pointless; I don't believe there's any pokemon that are hit hard by it that won't take similar damage from Earthquake (in fact the only pokemon that'd take more from IH than from EQ would be Whimsicott, which doesn't really have much bulk to speak of). You'll be much better off running a Rock move over Iron Head to allow you to hit Flying types and pokemon with Levitate harder if you wish, or possibly Crunch to help handle Psychic and Ghost types. Basically anything that'll improve your effective coverage.

If you're willing to rebreed, here's an idea I had in mind:

Garchomp @ Wide Lens/Life Orb
Rough Skin
Jolly
4 HP, 252 Att, 252 Speed
- Dragon Rush
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Hone Claws/Iron Tail/Crunch

A different take on setup sweeping. Although he can't get Dragon Dance, Hone Claws is an interesting alternative since he has a good number of moves with meh accuracy. Between high base Speed, Jolly, and Speed investment, there's a lot he'll be able to outspeed, allowing him to flinch with Dragon Rush more easily, and Stone Edge gives him great coverage when added with Earthquake, allowing to hit pretty much everything for at least neutral damage, with the exception of Bronzong. If you want to opt out of Hone Claws, you could go with Iron Tail for added anti-Fairy coverage or Crunch to handle Bronzong, Trevenant, or whatever other Psychic or Ghost types you think you need to handle. Without Hone Claws you'll NEED to run Wide Lens though to better your accuracy, but even then it'll only up Dragon Rush and Iron Tail to 82.5% accuracy and Stone Edge to 88%, where a single Hone Claws improves any move with at least 75% accuracy up to 100%. Keep in mind that running this set does leave you walled against Unaware users, though, if you go with Hone Claws, or you'll still have crappy accuracy on Dragon Rush, Stone Edge, and Iron Tail despite the Wide Lens if you go for Iron Tail or Crunch.
 

Fossildude747

Fossil Fighters Fan!
Setup bait for steel types (most notably Scizor) and completely screwed over by Substitute. Like, legitimately any Pokemon with Substitute hard counters Shuckle. Shuckle may have high defenses, but its low speed and attack means Subs will be put up before it can Toxic, and it lacks the power to break a Substitute. Shuckle is just bad for this reason; gives easy opportunities to set up. It's better to use a defensive Pokemon like Ferrothorn or something which can actually threaten opponents. Alternatively, you might want to have Encore on there somewhere if you're insistent upon using Shuckle; Encore can at least prevent you from being complete setup bait or being shut down by a Sub.

Well if you have a pokemon with trick room which makes slower pokemon go first, that could make it work better.
 

varanus_komodoensis

they call me Varanus
I'm giving garchomp an audition on my team as a physical sweeper. I've already bred and ev trained this one and I'm a little unsure about the best combo of moves for it.

Garchomp@That ice weakening berry? (No choice items, I don't like them)
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Rough Skin
Evs: Attack and speed
-Dragon Claw
-Iron Head
-Outrage
-EQ

Dragon claw for general type stab. I bred the egg moves iron head to counter fairy types and outrage so that at least I have it and if I want to change my mind I can just use a heart scale to bring it back. I'm a little iffy about having two dragon type moves but as outrage will lock me in I figure its a good revenge move if I'm in a tight spot (and I'll aim to take out the opponents fairy type pokemon before I use outrage). EQ for stab and its a good strong move. I've thought about fire fang for ice types but that move is so weak compared to outrage.

Just to add on to what Onyx Tanuki said, Poison Jab Garchomp is apparently a thing now to deal with fairies. Most fairies that you'll run into are slower than Garchomp, so unless they're physically defensive AND faster than you, Poison Jab usually takes them out. But if you don't get a OHKO, then your Garchomp will die to a Play Rough or Moonblast. Mawile is the big one to watch out for, as it is immune to Poison moves AND resists Steel moves, but it is weak to Earthquake. Poison Jab is a better option than Iron Head because Poison Jab gives you a little bit more coverage, since most things that are weak to Steel can also be dealt with with Earthquake or Stone Edge.
 

KillerDraco

Well-Known Member
Well if you have a pokemon with trick room which makes slower pokemon go first, that could make it work better.

No, not really. Trick Room doesn't change the fact that Shuckle is extremely passive. The idea that any slow Pokemon is automatically good in Trick Room isn't necessarily true. Even if Shuckle goes first, then what? It still has no offense of which to speak, meaning it has to rely on things like Toxic or Infestation to do any kind of damage, making it easy prey for Steel types or Poison types to steal the momentum.

Just to add on to what Onyx Tanuki said, Poison Jab Garchomp is apparently a thing now to deal with fairies. Most fairies that you'll run into are slower than Garchomp, so unless they're physically defensive AND faster than you, Poison Jab usually takes them out. But if you don't get a OHKO, then your Garchomp will die to a Play Rough or Moonblast. Mawile is the big one to watch out for, as it is immune to Poison moves AND resists Steel moves, but it is weak to Earthquake. Poison Jab is a better option than Iron Head because Poison Jab gives you a little bit more coverage, since most things that are weak to Steel can also be dealt with with Earthquake or Stone Edge.

Eh, in all honesty, Poison Jab isn't quite as significant as one might think. A super-effective Poison Jab is only a bit stronger than a neutral Earthquake, to the point where it doesn't always make a difference, especially after SR is factored in. For instance:

252 Atk Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock)
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 196-232 (48.5 - 57.4%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO (guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock)

252 Atk Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 248-294 (62.9 - 74.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 232-274 (58.8 - 69.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gardevoir: 248-294 (89.2 - 105.7%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO (guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock)
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gardevoir: 232-274 (83.4 - 98.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock)

And of course, Togekiss is hit harder by Stone Edge.

252 Atk Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Togekiss: 182-216 (48.6 - 57.7%) -- 51.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Garchomp Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Togekiss: 228-270 (60.9 - 72.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Didn't bother to list (Mega) Mawile for obvious reasons.

But the underlying point is that Gardevoir is the only fairy type where Poison Jab really makes a noteworthy difference since it can push it into 1HKO territory, but if Stealth Rock is up, the difference is less significant. Against pretty much every other Fairy type, you'll be 2HKOing them with Earthquake/Stone Edge, so they won't be able to switch in, but at the same time, if they get a free switch-in (i.e., revenge kill, slow U-Turn/Baton pass, etc.), then Garchomp is usually going to need to switch since it can't reliably 1HKO them.

Poison Jab's usage is pretty low as well. It's got about a 12% usage at the 1500 level, about 6% at 1695, and higher than that, it's not used enough to even register as anything other than "other". It's something of a minor niche move if you REALLY want to be able to 1HKO (Mega) Gardevoir with Garchomp, but let's be honest; if you're really worried about Gardevoir, odds are that Garchomp isn't going to be your only answer to it ;)
 
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varanus_komodoensis

they call me Varanus
Poison Jab's usage is pretty low as well. It's got about a 12% usage at the 1500 level, about 6% at 1695, and higher than that, it's not used enough to even register as anything other than "other". It's something of a minor niche move if you REALLY want to be able to 1HKO (Mega) Gardevoir with Garchomp, but let's be honest; if you're really worried about Gardevoir, odds are that Garchomp isn't going to be your only answer to it ;)

That's true :) I just thought I would give it a mention since I see it on Battle Spot occasionally. It's useful if it's near the end of the game, Garchomp is your sweeper, and your opponent sends out an injured Fairy.

Anyway, where did you get the "12% at 1500; 6% at 1695" info? I would LOVE to read more on the movesets and things for the higher ladders. Right now the highest I've laddered on Battle Spot is about 1650. What is the highest ranking you can get to?
 
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