Super Single Subway battle RMT

[FRmaster]

I’ve recently been experimenting with teams to use on the battle subway, and here’s the best I’ve come up with so far:

- This team has a great defensive synergy, as each pokémon covers the others weaknesses, allowing for easy switching to counter potential threats.
- This combined with large weaknesses on an individual level allows me to lure in the right attacks and then switch in a resisting pokémon, a good example of this is where the opponent has the EdgeQuake Combo, where i can just switch between Gyarados and Metagross, and watch their attack and PP go down, allowing me to set up with Gyarados.

Gyarados

EV's: 156 HP, 72 Atk, 96 Def, 184 Spe
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant
Item: Leftovers
- Waterfall
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
- Bounce

-Gyarados serves as my lead in the subway. Gyarados in this situation can be used in a variety of different ways, this can be anything from: Scouting (and attack drops for the opponent), taunting opponents that set up Trick Room (similarly stat boosters, encore users, etc.), setting up, and of course outright attacking.
-Gyarados works very well with Metagross, and Garchomp, as they resist it's two weaknesses: Rock and Electric type attacks.
-There may be a query about Return, but that's there for coverage, as the combination is only resisted by i think four or five pokémon, and with a couple of DD's it won't have to worry too much about getting super-effective coverage.

Metagross

EV's: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Spe
Ability: Clear Body
Nature: Adamant
Item: Choice Band
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Bullet Punch
- ThunderPunch

-Metagross, the tank of the team. Basically Metagross provides power right off the bat that the others can't, and a phrase you may have heard before, 'what it can't beat in power, it can beat in bulk', is very true, it can quite easily take an earthquake (or two in some cases), and then hit back with a STAB Meteor Mash, or any of it's other moves.
-The 4 EV's in Speed is to outrun opposing Metagross with no investment in that stat.
-Having Gyarados on the team with Metagross really helps it as it is immune to Ground type attacks, and resists Fire, it also stops physical sweepers that could be a threat to Metagross with an Intimidate.

Garchomp

EV's: 4 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Spe
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly
Item: Yache Berry
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Substitute

-Garchomp my third and final pokémon to round off the team. Basically set up and sweep is the strategy here. After a Swords Dance it's attack goes up to 364 (Lv50), so anything that's in it's way is going to be either OHKO'd or hit pretty hard.
-Again it's team-mates really help it sweep, Gyarados provides free-switch in's against electric attacks, and also provides Intimidate to weaken physical foes.
-One query I have with Garchomp's moveset, is whether to include Substitute, or Fire Fang in the fourth move-slot. Subsititute helps against crippling status problems, and also stops anything with priority (or anything faster than Garchomp) from breaking the sweep. On the other hand, Fire Fang provides coverage over Skarmory and Bronzong, potential threats to the team being strong physical walls.


Anyway, there's my team. Please offer any advice/constructive criticism

 

[Typhlosionvsworld]

Garchomp should have Stone Edge, Hone Claws, EQ, and Dragon Claw, to take out strong foes. I suggest Zen Headbutt on Metagross, and also EQ on Gyarados as well as DD

 

[FRmaster]

the hone claws set on Garchomp is inferior to the SD set as you are only getting one boost to attack instead of two, and the only attack you are really boosting is Stone Edge with the accuracy boost. Zen Headbutt hasn't got particularly good accuracy, and i would lose coverage over Skarmory, and Bronzong. Earthquake maybe on Gyarados, i've already got two pokémon with earthquake anyway.

Anyway, if you expand on the points, which foes would I be taking out harder with the hone claws set? and what pokémon would I get coverage on with Zen Headbutt in replacement with one of my other moves?

 

[Funtime]

Garchomp manages just fine with Dragon + Fire (which are neutral on everything but Heatran) and STAB Earthquake is just lovely. What about Life Orb? You get kicked by ice moves, but taking out nearly every threat in one hit seems better to me than taking one hit at half power.

I like the other two as they are. I'm assuming they are IV bred or you adjusted the EVs to compensate?

 

[Typhlosionvsworld]

You can sweep any flying type with a Stone Edge Garchomp. And Zen Headbutt has 90 accuracy, how is that bad? How do you loose coverage over a Bronzong with EQ? And how do you loose coverage on Skarmory that you never had? And Zen Headbutt on an Adamant Metagross is insanely powerful, so why are you against it?

 

[FRmaster]

Garchomp manages just fine with Dragon + Fire (which are neutral on everything but Heatran) and STAB Earthquake is just lovely. What about Life Orb? You get kicked by ice moves, but taking out nearly every threat in one hit seems better to me than taking one hit at half power.

I like the other two as they are. I'm assuming they are IV bred or you adjusted the EVs to compensate?

yep all three with 31 IV's in every stat. I'll test out life orb, sounds like a good idea, of course i'll just have to find out how much of a problem ice types will be

 

[The Jock]

If you can get a Gyarados with Bounce, then use that over return, if not, then that's fine. Substitute over Fire Fang on Chomp. CB Gross isn't too effective, I'd reccomend trying Agiligross or Hone Claws Metagross.

 

[FRmaster]

You can sweep any flying type with a Stone Edge Garchomp. And Zen Headbutt has 90 accuracy, how is that bad? How do you loose coverage over a Bronzong with EQ? And how do you loose coverage on Skarmory that you never had? And Zen Headbutt on an Adamant Metagross is insanely powerful, so why are you against it?

ok, i can see Stone Edge's potential in the fourth move slot. My mistake with the Zen Headbutt losing coverage on Bronzong and Skarmory, but if I lost Bullet Punch i'd miss out on priority losing out to faster fragile sweepers, Meteor Mash stays for obvious reasons, Earthquake provides reliable coverage, and if i replaced Tpunch with Zen Headbutt i would lose coverage with Metagross over Skarmory and Bronzong

 

[FRmaster]

If you can get a Gyarados with Bounce, then use that over return, if not, then that's fine. Substitute over Fire Fang on Chomp. CB Gross isn't too effective, I'd reccomend trying Agiligross or Hone Claws Metagross.

I'm not keen on bounce since it lasts two turns, but it does get the 30% chance of paralysis, STAB, and covers some of the pokémon that would otherwise wall this set, i'll put that in. Yeah, i think i'll go with Substitute as opposed to Fire Fang, as it works well with the Life Orb previously mentioned by Funtime. I'm not too sure about Agligross, i know it's good, i've used it before but i've already got two pokémon that rely on stat boosts, Metagross is really there for immediate offensive presence.

 

[Pingo]

I suggest Focus sash over life orb ot yache berry on Garchomp. It protects you against crits, and can give you a free switch in at any time. Also, you won't be able to set up a safe SD on chomp with life orb very often.

 

[The Jock]

I'm not keen on bounce since it lasts two turns, but it does get the 30% chance of paralysis, STAB, and covers some of the pokémon that would otherwise wall this set, i'll put that in. Yeah, i think i'll go with Substitute as opposed to Fire Fang, as it works well with the Life Orb previously mentioned by Funtime. I'm not too sure about Agligross, i know it's good, i've used it before but i've already got two pokémon that rely on stat boosts, Metagross is really there for immediate offensive presence.

Return isn't all that bad, I just assumed you were using it since Bounce was exclusive to Winner's Pass Magikarp, Bounce is usually standard mainly because it can hit things like Grass Types with Supereffective damage, a luxury that Normal Type moves can't have. Also, Lefties is another option for SubSD Chomp, although I'd stick with Yache over Life Orb, since LO takes away from the HP that Subs need to stay up. Stat boosts aren't all bad, but I see where you're going, good luck in the Battle Subway.

 

[FRmaster]

I suggest Focus sash over life orb ot yache berry on Garchomp. It protects you against crits, and can give you a free switch in at any time. Also, you won't be able to set up a safe SD on chomp with life orb very often.
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I'm not sure focus sash would be a viable option, especially over Yache Berry, and it does give a free switch in on occasion, but it also reduces the usefulness of substitute, maybe on a different set.

Return isn't all that bad, I just assumed you were using it since Bounce was exclusive to Winner's Pass Magikarp, Bounce is usually standard mainly because it can hit things like Grass Types with Supereffective damage, a luxury that Normal Type moves can't have. Also, Lefties is another option for SubSD Chomp, although I'd stick with Yache over Life Orb, since LO takes away from the HP that Subs need to stay up. Stat boosts aren't all bad, but I see where you're going, good luck in the Battle Subway.

ok flaws of Life Orb on Chomp noted
On another note, it is possible to get Bounce on Gyarados through 4th gen move tutor as well, and the coverage over Ferrothorn and Jellicent (while the latter not being grass type) is appreciated, alongside grass types in general as you said. Unfortunately I can't use leftovers on Garchomp, as Gyarados has Leftovers already, and i can't have two of the same item.

 

[The Jock]

ok flaws of Life Orb on Chomp noted
On another note, it is possible to get Bounce on Gyarados through 4th gen move tutor as well, and the coverage over Ferrothorn and Jellicent (while the latter not being grass type) is appreciated, alongside grass types in general as you said. Unfortunately I can't use leftovers on Garchomp, as Gyarados has Leftovers already, and i can't have two of the same item.

Ah, forgot about the item clause. Yache is definitely the way to go, then.

 

[DarkLink3]

Nice team but you will need a special attacker. Replace Metagross for a Latios or Latias maybe even Thunderbro. incase you run into a wall like Skarmory.