First competitive pokemon team: Thoughts please?

[Dragonflames1994]

I've been playing pokemon since I was 9, but I've never got around to making a competitive team for some reason. After Masuda-method-ing for three months and getting a shiny Axew after over 3000 eggs, I began thinking about my future competitive team. I've thought it all out, and this is what my team will be like:

Zoroark: Lead
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Night Burst
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 252 Speed

Most probably don't send out a sweeper first, preferring to send out a set up pokemon. However, I plan to use Zoroark's unique ability to pretend to be my Forretress, which should give me time to Nasty Plot once or twice. Not to mention that Azelf is a fairly common lead. Oh, and this guy's gonna be shiny too, I'm masuda-ing for a zorua now.

Chandelure
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flash Fire
evs: 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
nature: Timid

This guy makes an effective Rapid spin blocker, and can absorb fire attacks aimed at Forretress and Magnezone. Plus it can pound through most pokemon easy. Energy Ball takes care of Bulky waters that threaten my team too. Even more awesomeness: It can absorb fire attacks aimed at Forretress and Magnezone.

Shiny Haxorus
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe

Got this off the site where I get my movesets:
Haxorus is by no means slow, but his awkward Base 97 Speed means he'll always be outpaced by common Pokemon like Salamence, Garchomp, Latios, Terrakion, and Virizion. As such, Haxorus can make great use of Dragon Dance to boost his already sky-high Attack along with his mediocre Speed in order to outpace and KO faster threats that he would otherwise lose against. Although finding an opportunity to setup may be difficult for a fragile Pokemon like Haxorus, the benefits can be quite substantial, as the combination of speed and power make Haxorus incredibly hard to stop.

Haxorus's teammates should focus on either eliminating his counters or creating an opportunity for him to set up a Dragon Dance. Magnezone deserves an obvious mention for its ability to turn Skarmory into fried chicken through the use of Magnet Pull and Thunderbolt.

Archeops
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Flying Gem
nature: Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Man, this guy's awesome. Can hit for a load without any setup or choice items. He pairs well with Haxorus in double battles too. Plus, "that site" says "Magnezone is also a very good teammate for Archeops." Perfect huh?

Magnezone
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Flash Cannon
item: Balloon
ability: Magnet Pull
nature: Timid
evs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe

Not only is it a great help to the team in taking out dangerous steel types, but it is a great attacker too. Switch in to steel type, Substitute, take it out, rinse and repeat.

Starmie
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Nice attacker and supporter.

So, there you have it. Comments and rates please!

[Porii Sames]

Well...I've gotten to a bit over rank 100 on Wifi on POkemon ONliine, so I am credible.

First, your team seems to show a large weakness to fast teams. YOu have no priority on your team, in addition to no Scarfers. A good stall breaker seems like it could just roll once it got going.

I'd say include a good Scarfer over Archeops. Other than that, though, the team looks quite balanced. Try it on POkemon Online a bit, and good luck!

[Dragonflames1994]

Well...I've gotten to a bit over rank 100 on Wifi on POkemon ONliine, so I am credible.

First, your team seems to show a large weakness to fast teams. YOu have no priority on your team, in addition to no Scarfers. A good stall breaker seems like it could just roll once it got going.

I'd say include a good Scarfer over Archeops. Other than that, though, the team looks quite balanced. Try it on Pokemon Online a bit, and good luck!

I don't want to drop Archeops, as I've already finished EV training him and hes one of my favorite pokemon. Perhaps I should give Chandelure a choice scarf instead of specs?

Also, I have a variety of types that should be able to stand up to any attack the scarf pokemon throws at me. Chandelure Absorbs normal, fighting, and fire attacks, Archeops and Magnezone laugh at earthquake, Zoroark isn't effected by Psychic, and my forettress can take a beating no matter the type.

[brick11]

Yes, scarf over specs on chandelure for sure. Chandy isn't fast enough without it. Also I would go dark pulse over night daze on Zoroark for accuracy and 30% chance of flinch. And life orb is good, but if you decide on dark pulse king's rock/razor fang makes for crazy flinching. Everything else I see seems pretty good.

[Dragonflames1994]

Yes, scarf over specs on chandelure for sure. Chandy isn't fast enough without it. Also I would go dark pulse over night daze on Zoroark for accuracy and 30% chance of flinch. And life orb is good, but if you decide on dark pulse king's rock/razor fang makes for crazy flinching. Everything else I see seems pretty good.

Thanks! I think I will scarf Chandelure. However, I'm still going with Night daze on zoroark, for a few reasons:

1. I'm too lazy to go find a pokemon that knows dark pulse and breed it.
2. Dark Pulse is a pretty small difference over Night daze anyway; 5% more accuracy and 5% less power.
3. Night Daze looks cooler. :cool:

[Garch]

^^
1) You could ask someone else to get you one.
2) The 5 less accuracy is HUGE, because it's 100 against 95. The 5 power is pointless compared to 5 accuracy.
3) Dark Pulse and Night Daze acctually have the same animation.

In the end, night daze is going to let you down far more than Dark Pulse.

Also, if you want to test your team against the best, I advise you try this program: (It's also a great way to figure out what works BEFORE EVing it in-game)
http://pokemon-online.eu/downloads/Client_17.html

[Dragonflames1994]

^^
1) You could ask someone else to get you one.
2) The 5 less accuracy is HUGE, because it's 100 against 95. The 5 power is pointless compared to 5 accuracy.
3) Dark Pulse and Night Daze acctually have the same animation.

In the end, night daze is going to let you down far more than Dark Pulse.

Also, if you want to test your team against the best, I advise you try this program: (It's also a great way to figure out what works BEFORE EVing it in-game)
http://pokemon-online.eu/downloads/Client_17.html

Ah, thanks for the link. And 3), are you sure about that? I thought Night Daze sent out three waves of darkness and Dark Pulse was just one.

But OK, I'll get one with Dark Pulse...

[brick11]

Ask garch to get you one. I'm sure he has probably about 20 or more in one of his PC boxes. Three whole waves:eek: I just might have to try one with night daze.:tongue:

[Dragonflames1994]

Ask garch to get you one. I'm sure he has probably about 20 or more in one of his PC boxes. Three whole waves:eek: I just might have to try one with night daze.:tongue:

I tried it, and I was sorta right; Dark pulse sends out a couple waves, and night daze sends out more with different sound effects.

[brick11]

But overall dark pulse is still the way to go competitively.

[Porii Sames]

Relooking at your team, I see a very large weakness to Conkeldurr once Archeops goes down, and then you risk Conkeldurr Mach Punching you to below 50%, where your attack goes null. Payback can knock Chandy, and if it gets enough Bulk Ups it can sweep your team until your combo of special attacks finally wears it down. The same with Scrafty, but Scrafty lacks Mach Punch.

Edit: Also, since you are using Haxorous on a team with no dual dragon to support it, I'd highly recommend using a Choice Band on it. CBHaxorous can annihilate so many things, I think 2HKO's Skarmory with Outrage. Go Outrage/Dragon Tail/Earthquake/Dragon Claw or something else.

[Dragonflames1994]

Relooking at your team, I see a very large weakness to Conkeldurr once Archeops goes down, and then you risk Conkeldurr Mach Punching you to below 50%, where your attack goes null. Payback can knock Chandy, and if it gets enough Bulk Ups it can sweep your team until your combo of special attacks finally wears it down. The same with Scrafty, but Scrafty lacks Mach Punch.

Edit: Also, since you are using Haxorous on a team with no dual dragon to support it, I'd highly recommend using a Choice Band on it. CBHaxorous can annihilate so many things, I think 2HKO's Skarmory with Outrage. Go Outrage/Dragon Tail/Earthquake/Dragon Claw or something else.

1. Not if Chandy KOs it first. Also, Forretress can take hits quite well. Easy, just switch in Forretress, take a hit, use Volt switch to Chandelure, nothing happens to it, then switch back when it tries to payback me. Rinse and repeat. Eventually poison should finish it off. Also, I think my Haxorus can take a Mach Punch. It has 31 IVs in defense anyhow.
2. I'm staying with DD, because I already EV trianed it for the specific EVs DD calls for. And I'm definitely not getting a new one, my shiny one is rad.

[Dragonflames1994]

OK, so I've been testing it in Pokemon online, and there are a few pokemon such as Terrakion that keep sweeping my team. I also noticed Forretress isn't as good as it seems, and keeps getting 2HKO-ed constantly, even with max HP EVs and defenses. So I thought, what pokemon can help against those pokemon yet fill in the role of Forretress as Rapid spinner?

Starmie!

What say you?

[Porii Sames]

IMO a really underrated offensive spinned is actually Excadrill. With Air Balloon, it's also a great anti-Excadrill and anti-sand counter.

If Terrakion is giving you problems, there isn't a whole lot you can do..... Azumarill is the best that comes to mind. STAB CB Huge Power Aqua Jet should do the trick.

[Shishio]

Give haxorous the scarf. Hes so frail to set up, so giving an adamnt nature and a scarf rips holes in your opponents team. With using the scarfhax, make sure opposing scarfed dragons are taken care of. Especially our friend garchomp

[Porii Sames]

Garchomp was just voted Uber. In 5th Gen.

I don't know whether or not that carries over to PO or not, but yeah. Just throwin' that out there.

[Dragonflames1994]

Give haxorous the scarf. Hes so frail to set up, so giving an adamnt nature and a scarf rips holes in your opponents team. With using the scarfhax, make sure opposing scarfed dragons are taken care of. Especially our friend garchomp

But he nearly always can take at least one hit, and after a DD he's nearly unstoppable. Send him out when there's a less powerful pokemon, and DD, they switch out, and then you Outrage them to bits. Takes care of any old dragon.

[Shishio]

Nearly always? and using outrage on the DD set means hes on a timer, and his max defense is 217 with no significant investments. Switching in Haxorous never works either, he takes the hit, then dies while you DD. And what are you thinking haxorous can switch into? He has less bulk than other dragons. Yes hes very powerful with a DD, but he will die from priority after taking that hit to set up.

[Dragonflames1994]

Nearly always? and using outrage on the DD set means hes on a timer, and his max defense is 217 with no significant investments. Switching in Haxorous never works either, he takes the hit, then dies while you DD. And what are you thinking haxorous can switch into? He has less bulk than other dragons. Yes hes very powerful with a DD, but he will die from priority after taking that hit to set up.

I'm not saying he can switch in. I mean to just send him out when a pokemon is KOed so that he doesn't take another hit. Yes, Priority moves are a problem, but that's it, really.

[Shishio]

Ah i see. Haxorous has been on all my teams since Pokemon online came out, and I wanted to voice my concerns. With the scarf, its much easier since he can just outrage coming off 432 atk. That turn to set up may seem like nothing, but its crucial to make the best of each pokemon for your team. He also can do nothing to nattatorei, and you will see a lot of him. Literally almost every game.

[Dragonflames1994]

He also can do nothing to nattatorei, and you will see a lot of him. Literally almost every game.

Whos nattatorei? :|

[PMysterious]

Whos nattatorei? :|

Ferrothorn's Japanese name. Ferrothorn is also a very defensive Pokemon so it might be good on your team because you have no walls.

[Porii Sames]

@Shishio

He has Chandy and Magnezone...he's fine.

Dragonflames, as a person who has a WHOLE lotta experience with dragon teams, offensive teams, 4 Dragon + 2 Magnezone teams, and Wifi, DD Haxorous is NOT as good as another set. Stallbreaker, CB, Choice Scarf, and in some cases SD are better.

[Dragonflames1994]

OK then, after taking a look at CB Haxorus, I've noticed that the required EVs are identical to the ones I already have trained into my epic shiny haxorus, so it should be easy to convert it. Is choice band a good choice?

Oh, and I haven't had any trouble with Ferrothorn at all. Magnezone laughs at it behind a sub, and DD Haxorus literally taunts it.

[Dragonflames1994]

OK, after playing the team for a while, I've had trouble blocking sweeps, perhaps due to the fact I lack a wall? Any good walls out there?

[Porii Sames]

Synergy is the best wall. Trust me...

[Dragonflames1994]

OK, so any tips for improvement?

[Porii Sames]

1. You don't need HP Ice on Archeops; Acrobat should be slaughtering Gliscor anyways, provided your Jewel is in tact.

2. I'm telling you, man, don't do DD Haxorous.

[Dragonflames1994]

1. You don't need HP Ice on Archeops; Acrobat should be slaughtering Gliscor anyways, provided your Jewel is in tact.

2. I'm telling you, man, don't do DD Haxorous.

1. Well what should I use instead?

2. Already ahead of you; I changed it a while ago. I really aren't seeing any improvement though...

[fabulousTaz]

U get wreck by sand teams, well any of the weather teams...which is the meta now....DD hax is fine and fort is fine just have to surround hax with pokes to support it's sweep. Add bulky pokes to switch in to and take a hit. U won't b swept so easily lol