First off, this team isn't centered around any Pokémon too much, as much of the design process was built on making a balanced team, and not just around one Pokémon. Using this team, I've peaked at around 1550 on Pokémon Showdown, and always seem to fall short from anything substantial, leading me here, to get another opinion on things.
(If you ever need more information about this team, or why I chose some things just ask!)
https://pokepast.es/79b3a3a41c15a53e
Team-building Process
I started with Conkeldurr because I was fed up with the overabundance of Chien-Paos in this meta game, and found a reliable counter with Conkeldurr who is able to tank banded Chien-Pao and dish back a 4x Super-effective mach punch.
Because Conkeldurr struggles against special attackers, I figured that we need a specially defensive wall, and what better Pokemon for the job than Mantine. Plus, added bonus of defog.
Next up, since we had a specially defensive wall, it’s only good to have a defensive wall, such as Skeledirge. Plus added benefit of its ability, Unaware.
Great mon to pivot into, and dishes out insane amounts of damage.
Good for speed control, and dishes out insane amounts of damage, as well as being a normal type.
More speed control, and great coverage.
The Team
Tromboner (Conkeldurr) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 132 Atk / 196 Def / 180 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Conkeldurr is mainly here for one reason, to counter Chien-Pao, but also is able to fill out many other roles, such as the priority user, and the heavy-hitting tank. Bulk Up is here to boost this Pokemon’s Attack and Defense, making it even more threatening to any incoming Pokemon. Mach Punch is the team’s priority move, being able to easily OHKO Chien-Pao, as well as dealing a decent amount of damage to other Pokemon, it is further boosted by Fighting Tera-Type. Earthquake serves as a great versatile move, as the rest of the team lacks a ground-type move. Lastly Knock Off, a great utility move to use if you predict a different Pokemon switching in, it also hits super-effective against Psychic types, which this Pokemon usually struggles with. This Pokemon’s EV setup was to be able to switch into Chien-Pao, and then survive another Sucker Punch, with enough to be able to OHKO with Mach Punch, the rest was given to Sp.Def to be able to hopefully live some special-type moves.
Torpedo Fish (Mantine) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Scald
- Mirror Coat
- Roost
Mantine is a premiere specially defensive wall, with a whopping (Is it just me who hates looking at the word “whopping”) Sp.Def of 140. Essentially a Skarmory on the special side of things. Paired with good HP, this Pokemon is able to tank almost every Special Attacking move, barring Electric-type moves. That’s why this Pokemon was given the Ground Tera-Type, which also pairs well with its Water Absorb ability, leaving it only super-effectively weak to Grass-type & Ice-type moves. It is also given Heavy-Duty Boots to not take hazards damage while it tries to clear it with its move Defog. Scald is there for stab, and to burn any physical Pokemon, which only furthers this Pokemon’s role as a tank. Mirror Coat to deal great damage to Pokemon who think setting up (specially) will stop this behemoth, and for Rotom variants that aren’t specially offensive, that think a Volt Switch will be enough to OHKO this Pokemon. Then lastly, Roost to heal, and possibly stall Pokemon.
Rock Guitarist (Skeledirge) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Torch Song
- Slack Off
Skeledirge itself is just a great Pokemon, if not, a great physical wall. With its ability Unaware, to its amazing signature move Torch Song, it can just do so much. I put on the standard moveset for this Pokemon which consists of Will-O-Wisp to burn any opposing Pokemon, and sets up for Hex which deals double damage, at a total of 140 base power. Torch Song for stab, and to boost its Sp.Atk (Great for winning 1v1s against Garganachis that don’t have Protect), and Slack Off to heal off any damage it’s taken. I gave this Pokemon Heavy-Duty Boots to be able to switch in at any point without taking any hazards damage, as all tanks should be able to pivot in at any point. This Pokemon has Tera-Type fire, presumably to deal more damage, but I’ve never terastallized it once.
Maid Service (Magearna-Original) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Volt Switch
First things first, Magearna-Original is always superior to normal Magearna (that’s why it has 30 Atk IVs if you were wondering). Magearna With Assault Vest is great for sponging Special Attacks that Mantine may be struggling with (say, is some other Pokemon on this team terastallized instead of Mantine), bolstered by its max investment into HP. This Pokemon is mainly here to deal damage, or Pivot in/out, shown by its low Speed investment and its move Volt Switch. As a given, it has Fleur Cannon and Flash Cannon as they both have Stab, and deals a lot of damage. Lastly, it has Aura Sphere to deal damage to any pesky steel types that think they’re safe against Magearna. It is also given Tera-Type Fairy to boost the damage of Fleur Cannon.
KA KAAW (Staraptor) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Close Combat
Staraptor would be seen as an odd choice to be an offensive Scarfer, but with the current wave of Ghost Pokemon in the meta, it is nice to have a Normal Type Pokemon on the team, and not just because I’m obsessed with Staraptor. This Pokemon is able to be as much of a threat it is because of it’s great Attack and it’s Ability Reckless, which for those who don’t know, boost recoil move’s damage by 1.2, which is almost perfect for Staraptor because it just so happens to have Brave Bird and Double-Edge, two moves with 120 base power, stab, and recoil. U-Turn is there to keep momentum, and to pivot out. Then Close Combat, a powerful versatile move to have.
Vengeful Spirit (Dragapult) @ Wise Glasses
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
Lastly we have Dragapult. This Pokemon was given Wise Glasses (over Life Orb) to boost its Sp.Atk, but to keep Hp for its move Substitute which lets it not get statused, and leaves it immune to Sucke Punch, common on Chien-Pao and Kingambit. Draco Meteor to deal mass damage, as well as stab. Shadow Ball as a stab, and to be boosted by Tera-Type Ghost. Then lastly, Flamethrower, to deal mainly with Steel and Ice types, mainly Kingambit though.
I know reading these posts can leave people feeling pretty dull, considering how long they usually are, so I hoped bringing more color had help in some way. Here are some replays of how the team works in action btw.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1757568003
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1757578543
Now that you know how the team works, the main Issue I find myself in every few battles or so is that it’s hard keeping momentum when you lose one of your Pokemon, especially due to Recrystallization mechanics, which kind of leaves this team vulnerable. It’s hard to say what exactly it is with this team, but once you lose your offensive momentum, it’s hard to regain it, and oftentimes you find yourself with just Mantine or Dragapult, which usually can’t deal enough damage on their own to keep you afloat. (If you need more of an understanding of this, leave a message and I’ll try my best to describe it, or maybe will post a replay of the issue).
If you have any tips, opinions, thoughts, clarifications, or ideas, as always, please leave a reply, as I’m always open-minded, and it’s always good to get a second opinion on things from another person. I hope you have a good day, thanks for reading my post. Bye! :)
(If you ever need more information about this team, or why I chose some things just ask!)
https://pokepast.es/79b3a3a41c15a53e
Team-building Process
I started with Conkeldurr because I was fed up with the overabundance of Chien-Paos in this meta game, and found a reliable counter with Conkeldurr who is able to tank banded Chien-Pao and dish back a 4x Super-effective mach punch.
Because Conkeldurr struggles against special attackers, I figured that we need a specially defensive wall, and what better Pokemon for the job than Mantine. Plus, added bonus of defog.
Next up, since we had a specially defensive wall, it’s only good to have a defensive wall, such as Skeledirge. Plus added benefit of its ability, Unaware.
Great mon to pivot into, and dishes out insane amounts of damage.
Good for speed control, and dishes out insane amounts of damage, as well as being a normal type.
More speed control, and great coverage.
The Team
Tromboner (Conkeldurr) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 132 Atk / 196 Def / 180 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Conkeldurr is mainly here for one reason, to counter Chien-Pao, but also is able to fill out many other roles, such as the priority user, and the heavy-hitting tank. Bulk Up is here to boost this Pokemon’s Attack and Defense, making it even more threatening to any incoming Pokemon. Mach Punch is the team’s priority move, being able to easily OHKO Chien-Pao, as well as dealing a decent amount of damage to other Pokemon, it is further boosted by Fighting Tera-Type. Earthquake serves as a great versatile move, as the rest of the team lacks a ground-type move. Lastly Knock Off, a great utility move to use if you predict a different Pokemon switching in, it also hits super-effective against Psychic types, which this Pokemon usually struggles with. This Pokemon’s EV setup was to be able to switch into Chien-Pao, and then survive another Sucker Punch, with enough to be able to OHKO with Mach Punch, the rest was given to Sp.Def to be able to hopefully live some special-type moves.
Torpedo Fish (Mantine) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Scald
- Mirror Coat
- Roost
Mantine is a premiere specially defensive wall, with a whopping (Is it just me who hates looking at the word “whopping”) Sp.Def of 140. Essentially a Skarmory on the special side of things. Paired with good HP, this Pokemon is able to tank almost every Special Attacking move, barring Electric-type moves. That’s why this Pokemon was given the Ground Tera-Type, which also pairs well with its Water Absorb ability, leaving it only super-effectively weak to Grass-type & Ice-type moves. It is also given Heavy-Duty Boots to not take hazards damage while it tries to clear it with its move Defog. Scald is there for stab, and to burn any physical Pokemon, which only furthers this Pokemon’s role as a tank. Mirror Coat to deal great damage to Pokemon who think setting up (specially) will stop this behemoth, and for Rotom variants that aren’t specially offensive, that think a Volt Switch will be enough to OHKO this Pokemon. Then lastly, Roost to heal, and possibly stall Pokemon.
Rock Guitarist (Skeledirge) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Torch Song
- Slack Off
Skeledirge itself is just a great Pokemon, if not, a great physical wall. With its ability Unaware, to its amazing signature move Torch Song, it can just do so much. I put on the standard moveset for this Pokemon which consists of Will-O-Wisp to burn any opposing Pokemon, and sets up for Hex which deals double damage, at a total of 140 base power. Torch Song for stab, and to boost its Sp.Atk (Great for winning 1v1s against Garganachis that don’t have Protect), and Slack Off to heal off any damage it’s taken. I gave this Pokemon Heavy-Duty Boots to be able to switch in at any point without taking any hazards damage, as all tanks should be able to pivot in at any point. This Pokemon has Tera-Type fire, presumably to deal more damage, but I’ve never terastallized it once.
Maid Service (Magearna-Original) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Volt Switch
First things first, Magearna-Original is always superior to normal Magearna (that’s why it has 30 Atk IVs if you were wondering). Magearna With Assault Vest is great for sponging Special Attacks that Mantine may be struggling with (say, is some other Pokemon on this team terastallized instead of Mantine), bolstered by its max investment into HP. This Pokemon is mainly here to deal damage, or Pivot in/out, shown by its low Speed investment and its move Volt Switch. As a given, it has Fleur Cannon and Flash Cannon as they both have Stab, and deals a lot of damage. Lastly, it has Aura Sphere to deal damage to any pesky steel types that think they’re safe against Magearna. It is also given Tera-Type Fairy to boost the damage of Fleur Cannon.
KA KAAW (Staraptor) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Close Combat
Staraptor would be seen as an odd choice to be an offensive Scarfer, but with the current wave of Ghost Pokemon in the meta, it is nice to have a Normal Type Pokemon on the team, and not just because I’m obsessed with Staraptor. This Pokemon is able to be as much of a threat it is because of it’s great Attack and it’s Ability Reckless, which for those who don’t know, boost recoil move’s damage by 1.2, which is almost perfect for Staraptor because it just so happens to have Brave Bird and Double-Edge, two moves with 120 base power, stab, and recoil. U-Turn is there to keep momentum, and to pivot out. Then Close Combat, a powerful versatile move to have.
Vengeful Spirit (Dragapult) @ Wise Glasses
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
Lastly we have Dragapult. This Pokemon was given Wise Glasses (over Life Orb) to boost its Sp.Atk, but to keep Hp for its move Substitute which lets it not get statused, and leaves it immune to Sucke Punch, common on Chien-Pao and Kingambit. Draco Meteor to deal mass damage, as well as stab. Shadow Ball as a stab, and to be boosted by Tera-Type Ghost. Then lastly, Flamethrower, to deal mainly with Steel and Ice types, mainly Kingambit though.
I know reading these posts can leave people feeling pretty dull, considering how long they usually are, so I hoped bringing more color had help in some way. Here are some replays of how the team works in action btw.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1757568003
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1757578543
Now that you know how the team works, the main Issue I find myself in every few battles or so is that it’s hard keeping momentum when you lose one of your Pokemon, especially due to Recrystallization mechanics, which kind of leaves this team vulnerable. It’s hard to say what exactly it is with this team, but once you lose your offensive momentum, it’s hard to regain it, and oftentimes you find yourself with just Mantine or Dragapult, which usually can’t deal enough damage on their own to keep you afloat. (If you need more of an understanding of this, leave a message and I’ll try my best to describe it, or maybe will post a replay of the issue).
If you have any tips, opinions, thoughts, clarifications, or ideas, as always, please leave a reply, as I’m always open-minded, and it’s always good to get a second opinion on things from another person. I hope you have a good day, thanks for reading my post. Bye! :)
