Project Core Analysis Workshop V2 (Discussing threats to Glalie + Blastoise + Druddigon)

Status
Not open for further replies.

phantom

Banned deucer.
From looking at the core, I think it's important to see how a team based around it would be best constructed in order to properly give actual "threats". Pokemon isn't really played in three mon cores, so giving something that just threatens half the team but may be useless versus the other half isn't very constructive, unless it involves trapping, which none of those Pokemon are susceptible to under normal circumstances. Anyway, the current core lacks a few important things that need to be accounted for in a 6-mon team that it doesn't already have in check: a fight check (or two), Psychic check, a Volt Switch immunity, a Ground immune, and because it's based on hazard stacking, a ghost would be preferable; Druddigon really isn't enough for Blastoise until the long term, and while Freeze-Dry Mega Glalie helps, it still doesn't chnge the fact that opposing Blastoise can safely spin on at least the other Blastoise, if not another teammate.

Of the viable ghosts in RU, Gourgeist-XL seems like the best choice here since it can blanket check nearly every Fighting-type and deal with Blastoise via Seed Bomb, and the few Fighting-types it doesn't stack up well against can be soft-checked by Druddigon. Spiritomb would work also in helping check Psychic-types, but because it's not blocking Blastoise for long, it wouldn't be the best choice; Hoopa won't work because it really doesn't help much with the Fighting-type problem, same with Rotom and Banette, while Jellicent would overlap with Blastoise, and the last thing a team based around those three Pokemon needs is a Cofagrigus to exacerbate the passivity of the build.

Jolteon or CB/CS Flygon are the only things that would work well here as Volt Switch immunes since every other Ground or Volt Switch immune don't help further this team or just overlaps with something. Jolteon offers a Flying resist even though that particular build doesn't struggle with Fletchinder, but it does provide some very important Speed, and Flygon offers the more relevant Ground immune. Flygon, however, offers more for the team overall in more relevant resists.

The last slot would want a few things: Dragon resist, a win condition that takes advantage of Spikes, maybe some form of Speed control, and a Flying resist. OTR Diancie might make the most sense here, but therein lines another problem: the team is inherently weak to Venusaur and Psychic-types. The team, however, can forgo using something that helps with Speed and go with Curse Registeel in order to better check what it needs to, but it kinda just forces the build to be even more passive when it doesn't even check the meta that well. The other option is going with something like CB Escavalier which is probably the best because it works very well with Spikes and helps cover a lot of important bases, likes Psychics and Venusaur, but it really doesn't help with Sigilyph getting in on Blastoise for free and firing off LO-boosted attacks, and the issue with using Escavalier is that the team becomes pretty susceptible to Pokemon like Sneasel, especially since Blastoise is specially defensive.

So basically, it's kind of difficult figuring out what kind of well-built team incorporates this core because of one problem: Druddigon. This is sort of my issue with using Druddigon in general is by having to build with it in mind, you're making it lot harder to build a good team without running suboptimal sets, putting yourself in a worse position to win the match versus certain teams, or just accepting the fact that you're weak to something big, which I know some people are okay with, but I'm not. Using Uxie over Druddigon would give more freedom in the type of Ghost that's used since Uxie can actually check Fighting-types, which in turn makes it easier to beat a ton of other stuff if you have something faster, but isn't as sturdy versus Fighters (Rotom). Uxie also provides the Ground immune by default, which in turn further frees up the flexibility of the build.

This kind of team will end up being weak to one of two things: bulky set up sweepers if it aims to cover the majority of the meta since they lack the necessary fire power to break through them or offensive mons that can gain free switch-ins on Blastoise and put in some massive work. So basically, the threats to this team depending on how it will be built is either: Curse Registeel, Bulk Up Braviary (since really only Glalie can threaten it and it takes a large chunk from Brave Bird while Braviary just switches out), and Calm Mind Mega Audino, and straight-up offensive mons can be an issue if the following passive ones aren't: LO Venusaur, LO Sigilyph, and Choice Specs Meloetta. By compensating for Druddigon, a build like this also opens itself more to giving Flygon opportunities to Defog on something by virtue of the handful of Pokemon it needs to use, while this kind of team will never get up Stealth Rock against Xatu. Other ways to exploit a team using this core involves the use of Toxic Spikes, which are normally poor against standard archetypes, or using Spikes + Ghost of your own. To be frank, this core is kinda shaky to me, but maybe I just overlooked something...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top