1. INTRODUCTION
Hey all,
Always been a big fan of monotype but never liked teambuilding much at all. Here's the first team that I've made and actually liked enough to main it a while. While it's not extremely good (more of that in the threats section), it's good enough.
The inspiration for this team was my want for a team with one or two unconventional movesets that catches my opponents off guard for one or two critical turns that win me the game. The type was chosen because Steel is an above average, even amazing type, without being top tier, so I could still learn something while not relying on the type as a crutch (sometimes it still does feel like Steel is a crutch though lmao, it's really good). My solution for that was leading with:
2. THE MONS
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Autotomize
- Air Slash
- Giga Drain
- Flamethrower
Granted it's weird to start with a mon that I intended to be by late game cleaner, but here we are. Most Celesteelas are defensive and this one capitalises on the fact that my opponent expects this to be defensive as well. Against a weakened team without any of these:
and even if the above four mons are here but weakened, Celesteela just cleans ass. And sometimes, against some typings (Water without Sap sipper Azu/Rain Barraskewda, Ground, Bug, Grass) all you need to do is setup rocks and give this thing a switch in and then you win.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Rock Slide/Flash Cannon
As much as you hate to admit it, Fire is a great offensive type meaning most teams tend to have at least one mon that has a Fire type coverage move. The thing about Bulky Offense is that you can't really afford to invest in speed meaning that that one coverage move can just 6-0 Steel a lot of the time, or at least it could, without Flash Fire Heatran.
Again, going with the theme, weird moveset. I personally prefer Rock Slide over Flash Cannon, given how mediocre of an offensive type Steel is and how critical dealing with Volcarona is for Steel. Balloon Earth Power is for opposing Heatrans but you sometimes have to sack a mon to get rid of their balloon, given there's 0 speed investment.
EVs are simplemode HP+SpA given running complicated calcs is one reason I don't like teambuilding. Open to suggestions on every mon for that btw.
Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Perhaps the one non-BO mon, Exca is the mandatory speed control. Also, a mon with a standard moveset so not much to explain here.
Rapid Spin is to preserve Skarm's Sturdy. But no defog plus Exca's speed tier is the one reason this team loses to Ghost monos, especially to Spectrier/Blacephalon in particular.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Knock Off
- Power Whip
- Stealth Rock
Wait that's not right.
I could've sworn I made Ferrothorn Specially Defensive and not Physically. Is this why I've been losing to Spec? Lol.
That's not a good look.
Anyway, this has been uploaded to the sample team thread as is, so this is what I'll put here. Keep in mind that I fully intended this to be a Specially Defensive partner to the Skarm.
Moving on, the moveset, I've recently started to use Seed Bomb over Power Whip for accuracy reasons (Same reason I use Flamethrower over Fire Blast/Magma Storm/Lava Plume). Mandatory Knock and Leech Seed is obvious. If you don't need double rocks, you can run Protect or TWave on Ferrothorn (as well as Toxic on Heatran I guess). But TWave's accuracy as been lowered (then again Heavy Duty Boots weakens rocks). I guess it's up to personal preference. I just really like the utility of keeping up the rocks pressure on my opponent.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Body Press
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
This thing does so much work. Without Skarm you just hard lose to stuff like Buzzwole and Band Barraskewda. Spreading status, phasing and being a general pain in the ass on the physical side is always welcome in my book.
Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
Last but not least, we have this thing. Amazing coverage, amazing ability, great bulk, need I say more?
The only thing that scares Melmetal is Special Attackers, particularly ones that have Earth Power or a Fire attack.
3. THREATS
Like I said before, the list is quite long, without further ado:
The threat with this mon is that you don't know what it's gonna do. You deal with Scarf and Specs sets differently and with Trick sets further differently still. By the time you figure out what it is, you have already lost the game. Especially if Focus Miss doesn't live up to it's name. Gengar's teammates can be a pain too, case in poiht:
Again, is it Scarf? CM? Nasty Plot? Substitute? Ferrothorn (Specially Defensive) can deal with one or the other, but not both (Gengar and Spec)
Finally, this thing. It 3HKO's Heatran with Shadow Ball and OHKO's everything else at +1 Shadow Ball or +0 Flamethrower.
The above 3 mons are why I'd rate the Ghost matchup the worst. Seriously, I've won battles against Fire, I won them against Ground and Fighting and Water and Flying but I don't think I've ever won one against Ghost, of all things.
Between their coverage (Fire, Ground, Rock and Electric) and Speed tier (only relevant thing is that they outspeed Heatran), beating these mons is very prediction heavy. Obviously you want to use Exca's Earthquake or Heatran's Earth Power, but what is it going to use? If it's gonna use Thunderbolt, you need to switch in Exca but then the Nidos are just gonna switch out. If it's gonna use Flamethrower you want to switch in Heatran but don't get that prediction wrong, if you do, you lose the balloon and then you just lose.
The thing about the Nidos is that they are SR resistant as well, while Heatran is just neutral. That and the above mentioned points is why I'd rate a well played Nido-couple matchup terrible as well.
You're probably getting sick of this but again, dealing with this thing is set dependent. Flamethrower just beats my team anyhow, doubly so if it's scarf so that it outspeeds Exca.
It can just switch in on any mon that's not Heatran, Melmetal, Excadrill and ironically Skarmory (most Mags I've faced are Iron Defense Body Press with 0 Electric moves). In fact, if it's Balloon/Magnet Rise, it doesn't even mind Melmetal and Excadrill and just trap something and sweep.
Obvious threat is obvious. One Nasty Plot and the game is over.
Band is too good for Skarm and Scarf is too good for Exca.
Between rain, band, Swift Swim, Waterfall/Close Combat, Barraskewda just wins.
If you've read this far, hope you enjoyed my rambling and let me know what you think.
