Generation 9 Free-For-All

[CraftyPuddle]

Since the new bans have finally gone live I've spent the last few days putting together a collection of teams to post here. Since half of the sample teams have been wiped out as a result of the bans, I wanted to make some teams that cover most of what's viable in FFA, are fairly easy and fun to play, and can serve as a "starting point" if players want to change things about a team (I use Heal Bell Blissey a lot even though Calm Mind is pretty good too, for example)

That said, let's get into the teams. I've tried to order them from easiest to play to hardest.

Zamazenta Semi-Stall

This style of team is something that I've always found pretty fun. 5 stall mons bring you into the late game through hazard control, item removal, and heavy use of the Unaware ability. Once you're down to the last opponent, you can sacrifice a Pokemon to bring in Zamazenta, which is able to clean up easily with Choice Banded Close Combats. Zamazenta's natural bulk and Dauntless Shield ability can also allow it to switch in in some scenarios and it can also act as a revenge killer in the midgame if a threat becomes too much for your stall core. Pretty much all of the sets here can be tweaked according to personal preference, such as changing Blissey's Heal Bell for Calm Mind. I've found that this composition of moves makes for a team that's able to stay healthy for a long amount of time and stay threatening even without Zamazenta with setup moves on Corviknight, Clefable, and Skeledirge.

Deoxys Sun Balance

None of the Pokemon with the Drought ability are particularly good in this format, so this sun team utilises Sunny Day Teleport Deoxys-Defense to set up sun and get sun abusers in for free. Gouging Fire hits incredibly hard in the sun and is able to heal for a lot with boosted Morning Suns and Choice Specs Walking Wake hits incredibly hard on the special side. The defensive core of Corviknight, Blissey, and Clodsire covers hazards (both setting and removing them), status with Heal Bell and helps to wall setup sweepers with Unaware Clodsire.

Alomomola Rain Balance

Rain Dance Alomomola is a great pivot and setter for rain teams thanks to its Regenerator ability healing it while it keeps its rain abusers healthy with Wish. Archaludon has incredible bulk and power with Electro Shot powering up all of its special attacks and Stamina boosted Body Press to hit targets like Blissey. Ogerpon becomes a powerful physical attacker with the help of rain and also switches in against water-type attackers taking advantage of your weather. I used a defensive core of Clefable, Blissey, and Corvknight here for item removal on top of hazard control and of course Blissey's ability to remove status from any key Pokemon.

Maushold + Kyurem Offense

I haven't used Kyurem-Black for the previous few teams because I've been showing the power of weather, but this thing is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the format period. 170 base attack is huge and once it gets one or two Dragon Dances Kyurem easily starts to outspeed everything and get OHKOs. With investment in HP and Wish support from Alomomola, we can start to build an offense team capable of staying healthy throughout the match while we eliminate teams one by one.
Zamazenta is immediately fast and threatening. I opted for life orb to easily select the right coverage move against switch-ins. I went with Calm Mind Blissey on this team for once, since sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice some Pokemon to save others, status isn't as relevant, and we're ending games much earlier, too.
Instead of Corviknight, I opted for Tidy Up Maushold to remove hazards. Maushold is capable of threatening ridiculous damage and can use its boosts from Tidy Up to KO hazard setters after removing hazards, or just KO anything. It's obviously much frailer than Corviknight, but with help from Alomomola (and HP investment) it can come in for long enough to do what it needs to do and either faint or switch out.
I needed a special attacker and a fighting resist, so I went with Skeledirge last. Since this is an offensive team, I maxed out the Special Attack EVs and used the less common Shadow Ball/Earth Power set to be more threatening against would-be switch-ins like Garganacl.

In Conclusion,

 

[Darvin]

why was baton pass banned?

Baton Pass chains allow for stat boosting combinations that would otherwise be impossible, or would require so many moveslots as to be impossible. For instance, if you want to boost Defense, Special Defense, and Special Attack on Clefable you will need to run both Charge Beam and Cosmic Power. Along with Moonlight, this means you have to give up either Moonblast or Stored Power limiting its coverage. With Baton Pass chains, you can bypass those limitations and pass boosts that would otherwise be impossible. This can also allow for Pokemon to run moves like Taunt that they otherwise wouldn't be able to fit to stop things like Haze. There are just too many possibilities opened up by Baton Pass, and it would be impossible to answer them all in the builder.

Just because Free-For-All teams are better equipped to handle runaway sweepers doesn't mean that runaway sweepers are automatically okay, and Baton Pass is by far the most extreme version of them.

Zamazenta Semi-Stall

I normally like running Wish passing with Zamazenta so it can put in work in the mid-game and be brought back up to healthiness later, but using it strictly as an end-game cleaner can also work. I like the triple Unaware core. Having both Clefable and Skeledirge gives you switch-ins to Overheat, Leaf Storm, and Draco Meteor (which can take advantage of Unaware spam since your own Unaware ability ignores the stat drops).

Deoxys Sun Balance

I've been running a very similar team, using Shed Tail Cyclizar as my Sun setter and Wish Alomomola to pair with it for double regenerator pivots to get the offensive Pokemon into place. The problem with my approach is that it gives up hazards and Unaware, which can be a big issue and can easily screw me over. However, the double regenerator gives a very sturdy defensive core that can bring in Walking Wake repeatedly throughout the match to get KO's. I really feel like this team composition just can't fit everything it needs with only 6 slots, and really wants one more Pokemon to make it all work.

Alomomola Rain Balance

I've been procrastinating on building a Rain team. I just might take this one for a ride.

Rain Dance Alomomola is a great pivot and setter for rain teams thanks to its Regenerator ability healing it while it keeps its rain abusers healthy with Wish. Archaludon has incredible bulk and power with Electro Shot powering up all of its special attacks and Stamina boosted Body Press to hit targets like Blissey. Ogerpon becomes a powerful physical attacker with the help of rain and also switches in against water-type attackers taking advantage of your weather. I used a defensive core of Clefable, Blissey, and Corvknight here for item removal on top of hazard control and of course Blissey's ability to remove status from any key Pokemon.

Maushold + Kyurem Offense

I haven't used Kyurem-Black for the previous few teams because I've been showing the power of weather, but this thing is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the format period.

Absolutely; I actually don't think you even need Dragon Claw here, as there's practically no situation you will ever click it over Fusion Bolt or Icicle Spear. I'd suggest running Substitute instead. While not having Leftovers kinda sucks, Substitute can still stop a lot of counterplay and since its a above 404 hit points, Blissey can't break the sub with Seismic Toss.