-
(shoutout to adem for the format)
Intro
First off, shoutout to gamer but swag for inventing this team. My squadron consisting of gamer but swag and Turban by Yeat (honorarily hidin) used this general core of HippoSkarm, specifically this team to great success in the recent National Dex Trios Tournament (didnt even drop one game w/ it WOW). General gist of this team is stacking hazards with HippoSkarm and eventually positoning an endgame to clean up with one of Skarmory, Mega Lopunny, or Garganacl.
Building Process
Team started off with this invincible core, Hippowdon can withstand every common Electric-type and Fire-type that Skarmory hates, notably Mega Charizard-Y, Zapdos, and Tapu Koko. Skarmory owns big bad breakers that Hippo doesn't like so much such as Kingambit, Mega Scizor, Baxcalibur, Garchomp, and Mega Tyranitar.
Gargnacl has incredible synergy with Hippowdon, having it's Special Defense boosted to a titantic 459 in Sand. Garganacl can handle threats such as Gholdengo with Tera Water (!!!), Tornadus-T, Volcarona, Ferrothorn, and Heatran (!!!). Originally was Tera Fairy but was made Tera Water to help team beat Gholdengo.
Mega Lopunny serves as the speed control for this team, being able to often clean up endgames once defensive cores are weakened by hazards. It is incredibly feasible to set up the conditions for Mega Lopunny to clean in conjunction with passive chip from Hippowdon's sand and Skarmory's Rocky Helmet.
Toxapex is a sack of potatoes to abuse broken Regenerator and spam Toxic typically, while also beating Weavile, Mega Lopunny, and Urshifu-R. It can also burn Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Ferrothorn, and Toxapex about 1/6 of the time (they lowered Scald burn rate 1000000%).
You may notice this is a fat team, which means it loses to Annihilape, so Mandibuzz is ev'd to outspeed Annihilape and hit it with a Toxic. Mandibuzz also serves as our Defog user to give the team better matchups into opposing hstack builds as Hippowdon, Garganacl, and Mega Lopunny specifically hate eating Spikes. Mandibuzz also serves as the only Knock Off user on the team which helps into boots spamming builds that hstack struggles to make progress versus.
Details
BALLHOG (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Slack Off
Hippowdon serves as 1/2 of the greatest defensive core ever constructed. It is the Stealth Rock setter and Ground-type, and special wall for the squadron. Sand Stream is an essential part of Hippo's kit as it grants it control over the weather as well as providing valuable chip on mons like Rotom-W, Skeledirge, and Tapu Lele notably. This quality also gives it the ability to fully wall Mega Charizard Y. Earthquake is the primary STAB option to hit mons such as Ferrothorn, Great Tusk, and Dragapult for very solid damage coming off a 112 attack. Hippowdon can also very effectively set Stealth Rock due to a favorable matchup versus hazard removal options versus Tornadus-T, Zapdos, and Great Tusk, who all hate eating a Toxic + sand.
IANBRANDONANDERSON (Skarmory) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Spikes
- Roost
Skarmory serves as the other part of the greatest defensive core ever constructed. Skarmory beats nearly every physical attacker in the metagame right now such as Great Tusk, Mega Lopunny, Garchomp, Kingambit, and Dragonite. Due to its incredibly easy time finding opportunities to switch in, Skarmory can very effectively set Spikes. ID Press also lends itself to being a particularly potent wincon in the endgame with Hippowdon being able to rapidly chip down special attackers like Rotom-W and Tornadus-T with sand and Toxic.
GROGNAR RUBBLE (Garganacl) @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Salt Cure
- Recover
GROGNAR RUBBLE is the commander of the function, responsible for checking Gholdengo which otherwise is a treacherous matchup. Grognar is also wanted for the ownage of Skeledirge. Grognar also benefits from the chip provided by sand as well as special defense boost. Ferrothorn is a particular annoying mon to play vs. as it can pretty easily stack spikes, but Grognar forces it out. After ample sand chip, Toxic, and hazards Grognar can serve as a great wincon in the endgame. Grognar synergizes well with Mega Lopunny as it has advantageous matchups vs typical checks like Toxapex and Skarmory.
#8B572A (Lopunny) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Return
- Close Combat
Mega Lopunny is the main speed control of the team, providing revenge killing potential versus mons like NP Torn-T, Mega Medicham, and Mega Diancie. Mega Lopunny hugely appreciates Spikes and Stealth Rock support, which quickly chips down answers like Landorus-T, Great Tusk, and Toxapex. An often sequence that occurs is Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, or Toxapex landing a Toxic on a setup sweeper such as Volcarona, Xard, or previously Espathra, being forced to eat sand chip on top of getting faked out by Mega Lopunny.
7 INCH CUBANS (Toxapex) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
Toxapex serves as the big bad braindead Regenerator guy who also super slams Weav/Shifu/Zama. Pex is typically just used to scout mons as it can often imagine ANY SET. Usually gets a Toxic or Scald off on any mon then dips out. Toxapex is an original thug who perfectly complements HippoSkarm.
CHUCKLES (Mandibuzz) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 Spe
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Toxic
- Defog
- Roost
Originally Mandibuzz was a Zapdos, but after some games versus broken Annihilape we realized something had to be done to defeat this broken beast. With the given speed, Mandibuzz can outspeed the sample Annihilape set and Toxic it. Mandibuzz also provides valuable utility with Defog and Knock Off, which both complement our hazard stacking core well. Overcoat also synergizes well with Hippo, as it is immune to being chipped by sand and burning through Roost at a faster clip. A niche interaction is Mandibuzz being able to fully wall Tangrowth as it is immune to Sleep Powder and can threaten it with Toxic or Knock Off. Mandibuzz also serves as an additional countermeasure versus DD Pult, as it cannot keep up the Substitute in front of Mandibuzz making revenge killing much easier.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1803585471
decently long game into somewhat fat core with psplit washtom, Clod, and MSciz. Hstack and Toxic spam eventually leads to victory.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1802061118
replay vs HO, mostly packed by Skarm but with big work from Hippo in the midgame
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1800397276
slight meme replay but showcases how to play around Garganacl (and his son)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1798549794
older HO replay w/ Espathra in the game but showcases how to play around threats with Toxic + Sand + Fake Out & DD Pult.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1802915806-2v1akhonu4ml0jlwic7d2rn5lx0ns52pw
yard & ghold vs hippo/garg, long staring contest for a while until hstack win.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1803647586-hebumxzw6iyam0nccof6ph9r1m4n9xypw
maneuvering offensive washtom, beating phys breakers with skarm!
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1810344155
sun w/ walking wake
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1798745663
peli can never get rain up, sand mitigates manaphy into unthreat
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1811322479-xytr34e4u84me8yirr054alsc2rml0rpw
ape gets toxic'd by mandi, hipposkarm work around the rest
(shoutout to adem for the format)
Intro
First off, shoutout to gamer but swag for inventing this team. My squadron consisting of gamer but swag and Turban by Yeat (honorarily hidin) used this general core of HippoSkarm, specifically this team to great success in the recent National Dex Trios Tournament (didnt even drop one game w/ it WOW). General gist of this team is stacking hazards with HippoSkarm and eventually positoning an endgame to clean up with one of Skarmory, Mega Lopunny, or Garganacl.
Building Process
Team started off with this invincible core, Hippowdon can withstand every common Electric-type and Fire-type that Skarmory hates, notably Mega Charizard-Y, Zapdos, and Tapu Koko. Skarmory owns big bad breakers that Hippo doesn't like so much such as Kingambit, Mega Scizor, Baxcalibur, Garchomp, and Mega Tyranitar.
Gargnacl has incredible synergy with Hippowdon, having it's Special Defense boosted to a titantic 459 in Sand. Garganacl can handle threats such as Gholdengo with Tera Water (!!!), Tornadus-T, Volcarona, Ferrothorn, and Heatran (!!!). Originally was Tera Fairy but was made Tera Water to help team beat Gholdengo.
Mega Lopunny serves as the speed control for this team, being able to often clean up endgames once defensive cores are weakened by hazards. It is incredibly feasible to set up the conditions for Mega Lopunny to clean in conjunction with passive chip from Hippowdon's sand and Skarmory's Rocky Helmet.
Toxapex is a sack of potatoes to abuse broken Regenerator and spam Toxic typically, while also beating Weavile, Mega Lopunny, and Urshifu-R. It can also burn Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Ferrothorn, and Toxapex about 1/6 of the time (they lowered Scald burn rate 1000000%).
You may notice this is a fat team, which means it loses to Annihilape, so Mandibuzz is ev'd to outspeed Annihilape and hit it with a Toxic. Mandibuzz also serves as our Defog user to give the team better matchups into opposing hstack builds as Hippowdon, Garganacl, and Mega Lopunny specifically hate eating Spikes. Mandibuzz also serves as the only Knock Off user on the team which helps into boots spamming builds that hstack struggles to make progress versus.
Details
BALLHOG (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Slack Off
Hippowdon serves as 1/2 of the greatest defensive core ever constructed. It is the Stealth Rock setter and Ground-type, and special wall for the squadron. Sand Stream is an essential part of Hippo's kit as it grants it control over the weather as well as providing valuable chip on mons like Rotom-W, Skeledirge, and Tapu Lele notably. This quality also gives it the ability to fully wall Mega Charizard Y. Earthquake is the primary STAB option to hit mons such as Ferrothorn, Great Tusk, and Dragapult for very solid damage coming off a 112 attack. Hippowdon can also very effectively set Stealth Rock due to a favorable matchup versus hazard removal options versus Tornadus-T, Zapdos, and Great Tusk, who all hate eating a Toxic + sand.
IANBRANDONANDERSON (Skarmory) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Spikes
- Roost
Skarmory serves as the other part of the greatest defensive core ever constructed. Skarmory beats nearly every physical attacker in the metagame right now such as Great Tusk, Mega Lopunny, Garchomp, Kingambit, and Dragonite. Due to its incredibly easy time finding opportunities to switch in, Skarmory can very effectively set Spikes. ID Press also lends itself to being a particularly potent wincon in the endgame with Hippowdon being able to rapidly chip down special attackers like Rotom-W and Tornadus-T with sand and Toxic.
GROGNAR RUBBLE (Garganacl) @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Salt Cure
- Recover
GROGNAR RUBBLE is the commander of the function, responsible for checking Gholdengo which otherwise is a treacherous matchup. Grognar is also wanted for the ownage of Skeledirge. Grognar also benefits from the chip provided by sand as well as special defense boost. Ferrothorn is a particular annoying mon to play vs. as it can pretty easily stack spikes, but Grognar forces it out. After ample sand chip, Toxic, and hazards Grognar can serve as a great wincon in the endgame. Grognar synergizes well with Mega Lopunny as it has advantageous matchups vs typical checks like Toxapex and Skarmory.
#8B572A (Lopunny) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Return
- Close Combat
Mega Lopunny is the main speed control of the team, providing revenge killing potential versus mons like NP Torn-T, Mega Medicham, and Mega Diancie. Mega Lopunny hugely appreciates Spikes and Stealth Rock support, which quickly chips down answers like Landorus-T, Great Tusk, and Toxapex. An often sequence that occurs is Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, or Toxapex landing a Toxic on a setup sweeper such as Volcarona, Xard, or previously Espathra, being forced to eat sand chip on top of getting faked out by Mega Lopunny.
7 INCH CUBANS (Toxapex) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
Toxapex serves as the big bad braindead Regenerator guy who also super slams Weav/Shifu/Zama. Pex is typically just used to scout mons as it can often imagine ANY SET. Usually gets a Toxic or Scald off on any mon then dips out. Toxapex is an original thug who perfectly complements HippoSkarm.
CHUCKLES (Mandibuzz) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 Spe
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Toxic
- Defog
- Roost
Originally Mandibuzz was a Zapdos, but after some games versus broken Annihilape we realized something had to be done to defeat this broken beast. With the given speed, Mandibuzz can outspeed the sample Annihilape set and Toxic it. Mandibuzz also provides valuable utility with Defog and Knock Off, which both complement our hazard stacking core well. Overcoat also synergizes well with Hippo, as it is immune to being chipped by sand and burning through Roost at a faster clip. A niche interaction is Mandibuzz being able to fully wall Tangrowth as it is immune to Sleep Powder and can threaten it with Toxic or Knock Off. Mandibuzz also serves as an additional countermeasure versus DD Pult, as it cannot keep up the Substitute in front of Mandibuzz making revenge killing much easier.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1803585471
decently long game into somewhat fat core with psplit washtom, Clod, and MSciz. Hstack and Toxic spam eventually leads to victory.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1802061118
replay vs HO, mostly packed by Skarm but with big work from Hippo in the midgame
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1800397276
slight meme replay but showcases how to play around Garganacl (and his son)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1798549794
older HO replay w/ Espathra in the game but showcases how to play around threats with Toxic + Sand + Fake Out & DD Pult.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1802915806-2v1akhonu4ml0jlwic7d2rn5lx0ns52pw
yard & ghold vs hippo/garg, long staring contest for a while until hstack win.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1803647586-hebumxzw6iyam0nccof6ph9r1m4n9xypw
maneuvering offensive washtom, beating phys breakers with skarm!
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1810344155
sun w/ walking wake
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1798745663
peli can never get rain up, sand mitigates manaphy into unthreat
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-1811322479-xytr34e4u84me8yirr054alsc2rml0rpw
ape gets toxic'd by mandi, hipposkarm work around the rest
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