Hi everyone! I've been experimenting with different kinds of playstyles recently, and I built this stall team that I'd like to share. The team is built around Phys. Def. Mega Altaria as the team's wincon, physical wall, and cleric. Using this team, I was able to achieve my highest ELO, 1616.
Peak:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1662063169-1zo1yzm97y23hftrj7pzxwqplsx0unapw (Opponent forfeited on preview, if you understandably choose not to count this as a win, then my peak would be 1666)
The team:
Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Impish Nature
- Return
- Dragon Dance
- Heal Bell
- Roost
Role / General Tips: Mega Altaria is the team's cleric and a potential wincon. It functions as a knock off absorber and a check to some pokemon that would threaten stall, such as crawdaunt and guts pokemon. It's also a good backup check to things like rillaboom, kartana (lacking a steel move), and mega medicham. Once the opposing team's steel and poison types are removed, mega altaria can often sweep.
Item: Altarianite is required to allow mega altaria to mega evolve.
Moves: Roost is for recovery, and hell bell removes status. Return is chosen as mega altaria's offensive move because it has respectable power with pixalate. Dragon dance allows mega altaria to function as a wincon.
EVs & Nature: 56 speed outspeeds adamant crawdaunt. The rest is dumped into HP and Defence to check stuff better.
Other Options: You can run fire blast or earthquake over heal bell in order to have an easier time sweeping. If you do this, make sure to give heal bell to blissey or clefable.
Blissey @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
Role / General Tips: Blissey is the team's main special wall. It walls the majority of special attacks in the tier. In addition, it acts as the team's stealth rock setter and a status absorber. Blissey can be overwhelmed and chipped easily, so make sure to keep it healthy at all times.
Item: Heavy Duty Boots allows blissey to avoid hazards when switching in.
Moves: Seismic Toss and Soft-boiled are all standard moves. Toxic allows blissey to spread status. Stealth rock is a great move that chips down the opponnents team.
EVs & Nature: Blissey doesn't have any special defense investment because there's no point in doing so. No unboosted special attacker (unless it's tapu lele) can break through it. Max HP and defence allows it to take physical hits better.
Other Options: The last two moves are pretty flexible. Thunder wave, confide, and heal bell can all be run.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Roost
- Spikes
Role / General Tips: Skarmory is the team's spiker and main physical wall. It blanket checks most unboosted physical attackers that can't hit it super effectively and can use iron defense to check some set up sweepers. Don't use skarmory to check sd kartana because sacred sword ignores defense boosts.
Item: Rocky helmet punishes u-turn and chips many physical attackers.
Moves: Roost and spikes are pretty self-explanitory. Body Press works well with iron defense and allows skarmory to deal a decent amount of damage.
EVs & Nature: 96 speed evs outspeeds mega mawile so you can roost before they thunder punch. The rest is in HP and Defense to take hits better.
Other Options: You could run stealth rock over spikes, but spikes is usually more useful. Shed shell can be used to escape magnezone. Running 184 speed EVs allows you to outspeed and hit magnezone with a body press.
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Calm Nature
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
- Toxic
Role / General Tips: Toxapex gives the team status spreader and item removal. Toxapex also helps blissey wall special threats so blissey doesn't get overwhelmed. Despite leaning towards sp. def. toxapex also can check a lot of physical attackers such as mega lopunny.
Item: Black Sludge gives passive recovery and punishes trick users
Moves: Knock off for item removal. Recover for recovery. Toxic spikes and toxic both help spread status.
EVs & Nature: The spread was stolen from the smogon dex, which states:
The given EV spread allows Toxapex to survive two Knock Offs from Choice Band Weavile and +2 Kartana's Leaf Blade from full HP.
Other Options: You can change one of toxic or toxic spikes for scald or haze.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 52 Def / 100 SpD / 112 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Roost
Role / General Tips: Gliscor is the team's status absorber and defogger. It also checks heatran, which would otherwise threaten the team. Do NOT use gliscor to absorb knock off because after you use heal bell, gliscor will need to be re-poisoned.
Item: Toxic orb activates gliscor's ability, poison heal.
Moves: Earthquake is STAB, Roost is recovery, and Defog is for hazard removal. Knock off was chosen to remove items.
EVs & Nature: The EVs were stolen from the smogon dex:
The listed EV spread lets Gliscor outspeed Timid Heatran, and the Defense investment allows it to live an unboosted Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch after Play Rough.
Other Options: U-turn and toxic can be used over knock off.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Flamethrower
Role / General Tips: UnaClef is a staple on stall for a reason. It counters many setup sweepers that would otherwise threaten the team, such as garchomp, calm mind sweepers, and volcarona, among others.
Item: Leftovers gives clefable passive recovery.
Moves: Moonblast is STAB. Calm mind allows clefable to function as a wincon and reverse sweep against other sweepers. Calm mind also lets it wall special attackers better. Soft-boiled is recovery and flamethrower hits steels.
EVs & Nature: Max physical defensive allows clefable to 1v1 common threatening sweepers like garchomp.
Other Options: The last slot is pretty customisable. Thunder, wish, heal bell, stealth rock, and knock off can all be run.
Building Process:
I wanted to build a mega altaria stall.
Blissey helps sponge the special hits mega altaria can't take.
Skarmory provides another physical wall, hazards, and a steel.
Gliscor provides strong heatran check and defogger.
Toxapex is a great status spreader, t-spikes absorber, and is great at scouting opposing teams.
The team needed a check to setup sweepers, so I chose clefable.
Usage Tips:
1) Try to spread Knock off and toxic
2) Try to keep all of the team members healthy
3) Manage heal bell PP wisely - try to absorb status with blissey and gliscor instead to curing it.
4) Use skarmory, toxapex, and mega altaria as knock-off abosrbers.
5) Stack hazards - they are your friend. Allow rocks to come up on your side if that means you get hazards on theirs.
6) Scout your opponent's sets so you know who can switch in safely to what.
7) Know what pokemon you need to keep healthy and which ones can be sacked.
8) Be on the lookout for a mega altaria sweep. There's no point in playing 25 more turns if you can end the game immediately.
Threats:
Traps skarmory, which is bad. A lot of careful squencing is required to prevent trapping.
Most variants of kartana are handled pretty well with toxapex, skarmory, and clefable. However, normalium-z variants with sacred sword are hard to check because z-breakneak blitz threatens clef and sacred sword threatens skarm. Try to deal with this by sending in something to absorb the z. You might also have to be aggressive and attack it as it tries to set up.
It can be pretty annoying, but once you figure out it's moves it should be pretty easy to deal with.
Clefable has a hard time walling this because of the z-move, so you'll often have to use something to absorb the z.
Skarmory walls tbolt less lele and blissey walls psyshock less lele. You need to scout it and might have to predict.
Note that many other stallbreakers can be threatening, that's why they're called stallbreakers. However, this team can usually handle them pretty well, so they aren't listed here.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1660966427 - Mega Mawile Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1659630735 - Exploud Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1656235473 - Mega Mawile Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1660972865 - Mega Abomasnow Offense (I was dumb and forgot sacred sword mechanics)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1656817863-dfuzyswia5dqtgagytswju8q6wtvvjkpw - Mega Lopunny Balance
Importable:
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/406e863dae6905ca
Thanks for reading! If you have any feedback or comments, I would love to hear it!
Peak:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1662063169-1zo1yzm97y23hftrj7pzxwqplsx0unapw (Opponent forfeited on preview, if you understandably choose not to count this as a win, then my peak would be 1666)
The team:
Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Impish Nature
- Return
- Dragon Dance
- Heal Bell
- Roost
Role / General Tips: Mega Altaria is the team's cleric and a potential wincon. It functions as a knock off absorber and a check to some pokemon that would threaten stall, such as crawdaunt and guts pokemon. It's also a good backup check to things like rillaboom, kartana (lacking a steel move), and mega medicham. Once the opposing team's steel and poison types are removed, mega altaria can often sweep.
Item: Altarianite is required to allow mega altaria to mega evolve.
Moves: Roost is for recovery, and hell bell removes status. Return is chosen as mega altaria's offensive move because it has respectable power with pixalate. Dragon dance allows mega altaria to function as a wincon.
EVs & Nature: 56 speed outspeeds adamant crawdaunt. The rest is dumped into HP and Defence to check stuff better.
Other Options: You can run fire blast or earthquake over heal bell in order to have an easier time sweeping. If you do this, make sure to give heal bell to blissey or clefable.
Blissey @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
Role / General Tips: Blissey is the team's main special wall. It walls the majority of special attacks in the tier. In addition, it acts as the team's stealth rock setter and a status absorber. Blissey can be overwhelmed and chipped easily, so make sure to keep it healthy at all times.
Item: Heavy Duty Boots allows blissey to avoid hazards when switching in.
Moves: Seismic Toss and Soft-boiled are all standard moves. Toxic allows blissey to spread status. Stealth rock is a great move that chips down the opponnents team.
EVs & Nature: Blissey doesn't have any special defense investment because there's no point in doing so. No unboosted special attacker (unless it's tapu lele) can break through it. Max HP and defence allows it to take physical hits better.
Other Options: The last two moves are pretty flexible. Thunder wave, confide, and heal bell can all be run.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Roost
- Spikes
Role / General Tips: Skarmory is the team's spiker and main physical wall. It blanket checks most unboosted physical attackers that can't hit it super effectively and can use iron defense to check some set up sweepers. Don't use skarmory to check sd kartana because sacred sword ignores defense boosts.
Item: Rocky helmet punishes u-turn and chips many physical attackers.
Moves: Roost and spikes are pretty self-explanitory. Body Press works well with iron defense and allows skarmory to deal a decent amount of damage.
EVs & Nature: 96 speed evs outspeeds mega mawile so you can roost before they thunder punch. The rest is in HP and Defense to take hits better.
Other Options: You could run stealth rock over spikes, but spikes is usually more useful. Shed shell can be used to escape magnezone. Running 184 speed EVs allows you to outspeed and hit magnezone with a body press.
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Calm Nature
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
- Toxic
Role / General Tips: Toxapex gives the team status spreader and item removal. Toxapex also helps blissey wall special threats so blissey doesn't get overwhelmed. Despite leaning towards sp. def. toxapex also can check a lot of physical attackers such as mega lopunny.
Item: Black Sludge gives passive recovery and punishes trick users
Moves: Knock off for item removal. Recover for recovery. Toxic spikes and toxic both help spread status.
EVs & Nature: The spread was stolen from the smogon dex, which states:
The given EV spread allows Toxapex to survive two Knock Offs from Choice Band Weavile and +2 Kartana's Leaf Blade from full HP.
Other Options: You can change one of toxic or toxic spikes for scald or haze.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 52 Def / 100 SpD / 112 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Roost
Role / General Tips: Gliscor is the team's status absorber and defogger. It also checks heatran, which would otherwise threaten the team. Do NOT use gliscor to absorb knock off because after you use heal bell, gliscor will need to be re-poisoned.
Item: Toxic orb activates gliscor's ability, poison heal.
Moves: Earthquake is STAB, Roost is recovery, and Defog is for hazard removal. Knock off was chosen to remove items.
EVs & Nature: The EVs were stolen from the smogon dex:
The listed EV spread lets Gliscor outspeed Timid Heatran, and the Defense investment allows it to live an unboosted Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch after Play Rough.
Other Options: U-turn and toxic can be used over knock off.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Flamethrower
Role / General Tips: UnaClef is a staple on stall for a reason. It counters many setup sweepers that would otherwise threaten the team, such as garchomp, calm mind sweepers, and volcarona, among others.
Item: Leftovers gives clefable passive recovery.
Moves: Moonblast is STAB. Calm mind allows clefable to function as a wincon and reverse sweep against other sweepers. Calm mind also lets it wall special attackers better. Soft-boiled is recovery and flamethrower hits steels.
EVs & Nature: Max physical defensive allows clefable to 1v1 common threatening sweepers like garchomp.
Other Options: The last slot is pretty customisable. Thunder, wish, heal bell, stealth rock, and knock off can all be run.
Building Process:
I wanted to build a mega altaria stall.
Blissey helps sponge the special hits mega altaria can't take.
Skarmory provides another physical wall, hazards, and a steel.
Gliscor provides strong heatran check and defogger.
Toxapex is a great status spreader, t-spikes absorber, and is great at scouting opposing teams.
The team needed a check to setup sweepers, so I chose clefable.
Usage Tips:
1) Try to spread Knock off and toxic
2) Try to keep all of the team members healthy
3) Manage heal bell PP wisely - try to absorb status with blissey and gliscor instead to curing it.
4) Use skarmory, toxapex, and mega altaria as knock-off abosrbers.
5) Stack hazards - they are your friend. Allow rocks to come up on your side if that means you get hazards on theirs.
6) Scout your opponent's sets so you know who can switch in safely to what.
7) Know what pokemon you need to keep healthy and which ones can be sacked.
8) Be on the lookout for a mega altaria sweep. There's no point in playing 25 more turns if you can end the game immediately.
Threats:
Traps skarmory, which is bad. A lot of careful squencing is required to prevent trapping. Most variants of kartana are handled pretty well with toxapex, skarmory, and clefable. However, normalium-z variants with sacred sword are hard to check because z-breakneak blitz threatens clef and sacred sword threatens skarm. Try to deal with this by sending in something to absorb the z. You might also have to be aggressive and attack it as it tries to set up. It can be pretty annoying, but once you figure out it's moves it should be pretty easy to deal with. Clefable has a hard time walling this because of the z-move, so you'll often have to use something to absorb the z. Skarmory walls tbolt less lele and blissey walls psyshock less lele. You need to scout it and might have to predict.Note that many other stallbreakers can be threatening, that's why they're called stallbreakers. However, this team can usually handle them pretty well, so they aren't listed here.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1660966427 - Mega Mawile Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1659630735 - Exploud Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1656235473 - Mega Mawile Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1660972865 - Mega Abomasnow Offense (I was dumb and forgot sacred sword mechanics)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nationaldex-1656817863-dfuzyswia5dqtgagytswju8q6wtvvjkpw - Mega Lopunny Balance
Importable:
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/406e863dae6905ca
Thanks for reading! If you have any feedback or comments, I would love to hear it!
Last edited:
