Platinum Offense: No Skymin or Scizor

[rayquazamaster776]

@ Focus Sash
Naive
4 Atk/252 SpAtk/252 Speed
Explosion
Stealth Rock
Psychic
Fire Blast/Taunt

Standard Azelf suicide lead. Sets up SR, then does as much damage as possible before getting KOd.

@ Yache Berry
Jolly
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
DD
Outrage
EQ
Fire Fang

Despite what it seems, my team is not entirely made of standards. Anyway, DDMence is a very powerful physical sweeper. Fire Fang instead of Fire Blast because I don't want to split my EVs.

@ Life Orb
Hasty/Naive
24 Atk/252 SpAtk/232 Speed
Flamethrower
Close Combat
Grass Knot
HP Ice

Infernape is a very powerful wall-breaker who has been very useful to my team's success. He is very powerful against walling combinations such as SkarmBliss and CeleTran.

@ Choice Scarf
Timid
4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Speed
Focus Blast
Trick
T-Bolt
Shadow Ball

Gengar has been slightly weakened with Platinum lowering Hypnosis's accuracy. However, he is still very powerful, with good type coverage, and also got a new toy, Trick. I do want to fit HP Ice for Skymin on this, though.

@ Choice Scarf
Jolly
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
Close Combat
Sleep Talk
Megahorn
Stone Edge

I haven't seen many Heracross in a while. It's a shame, as Heracross is an extremely powerful Pokemon. He is also my only counter to Skymin, and can absorb sleep.

@ Life Orb
Timid
4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Speed
Surf
Ice Beam
HP Electric
Calm Mind

Offensive Suicune, a powerful offensive threat who still has some walling potential. It is simply ridiculous how many Pokemon stay in against this, thinking it's a wall. A useful finisher for my team.

 

[Kabuto Mushi]

I'd consider Sleep Talk over Pursuit on Hera. With Scarf it get kinda dissapointing results, in my experiance...

But it's up to you. Kudo's on Scarfcross BTW. =)

 

[nihilist]

seconding the choice to put sleep talk on cross. It will useful as a sleep absorber, and it will allow you to abuse guts. Without the power of CB, being stuck on an unboosted pursuit is just asking to get set up on by an opposing DDmence, Offensive Gyra, Scizor, Agiligross, Kingdra, etc.

For your azelf, if you choose to use taunt, put it over psychic, not Fire Blast. There are usually more steel leads than leads that get hit harder by psychic.

Also, I highly, highly recommend putting CM on your offensive suicune. It will serve as a MUCH better wall breaker, allowing it to OHKO standard Celebi and Zapdos after SR. Signal beam's main use would be for celebi, who is already OHKO'd after an CM'd Icebeam. (you should be able to outspeed standard celebi anyway, and if you don't, suicune would've died anyway)

I also recomend changing your gar to a trickscarfgar. If salamence, for example, gets in a DD, you have no way to stopping it. I suggest a bronzong over infernape. A dualscreen-zong can ease the tension when trying to set up with your suicune and ddmence, and it will also allow you to take some Outrages from mences and kingdras.

Make your mence naive with this EV spread to OHKO standard skarms: 232 Atk / 24 SpA / 252 Spe

 

[Scofield]

Maybe I'm missing something but what exactly is signal beam for on suicune? I'd much rather just use calm mind. A CM ice beam does major damage to celebi and it cant ohko back if it somehow manages to survive.

 

[Darklord]

Jolly > Adamant on Heracross. ScarfTrans are using +Spe natures these days so you should use Jolly to outspeed them and nail them with Close Combat.

 

[Scimjara]

@ Focus Sash
Naive
4 Atk/252 SpAtk/252 Speed
Explosion
Stealth Rock
Psychic
Fire Blast/Taunt

Standard Azelf suicide lead. Sets up SR, then does as much damage as possible before getting KOd.

@ Yache Berry
Jolly
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
DD
Outrage
EQ
Fire Fang

Despite what it seems, my team is not entirely made of standards. Anyway, DDMence is a very powerful physical sweeper. Fire Fang instead of Fire Blast because I don't want to split my EVs.

@ Life Orb
Hasty/Naive
24 Atk/252 SpAtk/232 Speed
Flamethrower
Close Combat
Grass Knot
HP Ice

Infernape is a very powerful wall-breaker who has been very useful to my team's success. He is very powerful against walling combinations such as SkarmBliss and CeleTran.

@ Wide Lens
Timid
4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Speed
Focus Blast
Hypnosis
T-Bolt
Shadow Ball

Gengar has been slightly weakened with Platinum lowering Hypnosis's accuracy. However, he is still very powerful, with good type coverage. Wide Lens helps Focus Blast and Hypnosis.

@ Choice Scarf
Adamant
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
Close Combat
Pursuit
Megahorn
Stone Edge

I haven't seen many Heracross in a while. It's a shame, as Heracross is an extremely powerful Pokemon. He is also my only counter to Skymin. Pursuit is also very useful.

@ Leftovers
wis, thinking it's a wall. A useful finisher for my team.

my changes are in bold

 

[Scimjara]

nvm but suicune take out hidden power thunder and put calm mind nature bold evs 252hp/252def/4spatk
after 2-4 calm minds youll have enough sp.atk to sweep a team

 

[rayquazamaster776]

OK, I've made some changes:

Gengar-Trick>Hypnosis, holding Choice Scarf
Heracross-Sleep Talk>Pursuit, Jolly
Suicune-CM>Signal Beam
Also, Rahi, this Suicune is NOT designed to be a wall whatsoever. I am simply taking advantage of the fact that most people assume that.

 

[rayquazamaster776]

bump

 

[FDS]

If you want to put hp ice on gengar I recommend taking off focus blast for it. In my experience thunderbolt/shadowball/hp ice covers pretty much everything you need. The other option is focus blast and shadowball if you only have two attacking move slots (if you wanted to use both hypnosis and trick).

 

[Rag]

I would stick with Focus Blast on Gengar. I don't really see how this team can deal with Lucario otherwise, and the coverage against Tyranitar is pretty neat -- not to mention Ghost and Fighting is unresisted.

Back onto your issues with Lucario -- currently, the only contender switching in *frequently* is in my eyes Gengar, but is royally screwed by Bullet Punch variants, not to mention some even Crunch on the switch screwing you over. After this, you could send in Salamence for the Intimidate, possibly taking 25% by Stealth Rock which'll just force Lucario switch, or even ExtremeSpeed forcing YOU to attack every single time, and without Roost you're worn down fairly fast. This wouldn't be such big a problem if you were able to revengekill it, though. But you cannot.

I feel your defensive backbone is weak, and I'd like to give some suggestions without changing your structure, because I kind of like it. :]

First off, I'd recommend Vacuum Wave on Infernape over Grass Knot.
In my experience, Close Combat hit the majority of the bulky waters just as hard, especially with a little investment in Attack. I run 64 Atk / 192 Spe / 252 SpA on my Vacuum Wave Infernape -- neutral base 120 speed Pokémon are extremely rare, while pokémon such as Mismagius don't tend to switch in on Infernape without a hefty amount of Special Defence, and if they do you're usually faster anyway. Anyway, Vacuum Wave has priority, meaning you'll make a big dent in any Lucario. Mach Punch works in the same matter, and will do a lot more to Tyranitar and Dugtrio, even without a huge investment in Attack.

I'd make Suicune a CroCune. The bulk allow you to take some hits, from Swampert in particular which pretty much the only thing you'll miss on beating without Grass Knot on Infernape, and ResTalk gives you a far better switch in on the ever so common (Scarf) Heatran. It's pretty sad to say that Salamence is 2HKOd by a Fire Blast after Stealth Rock, and that goes for Infernape too. These are your only resistances but Suicune, who can switch in in a pinch, but is easily worn down by multiple hits, the Life Orb recoil, etc etc. Sub-variants tend to Toxic you too, so you would be in some deep shit if you rely on it to deal with every Heatran. This would obviously not be a problem with CroCune though. In addition, Metagross won't get past you either. :]

Also, with CroCune you would have a more reliable sleep absorber to an extent. Sleep Talk only works once on choice users, and I'd really like to see Pursuit for a more efficient way to deal with Starmie and Gengar. This could easily promote to a Infernape sweep, and that's pretty great.

Urgh, I'm also worried about your Electric (rather Zapdos) weakness. Without changing around on too much, have you given Rotom a though? The Electric resistance could really come in handy.

 

[HotPocket]

For Salamence, you don't have to split your EVs to make Fire Blast effective. Here are some damage calcs to give you an idea.

Fire Fang: (Positive Nature + 252 EVs)

w/ DD and LO: Skarmory (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 54.19% - 63.77%
w/ DD: Skarmory (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 41.62% - 48.80%
w/ LO: Skarmory (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 36.53% - 42.81%
w/ DD and LO: Forretress (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 101.98% - 120.06%
w/ DD: Forretress (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 78.53% - 92.37%
w/ LO: Forretress (252 HP / 252 Def / Positive Nature) - 68.93% - 81.07%

Fire Blast: (Neutral Nature with no EVs)

w/ LO: Skarmory (252 HP / 252 Def / Neutral Nature) - 89.82% - 105.69% (guaranteed KO with rocks up)
w/ LO: Forretress (252 HP / 252 Def / Neutral Nature) - 190.96% - 224.58%

 

[blasphemy1]

Fire Blast > Fang on Mence. You don't have SD like Chomp to 2HKO Skarm with Fire Fang, so abuse that nice 110 base special attack. The only thing Fire Fang is better for is Bronzong, who generally only leads.

I think Crocune>Offensive Cune could work here for the reasons previously stated by Rag.

As for Heracross, Adamant is much better IMO. Sure, Heatran runs a +speed nature now, but you can't OHKO it with Close Combat anyways. I think the extra damage on Salamence/Gyarados switchins would be much more useful, and if you switch to Crocune, you won't need to outspeed Heatran anyways.

 

[Vincent_Valentine_4]

Rotom is awesome but there are a lot of CB Tars with pursuit to screw any rotom over but you could try a specs hp fighting and trick variant of rotom so when tar comes in you smash it hard with a specs hp fighting which should 2hko then later you can trick the specs away.