Solar Core Team

Attack or Support Aegislash?


  • Total voters
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I have been experimenting with a variety of VGC 2018 teams based on Mega Charizard Y's Drought, but finally came to the realization to include a chlorophyll tank such as Venusaur after a friend and I's discussion about how annoying Strength Sap Vileplume are while doing Random Battles on Pokemon Showdown. My experimenting with team compositions has lead me to a semi-solid group of 4 Pokemon with a need for two more pokemon to finalize the build.
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Charizard-Mega-Y (M) @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Protect
The most important of the Sun Core I'm building, Mega Charizard Y brings sun to the field with its Drought ability, which multiple pokemon on the field can benefit from. Drought-boosted Heat Wave and sped-up Solar Beam coupled with Mega Charizard Y's incredible speed and special attack make it a veritable powerhouse on its own before factoring in the aid of the other members of this team, and Hidden Power allows it to be a threat to opposing Rock, Poison, Fire, and Electric-type Pokemon that could prove to be major threats to the team.

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Venusaur (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
The second half of the Sun Core, Chlorophyll Venusaur gets a large speed boost from the sun brought on by Mega Charizard Y. Hidden Power lets it be a threat to pokemon like Landorus-T that might prove to be walls to this build, and powerful and versatile STAB attacks in Sludge Bomb and Energy Ball round out Venusaur's arsenal. I was also considering swapping out Protect for Synthesis or Energy Ball for Solar Beam similar to Mega Charizard Y, but that makes Venusaur far too reliant on Drought to function well.

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Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- U-turn
The undeniable hallmark of the VGC 2018 season, Landorus-T has a perfect place on this team. With the issues pokemon like Heatran pose to Venusaur and its ability to use Earthquake unabated next to Mega Charizard Y makes it a valuable teammate and addition to the Sun Core I am building. Rock Slide takes its place in Landorus-T's arsenal to handle opposing Flying-type Pokemon, Superpower handles the otherwise troublesome Steel-types that would trouble the team when Mega Charizard Y isn't on the field, and U-turn allows it to make a quick escape while bringing in a better pick for the current situation.
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Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 4 Atk / 108 Def / 148 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Leech Seed
- Flamethrower
- Protect
Edit [4/2/18]: I traded out Celesteela as a potential Wide Guard user to take advantage of its bulk to deal out some considerable damage while keeping its considerable staying power with Leech Seed and Protect combined with Leftovers to keep its health at a semi-decent health during the battle.

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Aegislash @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- Substitute
Edit [4/2/18]: After consideration, I decided to go for a more hit-and-run style Aegislash that uses the bulk of its shield form to get out a substitute and get off one or two strong attacks before swapping out into another pokemon. King's Shield seemed too predictable and left Aegislash open to focused attacks.

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Tapu Koko @ Life Orb
Ability: Electric Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
Providing both speedy-yet-powerful attacks on top of its Electric Surge to cancel out terrains that would overwise hinder moves like Mega Charizard Y's Heatwave or Landorus-T's Earthquake and acting as a second check to opposing Water-types, Tapu Koko takes its place on this team pretty easily. Thunderbolt is its main source of damage with Dazzling Gleam as a spread secondary STAB attack and Volt Switch as its emergency exit when needed. Other options I have considered are Thunderus-T or Zapdos as Electric-type users that could also avoid Landorus-T's Earthquake.

zapdos.gif
Zapdos @ Electrium Z
Ability: Pressure
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 116 Def / 28 SpA / 84 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Attack
- Tailwind
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
An alternate choice to Tapu Koko that is both immune to Landorus-T's Earthquake and can capitalize on Mega Charizard Y's Drought with Heat Wave. Tailwind gives me some speed control over my opponent with my already speedy team, and Roost gives Zapdos staying power with the ability to heal itself in a pinch.

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Cresselia @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 108 Def / 68 SpA / 4 SpD / 84 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Icy Wind
- Moonlight
Cresselia, while usually used as a Trick Room setter for slow teams, also plays a major role as a versatile tank who can threaten pokemon like Mega Salamence while having a pretty reliable healing in Moonlight, which only gets boosted further by Mega Charizard Y's Drought.

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Tapu Lele @ Psychium Z
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Protect
- Taunt
Tapu Lele comes in as both a powerful psychic type alternate to Cresselia but also as an alternate to Tapu Koko's terrain control if I choose to go with Zapdos over it. Psychic and Moonblast are powerful STAB moves for Tapu Lele, and while I was considering running Shadow Ball in place of Taunt, I was considering that maybe having that control factor in Taunt would prove to be slightly more valuable in the end.
I am mostly on the look for a reliable Wide Guard user to help protect my team from moves like Rock Slide that would really put a dent in things as well as general good picks to fill out that last slot that is missing a functioning member. Any suggestions are highly appreciated in the hopes of making my team VGC ready!

Edit [4/1/18]: Looking into it more, this team is also in dire need of another physical threat outside of Landorus-T as well as a potential Fake Out user, but I am not sure of any pokemon to fill those niches in my team.

Edit [4/2/18]: After considering Zapdos further, I have added it to the Considered Teammates along with Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele has become a strong contendor for both Tapu Koko and Cresselia's spots on my team. A lot of play-testing as well as competitive evaluation has gone into these choices, but I'm still not 100% sure which would be the best synergies.
 
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Have you tried Hitmontop? It gets access to fake out, wide guard, helping hand, feint, and close combat while also having the benefit of intimidate
 

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