Hi people! Today I'm bringing you a Sticky Web team I messed around with. So this time I'm going to include an actual teambuilding process to help ease you guys in easier, letting you know why I picked certain Pokemon over others, or perhaps allowing you guys to help catch something I've missed. Let's get started!
Watch Your Step
Since this is a Web team, the first step is to find a suitable Web user, which only a crafty mastermind genius could've possibly thought of. I had 3 choices in mind: Leavanny has a fast Web, decent power, and some nice support moves; Kricketune has Taunt, Endeavor, and Knock Off to seize a wicked early game advantage; Masquerain can stick around longer with Roost and ward off Fighting-types wit Intimidate, while also sporting very nice coverage in Hydro Pump and Ice Beam; Ariados has Toxic Spikes, priority, and sleep immunity (Lovely Kiss >:( ), and also absorbs Toxic Spikes. In the end, I went with Leavanny due to its array of unique support moves, namely Magic Coat to stave off Dittos wanting to Web up my own team. It can also use a powerful Leaf Storm which punches a nice hole into most things expecting to survive Leavanny's attack, such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Sandslash.
Since Defog is a thing, I'll want a way to punish my foes for using the move. No way would I be caught dead using Meowstic-F, because without the boost I am using an inferior Kadabra, and who wants an inferior Kadabra? Wigglytuff's offensive movepool is large enough to consider its use under Sticky Web, but its speed is so atrocious that it needs to drop basically any shred of its bulk to outspeed the foes that it wants to hit, and no, the huge HP will not salvage its ass bulk. Purugly's speed is definitely workable, and with an Attack boost, FatCat could feasibly do some damage to offensive teams. However, Pawniard can actually switch into Shiftry, can boost on its own with Swords Dance, and has powerful priority to make up for its low Speed. Its STABs give it a good matchup against offensive teams and especially defensive teams alike.
Spiritomb is usually the go-to spinblocker since it doesn't have any really bad matchups against any spinners. I did choose Spiritomb at first, but after a painful encounter against Combusken, I instead opted for another spinblocker. Lampent protects me from Fire spam and also handily beats Cryogonal, as well as other obscure spinners such as Avalugg and Torkoal. It can also take a Knock Off or even Earthquake from (defensive) Sandslash if need be, then hit it so hard that Sandslash would be too crippled to spin against anything, effectively denying them from removing Sticky Web.
I always wanted to try out Samurott under Sticky Web because holy hell that coverage smashes so much of the tier, but misses out on many threats simply because it isn't fast enough. Give it the power to outspeed things though, and you have a monster holepuncher in your hands.
Even under Sticky Web, Samurott lacks the ability to outspeed really fast Pokemon such as Sceptile and Accelgor. Jynx is able to outspeed much of the 'slowed down' tier, and is able to thrive against the Pokes that she now outspeeds due to Lovely Kiss and her powerful coverage. Not something you want to face if you are outsped.
Initially I chose Marowak for sheer physical power, to make up for the fact that my main sweepers are special attackers. I also made it the Stealth Rocker of my team. Spiritomb's Pursuit still failed to effectively curb the likes of Archeops and Swellow (which are immune to Sticky Web), so I resorted to Golem, trading immense power for the much needed Flying resistance and extra priority.
Leavanny @ Focus Sash
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 220 Atk / 36 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Sticky Web
- Leaf Storm
- Magic Coat
- Shadow Claw
The Webber of the team, using its speed to set up Webs on a good majority of the tier. Leaf Storm is the attack of choice since it allows Leavanny to obliterate bulky Grounds, such as Rhydon which may can survive Leaf Blade and Rock Blast through Leavanny's Sash, or Sandslash who survives Leaf Blade and spams Rapid Spin so that Web won't stay down upon its death; 36 Special Attack EVs are all it needs to secure the OHKO. Magic Coat is very important, not just for reflecting back Stealth Rocks, Taunts, and Lovely Kisses, but also stops Ditto from setting down Webs against me; if they go for Magic Coat as well, that's a free switch for me since they would be locked into it (or I can predict them to predict my switch and lay down Webs anyway :P). Shadow Claw allows Leavanny to 2HKO offensive Xatu, and the lack of a Bug move means Ditto cannot gain an advantage over me.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
My Defog deterrent. This thing actually packs a good punch. Its Knock Offs sting despite its tiny stature, and it can invalidate Intimidators such as Qwilfish and especially Granbull as viable switch-ins due to Defiant. Finally, Sucker Punch allows Pawniard to fight back against faster Pokemon, although Sticky Web does help to mitigate its reliance on the move. It has enough speed to outrun -1 positive Shiftry, which is pretty important since Pawniard is my switch-in into that thing and getting hit by a Knock Off + Leaf Storm or getting 'out-Sucker Punched' hurts its ability to keep Shiftry in check. With Swords Dance, Pawniard can take a huge dump on defensive teams, since it is immune to Toxic and its strong Knock Offs leaves them crippled, regardless of whether or not they survive.
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Atk / 8 Def / 100 SpD
Brave Nature
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Psychic
Spiritomb makes its return after being eschewed in favor of Lampent, who handles Combusken instead of being manhandled in return. However, Spiritomb still provides much needed defensive utility for the team, particularly against the likes of Defiant Primeape, Zangoose, and Malamar. Its Pursuit and Sucker Punch allows it to harass faster Pokemon that can harass Web teams, in particular Flying-types. The Attack EVs and nature allow Spiritomb to knock Archeops into Defeatist range with Sucker Punch or a boosted Pursuit. Will-O-Wisp allows Spiritomb to make up for its lack of sheer power, and also cripples physical threats into submission. Max HP just because, and the Special Defense EVs allow Spiritomb to not be 3HKOed by LO Xatu's Heat Wave and takes LO Cryogonal's attacks a bit better, with the remaining 8 EVs dropped into Defense to decrease Malamar's damage output by 1%, which is easily worth it. The real oddball move is Psychic over Ghost STAB such as Shadow Ball, and I would not even consider it if it were not for its ability to 3HKO Eviolite Combusken and Gurdurr, 2 Pokemon that greatly trouble my team otherwise. Who would've thought?
Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- Aqua Jet
Samurott has some scary coverage; Water, Ice, and Grass are not very easy to wall at all, and Samurott has just enough power (Ludicolo's 90 SpA means it really wants the help of Rain anyway) and speed (Gorebyss and Omastar sadly lack the latter) to make the cut on a Sticky Web team. Samurott can feasibly punch huge gaping holes in the opponent's defenses, and also has Aqua Jet to catch a few stragglers such as Scarf Fire-types and especially Archeops. That said, as a holepuncher there may be others that can perform its role, so it is subject to change.
Jynx @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
Jynx serves as my 'back-up', outspeeding the really fast Pokemon Samurott doesn't outspeed after Web. I mean yeah, there are plenty of Pokemon that do this, but what makes Jynx stand out is her ability to apply immense pressure on almost anything that find themselves outsped by Jynx due to Sticky Web. Sneasel, Pyroar, Typhlosion, Sceptile, Accelgor...all of them are suddenly at the mercy of Jynx, who threatens all of them with her powerful coverage. Switches are also risky, since she can simply put them out of commision with Lovely Kiss and continue pounding away at the opponent. Jynx also provides the team insurance against Water-types. You better damn well hope your super fast Scarfer is still alive, or that you have plenty of priority (not named Aqua Jet) on your team, or Jynx can steamroll you good.
Rhydon @ Eviolite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Megahorn
Rhydon takes over as the team's Flying resist, while also serving as the team's new Fire sponge (Lampent is still better tho :( ). Rhydon is stronger and bulkier than Golem (important against Archeops), at the cost of Leftovers recovery and priority in Sucker Punch. However, since Spiritomb already provides Sucker Punch support in Golem's place, this is less of an issue. It has enough speed to outrun Adamant Torterra after Web. The real draw of Rhydon over Golem for this team is its access to Megahorn. This allows Rhydon to threaten Shiftry and Uxie (and the aforementioned Torterra), as opposed to giving them relatively unhindered switch-ins like Golem does. It also acts as backup against a rampaging Malamar should Spiritomb go down. Definitely a nice addition to the team.
Lampent @ Eviolite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 112 HP / 252 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
Yet another NFE that is rarely seen; few people would ever consider Lampent as their spinblocker given its iffy defensive typing and poor bulk. However, Lampent helps to keep up the offensive pressure while keeping Fire spam in check, and definitely gives most spinblockers a hard time in the right circumstance. Fire Blast is Lampent's most powerful STAB duh, but is needed if one wants to deal good damage to both Cryogonal and Pyroar (after Flash Fire). Shadow Ball is more reliable STAB and allows Lampent to hit non-Pyroar Fire-types for good damage, most notably Combusken and Torkoal. Energy Ball keeps Water-types such as Seismitoad, Gorebyss, and Omastar at bay. Will-O-Wisp allows Lampent to cripple Sucker Punch users such as Spiritomb, and also screws over Thick Fat Hariyama. It has enough speed to outrun Timid Seismitoad. Quite an underrated spinblocker, if I do say so myself.
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Sucker Punch
Golem serves important roles as both the Stealth Rocker and the Flying resist, both of which are crucial due to the power Archeops and Swellow possess. Its STABs are pretty standard fare, and provides priority with its Sucker Punch. It has enough speed to outrun max Speed Golurk and by extension 16 Spe Qwilfish, which is more or less the extent of foes it would want to outspeed under Web while keeping its bulk. There's not much to say about Golem, its role on the team is quite self explanatory.
And voila, my first attempt at a Sticky Web team! Leave your thoughts and recommendations below, and thanks :D
Since this is a Web team, the first step is to find a suitable Web user, which only a crafty mastermind genius could've possibly thought of. I had 3 choices in mind: Leavanny has a fast Web, decent power, and some nice support moves; Kricketune has Taunt, Endeavor, and Knock Off to seize a wicked early game advantage; Masquerain can stick around longer with Roost and ward off Fighting-types wit Intimidate, while also sporting very nice coverage in Hydro Pump and Ice Beam; Ariados has Toxic Spikes, priority, and sleep immunity (Lovely Kiss >:( ), and also absorbs Toxic Spikes. In the end, I went with Leavanny due to its array of unique support moves, namely Magic Coat to stave off Dittos wanting to Web up my own team. It can also use a powerful Leaf Storm which punches a nice hole into most things expecting to survive Leavanny's attack, such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Sandslash.
Since Defog is a thing, I'll want a way to punish my foes for using the move. No way would I be caught dead using Meowstic-F, because without the boost I am using an inferior Kadabra, and who wants an inferior Kadabra? Wigglytuff's offensive movepool is large enough to consider its use under Sticky Web, but its speed is so atrocious that it needs to drop basically any shred of its bulk to outspeed the foes that it wants to hit, and no, the huge HP will not salvage its ass bulk. Purugly's speed is definitely workable, and with an Attack boost, FatCat could feasibly do some damage to offensive teams. However, Pawniard can actually switch into Shiftry, can boost on its own with Swords Dance, and has powerful priority to make up for its low Speed. Its STABs give it a good matchup against offensive teams and especially defensive teams alike.
Spiritomb is usually the go-to spinblocker since it doesn't have any really bad matchups against any spinners. I did choose Spiritomb at first, but after a painful encounter against Combusken, I instead opted for another spinblocker. Lampent protects me from Fire spam and also handily beats Cryogonal, as well as other obscure spinners such as Avalugg and Torkoal. It can also take a Knock Off or even Earthquake from (defensive) Sandslash if need be, then hit it so hard that Sandslash would be too crippled to spin against anything, effectively denying them from removing Sticky Web.
I always wanted to try out Samurott under Sticky Web because holy hell that coverage smashes so much of the tier, but misses out on many threats simply because it isn't fast enough. Give it the power to outspeed things though, and you have a monster holepuncher in your hands.
Even under Sticky Web, Samurott lacks the ability to outspeed really fast Pokemon such as Sceptile and Accelgor. Jynx is able to outspeed much of the 'slowed down' tier, and is able to thrive against the Pokes that she now outspeeds due to Lovely Kiss and her powerful coverage. Not something you want to face if you are outsped.
Initially I chose Marowak for sheer physical power, to make up for the fact that my main sweepers are special attackers. I also made it the Stealth Rocker of my team. Spiritomb's Pursuit still failed to effectively curb the likes of Archeops and Swellow (which are immune to Sticky Web), so I resorted to Golem, trading immense power for the much needed Flying resistance and extra priority.
Leavanny @ Focus Sash
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 220 Atk / 36 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Sticky Web
- Leaf Storm
- Magic Coat
- Shadow Claw
The Webber of the team, using its speed to set up Webs on a good majority of the tier. Leaf Storm is the attack of choice since it allows Leavanny to obliterate bulky Grounds, such as Rhydon which may can survive Leaf Blade and Rock Blast through Leavanny's Sash, or Sandslash who survives Leaf Blade and spams Rapid Spin so that Web won't stay down upon its death; 36 Special Attack EVs are all it needs to secure the OHKO. Magic Coat is very important, not just for reflecting back Stealth Rocks, Taunts, and Lovely Kisses, but also stops Ditto from setting down Webs against me; if they go for Magic Coat as well, that's a free switch for me since they would be locked into it (or I can predict them to predict my switch and lay down Webs anyway :P). Shadow Claw allows Leavanny to 2HKO offensive Xatu, and the lack of a Bug move means Ditto cannot gain an advantage over me.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
My Defog deterrent. This thing actually packs a good punch. Its Knock Offs sting despite its tiny stature, and it can invalidate Intimidators such as Qwilfish and especially Granbull as viable switch-ins due to Defiant. Finally, Sucker Punch allows Pawniard to fight back against faster Pokemon, although Sticky Web does help to mitigate its reliance on the move. It has enough speed to outrun -1 positive Shiftry, which is pretty important since Pawniard is my switch-in into that thing and getting hit by a Knock Off + Leaf Storm or getting 'out-Sucker Punched' hurts its ability to keep Shiftry in check. With Swords Dance, Pawniard can take a huge dump on defensive teams, since it is immune to Toxic and its strong Knock Offs leaves them crippled, regardless of whether or not they survive.
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Atk / 8 Def / 100 SpD
Brave Nature
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Psychic
Spiritomb makes its return after being eschewed in favor of Lampent, who handles Combusken instead of being manhandled in return. However, Spiritomb still provides much needed defensive utility for the team, particularly against the likes of Defiant Primeape, Zangoose, and Malamar. Its Pursuit and Sucker Punch allows it to harass faster Pokemon that can harass Web teams, in particular Flying-types. The Attack EVs and nature allow Spiritomb to knock Archeops into Defeatist range with Sucker Punch or a boosted Pursuit. Will-O-Wisp allows Spiritomb to make up for its lack of sheer power, and also cripples physical threats into submission. Max HP just because, and the Special Defense EVs allow Spiritomb to not be 3HKOed by LO Xatu's Heat Wave and takes LO Cryogonal's attacks a bit better, with the remaining 8 EVs dropped into Defense to decrease Malamar's damage output by 1%, which is easily worth it. The real oddball move is Psychic over Ghost STAB such as Shadow Ball, and I would not even consider it if it were not for its ability to 3HKO Eviolite Combusken and Gurdurr, 2 Pokemon that greatly trouble my team otherwise. Who would've thought?
Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- Aqua Jet
Samurott has some scary coverage; Water, Ice, and Grass are not very easy to wall at all, and Samurott has just enough power (Ludicolo's 90 SpA means it really wants the help of Rain anyway) and speed (Gorebyss and Omastar sadly lack the latter) to make the cut on a Sticky Web team. Samurott can feasibly punch huge gaping holes in the opponent's defenses, and also has Aqua Jet to catch a few stragglers such as Scarf Fire-types and especially Archeops. That said, as a holepuncher there may be others that can perform its role, so it is subject to change.
Jynx @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
Jynx serves as my 'back-up', outspeeding the really fast Pokemon Samurott doesn't outspeed after Web. I mean yeah, there are plenty of Pokemon that do this, but what makes Jynx stand out is her ability to apply immense pressure on almost anything that find themselves outsped by Jynx due to Sticky Web. Sneasel, Pyroar, Typhlosion, Sceptile, Accelgor...all of them are suddenly at the mercy of Jynx, who threatens all of them with her powerful coverage. Switches are also risky, since she can simply put them out of commision with Lovely Kiss and continue pounding away at the opponent. Jynx also provides the team insurance against Water-types. You better damn well hope your super fast Scarfer is still alive, or that you have plenty of priority (not named Aqua Jet) on your team, or Jynx can steamroll you good.
Rhydon @ Eviolite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Megahorn
Rhydon takes over as the team's Flying resist, while also serving as the team's new Fire sponge (Lampent is still better tho :( ). Rhydon is stronger and bulkier than Golem (important against Archeops), at the cost of Leftovers recovery and priority in Sucker Punch. However, since Spiritomb already provides Sucker Punch support in Golem's place, this is less of an issue. It has enough speed to outrun Adamant Torterra after Web. The real draw of Rhydon over Golem for this team is its access to Megahorn. This allows Rhydon to threaten Shiftry and Uxie (and the aforementioned Torterra), as opposed to giving them relatively unhindered switch-ins like Golem does. It also acts as backup against a rampaging Malamar should Spiritomb go down. Definitely a nice addition to the team.
Lampent @ Eviolite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 112 HP / 252 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
Yet another NFE that is rarely seen; few people would ever consider Lampent as their spinblocker given its iffy defensive typing and poor bulk. However, Lampent helps to keep up the offensive pressure while keeping Fire spam in check, and definitely gives most spinblockers a hard time in the right circumstance. Fire Blast is Lampent's most powerful STAB duh, but is needed if one wants to deal good damage to both Cryogonal and Pyroar (after Flash Fire). Shadow Ball is more reliable STAB and allows Lampent to hit non-Pyroar Fire-types for good damage, most notably Combusken and Torkoal. Energy Ball keeps Water-types such as Seismitoad, Gorebyss, and Omastar at bay. Will-O-Wisp allows Lampent to cripple Sucker Punch users such as Spiritomb, and also screws over Thick Fat Hariyama. It has enough speed to outrun Timid Seismitoad. Quite an underrated spinblocker, if I do say so myself.
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Sucker Punch
Golem serves important roles as both the Stealth Rocker and the Flying resist, both of which are crucial due to the power Archeops and Swellow possess. Its STABs are pretty standard fare, and provides priority with its Sucker Punch. It has enough speed to outrun max Speed Golurk and by extension 16 Spe Qwilfish, which is more or less the extent of foes it would want to outspeed under Web while keeping its bulk. There's not much to say about Golem, its role on the team is quite self explanatory.
And voila, my first attempt at a Sticky Web team! Leave your thoughts and recommendations below, and thanks :D
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