Below is the concept for the team, it is rooted around setting up Coalossal to have +6 Speed, +2 Atk/SpAtk, and then copying with Flamigo's Costar while also transforming Palafin-Hero.
I really wanted to make use of some cool new gimmicks and synergies, such as Coalossal's Steam Engine and Flamigo's Costar, along with Finizen's legendary transformation with Water U-Turn.
Team is still undergoing testing, currently 7-3 on ladder, but definitely has blindspots and weaknesses (due to being based on a gimmick that can be undone with an unfortunate Haze, OHKO, etc.) Any comments or advice on improvements are appreciated! Notably, Cyclizar is still Dragon Tera Type, as I have no intention of ever Terastallizing it, and I am not sure why I would!
---
Jimbei
Palafin @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Zero to Hero
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flip Turn
- Jet Punch
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
Tera Grass is present to protect from Spore or resist OHKO Flower Trick crit from Meowscarada. Flip Turn is your go-to move, transforming Palafin, bringing out Flamigo, and mostly getting Coalossal's boosts off. Drain Punch is tech for coverage and sustaining if Palafin gets brought back out later in the fight, and finally Jet Punch is crucial +1 priority to stop turn one "OHKO" from Maushold for example. Currently testing Ghost Tera type as this team has no counter to Extreme Speed Dragonite.
Akainu
Coalossal @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Steam Engine
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 228 SpD / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rock Blast
Earthquake and Rock Slide are your main tools, both with "STAB" via Tera Ground and that hit both opponents plus provide crucial x2 damage on popular mons, and with Slides added flinching chance. Protect is present to stall out Trick Room or for specific instances when you need to survive to bring out Flamigo or Indeedee. Rock Blast is your only single-target move, and is specifically chosen for its ability to OHKO Murkrow turn one to avoid a turn two Haze (your other options here are Stone Edge, Heat Crash, or Tera Rock Rock Slide). Tera Ground was chosen because it maintains Coalossal's weakness to Ground, provides an Earthquake boost, and reduces its overall weaknesses compared to Rock/Fire.
Donflamigo
Flamigo @ White Herb
Ability: Costar
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Detect
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- Wide Guard
Pretty straightforward set imo. Tera Steel for defensiveness, but will likely never be used. Brave Bird and Close Combat are your damaging moves, with the White Herb there to counter Close Combat's defense reduction. Wide Guard is specifically here to stop Gholdengo from OHKO'ing Coalossal and Flamigo its first turn out with Tera Steel STAB Make it Rain, but can have other uses. Originally had Roost, but never found a situation where it would be used that Flamigo wasn't going to be killed regardless. SpD EV investment is there for some bulk that is sorely needed.
Toki
Indeedee-F @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Follow Me
- Psych Up
- Stored Power
- Heal Pulse
Tera Type is immaterial and will never be used. Follow me is your main redirection to keep your Flamigo/Coalossal dishing out big damage. Psych Up/Stored Power is a random but useful synergy with Flamigo/Coalossal's wild stat boosts (+10), with Heal Pulse hopefully providing them with some longevity.
Kozuki
Cyclizar @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
- Shed Tail
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Taunt
Yasopp
Gholdengo @ Air Balloon
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Timid Nature
- Make it Rain
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
---
My idea for a standard first turn with the team set-up:
- Coalossal Teras to Ground type, reducing its weaknesses and taking 1/2 the damage it would have from the incoming Flip Turn from Palafin.
- Palafin uses Flip Turn on Coalossal. This will do about 20% of its HP. Coalossal gains +6 Speed and +2 Atk and +2 SpAtk from its ability and weakness policy.
- Palafin goes back to the party and brings out Flamigo.
- Flamigo's Costar ability copies Coalossal's stats. It is now +6 Speed, +2 Atk/SpAtk.
- Palafin transforms in the party to Hero Palafin.
- Coalossal is now ready to use whatever move I selected, could use Earthquake (Flamigo is immune), Rock Slide (still gets stab, hits both opponents, flinches, etc). With a lot of teams I have been seeing, either of these moves will often get at least 1 KO.
---
I made some specific choices in stats such as speed and defenses to make sure the moves are taking place in the correct order, and to make sure with applied buffs the Mons are outspeeding popular Mons, surviving hits from heavy hitters, etc. But more could definitely be done in that department.
Of these three, only Cyclizar is not technically key to the strategy. Coalossal and Flamigo are the key pairing, and Palafin (or a water move user) is necessary to spark Coalossal's ability/held item. This definitely reduces the flexibility you are allowed here.
Flamigo build is from Wolfe's Tatsugiri/Dondozo team, but could be altered to better fit this comp. I like other ideas from Wolfe's team, such as Maushold for example as a support, and I also like Cetitan as an alterante to Coalossal for getting stat boosts on the board for Flamigo.
Coalossal is invested in SpDef due to its higher Def and hopeful +2 boosts from Iron Defense which allow it to survive a lot of big physical attackers, especially with its Tera Ground. However, a Special Attacker could unravel a lot of this strategy as even with the investment it still takes big hits.
---
Added Indeedee-F to the lineup for support + synergy with Psych Up/Stored Power and Coalossal OR Flamigo
---
After testing I took Cyclizar out of the initial set-up squad, and now bring Palafin/Coalossal first, but keep it + Taunt as a counter to teams with Haze users such as Murkrow. Its Shed Tail can still come in handy.
Additionally, Gholdengo is here, admittedly, because I can't figure out what to slot 6th. It has good random utility, but I havent used it yet, and I am curious if its Nasty Plot can pair with Indeedee's Psych Up in some scenario, but it hasn't been tried.
Palafin has been changed to Tera Grass (bye-bye ridiculous Water STAB) in order to counter Meowscarada which can outspeed and OHKO with Flower Trick, upsetting the entire strategy.
---
Edit: Added information below each mon with some explanations for choices made, random moves that aren't often used but provide much needed utility here.
---
Thanks for reading. I am excited to make use out of all of these cool new Pokemon with interesting abilities and moves. I think that with all the new "gimmick" Pokemon introduced recently, we might get to a point where the gimmicks are actually consistent.
I really wanted to make use of some cool new gimmicks and synergies, such as Coalossal's Steam Engine and Flamigo's Costar, along with Finizen's legendary transformation with Water U-Turn.
Team is still undergoing testing, currently 7-3 on ladder, but definitely has blindspots and weaknesses (due to being based on a gimmick that can be undone with an unfortunate Haze, OHKO, etc.) Any comments or advice on improvements are appreciated! Notably, Cyclizar is still Dragon Tera Type, as I have no intention of ever Terastallizing it, and I am not sure why I would!
---
Jimbei
Palafin @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Zero to Hero
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flip Turn
- Jet Punch
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
Tera Grass is present to protect from Spore or resist OHKO Flower Trick crit from Meowscarada. Flip Turn is your go-to move, transforming Palafin, bringing out Flamigo, and mostly getting Coalossal's boosts off. Drain Punch is tech for coverage and sustaining if Palafin gets brought back out later in the fight, and finally Jet Punch is crucial +1 priority to stop turn one "OHKO" from Maushold for example. Currently testing Ghost Tera type as this team has no counter to Extreme Speed Dragonite.
Akainu
Coalossal @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Steam Engine
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 228 SpD / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rock Blast
Earthquake and Rock Slide are your main tools, both with "STAB" via Tera Ground and that hit both opponents plus provide crucial x2 damage on popular mons, and with Slides added flinching chance. Protect is present to stall out Trick Room or for specific instances when you need to survive to bring out Flamigo or Indeedee. Rock Blast is your only single-target move, and is specifically chosen for its ability to OHKO Murkrow turn one to avoid a turn two Haze (your other options here are Stone Edge, Heat Crash, or Tera Rock Rock Slide). Tera Ground was chosen because it maintains Coalossal's weakness to Ground, provides an Earthquake boost, and reduces its overall weaknesses compared to Rock/Fire.
Donflamigo
Flamigo @ White Herb
Ability: Costar
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Detect
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- Wide Guard
Pretty straightforward set imo. Tera Steel for defensiveness, but will likely never be used. Brave Bird and Close Combat are your damaging moves, with the White Herb there to counter Close Combat's defense reduction. Wide Guard is specifically here to stop Gholdengo from OHKO'ing Coalossal and Flamigo its first turn out with Tera Steel STAB Make it Rain, but can have other uses. Originally had Roost, but never found a situation where it would be used that Flamigo wasn't going to be killed regardless. SpD EV investment is there for some bulk that is sorely needed.
Toki
Indeedee-F @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Follow Me
- Psych Up
- Stored Power
- Heal Pulse
Tera Type is immaterial and will never be used. Follow me is your main redirection to keep your Flamigo/Coalossal dishing out big damage. Psych Up/Stored Power is a random but useful synergy with Flamigo/Coalossal's wild stat boosts (+10), with Heal Pulse hopefully providing them with some longevity.
Kozuki
Cyclizar @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
- Shed Tail
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Taunt
Yasopp
Gholdengo @ Air Balloon
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Timid Nature
- Make it Rain
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
---
My idea for a standard first turn with the team set-up:
- Coalossal Teras to Ground type, reducing its weaknesses and taking 1/2 the damage it would have from the incoming Flip Turn from Palafin.
- Palafin uses Flip Turn on Coalossal. This will do about 20% of its HP. Coalossal gains +6 Speed and +2 Atk and +2 SpAtk from its ability and weakness policy.
- Palafin goes back to the party and brings out Flamigo.
- Flamigo's Costar ability copies Coalossal's stats. It is now +6 Speed, +2 Atk/SpAtk.
- Palafin transforms in the party to Hero Palafin.
- Coalossal is now ready to use whatever move I selected, could use Earthquake (Flamigo is immune), Rock Slide (still gets stab, hits both opponents, flinches, etc). With a lot of teams I have been seeing, either of these moves will often get at least 1 KO.
---
I made some specific choices in stats such as speed and defenses to make sure the moves are taking place in the correct order, and to make sure with applied buffs the Mons are outspeeding popular Mons, surviving hits from heavy hitters, etc. But more could definitely be done in that department.
Of these three, only Cyclizar is not technically key to the strategy. Coalossal and Flamigo are the key pairing, and Palafin (or a water move user) is necessary to spark Coalossal's ability/held item. This definitely reduces the flexibility you are allowed here.
Flamigo build is from Wolfe's Tatsugiri/Dondozo team, but could be altered to better fit this comp. I like other ideas from Wolfe's team, such as Maushold for example as a support, and I also like Cetitan as an alterante to Coalossal for getting stat boosts on the board for Flamigo.
Coalossal is invested in SpDef due to its higher Def and hopeful +2 boosts from Iron Defense which allow it to survive a lot of big physical attackers, especially with its Tera Ground. However, a Special Attacker could unravel a lot of this strategy as even with the investment it still takes big hits.
---
Added Indeedee-F to the lineup for support + synergy with Psych Up/Stored Power and Coalossal OR Flamigo
---
After testing I took Cyclizar out of the initial set-up squad, and now bring Palafin/Coalossal first, but keep it + Taunt as a counter to teams with Haze users such as Murkrow. Its Shed Tail can still come in handy.
Additionally, Gholdengo is here, admittedly, because I can't figure out what to slot 6th. It has good random utility, but I havent used it yet, and I am curious if its Nasty Plot can pair with Indeedee's Psych Up in some scenario, but it hasn't been tried.
Palafin has been changed to Tera Grass (bye-bye ridiculous Water STAB) in order to counter Meowscarada which can outspeed and OHKO with Flower Trick, upsetting the entire strategy.
---
Edit: Added information below each mon with some explanations for choices made, random moves that aren't often used but provide much needed utility here.
---
Thanks for reading. I am excited to make use out of all of these cool new Pokemon with interesting abilities and moves. I think that with all the new "gimmick" Pokemon introduced recently, we might get to a point where the gimmicks are actually consistent.
Last edited:
