[RATE MY TEAM] Dancing in The Drought!

[Pokeventurer]

Hi guys i am back with another team i recently am testing using and getting amazing results with though i am a bit confused over some things and the team is far from perfection so i can use you advice . Let's get started:

Teambuilding Thought and Process:
So i was lately interested in using some of the following ideas in my new teams:
. Ninetales with drought to support in some manner just like how toler webb played his politoed.
. Mega –Salamence interested me.
. Wanted to test CM mega-audino (which worked for a bit and for a lot), but just let’s forget that.
. Salamence’s pairing especially with clefable and their coverage over threats interested me.

Soon after picking up these few ideas I started to work and build around them. I started with t-wave clefable and the “old is gold” DD salamence which was total destruction in my opinion and these two were best friends, then I added on a ninetales and soon realized how well it actually synergized with mega salamence *I’ll be explaining that, don’t get me wrong here* and then took notes which came out lando-t and milotic for me then I slapped on a venusaur with synergized greatly and formed quite nice quartz core. I Literally slap on lando-t because flinch hax can get very real and clutch plus it helped me with some weaknesses. Last slot would have to be m-audino which worked great in the first few tests when it came out to be the MVP but then dropped and and got something much more useful which if I tell now you’ll skip the thread if you haven’t already.

The Team:


Salamence @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 100 HP / 196 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Double-Edge
- Protect

So let us start with the person that started the team. Salamence is and will be the most used mega evolution probably this whole season. Salamence’s DD potential soon lost for idk what reasons and I hate the ultra-frail naïve one’s who acquire mixed attacks I never played arounf it and probably never ever will, but DD salamence was something I wanted to use for the whole season. The EV spread is stolen by which I mean copied sorry borrowed is the word, from Black 17’s recent team report that I just saw yesterday, the set didn’t had many attack EV’s but was quite bulky but after a single DD it is now faster and stronger than any opposition, the spread and set is simple to deal damage.


Clefable @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Bold Nature
- Follow Me
- Moonblast
- Protect
- Thunder Wave

Next thingie put on was clefable for the reasons that how well it handled other dragon moves, bulky physical defense and rock helmet for many purposes and it pays off in most of the matches that I play. Clefable I gave thunder wave over icy wind for the reason that how well it handled ludicolo which  is how mostly bait salamence with and it can paralyze back so that I can OHKO the nextturn, moonblast waves good byes to any left hydreigon on the fields as well as the annoyance of scrafty. I am quite confused B/w two things one being the physical EV’s despite I have 2x intimidaters on the team and W-o-W and about the thought of running heal pulse over protect as for the sake of double edge salamence. (don’t kill me for the reasons that the EV’s were just spilled on it I need help with it)


Ninetales @ Expert Belt
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 12 SpA / 12 SpD / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
- Disable

Ninetales was the third member of the team so let’s just get to the reasons that I put it here: first of all I was trying to try out this mon badly, secondly it provided coverage options against rain for m-salamence because both the weathers including sand and rain are the most common and can give salamence a though challenge when fighting in their weather of choice, but ninetales disrupts that thing. The third reason comes in as for the type synergy value of it, it can take any ice beams for salamence whenever needed and steel type attacks for clefable and then handled both these type fairly well.
This is the most EV efficient Ninetales spread you ever saw, yet I’ll explain it, I always thouh ninetales can never have a good spread with an numbe rpf goeals but with this team ther’ all fulfilled  with the speed investment it can outspeed any bisharps which are a great threat to the team and then bask back with a h-wave or burn them, depending on the situation and item they have. Most of it went to Physical bulk to make it survive rock and ground attacks after intimidate or two, the sp.atk investment with modest nature allows it to OHKO standard 252/252/4 aegislash with an overheat that can be an annoyance for my first two pokemons. Don’t take me wong but disable is the best move and the one of win condition: e.g I am left in a 2 on 1 vs a ludiculo in rain, ludiculo tries to ice beam my salamence to OHKO it followed by the next turn scalding ninetales, this fails because when I protect salamence or say anything else in their cases to disable the threat move, it turns into my win condition very soon.


Venusaur @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 100 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Ice]

This wasn’t ever yet intended to be a sun team nor I took it as, but soon o note taking made me realize lando-t was one of the biggest threats to the team, hence I thought of needing an icetype move that goes before it and OHKO’es it, yes chlorophyll venu then came to mind, with the investments made in speed and sp.atk it surely does so and the remainder got tossed into the bulk, it also takes out any salamence who it baits and they don’t expect it either. Weakness policy is an item I choose that came to great use, especially when I ran into opposing milotics 100% from team preview considering 2x intimidaters and then into a blind icy wind that activated the policy and also after consequently getting hit by cress’ weak psychic attacks. Venu was the last member of the overall core with which I wanted to complete the full team.


Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Lando-t was just slapped on the team I won’t lie about it, after I tempted to want a spread move in many matches, yes now here comes the best move in the game, rock slide from this mon can help me win with luck sometimes which is worth it, plus it’s only job regarding the overall team was to provide intimidate and OHKO charizard and heatran’s both that kinda walled/semi walled the core. It takes great cover from the drought from weaker/bulkier water types while wearing them off with rock slides. I choose a simple spread to maximize my chances of getting flinch haxes against others plus I didn’t wanted to spread the EV’s all over for any reason nor did I tempted in any game. I choose stone edge over super power/knock off to counter wide guard with fire type shenanigans it saved me against a quiver dance volc and wide guard aegi lead once, phew! It was relieving!


Sawk @ White Herb
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 140 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Double Kick
- Taunt
- Protect

So this was the time of serious note taking, soon after dropping the very idea of a CM sweeper audino i came up to the following conclusions:
. Team needed a better way to best m-kangaskhan.
. Team had no defense against trick room.
Then I found the world’s best pokemon to do both the jobs perfectly.  Yup by which I mean sawk, with the amazing-amazing inner focus ability it was able to easily counter m-kangaskhan’s fake out + taunt any trick room lead thingie with it’s taunt which would be 100% guaranteed, though fr double kick I am thinking of quick guard against thundurus white can be great as well, right?. The speed EV’s were simply invested to outspeed jolly breloom by one point and maximized attack for kang purposes the remainder tossed into defensive things for considering the fact that it can take atleast one or two hits. White herb is an extremely interesting item I choose over the though of constant intimidates incoming and also the recovery of the terrible things like it’s own close combat +icy wind speed control move.


Conclusion:
I don’t have much to conclude with but I really need strong suggestion points on clefable’s spread and sawk’s moveset also please feel free to ask for any additional info that I may have missed while writing up the post or battle videos. Hope you guys enjoyed the read and it was worth our time and u have some helpful suggestions for it. Bye for now!

[Delta]

I really don't have much to say. I love the idea of using a Sawk, but I would never, EVER use Double Kick. Just about any attack would fit better in that slot, especially Quick Guard. You might not use it much, but you will find it useful one day. I will find a pretty good EV set for your Clefable, but I would keep Protect. I might switch Double Edge for Return on 'mence because you will have a setup turn, and you will want all the health you can get.

[Marcusube]

Post videos and damage calcs.