[RATE MY TEAM] GATR SQUAD (VGC)

[zephorous]

Hariyama @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 244 SpD / 4 Spe
Brave Nature
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide

Basically used as a lead with cress to set up trick room. I use him to also counter mega-Kang and other pokemon that he can 1 shot with close combat. He's able to take hits and fire em back

Feraligtr @ Choice Band
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/
Adamant Nature
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Ice Punch
-Iron Tail

THE GATR!! He was way too slow to be used efficiently without trick room. Here he's still a mid speed pokemon so if I cant set up trick room he can still function as well as put alot of pressure on the field. He has alot of coverage with his moves and basically wrecks.

Mega-Garchomp @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin/ Sand Force
Evs: 4HP/ 252 Atk/ 126 Def/ 126 Spd
Ivs: 0 Spe
Brave Nature
-Earthquake
-Dragon Claw
-Rock Slide
-Protect

Mega-Garchomp is amazing and I'm surprised I never see him on trick room teams. Basically he is super fast before he mega evolves normally. Take away all speed evs ivs and a negative nature and all of the sudden hes almost always slower than your opponents pokemon. I put the Evs in defense and special defense basically just to give him a little bulk, not really to survive anything in particular.

Cresselia @ Lum Berry
Ability: Levitate
Evs: 252 HP/ 252 Def/ 4 Spd
Bold Nature
-Trick Room
-Rest
-Psyshock
-Ice Beam

This Cress is SO bulky, however I may rework the Evs to survive particular attacks (Honestly someone gave me this Cress and I just haven't changed it) but I've been really happy with how it can eat up bisharp knock offs and the like. Cress is my trick room setter and I often lead with it and Hariyama because of how safe it is.

TalonFlame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale wings
Evs: 4HP/ 252 Atk/ 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Brave Bird
-Taunt
-Roost
-Flare Blitz

Talon flame is one of my pokemon that I can still use outside of trick room or in it. In trick room I can just Brave Bird and (hopefully) still go first. The reason I chose Adamant over say jolly is because I wanted to be able to outspeed other talon flames inside of trick room and most people I see run jolly or scarfed talon flame


Rotom Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
Evs: 252 Hp/ 44 Def/ 60 SpA/ 148 Spd/ 4 Spe
Calm Nature
-Hydro Pump
-will-o-wisp
-Tbolt
-protect

Pretty standard set. Counters alot of common treats and is still good outside of trick room. Opposed to my last team I actually think this team is pretty good and I've had some success with it on battle spot, although I'm only rated around 1600, so I feel like most people don't really know how to play around trick room this low on the ladder. Let me know what you think!

[Marcusube]

The Pokemon you chose for your team seem better suited for a Tailwind team than a Trick Room team. Trick Room is an effective method of speed control, however, it is best pulled off by extremely slow Pokemon (ones with a base 60 speed or lower). Feraligatr is too fast for Trick Room and so is Mega Garchomp. If anyone carries a counter such as Amoonguss, Ferrothorn, Sylveon, Conkeldurr etc. you are a dead man.

So lets get this idea of Trick Room Feraligatr out of the window and go for a Tailwind team based around the mighty 'gatr' himself.

Hariyama really shines in Trick Room but outside of that, it struggles as opposed to other Pokemon. A Pokemon like Amoonguss, however, works great in both Trick Room and under normal speed conditions.

Amoonguss @ BrightPowder
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb

The Choice Band is unnecessary here. A Sheer Force Life Orb Feraligatr works just as efficiently plus you won't have to lock yourself into a move.

Feraligatr @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Crunch

Mega Garchomp isn't good for Trick Room, neither is it a Pokemon you even want to have around seeing as how there are more superior Pokemon such as Lando-T or even normal Garchomp with a Life Orb. Mega Garchomp is unnecessary seeing as how the core of your team is Feraligatr plus a normal Garchomp only gives you more weaknesses in all. I recommend using Krookodile. This Pokemon is very reliable in VGC for it has a useful ability, two of the best STABs in the meta game and it has no x4 weaknesses and is unlikely to get OHKOd.

Krookodile @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Def / 4 SpD / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Low Kick

I recommend running Icy Wind over Ice Beam and Thunder Wave over Trick Room for more speed control. I'm not sure the Rest into Lum Berry idea is good because Bisharp will outspeed and knock off the berry causing you to fall asleep for two turns making Cresselia extremely vulnerable. It would be best to go with Moonlight.

You should know that based on usage stats, most people run Adamant Talonflames. No one runs scarf, they either run Shell Bell, Life Orb or Choice Band. There won't be many moments where Roost on Talonflame will become handy so run Tailwind to get that Gale Wings speed boost so your team can function even better.

I recommend making your EV spreads around your team and not just against general threats. If you try to make a Pokemon do too many jobs at once, more than likely your team will be hindered in either its offensive power or defensive pivoting. Most of all, never copy someone else's EV spreads unless it is for the Pokemon who is the core of your team.

Great team but the flaws it has will show itself when you climb further up the ladder

[zephorous]

I see what you mean. I had actually just played against another team with mid range speed and lost haha. Thanks a lot for the reply I will for sure keep your sets and advice in mind when I head back to the drawing board with this team :P

[DanielJames]

(Mar 7, 2015, 08:19 AM)zephorous Wrote: I see what you mean. I had actually just played against another team with mid range speed and lost haha. Thanks a lot for the reply I will for sure keep your sets and advice in mind when I head back to the drawing board with this team :P

I liked the team you put originally, but Marcusube is right. I think you'd have a lot more success with the changes he recommended. Didn't even think of Krookodile! I'm interested in trying one out myself now.

[ImposterGaming]

Yeah Choice Band is definitely unnecessary and Tailwind is better than TR for your team considering the speed.

[IceyGamer]

I can't understand why you put speed EVs into your TR team. Its a contradiction.