Hey everyone, its RetroTyphlosion, and I have officially begun competing in VGC18! I'm so excited to get back into the meta, and so far, I've had incredible fun. In the spirit of last year's famed VGC17 team, and as a reusal of my favorite strategy, I present to you: RetroTyphlosion's 2018 Trick Room Team!
All right, we start off with my Cresselia. Using the Levitate ability, it is immune to Landorus's Earthquake. Its EV spread allows it to take some hits (including a Tapu Koko's Gigavolt Havoc inside Electric Terrain), and give some as well. Psychic is my main STAB move, and Moonblast kills dragons. Ice Beam provides even more coverage, and can OHKO a T-Landorus. Food for thought.
Heatran @ Firium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Flash Cannon
My team's Z-mover, Heatran's EV spread is a little more self-explanatory, as is its move-set. Essentially your standard Trick Room abuser.
Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 204 SpA / 24 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Recover
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
My famed Porygon2 set has at last made an appearance!! Sporting the offensive feel, this is, in my opinion, the best possible set for a P2. 252 HP means it still eats up hits, plus has the damage to 2HKO a Zard-Y and OHKO a Landorus. Also, Recover means you can't kill it. Boom.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
An offensive Ferrothorn. Moves provide coverage and utility, its got bulk, and its slow enough to be Trick-Room worthy. Leech Seed ensures its not going away anytime soon.
Standard set. Not much more to say.
Araquanid @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Bubble
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
- Liquidation
- Protect
- Toxic
- Bug Bite
Okay, I gotta say, I had the same Araquanid set last year, and I didn't really use it much. However, I've been using it much more now, and it doesn't dissapoint. You have no clue how much damage Liquidation does, and Bug Bite is the bane of Snorlax's existence. I LOVE IT!
And, well, yeah. There's my team. So far, its been winning quite a few battles, and I'm happy with my record so far. Please let me know of any suggestions you might make; I'm still getting used to the format, and any help and constructive critizism is very appreciated!
Feb 1, 2018, 10:49 PM (This post was last modified: Feb 1, 2018, 10:50 PM by Hojunhu.)
With only having a 2hko onto Lando, I don't think a minimally defensive P2 is the right meta choice. Plus with cure currently being banned, most Snorlax will have Belly Drum and high horsepower.
I also think Psyshock over Psychic on Cress is the way to go currently. Most of the strong pokemon currently are special attackers and thus most pokemon are specially defensive, therefore Psyshock can take advantage of their lower physical defense.
Wide Guard might be a better move in that toxic slot for Araquanid as Fini has super high usage right now and rock slide is usually everybody's only rock type move.
Other than that, I feel like this team could be cool. Not sure both Bronzong and Ferro need to be on the same team though.
I'm far from being an expert in the VGC format, but I wonder what your counter/check to Mega Charizard X would be? Heatran would probably be my obvious choice in your team, but some Mega Charizards X love to pack Earthquake for Heatran and Mega Tyranitar (mine does for example) instead of Roost.
252+ SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 248-292 (83.5 - 98.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Charizard-Mega-X Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 416-492 (107.7 - 127.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Tapu Koko, Muk-Alola and Marowak-Alola seem to be other important threats, in my opinion.
In particular, Muk-Alola can benefit from Trick Room by using Curse (even though it may be initially walled by Heatran). Trick Room Brave Marowak-Alola is a dangerous mon that seems to outslow most of the team. Fortunately, Brave 0 Spe Araquanid is still slower, and can OHKO it with Liquidation (even though it cannot switch in for free because Shadow Bone really hurts).
seems pretty good, I faced someone with a similar team at Dallas. I would recommend removing moonblast from cresselia, since it's there for dragons which ice beam also covers. With the bulk cresselia has, I would recommend a support move such as helping hand, recycle(not highly recommended), weather control (rain dance, sunny day), or ally switch (if you want to be THAT person).
For Araquanid, I would adjust its EVs to try and live a hit or two in case if you run into other trick room teams or don't get trick room up for some reason. I probably wouldn't run toxic due to fini, but that's a personal choice.
I would probably work with a bulkier heatran with defensive investments as well, you would have to check what hurts your team for that.
One threat I do see to your team is sand, whether it is T-tar, mega t-tar or sand offense, it can probably defeat a trick room user or dark z. I don't see too much to handle tyranitar outside of ferrothorn. But I don't know the team as well as you, I will defer to your judgement.
Overall, it seems really solid. Especially with trick room becoming more viable with the increase in fast offense. I look forward to hearing how the team does!
Resident pun-lover and VGC teambuilding enthusiast
@Hojunhu All right, I really appreciate the moveset help! I think you might be right, and I will most likely edit my Pokemon's sets. However, you appear to have read my post wrong (or I didn't understand you completely). Porygon2 can OHKO a Lando, and so can Cress. I see what you mean about Zong and Ferro, though. It is incredibly convinient to have three setters, however, and I don't know what to do... any ideas? Ferro is used to combat T-tar (though Araquanid kills it quick too), and I like the idea of a grass type...
@Black Waterfall Ok, like those ideas too. Tapu Koko, however, completely falls apart under Trick Room and is an easy OHKO. A-Muk has low usage, and is completely walled by a STAB Flash Cannon; but you're right, I need to watch out for a Curse. I might be able to kill it before it can do much damage, though. And for Marowak, well, Araquanid trolls it. As for Zard-X, its not horribly popular, and Cresselia's Moonblast should prove effective, if I choose to keep it. If all else fails, I use my backup strategy: wall it out.
@Arctero You bring up a good point... Helping Hand, when paired with the right thing, could cause a quick one-shot... I've heard from you and Hojunhu to replace Toxic on Araquanid and change EVs on both him and Heatran ... I could drop the Attack ones and do it, and still be able to hit hard... As for T-tar, Cresselia and P2 have the Ice Power, and Araquanid is also super-effective.
IMO having multiple ways of setting TR is important, which you have, but Cress, Bronzong and Porygon2 are a little too passive to abuse TR. I think you lack a TR hard hitter like Mega Camerupt, Mega Abomasnow, Mega Mawile, Mega Ampharos etc, that can oblitarate teams under TR with alot of oumph. Heatran is pretty strong sure, but not enough IMO.
A suggestion I have is to stick with 2 Trick Room setters that fair well against different things. Bronzong feels a little reduntant, since you have Ferro with a slow Gyro Ball, and Cress as a Psychic Type, and you have Cress and Araquanid as Ground switch ins, and you don't have an Earthquake user that needs Levitate alongside it. I suggest considering Z-Trick Room on Cress, which ensures TR going up against Taunt, aswell as having a strong damage option on Cress in Z-Psychic/Psyshock. Porygon2 can be your second TR-setter, while replacing Bronzong with a stronger TR-Sweeper that fits your team, some examples mentioned above, but you can find one that synergizes best with the rest.
Cheers
"To believe in an ideal, is to be willing to betray it"
VGC, Friend Safari, Masuda
Feb 3, 2018, 10:12 AM (This post was last modified: Feb 3, 2018, 10:17 AM by RetroTyphlosion.)
@Arctero @Hojunhu I have some new data. After battling a few Sand teams, I have realized that you guys are right. I am hopeless against Sand. I would like to replace the underused Bronzong with something that can combat a T-tar and Excadrill. Would an Giga Drain/ Energy Ball Amoongus work? I could pair it with Spore, It almost seems like my best option, after reviewing the Speed tiers and Tier list.
@PerchPond I like the idea of a Z-Trick Room. I like it a LOT! However, if I replace Bronzong for something else, it has to be something that can fight a Sand team and T-tar. Ampharos, Camerupt etc. can't do that.
@RetroTyphlosion Those were just general suggestions of TR attackers. Glad you like it An option to deal with sand could be Hariyama: it has good offensive pressure, can easily deal with Excadrill+Tyranitar and gets Fake Out to help set up TR while having decent bulk. You also have good answers to deal with Hariyama's checks.
Cheers
"To believe in an ideal, is to be willing to betray it"
VGC, Friend Safari, Masuda
![[Image: heatran.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen4/heatran.png)
![[Image: cresselia.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen4/cresselia.png)
![[Image: porygon2.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen2/porygon2.png)
![[Image: ferrothorn.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen5/ferrothorn.png)
![[Image: bronzong.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen4/bronzong.png)
![[Image: araquanid.png]](http://pokemonforever.com/images/pokeimages/gen7/araquanid.png)
An option to deal with sand could be Hariyama: it has good offensive pressure, can easily deal with Excadrill+Tyranitar and gets Fake Out to help set up TR while having decent bulk. You also have good answers to deal with Hariyama's checks.
