RMT: My first real foray into the Advanced Generation

[Elekidkid]

Ok, so I went ahead and made a team for all these spiffy Advanced Generation games, so I would like to receive some feedback on it.

Girafarig
Bold (+Defense, -Attack)
-Agility
-Amnesia
-Baton Pass
-Psychic
@???

Tangela
Calm Nature (+Special Defense, -Attack)
-Ingrain
-Leech Seed
-Giga Drain
-Bind
@Leftovers

Poliwrath
Adament Nature (+Attack, -Special Attack)
-Belly Drum/Bulk Up
-Brick Break
-Rest
-Earthquake
@Chesto Berry

Houndoom
Modest Nature (+Special Attack, -Attack)
-Pursuit
-Flamethrower
-Will o Wisp
-Crunch/Fire Spin
@???

Crobat
Jolly Nature (+Speed, -Special Attack)
-Sludge Bomb
-Aerial Ace
-Confuse Ray
-Shadow Ball
@???

Ampharos
Bold Nature (+Defense, -Attack)
-Thunder Wave
-Thunder
-Rain Dance
-HP Water
@???

Ok, I'm in dire need of help with those Natures and Items. For the most part I tried to go with natures that compliment the Pokémon's strong points, but with Ampharos I decided to help out its defense instead because it's special attack stat is high enough as it is. With Poliwrath, I was thinking a Belly Drum/Rest and Chesto Berry set, but would Bulk Up be a better choice to put on there? For the items, I really am not fully sure on what would be appropriate to put on for the battle. On Houndoom I have Fire Spin as an option simply due to its ability to trap an opponent in a battle it would not be able to make it out of, but I feel Crunch may still be the better choice. Pursuit is there to catch the opponent off guard.

For some strategy explanations here... Point is to lead off with Houndoom, wreak some havok, and once Houndoom faints (or some pesky fighting or ground types come out), I switch around. Girafarig and Tangela are meant to work in tandem. Girafarig can learn both Amnesia and Agility, so those moves coupled with Baton Pass eliminate all of Tangela's weak points (well, besides Attack, really, but that stat doesn't even come in to play anyway). Then, when Tangela is out it'll use Bind (to trap the opponent) followed up by Ingrain, Leech Seed, and start Mega Draining. Intention of this set is to be constantly dealing and recovering damage. Mega Drain may be a bit low on PP to be effective, though, so any suggestions for a grass-type replacement move? The rest seem pretty obvious. Corbat, Ampharos, and Poliwrath are meant to go out and screw majorly with the opponent.

No real reason for that post icon... I just think it looks awesome.

[stickachu]

Girafarig
Bold (+Defense, -Attack)
-Agility
-Amnesia
-Baton Pass
-Psychic
@???

You'll probably want an item that'll make sure it can survive to BP. Focus band, bright powder, lax incense. Something like that.

Tangela
Calm Nature (+Special Defense, -Attack)
-Ingrain
-Leech Seed
-Giga Drain
-Bind
@Leftovers

I don't like ingrain. Maybe I'm wrong but meh... I'd put sleep powder or toxic over it. Or heck.. use toxic, leech seed, sleep powder, bind.... Screwed against a rapid spinner but with the passed agility, at least it can put those suckers to sleep.

Poliwrath
Adament Nature (+Attack, -Special Attack)
-Belly Drum/Bulk Up
-Brick Break
-Rest
-Earthquake
@Chesto Berry

You might want to go with a +Speed nature, just to give you a higher chance of surviving long enough to rest. You don't really need +attack if you are going to belly drum anyway.

Houndoom
Modest Nature (+Special Attack, -Attack)
-Pursuit
-Flamethrower
-Will o Wisp
-Crunch/Fire Spin
@???

Fire spin always screws me over by missing and he needs crunch anyway. Try giving him a shell bell maybe. He should do enough damage to make it worthwhile.

Crobat
Jolly Nature (+Speed, -Special Attack)
-Sludge Bomb
-Aerial Ace
-Confuse Ray
-Shadow Ball
@???


You could drop confuse ray and give him a choice band or keep that set and give him a king's rock.

Ampharos
Bold Nature (+Defense, -Attack)
-Thunder Wave
-Thunder
-Rain Dance
-HP Water
@???


Meh... rain dance has its risks in this set, though I suppose a water absorb Poliwrath could switch into water attacks for some massive HP restoration. Still, Ampharos has a massive Sp Attack anyway so Thunderbolt, HP Ice might be safer (if not a bit cliche)

As for the team... eh... not any glaring weaknesses, though a rock slide, earthquake, megahorn Nidoking can KO 5 of your teammembers. (Assuming girafarig doesn't kill it in one hit) Yeah, now that I look at it, ground types in general can give you trouble. Only Ampharos and Tangela have SE moves (and not even Tangela with the move set I suggested.) Even if you gave Tangela Giga Drain... It has really low PP so it could be gone before you ever encounter a ground type and mega drain isn't going to kill anything in one hit. A strong Aerodactyl (who's OU so you'll probably encounter one) can also ravage your team.

[Rabid_Cow]

I like how you did use your favorites and not just OU pokes, but you need to pack some fire power. None of your pokes look like they would put a dent in a team of OU pokes like Aerodactyl or Blissey. Sure Poliwrath would scare it but they'd just switch out for a Gengar that would bolt him for a OHKO. Although I don't usually suggest switching out pokes for people's favs but I think if this team wants to stand a chance you need to.

My personal choice of substitution would be of your Tangela. It isn't a tank pokemon although he gets some moves that would lead you to believe it. I think that you should go for a sweeper poke in that slot. Here's my two suggestions for ya: Ludy and Eggy.

Ludicolo @Leftovers (Swift Swim)
Rain Dance<>Surf<>Ice Beam<>Giga Drain

Exeggcutor @
Sunny Day<>Solar Beam<>HP~Fire/Synthesis<>Explosion

I honestly think that Ludicolo works better with your team but tell me what ya think then I'll rate the rest of your team.

PS: You don't have to switch Tangela, he does have good defense but I see fires get burned from all over and that defense won't help against special moves like Flamethrower.

Hope this helped.

[Elekidkid]

Ok... so yeah, the team did get beaten rather brutally on NetBattle... and by that I mean it was a massacre. So here's the substitutions, as per comments made by Rabid Cow...

Replacement for Tangela is...


Ludicolo!
Modest Nature (+Sp. Attack, -Attack)
@Leftovers
-Rain Dance
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Giga Drain

Reasoning for this switch. Well, I initially shrugged it off as not an option because of its part water type, but then I looked at the charts and realized that it actually lost all of its weaknesses from being a water type. Made my day a lot easier. And I liked the set that Rabid Cow suggested (seems similar to what I'd use... but I may not have considered Giga Drain considering its minimal PP and given up on it because it couldn't learn any other worthwhile Grass moves... shows you my "needs to be brainwashed" mindset, eh?).

And to replace Girafarig...


Mr. Mime!

Modest Nature (+Sp. Attack, -Attack)
@Lax Incense
-Psychic
-HP Dark
-Thunderbolt
-Barrier

Reasoning for this one... Well, if there's one Psychic type that I like more than Girafarig it's Jynx... but the one I like better than Jynx is Mr. Mime, and considering the defensive issues of my team, Mr. Mime was definately a wiser, more secure choice. I was considering Calm Mind over Thunderbolt, but Mime's Special Stats are high enough where Calm Mind would be more of a waste of time and Thunderbolt helps cover more types. Barrier's obvious... Mr. Mime's Defense is just awful, and with its Speed being pretty nice, it would be able to put up some good defenses before needing to attack.

Ok Rabid Cow, you can go ahead and rate it now. Haha, I rhymed. Actually, I'm surprised I didn't put Weezing on there... it's really cool and so insanely overlooked it isn't even funny. It's Attack and (surprisingly) Special Attack stats really aren't too bad. Actually... add this onto the team.

Replacement for Crobat...


Weezing!
Mild Nature (+Sp. Attack, -Defense)
@Focus Band
-Flamethrower
-HP Dark
-Sludge Bomb
-Will O' Wisp

Ok, reasoning behind this one. Firstly... Weezing's defense is really good, and by putting enough EVs into it, it can suffer to lose a few points due to a negative nature. This is actually ripped straight from a Weezing on one of my NetBattle teams (Weezing was actually the only one able to take an opponent out, too... a sign that you need help with reams? Weezing is your strongest.) and I had its Evs placed as such: Attack: 155, Defense: 200, Sp. Attack: 155. This way, it's Sp. Attack is slightly higher than its Attack stat due to nature, but because the only attack-based move it has is Sludge Bomb, which receives x1.5 damage from type plus its already crazy powerful on its own, Sp. Attack is better served to receive the increase. I'm mainly trying to work surprise off of this. It's shocking enough to see a Weezing, but one that uses Special-based moves?!?! Will O' Wisp is there just to help out, although I think Destiny Bond may be a better switch.

[RoBBo149]

Houndoom:

~ Sunny Day
~ Solar Beam
~ Pursuit
~ Flamethrower



Any Psychics come up against Houndoom here, they aren't gonna want to stay in. Pursuit takes care of it, and will more than likely knock the psychic pokemon out.