RMT Requesting a RMT For My VGC17 Team

[AlphaVoxel]

Hello PokeBeach!

I am looking to have my team rated for VGC17. I have had some success with this team, but I am looking to turn up the heat and complete my immersion into VGC competitive play. Without further ado, I shall explain my team.

As noted before, this is a VGC17 team. I have done testing on Pokémon Showdown and IRL, and have had a fair bit of luck with it, but at times I have found it somewhat lacking.

I'll start with the core:


Name: Lilligant
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Modest
Item: Grassium-Z
EVs: 252+ Sp. Atk/4 Sp. Def/252 Spd
Moves: Solar Beam/Leaf Storm/Protect/After You


Name: Torkoal
Ability: Drought
Nature: Modest
Item: Heat Rock
EVs: 252 Hp/252+ Sp. Atk/4 Sp. Def
Moves: Heat Wave/Flamethrower/Solar Beam/Protect

As you can see, this is a fairly simple Sun Core, which was recommended to me by @Professor Palutena. The idea is to start with both, which activates Drought. This boosts Lilligant's speed, allowing it to use After You on Torkoal, which will use Heat Wave which has its power boosted by Sun. I run Protect on both due to the fact that they can be kind of frail at times. Solar Beam is used on both because of high power and it is able to charge/attack same turn.

Here is what I have for coverage and support:


Name: Pheromosa
Ability: Beast Boost
Nature: Modest
Item: Focus Sash
EVs: 252+ Sp. Atk/4 Sp. Def/252 Spd
Moves: Protect/Ice Beam/Focus Blast/U-Turn

I like using Pheromosa in my teams due to it's amazing potential to outspeed and sweep opposing teams. I use Protect over Quiver Dance due to how frail it can be, and I like keeping it around, especially late-game. I use Ice Beam/Focus Blast for coverage (and Focus Blast had 180 BP due to STAB. I am aware of the sometimes miserable accuracy with Focus Blast, but I have found that the benefits outweigh the risks). I use U-Turn to be able to switch into something I need without wasting the turn, plus it gets STAB, which helps with sweeping.


Name: Krookodile
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Impish (Showdown)/Adamant (IRL)
Item: Groundium-Z
EVs: 252 Hp/4 Atk/ 252+ Def (Showdown), 252 Atk/4 Sp. Def/252 Spd (IRL, I am not 100% sure this is correct)
Moves: Earthquake/Crunch/Taunt/Protect

I have this on my team as per the advice given once again by Prof. Palutena. I mainly use this as Intimidate support and to deal with threats.


Name: Tapu Koko
Ability: Electric Surge
Nature: Serious
Item: Electric Seed
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk/4 Sp. Def/252 Spd
Moves: Thunderbolt/Dazzling Gleam/Natures Madness/Protect

Once again, based on the advice given to me (same person), I have included Tapu Koko on my team to deal with other weather cores, mainly anything running Peliper. I have Thunderbolt and Dazzling Gleam for coverage, and Natures Madness for those things that just don't want to go away.


Name: Nihilego
Ability: Beast Boost
Nature: Modest
Item: Assault Vest
EVs: 252 Def/252+ Sp. Atk/4 Sp. Def
Moves: Sludge Bomb (Or Poison Jab)/Power Gem/Dazzling Gleam/Psyshock

I have included Nihilego on my team based on my own observations. I have found that the format/meta is like a toddler, that is to say, Tapu heavy (Ba dum psht). Anyway, all jokes aside, having coverage for Tapus has been very nice. I have Power Gem/Dazzling Gleam/Psyshock mostly for coverage, using Power gem against any Flying types, which also gets STAB.

Well, that's it! At this point, I am looking to change things out to improve consistency, and help me stand a better chance against the main threats of the ever annoying meta. I would prefer to keep at the least Pheromosa, and probably the Krookodile. I am happy to try and make changes, as well as test them as needed. Before you post any suggestions, I do have a few requests:

1. Please keep criticisms constructive/friendly. I am willing to make changes to my team, but I will ignore anyone who is blatantly rude/aggressive/etc.
2. Please try to keep suggestions within reason. I have a life (surprising, isn't it?), and do not have a lot of time to breed for perfect/near-perfect Pokémon. I also cannot RNG, so most of my UBs/Tapus aren't that great. I can try to trade for a few things on other sites to help build the team, but I do have limits.
3. This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to VGC, but PLEASE do not suggest using "Choice" items unless you honestly think I could benefit from using them. I am not fond of using them, but am once again open to change.

Alright, enough of my ramblings. Please feel free to leave suggestions, and I will try and look into them and see if it is something I would be willing to use. It does occasionally take me a few hours to reply to things, as I am a human being in high school, which means my life is rather busy at times. Please do not take offense if I decide not to use your suggestions, but as I have said, I will at least look into each suggestion.

Thanks,
-AV

 

[Nyora]

A couple of questions:

1.) What does Grassium-Z Lilligant allow it OHKO or do damage that actually matters to? Does it OHKO Porygon2? Garchomp? Lele? What does it hit/KO? These is an important question to ask yourself now when building a VGC Team with Z-crystals, as your Z-crystal is useless if you don't have sormhting it will be able to KO that is threatening or something like that. Don't just give mons Z-crystals for the heck of it.

2.) Even though Quiver Dance raises your Special Defense 1 stage, is it really worth giving Pheromosa 252 spd EVs? Of you ask me I'd invest those into Speed instead, as what is really going to help it survive? In most situations, I think Speed on Pheromosa would be much better.

3.) I noticed when I reacher Krookodile that you are running dual Z-crystal. Again, what does Krookidle's Z-move allow it to KO? Also, there are planets of other Intimidate Pokémon out there, like Arcanine and Gyarados. Gyarados would be amazing against other Fire mons if your smart and try to keep no sun up, because otherwise i see Arcanine threatengint this team pretty well, besides Nihilego.

4.) What does Electric Seed Help Koko survive?

That's it for questions.

Now for the real RMT. Take off Solar Beam on Lilligant and maybe Torkoal. If your opponent has different weather, more or less likely to be Pelipper, your going to have a haaard time. Luckily your team isn't super weak to Tapu Koko so that's not a big worry but Pelipper can destroy you. Keep in mind a lot of people using Pelipper also use Golduck, meaning they'll have double speed and hit you HARD, in which you wanna use Lilligant but Pelipper has Hurricane. I'll put more on later, I'm just posting this cuz I won't be on for a long while

 

[AlphaVoxel]

So, here is what I have as far as answers to your questions:

1. I use the Grassium Z on Lilligant to help deal with Peliper and other things like it. I have also found it useful for getting that little bit of extra damage on other things where necessary. I actually had this or a similar set recommended to me by Prof. Palutena, and have found that it works for me.

2. As for Pheromosa, I do have the EVs in Speed (Spd). I prefer using it more offensively, which is why I don't run Quiver Dance.

3. I use the Z Crystal on Krookodile to help deal with Tapu Koko/Nihilego/Etc. I like having 2 Crystals on a team due to the fact that it gives me options.

4. I have found that the seed is nice to have at times just in general, but I guess it can kind of help with Steel types or Poison Jab.

It is important to keep in mind, I am by NO MEANS a professional. This is what I could scrap together using the limited resources I have. I would ask that in future posts, that users:

1. When providing criticisms, please tell me what I could do to improve things, and give an example! As I said, I am literally trying to throw something together at the moment using whatever I have. If you can give me an examples, it helps me not only figure out what the heck I'm doing, but it helps me figure out what to do next.

2. As I likely said in my previous post, I am a human being with a life. I don't have a whole lot of time to study competitive battling until school gets out. I try to make things work as best I can, but I have limits. Please do not expect me to know everything.

Thanks,
-AV

 

[Yddeon]

I would change a few thing from your team, first of all lilligant: you don't need 2 grass moves in lilligant, only leaf storm is enough. That way you can add sleep powder to it, wich gives a lot of preasure to your opponent and can save you in a lot of situations.

Torkoal: You don't need the heat rock, most games will be over in less than 5 turns anyway, and charcoal can give you a lot more damage to pick up extra KOs. You can also add eruption if you want to exploit the after you + eruption combo.

From the rest, the only set I would change is Nihilego, timid 252 speed 252 SpAtk with hp ice can be really great and help against a lot of things that hurt this team like tapu fini, arcanine and garchomp. I prefer physical to special pheromosa, but that really depends on the person.

The last thing I would change is adding another tapu, either bulu or lele, both would help you remove electric and misty terrain so you can keep using sleep powder, and bulu could help lilogant doing more damage to a lot of things.

Hope you find my tips useful!