Pokémon Rate My Team
2 votes
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Mono Flying is a pretty good type in Monotype atm, so I decided to make a Mono Flying team. It was a team I made sometime ago, but with a few adjustments. So here it is:

Landorus-Therian

Landorus
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 48 SpD / 208 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock

Landorus-Therian's role of the team is a bulky Intimidate pivot. The EV spread is a bulky variant to be able to pivot more than once. 208 Speed EVs allows Landorus-Therian to outspeed non scarf max speed base 85 Pokemon. The rest of the EVs are invested in special defense to help take special hits a little better. Earthquake is for STAB. Stealth Rock is for setting up rocks to make opposing Pokémon take chip damage. Knock Off cripples Pokemon that rely on their items. U-Turn is to do damage while bringing in a teammate.

Dragonite

Dragonite
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance

A physical sweeper. Dragon Dance is for boosting your attack and speed so you can make a good physical sweeper once its checks are knocked out. Extreme Speed is useful for revenge killing. Earthquake provides coverage coverage against steel types like Aegislash, Excadrill, and Heatran. Outrage is for dragon STAB.

Thundurus-Therian

Thundurus
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot / Dark Pulse / Sludge Wave

A Nasty Plot sweeper. Thundurus-Therian also serves as another electric immunity thanks to Volt Absorb. Substitute is for dodging status conditions. Nasty Plot boosts your special attack. Thunderbolt is STAB. Grass Knot is for coverage against ground types. I put Dark Pulse and Sludge Wave as options you can run, but I'm currently running Grass Knot as my coverage move.

Celesteela

Celesteela
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Flamethrower
- Protect
- Heavy Slam

A physically defensive Pokemon to help take physical attacks for the team. Leech Seed is for slowly healing HP. Flamethrower is coverage against steel types and useful for dealing with Ferrothorn. Protect is to allow a chance for free Leftovers recovery and allows you to scout for moves from opposing Pokémon. Heavy Slam is for STAB.

Zapdos-Galar

Zapdos
Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Thunderous Kick
- Throat Chop

Choice Scarf set that provides speed control for the team. It can also serve as a Defog switch in thanks to Defiant. Brave Bird is for flying STAB. Thunderous Kick is for fighting STAB and takes care of most steel types. Throat Chop is coverage against ghost types like Gengar, Aegislash, etc. U-Turn is for pivoting.

Mantine

Mantine
Mantine @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpD / 96 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Defog
- Haze
- Roost

A specially defensive Pokemon. 96 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed neutral max speed base 50 Pokemon such as Azumarill. Scald is for water STAB that has a burn chance. Defog is for clearing hazards should they be on your side. Haze is for getting rid of stat boosts from opposing Pokémon. Roost is for healing.

Quick things:

  • Is Grass Knot the best coverage move on Thundurus-Therian for my team?

  • Does this team have a good matchup vs Tapu Koko?

  • Should I replace a move on Dragonite for Roost?

  • Should I use Thunderous Kick or Close Combat on Zapdos-Galar?

Team Pokepaste can be found here.

Looking forward to make this team better.

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All I can say is that your team is very good. But all of your ev’s are gathered In one area  example being your zapdos, now all of your Pokémon are by no means weak but it’s all gathered in attack and bulk I see how zapdos is very fast, but if it were to encounter a choice locked dragapult, salazzle, dracovish, eTc. I’m not saying those would stop you, considering you have counters.



P.S I would recommend togekiss on your team

2 Answers

4 votes
 
Best answer

Nice team! Before rating it, I'm gonna answer the questions you have first then suggest my changes.

Is Grass Knot the best coverage move on Thundurus-Therian for my team?

No. Ground-types aren't a burden as you're mono-flying. Secondly. there really isn't anything you miss out coverage on if not running that move (probably Landorus-T, etc. but Celesteela hard walls those).
On the other hand, stuff like Amoonguss, Ferrothorn, etc. hardwall Thunderbolt + any combo you're running. Therefore, hitting out coverage on these things, from another coverage move like Psychic or Focus Blast is better.

Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute / Agility
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic / Focus Blast

Agility is an option that can completely maul faster teams, and so that nothing can easily revenge kill you. Also, I think Substitute is extremely sub-optimal (Celesteela already absorbs Toxic and other condition pretty well), so I think it can be replaced, too.

Does this team have a good matchup vs Tapu Koko?

If you play well around your Landorus-T and don't recklessly chip or sack it, it can pretty much deal with it at full HP. Offensive pivot set 3HKOes, so it's not a worry. However, Specs having a good chance to 2HKO means you're forced to play around Landorus-T/Thundurus-T and Celesteela which is a bit prediction reliant. Nevertheless, Flying-monotype can't have 100% confirmed way of confronting Tapu Koko.

  • 252 SpA Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 252 HP / 48 SpD Landorus-Therian: 120-142 (31.4 - 37.1%) -- 82.7% chance to 3HKO

  • 252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 252 HP / 48 SpD Landorus-Therian: 178-211 (46.5 - 55.2%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Should I replace a move on Dragonite for Roost?

Yes. In place of Extreme Speed imo, and use Dual Wingbeat over Outrage so you don't get victim of the choice lock that easily. Priority + Spe boosting sounds pretty weird, also since you're having a revenge killer.

Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Roost
- Earthquake
- Dual Wingbeat
- Dragon Dance

Should I use Thunderous Kick or Close Combat on Zapdos-Galar?

Obviously, Close Combat. Breaking power, especially with Scarf is better imo. Regardless, the defense drops don't really matter (sweepers are frail anyway, they care about OHKOing, not preserving bulk).

Updated Team after the changes answered


After the above questions, I think I have some changes to suggest .

Dragonite --> Corviknight

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Defog
- Body Press
- U-turn
- Roost

What the. This is my reaction when I see a mono-flying that has no Corviknight in it. Celesteela, just isn't taking the same role of it imo. It's dependent on Leech Seed for recovery, and it can't Defog. Meanwhile, this team has only Mantine for Defogging (and it loses to most Stealth Rocks setter). However, combining it with Corviknight forms a strong defensive Defog core.

Make Mantine Physically Defensive

Physically Defensive Mantine is the way to go. It's important because Urshifu-RS + Rain just kills this team very easily. Also, if you're looking at the Flying-type sample mono team, it is very similar to this team and has Phy Def Mantine, not SpD.

252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 164+ Def Mantine: 145-171 (38.8 - 45.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Meanwhile your spread gets 2HKOed by Close Combat.

252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Mantine: 197-232 (52.8 - 62.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Anyways this thing doesn't need SpD Investment, it's already too bulky ;)

Final Team

Me has hoped that I helped :p

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selected by
Thunderous Kick is better than close combat as what If the enemy, let's say a Mammoswine uses ice shard? With the defence drop it is a potential KO, thunderous kick is also better against walls and tanks like bronzong and pyukumuku(who can just use recover) and the defence drop for the opponent with thunderous kick will make it easier to do more and more damage.
Close Combat has got more immediate power than Thunderous Kick, which can mean the dfference between an ohko and a 2hko and getting outsped and KOd.
I'll be sure to try these changes. Thanks! :)
Thunderous Kick works better for me during battles cuz what if the opponent had a Focus Sash or a Chople Berry? With the close combat drops for the user, it might mean life or death.
How is it life or death when one can just switch out?
What if you can't?
Why would you not be able to switch out? Shadow Tag is banned, Galarian Zapdos is not affected by Arena Trap because it's a Flying type, Galarian Zapdos is scarfed and thus outspeeds most Pokemon so one can just close combat again. It wouldn't be a terible idea to use both thunderous kick and close combat though.
0 votes

This is actually a really good team with counters to the weaknessess.
Answers to the questions you asked:
For Thundurus Therian use Flash Cannon for the last slot as it is super effective against both of Thundurus Therian's weaknesses, which are rock and ice.
For Dragonite, definitely use roost as if you roost up to max HP, then Multiscale will activate again. It is up to you which move to replace.
Landorus and Thundurus are the counters to Tapu Koko. Maybe Dragonite is also OK if it can survive a Fairy move with multiscale and hit back harder with Earthquake. If it does not KO then use extreme speed the next turn and hope for the best. If you plan on using roost on Dragonite, sadly it has less viability against Tapu Koko. If you want to use roost, then against Tapu Koko, Dragon Dance would be the best move to replace. OR, you can just use dragon dance the first turn if you survive and hope for a KO with Earthquake as you will be most probably faster next turn.
For Galarian Zapdos, Thunderous Kick is 100% better as it does not have the drawbacks of defence drops for the user like close combat and it has a guaranteed chance of a defence drop for the opponent, meaning it would be easier to take down walls, tanks and stallers.

P.S for Mantine I recommend investing all E.Vs into bulk, as 70 speed is not enough to outspeed the majority of the Pokemon in the meta. Also, Mantine is VERY annoying from my personal experience in competetive. It is like I can't even do damage and then it roosts. It is an awesome special tank.

Hope it answers your questions!

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