How is my Dragonite balance team? (BDSP OU)
Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
Dragonite is a set-up sweeper. The boosts from Dragon Dance allow it to outspeed most Pokemon, and OHKO most Pokemon with Outrage. If Outrage won’t work, there is also Earthquake (Steel-types) and Extreme Speed (for other priority users). Lum Berry helps with confusion and other status problems.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 196 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
Tentacruel is a pivot and spinner than can debuff the opponent’s Pokemon. Scald and Sludge Wave can hit the Pokemon Tentacruel switches into, like Grass- and Fairy-types. Knock Off can make the Pokemon easier to finish off with teammates.
Arcanine @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp
This Arcanine set is a mix of defence and offence. Flare Blitz is STAB and Close Combat can hit cover some of Arcanine’s weaknesses. Morning Sun recovers HP to stop it being worn down. Will-O-Wisp is for burning physical attackers, and it works well in combination with Intimidate.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Fairly typical support set. Spikes set hazards, Brave Bird to avoid Taunt, Roost for recovery and Whirlwind to phase out sweepers when the other team members can’t handle it. Sturdy helps for this purpose, since the only sweepers that can dodge Whirlwind then use multi-hit moves.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Another set-up sweeper, although this one I use more like a wallbreaker. Psychic hits hard with Nasty Plot, as do Shadow Ball and Focus Blast, which hit targets that resist Psychic. Focus Sash lets Alakazam survive one attack, which works well with Magic Guard.
Weavile @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Throat Chop
- Poison Jab
Weavile is an extra wallbreaker that gives different coverage to the other team members. Icicle Crash and Throat Chop cover a good portion of metagame. Ice Shard is priority, which is always handy to have. Poison Jab covers Fairy-types.
This post is an example RMT, connected with this guide about good RMT posts. It is an OK example, because:
- The post mentions it’s a balance team, but it doesn’t do much else to set the stage. What is the team’s endgame, and how does it hope to get there?
- The post attaches roles to each Pokemon, which says something about the person’s intentions while teambuilding. However, it doesn’t explain what features made the Pokemon favourable compared to the other options.
- The above point also applies to the set descriptions. For example, why is covering Fairy-types with Poison Jab preferable to covering Steel-types with Brick Break?
- The descriptions give some info about how the sets are supposed to work, which helps you understand the person’s strategy. However, it doesn’t say much about how those strategies might fit together to create synergy, or why they might be good in the BDSP OU meta.
- The set descriptions explain some of the “why” behind each coverage move, but they could be more specific still. The post says Shadow Ball is for Pokemon that resist Psychic, but what Pokemon are those? What if there are no relevant Pokemon in BDSP OU that can tank Psychic? A more direct justification can be given.
- It doesn’t feel like this person is asking for feedback. The post mostly reads like a list of reasons their team is good, with little thought process to scrutinise. It’s hard to know what they’d like us to talk about.
