Rate My Gen 9 AG Team

Question

The format is Gen 9 AG ( Scarlet & Violet ). Here’s my team:

Meowscarada @ Choice Band
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Flower Trick
- Leech Seed
- U-turn

Explanation: This is my physical attacker. Knock Off and Flower Trick is STAB, Leech Seed is for healing that can also support other pokemon ( if you switch out ) and U-Turn is a pivot move. I chose it because when I used it, it was a very good sweeper! It OHKOed almost everything including Dugtrio, Galarian Articuno, and left an Armarouge with red HP.

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Chien-Pao @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Sword of Ruin
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Psychic Fangs
- Recover
- Sucker Punch

Explanation: First, you might be wondering why I put 2 dark types on this team. Well, my main intention is to Tera Electric Chien Pao and sweep Ground types with Icicle Crash. I thought about using Ice Spinner, but I didn’t have problems with Icicle Crash’s accuracy and I like the flinch chance, so I chose it. It also acts as a Miraidon counter, and also has a lot of offensive utility, & Recover is healing. The reason I didn’t put crunch on it’s moveset is because since I’m mostly gonna Tera it, it wouldn’t recieve STAB well as Meowscarada can spam STAB boosted Knock-Off attacks.

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Maushold-Four @ Wide Lens
Ability: Technician
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tidy Up
- Population Bomb
- Bite
- Low Kick

Explanation: I chose Maushold because it proved to be AMAZING in battle. With wide lens, almost all of the hits from population bomb succeed and that is practically 200 damage if all of them don’t miss ( and that’s not even calculating Technician and STAB!! )

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Glimmora @ Leftovers
Ability: Toxic Debris
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Def / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
- Power Gem

Explanation: This is my Special Attacker. It has odd EVs for an attacker, but let me explain. I used this set just to tweak Glimmora’s defensive side, and when I used it against my friend, it SWEEPED his team. ( it killed 5 of his pokemon ). It kept surviving hits and eventually KOing his pokemon. For other battles, it only got OHKOed by ground types and Miraidon, but usually is very strong. Here is the the document for the battle ( against my friend ) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DoAHPhlpATxlYNUEugct8BBk5po-9QJO/view?usp=drivesdk
Power Gem is STAB that covers a whole lot of Meowscarada’s weaknesses, and Stealth Rock is almost the same thing ( you set it up and switch into Mewoscarada, and if the opponent switches into something super affective, Stealth Rock will probably be super affective ).

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Skeledirge @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torch Song
- Slack Off
- Curse
- Will-O-Wisp

Explanation: This is my staller. Torch Song is to kill other stallers over time, Slack Off is healing, Will-O-Wisp is phasing and Curse is when you know you are gonna die the next turn even if you use Slcak Off ( basically a wild card ).

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Lucario (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Inner Focus
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Extreme Speed
- Shadow Claw

Explanation: This is my Lucario. It’s usually an offensive wild card, using High Jump Kick and Extreme Speed as it’s main attack style. Shadow Claw is coverage, Swords Dance is set up.

That’s my team. Thank You!

Comments

Why Lucario over Koraidon?

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A lot of these team requires extreme overhauling. Koraidon>Lucario as J said, Maushold is walled by Flutter Mane, Chien-Pao should definitely not have Recover, and you have only two SpA attackers which are stall/lead. AG is mainly Hyper-Offense, so stallers are usually not necessary, so I would replace Skeledirge with Miraidon, maybe Glimmora with Great Tusk/Iron Treads (which completely annihilate it with an Earthquake/Headlong Rush and a Rapid Spin), and Maushold with Flutter Mane.

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But how do you get Miraidon AND Koraidon? I thought they were version exclusive? Also Great Tusk ( Ground/Fighting ) and Koraidon ( Fighting/Dragon ) has stacking types ( Fighting ).

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Aren't you playing on pokemon showdown? If you're playing on cartridge,  you can still get Koraidon / Miraidon through trading regardless of which version you're playing.

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https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/354077/how-much-type-overlap-is-ok-on-a-team
Generally, a bit of type overlap is fine, especially since Koraidon always serves as a sweeper as opposed to Great Tusk which can run a variety of roles including bulky support.

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Focus Sash over Leftovers for Glimmora, why Leech Seed and Choice Band on Meowscarada?

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@Hallucinogens  Actually, with 252 EVs in both defenses, it’s hard to OHKO my Glimmora unless it’s an Electro Drift + Electric Terrain or is a ground type move. Choice Band for more power ( because the Meowscarada moveset with the most votes on db had it, ) and leech seed is healing ( and also because I had the 4 moveset syndrome ).

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Leech Seed is a really bad move to be locked into, so it's not reccomended with choice items. There's a lot of strong attackers in AG which will easily 0hko Glimmora, most teams have at least one. If they see Glimmora, they'll send it out first and it won't get any hazards up.

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Wait, so are you saying Glimmora is bad overall? Or is it the moveset I gave it?

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I’d say it’s bad overall, a better hazard setter would be Iron Treads or Great Tusk.

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Yeah, i agree with Hallucinogens, also, Iron treads/Great Tusk can remove any hazards your opponent has set up as well as being immune to toxic spikes, as well as a proto-speed iron treads outspeeds even miraidon

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Yeah, i agree with Hallucinogens, also, Iron treads/Great Tusk can remove any hazards your opponent has set up as well as being immune to toxic spikes, as well as a proto-speed iron treads outspeeds even miraidon, also i have to acknowledge something else here, you say "Well, my main intention is to Tera Electric Chien Pao and sweep Ground types with Icicle Crash." but you weren't really counting on the fact that ground types would wreck chien-pao

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Another thing, you claim that glimmora is your special attacker, 4 Spa doesnt count as a Special attacker in all honesty

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Great Tusk isn’t immune to Toxic Spikes.

Answer 1

To start, most of this team tends to be outclassed in AG, notably Lucario and Koraidon, as J pointed out. This is going to be a large overhaul, so stay with me.

Meowscarada

Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Rapid Spin

Choice Band and Leech Seed is a bad combo, and Meowscarada is obsolete in AG, getting annihilated by Koraidon, Chien-Pao, etc. This Tusk set acts as a bulky attacker, while not being restricted by Band. Tera Steel to turn most weaknesses into resistances, SR and Rapid Spin enables it to be a nice spinner. Tusk over Treads because Tusk's weaknesses are less common in AG, as opposed to Treads' weaknesses in Fire, Ground, Fighting, etc.

Chien-Pao

Chien-Pao @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sword of Ruin
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brick Break
- Icicle Crash
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

This set is more reliant on spinners, which will be explained later. For now, Swords Dance, Focus Sash, and Tera Ghost can usually get you a +2 or +4 boost on Icicle Crash or Sucker Punch (I prefer Ice Spinner, especially since it gets rid of terrain and abilities that depend on it like Quark Drive, but your preference), and Brick Break over Psychic Fangs for better coverage, you don't really need to be covering Fighting-types like Koraidon, since you have Icicle Crash.

Maushold

Flutter Mane @ Life Orb
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Mystical Fire
- Shadow Ball
- Moonblast

Another switch I'm making. Maushold is completely walled by any competent Ghost (the only prevalent AG ones being Houndstone and Flutter Mane), so I thought it'd be ironic to replace Maushold with Flutter Mane. The moveset is a pretty plain Calm Mind set, and the EVs guarantee at least speed tie with the unboosted twin 'Dons, Chien-Pao, and opposing Flutter Mane. You can also run a Timid 124 Spe spread to guarantee a Protosynthesis speed boost thanks to Koraidon while maxing SpD, but that can be used as you get more comfortable with the team. Sun Mystical Fire Tera Fire also hits like a truck.

Glimmora

Iron Bundle @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Hydro Pump
- Flip Turn

Generally, Glimmora is a pretty subpar SpA attacker due to its crippling 4x Ground weakness, as well as other strong moves such as Band Koraidon's Collision Course. Since we have a nice lead in Tusk, let's add a SpA attacker. the fastest viable Pokémon in the tier, it outspends even scarves in Quark Drive, along with a monstrous SpA that is added to with Specs. Ice Beam and Freeze Dry are included to scare off the rare Dondozo, but also because this thing has pretty bad coverage. Flip Turn for momentum, and the EVs guarantee the outspeeding and Quark Drive speed boost.

Skeledirge

Miraidon @ Life Orb
Ability: Hadron Engine
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Electro Drift
- Overheat
- Dragon Pulse

As I mentioned in the comments, Skeledirge as a staller is pretty obsolete in AG. You're missing both 'Dons, so here are they. Standard Calm Mind set, with Life Orb and nice coverage. Sets terrain for Bundle as well.

Lucario

Koraidon @ Choice Band
Ability: Orichalcum Pulse
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Outrage
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn

Pretty average Band Koraidon Set. U-Turn to pivot, Flare Blitz is ridiculous with Orichalcum Pulse, Tera Fire, and Band. Close Combat over Collision Course because if you get hit, then you didn't set up for this thing properly. Max speed to tie with FM, twin 'Dons, and Chien-Pao (be wary of Ice Shard). Do not underestimate U-Turn, it still deals great damage.

Okay, so as a summary, I swapped Meowscarada, Maushold, Glimmora, Skeledirge, and Lucario for Great Tusk, Flutter Mane, Iron Bundle, Miraidon, and Koraidon respectively, as well as changing Chien-Pao's set. Hope I helped!

Answer 2

Here are some improvements:

For Meowscarada, it's better if you replace leach seed with a move like play rough to counter fighting type Pokemon as it is a choice band Pokemon.

For Chein-Pao, I suggest changing its tera type because I don't see the point of it being electric if it's supposed to able to defeat ground-type Pokemon while still being weak to it.

For Glimmora, You should replace Sludge Bomb with Venoshock as any Pokemon that enters the battlefield will immediately be poisoned so the move will do double damage.

For Skeledirge, I just don't understand why its tera type is fighting so could you explain the reason for this?

And finally, Mousehold, it can learn crunch which is much better than bite

I hope this was helpful :)

Comments

Bite is used over Crunch due to Technician which raises its BP to 90 as opposed to Crunch’s 80, as well as Bite’s flinch chance.

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oh okay that makes sense