I made this team a couple days ago, and I've managed to pilot it all the way to a top 200 ranking on the Pokemon Showdown National Dex Doubles ladder. I'm can't help but admit that I'm very proud of it, but I'm always looking for ways to improve, so please poke holes in my team. What am I missing? Is their a strategy I'm particularly weak against? Is their something I should be calculating for that I'm not currently? Please let me know!
Gallade-Mega @ Galladite
Ability: Justified
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Atk / 96 Def / 148 SpD
Impish Nature
- Teleport
- Wish
- Drain Punch
- Psycho Cut
Mega Gallade is who I planned to build this team around to begin with, as Gallade is my favorite Pokemon. Competitively, there isn't much reason to use it over something like Mega Lucario or Mega Medicham if one plans to use it as a pure attacker, so I thought I'd dip into its notable support movepool when building it. I still decided to allocate 12 attack EVs to it just to increase the load it can carry offensively, but it isn't built to deal with any one thing. Teleport and Wish are the heart of this set, allowing Mega Gallade to both get other mons in safely because of Teleport's negative priority and heal damaged teammates with Wish. In conjunction with its naturally high attack and speed, Gallade is able to be a legitimate threat to opposing Pokemon while also increasing the longevity of my team as a whole. The many EVs and the nature in its defenses keeps it an issue for most of the game, allowing it to pick up pivotal KOs or perform a vital Wish pass, both of which have won me games. It tends to not be too good on lead in spite of inner focus, just because of the more defensive and supportive nature of how I built, so sometimes it feels like I'm playing with 5 Pokemon instead of 6. Great late game though, and it certainly carries its weight. Megas can't tera, so don't worry about that part of the set.
Overqwil @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Atk / 204 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Crunch
- Waterfall
- Poison Jab
Overqwil was more an idea in the teambuilder, and I didn't think it'd work as well as it has until I started playing with it. It's able to outspeed a max speed Dragapult (excluding any speed boosts, or the scarf being knocked off), and has enough attack to really hurt said Dragapult with Crunch. Admittedly, I only ran into one Dragapult online, but Overqwil still serves as an incredibly powerful physical attacker that has great defensive utility. Its intimidate retroactively raises the physical bulk of my whole team, and its singular weakness to ground meshes well with its solid defenses to make it hard to truly get rid of in a match if I conserve it right. Gunk Shot slams full health fairies and is a two shot on many other things, while poison jab serves as a great alternative to use on less than 55% mons. Crunch makes it a solid Gholdengo check, and either Crunch or Gunk Shot make it an excellent counter to Flutter Manes. Tera Water is solid to get out of some sticky situations with Landorus, and combined with Waterfall, this thing can actually become a very scary Pokemon in rain. Overall, Overqwil is a great lead, revenge killer, and switch-in to many Pokemon, but its reliance on Choice Scarf does make it rather inflexible at times.
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 72 SpA / 48 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Scary Face
- Wildbolt Storm
- Rain Dance
Prankster Thundurus serves as the disruptor and enabler of this team, and it may be the most important of the 6. Tera Ghost dodges Fake-Out if necessary, but it isn't something I've ever felt the need to Tera that often. Taunt really hurts opposing support Pokemon, Scary Face enables my attackers to grab unexpected KOs and helps with pesky Trick Room teams, and Rain Dance combos well with Overqwil, Volcanion, and Wildbolt Storm to make a makeshift rain trio for sweeps and weather control. Its largely defensive EV spread allows it to stick around for quite a while, meaning it can control the battlefield in most phases of a match if I play right. Great Lead, great switch-in, excellent mid-game, and solid late-game. I may be biased, but I feel like this one is flawless.
Volcanion @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Steam Eruption
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
Volcanion is meant to be an all out special attacker with some defensive investment just for staying power. Steam Eruption is threatening to any non-resistant Pokemon (especially in rain), and Heat Wave is a scary spread move that gives me another Gholdengo check. Tera Fire just allows for increased offenses and a makes it an extremely potent counter to Sun Teams. Will-O-Wisp is cripples physical threats when I can get away with using it, and Rest + Chesto Berry gives Volcanion crazy staying power over the course of a match. Its a perfect weather counter, and dangerous as a nuclear special attacking threat. Great Lead, great-mid game, great- end game.
Rillaboom @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Atk / 60 Def
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Grassy Glide
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Rillaboom serves the same roll as Volcanion, except with physical attacks and a smidge more utility. Assault Vest and defensive investment give it plenty of staying power, and Grassy Surge really helps out both Overqwil and Volcanion with ground attacks. Its a good pivot pokemon with U-Turn, controls terrain well, disrupts strategies with Fake Out, and does big damage with both Grassy Glide and Knock Off. It hits hard, disrupts, and stays alive, what more could you want? Tera Grass is for extra damage, enough said. Excellent lead Pokemon, and useful at all phases of a battle.
Chien-Pao @ Icium Z
Ability: Sword of Ruin
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Shard
- Ice Spinner
- Crunch
- Protect
Finally, Chien-Pao serves as an overwhelming damage dealer that enables my other physical attackers through Sword of Ruin. Icium Z allows it to OHKO an opposing Pokemon turn one to set the tide of a battle in my favor, which has come in handy many a time. Ice Shard makes it a great clean up option, Ice Spinner works great as a consistent Ice STAB for big damage (Doesn't mesh too well with Rillaboom, but the 100% accuracy swayed me to it over Icicle Crash), and Crunch is a deadly Dark STAB. Protect gives it a bit more staying power, and that's the set. Good Lead, but hard to get back on the field after a switch out.
Common Leads I've Used: Overqwil and Chien-Pao, Volcanion and Thundurus, Rillaboom and Chien-Pao
Thank you for reading me half-breakdown half-ramble about this team! If there's any holes in it or any strategies with this squad I don't seem to be utilizing, please let me know.
