Moose's Unova Team (Part 3)

[Moose]

And... here I am again!

After a few months of doing competitive battling (both winning and getting slaughtered), I've came to modify my team as follows. I'm aware of some of the problems in the team, but I'm asking for advice on the following Pokemon, to ensure that they're being used to their potential.

This team is for competitive single battles.

Whimsicott @ Focus Sash
252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe / Modest / Prankster / Female
- Protect
- Giga Drain
- Substitute
- Leech Seed

Role: SubSeed, also makes use as a staller. First turn, Leech Seed is executed (and guaranteed first usually, if not Focus Sash will protect her for at least one turn), and then as the opponent is being leeched, stall with protect and substitute and get in some Giga Drains, usually forces a switch).


Haxorus @ Life Orb
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / Jolly / Mold Breaker / Male
- Taunt
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance

Role: ... I guess you could call him my "extremely powerful and destroy" card. Taunt prevents status/support moves, EQ gets mold breaker, Outrage can OHKO anything that doesn't resist it (its powered by Life Orb too), and Dragon Dance is when used for when I am in the field to sweep them.


Chandelure @ Charcoal
252 HP, 4 Def, 252 Spe / Timid / Shadow Tag / Female
- Fire Blast
- Calm Mind
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball

Role: Fast special sweeper... One of my personal favorites, she traps steel types and then proceeds to murder them with a STAB Fire Blast + Charcoal. I put Energy Ball on there to be used to counter Water types like Vaporeon if they decide to swap in something resistant and I'm for whatever reason wanting to sacrifice Chande. Shadow Ball was added for the obvious STAB.


Jellicent @ Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD / Calm / Cursed Body / Female
- Scald
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Energy Ball

Role: Supporting character for sure, with her massive special defense and beautiful typing, Jellicent takes on sweepers and recovers off the damage while getting a potential burn with Scald (and it's a STAB Scald), or disabling one of their moves with Cursed Body. Energy Ball was added for other water types that switch in, and Ice Beam is for taking out Grass or Dragons that come in. Leftovers helps her recover HP lost.


Scrafty @ Expert Belt
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / Jolly / Shed Skin / Female
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
- Hi Jump Kick
- Dragon Dance

Role: Scrafy is my amazing wall for about anything. I usually swap into him whenever Haxorus or Chandelure is in trouble. STAB Crunch and STAB Hi Jump Kicks are musts, Dragon Dance was added because I know I can get a few under his belt due to his defenses and his typings, and Ice Punch for the last slot to take on Flying or Dragon types in the face.


Excadrill @ Air Balloon
4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / Jolly / Sand Rush / Male
- Return
- Metal Claw
- Earthquake
- Cross Scissor

Role: The moveset and the evs might seem strange, but I personally love using this set the most. Metal Claw is a STAB steel, and while not the most advantageous, it gives me the chance to raise my attack stat, as opposed to Swords Dance. Return is used as a decent normal-typing attack and hits everything, EQ is the typical STAB ground move, and X-Scissor for pesky Grass-types and Dark-types that want to ruin my day.

 

[KoL]

- Whimsicott could do with quite a few changes actually. Sash + Substitute is just silly, Protect + Prankster Substitute is completely redundant, and Timid would be a far better nature than Modest here too. Note that if Whimsicott has Taunt, it effectively renders itself immune to being Taunted since it carries the fastest Taunt in the game, and can simply slip its Taunt in first to prevent anyone from using the move against it. Encore I'd also consider necessary, since it'd allow Haxorus an easier setup opportunity and make trapping KOs with Chandelure very dangerous.

- I personally prefer Lum Haxorus over LO Haxorus, but either-or works. You've everything you really need here.

- Chandelure wants Wise Glasses - Charcoal is trash. Otherwise, I think you're all good here.

- Water Absorb Jellicent is worth considering here since Chandelure and Excadrill (more on the mole in just a second actually...) can be Water-type bait at times, and it helps give your team an edge against Rain Dance users somewhat (but watch out for Thundurus.)

- Scrafty could do without Hi Jump Kick actually since a potential Ghost-type switch in will cause him to suffer huge damage, and once the opponent figures out you carry this move (and they will quite quickly I'd imagine) you can bet they'll be attempting to bait this. You mentioned Scrafty's defenses already, and what I'd suggest is to combine your offense and bulk here with Drain Punch as your Fighting STAB. It might not be as powerful as the kick, but it will heal Scrafty for quite a lot of damage and make it even harder to kill after some Dragon Dance boosts.

- Excadrill without Tyranitar/Hippowdon is shit, and your moveset is terrible - the only good things here are the hold item choice and the nature. No Rock-type attack means Skarmory trashes you even worse than he normally would, no Swords Dance means Excadrill is just a mediocre sweeper with a huge Attack stat, and he doesn't even have Rapid Spin to potentially excuse all of the above. Since you don't have Sand Stream, I'd give him Rapid Spin, Earthquake, Stone Edge/Rock Slide and a fourth filler move (Swords Dance possibly, X-Scissor would be my other suggestion for this) to at least give him a purpose outside of the sandstorms.

Since I've just noticed this - you have no Stealth Rock user on a team of Pokemon that'd all get completely murdered if a Quiver Dance Volcarona ever showed up. You might want to rethink that a little.

 

[Moose]

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / Jolly / Sand Rush / Male
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Cross Scissor
- Swords Dance

Swapped around with a rock-type to deal with Skarmory.


Scrafty @ Expert Belt
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / Jolly / Shed Skin / Female
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
- Drain Punch
- Dragon Dance

Added Drain Punch as a new STAB fighting move


Whimsicott @ Focus Sash
252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe / Timid / Prankster / Female
- Encore
- Giga Drain (or Taunt?)
- Substitute
- Leech Seed

Added Encore in place of Protect, contemplating on replacing Giga Drain with Taunt, though it might not be needed.