VGC 19 Moon Series Team Report: Reshiram and Groudon's Firepower

Hi guys today I am here to bring you the team that I built in the moon series format. It is finalized in the version of being based around the concept of a Sableye supported hyper offensive core of Reshiram and Groudon. I absolutely loved this team as it hits the right amount of hyper offensive mark as well as has some interesting surprise element techs to it that give this rather unused combination the edge in troublesome matchups. Lets get started with it then.

Older Teams I made and Tested:

1st:    New Format New Idea Reshiram @ Firium Z Ability: Turboblaze EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Blue Flare - Earth Power - Protect - Tailwind Groudon @ Iapapa Berry Ability: Drought Level: 50 EVs: 196 HP / 52 Atk / 4 Def / 244 SpD / 12 Spe Careful Nature - Precipice Blades - Fire Punch - Swords Dance - Protect Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry Ability: Misty Surge Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpA / 124 SpD / 60 Spe Calm Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Moonblast - Icy Wind - Swagger - Gravity Incineroar @ Figy Berry Ability: Intimidate Level: 50 EVs: 236 HP / 236 SpD / 36 Spe Careful Nature - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - Roar - Fake Out Amoonguss @ Aguav Berry Ability: Regenerator Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD Sassy Nature IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe - Spore - Rage Powder - Grass Knot - Clear Smog Exeggutor @ Grassium Z Ability: Chlorophyll EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Sleep Powder - Solar Beam - Trick Room - Psyshock	2nd: New take on my old Team Reshiram @ Life Orb Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 92 SpA / 164 SpD / 4 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Fusion Flare - Blue Flare - Earth Power - Protect Zekrom @ Electrium Z Ability: Teravolt Level: 50 EVs: 108 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 84 SpD / 156 Spe Jolly Nature - Fusion Bolt - Bolt Strike - Crunch - Protect Crobat @ Safety Goggles Ability: Inner Focus Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature - Tailwind - Taunt - Haze - Super Fang Tsareena @ Assault Vest Ability: Queenly Majesty Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 92 SpD / 4 Spe Adamant Nature - Power Whip - High Jump Kick - Feint - Knock Off Landorus-Therian @ Groundium Z Ability: Intimidate EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature - Earthquake - Rock Slide - U-turn - Protect Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry Ability: Misty Surge Level: 50 EVs: 196 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 100 SpD / 204 Spe Timid Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Moonblast - Icy Wind - Swagger - Soak	3rd: A hybrid of what I liked from both the previous teams. Reshiram @ Life Orb Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 92 SpA / 164 SpD / 4 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Fusion Flare - Blue Flare - Earth Power - Protect Groudon @ Groundium Z Ability: Drought Level: 50 EVs: 196 HP / 52 Atk / 4 Def / 244 SpD / 12 Spe Careful Nature - Precipice Blades - Rock Slide - Swords Dance - Protect Bronzong @ Lum Berry Ability: Levitate Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD Sassy Nature IVs: 0 Spe - Gyro Ball - Trick Room - Gravity - Protect Tsareena @ Misty Seed Ability: Queenly Majesty Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 92 SpD / 4 Spe Adamant Nature - Power Whip - Low Kick - Feint - Protect Incineroar @ Aguav Berry Ability: Intimidate Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def Adamant Nature - Fake Out - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - Roar Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry Ability: Misty Surge Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpA / 124 SpD / 60 Spe Calm Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Moonblast - Icy Wind - Swagger
4th: A Completely New Direction. Wild ideas and me being careless. Reshiram @ Groundium Z Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 92 SpA / 164 SpD / 4 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Fusion Flare - Blue Flare - Earth Power - Protect Zekrom @ Life Orb Ability: Teravolt Level: 50 EVs: 108 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 84 SpD / 156 Spe Jolly Nature - Fusion Bolt - Bolt Strike - Tailwind - Protect Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry Ability: Misty Surge Level: 50 EVs: 196 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 100 SpD / 204 Spe Timid Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Moonblast - Icy Wind - Swagger - Soak Abomasnow @ Focus Sash Ability: Snow Warning EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA Modest Nature - Blizzard - Ice Shard - Grass Knot - Protect Slowking @ Aguav Berry Ability: Oblivious EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD Quiet Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Trick Room - Psyshock - Ally Switch - Scald Incineroar @ Assault Vest Ability: Blaze EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD Adamant Nature - Fake Out - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - U-turn	5th: Discovering Sableye tactics and Initial tests. Reshiram @ Firium Z Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Earth Power - Blue Flare - Tailwind - Protect Groudon @ Choice Band Ability: Drought Level: 50 EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Precipice Blades - Fire Punch - Rock Slide - Stomping Tantrum Sableye @ Focus Sash Ability: Prankster Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD Careful Nature - Fake Out - Gravity - Feint - Taunt Tapu Koko @ Assault Vest Ability: Electric Surge Level: 50 EVs: 164 HP / 4 Def / 20 SpA / 164 SpD / 156 Spe Timid Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Electroweb - Thunderbolt - Dazzling Gleam - Volt Switch Incineroar @ Aguav Berry Ability: Intimidate Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def Adamant Nature - Fake Out - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - Low Kick Accelgor @ Electric Seed Ability: Unburden Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature - Final Gambit - Encore - Gastro Acid - Feint	6th: Attempt 1 at the serious build of the Sableye core. Reshiram @ Firium Z Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Earth Power - Blue Flare - Tailwind - Protect Groudon @ Choice Band Ability: Drought Level: 50 EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Precipice Blades - Fire Punch - Rock Slide - Stomping Tantrum Sableye @ Focus Sash Ability: Prankster Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD Careful Nature - Sunny Day - Gravity - Feint - Taunt Gengar @ Ghostium Z Ability: Cursed Body Level: 50 EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe Timid Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Shadow Ball - Haze - Sludge Bomb - Icy Wind Ludicolo @ Assault Vest Ability: Swift Swim Level: 50 EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe Mild Nature - Fake Out - Grass Knot - Icy Wind - Focus Blast Ferrothorn @ Life Orb Ability: Iron Barbs Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD Brave Nature IVs: 0 Spe - Power Whip - Gyro Ball - Knock Off - Protect
7th: New try on the Sableye core concept: Reshiram @ Firium Z Ability: Turboblaze Level: 50 EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Earth Power - Blue Flare - Tailwind - Protect Groudon @ Choice Band Ability: Drought Level: 50 EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Precipice Blades - Fire Punch - Rock Slide - Stomping Tantrum Sableye @ Roseli Berry Ability: Prankster Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD Careful Nature - Sunny Day - Gravity - Shadow Sneak - Taunt Tapu Koko @ Electric Seed Ability: Electric Surge Level: 50 EVs: 164 HP / 4 Def / 180 SpA / 4 SpD / 156 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Electroweb - Reflect - Dazzling Gleam - Volt Switch Venusaur @ Expert Belt Ability: Chlorophyll Level: 50 Happiness: 0 EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Grass Knot - Protect - Sludge Bomb - Sleep Powder Smeargle @ Focus Sash Ability: Moody Level: 50 EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature - Fake Out - Follow Me - Transform - Wide Guard

Calculations for the spreads of the final Team:

-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Groudon Precipice Blades vs. 236 HP / 4 Def Incineroar: 204-240 (102 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO +2 252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Dazzling Gleam vs. 92 HP / 28 SpD Groudon: 157-186 (83.9 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO -1 220+ Atk Choice Band Groudon Precipice Blades vs. 236 HP / 4 Def Incineroar: 198-234 (99 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO 252+ SpA Ludicolo Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 108 HP / 164 SpD Groudon: 162-192 (85.7 - 101.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO 252+ SpA Venusaur Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 108 HP / 164 SpD Groudon: 174-206 (92 - 108.9%) -- 50% chance to OHKO 252+ SpA Ludicolo Hydro Vortex (185 BP) vs. 108 HP / 164 SpD Groudon in Sun: 122-146 (64.5 - 77.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 116+ SpD Roseli Berry Sableye: 130-154 (82.8 - 98%) -- guaranteed 2HK 252+ SpA Kyogre Hydro Vortex (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116+ SpD Sableye in Sun: 112-133 (71.3 - 84.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ Atk Groudon Precipice Blades vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Sableye: 118-139 (75.1 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 104 Atk Incineroar Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 132 Def Sableye in Sun: 135-159 (85.9 - 101.2%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO 252+ SpA Expert Belt Venusaur Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Groudon: 247-295 (119.3 - 142.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252+ SpA Expert Belt Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Xerneas: 175-209 (86.6 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO 252+ SpA Expert Belt Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Tapu Fini: 118-139 (66.6 - 78.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Expert Belt Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 236 HP / 132 SpD Assault Vest Tapu Koko: 122-146 (69.7 - 83.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Expert Belt Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Lele: 151-180 (103.4 - 123.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Finalized Version:

Reshiram @ Firium Z  Ability: Turboblaze  Level: 50  EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe  Modest Nature  IVs: 0 Atk  - Earth Power  - Blue Flare  - Tailwind  - Protect	Groudon @ Choice Band  Ability: Drought  Level: 50  EVs: 108 HP / 220 Atk / 4 Def / 164 SpD / 12 Spe  Adamant Nature  - Precipice Blades  - Stone Edge  - Rock Slide  - Stomping Tantrum	Sableye @ Roseli Berry  Ability: Prankster  Level: 50  EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 132 Def / 116 SpD / 4 Spe   Careful Nature  - Sunny Day  - Gravity  - Shadow Sneak  - Taunt
Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry  Ability: Misty Surge  Level: 50  EVs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpA / 124 SpD / 60 Spe  Calm Nature  IVs: 0 Atk  - Moonblast  - Icy Wind  - Reflect  - Haze	Venusaur @ Expert Belt  Ability: Chlorophyll  Level: 50  Happiness: 0  EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe  Modest Nature  IVs: 0 Atk  - Grass Knot  - Substitute  - Sludge Bomb  - Sleep Powder	Incineroar (M) @ Aguav Berry  Ability: Intimidate  Level: 50  EVs: 236 HP / 20 Def / 252 SpD  Careful Nature  - Fake Out  - Flare Blitz  - Snarl  - Roar

Individual Analyses:

Reshiram is by absolute favorite pokemon since this season was going to be one of the very few ones especially in the sense in which a pokemon like reshiram would show any sign of viability and let alone is legal, I wanted to make a team in the moon series format as well which showcased the use of reshiram to great potential. I had tried many and any team trying to incorporate let alone trying out different versions of the older zekrom + reshiram team I had in the sun series format, nothing really worked to be called a team without lying to your own self. Then finally I had started to give up and give up really bad I do remember I wanted to make a team more of a my style, hyper offensive but not a glass cannon. A team with a few suprises as well which I feel like is something quite sited to my playstyle in vgc. Then on a bored kinda feeling low day. I decided to give a try to sableye to remove the rng based nature of groudon’s offense and reshiram’s blue flares, prior to this I had tried gravity bronzing and I did like the concept but the setup seemed a bit too passive for this format, just for the lolz I did give it a go, and omg did it work, the first few initial tests were just amazing I won 3 battles in a row (its sarcasm based on how well I did in the past in this format) and I felt like this team had a serious chance though. Never did I imagine I’d build a team that uses Reshiram so frequenly bit it in the overall team does get used a lot though in the matches I’m trying to win through using amazingly strong and unexpected offensive power.

The discovery of Sableye added the base to this team then I’ll be able to make groudon as well as reshiram make its offense max with the further support of gravity allowing for 100% accurate and moves that allow to hit ground immunities, adding that up with the support of setting up a sunny day further amps up the functioning of this team especially for reshiram’s offense. Sableye has just amazing the in this format and I don’t get the idea of why doesn’t it get as much use as it does in this format, being a dark type makes it an amazing counter to pokemons like tornadus’s taunt which helps greatly in the matchups, being part ghost type saves it from the threat of fake out making it quiet the threat for this format as well as extremely easy to setup with. I did run feint on this particular sableye but I felt like I needed mainly a form of offense to break any potential focus sash on my opponents. Feint would have done the job well, but with the idea of having now both double and single target coverage on my choiced groudon, felt like shadow sneak was the better option especially for the very reasoning of breaking down lunala’s shadow shield in this format and it definitely does help a whole lot. Taunt with fake out immunity makes it great option for xerneas paired up with incineroar. I had previously tried a whole lot of methods and cores to make reshiram and groudon work, imo sableye is the only support that works the best, especially for my hyper offensive and surprise oriented playstyle.

Choice band was the very idea of a hyper offensive Groudon I had done quite some testing with groudon and reshiram and more controlled or setup and passive ways didn’t work then I’d always be giving groudon the z move and reshiram misses out on important offense aspects on this team not making it as useful on this team. The move choices are the next thing to explain here. Precipice blades and rock slide as self explanatory. But for the other two I kept stone edge and stomping tantrum. Firstly the absence of a fire type more can be much enough explained by facts that I’d like to use incineroar or reshiram as the source of my fire type moves. Stone edge can help against wide guard users further aided a whole lot by the gravity setup as well as hitting yveltals for greater damage so goes forlugias. Stomping tantrum again beats wide guard as counters as well as backfires the opponents’ attempts to switch into immunities or protect for positioning against this groudon.

Venusaur. A few different things that can be seen on this venusaur are the expert belt as well as the substitute option the former is basically chosen to get the surprise amount of damage in those few select mons that it does really well against, tsareena, ludicolo, koko, lele, fini, xerneas as well as the weather duo that this mon was the primary counter too, that also brings the reasoning to the latter substitute option, whenever using venusaur in the games I never felt like I wanted to use something like protect, I’d rather go for different moves than going for a protect, in that case where venusaur was a big contributor to this match I felt like using something dangerous like a substitute really would amplify that aspect of it. And will allow it to last longer in a battle in the absence of a focus sash. Venusaur particularly helps out in the battle of xerneas in matchups that keep tsareena on their teams.

Tapu Fini again is a simple but effective pokemon in this team with probably only one questionable option, the move reflect, to move that out of the way, in certain groudon matchups I’d chose grudon, reshiram as well as sableye in the game, then I won’t have my clear answeres to the opposing groudons, for clearing that out of the way, I felt like bringing in tapu fini was the best option I had where it could switch in and then go for reflect that will give my groudon as well as reshiram a shield against the opposing groudon which did work out in practice as wells, though I didn’t use it much at all, it did work for the purpose when I did. Tapu fini also provides an amazing form of speed control to the mediocre speeds of reshiram and groudon and just one icy wind can make then faster than most of this format’s pokemon. Yveltal can be a big threat to my groudon it could also have a great answer for that as well as the horrendously powerful and offensive duo of palkia and kyogre, it could take in switch ins from them, lower their speeds as well as go for moonblasts against them haze is just another option to use against intimidate switches watering down my groudon’s offense as well as xerneas or other surprising and threatening setup moves.

Incineroar’s spread is copied because I felt like this was the only pokemon I needed as a tech against specific matchups that my other embers failed to counter easily, namely I felt like psychic spam teams, lunala, lugia and kartana were giving me the most amount of trouble incineroar could easily check all these mons, that is why the bulkier spread really does happen to help. Roar is chosen over a dark or fighting coverage move for getting rd of psych up lugia, lunala as well as xerneas’ setup in the matches where I won’t be bringing a sableye or tapu fini, similarly goes for trick room countering. Incineroar is a effective pokemon and does its job very well on this team as well.

Playing the Team:

The best way I can describe myself playing with this team is by going for disruptive and set up based tactics on the lead and then following up with the attempts of stopping or neutralizing your opponents’ set up while trying to set up your own game.

 Common leads:

 

Sableye + Reshiram: Here either I can switch to groudon or set up sunny day for disruption while reshiram goes with its firium z to immediately take out a threat, or Reshiram neutralizes the opponents’ tailwind (mostly talking about that raindeer matchup with tornadus) sableye can definitely use moves like taunt to disrupt setup or go for gravity for that groudon + reshiram game on the field.

Another rather uncommon but not unknown lead is definitely the Groudon+ Venusaur: lead a whole lot more offense oriented on the get go but still the speedy sleep powders followed by the threat of groudon’s offense shake up some teams well. Incineroar and Tapu Fini usually end up being in the back of the team where and when I need that status immunity, intimidate disruption or mainly switching in to big threatening attacks of my opponents.

Conclusion:

Guys this was it for my moon series team I really am happy with the end result that this team gave me as well as it faces off against many of the common archetypes in this format, this is still in the middle of the series format and with new pokemons being discovered I might as well be making a few changes to this team as well as the ultra series format which literally is a no holds barred format in terms of power creeps in the game so I probably will be posting more articles maybe regarding the updates or who knows maybe an entirely new team in the format. Bye for now