This is the story of the team that I used to get to Masterball tier with an 11-win streak on the first day of Regulation M-C in Pokemon Champions.
If you read my first impressions post on Regulation M-C, you might remember me mentioning a Lucario Z team here. Well, I did try that team out on the first day, and while Lucario felt strong, my picks around the new Mega felt lackluster for Day 1. So, I quickly switched gears to the other team I had planned: the Mega Salamence + Sand Core.
How Did I Come Up With This Idea?
This is actually a team I had theorized beforehand to have Sinistcha and Rotom Wash for perfect synergy in the last 2 slots. This was, from a meta relevance POV, a swap from Mega Staraptor to Mega Salamence, Mega Staraptor would feel worse off with the major buff to Psyspam in this metagame. Moreover, with this being the first day of the format, I wanted to give more love to the newly added Pokemon on the roster. So, I switched the Sinistcha idea to a Rillaboom, and then, noticing I had 4 dedicated Physical attackers, Milotic became my final slot choice.
This team felt extremely solid right off the bat. The historically proven combination of Salamence with Excadrill and Tyranitar proved to be a classic in this format with immediate effect. The team's Pokepaste is available here: https://pokepast.es/de01e1d6fe044fe2
Individual Member Analysis
- 32 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 32 HP / 25 SpD Archaludon: 115-136 (58.3 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 0- Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 2 HP / 0 Def Sneasler: 302-356 (192.3 - 226.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- 0- Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Rillaboom: 218-260 (105.3 - 125.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- 32 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 32 HP / 2 SpD Kingambit: 110-130 (53.1 - 62.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
- 32 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Rillaboom: 174-206 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
I take back my words on Lucario Z because, pound for pound, I believe Mega Salamence is the best new Mega released in Regulation M-C. All of the previous strong points hold up really well. Its ability, Intimidate, is valuable, as is its ability to make Charchomp go extinct with immediate effect.
Being able to dish out solid damage to Rillaboom and Sneasler, often in 1 turn with Hyper Voice, is also invaluable on Day 1 of the format, where most of the format is experimenting with Sneasler pairing with a Terrain setter.
The choice between going for Double-Edge or a Fire coverage move between Flamethrower and Heat Wave is optional. Since Mega Metagross is making a comeback and Salamence doesn't hit Steel types for super effective damage, packing this moveslot is going to be necessary to hit Steel types. However, even at 0 stat point investment with a Timid nature, Double-Edge does more damage than a spread Hyper Voice, making it a strong contender to be selected.
Speed here is something I kept at max to not take chances against opposing Mega Salamence and, at best, be tied in a mirror and OHKO them with Draco Meteor. A lot of people are running Double-Edge and Hyper Voice and dropping the 3rd attack for Flamethrower, but I believe that in the early format, I need that strong Dragon STAB attack.
- 0+ Atk Sneasler Close Combat vs. +1 32 HP / 1 Def Archaludon: 102-120 (51.7 - 60.9%) -- 90.23% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 32+ Atk Garchomp Stomping Tantrum vs. +1 21 HP / 0 Def Sneasler: 144-170 (81.8 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (for maximal grassy terrain recovery)
- 17+ Atk Sneasler Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 32 HP / 1 Def Sneasler: 188-222 (100.5 - 118.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- 13+ Atk Sneasler Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 32 HP / 1 Def Sneasler: 182-216 (97.3 - 115.5%) -- 81.25% chance to OHKO \0- Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. +1 21 HP / 0 Def Sneasler: 204-240 (115.9 - 136.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- 32 Atk Sneasler Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. +1 21 HP / 0 Def Sneasler: 126-150 (71.5 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I was initially thinking of Sneasler as a White Herb support lead with Salamence, but with the newly added Grassy Seed and my approach of putting Rillaboom on the team, I had to try it out.
Sneasler, in the games I played, did a hybrid of both. In some games, it worked as a Fake Out disruptor and a fast attacker, while in other games, it stood by Rillaboom's support and got the Grassy Seed boost to land key damage onto opponents.
The Stat spread needs a lot of refining to account for the added bulk from the Grassy Seed item, but for Day 1, I feel like simple bulk and balance between offense is good enough. Acrobatics was my 4th moveslot of choice, as it allows me to hit opposing Sneasler, Sinistcha, and even Basculegion for more damage.
- 32+ Atk Excadrill High Horsepower vs. +1 2 HP / 0 Def Sneasler: 186-218 (118.4 - 138.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- 32+ Atk Excadrill High Horsepower vs. 2 HP / 0 Def Mega Metagross: 132-156 (84 - 99.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Excadrill is as basic as it gets. I dropped Earthquake for Rock Slide, given Rillaboom would be everywhere as well as being on my team, and Rock Slide flinches could save critical games for me. Funnily enough, Sneasler + Excadrill was a common lead I found myself going for against Weather-based teams, with Tyranitar waiting in the back as a key switch-in option.
Tyranitar is again quite a simple affair. Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed Pokemon like opposing Garchomp, Basculegion, Charizard, and Metagross, all options that would otherwise threaten it with big damage.
The swap to Crunch over the usual Knock Off to account for Psychic Seed Indeedee and Mega Metagross, and Superpower over Low Kick to land more damage on Kingambit and Archaludon when in a tricky situation, were swaps I made and thought would be key to this early format state.
- 32+ SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 32 HP / 9 SpD Rillaboom: 174-206 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- 32 Atk Adaptability Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Rillaboom: 170-200 (82.1 - 96.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- 32+ Atk Adaptability Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 32 HP / 7 Def Rillaboom: 174-206 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- 18+ Atk Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 2 HP / 0 Def Basculegion in Grassy Terrain: 170-204 (86.2 - 103.5%) -- 18.75% chance to OHKO
- 32+ Atk Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 2 HP / 0 Def Basculegion in Grassy Terrain: 186-222 (94.4 - 112.6%) -- 68.75% chance to OHKO
Rillaboom might look strange to you here given its Brave nature, but I intentionally opted for it given the advantage it gives me against opposing minimum-speed Indeedee. If they aren't minimum speed on the leads, I can win the Terrain war immediately and disrupt with Fake Out.
I was expecting tons of Psychic Spam and Trick Room, so minimum speed also helps out a ton in that regard. Late-game Choice Scarf Basculegion with its Last Respects felt like a key threat, so I opted for EVs to survive Hyper Voice from Mega Salamence and the Attack EVs to OHKO 32/32/2 Basculegion with Grassy Glide.
- Defensive:
- 32+ Atk Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Milotic in Grassy Terrain: 162-192 (80.1 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- -1 32+ Atk Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 22 HP / 31+ Def Milotic in Grassy Terrain: 158-188 (82.2 - 97.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- 32+ Atk Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 22 HP / 31+ Def Milotic in Grassy Terrain: 110-132 (57.2 - 68.7%) -- 13.67% chance to 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery and Sitrus Berry recovery
- Offensive:
- +2 8 SpA Milotic Icy Wind vs. 2 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 144-172 (83.7 - 100%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO
- +2 8 SpA Milotic Icy Wind vs. 2 HP / 0- SpD Mega Salamence: 160-192 (93 - 111.6%) -- 68.75% chance to OHKO
- +4 8 SpA Milotic Scald vs. 32 HP / 20+ SpD Incineroar: 242-288 (119.8 - 142.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- +4 8 SpA Milotic Muddy Water vs. 32 HP / 20+ SpD Incineroar: 204-242 (100.9 - 119.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Milotic was by far the least-brought Pokemon in the games I played, given I didn't find much Incineroar or Salamence, whereas I played tons more Metagross and Charizard Y. BUT whenever I did bring Milotic, it more than pulled its weight.
The choice between Muddy Water and Scald is optional. I never clicked Protect or Recover on this mon either. The Stat spread I came up with also favors it well for Day 1, so I'm happy with how it turned out.
I would keep this short and sweet with this post. Just here so people can pick this up and take it for a spin on the Pokemon Champions Ladder, the team is simple enough to pilot between its components. Best of luck for your first season in Regulation M-C. And stay tuned for fun teams and teambuilding challenges that I am about to bring on the blog!
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