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Introduction

Hi, my handle is Kickz and I'm fairly new to competitive VGC. I started watching on and off after Sejun's worlds run but only started playing after the release of SW/SH (also on and off). I'm probably the most inconsistent player you'll ever meet because I like to experiment and still have trouble seeing certain lines. I've been as high as the top 400 and dropped as far down as the 25k in masterball. I started this season in the dumpster (20k lol) as I couldn't really adapt to the crazy changes within the last two months (IoA and series 6). Fortunately this fun and interesting team has been showing some promise (90% WR).

I suffer from anxiety, so battling for long periods of time is rather hard for me. Therefore, I usually just get my monthly MB rank and push a bit to sort of explore the meta and my personal level before I exhaust myself. I'm nearing that exhaustion point (And there's Gilfest on FGO), so I figured I'd share the team now that I'm sort of done for the season. Hopefully someone will find success with it and maybe it'll even inspire others to explore some of these underused pokemon.

My socials

• Twitter
• Twitch

On a more sad note, I've haven't really got many friends to talk to about pokemon. I do randomly have CybertronVGC on my legaue of legends friends list from when I randomly ran into him in a TFT lobby, but I never messaged him because I didn't want to be that fan that talked pokemon while he was trying to play another game. So I ask that people follow me on twitter/twitch and maybe we can talk pokemon. I'll be tweeting my teams and random ideas if you're interested. Although I'm probably done playing pokemon for the month, I've done some team build and laddering streams in the past on twitch. I'll most likely be doing FGO and Persona 4 streams until the end of the month but I'm open to talking about pokemon while I grind.

Explanation

Team is a hyper aggressive team that uses natural/unnatural immunities and resistances as a defensive layer. The team has natural synergy with the two stars of the team, boltund and diggersby. There are a total of 3 resistance and 1 immunity to electric on the team. With boltunds electrify, these pokemon are able to continue dishing out their damage without feeling the need to switch or protect. Likewise this team carries 3 immunities and 1 resistance to ground. This allows the normally self destructive diggersby to fire off EQs without worry for its teammates.

Pokemon

Boltund

Item: Focus Sash

This item is sort of weird because it doesn't actually see use half the time because it usually gets hit by an electrified target. Ironically it has been proc'd by my own diggersby's EQ more than my opponents. Though it's generally worth it as there's not much that can survive a helping hand EQ. Although that situation is rather risky, I still stand by the sash because of priority moves that can't be electrified and the possible double threat that could be on my opponents side still gives it value. I have considered a healing berry if I were to go with a bulkier spread. However, the offensive spread has proven to be more useful currently.

Ability: Competitive

There's not really much to say about it besides the fact that it gets triggered an ungodly amount of times, making it an unintentional pseudo sweeper. It's fairly new, but with some time I'm sure people will figure out what it does and it'll function as a deterrent for stat drops like I originally intended it for.

Spread: Timid 4/0/0/252/0/252

Standard fast pokemon spread. Boltunds defenses are sort of mediocre outside of when it gets hit by an electric move, so it makes more sense to invest into offense where it has potential to pick up KOs with the help of competitive procs.

Moveset

• Electrify: Bread and butter of the team. Adds a defensive layer to the team and controls match tempo. It is sort of weak to moves like Ally switch though, but that's to be expected with any targeted debuff. Another interesting use is converting enemy G max move, preventing secondary effects like resonance or smite. Another strange trait of this move is that it can work on ground pokemon, unlike all other electric moves.
• Thunderbolt: Generic stab move for dealing damage. Rising voltage is worth consideration as electrified max move will likely set up the terrain for you. However, thunderbolt is just stable damage off the rip.
• Helping hand: After the heavy fake out meta of series 5, I've grown fond of the move. It allows you an option when there's fake out pressure and gives you the ability to grab KO's you're normally not able to get.
• Nuzzle: 2nd form of speed control for when tailwind runs out. The team has a lot of mid tier speed pokemon, so speed control is very important.

Other considerations

• Snarl: Good defensive tool. I just choose not to run it because it's usually a better choice to electrify.
• Eerie impulse/Charm: Boltund has access to both physical and special attack debuff, which is amazing. However, again, can't justify it when we've got electrify
• howl: 1 on diggersby or tsareena could really help. However, I can't justify a moveslot for 1 stats. It is technically 2, but you'd need to switch to physical boltund to make use of that.

Diggersby

Item: Choice band

I prefer to band diggersby since I'm usually choosing not to dynamax it in favor of the EQ spread. I think life orb is a fine choice if you wanted to dynamax diggersby and it's usually a fine one too as max ground is usually a strong choice. However, hydreigon is sort of underwhelming in terms of KO potential without dynamax I feel.

Ability: Huge Power

The ability that allows diggersby to do the big damage. Not much to say, except watch out for moves that null or copy abilities like trace, strange steam, and worryseed.

Spread: Adamant 4/252/0/0/0/252

Standard physically offensive spread. Adamant nature to maximize damage output. I've considered using a bulkier set, but diggersby is sort of frail regardless of what hits it. Also it really needs the extra speed as its speed is in the middle of the pack, especially if the opponent carries their own speed control moves like icy wind or bulldoze.

Moveset

• EQ: Sort of bread and butter of the team. It's able to ohko everything that's weak to ground and even some that take neutral damage from it. It puts on serious pressure and will occasionally force a switch to a floaty boy or a premature dynamax. Many games have been won on this move alone.
• High horsepower: the less exciting but safer ground stab. I'll usually opt for this if I'm setting up for a boltund/diggersby end game. I really hate the move because of the accuracy rating. Why not just make it 100%, 95% gives me unneeded anxiety.
• Gigaimpact: If you thought EQ was a dumb move, you'd be surprised by how many dynamax pokemon you can oneshot with this move. Again accuracy check gives me anxiety.
• Quick Attack: Useful priority move, but most importantly 100% accurate. Usually reserved for end game where I can't really be missing moves and the priority may matter with tailwind likely being down.

Other considerations

• Elemental Punches: More coverage is always nice
• Bounce: a move to consider if you're using this as a dynamax pokemon. Great for setting up for when tailwind ends
• Foul Play: a strangely strong move as diggersby's own atk stat is actually potato without huge power. Huge power also applies to borrowed atk stat, making it hit harder than you'd actually expect.
• sword dance: if you had some redirection, I can't see much surviving EQs or max moves after a sword dance. This would require some item/team changes of course.
• Rockslide: Rock has amazing coverage (charizard) and sometimes you just need to go for flinches

Talonflame

Item: Safety Goggles

Allows you to ignore a lot of redirection as most are in the form of rage powder. This allows to access priority targets like trickroom setters. Another usually unnoticed boon is the preservation of galewings in weather. The most used item on talonflame according to pikalytics is focus sash. I think that's okay if you can't consistently get off tailwind, but I generally want talonflame off the field asap so I can make use of my tailwind turns.

Ability: Gale Wings

The only reason why I'm using talonflame over any other tailwind setting. If my opponent gets off tailwind off first, then I risk my setter getting knocked out before I get tailwind off with how dynamic speed works now. I honestly don't like talonflame and wished we had other choices.

Spread: Jolly 4/252/0/0/0/252

Generic offensive spread. The speed is most important on the chance I want to gamble on the speed tie and break gale wings off their talonflame before they get tailwind off. Max attack because talonflame hits like a potato otherwise. I didn't consider any other spread because I generally don't want any bulk on something I just want off the field.

Moveset

• Tailwind: Only reason why it's on the team but makes it one of the most important pokemon on the team.
• Brave Bird: Heavy recoil moves are honestly the only way that talon flame does damage. It also makes use of gale wings if speed control was compromised in any way.
• Taunt: Useful against trickroom/follow me/spore/support in general
• will-o-wisp: Neuters many offensive threats... if you can hit it.

Considerations:

• Flareblitz: Sometimes bravebird gets locked out by tsareena. Valid 4th move imo.
• Quick guard/protect: If this team didn't have tsareena I'd honestly consider these options.

Hydreigon

Item: Life Orb

Solid offensive item that should be considered on any primary damage dealer. I think there's argument for specs but I like dynamax hydreigon a lot and it feels bad having a dead item for 3 turns.

Ability: Levitate

Sort of a double edge sword tbh. On one hand you gain a ground immunity which enables pokemon like diggersby. However, you've also lost your ability to benefit from terrains.

Spread: Modest 0/0/0/252/4/252

Generic special attacker spread. I've considered dropping a few points for bulk but the natural resistances of dragons are usually enough. Modest was necessary to pick up the OHKO on dusclops. I also think it's fine to run a more offensive nature when you've got decent speed control. Timid is worth consideration though as urshifu's base speed is 1 point lower than hydreigon. However, I usually expect to win in the speed control department.

Moveset

• Dark pulse: Generic dark stab. Not used much outside of that besides flinch gambling, which will come up occassionally. In general, I like special dark moves for the max darkness spdef drop. You can play around weakness policy this way. For example Sejun's WP drifblim.
• Draco meteor: I hate this move because I've missed it about 50% of the time I go for it. However, dynamax can solve this and the base power is strong enough to pick up some OHKOs.
• Heatwave: I wanted an fire option for ferrowthorn/durant and dragons generally have the movepool for it.
• Protect: I personally always add it if there's room for it. Sometimes you need to protect, even in hyper offensive teams. Though, the team with the least amount of protect I've ever built.

Other Considerations

• Earth Power: ground has decent coverage and max quake could be useful as a defensive layer.
• Flash cannon: Same as earth power, but also offers an option to hydreigons weakness to fairies. Of course it's unlikely to OHKO as fairies tend to be specially defensive.
• Nasty plot: Despite Hydreigon's high special attack, it still misses a lot of OHKOs. A Nasty plot could set it up to sweep.
• I've also considered Noivern as it had the usual dragon move coverage, resistances, ground immunity, and tailwind access. However, I decided against it as the priority on talon flame is usually needed and electric is neutral because of flying typing.

Tsareena

Item: Assault Vest

I've used tsareena a lot before she picked up popularity as a taunt option that could get around powder moves. However, since I used it more for utility I usually ran wide lens to compensate for the horrendous accuracy of her move pool. Seriously, all her best moves are sub 100%. However, this tsareena is a bit different as it's used more as a dynamax threat. I ran into the 4 move syndrome, so I ended up with Assault Vest, which honestly works great as most of her threats are special.

Ability: Queenly Majesty

This ability is basically psychic terrain, except it's bias and only works against your opponents. This protects Talonflame from fake out and allows a safe tailwind. There's also synergy with boltund's electrify as priority is usually a way around it.

Spread: Adamant 108/236/0/0/0/164

I borrowed that set from pikalytics, so I'm not 100% sure what the calcs are for tbh. However, I knew I wanted a bulkier set as the rest of the team is full of glass cannons and we were running assault vest anyways. However, I was too uncomfortable running min speed as tsareena really needs to set the tempo of the fight with its dynamax buffs and terrain setting.

Moveset

• Powerwhip: Disgustingly strong grass stab but better pray using it outside of dynamax. However, that accuracy issues is a problem for all of tsareena's moves, just more so on this one.
• Playrough: There's a lot of dragon and fighting pokemon in the meta to hit. Tsareena has other options against those. However, this one also protects tsareena and diggersby from status effects, which is why it deserves a slot.
• High Jump Kick (HJK): Hits decently hard outside of dynamax, but feels the worst to miss. Mostly used in dynamax form to buff herself and diggersby for future turns.
• Bounce: Like HJK, used to buff Tsareena and her allies for future turns. Really important for long fights where tailwind ends. Also provides overlapping fighting coverage, but there's an obvious choice between the two when considering secondary effects. Move feels bad outside of dynamax not only because of accuracy but because protect can usually prevent it from landing.

Other Considerations

• Grassy Glide: This is an amazing move post dynamax. However, I feel the damage decrease just isn't needed. There's also no guarantee that you'd use max overgrowth during one of your three dyanamax moves.
• Trop kick: Amazing move with decent damage and useful secondary effect. I would consider this if you weren't dynamaxing tsareena enough. My main gripe with the move is that the secondary effect is sort of lackluster if you're slower than your opponent.
• Sweet Veil: Honestly an amazing ability, especially in a format where amoongus runs rampant. However, Queenly Majesty just gets more use in my opinion.
• U-turn: It's a great max move if you're tanking special attackers, but bug isn't amazing offensively. It can also be used as a safer switch into another pokemon. However, I find it unsafe for tsareena herself if she runs into a protect.
• Triple Axel: A move I was excited for when IoA got released as I knew tsareena would get it. However, my accuracy anxiety is tripled by this skill. I was originally using it as an answer to dragons/grass types and reseting weather. However, tsareena already has options against those and weather reset rarely gives her an amazing advantage. Against rain, you're likely better off getting damage off on kingdra or max knuckling ferrowtorn. Against sun, you usually don't even want to be in the match. Against sand, she doesn't really care about the special defense boost and will destroy gigalith all the same.
• Running a quick set: It maybe worth while to run a fast Tsareena set so that diggersby can recieve the benefits of tsareena's max moves on the same turn.

Rotom W

Item: Sitrus Berry

Rotom job is to provide a generally bulky option against both rain and sun. I find sitrus berry to be the most neutral item in the game and it does fine on rotom. I'm not sure what else I'd run on rotom outside maybe a pinch berry, but I've been reluctant to use them ever since I heard about their nerf.

Ability: Levitate

See hydreigon.

Spread: Modest 228/0/68/76/132/4

I'll be honest, I lifted this from pikalytics and I'm not sure what it does. If you have an idea, please let me know. However, it's somehow the most used spread so I feel like it can be trusted. Also from first glance it seems to fill what I want. It has a sizable amount of bulk, mostly in special defense where I expect most of the threats of this format will be. While the offense seems lacking, I feel like this is still an offensive set as it runs modest with some damage investment. This leads me to believe that it's a nasty plot set, which I was planning on running anyways.

Moveset

• Hydro pump: If you're running a certain form you run its stab, period. Hydropump is probably my least favorite of the rotom moves though because of the accuracy. However, water is a really good type this format in my opinion.
• Thunderbolt: Generic lightning stab. Again rising voltage is worth considering.
• Nasty Plot: Rotoms damage is okay at best and really benefits from nasty plot. There's a lot of room to setup as the team provides an obscene amount of pressure will usually leave openings.
• Protect: standard move

Other considerations

• More offensive spread: If I felt like playing more, I'd like to test how well a more offensive spread does. The current spread seems like some sort of weird Frankenstein creation to me and I'm unsure if I'm utilizing it decently enough.
• Other Rotom Forms: I actually haven't ran into much rain as I expected. While there's a good amount of water pokemon, romon usually ends up in a weird stalemate with them. Primarina has access to energy ball, which allows it to go blow for blow. Gastrodon and rotom-w nearly wall each other depending on move sets. Urshifu just does dumb amounts of damage. It might be worth running rotom heat against as it still has a good matchup against sun and can open up hydreigons heatwave slot for another coverage move. Rotom heat would also provide another electric resist.
• Shadowball/dark pulse: Instead of nastyplot, it maybe worth expanding coverage to prevent getting walled.
• Ally Switch: Amazing defensive layer. However, it can occasionally become a net gain of 0. It also makes me feel like a scumlord using it.
• Light screen: Most threats to this team is special so I can see this move going far.
• Will-o-miss: Could make your opponents life hell depending on what they bring. Could also be used as pseudo sleep/paralysis resistance for special attackers.