Salavior55

 

5.)If you want to maximize defenses, max HP first. If it has loads of HP relative to its defenses, you don't need to max it (e.g. Snorlax, Blissey). If it doesn't, you must max it (e.g. Dusknoir, Rotom-A). If it's in-between (e.g. Latias, Metagross), you can go for a lefties point, but only do so if it (a) provides better defense (rarely happens) or (b) provides those smidgen of EVs necessary to KO or outspeed a threat in accordance with steps 2-3. If your Pokemon is weak to SR or takes neutral and runs items that do not affect its health (Choiced item, Expert Belt, Berry, etc.), don't make its HP divisible by 4 if the former and don't make its HP divisible by 8 if the latter. Those rules don't apply if you have Sandstorm or hail on your team and your Pokemon is weak to it. Don't bother with "minimum Life Orb recoil." So long as HP isn't divisible by 10, you're fine.

6.)In maxmizing defenses, put EVs in defense last. For all Pokemon but Pokemon like Blissey and Snorlax, this is true. To maximize defenses, find what combination of the EVs that you still have left split between HP and defenses gives you the best defensive potential.* Note that 128 / 128 is often bad.

Salavior55

 

Jirachi @ Leftovers
EVs: ???
-Wish
-U-Turn
-Stealth Rock
-Zen Headbutt/Iron Head/Ice Punch

I start by figuring out what I want it to do. It's obviously supposed to be bulky. Taking two DD LO Salamence Outrages and an Adamant CB Dugtrio EQ (to get off one last Wish if timed right) isn't a bad idea either.

originally posted by Rhys29 on Sppf

 

(3)Scoring The Kill
     
Ever since the introduction of Platinum, the whole metagame has taken a massive offensive turn. In order to counter and deal with certain threats effectively, having a sure fire way to take down a common opponent in an attack or two is vital to most teams. This is an essential factor to keep in mind for basically any set that has an attack which deals damage.

Do keep in mind this is far more important for offensive sets than defensive.[/indent]
~Consider~
     For sets designed to sweep an opponent's team, this is a very important step to focus on. This is the step where you decide what investment you will make on your offenses.

Odds are you will be doing several calculations to make sure you can score KO's on specific threats, so a handy damage calculator will be your best friend. Libelldra has a phenomenal damage calculator with easy user interface.

There are almost too many threats to invest into taking down, so for reference have a list of the top threats of your tier at hand. One of the best things you can do is constantly check, favorite, or memorize the top threats in the shoddy statistics provided by the dedicated DougJustDoug from Smogon. You can click here to find a list of all the tier stats for the months and past months if you're curious and looking for a history lesson or trends.
~Apply~
     Here are two factors to include when sizing up the amount of damage your set will deal.

Entry Hazards – Check your team for the moves Stealth Rock and Spikes. These attacks are called ‘entry hazards’. They deal damage to opponents switching in, or entering combat. If a Pokemon in your lead spot has either one of these moves, there is a good chance that an opponent will be taking damage every time they switch. Keeping this in mind will help you ease into KO’s.

Easing into KO’s means you don’t have to assure dealing 100% damage to score a kill. A good example would be Ice Punch Lucario. One of Lucario’s best counters has been Zapdos since it can wall Lucario without too much of a hassle and score OHKO with Heat Wave. When Swords Dance, Ice Punch Lucario was first initially introduced to the metagame, it ran a Jolly set to outrun Zapdos and Salamence sets which were built to outrun Adamant Lucario. However a Jolly Lucario, after a Swords Dance as Zapdos switches in, can only manage 81% ~ 95% on the most defensive Zapdos set, which under normal circumstances would never score a KO. However Zapdos is weak to Rock type which means it takes a hefty 25% as it switches in. Even after a turn of Leftovers recovery, Jolly Lucario can score a OHKO with a +2 Ice Punch as long as Stealth Rock is down.

Make sure you always include entry hazards when showing your calculations as well. If you find you will score just as many KO’s with less investment into your attacking stats as long as you have entry hazards out with the set you currently have, don’t be afraid to shuffle some of the Ev’s around.

Weather Effects – Weather can drastically change how battles will play out and every good battler should be aware of what it can do to their team. The most common by far is Sandstorm thanks to Hippowdon and the popular Tyranitar’s Sand Stream ability. This is why most teams usually include a large amount of team members who are either Rock, Ground, or Steel, making them immune to Sandstorm damage.

The key component to keep in mind when dealing with Sandstorm is that it deals damage before end of turn items activate. If a Pokemon not immune to Sandstorm is down to 6.25% or less at the end of the turn, it will faint from the buffetting Sandstorm before Leftovers recovery could put it in the clear. Here is an example of how this would work.

An Adamant Tyranitar with a Life Orb with +1 Attack thanks to Dragon Dance is about to attack with Crunch while the opponent switches in a 252/252 HP/Def Cresselia, which switched into Stealth Rock (not the most likely situation but it’s just an example). Crunch from this Tyranitar would deal 366 – 432 damage (or 82.43% - 97.30%), not assuring a OHKO even with Stealth Rock damage included (82.43 + 12.5 = 95.93%: minimum damage). However before Cresselia can recover with Leftovers at the end of the turn, the Sandstorm will deal an additional 6.25%, scoring the OHKO (95.93 + 6.25 = 102.18%: minimum damage). If you have Sandstorm on your team, it may be a good idea to take this into account before finalizing your calculations.

Hail, the exclusive cousin to Sandstorm, has the same damage effect. The only difference is the types taking damage each turn: only Ice remains untouched. Luckily, Abomasnow, the only Pokemon family gifted with the ability Snow Warning, is a very uncommon sight. Only teams based around Hail should pay any attention to this affect. Hail does 6.25% as well and hits at the same time Sandstorm does, so KO’s can be eased into a bit more efficiently.

The two remaining weather effects, Sun and Rain, are both very similar to each other. Sun powers up Fire type moves by 1.5x and reduces Water attacks by 1.5x while Rain does the exact opposite. This gives both a large offensive and defensive boost to teams based around these effects and all calculations on these teams should include these weather effects.[/indent]

~Reconsider/Reapply~
     Make sure your offensive investment can work with your other previously set investments. If they clash, you may have to choose one over the other. If you are unsure which takes priority, check back to your purpose and if you still can't choose go to a more advanced player for advice.