Malamar Team

[UB3R_N00B]

Always had a facination with this pokemon so want some input on how to put together a very strong bulky offensive team including malamar and ANY other pokemon you think would compliment him well! Please help me with this, its for future referance by the way! Once I complete the game I am going to start breeding multiple teams!

Thanks!
- Sylvitar

 

[Nah]

Let's start with this:

-Malamar w/Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Attack, 4 Speed
Moves: Superpower, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Topsy-Turvy

Not the best Malamar set, but tis better than nothing and I'm sure someone with come along and post a better one.

As for the rest of the team, the first thing to do is to address Malamar's 4x Bug weakness. There's 2 good options for that.

-Heatran w/Leftovers or Air Balloon
Nature: Calm
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP, 252 Sp.Defense, 8 Defense
Moves: Lava Plume, Protect, Roar, Will-o-Wisp/Toxic

-Talonflame w/Sharp Beak or Life Orb or Lum Berry
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 40 HP, 252 Attack, 212 Speed
Moves: Flare Blitz, Brave Bird, Roost, Tailwind

Both Heatran and Talonflame sport a 4x resistance to Bug and help Malamar out in one other way. Heatran also helps deal with Malamar's other weakness, Fairy, while Talonflame provides a sort of fix to its iffy Speed via Tailwind.

I'll leave it at that for the moment, see what you and others have to say.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Malamar honestly isn't that good. Topsy-turvy takes prediction to use, as Malamar may be heavily damaged before it reverses the boosts:
-Night Slash
-Psycho Cut
-Superpower
-Rock Slide
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 192 HP/252 Atk/4 Def/60 Spe
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Contrary

or
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Night Slash/Payback
-Superpower
Nature: Careful
EVs: 248 HP/8 Atk/252 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Contrary

or
-Night Slash
-Psycho Cut
-Superpower
-Taunt/Rest
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 236 HP/252 Atk/20 Spe
Item: Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Ability: Contrary

@Zekrom: you have Heatran's HP and Special Defense EVs mixed up. 248 HP makes Heatran's HP indivisible by 8, as with max investment, it dies to 8 Stealth Rock switch-ins at full health.

Better Talonflame sets:
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-U-turn
-Tailwind/Roost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Choice BandSharp Beak/Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Swords Dance
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-Roost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Sharp Beak/Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Bulk Up
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Taunt/Substitute
Nature: Careful
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings

Sticky Web support from Galvantula or Smeargle can also help with Malamar's average Speed:

Galvantula:
-Sticky Web
-Thunder
-Bug Buzz
-Energy Ball/Giga Drain/Hidden Power (Ice/Fire)
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Def/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes

Smeargle:
-Sticky Web
-Spore/Dark Void
-Taunt/Parting Shot/Nuzzle
-Stealth Rock/Magic Coat
Nature: Timid
EVs: 96 HP/120 Def/40 SDef/252 Spe
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo

 

[Nah]

@Zekrom: you have Heatran's HP and Special Defense EVs mixed up. 248 HP makes Heatran's HP indivisible by 8, as with max investment, it dies to 8 Stealth Rock switch-ins at full health.

Better Talonflame sets:
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-U-turn
-Tailwind/Roost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Choice BandSharp Beak/Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Swords Dance
-Flare Blitz
-Brave Bird
-Roost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Sharp Beak/Sky Plate
Ability: Gale Wings

or
-Bulk Up
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Taunt/Substitute
Nature: Careful
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings

Thank you =)

In addition to what Platinum has said, you'll probably need something to counter Rotom-W, who counters Heatran/Talonflame and is a pretty common poke. Gastrodon does an excellent job at that:

-Gastrodon w/Leftovers
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Defense, 4 Sp.Defense
Moves: Scald, Recover, Earthquake/Earth Power, Toxic