Mastering Shell Smash Blastoise: VGC Team Building Guide
Summary
The Pokémon Champions | VGC Battles & Tournaments server is diving deep into a new competitive strategy centered around Shell Smash Blastoise. This community discussion explores team compositions, including support options like Farigiraf, Raichu, and Vivillon to maximize Blastoise's sweeping potential. Members are actively refining move sets and item choices to dominate the current VGC meta.
SHELL SMASH.
https://pokepast.es/365a0b09d700beb9
Buddy cane home from naic
And said
Ima make shell smash
Im not home
I mean from naic not home home
I still have day 2 btw
You get what i mean
Fire
learn breh
Vro stop double pinging hello?
Oh
☠️
Fidnt see
vro
😭 i just zaw
Ok WHAT IF run gravity on Sableye and have Milotic or another mon with Hypnosis? Maybe replacing Ariados
Blastoise be shell smashing why opponents take a nap
Prob better to just run scarf viv no?
Scarf viv is nasty and disnohored
Unethical
So is gravity + milotic
Sash viv is acceptable tho, you could replace ariados for it
But yeah Milotic also could bring another Life Dew user to support Blastoise
Yeah
Keeping Blast healthy so Water Spout do damage
Viv is probably better yeah
Just had a devious idea. Ally switch farigaraf
ally switch farig over sableye?
Ally switch is never an option
Always*
LOL I don't trust myself to run ally switch, but I support your decision
Farigiraf is very good regardless
Replacing gambit with a lightning rod mon (probably raichu
Not sure if gambit is the one to replace there, you would end up having only Blastoise to do any damage
But Raichu doesn't sound bad, fake out support is good
Also you'll soon be able to put a mega stone in it
We play for games like these
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2630950866
Who to replace then
Wait, which item are you running on raichu?
I'd replace either Viv or Farig
Magnet volt tackle to ohko basc
Viv. I want fo protecting
https://pokepast.es/f42cdd8d2d26257c
thoughts?
Three mons with helping hand is kinda crazy lol you really showing love for Blastoise huh
Wide Guard could be great on Pelipper
The whole point is just shell smash and hope you sweep
Where does it fit?
Helping hand +2 blastoise just eats everything alive
I probably cut either weather ball or tailwind from peli’s set
Especially in rain right... I understand
I dunno, I just don't really like realying only in one win condition
Which I why I defended keeping gambit in the team
But indeed helping hand pelipper sounds strong
Peli is my least used mon so far, raichu eats electric moves and farig eats fo
I think you should think of what yoh have trouble to deal with, what are the counters to your team?
Mainly because peli is in the back and opps forfeit before he comes out
Switching peli to bring the rain and water spouting in same turn is strong too
Peli is mainly for weather mus and I haven’t hit any
Logically, the hardest counters to my team are water resists. We have raichu for water, dpulse for dragon, and peli for grass. More grass counters would be good though
Non water resists get deleted, no matter how bulky
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2630961992
Ideas:
Mamoswine brings ice against grass and dragons, very strong counter to garchomp and the dragon/flying mons. Should run Sash tho
Toxicroak gets healed in rain, has poison moves against the grass types, fake out support - you might as well just run sneasler too tho
Corviknight - flying type good against dragons
Dragonite - can run tailwind and has amazing coverage options + bulky with multiscale
Dnite has stab flying move against grass and stab dragon move against the dragons + extreme speed is useful too
Mamoswine is a good idea
Over the gambit slot I think
Mamoswine is great
https://pokepast.es/a7c7e05eb1223f42
here
Team folds to wide guard
We need feint for wide guard
Gave raichu feint over endeavor
https://pokepast.es/a910047840837eb4
Nice
Brother
This is my team:-
Dragonite-Mega @ Dragoninite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 10 HP / 26 SpA / 30 Spe
Modest Nature
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Tailwind
- Protect
Gardevoir-Mega @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Telepathy
Level: 50
EVs: 25 HP / 15 Def / 26 SpA
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Protect
Incineroar @ Charcoal
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 30 HP / 2 Atk / 10 Def / 20 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Taunt
- Parting Shot
Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Ability: Oblivious
Level: 50
EVs: 3 HP / 31 Atk / 32 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Protect
Sinistcha-Masterpiece @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Hospitality
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 14 Def / 20 SpD
Bold Nature
- Matcha Gotcha
- Trick Room
- Rage Powder
- Curse
Corviknight @ Occa Berry
Ability: Mirror Armor
Level: 50
EVs: 27 HP / 23 Atk / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Tailwind
- Bulk Up
- Protect
Why you copy me?
Mamoswine Admirers
Mamoswine is goated
You inspired me to use Mamoswine actually, back when I did a thread for a skarm/chandelure team
I feel like I have to bring it to literally every game bcause atleast half of my enemies team has it usually
Oh
Ok then nvm
I should run Earthquake on mine, I go with High Horsepower
Only Skarm and Rotom immune to it though, need to coordinste protects, so I rather run Horsepower
I pretty much always bring it too
I need wolfey to use it tomorrow so the world sees how great it is
Well if you have enough resistances its ok
Ik
The world must see the power of mamoth
Its just that you kinda suggested corv and dnite, which I have on my team so I was sus
Oh they are great options!
In rain corvi be less afraid of fire, dnite also great in rain
Now what I'll copy is what Curse on Sinistcha
I end up never using Trick Room anyway
T-T
Broski is using my team but rain
My team would be good in rain but like I hate weather wars so I'm fine staying dry
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631189871
we play for games like these
Ts team is too good
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631191274
https://pokepast.es/a910047840837eb4
bumping this
shell smashing gone wrong? Mamo cleans up
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631193151
lmao ar sableye setting rain to help water spout to one-shot himself
Exactly what I was thinking
Nice read there with icicle crash into sinistcha while Archie protects
Bro had the guts to use a raindance in front +2, helping hand, mega launcher, stab, water spout
Farigiraf truly be applauding their teammates throughout the whole match
They really thought light screen would be enough to mitigate the damage
I'm not one to rly enjoy wiping the floor with your opponent using an insanely powerful attack but even I have to admit those games are satisfying
They got crit on the sableye XD. The light screen didn't even matter
Mega launcher doesn’t boost spout
Spout isn’t a “pulse or bomb” move
Crit didnt matter
Screen saved the arch though
I meant it in the way that the screens where ignored by sableye
Sableye was GONE
+2 32+ SpA Mega Blastoise Helping Hand Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 32 HP / 32+ SpD Sableye in Rain: 456-537 (290.4 - 342%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Yeah ofc
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631235494
this one was tricky, not sure if confusion mattered, though it definitely helped
I’m on an INSANE winstreak rn wtf
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631238135
Like 10 winstreak rn wtf
broken team
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631427081
Watching it now
Its like 4 turns
https://tenor.com/view/fahhhmeme-gif-5987802747989276454
The sinistcha bro
Resisted btw
Yeah bro three turn match.
this seems fun you got the pokepaste?
https://pokepast.es/c609e2428eb8538b
current paste if you want it
I didn’t even read this and posted it
Its a 1 mode team:
Lead stoise + raichu, with farig + choice in the back. Switch in farig if they have fo otherwise just click fo spout
Always feint a mon that learns wide guard with raichu just in case
Feint is such a fire move
I've been running roar on my farigs for TR denial and side roars for a slow pivot
Weird utility ftw
Could be real but no move slot for it
Not this team, but others for sure. I like it on teams with intimidators and weather setters for quick positioning
Ofc
Have fun testing the bs team
Are there any calcs I should be aware of?
Certain things that resist water AND seem bulky can be an issue. Spdef invested sinistcha and light screen archaludons live moves
Abusing ally switch on mons you KNOW will live spout is one of the best ways to win those mus
Mamoswine is basically ONLY there for perish
Also stoise is evd to outspeed anything (non-scarfed) at +2. You also outspeed scarfed basc
Helping hand the team lol
113x2=226
Mons max out at 224, with scarf base 85s maxing at 225 without a speed boosting nature (mainly scarf arch)
You also outspeed adamant scarf kleavor
1 more speed is optional to outspeed scarfed rotom but most run speed boosting nature
I ain't got nothin to do so I'll be streaming in VC with this stupid ass team lol
Im at naic rn waiting for side events so ill join but deafen
had to go farig
When they lead fake out, switch to farig
go farig
Encore
You aren’t bringing in farig
Hey I mean it worked I guess
That was free if you t1 switch farig in
No you right
Rule of thumb is if they lead fo switch in farig
And dont click dragon pulse unless in front of multiple bulky water resists
Jst volt tackle
Or switch
Just click spout helping hand
Or hurricane glim to cover sahs
Bro left 😭
Lmao
Yep you can clean up last 1 or 2 mons
Anyways can’t watch any more games after this one, wifi is bugging
You chillin. Go beat Wolfe
Meganium is really bad for us since immune to dragon and resists grass
Just bring sinistcha farig I think
Not lead
In the back 😭
Always lead stoise raidhu
Ts bad lowk
Switch sinistcha and protect
Try to rage powder next turn
Oh wait its meganium
It ignores
We need peli for meganium
Powder don’t work on the flower
I was thinking peli
Yeah we needed peli to kill it
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2631449254
Son
I took this team to naic side events and went 3-0 lmao
