Staraptor & Raichu VGC Team Guide | Pokémon Champions
Summary
The Pokémon Champions | VGC Battles & Tournaments server features a deep dive into a unique Staraptor and Raichu VGC team. This guide explores the synergy between Whimsicott, Farigiraf, and Excadrill while addressing common meta threats like Zard Y. Community members are invited to analyze the team composition and provide strategic feedback to help improve competitive rankings in the Master Ball tier.
Team: https://pokepast.es/48acdf141e27f625
Raichu and Basculegion help to challenge and prevent current strategies, such as Zard Y and Blastoise. Raichu sits most games, but when it is needed it always delivers and prevents a sweep from what would otherwise be a threat to the whole team.
Farigaraf is an overall controlling unit on the field. Like Wolfey's two of the main purposes is to stop priority (Usually switched in beside the megas to help get a quick kill on a threat) and to help reverse trick room if needed. It has Twin Beam and Thunderbolt to help provide extra help on killing things like Sneasler and helping finish off a strong Flying attacker.
The Whimsicott and Staraptor dynamic is a key part of this team. Whimsicott can set up tailwind and use charm on Staraptor to raise its attack by 2. Staraptor is running the usual set as Close Combat helps raise the defenses and along with Brave Bird be able to deal great damage. I also run Roost on it as it does spend a lot of time close to getting knocked out, and helps bring it back into more reasonable HP when it can.
Excadrill is there to help kill big megas like Tyranitar (Usually wih Raichu) or Fairy type issues like Floette or Sylveon. It can also set up with Swords Dance and Rock Slide finishes off the moveset, as an overall just great move to have in situations. I have concidered switching Swords Dance to Protect, but am still on the fence.
Overall the team works alright, but I need some help figuring out how to improve it. Im Master Ball 4 but cannot get my ranking into the top 50k,m have struggle keeping in top 75k. It struggles against Zard Y Venusaur duo, but other than that there is no real theme that I can find.
I really prefer tickle on raptor
Whims gets to either make stuff easier to hit or raptor gets to be more heavily protected
Also helps reset arch
I also would consider grass knot over fake out on Raichu y
I always ran charm because I used it as after to nullify attackers, but the defense change also would do well because of special threats. Grass knots a great idea, I am finding myself using fake out less as time goes on.
Just ran into a battle fake out would have been really good, idk which to run on it since both have their uses
I reallllly dislike how little protects you have
Other than that this seems fine outside my other points
