Spice UUp Your Game 3

By GrilledClawitzer. Art by anundeadboy.
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Introduction

Spice UUp your game art

In the last issue, we took a look at some underrated movesets and Pokémon that for some reason or another were uncommon despite still being great. In this issue, we are further narrowing this down by taking a look solely at special attackers that either run lesser-used options or are seldom seen in such a role. This might be due to other movesets simply being preferred or a case of four-moveslot syndrome. Either way, these Pokémon still offer much versatility that I would like to showcase here.

Signal Beam Rotom-C

Rotom-C

Technically, Rotom-C is RU by usage. It still finds frequent use in the UU metagame due to its ability to not only pivot with Volt Switch but also beat the usual way of blocking said move: Ground-types. Its excellent STAB combination makes it hard to switch into, as special walls slowly get chipped down by Volt Switch and then find themselves standing in front of a strong physical attacker that likely knows U-turn. Few Pokémon resist both Rotom-C's STAB moves, but among them we find Hydreigon and Celebi, two of UU's finest. On top of that, thanks to its ability Lightning Rod, Mega Sceptile can switch in rather freely. Luckily, all of these Pokemon share a weakness to Bug-type attacks, so running Signal Beam over Trick allows Rotom-C to lure in and remove those threats, giving it an easier time breaking through with Thunderbolt and easing the pressure on common Water-types, paving a way for those to clean.

Agility Special Feraligatr

Feraligatr

Sheer Force is a fearsome ability. It allows Nidoqueen, with only 273 Special Attack (and that is fully invested and with a Modest nature), to become one of the most fearsome wallbreakers due to its great coverage. While Feraligatr does not enjoy the same amazing movepool, it does have a marginally higher Special Attack stat and access to a great way of boosting its Speed in Agility. Fully invested Modest Feraligatr, once it reaches +2, outspeeds Choice Scarf Mienshao and is capable of firing off extremely strong attacks with just the right coverage to majorly threaten every offensive team in the tier, making it an excellent choice for a late-game cleaner. Here are some calcs against many common Pokémon seen on offense:

Now, this doesn't account for all Pokémon, of course. More specially defensive Pokémon or pivots such as Choice Specs Sylveon and Assault Vest Conkeldurr will need to be weakened considerably, as they can easily stop you otherwise. Mega Swampert does not OHKO Feraligatr, so if you can get it below 70% health and rain is up, you can take advantage of this by clicking Agility on it and firing off boosted Scalds. Nevertheless, a healthy Mega Swampert can stop you if Feraligatr drops below 75% health, so caution is advised. All in all, a lot of Feraligatr's stops on offense play important roles in gaining momentum or breaking down your team, so you should be able to wear them down and clean up nicely.

Shadow Ball Celebi

Celebi

Celebi has spent the majority of ORAS in OU and only fell to UU a few months ago. Ever since, it has become one of the most centralizing forces of the metagame, fulfilling a multitude of roles, from Baton Passing boosts to simply being a bulky pivot with Stealth Rock. Its most frequent role is that of a wallbreaker/cleaner, for which it utilizes its Nasty Plot set. Dual STAB moves are always run, with the last move often being Dazzling Gleam or Recover. This leaves it unable to deal with Steel-types such as Bronzong, Metagross, and Doublade properly, while bulky Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Reuniclus set up on it, assuming the latter does not switch into a Nasty Plot. Opposing Celebi also make for effective Celebi checks if they carry U-turn. Shadow Ball is one of many great options for a fourth move, as it deals with all of the aforementioned troublemakers, since they share a weakness to Ghost. In general, Nasty Plot Celebi is rather customizable, as it can choose rather freely which Pokémon it wants to be checked by and which it will beat. Other great options for a final move include, but are not limited to, Earth Power, Hidden Power Fire, and even Leech Seed. Its sheer versatility turns Celebi into a Pokémon that is impossible to play around safely, and that is an asset any user should seek to exploit.

SubSplit Chandelure

Chandelure

Everyone knows what Chandelure does: it either takes advantage of its sky-high Special Attack stat to wallbreak in a Choice Specs set, it supports its team with fast Memento using a Choice Scarf set, or it runs a Substitute + Calm Mind set to take apart common stall. This set takes a different spin on breaking down teams: it takes advantage of its access to Will-O-Wisp to give it a 130-Base Power STAB move in Hex, tearing down the opposition at leisure. There aren't many Pokémon that like switching in on this set, as Substitute + Pain Split can wear down many walls, including Foul Play-reliant Dark-types such as Umbreon, as they do not break the Substitute anymore once they have been statused. Many teams try to deal with Chandelure by getting off a Pursuit with Krookodile or Aerodactyl, yet these Pokémon do not like being crippled by a burn. Coupled with Toxic Spikes to give it immediate access to a boosted Hex, this particular Chandelure set can be very tricky to play around, and your opponent might find most of their team weakened beyond recovery by the time they have dealt with it.

What's next?

As always, I encourage you to try out these sets. While not standard, all of them serve a clear-cut purpose that can surely aid your game. Make sure you cover your bases, and if the Pokémon usually serves another purpose, have something else fill that role properly. We play a game of wits, and information management is incredibly important, so if you can use that to your advantage, you can control the flow of any match and excel. Do not be afraid of failure and do not be discouraged. As long as you persevere, you will succeed!

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