A Day at the Beach
An RMT by CrackinSkullsAfter recently giving up on OU (a broken tier if you ask me) I went back to Ubers where i found my team to be rather outdated so i began work on another. This team has been fairly successful on the ladder generally staying in the top 20 hovering in the early to mid 1900's. I named it "A Day at the Beach' because it involves two weathers, Sun and Sand, which sets it apart from most other teams. It is very offensively driven which is highly unlike me as most of my teams are geared towards stall. I realize it has a significant weakness to Kyogre however it has not been a problem for me as much as you would think. Anyway i present "A Day on the Beach"
This team began with a sun team featuring Reshiram and Ho-oh that I always wanted to make. With the advent of BW2 I decided to try out his new forme Kyurem-W. Together in the sun they are very deadly so thats how the team began.
Now it wouldn't be a sun team without this guy would it.
The dual-weather part of the team here was born from a clear weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately Ubers is where the dreaded Giratina/ Giratina-O reside... Forretress it the most commons spinner but most
I was in desperate need of a scarfer so i figured I would slap 'chomp on.
The team clearly lacked synergy of any kind and with 4 pokemon weak to water and only 1 resist it became clear that it needed some work. Grasseus fit the bill perfectly not only resisting water but providing some much needed synergy to the team. It was starting to come together nicely.
In Depth
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 200 HP / 192 Atk / 108 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Swords Dance
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Role:
Groudon's role on my team was essentially to bring the sun because nobody likes to go to the beach when its cloudy! However, Groudon has now become a key member of my team not only for his weather but because he provides an invaluable service with his immense physical bulk and his ability to check so many important threats. He can cripple with Thunder Wave or fire off incredibly high powered attacks. He can tank Physical hits like they were twigs and absorb status. Groudon has become an incredibly important utility and I don't know what I would do without him.
Moveset:
If ever I could call someone a lead he would be it. This moveset is not one of his common sets but has proved effective for me. The idea is to come in early game and paralyze, scout out movesets and take away the weather then come in late-game and sweep. Thunder Wave benefits a lot of my team and is therefore superior to Rock Polish as he not a dedicated sweeper but more of a utility than anything else. Swords Dance gives him the option to sweep late-game on the paralyzed foes however if i had to replace a move it would be Swords Dance because he doesn't often pull it off and i hardly find myself using it. Earthquake deals good damage coming off a base 150 Attack and can dent even the bulkiest pokemon. Fire Punch hits Forretress, Grasseus and a plethora of switch ins and I have found it superior to Stone Edge. Lum Berry allows him to absorb status and has proven especially useful on Darkrai leads who I can cripple with Thunder Wave or straight up slam with Earthquake dealing ~80 damage. The EV's are quite simple: 200 in HP to give him some bulk and reduce residual damage, 192 in Attack to give his attacks some kick (these ev's are geared towards running Stone Edge but i have found them to work great) and he rest in defense to give him more bulk. 8 in speed lets me outspeed 4 EV base 90's like Giratina etc. Groudon is a great physical wall and can pull off some sweeps on the side.
Possible Changes: Roar over Swords Dance
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Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 180 SDef
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge/ Superpower
- Stealth Rock
Role:
Tyranitar is my second weather inducer and like Groudon he brings much more to the table than just sand. Even by Uber standards he has insane special bulk and can tank the Draco Meteors flying around in the ubers meta. He can trap and kill a weakened Giratina-O and give me some hazards. He also checks a lot of threats to my team such as Ho-oh, Mewtwo and Kyurem. Tyranitar is a fantastic utility and between Groudon and him you will be hard pressed winning the weather war against them.
Moveset:
Of all my movesets Tyranitar's tends to change the most. Stealth Rock is the most consistent and i don't think i need to explain the value of it but TTar is one of the most reliable users of it and i can pretty much guarantee that i will have them up because he can switch into just about any special move thanks to his 463 Special Defense under the sand. Pursuit lets him chase down choice locked pokemon such as Palkia, Kyurem, Kyogre (provided its locked in the right move) and a plethora of other scarfers. Crunch deals good damage to Giratina-O and can pull off a Crunch + Pursuit combo which makes spinning that much easier. In the last slot it generally run Stone Edge although i do sometimes go with Superpower to hit Dialga and Darkrai. I run Chople Berry is because it lets 'Tar sponge occasional fighting moves most notably Mewtwo's Aura Sphere KO'ing it with Crunch. Chople Berry allows him to lure in many threats such as the aforemention Mewtwo and Kyurem, KO'ing them both with his STABs. The EV's pump up its Special Defenes and let it tank two Surfs from a Kyogre under the sand. The rest goes into Attack to give it a little kick. Tyranitar comfortably performs his role so consistently I don't know what i would do without him.
Possible Changes:
Basically the slashed stuff.
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Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Atk / 84 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Recover
Role:
Ho-oh is my first sun abuser and physical attacker. Its fearsome STABs are very deadly and its amazing base 154 Special Defense gives it plenty of opportunity to come in and fire off sun boosted Sacred Fires. He loves the Paralysis and sun support that Groudon brings and can wreak havoc once he is in safely.
Moveset:
Although nothing special this set is incredibly effective. A sun boosted Sacred Fire is just so fearsome that almost nothing can safely switch in especially factoring in the 50% burn chance which is yet to fail me when i need it most. The first safe switch in is Heatran which is not as common in the Ubers meta as it should be likely due to Reshiram's Turboblaze. The other switch in is Kyogre which dampens the power of Sacred Fire with Drizzle. Substitute lets me scout around for switches such as Kyogre and nail it with Brave Bird dealing upward of 65% damage. It also shields me from status, lets me PP stall Stone Edge and they are bulky enough to tank weak powered moves like Dragon Tail. This lets me beat Giratina and Groudon one on one and teach Groudon users not to use it (who in their right mind is going to taunt a Groudon??). Ho-Oh can prey on paralyzed pokemon setting up and wrecking with its powerful STABs. I used to use Roost over Recover because while it did open up a Ground weakness it also let me PP stall Stone Edge from Groudon etc better taking ~30% damage. However, I now use Regenerator as it lets me pace Ho-oh's usage throughout the match and heal off Brave Bird Recoil The EV's are quite simple: 248 HP EV's give it >101 subs and lets it switch into Stealth Rocks twice. 84 SpDef EV's augment its base 154 Special Defense ensuring +4 Timid Life Orb Darkrai will not OHKO, Choice Scarf Palkia only has a 3% to 2HKO with Thunder, and 252+ Dialga's Draco Meteor do a maximum of 51%. 168 Attack EV's and an Adamant nature power up its STABs and 8 Spe EV's allow it to avoid the speed tie with other neutral base 90's such as Giratina and Groudon and outspeed speed creeping base 90's. If you aren't prepared this thanksgiving turkey might end up roasting you.
Possible Changes:
Regenerator over Pressure.
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Kyurem-White @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Turboblaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Focus Blast
Role:
Kyurem-w is a great scarfer and packs an enormous punch with its base 170 Special Attack. It also sits at a base 95 speed letting it outspeed all other base 90 scarfers. It has very handy Ice STAB which lets it hit a lot of the Dragon infested Metagame. Choice Scarf lets me revenge kill and outspeed the majority of the tier.
Moveset:
This moveset gives it great coverage and reliability. Draco Meteor is the move i will be spamming 90% of the time because of its raw power coming off a base 170 SpAtk. Ice Beam is her most reliable way of killing Dragons like Rayquaza and Garchomp and is a great STAB gives in good coverage. It is also a great way to clean up weakened teams without the Sp. Atk drop from Draco Meteor. Fusion Flare lets her hit Steel switch ins like Forretress and gets a pseudo STAB courtesy of Drought and with Turboblaze good luck with Sturdy. Kyurem-W can check so many threats to my team and can pull of sweeps very easily thanks to its lightning fast speed and raw power when adorned with a scarf. It can beat Lugia and Giratina one on one who can otherwise do a good job of walling my entire team. Kyurem-W has amazing coverage, power and speed which has made it a key member on my team.
Possible Changes:
Choice Scarf Palkia
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Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Role:
Excadrill is, in my opinion, the most reliable spinner in ubers. His raw speed and power under the sand is just so fearsome that you will be hard pressed to find anything that wants to switch in. With that much offensive pressure spinning is a breeze.
Moveset:
This moveset could not be more straight forward. Swords Dance lets him boost his base 135 Attack to scary levels reaching an attack of 738 at +2. This lets him punch holes in common switch ins such as Groudon who risks a 2HKO from a +2 Earthquake. +2 Earthquake can even 2HKO Great Wall Giratina after Stealth Rock damage. Earthquake is his best STAB (lol at Drill Run) and Rock Slide gives him good coverage hitting Kyurem, Ho-oh and the likes for super effective damage. However I do sometimes think about running Shadow Claw over it to hit Giratina-O but thats why i have 'Tar! Rapid Spin is vital to my team and Excadrill is a great user thanks to his unrivaled speed under the sand and his offensive pressure. Worse come to worse pulling off a last ditch suicidal spin is not the most difficult thing especially with his great typing and speed. I prefer Air Balloons over Life Orb because the difference in damage hasn't been that noticeable and it lets him set-up on Earthquake users like Garchomp and Groudon. I prefer Jolly over Adamant to ouspeed Jolly Blaziken at +2. Excadrill is an amazing sweeper in the sand and can spin hazards away with ease.
Possible Changes: None.
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Arceus-Grass@Meaow Plate
Trait: Multitype
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP/ 144 Sp Def/ 112 Def
- Recover
- Judgment
- Ice Beam
- Magic Coat
Role:
Every team has its glue right? Well Grasseus here is no exception. He provides me with a neat set of resistances ranging from water to ground to grass... Between Him, Groudon and Tyranitar the weather war is a lot easier. Once it has been won I have so many different options; "Should I sweep with Excadrill? Maybe Ho-oh?." Grasseus funtions as a great utility and basically guarantees winning the weather war when played properly.
Moveset:
I have to thank Stone RG for this set. Judgement is his main niche over other Arceus Formes. It Him become not only a picture perfect switch in for Kyogre, it lets me for a clean 2HKO on most sets. Ice Beam lets me hit Rayquaza and Garchomp for a clean OHKO and has great coverage with Judgement. Recover is a must have on a utility such as Grasseus as it lets him become a sturdy and long living beach-goer. I don't think you guys need any explanation on the usefulness on Recover so i will leave it to the imagination. Magic Coat is an interesting move which gives him a niche in itself. It makes for a fun surprise against Darkrai, it can bounce back anything Forretress wants to lay and it can ruin Deoxys-S leads which can apply a lot of pressure otherwise with their basically guaranteed 2 layers of spikes. While Espeon and Xatu can do the same thing without even using the move i might just be a terrible player but IMO they are not up to Uber standards. Also they do not provide the same niche as Grasseus. The EV spread is to make him as bulky as possible so switching into Kyogre doesn't take too much of a toll. The 112 in Defense let him tank a +2 LO boosted Dragon Claw from a Rayquaza and KO back with Ice Beam. Otherwise Rayquaza has a fun time laying waste to my team. Grasseus is great glue for many teams, especially non rain weather teams, and here is no exception. He paves the way for my sweepers to come in by checking threats, serving as a utility and a great pivot switch. I honestly don't know what i would do without him.
Possible Changes:
None.
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Conclusion
I have found this team to be very effective and although somewhat lacking in synergy it is quite fearsome when played correctly. Anyway i would love to hear from you so please do comment. I hope your Day at the Beach was enjoyable and full of sun and sand!
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 200 HP / 192 Atk / 108 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Swords Dance
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Kyurem-White @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Turboblaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Focus Blast
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Atk / 84 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Recover
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SDef
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Arceus-Grass @ Meadow Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SDef
Calm Nature
- Magic Coat
- Judgment
- Recover
- Ice Beam
Trait: Drought
EVs: 200 HP / 192 Atk / 108 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Swords Dance
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Kyurem-White @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Turboblaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Flare
- Focus Blast
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Atk / 84 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Recover
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SDef
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Arceus-Grass @ Meadow Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SDef
Calm Nature
- Magic Coat
- Judgment
- Recover
- Ice Beam
One Final Glance