NU is a tough metagame to start off in, probably because there is so much to use and lots of things to keep track of. Well, fear not, because this thread will help you build solid teams very quickly! This project is designed to show new NU players what to use and what not to use by splitting up the NU threats into different roles. Hopefully people will become more knowledgeable about the NU tier and catch on quicker!
If you have a good set, post it here and follow the outline. If your set is not good, it will go in the "sets not to use" category. Don't be offended if your set goes into the sets not to use section, we'll explain why! Use this thread to discuss which sets are viable or not. You can also make a request/ask questions about a Pokemon if necessary, and hopefully someone will respond!
If you are going to post a set, here is the format:
Code:
[SET]
[B]Role:[/B] Special Wall, Rapid Spinner, Physical Wall, Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Hazard User, etc.
[B]What it does:[/B] mention what it counters and why it is good at its role OR say why it's bad if you're purposely posting something not to use
[B]Good Teammates:[/B] stuff it works well with
[B]What counters it:[/B]
[B]Any Additional Info:[/B]Please don't post gimmicks.
Stuff to use:
Lickilicky @ Leftovers
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell
- Body Slam / Dragon Tail
Role: Special Wall
What it does: Lickilicky is one of the best support Pokemon in the tier. It can switch into many of the special sweepers such as Gorebyss, Charizard, and Exeggutor and beat them one-on-one, making it a great addition to balanced or stall teams if you are weak to any of these threats. Solid Heal Bell or Wish users are hard to come by in NU, and Lickilicky provides both of them at once. With Dragon Tail, it can force out many set-up sweepers such as Serperior, Swoobat, or Musharna.
Good Teammates: Physical walls that can take Fighting-type attacks work very well with Lickilicky. Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Musharna, and Amoonguss can form solid two-Pokemon defensive cores that can handle most of the tier. Toxic Spikes could also be beneficial since it allows Lickilicky to stall out a large amount of Pokemon by spamming Wish and Protect.
What counters it: If you're not running Dragon Tail, any Ghost-type will beat Lickilicky one-on-one. Even with Dragon Tail, Ghost-types that utilize Substitute such as Golurk will still beat Lickilicky since it hits like a wet paper bag. Rock and Steel types also take very little damage and can hit it with powerful attacks from the physical side. Since Lickilicky does not rely on Toxic or any other form of passive damage, anything that does not mind paralysis and has a form of recovery can handle Lickilicky.
Any Additional Info: Hazards really deter Lickilicky's ability to wall certain threats. Since there aren't many decent Rapid Spinners in the tier, the best way to deal with this is to not switch in Lickilicky recklessly at every special attacker, even if Lickilicky may be able to beat them.
Articuno @ Leftovers
-Pressure
-EVs 162 HP / 252 SpDef / 96 Spe
-Calm nature
-Roost
-Heal Bell
-Toxic
-Ice Beam
Role: Special wall
What it does: Walls the living $h!t outta special sweepers (excluding fire and electric types) and even stalls out other NU walls such as Amoongus and Alomomola.
Now I'm sure you're all wondering..."Yo GS WTF is up with the EVs in Speed?", well i'll tell ya sucka, it's to outrun those punks with a base speed of 55 such as Ampharos, If they've fully invested into Speed. Otherwise you could just run the standard 252HP / 252SpDef spread. But I don't take those chances, this beauty is bulky enough to sacrifice a lil HP for some Speed IMO.
Good teammates: Rapidash! What could be better than pairing two beautiful pokemon together? Plus the synergy is great. Rapidash has Flash Fire thus canceling out any fire type attacks heading Articuno's way and giving itself a boost. Lampent also fills this role well. As for the Electric weakness, Torterra and Zebstrika both fit that role easily. I prefer Zebstrika because of its Lightningrod ability, but I know alot of fellow NU players love them some Torterra.
What counters it: Heh, well just about any fire or electric type sweeper, but we try not to let Cuno die that easily, after all, thats what its teammates are for.
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Spore
- Synthesis
Role: Physical Wall, Pivot
What it does: Amoonguss is one of the best walls in Never Used with the ability to stop the likes of Sawk cold in it's tracks. This ability only gets better with Rocky Helmet as Cinccino now takes 85% from using Tail Slap or 16/17% from using U-turn , it's two most effective moves against the mushroom. You also become a better pivot as you can switch in on most physical contact moves cause 16/17% damage then proceed to either Spore and halt the opponent's momentum or switch out and regain most of your health.
You do need Synthesis without leftovers as Regenerator alone isn't enough to keep you alive for elongated periods against well played Ice Punch Gurdurr or Psycho Cut Absol
Good Teammates: It's Amoonguss so it partners well with anything that can take Fire and Psychic attacks well. The most notable things to sponge are Emboar's Flare Blitz and Absol's Psycho Cut from the physical side and the usual Psychic type Psychics from the special.
What counters it: Primarily Cinccino but other physical attacks are worn down a lot faster. Physical Samurott, Scarf Sawk, most physical attackers such as Tauros and non Psycho Cut, non Fire Blast Absol.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
Physical Wall
What it does
Alomomola is one of the most sturdiest physical wall of the meta. She can counter every physical hit, even not boosted STAB physical attack that she's weak can't do more then half of her HP. Wish+Protect is a classic combo that can serves a self heal or act as a cleric healing other team member (she also have huge HP, so she can full restore most of her team mates). Toxic is here to spread status, but if you have any toxic spiker in your team, Knock off is another good choice to remove opponents items like leftovers from the incoming Amoongus or Eviolite from the incoming Tangela, two of the common switch in. Waterfall or Scald are your choice. Waterfall does more damage and Scald have that sexy 30% chance to burn the opponent (in the case you use scald, you have change the nature in Bold.
Good Teammates
Amoongus is the partner of choice since he resists all the attack that Alomomola is weak to. The big murshroom can also act as a mixed wall, so he can tank hits from both sides since Alomomola is pretty weak from the special side.
Another good team mate is Probopass that offers Stealth Rock support, a slow Volt Switch, useful resistances and good special defense.
Garbodor is another good team mate if you wanna build a stall team, since he can setup Spikes and/or Toxic Spikes and, especially t-spikes are usefull since Alomomola can stall with huge wishes and Protect. Garbodor can also absorb T-spikes that really reduces Alomomola tank capability.
Any other special wall (Lickylicky, Regice, Audino) and any mons with Grass and Electric immunity are always good team mates.
What counters it
Special Grass/Electric move and Toxic principally murders her. Alomomola is also pretty weak from the special side, so she can tank a special hit or two before she dies.
Any Additional Info
if your field is full of hazards, keep Alomomola away from switching 'till you have spinned away. Since there aren't good spinners, you have to kill quickly any hazards setter. She laught at a layer of spikes or two or only to SR, but if they are combined, Alomomola starts to be less threating.
Regirock @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
Role: Physical Wall, Hazard User, Bulky Offense.
What it does: With its titanic Defense, Regirock can survive almost any physical assault and set up Stealth Rock with ease. Base 100 Attack means that it won't be set-up bait, especially with great coverage between its offensive options. Regirock can act as a check against powerful attackers such as Zangoose, Cinccino,, Braviary, and Absol, surviving their super effective hits and retaliating with a powerful Drain Punch or Stone Edge.
Good Teammates: Regirock doesn't need much support and can fit on any team requiring a Stealth Rock user. Bulkier teams would be better off with a Specially Defensive spread though.
What counters it: Bulky Ground-types that aren't weak to Drain Punch such as Torterra, Marowak, or Golurk can counter Regirock with ease, striking hard it hard with Earthquake and not caring about Thunder Wave. Physically Defensive Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Tangela can beat Regirock, but are bother slightly by Thunder Wave. Powerful Water-types such as Special Samurott and Gorebyss can deal huge damage to Regirock with their attacks, but have to be wary of Thunder Wave and Stone Edge when switching in.
Any Additional Info: Rocky Helmet can be used to rack up extra damage on resisted Returns and Brave Birds, but Regirock appreciates all the recovery it can get.
Weezing @ Black Sludge
Trait: Levitate
Evs: 252Hp/252Def/4SpAtk
Bold Nature
-Pain Split
-Sludge Bomb
-Haze/Clear Smog
-Will O Wisp
Role: Physical Wall
What it does: Weezing's great physical bulk, good defensive typing, and awesome ability in levitate makes him one of the best defensive mons in the tier. His typing allows him to tank fighting and grass attacks with ease. Couple that with levitate allowing for an immunity to ground, Weezing only has one weakness which is to psychic. Pain Split is a semi reliable recovery move that is for longevity. Sludge Bomb is the stab of choice as it has a chance to poison and can ko weakened switch ins such as Exeggutor. Clear Smog is so Weezing doesnt become set up fodder while damaging at the same time, however haze can be used to hit through substitutes. Will O Wisp is to cripple physical attackers and set up sweepers.
Good teammates: Because Weezing has only a weakness to psychic, a good special defensive mon such as lickilicky would be a great partner as the synergize really well. Because psychics are its only weakness, dark types such as Absol or Skuntank work well with Weezing, as they are able to trap and kill with pursuit.
What counters it: Due to his small special bulk, most special attackers will be able to ko Weezing. Fire types can switch in on a Will O Wisp and strike back with a powerful fire attack. Like i mentioned before, any psychic type stops Weezing in its tracks and forces him out. Lastly, any substitute user can give him trouble as he will have a tough time breaking it. Haze helps with this though as they will not be able to set up.
Any additional info: Taunt, thunderbolt, and fire blast can all be used on this set if youre looking for other options or more coverage. Memento can also be used to allow Set up sweepers such as Belly Drum Linoone to get a free boost and proceed to sweep.
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Spore
- Synthesis
Role: Physical Wall, Pivot
What it does: Amoonguss is one of the best walls in Never Used with the ability to stop the likes of Sawk cold in it's tracks. This ability only gets better with Rocky Helmet as Cinccino now takes 85% from using Tail Slap or 16/17% from using U-turn , it's two most effective moves against the mushroom. You also become a better pivot as you can switch in on most physical contact moves cause 16/17% damage then proceed to either Spore and halt the opponent's momentum or switch out and regain most of your health.
You do need Synthesis without leftovers as Regenerator alone isn't enough to keep you alive for elongated periods against well played Ice Punch Gurdurr or Psycho Cut Absol
Good Teammates: It's Amoonguss so it partners well with anything that can take Fire and Psychic attacks well. The most notable things to sponge are Emboar's Flare Blitz and Absol's Psycho Cut from the physical side and the usual Psychic type Psychics from the special.
What counters it: Primarily Cinccino but other physical attacks are worn down a lot faster. Physical Samurott, Scarf Sawk, most physical attackers such as Tauros and non Psycho Cut, non Fire Blast Absol.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic / Knock Off
- Waterfall / Scald
Physical Wall
What it does
Alomomola is one of the most sturdiest physical wall of the meta. She can counter every physical hit, even not boosted STAB physical attack that she's weak can't do more then half of her HP. Wish+Protect is a classic combo that can serves a self heal or act as a cleric healing other team member (she also have huge HP, so she can full restore most of her team mates). Toxic is here to spread status, but if you have any toxic spiker in your team, Knock off is another good choice to remove opponents items like leftovers from the incoming Amoongus or Eviolite from the incoming Tangela, two of the common switch in. Waterfall or Scald are your choice. Waterfall does more damage and Scald have that sexy 30% chance to burn the opponent (in the case you use scald, you have change the nature in Bold.
Good Teammates
Amoongus is the partner of choice since he resists all the attack that Alomomola is weak to. The big murshroom can also act as a mixed wall, so he can tank hits from both sides since Alomomola is pretty weak from the special side.
Another good team mate is Probopass that offers Stealth Rock support, a slow Volt Switch, useful resistances and good special defense.
Garbodor is another good team mate if you wanna build a stall team, since he can setup Spikes and/or Toxic Spikes and, especially t-spikes are usefull since Alomomola can stall with huge wishes and Protect. Garbodor can also absorb T-spikes that really reduces Alomomola tank capability.
Any other special wall (Lickylicky, Regice, Audino) and any mons with Grass and Electric immunity are always good team mates.
What counters it
Special Grass/Electric move and Toxic principally murders her. Alomomola is also pretty weak from the special side, so she can tank a special hit or two before she dies.
Any Additional Info
if your field is full of hazards, keep Alomomola away from switching 'till you have spinned away. Since there aren't good spinners, you have to kill quickly any hazards setter. She laught at a layer of spikes or two or only to SR, but if they are combined, Alomomola starts to be less threating.
Regirock @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Drain Punch
- Stone Edge
- Thunder Wave
Role: Physical Wall, Hazard User, Bulky Offense.
What it does: With its titanic Defense, Regirock can survive almost any physical assault and set up Stealth Rock with ease. Base 100 Attack means that it won't be set-up bait, especially with great coverage between its offensive options. Regirock can act as a check against powerful attackers such as Zangoose, Cinccino,, Braviary, and Absol, surviving their super effective hits and retaliating with a powerful Drain Punch or Stone Edge.
Good Teammates: Regirock doesn't need much support and can fit on any team requiring a Stealth Rock user. Bulkier teams would be better off with a Specially Defensive spread though.
What counters it: Bulky Ground-types that aren't weak to Drain Punch such as Torterra, Marowak, or Golurk can counter Regirock with ease, striking hard it hard with Earthquake and not caring about Thunder Wave. Physically Defensive Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Tangela can beat Regirock, but are bother slightly by Thunder Wave. Powerful Water-types such as Special Samurott and Gorebyss can deal huge damage to Regirock with their attacks, but have to be wary of Thunder Wave and Stone Edge when switching in.
Any Additional Info: Rocky Helmet can be used to rack up extra damage on resisted Returns and Brave Birds, but Regirock appreciates all the recovery it can get.
Weezing @ Black Sludge
Trait: Levitate
Evs: 252Hp/252Def/4SpAtk
Bold Nature
-Pain Split
-Sludge Bomb
-Haze/Clear Smog
-Will O Wisp
Role: Physical Wall
What it does: Weezing's great physical bulk, good defensive typing, and awesome ability in levitate makes him one of the best defensive mons in the tier. His typing allows him to tank fighting and grass attacks with ease. Couple that with levitate allowing for an immunity to ground, Weezing only has one weakness which is to psychic. Pain Split is a semi reliable recovery move that is for longevity. Sludge Bomb is the stab of choice as it has a chance to poison and can ko weakened switch ins such as Exeggutor. Clear Smog is so Weezing doesnt become set up fodder while damaging at the same time, however haze can be used to hit through substitutes. Will O Wisp is to cripple physical attackers and set up sweepers.
Good teammates: Because Weezing has only a weakness to psychic, a good special defensive mon such as lickilicky would be a great partner as the synergize really well. Because psychics are its only weakness, dark types such as Absol or Skuntank work well with Weezing, as they are able to trap and kill with pursuit.
What counters it: Due to his small special bulk, most special attackers will be able to ko Weezing. Fire types can switch in on a Will O Wisp and strike back with a powerful fire attack. Like i mentioned before, any psychic type stops Weezing in its tracks and forces him out. Lastly, any substitute user can give him trouble as he will have a tough time breaking it. Haze helps with this though as they will not be able to set up.
Any additional info: Taunt, thunderbolt, and fire blast can all be used on this set if youre looking for other options or more coverage. Memento can also be used to allow Set up sweepers such as Belly Drum Linoone to get a free boost and proceed to sweep.
Torkoal (F) @ White Herb
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Rapid Spin
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Earth Power
Role: Rapid Spinner / Special Sweeper (Secondary)
What it does: While Torkoal is normally looked at as a defensive Pokemon, it actually does have a pretty good base 85 Special Attack and access to Shell Smash. Now you might ask yourself, "How could this possibly work out?". Well the answer is simple, Torkoal is capable of beating Golurk, Drifblim, and Misdreavus with Fire Blast, while OHKOing Haunter easily. With Shell Smash Torkoal is capable of not only outspeeding potential spinblockers, but can easily destroy them to allow a free opportunity to Rapid Spin or even sweep if need be. Torkoal's spread allows it outspeed positive Speed natured base 70 Pokemon and hit as hard as possible, while White Herb makes up for Shell Smash's decrease in defenses. With max Speed Torkoal also hits 139 Speed, enough to outspeed standard Golem to get off a Hidden Power Grass early game. While it won't be outspeeding Haunter at +2, Haunter is easily just taken down by a Fire Blast on the switch. (If they switch at all, otherwise it's a free Spin regardless) HP Grass is there to provide some pretty good coverage alongside Fire Blast and allows Torkoal to give the Alomomola + Amoonguss some trouble.
- 252 +2 SpAtk Torkoal (+SpAtk) Fire Blast vs 172 HP/0 SpDef Golurk: 107.18% - 126.24% (Guaranteed OHKO)
- 252 +2 SpAtk Torkoal (+SpAtk) Fire Blast vs 252 HP/0 SpDef Eviolite Misdreavus: 75.93% - 89.81% (2 hits to KO) [Not a big deal though as Missy can't do much with Shadow Ball after White Herb. You can even set up another Shell Smash on it to sweep if needed]
- 252 +2 SpAtk Torkoal (+SpAtk) Fire Blast vs 0 HP/4 SpDef Drifblim: 119.73% - 141.04% (Guaranteed OHKO)
Good Teammates: Torkoal functions best on more offensive Fire/Water/Grass cores as it provides the bulk and power that those team look for, and it's too offensive to function all that well on defensive cores such as Alomoonguss. Special Samurott and Torterra make good partners for this as they can easily keep the offensive momentum and cover a huge amount of threats.
What counters it: Most Fire-types such as Emboar, Rapidash, and Camerupt can easily stop Torkoal from sweeping although they can't stop it from accomplishing its main goal of getting off a Rapid Spin.
Any Additional Info: Let's hope that next gen White Smoke stops Overheat SpA drops. :)
Armaldo (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Blast
- Aqua Tail
Role: Rapid Spinner / Physical Sweeper (Secondary)
What it does: Armaldo follows the same "If you can't Spin through Ghosts, smash them" mentality as Torkoal. Having great bulk and excellent Attack Armaldo makes a great user of Swords Dance, and relies on all of these traits to terminate the Ghosts that haunt and overshadow Armaldo's ability to Rapid Spin. After a single Swords Dance Armaldo's Attack skyrockets to a massive 766 and can start destroying the Ghost-types that will attempt to stop its Rapid Spin. Rock Blast and Aqua Tail provide good coverage and allows Armaldo to deal with Substitute using Ghost-types such as Drifblim and Haunter as well as OHKO Golurk, respectively. Lum Berry is a great item on SD Armaldo as it allows it to easily shrug any Will-O-Wisps that the Ghost-types like to throw around and follow it up with a powerful attack. EVs are set to allow Armaldo to outspeed uninvested base 50 Pokemon such as Regirock, max Attack to give it more of a punch, and 200 HP to make use of its good 75/100/80 defenses.
Good Teammates: Since Armaldo is troubled by Fighting-types and bulky, albeit weak attackers Gothitelle makes the perfect partner for it. Specs Gothitelle will remove Gurdurr, Machoke, Alomomola, Tangela, Amoonguss, Weezing, and Garbodor easily for Armaldo, while appreciating Armaldo's ability to beat down Ghost-types that can badly hurt Gothitelle.
What counters it: Fighting-type Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Machoke truly don't care about any of Armaldo's moves and can start retaliating or boosting up with Bulk Up. Alomomola and Tangela also take minimal damage from this Armaldo's attacks and can easily stall it out while having Regenerator to recover whenever needed. Weezing and Garbodor can take Armaldo's attacks fairly well and reset its boosts with Clear Smog/Haze.
Any Additional Info: Rock/Water Armaldo would have been the best thing ever and I would have used that on probably every team
@ Leftovers
~Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
~Spikes / ~Encore / ~Bullet Seed / ~Sucker Punch[/CENTER]
Role: Hazards User
What it does: Cacturne, also known to some as NU's best offensive Spikes user is no newcomer. Being brought out to light after Roselia's sad farewell over to RU, Cacturne has emerged as one of the tier's best Spikers. Thought not nearly as bulky as Garbodor, Cacturne has a great offensive typing, excellent offenses, and the right movepool for the job. Although Cacturne's Dream World ability, Water Absprb, is actually useful for it unlike Sand Veil, Cacturne cannot use Encore or Bullet Seed with it. Encore makes up for Cacturne's lack of bulk to allow it a few free turns to set up its valuable Spikes. Encore can turns massive threats such as Calm Mind Musharna into set up fodder or grant Cacturne the ability to get a free hit on something with its excellent base 115 Attack. Bullet Seed lets Cacturne beat Golem past sturdy and Sucker Punch allows Cacturne to make up for it's poor speed and hit with priority. Another perk of being an offense Spiker with such great attacking prowess is the ability to force switches, which lets Cacturne take advantage of its own Spikes; after 2 layers Cinccino will be unable to stomach a Sucker Punch. EVs are set up so that Cacturne outspeeds max speed Golem and other base 45 Pokemon.
Good Teammates: Pokemon to take advantage of Cacturne's Spikes such Specs Altaria, Emboar, Braviary, Zangoose, and Cinccino make good teammates for Cacturne. Altaria in specific can switch into Fighting-, Bug-, and Fire-type attacks aimed at Cacturne and begging bringing the pain with Choice Specs boosted Draco Meteor.
What counters it: Emboar and Klang are the Pokemon that stand out the most that can handle Cacturne since they resist it's dual STAB and can either destroy it or in Klang's case possibly force it out and set up on the switch
Any Additional Info: Shaqtus is a great commercial for those who haven't seen it
Probopass @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
- Power Gem/Earth Power
Role: Special Wall/Hazard User
What it does: Probopass is one of the best users of Stealth Rock, due to it's typing (granting many resistances), it's amazing Sturdy ability, and it's terrific stats overall. As long as Mold Breaker isn't involved, getting up Stealth Rocks with this guy is almost inevitable. Sturdy allows it to live any potential ohko attack (generally Ground type and Fighting type physical attacks), letting it set up rocks no matter what. It's Rock/Steel typing allows it to resist Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Dark, Psychic, Ice, and Dragon types, along with being immune to Psychic. That's more than half of the pokemon types! It's Special Defense isn't bad at all either, being at a maximum of 483 with a maximum of 324 hp. Provided with a really low speed, Probopass is able to take a hit and slowly Volt Switch into a partner.
Good Teammates: Probopass can work very well with anything weak to the plethora of types it resists (see above for a list), and generally any team weak the birds. It's also a really great partner to slower pokemon, such as Guts Ursaring, if Thunder Wave is utilized. I should also mention that stall teams that rely a little bit on hazards enjoy his ability to force switches. Misdreavus is pretty cool, as it is immune to both Ground and Fighting, and with Calm Minds can take special water hits. Parasect gets perfect synergy with Probopass, I think.
What counters it: Barber/Fighting/Ground/Water types.
Any Additional Info:
Ursaring @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Facade
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Swords Dance / Protect
Role: Wallbreaker
What it does: Crushes villages. This demon bear literally lights itself on fire and proceeds to obliterate everything in its path. Sometimes it brandishes a sword that it dances with to further increase its offensive power, while other times it surrounds itself with a powerful barrier of protection, allowing it to light itself on fire without being attacked first. Once this blazing fury has been unleashed, it uses a ridiculously strong Facade to annihilate anything that does not resist the attack or is immune to it. Its coverage options are slightly weaker, but just as ferocious.
Good Teammates: Ursaring functions quite well as a stand-alone sweeper; it needs almost no support to really do its job. However, Light Screen and Reflect are extremely helpful to it, as well as Paralysis support. If this thing can outspeed the opposition, it will crush it; if it can't outspeed the opposition, then it needs to be able to take a clean hit so it can crush it after being attacked. Being a sweeper, Ursaring also appreciates entry hazards. With this in mind, Pokemon like Gardevoir quickly come to mind, as well as any of the Pranksters. Regirock and Probopass are notable examples as they can spread Paralysis and use Stealth Rock.
What counters it: Priority tends to hurt Ursaring quite seriously. It can easily be revenge killed by Absol, and possibly Gurdurr. As long as the Pokemon is faster, it has a good chance at being able to revenge kill Ursaring. This is due to the fact that by the time Ursaring has set up and started attacking, a good portion of its health is already gone.
Faster Ghost Pokemon can come in on a predicted Facade and take Ursaring out with Hidden Power Fighting / Focus Blast before it has a chance to hit back. Defensive walls such as Tangela and Regirock are also able to sustain damage from Ursaring and heal it off with Giga Drain and Drain Punch, respectively. Remember that Ursa is also on a timer due to Flame Orb, so if you have a way to stall it out, you can win. Good luck finding something that isn't 2HKO'd by this monster though.
Any Additional Info: Why the fuck aren't you using this yet?
@ Choice Specs
~Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
~Draco Meteor / ~Hidden Power [Ground] / ~Dragon Pulse|Fire Blast / ~Rest[/CENTER]
Role: Wallbreaker
What it does: With a very good Dragon/Flying typing, great 75 / 90 / 105 defenses, and a lackluster 70 Special Attack stat one would think that Altaria should stick solely to playing defensive. That assumption however would lead to missing out on a powerful wallbreaker and excellent offensive pivot. With those excellent defenses and the Natural Cure + Rest combination
Altaria can last very long in a match for it to break things apart with it's destructive Draco Meteors. Even though Dragon + Fire is better coverage than Dragon + Ground (Though only missing Champion Bronzor isn't that big a deal) the most common Steel-type Pokemon is indeed Probopass who isn't weak to Fire Blast and can eat them for breakfast. HP Ground however 2HKOes any Probopass set barring those with Shuca Berry (lol) and Air Balloon. One of it's biggest perks is the ability to beat SD Samurott better than any other Altaria set thanks to it's ability to outspeed, easily take any of it's moves, and OHKO with Draco Meteor.
Good Teammates: SpecsTaria 101: Spam Draco Meteor, if the opponent happens to have a Pokemon bulky enough to handle it (read: SpD Lickilicky, SpD Cradily, SpD Gardevoir, SpD Lapras, SpD Flareon ; all must be SpD sets to prevent getting 2HKOed >:] ) then switch into your partner of choice. The best partners for SpecsTaria that continue the wallbreaking fun are Choice Band Torterra and Choice Band Emboar. Both destroy what SpecsTaria cannot, however Emboar gets the nod over Torterra for having better type synergy with Altaria.
What counters it: *shameless copypasta* (read: SpD Lickilicky, SpD Cradily, SpD Gardevoir, SpD Lapras, SpD Flareon ; all must be SpD sets to prevent getting 2HKOed >:] )
Any Additional Info: I love this set :) and big blob is a Draco Meteor btw
Golurk @ choice band
~iron fist
~252 atk/ 252spe
or
252atk/252hp
~adamant
~ shadow punch
earthquake
drain punch
ice punch
Role: Bulky attacker/ wallbreaker
What it does:A great wallbreaker. It can come in easiely due to its 3 immunities and some useful resistances. Then it can use its most powerful move against the opponent. But be careful because 3 of its moves give free switchins to some of the most threatening mons in the tier (birds, normals, ghosts). So prediction is key while using this monster. Shadow punch is stab and is useable despite low power due to iron fist boost. Earthquake is a great move as always. Drain punch to hit normals and recover some health can also be used to hit rock types if you dont want to give free switchins to birds. Ice punch is for birds and for general coverage alongside earthquake.
Good teammates : Its main task is to soften walls so that a teammate can set up and sweep. So good cleaners like zangoose and absol are good team-mates. Cacturne can come in on water, dark , ghost and grass type attacks aimed at golurk and set up spikes or attack back. Entry hazard support is also good.
What counters it: A little prediction is all you need. You can bring a pokemon immune to one of its moves. And force it out. Tangela can put it to sleep and neuter it for the rest of the match. It cant do anything against strong sucker punchers like absol but absol cant switch into it easiely. And a strong faster pokemon with a SE move can easiely dispatch of it.
Klang @ Eviolite
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 76 Hp / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
Substitute
Shift Gear
Gear Grind
Return
Role: Physical Sweeper / Late Game Cleaner
What it does: In a metagame where bulky grass-types, birds and cincinno dominate, Klang is here to save the day! With good 60/95/85 defensive stats further bolstered by Eviolite and arguably the best mono typing in the game, Klang can devastate teams that underestimate it. Substitute allows Klang to evade status moves such as spore, sleep powder, and Will-o-wisp, most importantly turning Tangela and Amoonguss into set up bait. Weaker attacks also struggle to break the substitute, such as Alomomola's waterfall. Shift Gear is what makes Klang so dangerous, in fact, anything with this move or a special varient is dangerous is its literally Dragon Dance 2.0. Gear Grind has the same effective base power as meteor mash and has the bonus of breaking sub users. Return rounds off klang's coverage by making sure everything is hit neutrally except frillish, lampent, and opposing Klang/Mawile. While Klang isnt exactly a top tier threat, a lot of the current metagame loses to it, so watch out!
Good Teammates: Klang base attack is a modest 80, more than enough to sweep but not enough to damage bulkier pokemon, therefore Klang works best with entry hazards. Garbodor is an excellent teammate, setting up spikes and toxic spikes while also taking fighting-type attacks from sawk and gurdurr for klang. Klang also appreciates the help of wallbreakers to punch through any bulky things that klang struggles to damage. a great teammate for klang is Musharna, it takes earthquakes and close combats quite easily, while also setting up on many of klang's checks.
What counters it: the best counter to klang is Frillish, who completely walls the machine and wears it down with night shade, recovering off most damage in the process. Bulky Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Emboar also do a good job, being able to take a hit from klang and striking back with strong drain punches and flare blitzes. Scarf Zebstrika can easily revenge kill a +2 klang with overheat, but has no hope of defeating a klang that has boosted twice. Water-types such as samurott and seadra also give Klang trouble. Torterra hard walls klang and KOes back with Earthquake
Any Additional Info: You're all going to be in trouble if klinklang drops ;)
Leafeon @ Leftovers
Trait: Chlorophyll
Evs: 4Hp/ 252Atk/ 252Spd
Jolly Nature
Leaf Blade
Return
Substitute
Swords Dance
Role: Physical Sweeper
What it does: Coupling its great attack and speed stats, Leafeon is certainly a force to reckoned in the Nu metagame. After a swords dance boost, the verdant pokemon is able to punch gaping holes in the opposing team and deal hefty damage to those that don't resist its stab. Return is a great coverage move that does heavy damage to those that do resist its stab. Swords Dance is the krux of the set, so to speak, as without it, Leafeon will not be able to pull off a sweep. While behind a substitute, leafeon gets a free attacking or set up turn, as well as an immunity to status which can really hurt its chances of sweeping.
Good Teammates: Leafeon works quite well with the Combusken set posted above, as Leafeon is able to remove bulky water and ground types that give Combusken trouble, while Combusken is able to deal with the steel and grass types that give Leafeon trouble. Flareon is notable as it is able to tank fire, ice, and bug moves aimed at the Eeveelution. Another good teammate would be a strong psychic type such as Musharna, as it is able to take out bulky poison types, namely Weezing and Amoonguss, that can easily tank Leafeon's attacks and threat to ko with their poison type attacks.
What counters it: As mentioned previously, steel types such as Klang and Bastiodon can easily tank Leafeon's unboosted attacks as the former resists both of them. Bulky poison types as mentioned above also give Leafeon trouble, as they take little damage from unboosted return and can threaten heavy damage with their poison attacks. Finally, fire and flying type such as Emboar and Braviary can threaten to ko with their strong stab attacks, however a +2 return will hit quite hard.
Any Additional Info: Life Orb can be used over leftovers to get some extra power on Leafeon's attacks, however it is uneeded after an SD boost and he prefers the longevity. An adamant nature can be used over jolly to add to Leafeon's attack, but its attack is already boosted to great heights with SD, so the extra speed is appreciated. Quick attack can be used over return for some priority.
Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Trait: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Double-Edge
- Nature Power
Role: Physical Sweeper
What it does: Sets up a Swords Dance on something it threatens and then goes to town. After a Swords Dance its attack hits 598, which means that combined with its good Speed stat, things are going to die. Horn Leech gives decent coverage, a reliable STAB, and a useful healing ability, Double-Edge is a powerful option for a second STAB move whose recoil is offset by Horn Leech, and Nature Power (which becomes Earthquake in Wifi Battles) gives Sawsbuck perfect neutral coverage on everything but Shedinja and Haunter.
Good Teammates: Sawsbuck, like most sweepers, enjoys hazards support, so pokemon that can provide this are good partners. Garbodor is great for its ability to set up Spikes while resisting Sawsbuck's Fighting weakness. Also, things that lure in Grass Type attacks make for good partners as well, as Sawsbuck can come in on a Grass type attack and get an attack boost thanks to Sap Sipper. Seismitoad can set up SR while luring in Grass attacks due to its 4x weakness to grass. Things that can help take care of Choice Scarf users that can halt a sweep are also appreciated.
What Counters It: Anything that can outrun Sawsbuck and hit with a powerful attack can probably kill it, as Sawsbuck is pretty frail. Things such as Choice Scarf Emboar, Choice Scarf Braviary, and Choice Scarf Sawk can all outspeed and KO with their respective SE moves. If Sawsbuck has Chlorophyll and Sunny Day support however, it can outspeed all of these threats and KO them. Powerful priority attacks also work well at picking off Sawsbuck. Absol has a good chance to OHKO Sawsbuck with Sucker Punch after SR with a Life Orb and an Adamant nature.
Any Additional Info: If you run this on a Sunny Day team, then Chlorophyll is a better choice than Sap Sipper to allow it to outspeed many more threats. They need to make another Bambi movie because he grows up to be a boss.
@ Leftovers
~Trait: Intimidate / Shed Skin
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
~Coil / ~Gunk Shot / ~Earthquake / ~Sucker Punch
Role: Physical Sweeper
What it does: Coil was a blessing to Poison-type Pokemon as it gave them a boosting move that gave them an impressive +1 Atk, +1 Def, +1 Accuracy. This allows Arbok to take advantage of its good typing with the defense boost and makes the Poison-type Pokemon's coveted Gunk Shot more than a gamble. After a single Coil Arbok has good power, good defense, and a reliable 120 BP STAB move and ready to do some serious damage to enemy teams. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Gunk Shot and hits Pokemon such as Probopass, Klang, and Mawile who would give Arbok serious trouble otherwise. Without Quagsire in NU, Arbok is free to forgo Seed Bomb and can take advantage of Sucker Punch to get off a last minute hit on things or beat Pokemon such as Scarf Haunter. Even though Intimidate is preferred ability, Arbok can also make use of Shed Skin and set up with, for the most part, not fearing status from things such as Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, and of course the almighty Static (Ban Static! -Keiran)
Good Teammates: Sawk is a great partner due to ability to lure in Ghost-types and wear them down alongside Arbok. Sawk can also lure Poison-type Pokemon such as Garbodor or Amoonguss for Arbok to set up on. Absol can do serious damage to the Ghost-types that beat Arbok while having Psycho Cut to deal with Weezing that might want to switch in.
What counters it: Even with Sucker Punch Ghost-type Pokemon still make quick work of Arbok. SubDisable AcroDrifblim and Haunter fear absolutely nothing, while Misdreavus can Burn and Taunt Arbok all day or even Substitute and Nasty Plot all day and night. Weezing also stops this cold in its tracks with the ability to Will-o-Wisp and Haze, but let's not forget Champion Bronzor.
Any Additional Info: Snake? Snake! SNNNAAAAAAKEEEEE!!!
Fraxure @ Eviolite
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252Spe / 252Atk / 4HP
Adamant Nature
-Dragon Dance
-Outrage
-Taunt
-Low Kick/Aqua Tail
Role: Physical Sweeper/Late Game Clean Up
What it does: Idealy it would set up atleast one Dragon Dance later in the game after its major threats are taken care of, then sweep with Outrage. Even without the Dragon Dance it can still do a lot of damage. The Eviolite helps keep it alive longer, i find it helps when you don't get your Dragon Dance up because it lets him live long enough to KO at least one mon. Taunt is not something i end up using a lot but can be handy, and i use Low Kick as opposed to the Aqua Tail but honestly i usually don't use it.
Good Teammates: At least a good fire type to help take care of the ice mons that would put Fraxure down. Works well with a fast strong Sunny Day team, and hazard set up is all ways good but i tend to have a spinner to destroy any hazards.
What counters it: A Special Attack that is just regularly effective but taking a boost in some way will probably 1KO him. While his Defense is a little better anything scarfed will destroy him.
Rotom-S @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Trick
- Air Slash
- Hidden Power [Ground]
Role: Revenge Killer/Scarfer
What it does: NU can be played incredibly offensively if the player choses to, because we have a few huge threats like Gorebyss, Exeggutor, and Sawk. You are almost required to run a Choice Scarfer that can come in after something dies and revenge kill, and Rotom Fan is one of the best Scarfers in the tier. Aside from decent dual STAB Hidden Power Ground can hit sturdy walls like Probo and Bastiodon for good damage as well as opposing Electrics.
Good Teammates: Rotom-S is easily fitted on most teams in need for a Scarfer really. It would prefer no Stealth Rocks though due to the part Flying and no recovery so any fast Taunter, Anti-lead or a good spinner is appreciated. A strong Fighting type for Lickilciky can help out a lot too.
What counters it: Rotom's dual STAB doesn't exactly have the best coverage, but that's what HP Ground is for. Eelektross can easily switch in though and hit back hard and with SR up special walls will be a pain. Rotom is pretty much meant to hit and run anyways though.
Any Additional Info: Lol Gorebyss, I haz Rotoms.
Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Trace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Trick / Thunderbolt
Role: Revenge Killer / Late-game Cleaner.
What it does:
Gardevoir is fantastic in the current metagame as her powerful base 125 SpAtk allows her to 2HKO almost anything that doesn't resist her attacks, and her great base 80 Spe is boosted to intimidating levels with a Choice Scarf. Choice Scarf Gardevoir is the fastest standard Psychic Pokemon set in the tier, and should never be underestimated. Gardevoir can easily sweep unprepared teams, and once its checks / counters have been removed it can rip apart a weakened team.
Good Teammates: Entry hazards make Gardevoir's job easier than it already is, and Pokemon like Glalie, Garbodor, and Cacturne can attract Psychic and Fighting moves that Gardevoir can easily switch into. Gardevoir fits well on most offensive teams and will work great with any Pokemon that cause significant offensive pressure, such as Absol, Emboar, Samurott, etc.
What counters it: Skuntank will always beat Gardevoir. It has access to Pursuit as well as Sucker Punch, which basically makes Gardevoir flip a coin on whether it gets to live or not once Skuntank comes in. Being a Choice Scarf user, Gardevoir can be countered by any Dark-types if she's locked into Psychic, any Normal-types if she's locked into Shadow Ball, and any Ghost-types if she's locked into Focus Blast. Prediction is key against Gardevoir; you need to make smart switches. If she scores a neutral hit on your counter, it will probably be 2HKO'd. Gardevoir doesn't like priority too much, but it can take a few weaker hits before going down. Faster users of Choice Scarf can revenge kill Gardevoir if they're packing an attack that is SE against her.
Any Additional Info: Although an older post, this Gardevoir thread has a few other sets that are quite useful, as well as more discussion on Gardevoir and how it affects the NU tier. Gardevoir is one of the best Psychic-types in the tier, and can fit on most teams needing a Scarfer, or any team having trouble with weather.
While this weird psychic russian doll thing probably won't stay in NU for very long it's a beast of a trapper for the time being.
Role: Revenge Killer/Trapper/Bulky Attacker
Gothitelle @ Choice Specs
252hp/252spatk/4spe
Modest Nature
-Psychic
-Thunderbolt
-HP Fighting / Ground
-Grass Knot / Trick
While I've seen many different Gothitelle sets that utilise Calm Mind or Torment, this is the most effective in my opinion. Come in on an attack that she doesn't fear, then proceed to hit the enemy with the most powerful move available to you as they will be unable to switch. Stuff like Amoonguss and Garbodor are zapped by Psychic, and most neutral targets will take heavy damage, making it the move of choice in most scenarios. Thunderbolt is for Alomolola and other bulky waters, as well as doing heavy damage to flying types. HP Fighting hits normal types slightly harder than Psychic, as well has hitting Rock and Steel types like Probopass, Bastiodon, Lairon heavier than any other move on the set. HP Ground has a similar purpose, while hitting Electric types such as Luxray much harder. The last move is up to you: Grass Knot takes out stuff like Golem and Seismitoad with ease, while Trick can cripple a wall for a whole game.
Good team-mates would include those who benefit from having specific checks removed. Amoongbro putting a damper on your Sawk sweep? Let Gothitelle blast the shroom with Psychic. Alomolola stalling you to death? The Goth can easily remove it with a Thunderbolt.
Watch out for status while using Gothitelle, though. Sleep ruins her, so it may be best to activate sleep clause before sending her in. Maybe team her up with a cleric such as Miltank or Megainum to stop her from being Toxic-ed by certain walls.
Gothitelle is very prone to revenge killing, especially if you use a Choice Specs like the above, so Pursuit users like Absol or Skuntank are a threat. Also don't even try to trap pokemon such as Misdreavus, as they may set up on you and hit you with a Super-Effective Shadow Ball.
@ Eviolite
~Trait: Levitate
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
~Substitute / ~Nasty Plot / ~Shadow Ball / ~Thunderbolt[/CENTER]
Role: Special Sweeper
What it does: Thanks to Misdreavus's good bulk with Eviolite, handy Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type immunities give it the opportunity to come up with devilish ideas and boost up its Special Attack. After a Nasty Plot boost Missy is ready to deal serious damage to enemy teams. Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt provide great coverage and allows Misdreavus to check and take down dangerous Water- and Flying-type Pokemon such as Samurott, Gorebyss, Carracosta, and Braviary (+2 HP Fighting does 46% - 55%) that Hidden Power Fighting doesn't. Substitute can be relatively easy to set up taking all of Misdreavus's resistances into account and allows Misdreavus so safely attack Sucker Punch users such as Skuntank and Absol, while avoiding the hazing effects of Amoonguss and Garbodor's Clear Smog.
Good Teammates: Since this set uses Shadow Ball and TBolt, Cacturne is a relatively safe switch in, barring the 2HKO from +2 Shadow Ball. Specially Defensive Altaria walls this set and can even phaze, while Choice Specs can switch in and retaliate. Without Hidden Power Fighting Probopass has a safe time switching it, but the advent of more offensive Probopass sets means it takes less for Misdreavus to take it down. If anything can pair up nicely to beat these it would have to be Amoonguss thanks to it's excellent mixed bulk and Regenerator while ability to hit all those these Pokemon neutrally.
What counters it: Sucker Punch users such as Cacturne, Absol, Skuntank, and Golem can put pressure onto Misdreavus but the correct partners to eliminate them, Missy will have a much easier time breaking things apart. Probopass can definitely take on Misdreavus if lacking HP Fighting and will usually beat it one on one.
Any Additional Info: Missy so cute :3
Serperior @ Leftovers
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Special Attack / 252 Speed
Nature: Timid
-Substitute
-Calm Mind
-Giga Drain
-Hidden Power (Rock) / Hidden Power (Ice) / Dragon Pulse
Role: Special Sweeper
What it does: Anyone who've used a SubCM set, like with Jirachi or Raikou, know how successful these can be. Sub blocks status and gives you opportunities to set up Calm Minds against walls, particularly grasses and bulky waters. Giga drain is a notably good STAB here because you no longer run into problems using sub too much and running out of HP. As far as coverage goes, both hit flying types, HP ice is good against grass types while rock can be used if you're afraid of random fire types (even though Magmortar is gone) and particularly hits Charizard, and Mantine I guess. Very little outspeeds Serperior and Sub protects you from getting revenged by those that do. Essentially, SubCM is a sort of "snowball" that gets stronger the longer you take to respond to it.
Good Teammates: Samurott deals with fire types and can smash through Special walls, and carries priority for Swellow and friends. Regirock or Golem does this job well too, and sets rocks to destroy Charizard.
What counters it: Don't let it set up. Any wall with roar can do that, and if you get rid of its sub (you may have to fodder to do so), any faster attacker like scard Sawk, Swellow, and scarf Rotom can revenge it.
Any Additional Info: you can play this set off as subseed to mess with people and weaken their team before sweeping.
Combusken @ Life Orb
Trait : Speed Boost
EVs : 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- Substitute
Role : Special Sweeper
What it does : Combusken is a great cleaner and a hard-hitting special attacker. Although Combusken's stats may look sub-par, Speed Boost allows Combusken's speed to reach frightening levels and Combusken can easily boost his speed through Protect and Substitute. After a couple of boosts, not even revenge killers can outspeed Combusken. Combusken can do a lot of damage with his two 120 base power STAB moves that are also boosted by a Modest nature and a Life Orb. Combusken's dual STAB provides great coverage and can break down most walls. Substitute allows Combusken to bypass incoming Sucker Punches. Even though Substitute and Life Orb recoil might be unfavorable, Combusken won't last long either way.
Good Teammates : Combusken is an amazing stand-alone sweeper but pokemon such as Samurott can create a powerful offensive core. Entry hazards create many OHKOs that Combusken would not be able to get. Pokemon such as Garbodor, Cacturne or Probopass come to mind for laying entry hazards. Pursuit users such as Absol and Skuntank can take out threatening Psychic types for Combusken.
What counters it : Bulky Psychic types such as Musharna can take one of Combusken's attacks and retaliate with a super-effective Psychic. In particular, Grumpig resists both of Combusken's attacks due to Thick Fat. Pokemon that resist Combusken's dual STABs such as Frillish, Altaria, and Lampent can also counter Combusken as Combusken fails to do much damage. Priority from Gurdurr, Swellow, Samurott, and Zangoose can also put a stop to Combusken's sweep.
Any Additional Info : Eviolite can be used over Life Orb to take weaker attacks such as Sucker Punch but Combusken will greatly miss the power that Life Orb provided. Hidden Powers such as Hidden Power Ice can be used over Substitute but Substitute provides more utility in the long run. A Timid nature can be used to outspeed base 95s after one boost but Combusken needs all the power he can get.
Ludicolo (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Giga Drain
What it does: Thanks to its above average special bulk, Ludicolo can easily set up Rain Dance against a multitude of Pokemon, doubling its speed as well as making its Hydro Pump ridiculously powerful. Ice Beam hits Grass- and Dragon-types while Giga Drain hits Water-types and keeps Ludicolo healthy for a prolonged sweep.
Good Teammates: As Ludicolo outspeeds most Choice Scarfers with ease, the main problem are Pokemon it can't break through easily, such as Lickilicky, Regice and specially defensive Amoonguss. Hence, strong physical attackers such as Braviary, Emboar and Eelektross are good partners for it, threatening all of the above Pokemon; Eeelektross has the added advantage of a slow U-turn, which allows it to bring in Ludicolo safely; Furthermore, most Eelektross switch-ins such as Golem, Golurk and Tangela give Ludicolo a free turn to set up Rain Dance or just attack away.
What counters it: If rain is not present, strong physical attackers such as Braviary and Sawk have no problem OHKO'ing Ludicolo. If rain is up, most Choice Scarfers will fail to outspeed Ludicolo; Charizard can outspeed Modest Ludicolo under rain, but Air Slash won't OHKO. Zebstrika can do the same, but Thunderbolt does even less; neither of those can switch in though, and Timid Ludicolo outspeeds and OHKO's both of them as well. The best counters to Ludicolo are Pokemon that can take a hit while threatening it: Specially Defensive Amoonguss takes an Ice Beam without much trouble and can either Spore Ludicolo or just 2HKO with Sludge Bomb. Lickilicky can stall out the rain turns with Wish + Protect and Body Slam it for a 3HKO as well as a possible paralysis. Regice can paralyze it with Thunder Wave and 3HKO with Ice Beam, but has to watch out more than the other two thanks to no reliable recovery. A specially defensive Ludicolo can counter its offensive counterpart by burning it with Scald and then wearing it down with Giga Drain; while Synthesis only heals 25% in rain, it's still enough outstall Ludicolo. Toxic Spikes are also a notable measure, as they cut down the time Ludicolo can stay on the field immensely, especially coupled with Life Orb recoil.
Any Additional Info: Leftovers or Damp Rock can be used as an item over Life Orb, but Ludicolo will lose a lot of power that way. The same can be said for a Timid nature instead of Modest as well as Surf over Hydro Pump. All of them are viable alternatives nonetheless.
@ Leftovers
~Trait: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
~Quiver Dance / ~Sleep Powder / ~Substitute / ~Bug Buzz
Role: Special Sweeper
What it does: Back in RBY days Butterfree was one of the worst fully evolved Pokemon in the entire game. With the introduction of Ledian in GSC, Beautifly in ADV, and Male Combee IN DPPt (BAN MALE COMBEE IN LC PLOX) things started to look better for Butterfree as Gamefreak was introducing Pokemon even worse than it. However things changed in the 5th Generation when Gamefreak decided to actually improve Bug-type Pokemon rather than making worse ones every generation to make the Bug Veterans look better by comparison. Quiver Dance was the name of the game, and what a good one it was. With its massive +1 SpA, +1 SpD, and +1 Spe boosts Quiver Dance is one of the best boosting moves around and one of the things that make Butterfree good. Alongside Sleep Powder and Tinted Lens Butterfree can make quick work of her opponents. If you look at Butterfree's stats you might notice that it has similar stats to OU powerhouse Volcarona, Butterfree's just being much more watered down. Butterfree's 80 SpA, 80 SpD, and 70 Spe are just enough to be effective by having just enough power, just enough speed, and just enough bulk to abuse Substitute at +1. With a Timid nature Butterfree can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame including Swellow, who goes down to a +1 Tinted Lens buffed Bug Buzz.
Good Teammates: Even with Tinted Lens Butterfree still struggles against Pokemon such as Emboar who still resists Bug Buzz and Braviary who's bulk allows it to live a +1 Bug Buzz even after Stealth Rock. Physically Defensive Seismitoad is bulky enough to take a few assaults from Emboar and Braviary and can stay alive with RestTalk, or can even set up Stealth Rock to aid in Butterfree's sweep later. Garbodor can help Butterfree by stetting up Spikes to help against Butterfree's #1 counter in Emboar as other checks such as Golem and Armaldo, while sharing decent synergy together.
What counters it: Emboar, Probopass, and Lickilicky can easily take a +1 Bug Buzz and retaliate
Any Additional Info:No Cryogonal is bittersweet for Butterfree as it means no extremely reliable Spin Support, but at the same no strong special wall to counter it.
Vigoroth @ Eviolite
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SDef
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Frustration
- Slack Off
- Taunt
Role: Stall Breaker
What it does: I started using this as a sort of counter to non-focus blast Jynx but it's uses reach far beyong that. Thanks to it's excellent speed, taunt and Vital Spirit allows it come in on the likes of Amoonguss and Tangela and Eggy and begin setting up or just causing a little damage. Bulk up allows you to clean some defensive teams but can be replaced with Toxic or even something like Amnesia.
Good Teammates: Anything that and sponge physical fighting attacks such as Amoonguss and Tangela. Heal Bell Support is also appreciated in case you get a bad cold, poison or burn this makes the like of Musharna and Vileplume great teammates.
What counters it: As a mono-attacker any Ghost type can counter this set if it doesn't opt for Toxic or Night Slash over Bulk Up. Strong Fighting types also do a lot of damage such as Band Emboar's Superpower or Band Sawks' Close Combat.
Any Additional Info:
Detailed Result:
252 SpAtk Choice Specs Exeggutor (+SpAtk) Leaf Storm vs 252 HP/200 SpDef Eviolite Vigoroth (+SpDef) : 73.63% - 86.81%
2 hits to KO
This means you can come in on Eggy and outspeed to Slack Off on the second attempt. Modest Eggy reachs 209 speed while 0 Speed Vigoroth reachs 216. Though Timid Eggy of course out-speeds.
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SDef
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Frustration
- Slack Off
- Taunt
Role: Stall Breaker
What it does: I started using this as a sort of counter to non-focus blast Jynx but it's uses reach far beyong that. Thanks to it's excellent speed, taunt and Vital Spirit allows it come in on the likes of Amoonguss and Tangela and Eggy and begin setting up or just causing a little damage. Bulk up allows you to clean some defensive teams but can be replaced with Toxic or even something like Amnesia.
Good Teammates: Anything that and sponge physical fighting attacks such as Amoonguss and Tangela. Heal Bell Support is also appreciated in case you get a bad cold, poison or burn this makes the like of Musharna and Vileplume great teammates.
What counters it: As a mono-attacker any Ghost type can counter this set if it doesn't opt for Toxic or Night Slash over Bulk Up. Strong Fighting types also do a lot of damage such as Band Emboar's Superpower or Band Sawks' Close Combat.
Any Additional Info:
Detailed Result:
252 SpAtk Choice Specs Exeggutor (+SpAtk) Leaf Storm vs 252 HP/200 SpDef Eviolite Vigoroth (+SpDef) : 73.63% - 86.81%
2 hits to KO
This means you can come in on Eggy and outspeed to Slack Off on the second attempt. Modest Eggy reachs 209 speed while 0 Speed Vigoroth reachs 216. Though Timid Eggy of course out-speeds.
Musharna @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonlight
- Psychic
- Signal Beam / Heal Bell
- Calm Mind
Role: Special Sweeper / Physical Wall
What it does: Musharna is a full stop to most Fighting-types in the tier due to its typing and huge physical bulk. Many other physical attackers such as Tauros and Drifblim will struggle to 2HKO Musharna, which makes it a reliable physical wall for many types of teams. That's not all Musharna can do though; if left unchecked, it can sweep through the opponent, using its defensive capabilites to set up multiple Calm Minds. If it chooses to use Heal Bell, walls that rely on Toxic for damage will have no chance to beat Musharna one-on-one, which makes it a huge threat to stall teams.
Good Teammates: Fighting-types that can take Crunches and Night Slashes aimed at Musharna are great options for teammates. They can also break down special walls such as Lickilicky, whom Musharna has trouble damaging without multiple boosts. Speaking of Lickilicky, it can form a deadly pair with Musharna, being able to remove Musharna's status if you choose to use Signal Beam.
What counters it: Dark-types are the bane of Musharna's existence; they are able to damage it severely while being immune to its STAB attacks. Powerful attackers such as Choice Band Emboar, Braviary, and Torterra can also pick off a Musharna once it has been damaged a bit, although they will move likely lose if Musharna is at full health. Trick users and other Calm Minders, most notably Swoobat, can either lock Musharna into a move, rendering it useless, or boost up faster than it and beat it, receptively.
Any Additional Info: You can literally 6-0 someone by leading with this and setting up if they don't have any of the counters mentioned above.
Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 ATK / 4 SpD or 252 HP / 4 ATK / 252 SpD
Adamant / Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Drain Punch
- Payback / Stone Edge
Physical Sweeper (I think that is role is more "Bulky offense" or similar)
What it does
Gurdurr main role is to boost with Bulk Up 1-2 times and starts sweeping. You can switch him in on every resisted attack, predicting Toxic/Burn or obviusly after one of your pokes is dead. Gurdurr have useful defenses boosted by Eviolite, and can recover HP thanks to a STAB and powerful Drain Punch. Bulk Up is the setup move of choice, boosting his attack and defense by 1 every time is used and just one is fine to kill many things. Mach Punch is Gurdurr's particular move since is the best abuser (if not the only) of this STAB priority and most top-tier mons like Cinccino, Absol and Zangoose are weak to it. Payback gives Gurdurr perfect coverage, i think is a better choice over Stone (miss) Edge but that depend if you feel lucky. The ability Guts helps Gurdurr to be a sort of Status absorber since he can come in on predicted Toxic/Burn to gain a boost and Drain Punch covers the HP lost. The EV are at your choice. You can run a more offensive Gurdurr with the first EV spread and an Adamant nature for more immediate power, and a more defensive using the second EV spread and a Careful nature if you are certain to gain many Bulk Ups since without them, Gurdurr is pretty weak in ATK and DEF.
Good Teammates
Gurdurr works well in a classic Psychic/Fight/Dark core and still better if the team mate are bulky like Musharna and Skuntank. Rock/Steel type pokes like Probopass and Bastiodon can tank Psychic and Flying attack aimed to Gurdurr and set up rocks for him and/or paralyzing enemys.
What counters it
Psychic and Flying mons pretty much put a full stop to him. So be sure to get rid of any of them if you want to have a Gurdurr sweep. Loosing Eviolite by opposing Knock Off is a huge drawback, even worst when an opponent trick to you a Choice Scarf/Specs removing you the possibility to choose the move freely and decreasing DEF/SpD with the loss of Eviolite. Sleep is the only real status that gives Gurdurr problem since he can't attack. Other status have minor drawback and give Gurdurr an useful +1(sort of)
Any Additional Info
Gurdurr is weak to every hazards (SR resist), but if you send him on a single layer of Toxic Spikes, you can turn a disadvantage into a huge advantage with the only drawback of a -12,5% x turn that you can easly recover with Drain Punch. So Spikes are maybe another enemy of Gurdurr. The only suggestion that i give is to abuse Mach Punch very hard since is unique in this meta and can catch a lot of opponent off guard.
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Icicle Spear
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Shard
Role: Hazard-user primarily, but is strong enough to be a physical wall and physical attacker as well
What it does: It can set up hazards against all the common rock type leads, it can switch into seemingly 90% of the meta, it has 100 Base attack and amazing STABs to retaliate to anything that dares to stay in.
Good Teammates: Anything that needs hazards, stuff like Golurk, Zangoose, Swellow make good teammates. Anything that struggles against rock types(Swellow) makes an exceptionally good teammate
What counters it: Special attackers, particularly Water types such as Mantine or Ludicolo do very well. Because of Thick Fat is has no problem tanking a fire move or two. So the only way to really defeat Piloswine is to attack it on its weaker defence with a very powerful move. Since very few physical moves seriously threaten it.
Any Additional Info: Piloswine is a boss, like really amazing right now. If you are using Golem or any other hazards user try using Piloswine instead.
Stuff not to use:
Shuckle (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Toxic
- Rest
Role: Special Wall
What it does: Ideally it sets up Stealth Rock, Encores the opponent into a weak offensive move or a support move, spams Toxic, and Rests up to full health. Then it switches out so that the team cleric can wake it up for later walling. More often than not though, it becomes Taunt bait or gets 2HKO by the strong attackers of the tier thanks to its low HP and lack of resistances.
Good Teammates: A Rapid Spinner like Wartortle is important due to Shuckle's vulnerability to both Spikes and its weakness to Stealth Rock. Wish support from the likes of something like Alomomola would be highly appreciated by Shuckle as well. Something to take advantage of the Stealth Rock wouldn't be amiss either, especially if they are also a cleric. Grumpig and Altaria both fill this role. Finally, something to beat Steel and Poison types is necessary, such as Golem or Marowak.
What counters it: Anything with Taunt, Encore, strong Rock moves, good set-up sweepers, Substitute, strong moves that hit at its uninvested defensive stat, and hazards all hard counter it. Swords Dance Armaldo is a great counter, with Lum Berry for Toxic, Rapid Spin for Stealth Rock, and Stone Edge to 2HKO Shuckle (or it can set up an easy Swords Dance while Shuckle is using Toxic, Rest or Stealth Rock).
Any Additonal Info: Shuckle has no offensive presence, a horrible HP stat, and is Taunt bait. Really the only reason to use Shuckle is if you want a Stealth Rock setter than can double as a Special Wall. But even so, Bastidon and Probopass both outclass it in the Special Walling department.
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Seismic Toss
Role: Rapid Spinner
Why it's bad: Spinning sounds cool until you realize you are giving your opponent easy set up for whatever that is not hazards thanks to its pathetic offenses making it unable to do damage to anything at all without Seismic toss or you can simply 2hko it with anything with decent power and set up your hazards again making Wartortle have no real impact on the game. It also lacks leftovers, making it even easier to wear down.
Any Additional Info:WARTORTLE IS SHIT, STOP USING IT. If you really want a spinner, just use Armaldo instead of this turtle. It is way better in every single way and beats all Ghost-types in the tier. Armaldo also gets the cool perk of greatly punishing mons that will set Hazards thanks to its pretty good base 125 Attack.
@ Eviolite
Trait: Natural cure
EVs: doesnt matter they all suck
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Thunderbolt
Role: Rapid Spinner
Why it's bad: Sure it can spin against Golurk, but it has 0 bulk even with eviolite so you'll have to sac something to get it in. And then sac Staryu in order to pull a spin off. So you basically lose 2 pokemon in order to spin. It has 0 offensive presence even with max spatk evs against anything not weak to its STAB. Staryu is in Wartortle territory when it comes to spinning.
Any Additional Info: is still dank.
CM Alomomola (For not to use)]
@ Leftovers
~Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
~Calm Mind / ~Wish / ~Scald / ~Protect|Ice Beam
Role: Special Sweeper (Closest category, have fun sweeping with this)
What it does and why it fails: Good physical bulk and Calm Mind? MUST BE GOOD! As cool as it might seem, this is far from true as CM Alomomola is anything but good. With its abysmal base 40 SpA, a Scald coming from it only does enough to 3-4HKO a Camerupt... Even after a ton of boosts it's Scald are still hella weak and don't do anything to the many Pokemon that would would come in on it. This set is a much worse supporter than the standard and still loses to its counters such as Amoonguss who literally laughs at Alomomola's Scald can easily remove it's boosts with Clear Smog. Even Gothita is a stronger Calm Mind user than Alomomola.
What counters it: All of standard Alomomola's counters still counter this set, while without Toxic it opens up more things to come in and set up on it. Amoonguss is everywhere in this metagame and has no problems coming into Alomomola.
Any Additional Info:IDGI this is worse than Ambipom in UU (which is somehow #23 o_o)
@ Leftovers
~Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
~Calm Mind / ~Wish / ~Scald / ~Protect|Ice Beam
Role: Special Sweeper (Closest category, have fun sweeping with this)
What it does and why it fails: Good physical bulk and Calm Mind? MUST BE GOOD! As cool as it might seem, this is far from true as CM Alomomola is anything but good. With its abysmal base 40 SpA, a Scald coming from it only does enough to 3-4HKO a Camerupt... Even after a ton of boosts it's Scald are still hella weak and don't do anything to the many Pokemon that would would come in on it. This set is a much worse supporter than the standard and still loses to its counters such as Amoonguss who literally laughs at Alomomola's Scald can easily remove it's boosts with Clear Smog. Even Gothita is a stronger Calm Mind user than Alomomola.
What counters it: All of standard Alomomola's counters still counter this set, while without Toxic it opens up more things to come in and set up on it. Amoonguss is everywhere in this metagame and has no problems coming into Alomomola.
Any Additional Info:IDGI this is worse than Ambipom in UU (which is somehow #23 o_o)
This exercise is for learning, so don't be afraid to post your own sets. Remember, it's not a bad thing to have a set in the "Stuff not to use section."
Credit to DittoCrow and SilentVerse for the idea
