XY NU NU Hazards

[smith&wessonlesson]

This is an NU hazards team that has been doing well on the ladder for me. It started when I tried a team with Accelgor, Steelix, and Audino, who had surprisingly good synergy. It uses Spiritomb's versatility as a spinblocker and some sweepers to take advantage of hazards.




Got a headache (Accelgor) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Spikes
- Bug Buzz
- Encore
- Yawn

This is my lead. I almost always lead with Spikes, unless I know they are going to use something that will activate Sash and I have something that can wall it. A lot of the time I get to Encore things like SR, Web, Trick Room, or status that I can use to my advantage and get down more Spikes. Really fast, Yawn comes in handy forcing switches at the right times, and Encore is just a nice anti-setup move on such a fast pokemon. Encore forces so many switches.



trippin balls (Audino) @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Heal Bell
- Hyper Voice
- Encore

The combination of Regenerator, decent Speed, Encore, and Wish make Audino amazing with hazards. Regenerator and Wish are excellent ways to last through a lot of switching, and Encore forces a ton of switches. Downsides are it can't hit Ghosts and is pretty weak in general. Surprisingly fast. Good utility special wall and good synergy with Steelix + Spiritomb as a defensive core. Could possibly use Protect but every move is too valuable to replace.



stoned (Steelix) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Gyro Ball
- Roar

This is my physical wall. Ridiculously bulky, basically cannot be 2HKOed by any nonboosted physical attack. SR + Roar is amazing in NU because so many things in NU are physical attackers that can't really touch Steelix - Scyther, Kangaskhan, to some degree Feraligatr, Archeops, Liepard, Electivire, Granbull, etc. SR with 2 or 3 layers of Spikes up along with Roar can do a ton of damage and really win a game at the beginning of the match if they have no Spinner. Has enough power to do some damage to stuff when required. Gyro Ball hits a lot of Defoggers well.


visuals (Cryogonal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic

My Spinner, chosen for his Speed and possession of Freeze Dry, one of the best attacks in NU. I was trying to use a Rain team in NU and Freeze Dry was just unstoppable, decimated me every time. So many water types in NU make it just a terror, especially on something as fast as Cryogonal. It has high SpA and Toxic helps to get walls to switch. I like it because it's immune to Spikes but it doesn't like coming in repeatedly on SR, so don't use too early. Can be a nice late game cleaner if hazards are up. Also able to threaten most Defoggers which can really slow my team down if not worn down by SR + offensive pressure.



trippy shit (Spiritomb) @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Toxic
- Dark Pulse
- Pain Split

Easily the best and most versatile Spinblocker in NU - his dominance is really a core part of what makes this team good. Wisp + Toxic means I can status any Spinner, Defogger, or obvious switch-in. Dark Pulse gives it the power to get through Sandslash, a common Spinner. Pain Split + Wisp helps me counter a lot of Fighting types or Normal types, but this guy sadly can't keep Defoggers from clearing hazards. But he is pretty much guaranteed to block any Spinner and win 1 on 1 unless facing something weird like LO Cryogonal.


o shit magic (Kadabra) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Encore
- Dazzling Gleam
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball

My late game cleaner. One of the strongest special attackers in NU, great coverage and speed, amazing ability keeps it alive forever, and Encore to force switches and keep guys from setting up. Often goes through 2 or 3 Pokemon at the end of matches as they come in on hazards. Really good for stopping sweeps, as if something has come in on hazards and has a lot of power, he can probably 1HKO it. Just a really fast and powerful Pokemon with a really nice tactical ability and Encore.

So what do you guys think? Any suggestions?

 

[Brawlfest]

Old Rate

Hi there! This is an interesting team. I do like hte fact that SashKadabra is being used on a rather defensive team, as while it isn't going to be contributing to bulk, it can be a last minute check to some out of control stuff as well as a solid cleaner. This said, the team looks primarily defensive, and as a result I find Accelgor a bit "out of place". It just doesn't seem to fit with the ultimate goal of the team, and don't support other members like it should. You should be looking for a more reliable spikes user if you want to keep hazards on the field on al time. Furthermore, the team is incredibly Fire weak, with three weaknesses and no resistances, letting stuff like Choice Specs Typhlosion or Choice Band Flareon 2HKO every member off the bat, which is a pretty scary notion for any bulkier team. I also see a major weakness to Pangoro, who again 6-0s the team with its Scrappy Storm Throw alone. This said, it looks to be an alright team, and it can be fixed.

I think the first thing to do would be to use Spikes Qwilfish over Accelgor. It covers the fire and fighting types that you are incredibly weak to, sets up spikes far more reliably than Accelgor, and offers good defensive synergy alongside the rest of the team. It also keeps your team from being pressured by Toxic spikes, and is one of few pokemon that can reliably check Pangoro, which previously blitzed through you like a hot knife through butter.

The following change I suggest is Wish Flareon over Audino. While you lack Regenerator which is a pretty major factor, the gain of a way to actively prevent special fire types from running over you is key. The boon flash fire based on your team's typings is huge, since it ultimately can prevent you from bieng 6-0d from the likes of SpecsPhlosion or SpecsRoar. Furthermore, Flareon has far more offensive presence, which prevents it from bieng set-up on as easily as Audino.

Minor Changes:
Cryogonal: 248 HP / 108 Def / 152 SDef is probably the optimal EV spread for you to be running, as it prevents Spiritomb from killing you with Pursuit even after rocks, and lets you come in far more easily to spin on opponents.
Spiritomb: Rest + Sleep Talk > Toxic + Pain Split is far more reliable, as it more consistently heals you and prevents Spiritomb from being run over by status. Its EV spread should be 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Def, as the offensive investment doesn't help it in any way.

Hope this helped!

Alright Soulgazer wants me to edit my rate a bit, and I thoroughly agree with his suggestions. Although I normally don't like to do this, we feel it is necessary that more than two pokemon may need to be changed. On such a defensive team, synergy is really required, and this team is pretty much run through by strong Waters and Fire types, which is of concern. Pretty much, it is necessary for both Accelgor and Kadabra to leave the team for you to have checks to such. Me and SG talked it over and at first we considered the likes of Dragalge + Tangela or Ferroseed + Pelipper over such, but at the end we came across a change we felt solid with.
The first thing that I suggest is to use Specially Defensive Dragalge over Accelgor. Your team actually doesn't need Spikes all that much, as a combination of attacks and status is more than enough to pressure your opponent in our opinion. Instead, Dragalge offers your team critical resistances to the likes of Typhlosion and Samurott who otherwise plow through your team, and also offers a nice last moment fighting check if necessary.
The next change that would be optimal is to use Defensive Poliwrath over Kadabra. Upon looking over your team, we felt it was still incredibly weak to Fire and Ice types, and ultimately decided that Poliwrath would be a good check to such, as well as a solid phazer. It is incredibly difficult to set up on between STAB Circle Throw and Scald, and rounds off your defensive synergy on the whole.

Minor Changes:
Audino: Protect > Encore or Double Edge is the best plan of action, as it helps you to potentially avoid a Taunt, buy a free turn to heal yourself against opponents that can kill you otherwise, and gives Audino as a bulky pivot and cleric ultimately more reliability and utility. Double Edge should be used over Hyper Voice if you are using a attack at all as it is one of few options strong enough on Audino that can prevent it from being set up on due to its strength.
Steelix: 252 SDef > Def as we feel that you really need your Steelix to check common electric types in the tier more than anything, and with a max specially defensive spread it can do just that, while having better bulk to tank special water and fire type coverage as well as still maintain solid physical bulk to switch into anything it would have previously checked anyways.
Cryogonal: 248 HP / 84 SpD / 176 Spe Timid we feel is probably the most optimal spread for your team's Cryogonal to maximize bulk while giving you enough speed to outspeed everything up to max speed + base 95 pokemon in the tier, covering the likes of Xatu, Electivire, and Jynx.
Spiritomb: The final suggestion would be to use Rest + Sleep Talk+ Calm Mind > Will-O-Wisp + Toxic + Pain Split, as well as having an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef Bold, as your offensive investment really doesn't benefit you in any way, and in this manner you maximize your bulk. With Pain Split, your recovery is not reliable, especially against similarly low HP opponents, and Calm Mind gives you a great win condition. With Rest and Sleep Talk, you can endlessly stall your opponent and ultimately have far more reliable recovery.

Hope this helped! Thanks to SG for having a little chat ^.^
___________________

Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic Spikes
- Dragon Tail
- Focus Blast / Scald

Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Circle Throw
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

 

[smith&wessonlesson]

I really appreciate the time and effort you both put into this, thanks. I'm still running sort of a variation of this team, keeping the same Cryogonal, Audino, and Steelix, but now with Qwilfish (independent of your suggestion, strangely enough), Throh with Bulk Up/Rest/Sleep Talk/Circle Throw, and Gourgeist-S with Wisp/Seed Bomb/Shadow Sneak/Leech Seed. Idea is the same, Steelix and Gourgeist have great physically defensive synergy, and I finally have a fire resist in Qwilfish as well as more special bulk with Throh (252 HP/SpD). Again thanks for the effort, I just found the reply and was really pleasantly surprised. Definitely going to try Dragalge over Qwilfish, I have huge problems with Typhlosion as you both noticed. As for the changes, I see the value of Protect on Audino, but Encore is just such a great move (as you can see, I really like it) that I don't want to get rid of it. It keeps anything slow from setting up and just forces a lot of switches. It can even help on something that Audino barely survives a 2HKO from, because then I can come in on it, Encore, switch to a resist and rely on Regenerator. And with Steelix, before I really needed him for Feraligatr, EQ Pokes, and stuff like that, and now I have Gourgeist to beat Raichu which is the only threatening electric type I can think of right now. The Cryogonal edits I really liked and have been implemented.