OP stolen from TRC, s/o to Calloflochie for running the XY version
Approved by Nas
Welcome to the Team Building for UU project. This project was originally hosted by Huntofthelion, Nova and Asek a while back, and then the BW2 version was hosted by Subject18. TRC brought it back to OU for XY, and now it finds its way in the newly-established ORAS UU.
The aim of this project is to help newer players know what is, and isn't, viable to use on their UU teams and finding niches for less than common Pokemon that you haven't thought of. For this I want you guys to post sets that work well, or not so well, in the current metagame and explain why they do or do not work. This project is all about discussing which Pokemon are good at all the "roles" there are in UU. From Physical Sweepers to Hazard setters, we're looking to find what Pokemon are good at doing the job. Considering the usage stats, new players maybe confused as to what is good to use in the tier.
That's where you guys come in! By posting your favorite sets with a quick little description you can help save new users everywhere from using some of that more terrible sets, as well as helping them fill out their team by giving them a quick list of what fills different roles. Also feel free to post sets that people should not be using, yet still do. Remember however this is not the place to post over specialized / gimmick sets.
Other users can then comment on the set and discuss if it should be placed on the good or bad side of the fence. Discussion on sets is encouraged so don't worry about jumping in and offering your input on a posted set! If a pokemon fits under more than 1 category list the role it is geared towards the most first followed by the other roles it can perform with the same set. This is a great way for you people new to UU to see what are good additions to your teams so check in regularly to see which Pokemon work so you can improve your team building skills!
This project is also a great way to get noticed for that super cool Community Contributor badge that everyone wants, or if you already have it you can work towards keeping it, so don't feel like you need to be the winner to win!
This is what we'd like your posts providing sets to look like, and remember to export the set from a simulator so it's easily importable! It should including selling points as to why it is worthy of being considered for a spot on someones team. If the pokemon/set you post falls under the "what not to use" section point out both the good and the bad as well as mentioning the issues that it has. Since a lot of Pokemon are somewhat niche and very underrated posting replays of these Pokemon in use can be great support to sell the set and to give players an idea of how they should be using the Pokemon. These replays can be put in the Additional Comments portion of your post.
This is the format that should generally be used for your post.
(Sprites found here!)
Raikou @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Extrasensory
Role: Special Wall, Rapid Spinner, Physical Wall, Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Hazard User, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank, Lure, Mixed Attacker, Support (weather support...) etc.
What It Does: Talk about how it does its role, essentially. Talk about the moves, item, and EV spread, and talk about how it fares against common Pokemon.
Good Teammates: Obviously, Pokemon it works well with, and why. For "What Not To Use". leave this section blank.
What Counters It: Again, obvious, talk about the Pokemon that trouble it, hinder it, or otherwise limit it as it tries to carry out the duties of its role.
Any Additional Info: Alternate EV spread, items, and ideas, as well as other miscellaneous information (maybe a replay proving its effectiveness from SPL possibly).
What to Use
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Swampert @ Swampertite
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 Def/ 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Rain Dance/Power-up Punch
Role: Physical Sweeper
What It Does:
This set is designed to sweep mid/late game either by itself or with rain dance support from else where. With Rain Dance doubling M-Swampert's speed, it now outspeeds all of the metagame bar positive nature choice scarf Haxorus and above. With this you can tailor the speed EVs around to what you want to outspeed while in rain and dump the rest in HP: (Will post Alt EV spread in the "Additional Information" Section) With 150 Base Attack coupled with 100/110/110 Defenses, M-Swampert destroys offensive teams. Being able to take powerful hits and dishing it back. Rarely will you find Swampert OHKOed by a non-grass type move even if the opponent has a boost under it's belt. The choice between Rain Dance and Power-up Punch depends completely on your team build. With Rain Dance Swampert is able to be a stand alone sweeper that doesnt need to be fit onto rain teams. Power-Up Punch is there if you already have rain support from another pokemon. Ideally one holding a Damp Rock. With a +1 Swampert can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs and important 2HKOs into 2HKOs. With either Rain Dance or Power-up Punch M-Swampert has multiple opportunities to set up.
It is very important to remember that in rain Waterfall should be swampert's main STAB to attack. It does more neutral damage than EQ, so be sure to keep that in mind while playing with him.
Good Teammates:
Tornadus is an excellent partner with M-Swampert (Should be BFFs). Tornadus can get a guaranteed Rain Dance up with Prankster. Not only does this assist swampert but Tornadus can reap in the benefits from Rain Dance with 100% accurate Hurricane. Tornadus also has U-turn so that it makes getting Swampert in much safer and if played right against something it can set up a Power-up Punch on. They also have amazing defensive synergy. Tornadus being weak to Electric and Rocks are both things M-Swampert can freely switch in and vice versa with Swampert's grass weakness.
Other Pokemon who can set up Rain Dance and U-turn. U-turn is crucial because Swampert doesnt have double the speed on the turn it Mega Evolves so it needs to be in on something that it can force a switch or not worry about a massive hit. A couple of pokemon are great with for this. Uxie, Jirachi, Celebi, Azelf, Liepard, Crobat, , Accelgor, and much more. The former 4 can set up SR which M-Swampert greatly appreciates while the latter are fast and can give you a last ditch effort to get rain up. Crobat deserves a special mention because it has great defensive synergy and can Defog away Sticky Web. A huge bane to M-Swampert and rain teams in general.
If used on Rain Teams, their is a list of Rain Sweepers in the metagame. Kabutops, Kingdra, Seismitoad, Ludicolo, Omastar, Magikarp and Feebas. If you are having a hard time deciding, the latter two are your best options. Picking and choosing who you want M-Swampert's lifting partner to be is entirely up to your team. Just know that you have another powerful physical Sweeper in your gym now.
What Counters It:
Bulky Grass types are the first thing that comes to mind and Celebi is the most used out of all of them. Swampert's Ice punch only deals around %40 damage to a fully invested HP/Def Celebi. At +1 that goes up to %60. Celebi can easily recover the damage or threaten to OHKO right away with Giga Drain. Shaymin is normally seen run max Offensive EVs but can come in and revenge kill Swampert if Swampert doesnt have +1 under it's belt. Tangrowth, while rare, fears nothing from swampert with ice punch dealing around %30 damage. Tangrowth can threaten with giga drain or simply do whatever it wants. By Switching out it immediately gains that HP lost from Ice Punch with regenerator. Amoongus falls into the same category although it takes more damage from swampert and at +1 Swampert can kill a picked at Amoongus. Suicune can come in on Swampert and threaten to burn it with a boosted Scald. Although at +1 Swampert has a high chance to 2HKO with EQ.
Revenge Killing Swampert is not easy. Most Revenge Killers are frailer and can be KOed by Swampert or arent able to immediately threaten him back. As mentioned earlier only pokemon who's base speed is above Haxorus with choice scarf can revenge kill. Most if not all of them cannot KO M-Swampert unless it has already taken previous damage. M-Alakazam can trace Swift Swim if it already Mega Evolved and KO with Energy Ball. M-Swampert is not weak to any form of priority, along with it's bulk allows it to shrug any priority move.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified / Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch / Earthquake / Ice Punch
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Physical Sweeper
What it Does: Lucario is likely the most threatening set-up sweeper in all of UU. Access to Swords Dance alongside High Power STAB moves and the ever desired ExtremeSpeed mean that even a single free turn can turn a game on its head. After its checks have been weakened, Lucario can set up and plow through teams. The beauty about Lucario is that it has the coverage options to beat any of its normal counters, it just can't employ them all at once. Bullet Punch handles Mega Aerodactyl and Florges. Earthquake decimates the Nidos, Chandelure, and Tentacruel. Ice Punch secures kills versus the aforementioned Nidos and Gligar. It is up to you to decide which coverage option is best for your team. Justified is used to capitalize on Hydreigon locked into Dark Pulse primarily. As Lucario has very little actual bulk it is not advised to switch directly into most Dark-type move in the tier. Powerful Knock Offs from things such as Krookodile still threaten Lucario immensely and should be avoided. Inner Focus can be used to punish Jirachi locked into Iron Head who assume they can flinch you down.
Good Teammates: Stealth Rock and Spikes are two of the most beneficial things that Lucario can have on its side. Lucario's overwhelming power at +2 is enough to best most bulky Water-types with just a bit of hazards support. Due to Lucario's nature as a Hyper Offensive Pokémon, Froslass and Swampert make perfect partners. In addition, Froslass' ability, Cursed Body, can sometimes disable a Pokémon that is choice locked into a move, granting Lucario a 100% free Swords Dance. As mentioned previously, a single free turn can often be enough to significantly damage the opposing team or sweep outright. However, Lucario can't always just sweep through the opposing team. Depending on the coverage option you choose you'll find Lucario walled by a certain Pokémon. If lacking Earthquake then something to take advantage of Tentacruel can be a good partner. Examples could include Rotom-C, Alakazam, and others. When Bullet Punch is missing then Mega Aerodactyl can prove to be an issue. This can be remedied by bulky Water-types such as Swampert. Ice Punch leaves you walled by Gligar who can be taken care of by something like Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl, who also doubles as a Nido check.
What Counters It: As talked about earlier, the most common answers to Lucario include the Nidos, Chandelure, and bulky waters. However, this all depends on Lucario's set. Other ways to deal with Lucario involve using Pokémon that outspeed and resist ExtremeSpeed. Notable examples include Jirachi, Cobalion, Doublade, and some bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Alomomola who threaten Scald burns. If Stealth Rock is not on the field then Crobat can live an ExtremeSpeed and severely hurt Lucario. Aromatisse and Florges can also handle Lucario provided they are at full health and Lucario is not carrying Bullet Punch. Oftentimes, the best way to beat Lucario is to not allow it set up. Because of its reliance on free turns, Lucario can be exploited by never allowing it to be in on the same turn as something that does not threaten it.
Additional Info: Swords Dance Lucario is far from its only set. Nasty Plot and even mixed attacking variants are certainly viable and arguably better. For this reason do not make assumptions as to what set your opponent is packing. Many checks and counters to Swords Dance Lucario get destroyed by +2 Flash Cannons and Aura Spheres. Jolly nature can be used but misses out on important KO's like on Swampert.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Kyurem @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Outrage
- Iron Head / Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
Role: Bulky Attacker, Wallbreaker
What It Does: Kyurem hits insanely hard from both ends with mixed 130 attacking stats and a movepool to back it up. For a set like the definitely-lethal Choice Specs, you get hardwalled by Blissey, Umbreon, and SpDef Florges. Enter Kyurem's enormous base 130 Attack (that's just five base points shy of Salamence, and 30 more [!!!] than Zygarde). You really only need Outrage, which never fail to 2HKO Blissey or Umbreon unless they start spamming Wish or Softboiled/Synthesis, while Florges falls to Iron Head, even fully physically defensive Florges. Of course, neither of those are your main attacking options: Ice Beam has great neutral coverage and hits like a mac truck while Earth Power hits Steel-types that can eat any of Kyurem's moves otherwise.
Good Teammates: The set as-is has trouble with physically bulky Water-types like Mega Blastoise and Suicune, so a teammate that can deal with them like Shaymin, Roserade, or Mega Ampharos help immensely. Kyurem also appreciates hazards to break down walls and help it get KOs more easily. The aforementioned Roserade can lay down Spikes, while Nidoqueen can lay Stealth Rocks and both can act as a powerful one-two punch with Kyurem to soften each others checks. Running a powerful Poison-type attacker will allow Kyurem to forgo Iron Head (which is used rather exclusively for Fairies), letting it more easily deal with bulky Water-types with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Finally, because Kyurem is weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, hazard control is a must to keep Kyurem around for as long as it needs to be. Forretress can remove hazards and lay down some of its own to help. Crobat can clear hazards with Defog and also break Fairies that normally give Kyurem trouble.
What Counters It: The quintessential special wall, Blissey, normally beats Kyurem, but because this set runs Outrage, Blissey has trouble doing more than be a speed bump; the same mostly applies to Umbreon, while Umbreon does have a slight edge in the match-up thanks to its ability to hit Kyurem with a powerful Foul Play. Florges works better, comfortably tanking any attack besides Iron Head, but Iron Head 2HKOs even 252/252+ Florges. Suicune is a safe bet if Kyurem doesn't have Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor, but Draco Meteor followed by Outrage is a 2HKO from full if you haven't boosted, and the same applies to Mega Blastoise. Cresselia is probably the truest counter to Kyurem commonly seen in UU. PDef sets aren't 2HKO'd by any move (Draco does about half, but then -2), so you're free to paralyze, smack around with Moonblast, or Toxic and start stalling, though that's not the best idea given Moonlight's PP issues.
Any Additional Info: The EVs listed allow Kyurem to outspeed Timid Nidoking and maintain 2HKOs against every dedicated special wall in the tier with Outrage and Iron Head. Alternately, you can change to a Mild nature and move 40 Attack EVs to Speed (40 Atk / 216 Spe) to hit harder with your special attacks at the cost of a slight damage drop from Outrage and Iron Head (still maintaining 2HKOs) while outspeeding Adamant Lucario. Finally, you can keep a Hasty Nature and move 12 EVs from Attack to Speed (68 Atk / 188 Spe) to outrun Adamant 100s, the most common of which is Entei.
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball / HP Ice
- Trick / Memento
Role: Wallbreaker
What It Does: Chandelure has been one of the strongest wallbreakers since 5th gen. Base 145 Sp.atk. coupled with choice specs Chandelure's power reaches legendary levels and it is extremely hard to switch into. This set shines best against defensively oriented teams but Chandelure can take advantage of its handy immunities and fire off free hits on choiced fire and fighting types such as Machamp, Mienshao, Darmanitan and Entei against more offensive teams. Fire Blast and Shadow Ball provide a fantastic STAB combination. Energy Ball hits bulky waters for big damage but they get two hit ko'd by shadow ball so HP Ice can be used instead to OHKO Naive Hydreigon after rocks (only 40% chance if Timid or Hasty). Unlike HP Fighting; HP Ice doesn't decrease your speed, nails Zygarde on switch and you are not beating Blissey and Snorlax with hidden power anyway. Trick cripples walls and it's the prefered option but memento may create set up oppurtunities for teammates. EVs are simple maximizies power and speed.
Good Teammates: Anything that appreciates special walls to be removed, softened or crippled goes well with such as NP Houndoom-M, double dance Porygon-Z and CM Alakazam-M so they can start sweeping. Fighting types that can switch into dark moves aimed to Chandelure and threaten them out also form good partners. Because Chandelure is weak to SR it is adviced to pair it with a reliable defogger or spinner such as Gligar or Starmie. Finally, Chandy appreciates hazards damage to net some KOs. Roserade can set up spikes and sponge water moves aimed at Chandelure.
What Counters It: 80 base speed and average bulk doesn't help Chandelure defensively. Pokemon that can outspeed and hit with at least neutral damage with their STAB moves forces Chandelure to retreat. Trace P2, Thick Fat Snorlax and Blissey can easily switch into any moves and recover. Try to cripple these pokemon with a well timed trick. Sucker punch, Knock Off and Pursuit users such as Absol-M, Honchkrow, Aerodactly-M, Snorlax and Krookodile can trap it or play mind games which puts a lot of pressure on Chandelure.
Any additional info: Timid nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Lucario and its creepers but the power drop is noticeable and most of the time not worth it. Overheat is the strongest weapon in Chandelure's arsenal but Fire Blast is usually more than enough and doesn't result in -2 Sp.atk. Infiltrator is an interesting ability that allows Chandelure hit through subs and can occasianally come in handy.
Porygon-Z @ Choice Specs
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Tri Attack
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Ice Beam
Role: Wallbreaker
What It Does: Choice Specs Porygon-Z has been the textbook definition of a wallbreaker since its release in Gen 4. This is for good reason, as it easily 2HKO's some of the bulkiest special walls such as Vaporeon, Umbreon, and Florges with an Adaptability STAB Tri Attack. It also doesn't give cares to resists, as Ghosts take a Dark Pulse to a face, while other resists, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Aggron, and SpDef Jirachi, either get bopped by a coverage move (Jirachi) or get 2HKO'd by Tri Attack anyways (Aerodactyl, Aggron). Tri Attack is the tool that Porygon-Z needs in order to be a threat. It allows our cyber duck spam a 160 BP move after Adaptability, off of a Choice Specs boosted 405 Special Attack! It's not even necessary to mention the move's 20% chance to inflict either burn, paralysis, or even freeze. Dark Pulse is also a needed move, not only hitting the Ghosts the freely switch into hits STAB, but it also hits two other Pokemon that don't get 2HKO'd by Tri Attack: SpDef Jirachi and Bronzong. Thunderbolt is a filler, but an important one, as it also hits a Pokemon that can tank a Tri Attack: Empoleon. Trick is a nice option that allows Porygon-Z to cripple walls that try to switch in, namely Blissey. However, Porygon-Z won't get nearly as many OHKO/2HKOs it would have without Specs. Ice Beam is not as helpful, but it can OHKO instead of 2HKO certain threats like SpDef Gligar and Mega Aerodactyl. Adaptability is chosen over Download, as Download is not reliable since many mons add 1 point to their SpDef specifically to prevent the boost. The EV's are nothing special, and Modest Nature to nuke even harder.
Good Teammates: Porygon-Z does not appreciate Blissey. The best Porygon-Z can do is Trick Specs to it, while Blissey proceeds to Toxic it. Therefore, a Fighting type such as Guts Machamp (can abuse Toxic), Lucario (immune to Toxic, uses Blissey as set-up bait), Mienshao (generic scarfer), or Toxicroak (same reasoning as Lucario) can be great partners. Porygon-Z also doesn't like how it has to predict Ghosts coming in in order to Dark Pulse them; it much rather would like to spam Tri Attack. Therefore, Pursuit trappers such as Spiritomb, Krookodile, or Mega Aerodactyl can all aid Porygon-Z in its nuking abilities. Finally, Porygon-Z absolutely loves hazards of all types. Spikes allow him to break even more walls he couldn't break before, such as Assault Vest Snorlax. Users include Forretress, Chesnaught, and Roserade. Sticky Web lets him outpace faster mons so he can decimate them with a Tri Attack, such as Galvantula and Shuckle.
What Counters It: It has been established that not many Pokemon can wall Porygon-Z. However, it's very easy indeed to outpace the duck and kill him with a powerful STAB move. Many Pokemon are capable of doing this, such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Beedrill, Mienshao, Entei, Haxorus, Hydreigon, the list goes on. Blissey is a special wall that Porygon-Z simply can't break, which eventually Toxic stalls our poor duck to death. However, Blissey does not appreciate getting Tricked a pair of Choice Specs. Finally, mons that need to get hit with a coverage move, such as Empoleon, Bronzong, and Ghosts, can predict a Tri Attack and switch in. Even if Porygon-Z predicts, it's easy to pivot to a resist of the now-locked move.
Any Additional Info: Hyper Beam if real, it 2hko's blissey
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Kyurem @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Outrage
- Iron Head / Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
Role: Bulky Attacker, Wallbreaker
What It Does: Kyurem hits insanely hard from both ends with mixed 130 attacking stats and a movepool to back it up. For a set like the definitely-lethal Choice Specs, you get hardwalled by Blissey, Umbreon, and SpDef Florges. Enter Kyurem's enormous base 130 Attack (that's just five base points shy of Salamence, and 30 more [!!!] than Zygarde). You really only need Outrage, which never fail to 2HKO Blissey or Umbreon unless they start spamming Wish or Softboiled/Synthesis, while Florges falls to Iron Head, even fully physically defensive Florges. Of course, neither of those are your main attacking options: Ice Beam has great neutral coverage and hits like a mac truck while Earth Power hits Steel-types that can eat any of Kyurem's moves otherwise.
Good Teammates: The set as-is has trouble with physically bulky Water-types like Mega Blastoise and Suicune, so a teammate that can deal with them like Shaymin, Roserade, or Mega Ampharos help immensely. Kyurem also appreciates hazards to break down walls and help it get KOs more easily. The aforementioned Roserade can lay down Spikes, while Nidoqueen can lay Stealth Rocks and both can act as a powerful one-two punch with Kyurem to soften each others checks. Running a powerful Poison-type attacker will allow Kyurem to forgo Iron Head (which is used rather exclusively for Fairies), letting it more easily deal with bulky Water-types with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Finally, because Kyurem is weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, hazard control is a must to keep Kyurem around for as long as it needs to be. Forretress can remove hazards and lay down some of its own to help. Crobat can clear hazards with Defog and also break Fairies that normally give Kyurem trouble.
What Counters It: The quintessential special wall, Blissey, normally beats Kyurem, but because this set runs Outrage, Blissey has trouble doing more than be a speed bump; the same mostly applies to Umbreon, while Umbreon does have a slight edge in the match-up thanks to its ability to hit Kyurem with a powerful Foul Play. Florges works better, comfortably tanking any attack besides Iron Head, but Iron Head 2HKOs even 252/252+ Florges. Suicune is a safe bet if Kyurem doesn't have Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor, but Draco Meteor followed by Outrage is a 2HKO from full if you haven't boosted, and the same applies to Mega Blastoise. Cresselia is probably the truest counter to Kyurem commonly seen in UU. PDef sets aren't 2HKO'd by any move (Draco does about half, but then -2), so you're free to paralyze, smack around with Moonblast, or Toxic and start stalling, though that's not the best idea given Moonlight's PP issues.
Any Additional Info: The EVs listed allow Kyurem to outspeed Timid Nidoking and maintain 2HKOs against every dedicated special wall in the tier with Outrage and Iron Head. Alternately, you can change to a Mild nature and move 40 Attack EVs to Speed (40 Atk / 216 Spe) to hit harder with your special attacks at the cost of a slight damage drop from Outrage and Iron Head (still maintaining 2HKOs) while outspeeding Adamant Lucario. Finally, you can keep a Hasty Nature and move 12 EVs from Attack to Speed (68 Atk / 188 Spe) to outrun Adamant 100s, the most common of which is Entei.
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified / Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch / Earthquake / Ice Punch
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Physical Sweeper
What it Does: Lucario is likely the most threatening set-up sweeper in all of UU. Access to Swords Dance alongside High Power STAB moves and the ever desired ExtremeSpeed mean that even a single free turn can turn a game on its head. After its checks have been weakened, Lucario can set up and plow through teams. The beauty about Lucario is that it has the coverage options to beat any of its normal counters, it just can't employ them all at once. Bullet Punch handles Mega Aerodactyl and Florges. Earthquake decimates the Nidos, Chandelure, and Tentacruel. Ice Punch secures kills versus the aforementioned Nidos and Gligar. It is up to you to decide which coverage option is best for your team. Justified is used to capitalize on Hydreigon locked into Dark Pulse primarily. As Lucario has very little actual bulk it is not advised to switch directly into most Dark-type move in the tier. Powerful Knock Offs from things such as Krookodile still threaten Lucario immensely and should be avoided. Inner Focus can be used to punish Jirachi locked into Iron Head who assume they can flinch you down.
Good Teammates: Stealth Rock and Spikes are two of the most beneficial things that Lucario can have on its side. Lucario's overwhelming power at +2 is enough to best most bulky Water-types with just a bit of hazards support. Due to Lucario's nature as a Hyper Offensive Pokémon, Froslass and Swampert make perfect partners. In addition, Froslass' ability, Cursed Body, can sometimes disable a Pokémon that is choice locked into a move, granting Lucario a 100% free Swords Dance. As mentioned previously, a single free turn can often be enough to significantly damage the opposing team or sweep outright. However, Lucario can't always just sweep through the opposing team. Depending on the coverage option you choose you'll find Lucario walled by a certain Pokémon. If lacking Earthquake then something to take advantage of Tentacruel can be a good partner. Examples could include Rotom-C, Alakazam, and others. When Bullet Punch is missing then Mega Aerodactyl can prove to be an issue. This can be remedied by bulky Water-types such as Swampert. Ice Punch leaves you walled by Gligar who can be taken care of by something like Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl, who also doubles as a Nido check.
What Counters It: As talked about earlier, the most common answers to Lucario include the Nidos, Chandelure, and bulky waters. However, this all depends on Lucario's set. Other ways to deal with Lucario involve using Pokémon that outspeed and resist ExtremeSpeed. Notable examples include Jirachi, Cobalion, Doublade, and some bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Alomomola who threaten Scald burns. If Stealth Rock is not on the field then Crobat can live an ExtremeSpeed and severely hurt Lucario. Aromatisse and Florges can also handle Lucario provided they are at full health and Lucario is not carrying Bullet Punch. Oftentimes, the best way to beat Lucario is to not allow it set up. Because of its reliance on free turns, Lucario can be exploited by never allowing it to be in on the same turn as something that does not threaten it.
Additional Info: Swords Dance Lucario is far from its only set. Nasty Plot and even mixed attacking variants are certainly viable and arguably better. For this reason do not make assumptions as to what set your opponent is packing. Many checks and counters to Swords Dance Lucario get destroyed by +2 Flash Cannons and Aura Spheres. Jolly nature can be used but misses out on important KO's like on Swampert.
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
If you have any questions or suggestions, just shoot me a VM / PM and I'll get back to you. :)
Edit; Also, to make something clear; Plagiarism and reservations will not be allowed. Plagiarism will net you an infraction the first time, while repeated reservations will also earn you an infraction. you also lose any chance of earning a badge if you do any of these ;]
Approved by Nas
Welcome to the Team Building for UU project. This project was originally hosted by Huntofthelion, Nova and Asek a while back, and then the BW2 version was hosted by Subject18. TRC brought it back to OU for XY, and now it finds its way in the newly-established ORAS UU.
The aim of this project is to help newer players know what is, and isn't, viable to use on their UU teams and finding niches for less than common Pokemon that you haven't thought of. For this I want you guys to post sets that work well, or not so well, in the current metagame and explain why they do or do not work. This project is all about discussing which Pokemon are good at all the "roles" there are in UU. From Physical Sweepers to Hazard setters, we're looking to find what Pokemon are good at doing the job. Considering the usage stats, new players maybe confused as to what is good to use in the tier.
That's where you guys come in! By posting your favorite sets with a quick little description you can help save new users everywhere from using some of that more terrible sets, as well as helping them fill out their team by giving them a quick list of what fills different roles. Also feel free to post sets that people should not be using, yet still do. Remember however this is not the place to post over specialized / gimmick sets.
Other users can then comment on the set and discuss if it should be placed on the good or bad side of the fence. Discussion on sets is encouraged so don't worry about jumping in and offering your input on a posted set! If a pokemon fits under more than 1 category list the role it is geared towards the most first followed by the other roles it can perform with the same set. This is a great way for you people new to UU to see what are good additions to your teams so check in regularly to see which Pokemon work so you can improve your team building skills!
This project is also a great way to get noticed for that super cool Community Contributor badge that everyone wants, or if you already have it you can work towards keeping it, so don't feel like you need to be the winner to win!
This is what we'd like your posts providing sets to look like, and remember to export the set from a simulator so it's easily importable! It should including selling points as to why it is worthy of being considered for a spot on someones team. If the pokemon/set you post falls under the "what not to use" section point out both the good and the bad as well as mentioning the issues that it has. Since a lot of Pokemon are somewhat niche and very underrated posting replays of these Pokemon in use can be great support to sell the set and to give players an idea of how they should be using the Pokemon. These replays can be put in the Additional Comments portion of your post.
This is the format that should generally be used for your post.
(Sprites found here!)
Raikou @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Extrasensory
Role: Special Wall, Rapid Spinner, Physical Wall, Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Hazard User, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank, Lure, Mixed Attacker, Support (weather support...) etc.
What It Does: Talk about how it does its role, essentially. Talk about the moves, item, and EV spread, and talk about how it fares against common Pokemon.
Good Teammates: Obviously, Pokemon it works well with, and why. For "What Not To Use". leave this section blank.
What Counters It: Again, obvious, talk about the Pokemon that trouble it, hinder it, or otherwise limit it as it tries to carry out the duties of its role.
Any Additional Info: Alternate EV spread, items, and ideas, as well as other miscellaneous information (maybe a replay proving its effectiveness from SPL possibly).
What to Use
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Swampert @ Swampertite
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 Def/ 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Rain Dance/Power-up Punch
Role: Physical Sweeper
What It Does:
This set is designed to sweep mid/late game either by itself or with rain dance support from else where. With Rain Dance doubling M-Swampert's speed, it now outspeeds all of the metagame bar positive nature choice scarf Haxorus and above. With this you can tailor the speed EVs around to what you want to outspeed while in rain and dump the rest in HP: (Will post Alt EV spread in the "Additional Information" Section) With 150 Base Attack coupled with 100/110/110 Defenses, M-Swampert destroys offensive teams. Being able to take powerful hits and dishing it back. Rarely will you find Swampert OHKOed by a non-grass type move even if the opponent has a boost under it's belt. The choice between Rain Dance and Power-up Punch depends completely on your team build. With Rain Dance Swampert is able to be a stand alone sweeper that doesnt need to be fit onto rain teams. Power-Up Punch is there if you already have rain support from another pokemon. Ideally one holding a Damp Rock. With a +1 Swampert can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs and important 2HKOs into 2HKOs. With either Rain Dance or Power-up Punch M-Swampert has multiple opportunities to set up.
It is very important to remember that in rain Waterfall should be swampert's main STAB to attack. It does more neutral damage than EQ, so be sure to keep that in mind while playing with him.
Good Teammates:
Tornadus is an excellent partner with M-Swampert (Should be BFFs). Tornadus can get a guaranteed Rain Dance up with Prankster. Not only does this assist swampert but Tornadus can reap in the benefits from Rain Dance with 100% accurate Hurricane. Tornadus also has U-turn so that it makes getting Swampert in much safer and if played right against something it can set up a Power-up Punch on. They also have amazing defensive synergy. Tornadus being weak to Electric and Rocks are both things M-Swampert can freely switch in and vice versa with Swampert's grass weakness.
Other Pokemon who can set up Rain Dance and U-turn. U-turn is crucial because Swampert doesnt have double the speed on the turn it Mega Evolves so it needs to be in on something that it can force a switch or not worry about a massive hit. A couple of pokemon are great with for this. Uxie, Jirachi, Celebi, Azelf, Liepard, Crobat, , Accelgor, and much more. The former 4 can set up SR which M-Swampert greatly appreciates while the latter are fast and can give you a last ditch effort to get rain up. Crobat deserves a special mention because it has great defensive synergy and can Defog away Sticky Web. A huge bane to M-Swampert and rain teams in general.
If used on Rain Teams, their is a list of Rain Sweepers in the metagame. Kabutops, Kingdra, Seismitoad, Ludicolo, Omastar, Magikarp and Feebas. If you are having a hard time deciding, the latter two are your best options. Picking and choosing who you want M-Swampert's lifting partner to be is entirely up to your team. Just know that you have another powerful physical Sweeper in your gym now.
What Counters It:
Bulky Grass types are the first thing that comes to mind and Celebi is the most used out of all of them. Swampert's Ice punch only deals around %40 damage to a fully invested HP/Def Celebi. At +1 that goes up to %60. Celebi can easily recover the damage or threaten to OHKO right away with Giga Drain. Shaymin is normally seen run max Offensive EVs but can come in and revenge kill Swampert if Swampert doesnt have +1 under it's belt. Tangrowth, while rare, fears nothing from swampert with ice punch dealing around %30 damage. Tangrowth can threaten with giga drain or simply do whatever it wants. By Switching out it immediately gains that HP lost from Ice Punch with regenerator. Amoongus falls into the same category although it takes more damage from swampert and at +1 Swampert can kill a picked at Amoongus. Suicune can come in on Swampert and threaten to burn it with a boosted Scald. Although at +1 Swampert has a high chance to 2HKO with EQ.
Revenge Killing Swampert is not easy. Most Revenge Killers are frailer and can be KOed by Swampert or arent able to immediately threaten him back. As mentioned earlier only pokemon who's base speed is above Haxorus with choice scarf can revenge kill. Most if not all of them cannot KO M-Swampert unless it has already taken previous damage. M-Alakazam can trace Swift Swim if it already Mega Evolved and KO with Energy Ball. M-Swampert is not weak to any form of priority, along with it's bulk allows it to shrug any priority move.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified / Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch / Earthquake / Ice Punch
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Physical Sweeper
What it Does: Lucario is likely the most threatening set-up sweeper in all of UU. Access to Swords Dance alongside High Power STAB moves and the ever desired ExtremeSpeed mean that even a single free turn can turn a game on its head. After its checks have been weakened, Lucario can set up and plow through teams. The beauty about Lucario is that it has the coverage options to beat any of its normal counters, it just can't employ them all at once. Bullet Punch handles Mega Aerodactyl and Florges. Earthquake decimates the Nidos, Chandelure, and Tentacruel. Ice Punch secures kills versus the aforementioned Nidos and Gligar. It is up to you to decide which coverage option is best for your team. Justified is used to capitalize on Hydreigon locked into Dark Pulse primarily. As Lucario has very little actual bulk it is not advised to switch directly into most Dark-type move in the tier. Powerful Knock Offs from things such as Krookodile still threaten Lucario immensely and should be avoided. Inner Focus can be used to punish Jirachi locked into Iron Head who assume they can flinch you down.
Good Teammates: Stealth Rock and Spikes are two of the most beneficial things that Lucario can have on its side. Lucario's overwhelming power at +2 is enough to best most bulky Water-types with just a bit of hazards support. Due to Lucario's nature as a Hyper Offensive Pokémon, Froslass and Swampert make perfect partners. In addition, Froslass' ability, Cursed Body, can sometimes disable a Pokémon that is choice locked into a move, granting Lucario a 100% free Swords Dance. As mentioned previously, a single free turn can often be enough to significantly damage the opposing team or sweep outright. However, Lucario can't always just sweep through the opposing team. Depending on the coverage option you choose you'll find Lucario walled by a certain Pokémon. If lacking Earthquake then something to take advantage of Tentacruel can be a good partner. Examples could include Rotom-C, Alakazam, and others. When Bullet Punch is missing then Mega Aerodactyl can prove to be an issue. This can be remedied by bulky Water-types such as Swampert. Ice Punch leaves you walled by Gligar who can be taken care of by something like Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl, who also doubles as a Nido check.
What Counters It: As talked about earlier, the most common answers to Lucario include the Nidos, Chandelure, and bulky waters. However, this all depends on Lucario's set. Other ways to deal with Lucario involve using Pokémon that outspeed and resist ExtremeSpeed. Notable examples include Jirachi, Cobalion, Doublade, and some bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Alomomola who threaten Scald burns. If Stealth Rock is not on the field then Crobat can live an ExtremeSpeed and severely hurt Lucario. Aromatisse and Florges can also handle Lucario provided they are at full health and Lucario is not carrying Bullet Punch. Oftentimes, the best way to beat Lucario is to not allow it set up. Because of its reliance on free turns, Lucario can be exploited by never allowing it to be in on the same turn as something that does not threaten it.
Additional Info: Swords Dance Lucario is far from its only set. Nasty Plot and even mixed attacking variants are certainly viable and arguably better. For this reason do not make assumptions as to what set your opponent is packing. Many checks and counters to Swords Dance Lucario get destroyed by +2 Flash Cannons and Aura Spheres. Jolly nature can be used but misses out on important KO's like on Swampert.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Kyurem @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Outrage
- Iron Head / Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
Role: Bulky Attacker, Wallbreaker
What It Does: Kyurem hits insanely hard from both ends with mixed 130 attacking stats and a movepool to back it up. For a set like the definitely-lethal Choice Specs, you get hardwalled by Blissey, Umbreon, and SpDef Florges. Enter Kyurem's enormous base 130 Attack (that's just five base points shy of Salamence, and 30 more [!!!] than Zygarde). You really only need Outrage, which never fail to 2HKO Blissey or Umbreon unless they start spamming Wish or Softboiled/Synthesis, while Florges falls to Iron Head, even fully physically defensive Florges. Of course, neither of those are your main attacking options: Ice Beam has great neutral coverage and hits like a mac truck while Earth Power hits Steel-types that can eat any of Kyurem's moves otherwise.
Good Teammates: The set as-is has trouble with physically bulky Water-types like Mega Blastoise and Suicune, so a teammate that can deal with them like Shaymin, Roserade, or Mega Ampharos help immensely. Kyurem also appreciates hazards to break down walls and help it get KOs more easily. The aforementioned Roserade can lay down Spikes, while Nidoqueen can lay Stealth Rocks and both can act as a powerful one-two punch with Kyurem to soften each others checks. Running a powerful Poison-type attacker will allow Kyurem to forgo Iron Head (which is used rather exclusively for Fairies), letting it more easily deal with bulky Water-types with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Finally, because Kyurem is weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, hazard control is a must to keep Kyurem around for as long as it needs to be. Forretress can remove hazards and lay down some of its own to help. Crobat can clear hazards with Defog and also break Fairies that normally give Kyurem trouble.
What Counters It: The quintessential special wall, Blissey, normally beats Kyurem, but because this set runs Outrage, Blissey has trouble doing more than be a speed bump; the same mostly applies to Umbreon, while Umbreon does have a slight edge in the match-up thanks to its ability to hit Kyurem with a powerful Foul Play. Florges works better, comfortably tanking any attack besides Iron Head, but Iron Head 2HKOs even 252/252+ Florges. Suicune is a safe bet if Kyurem doesn't have Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor, but Draco Meteor followed by Outrage is a 2HKO from full if you haven't boosted, and the same applies to Mega Blastoise. Cresselia is probably the truest counter to Kyurem commonly seen in UU. PDef sets aren't 2HKO'd by any move (Draco does about half, but then -2), so you're free to paralyze, smack around with Moonblast, or Toxic and start stalling, though that's not the best idea given Moonlight's PP issues.
Any Additional Info: The EVs listed allow Kyurem to outspeed Timid Nidoking and maintain 2HKOs against every dedicated special wall in the tier with Outrage and Iron Head. Alternately, you can change to a Mild nature and move 40 Attack EVs to Speed (40 Atk / 216 Spe) to hit harder with your special attacks at the cost of a slight damage drop from Outrage and Iron Head (still maintaining 2HKOs) while outspeeding Adamant Lucario. Finally, you can keep a Hasty Nature and move 12 EVs from Attack to Speed (68 Atk / 188 Spe) to outrun Adamant 100s, the most common of which is Entei.
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball / HP Ice
- Trick / Memento
Role: Wallbreaker
What It Does: Chandelure has been one of the strongest wallbreakers since 5th gen. Base 145 Sp.atk. coupled with choice specs Chandelure's power reaches legendary levels and it is extremely hard to switch into. This set shines best against defensively oriented teams but Chandelure can take advantage of its handy immunities and fire off free hits on choiced fire and fighting types such as Machamp, Mienshao, Darmanitan and Entei against more offensive teams. Fire Blast and Shadow Ball provide a fantastic STAB combination. Energy Ball hits bulky waters for big damage but they get two hit ko'd by shadow ball so HP Ice can be used instead to OHKO Naive Hydreigon after rocks (only 40% chance if Timid or Hasty). Unlike HP Fighting; HP Ice doesn't decrease your speed, nails Zygarde on switch and you are not beating Blissey and Snorlax with hidden power anyway. Trick cripples walls and it's the prefered option but memento may create set up oppurtunities for teammates. EVs are simple maximizies power and speed.
Good Teammates: Anything that appreciates special walls to be removed, softened or crippled goes well with such as NP Houndoom-M, double dance Porygon-Z and CM Alakazam-M so they can start sweeping. Fighting types that can switch into dark moves aimed to Chandelure and threaten them out also form good partners. Because Chandelure is weak to SR it is adviced to pair it with a reliable defogger or spinner such as Gligar or Starmie. Finally, Chandy appreciates hazards damage to net some KOs. Roserade can set up spikes and sponge water moves aimed at Chandelure.
What Counters It: 80 base speed and average bulk doesn't help Chandelure defensively. Pokemon that can outspeed and hit with at least neutral damage with their STAB moves forces Chandelure to retreat. Trace P2, Thick Fat Snorlax and Blissey can easily switch into any moves and recover. Try to cripple these pokemon with a well timed trick. Sucker punch, Knock Off and Pursuit users such as Absol-M, Honchkrow, Aerodactly-M, Snorlax and Krookodile can trap it or play mind games which puts a lot of pressure on Chandelure.
Any additional info: Timid nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Lucario and its creepers but the power drop is noticeable and most of the time not worth it. Overheat is the strongest weapon in Chandelure's arsenal but Fire Blast is usually more than enough and doesn't result in -2 Sp.atk. Infiltrator is an interesting ability that allows Chandelure hit through subs and can occasianally come in handy.
Porygon-Z @ Choice Specs
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Tri Attack
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Ice Beam
Role: Wallbreaker
What It Does: Choice Specs Porygon-Z has been the textbook definition of a wallbreaker since its release in Gen 4. This is for good reason, as it easily 2HKO's some of the bulkiest special walls such as Vaporeon, Umbreon, and Florges with an Adaptability STAB Tri Attack. It also doesn't give cares to resists, as Ghosts take a Dark Pulse to a face, while other resists, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Aggron, and SpDef Jirachi, either get bopped by a coverage move (Jirachi) or get 2HKO'd by Tri Attack anyways (Aerodactyl, Aggron). Tri Attack is the tool that Porygon-Z needs in order to be a threat. It allows our cyber duck spam a 160 BP move after Adaptability, off of a Choice Specs boosted 405 Special Attack! It's not even necessary to mention the move's 20% chance to inflict either burn, paralysis, or even freeze. Dark Pulse is also a needed move, not only hitting the Ghosts the freely switch into hits STAB, but it also hits two other Pokemon that don't get 2HKO'd by Tri Attack: SpDef Jirachi and Bronzong. Thunderbolt is a filler, but an important one, as it also hits a Pokemon that can tank a Tri Attack: Empoleon. Trick is a nice option that allows Porygon-Z to cripple walls that try to switch in, namely Blissey. However, Porygon-Z won't get nearly as many OHKO/2HKOs it would have without Specs. Ice Beam is not as helpful, but it can OHKO instead of 2HKO certain threats like SpDef Gligar and Mega Aerodactyl. Adaptability is chosen over Download, as Download is not reliable since many mons add 1 point to their SpDef specifically to prevent the boost. The EV's are nothing special, and Modest Nature to nuke even harder.
Good Teammates: Porygon-Z does not appreciate Blissey. The best Porygon-Z can do is Trick Specs to it, while Blissey proceeds to Toxic it. Therefore, a Fighting type such as Guts Machamp (can abuse Toxic), Lucario (immune to Toxic, uses Blissey as set-up bait), Mienshao (generic scarfer), or Toxicroak (same reasoning as Lucario) can be great partners. Porygon-Z also doesn't like how it has to predict Ghosts coming in in order to Dark Pulse them; it much rather would like to spam Tri Attack. Therefore, Pursuit trappers such as Spiritomb, Krookodile, or Mega Aerodactyl can all aid Porygon-Z in its nuking abilities. Finally, Porygon-Z absolutely loves hazards of all types. Spikes allow him to break even more walls he couldn't break before, such as Assault Vest Snorlax. Users include Forretress, Chesnaught, and Roserade. Sticky Web lets him outpace faster mons so he can decimate them with a Tri Attack, such as Galvantula and Shuckle.
What Counters It: It has been established that not many Pokemon can wall Porygon-Z. However, it's very easy indeed to outpace the duck and kill him with a powerful STAB move. Many Pokemon are capable of doing this, such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Beedrill, Mienshao, Entei, Haxorus, Hydreigon, the list goes on. Blissey is a special wall that Porygon-Z simply can't break, which eventually Toxic stalls our poor duck to death. However, Blissey does not appreciate getting Tricked a pair of Choice Specs. Finally, mons that need to get hit with a coverage move, such as Empoleon, Bronzong, and Ghosts, can predict a Tri Attack and switch in. Even if Porygon-Z predicts, it's easy to pivot to a resist of the now-locked move.
Any Additional Info: Hyper Beam if real, it 2hko's blissey
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Kyurem @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Outrage
- Iron Head / Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
Role: Bulky Attacker, Wallbreaker
What It Does: Kyurem hits insanely hard from both ends with mixed 130 attacking stats and a movepool to back it up. For a set like the definitely-lethal Choice Specs, you get hardwalled by Blissey, Umbreon, and SpDef Florges. Enter Kyurem's enormous base 130 Attack (that's just five base points shy of Salamence, and 30 more [!!!] than Zygarde). You really only need Outrage, which never fail to 2HKO Blissey or Umbreon unless they start spamming Wish or Softboiled/Synthesis, while Florges falls to Iron Head, even fully physically defensive Florges. Of course, neither of those are your main attacking options: Ice Beam has great neutral coverage and hits like a mac truck while Earth Power hits Steel-types that can eat any of Kyurem's moves otherwise.
Good Teammates: The set as-is has trouble with physically bulky Water-types like Mega Blastoise and Suicune, so a teammate that can deal with them like Shaymin, Roserade, or Mega Ampharos help immensely. Kyurem also appreciates hazards to break down walls and help it get KOs more easily. The aforementioned Roserade can lay down Spikes, while Nidoqueen can lay Stealth Rocks and both can act as a powerful one-two punch with Kyurem to soften each others checks. Running a powerful Poison-type attacker will allow Kyurem to forgo Iron Head (which is used rather exclusively for Fairies), letting it more easily deal with bulky Water-types with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Finally, because Kyurem is weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, hazard control is a must to keep Kyurem around for as long as it needs to be. Forretress can remove hazards and lay down some of its own to help. Crobat can clear hazards with Defog and also break Fairies that normally give Kyurem trouble.
What Counters It: The quintessential special wall, Blissey, normally beats Kyurem, but because this set runs Outrage, Blissey has trouble doing more than be a speed bump; the same mostly applies to Umbreon, while Umbreon does have a slight edge in the match-up thanks to its ability to hit Kyurem with a powerful Foul Play. Florges works better, comfortably tanking any attack besides Iron Head, but Iron Head 2HKOs even 252/252+ Florges. Suicune is a safe bet if Kyurem doesn't have Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor, but Draco Meteor followed by Outrage is a 2HKO from full if you haven't boosted, and the same applies to Mega Blastoise. Cresselia is probably the truest counter to Kyurem commonly seen in UU. PDef sets aren't 2HKO'd by any move (Draco does about half, but then -2), so you're free to paralyze, smack around with Moonblast, or Toxic and start stalling, though that's not the best idea given Moonlight's PP issues.
Any Additional Info: The EVs listed allow Kyurem to outspeed Timid Nidoking and maintain 2HKOs against every dedicated special wall in the tier with Outrage and Iron Head. Alternately, you can change to a Mild nature and move 40 Attack EVs to Speed (40 Atk / 216 Spe) to hit harder with your special attacks at the cost of a slight damage drop from Outrage and Iron Head (still maintaining 2HKOs) while outspeeding Adamant Lucario. Finally, you can keep a Hasty Nature and move 12 EVs from Attack to Speed (68 Atk / 188 Spe) to outrun Adamant 100s, the most common of which is Entei.
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified / Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch / Earthquake / Ice Punch
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Physical Sweeper
What it Does: Lucario is likely the most threatening set-up sweeper in all of UU. Access to Swords Dance alongside High Power STAB moves and the ever desired ExtremeSpeed mean that even a single free turn can turn a game on its head. After its checks have been weakened, Lucario can set up and plow through teams. The beauty about Lucario is that it has the coverage options to beat any of its normal counters, it just can't employ them all at once. Bullet Punch handles Mega Aerodactyl and Florges. Earthquake decimates the Nidos, Chandelure, and Tentacruel. Ice Punch secures kills versus the aforementioned Nidos and Gligar. It is up to you to decide which coverage option is best for your team. Justified is used to capitalize on Hydreigon locked into Dark Pulse primarily. As Lucario has very little actual bulk it is not advised to switch directly into most Dark-type move in the tier. Powerful Knock Offs from things such as Krookodile still threaten Lucario immensely and should be avoided. Inner Focus can be used to punish Jirachi locked into Iron Head who assume they can flinch you down.
Good Teammates: Stealth Rock and Spikes are two of the most beneficial things that Lucario can have on its side. Lucario's overwhelming power at +2 is enough to best most bulky Water-types with just a bit of hazards support. Due to Lucario's nature as a Hyper Offensive Pokémon, Froslass and Swampert make perfect partners. In addition, Froslass' ability, Cursed Body, can sometimes disable a Pokémon that is choice locked into a move, granting Lucario a 100% free Swords Dance. As mentioned previously, a single free turn can often be enough to significantly damage the opposing team or sweep outright. However, Lucario can't always just sweep through the opposing team. Depending on the coverage option you choose you'll find Lucario walled by a certain Pokémon. If lacking Earthquake then something to take advantage of Tentacruel can be a good partner. Examples could include Rotom-C, Alakazam, and others. When Bullet Punch is missing then Mega Aerodactyl can prove to be an issue. This can be remedied by bulky Water-types such as Swampert. Ice Punch leaves you walled by Gligar who can be taken care of by something like Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl, who also doubles as a Nido check.
What Counters It: As talked about earlier, the most common answers to Lucario include the Nidos, Chandelure, and bulky waters. However, this all depends on Lucario's set. Other ways to deal with Lucario involve using Pokémon that outspeed and resist ExtremeSpeed. Notable examples include Jirachi, Cobalion, Doublade, and some bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Alomomola who threaten Scald burns. If Stealth Rock is not on the field then Crobat can live an ExtremeSpeed and severely hurt Lucario. Aromatisse and Florges can also handle Lucario provided they are at full health and Lucario is not carrying Bullet Punch. Oftentimes, the best way to beat Lucario is to not allow it set up. Because of its reliance on free turns, Lucario can be exploited by never allowing it to be in on the same turn as something that does not threaten it.
Additional Info: Swords Dance Lucario is far from its only set. Nasty Plot and even mixed attacking variants are certainly viable and arguably better. For this reason do not make assumptions as to what set your opponent is packing. Many checks and counters to Swords Dance Lucario get destroyed by +2 Flash Cannons and Aura Spheres. Jolly nature can be used but misses out on important KO's like on Swampert.
Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner, Revenge Killer
What It Does: Mega Absol is a very threatening Pokemon to deal with in the current metagame. The threat of Sucker Punch and Knock Off are still as powerful as ever, but Absol has gained access to a legal combination of Play Rough and Sucker Punch in ORAS, making it an even bigger threat from XY. His role is the same as XY, set up on walls and destroy balance and offensive teams with Knock Off and Sucker Punch, respectively. Swords Dance lets Mega Absol be the powerful threat it is, forcing out mons such as Chandelure, Jirachi, Blissey, and other slower mons that don't enjoy an Knock Off to set up the Swords Dance. Knock Off is Absol's STAB, a powerful and spammable move that also removes items on top of its 97.5 BP. Sucker Punch makes Mega Absol a nightmare versus offensive teams, revenge killing threats unboosted and decimating faster threats at +2. Play Rough is coverage that hits mons that resist Dark, namely Fighting types such as Machamp and Chesnaught. The EV spread is nothing special, just to hit hard and fast. Mega Absol has a great match-up versus Balance, where there are many mons that will switch out on a threat of a Knock Off, allowing the dog to SD and start a sweep.
Good Teammates: Some things Mega Absol does not appreciate are Fairies, which easily tank any of Absol's moves, even at +2, and OHKO back with a Fairy move. Therefore, Pokemon that can take advantage of Fairies, such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Chandelure, Jirachi, and Roserade, are great partners for Mega Absol, each having their own perks. Mega Absol also does not appreciate physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Quagsire, who don't mind taking hits and can deal major damage in return. Because of this, Mega Absol like to have a Special Attacker that can take advantage of the above mons, simple examples being Shaymin, Chandelure, and Suicune.
What Counters It: Fairy types are a major hinderance in Mega Absol's back, mons such as Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and even Diancie all easily tank a +2 Play Rough and OHKOing with Moonblast (or Play Rough in Granbull's regard). Particular physical walls, expecially Mega Aggron, do not care about +2 hits and can easily deal major damage, if not OHKO, back with a STAB move. Finally, faster Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Scarf Mienshao, Scarf Hydreigon, and Scarf (insert dark resist here, such as Krookodile), can tank a Sucker Punch and OHKO back with STAB.
Any Additional Info: I remember someone, I think it was Calloflochie (?) who used Iron Tail Mega Absol in the XY meta to destroy Fairies. It's not exactly reliable, but it seems like an OK option over Play Rough, just know you can't really deal with Dark or Fighting types without Play Rough.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Role: Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Bulky Attacker, Tank
What It Does: Mega Abomasnow, even with its RU status, is a very threatening sweeper in UU. Its ability to beat threatening Water, Electric, and Ground types are all appreciated on the average team, and on top of this, the snowman gets access to Swords Dance, letting it be a sweeper as well. Thanks to the move, along with access to the very rare priority Ice Shard and a destructive nuke in Wood Hammer, Mega Abomasnow is a very formidable threat to balance and offensive teams. Swords Dance boosts Mega Abomasnow's attack up to 798, letting it destroy most walls with a STAB move. It is not particularly hard to grab the boost, as Mega Abomasnow forces out the Water, Electric, and Ground types that make a chunk of the tier. Wood Hammer is the chosen STAB, as it OHKOs the majority of the tier at +2, and it is a powerful move even when unboosted. Ice Shard is a secondary STAB, letting the snowman make up for its pathetic base 30 Speed. This allows it to hit faster and frailer Pokemon, and it becomes a sweeping tool when it's at +2. Earthquake can hit Steel and Fire types on the switch. 248 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to take Stealth Rock damage better, switching into the sneaky pebbles 5 times at max health. The Nature and Attack EVs allow Abomasnow hit as hard as possible. The Speed EVs let Abomasnow outpace base 30's, such as Slowking, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.
Good Teammates: Mega Abomasnow hates Stealth Rock, as it cuts into nearly a fourth of its health just by switching in. Therefore, it appreciates the many defoggers and spinners in the tier. Some particular ones that Abomasnow synergies well with include Tentacruel, Crobat, and Gligar. Snowman also absolutely despises Steel and Fire types, as they don't care about its STABs and as long as they don't switch into Earthquake, they easily kill Snowman back. Because of this, Abomasnow particularly like Ground types that can easily beat Steels and Fires. Dugtrio gets a particular mention, as it prevents the Steel/Fire from switching out and kills easily with Earthquake, opening up to a possible Snowman sweep. Finally, since Mega Abomasnow easily beats Water, Electric, and Ground types, teammates that appreciate those types gone are good partners. Examples are Fire types, like Entei, Water types, like Tentacruel, and Electric types, like Raikou.
What Counters It: Keeping Stealth Rock up already deters Mega Abomasnow from doing its job, since it cuts out a big chunk of its health, and along with Wood Hammer recoil, Snowman can't live nearly as long. Mega Abomasnow is cursed with one of the worst defensive typings of all time, being weak to 7 whole types. This, paired with Snowman's pitiful base 30 Speed, means anything that can manage to be faster (a lot of things) with any of possible 7 super-effective STABs easily kills back as long as they avoid the KO from Ice Shard. Steel types, such as Jirachi, and Fire types, such as Arcanine, get a special mention, as they easily KO with their STABs, along with resisting both STABs.
Any Additional Info: 124 Speed EVs outpace Relaxed Quagsire, allowing Mega Aboma to kill it with Wood Hammer before it can Toxic. However, this takes away from much of Aboma's bulk. It could work with Trick Room, but it's Trick Room, which just isn't very effective.
If you have any questions or suggestions, just shoot me a VM / PM and I'll get back to you. :)
Edit; Also, to make something clear; Plagiarism and reservations will not be allowed. Plagiarism will net you an infraction the first time, while repeated reservations will also earn you an infraction. you also lose any chance of earning a badge if you do any of these ;]
Last edited:
