ORAS UU Knives and Forks (and Spoons) - Balance Team (LF advice)

[TalonRaptor]

Knives and Forks (and Spoons)

Hey everybody, TalonRaptor here (FunkyCarrot on showdown). It’s been a while since I last made a team to put up here, even though I’ve created a few. I decided to try out UU because it seems a pretty cool tier, which it is, but I found (and still find) teambuilding in it really hard for some reason, which is why I decided to post this one I made, hoping for a bit of advice please. I haven't played on the ladder much yet, but have found a couple of weaknesses already. The point of this team is to essentially get rid of all MegaZam's threats and checks, and let it have a sweep (i guess it is a win condition, not too sure). So without further ado, I present ‘Knives and Forks (and Spoons)’

Teambuilding

The Team Building Process

This is probably all useless to most of you, but I'll just write what I was thinking when making this team. (This will be only brief though :])

Basically, I saw MegaZam was UU, and just decided to build a team around him. He has outstanding speed and special atk; perfect for a sweeper.

I needed someone who would form a good offensive core with Alakazam. It had to be physical, and after asking some questions, I found Machamp works well, so I added him.

Although it didn't seem to important, a defogger was needed because nobody likes hazards - especially webs - so I added crobat, since it is fast, versatile and able to do its job.

Status really messes with my team (bar Machamp) so I needed a cleric Florges seemed to be the right choice, as it comes with wish too, and acts as a dragon stopper (to save further members)

Do go with florges, I put swampert, simply because he is one of the most reliable physical tanks. His grass weakness is dealt with by other members, and in return, he soaks up hits and can deal back good damage, often getting crucial KOs.

The final place on the team originally went to Raikou, as I needed a scarfer, and smeone to deal water types with. After some testing, I found that it didnt pack the strongest of blows to the enemy team, so it was replaced with the trusty hydreigon. I've never looked back since.

So there we have it, my final version of the team.

The Team​

Okay, now you know the important intel as to how I built the team, let's get into an analysis of it. Please note that the reason I posted this is because I needed help, and not to showcase the team, so if there are obvious flaws, or even small ones, please point them out for me. Thanks! (excuse the nicknames pls)

Gusto (Alakazam) @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Psyshock
- Energy Ball
- Calm Mind
​

MegaZam is the centre point of the team. The aim is to bring him in and mega evolve as soon as possible, to get the much needed speed boost. The speed boost allows him to outspeed common threats, including mega beedrill, and non-jolly mega aerodactyl. He doesn't help the team particularly defensively, but if he is switched onto a rapid spinner/wall, that is the best case scenario. I run the 3 coverage moves, and psyshock over psychic for blissey/florges. I don't run focus miss because it always misses, but it also lets me hit chandelure and other megazams. I run calm mind because I can get a free boost when my opponent switches (say from a swampert fearing energy ball). Overall, he functions best as a late game sweeper/cleaner, after the rest of my team has done their work.
​

Four armz (Machamp) @ Choice Band
Ability: Guts
EVs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Heavy Slam
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
​

I chose Machamp because it resists the dark and ghost types which alakazam hates so much - including sucker punchers like absol. He is also there to dish out tons of damage onto the enemy, often getting 2-3 KOs a game with his excellent coverage. Choice Band allows it to do so more easily. Heavy slam is used for Bullet Punch to rid of opposing florges more easily. Now I am unsure about the EVs so will need help, but I ran 164 speed to just outspeed the standard florges sets. He also acts as a punishing status absorber, if florges is gone and cannot aromatherapy.

Oversized bat (Crobat) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Sp
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
​

This is the standard support set for Crobat. I chose him because, first, I needed a defogger to get rid of annoying hazards. I run this suggested EV spread because it allows it to outspeed certain threats, including reuglar alakazam. His bulk means that he can survive more stealth rocks and take grass hits better for swampert. Later, I also found he wrks well as a mega beedrill counter, since it resists all of its STABs and coverage moves (being immune to drill run). He has proved vital to keeping momentum up in the team with U-Turn, easily switching into MegaAlakazam with psychic attaks aimed at it.

[Changed to 200 Speed and less HP investment; as suggested by Hairy Toenail]

Mutant flower (Florges) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy
​

I chose florges because of its typing - resisting a whole lot of attacks and being immune to dragon helps other members - and bulk, as well as it's ability to reliably heal teamates. There really isn't much to say about Florges, except I need a bit of help with the EV spread.I kind of made this one up. It has fared well till now, but idk - help on this Pokemon please. Also, I heard sylveon might be coming back to UU - if it does, I will probably replace florges with it.

Belly flop (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
​

Swampert is a valuable asset to the team. As well as being able to set up rocks, and Roar set up sweepers away, he also acts as my Crocune and, although less common, fire spam check. Scald is used to try and burn stuff and Earthquake does well in damaging other weak pokemon, as well as OHKOing Megabee. He benefits a lot from crobat's grass 4x resistance and Florges wish support, which together with lefties, keep this thing up throughout the game.

Nuke (Hydreigon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- U-turn
- Flamethrower
​

This thing is rightly named 'Nuke.' I chose hydreigon over raikou for it's ground immunity and psychic immunity, which aids machamp and crobat greatly, allowing free switch ins. Choice scarf allows it to form a good Turning core with crobat to some extent, and scouts the enemy team. It also let's it outspeed opposing dragon types, like haxorus, to score easy KOs. If Mega Alakazam somewhow faints early game, Hydreigon simply replaces it. Flamethrower destroys the likes of Rachi and Bug/Steel types, whilst it's STAB attacks demolish anything that doesn't resist it (to some extent). Often, games are won simply because of Hydreigon's immense firepower and removing him from the team would be costly.

To End​

So there's my team everybody. Thank you if you took the time to read it, and if you could give any advice/feedback onto how to improve it - I would appreciate it greatly. Please note the points where I am having trouble, in particular EV spreads. I'll end off by producing a small threat list, which I hope can be dealt with. Any changes I make will be highlighted above :)

Threat/Annoying List​

Threats

Jirachi can really dent my team. My only hope is wamper and hydreigon to switch in at the right times.

Arcanine is a pain to deal with, especially defensive ones. It take time to beat it, but it can pressure my team with it's recovery and will-o-wisp. Swamp s the only one who can reliably stay in on it, but flare blitz still damages a bit.

U-Turn hurts. If I see one, I need to preserve crobat and also try and mega evo alakzam to get a safe switch. Otherwise something is almost always sacrificed.

These 2 can potentially wall my team, if alakazam is gone for vaporeon, or machamp for umbreon. I just have to rid of them ASAP in a game.

​

 

[Pent]

Hey, pretty cool team, but honestly I wouldn't run Calm Mind on MAlakazam. Replace it Dazzling Gleam/Focus Blast for better coverage, since Megazam is rather frail anyway.

This is the set I would run on Machamp

Machamp @ Assault Vest/Choice Band
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Dynamic PunchPunch
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch/Heavy Slam
- Ice/Thunder/Fire Punch

Hope it helps.

 

[So Dynamic]

no offense but i wouldnt go with either of the suggestions. banded champ is easily the best set and hits like an absolute truck. although a problem it might have is the rise in popularity of cresselia that started when mega lop and gallade were in the tier. its still a real good mon though. also mega zam really needs calm mind as he was lacking a wincondition. although for the team, its looking real solid, although it is a bit standard. the only thing id really change for hydreigon is to run timid as to not decrease your bulk unnecessarily as you only use uturn to gain momentum. also for mega zam, id run dazzling gleam or focus blast over energy ball as it gives you better coverage. also i feel like modest would be better as you have solid answers to the threats you listed that outsped modest zam. other than that not much to say

 

[TalonRaptor]

Hey, pretty cool team, but honestly I wouldn't run Calm Mind on MAlakazam. Replace it Dazzling Gleam/Focus Blast for better coverage, since Megazam is rather frail anyway.

This is the set I would run on Machamp

Machamp @ Assault Vest/Choice Band
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Dynamic PunchPunch
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch/Heavy Slam
- Ice/Thunder/Fire Punch

Hope it helps.

Aah thanks for the feedback. I will consider replacing calm mind to get more coverage, and see how it goes. As for machamp, I'm unsure. It has worked well as a status eater if you know what I am saying, and the moveset is almost identical. I think Close Combat hits most things hard enough. If I am wrong please tell me about that though.

 

[TalonRaptor]

no offense but i wouldnt go with either of the suggestions. banded champ is easily the best set and hits like an absolute truck. although a problem it might have is the rise in popularity of cresselia that started when mega lop and gallade were in the tier. its still a real good mon though. also mega zam really needs calm mind as he was lacking a wincondition. although for the team, its looking real solid, although it is a bit standard. the only thing id really change for hydreigon is to run timid as to not decrease your bulk unnecessarily as you only use uturn to gain momentum. also for mega zam, id run dazzling gleam or focus blast over energy ball as it gives you better coverage. also i feel like modest would be better as you have solid answers to the threats you listed that outsped modest zam. other than that not much to say

Okay thanks for the rate and suggestions. I will change hydreigon to timid, but I am not sure for energy ball since I dont have any other grass moves on the team, so I am really weak to swampert then. Can you see me fitting a grass move somewhere else?

 

[So Dynamic]

i dont see how youre all that weak to swampert with hydreigon and banded machamp but i guess you can afford to run it with hydrei champ and florg for darkmons

 

[HT]

Hey Talon, really solid balance team. I agree with Focus Blast/Dazzling Gleam over Energy Ball for better coverage on dark types. I only have a few suggestions, but let's get right into them:

The biggest change I can really suggest it 200 Speed on Crobat. I really don't know why the 176 spread is standard, it's sub optimal to 200 since it loses out to things like Mega Pidgeot and Noivern. So yeah haha 200 speed beats Noivern which is the fastest mon in UU below 130 base speed so outspeeding it is nice. Next thing is just a more optimal Florges spread since you asked for help on that so here it is: 252 HP/232 def/24 Spdef Calm. Just the standard spread that gives you really good overall mixed bulk.

Last suggestion is more of a nitpick than anything, but I prefer having my Scarf Hydreigon's as Timid or Naive. When you're hasty you lower your defense so you take more damage from things like U-Turn which people like to do to Hydrei a lot so changing the nature to Timid or Naive helps mitigate this a bit. You're not really using your own U-Turn for damage as much as it is for momentum so I'd think that Timid is preferable over Hasty or Naive so you still retain good bulk on both sides of the spectrum.

Nice team. Hope I helped :]

 

[Nacionation]

I like your team but I would suggest you to do some changes:
- Machamp: I would run no guard machamp. Florges can be the status absorber, so will-o wisp is not a huge problem. Also, you should think about AV>CBand, because that allows you to take some hits and after the defense drop of close combat, you are 2HKOd by sucker punch, so maybe dynamic punch is a better options, and the fact of not being locked in a move makes it a huge wallbreaker.
-Run fire blast over flamethrower because is more powerful, but this is just my opinion.
Hope I helped!

 

[MZ]

I don't even play UU, but I stole this team for a few tours and it did really well, and was a lot of fun to play with. I don't have any new suggestions, but I would consider gleam over energy ball or even calm mind, as I rarely found myself needing to boost Megazam's power. I also never found ice punch being used, if it puts in work for you then keep it but otherwise I'd consider running bullet punch because the team lacks priority (although it has a scarfer and two fast mons). Really nice team you got here :)

 

[Best Sona BR]

Have you tried earth power instead of Earthquake on the Swampert? that way you can get more advantage of the EV Spread. (Even if that advantage is 1 point of damage ;-; ) And deal more damage on physical defensive weak pokémons, considering that you have enough physical moves. (I know swampert attack is higher than it Special Attack, just saying.) Sorry if I made a mistake here, i'm still learning about pokémon :D

 

[Pokemoon]

earthquake > earth power on swampert, don't change that. as said before by so dynamic, band champ is best champ. nothing else i really have to say. besides good team, i look foward to facing this in the future (if i ever do)

 

[Nacionation]

Have you tried earth power instead of Earthquake on the Swampert? that way you can get more advantage of the EV Spread. (Even if that advantage is 1 point of damage ;-; ) And deal more damage on physical defensive weak pokémons, considering that you have enough physical moves. (I know swampert attack is higher than it Special Attack, just saying.) Sorry if I made a mistake here, i'm still learning about pokémon :D

EQ>Earth power
In my opinion, earthquake is better. It 2HKOs empoleon and other Specially defensive mons you can´t touch with scald, and the possibility of hit in the physicall and the special side is huge.
By the way, you can test earth power swampert and post them to show if it´s effective.

 

[Celsius]

Hi TalonRaptor , this is a standard but solid team you've made !
If have just a suggestion for you , i think you're a bit weak to KnockOff users , so i would run Crobat like this :

Oversized bat (Crobat)
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Sp
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

I think you must keep the ChoiceBand on Machamp , the ChoiceScarf on Hydreigon , and Leftovers on Swampert and Florges .
So this set on Crobat allow you to bring him on KnockOff and lose less HP. You should try i think .

And as the others said , Earthquake on Swampert is better than EarthPower .

I hope this will help you :) .

 

[mariner3579]

i tried out your team and i have to say the synergy of it is amazing and i had lot of fun with it the only problem is the paraflich jirachi especially if you lose swampert

 

[TalonRaptor]

Hey Talon, really solid balance team. I agree with Focus Blast/Dazzling Gleam over Energy Ball for better coverage on dark types. I only have a few suggestions, but let's get right into them:

The biggest change I can really suggest it 200 Speed on Crobat. I really don't know why the 176 spread is standard, it's sub optimal to 200 since it loses out to things like Mega Pidgeot and Noivern. So yeah haha 200 speed beats Noivern which is the fastest mon in UU below 130 base speed so outspeeding it is nice. Next thing is just a more optimal Florges spread since you asked for help on that so here it is: 252 HP/232 def/24 Spdef Calm. Just the standard spread that gives you really good overall mixed bulk.

Last suggestion is more of a nitpick than anything, but I prefer having my Scarf Hydreigon's as Timid or Naive. When you're hasty you lower your defense so you take more damage from things like U-Turn which people like to do to Hydrei a lot so changing the nature to Timid or Naive helps mitigate this a bit. You're not really using your own U-Turn for damage as much as it is for momentum so I'd think that Timid is preferable over Hasty or Naive so you still retain good bulk on both sides of the spectrum.

Nice team. Hope I helped :]

Aaah thank you! Sorry for the late reply but I did all the changes you suggested and the team works really well now! Thanks :)

 

[TalonRaptor]

I don't even play UU, but I stole this team for a few tours and it did really well, and was a lot of fun to play with. I don't have any new suggestions, but I would consider gleam over energy ball or even calm mind, as I rarely found myself needing to boost Megazam's power. I also never found ice punch being used, if it puts in work for you then keep it but otherwise I'd consider running bullet punch because the team lacks priority (although it has a scarfer and two fast mons). Really nice team you got here :)

Haha glad you liked the team! Thanks for checking it out and using it to try get some feedback. I appreciate it!

 

[TalonRaptor]

Hi TalonRaptor , this is a standard but solid team you've made !
If have just a suggestion for you , i think you're a bit weak to KnockOff users , so i would run Crobat like this :

Oversized bat (Crobat)
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Sp
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

I think you must keep the ChoiceBand on Machamp , the ChoiceScarf on Hydreigon , and Leftovers on Swampert and Florges .
So this set on Crobat allow you to bring him on KnockOff and lose less HP. You should try i think .

And as the others said , Earthquake on Swampert is better than EarthPower .

I hope this will help you :) .

Thanks for the rate. I will test it out but I think black sludge recovery is good if the other team doesnt get a knock off in time. Crobat doesnt take much from knock off though anyway

 

[TalonRaptor]

i tried out your team and i have to say the synergy of it is amazing and i had lot of fun with it the only problem is the paraflich jirachi especially if you lose swampert

Aha okay, thanks for the advice. I will look out for the haxy type of rachis - but hopefully it gets moved up to OU xD