ORAS UU RMT: First UU Team

[Spoiled Royalty]

This is the first team I've made for Oras UU and I'm looking for some feedback, sorry if this is formatted badly or just a bad team in general. I've been hovering aroun 1300 in RU and I decided to give UU a try. Anyways here is the team.

Shantae (Mienshao) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge

This is my main revenge killer and gets the majority of the kills on my team. It also forms the beginning of a volt turn core I have on my team. I often switch this in on weaker attacks, which is why i chose regenerator over reckless. High Jump Kick is so there as the staple stab move, Knock off is to really punish ghost types and to serve as utility. Stone Edge is there for flying types and bulky fire types like entei and arcanine.

Hemsworth (Ampharos) (M) @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Dragon Pulse
- Heal Bell

This is the mega of my team and is bulky enough to switch in repeatedly in order to heal bell. Also it hits like a truck. Finally it finishes up the volt turn core, being especially good as it outslows the majority of the meta game, this allows it to take a hit some of the frailer members of my team could not. The other moves were chosen just for stab bonus.

Vape (Vaporeon) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Vaporeon is the next member of my team. It's sole purpose is to eat up whatever comes at it and either pass or take a wish. It also serves as a great Mienshao counter. This thing adds so much longevity to my team that I often am reckless with some of my plays as I know securing a KO is worth losing 50% when i can just wish it back up with Vaporeon later. Scald is for stab, and ice beam is for flying types especially gligar.

Seariously (Entei) @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Sacred Fire
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

Entei is mainly there to hit hard with priority e-speed and burn something. Stone Edge is there for Rotom-H which otherwise walls this set and Iron Head is there for florges which otherwise wrecks my team. Overall one of the simplest decisions on my team.

Willy (Azelf) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock

Azelf serves as my lead 98% of the time. It usually uses Taunt first turn to prevent either sticky webs, stealth rocks, or tailwind. Then it proceeds to set up its own stealth rocks. Psychic is there as stab, and Dazzling Gleam is there for Hydreigon which otherwise wrecks my team. Focus Sash ensures that it will at least get stealth rocks up. Often times this thing is fast enough to get some kos even when stuck at 1hp for the game. Otherwise I sack it off.

Donphan @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 44 Atk / 212 Def
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin

This is probably the pokemon I'm least sure on. It was basically the only rapid spinner that I felt I could slap on my team. It serves as a Defensive wall that can still hit hard while providing hazard control. To be honest I usually sack it off during a game. Earthquake is stab, Ice shard is priority, knock off is utility and rapid spin is obvious.

And that's my team, feel free to give me criticism and suggestions. Also I know how basic the EV spreads are but I'm not used enough to the meta game to know exactly what attacks I have EV to survive or to ensure a KO. Anyway thanks for reading up to here and hopefully I get some good feedback.

 

[Christo]

Hello Spoiled Royalty and welcome to smogon! Mega Ampharos is one of my favorite megas and is very underrated. Anyway, I see some flaws with this team, mainly your lack of a fighting resist and no solid answer to stall and bulkier teams.

I am going to start off with a basic change. You should change Regenerator -> Reckless on Mienshao and Stone Edge -> Hidden Power Ice. Regenerator is always an inferior ability on Mienshao since it is so frail and high HP is not necessary do to how frail it is. Mienshao is not here to take any hits, because it can't. It is just there to outspeed and kill things. Reckless + Life Orb acts as a Choice Band for Hign Jump Kick and hits like a truck. I think HP Ice is your way to go since you can lure in 2 common counters to Mienshao in Gligar and defensive Salamence. My other basic change is to give Ampharos 172 speed EVs so it can outspeed Empoleon and Umbreon. Alternatively, you can just run enough for Empoleon since you are not running Focus Blast. Here is your Mienshao set:

Mienshao @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
Hasty Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Now I have a few pokemon change suggestions for you. I am going to try and keep the same concept you had previously, but with better synergy overall. I think you should go for Donphan and Vaporeon -> Swampert. Swampert walls everything Donphan does and keeps a fire resist Vaporeon gave. The next step would be to add Reuniclus. Reuniclus would act as a fighting resist which you lacked, a scald switch in since you lost Vaporeon, and a win condition with Calm Mind. Here are the sets:

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

Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Recover

Now Azelf seems like deadweight on the team with Reuniclus and Swampert on the team since Swampert provides Stealth Rock. I would suggestion Specially Defensive Mandibuzz > Azelf. This gives you a defoger sicne you lost Rapid Spin with Donphan. Mandibuzz will give you a check to Draco Meteor users, Chandelure, Shaymin, and more. With these changes, the team looks a lot more functioning. The team concept is pretty much the same as well. Here is your set:

Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Defog
- U-turn / Toxic / Foul Play

Good Luck!

 

[Spoiled Royalty]

All of those seem like good changes thanks for your help... just one question, isn't stone edge still coverage for gligar and mence while hitting more of the tier for higher damage than hp ice? Also where should I take the EVs from for Ampharos to invest in speed? Also what can empoleon do to Ampharos that EVs need to be sacrificed in order to outspeed it?

 

[Christo]

All of those seem like good changes thanks for your help... just one question, isn't stone edge still coverage for gligar and mence while hitting more of the tier for higher damage than hp ice? Also where should I take the EVs from for Ampharos to invest in speed?

Take the HP out to put into speed on Ampharos. Stone Edge is hitting neutrally to Gligar due to its Ground typing and although Salamence is weak to Stone Edge, bulky Salamence invests a lot into defense and has Intimidate which lowers attack. Hidden Power Ice is quad super Effective to both Gligar and Salamence and it hits on the Specially defensive side which is a lot better. Here are some calc for you to see.

Gligar:
40 SpA Life Orb Mienshao Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Gligar: 213-255 (63.7 - 76.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Mienshao Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 65-77 (19.4 - 23%) -- possible 5HKO

Salamence:
40 SpA Life Orb Mienshao Hidden Power Ice vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Salamence: 270-322 (68.7 - 81.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-1 252 Atk Life Orb Mienshao Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Salamence: 153-182 (38.9 - 46.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[Spoiled Royalty]

Thank you for the quick reply, I wasn't aware that I would be walled that much by the two, thanks again.

 

[rs]

What's up Spoiled Royalty, solid looking team you have here. One thing I did see as well as Christo did was the fighting weakness, I also see another couple small flaws. I'd like to recommend a couple of things that would help this team out.

• So first off, I'd like to recommend a couple of pokemon changes. I'd like to second Christo's suggestion of using Swampert over Vaporeon. Swampert gives you a very solid physical wall as well as Stealth Rocks (Recommendation for Azelf later). Here's the set again, it's the same that Christo recommended above.
  
  
  
  Swampert @ Leftovers
  Ability: Torrent
  EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
  Relaxed Nature
  - Earthquake
  - Scald
  - Stealth Rock
  - Roar
  
• Next, I'd like to recommend a different hazard remover over Donphan. Donphan is a very mediocre pokemon in this meta with a bunch of bulky waters running around. But anyway, I'd like to recommend Crobat over Donphan. This pokemon gives you solid hazard removal as well as a nice fighting resist. I'd like to recommend a set something like this.
  
  
  
  Crobat
  Ability: Infiltrator
  EVs: 172 HP / 100 Atk / 236 Spe
  Jolly Nature
  - Acrobatics
  - Defog
  - Roost
  - Taunt / U-Turn
  Acrobat also gives you a nice Knock Off absorber, especially with all the Krookodiles running around as of late. It could also be used as a stallbreaker/Stopping set-up sweepers with Taunt, which is always very helpful on any team.
  
  
• And lastly for pokemon suggestions, I'd like to recommend something in place of Azelf, since it seems like deadweight as you have a fast taunter as well as a rocker in Crobat and Swampert, respectively. I'd like to recommend Curselax over Azelf. Snorlax gives you a very solid special wall to absorb hits from the Nidos as well as Hydreigon. It also gives you a nice wincon/set-up sweeper, which is nice as well. Here's the set I'd like to recommend you use.
  
  
  
  
  Snorlax @ Leftovers
  Ability: Thick Fat
  EVs: 144 HP / 188 Def / 176 SpD
  Careful Nature
  - Curse
  - Rest
  - Sleep Talk
  - Body Slam
  The EVs allow you to avoid being 2HKO'd by a Mega Blastoise Aura Sphere as well as survive a Mienshao HJK or Lucario Close Combat at +1.
• My final recommendations are to second Christo's EV spread suggestions. I'm not really sure if I agree with the HP Ice change on Mienshao though, because I always like to hit Crobats on switch-in with Stone Edge, its really preference though, do what you feel what works best!

But anyway, hope you consider my recommendations and good luck with your team!

 

[Spoiled Royalty]

Thnx for the suggestions shiba, I do like crobat as it keeps the fast taunt that I enjoyed in azelf, my question isdo you second the change to reckless on mienshao? I've been enjoying the "recklessness" you can afford with regenerator, and I'm still not sure if the sacrifice of that is worth a 20% boost in power for 1 move. Also I'm a little worried about my weakness to willo with the amount of physical attackers I'd have at that point... Anyways Thank you very much for the suggestions.

 

[rs]

Thnx for the suggestions shiba, I do like crobat as it keeps the fast taunt that I enjoyed in azelf, my question isdo you second the change to reckless on mienshao? I've been enjoying the "recklessness" you can afford with regenerator, and I'm still not sure if the sacrifice of that is worth a 20% boost in power for 1 move. Also I'm a little worried about my weakness to willo with the amount of physical attackers I'd have at that point... Anyways Thank you very much for the suggestions.

I do second Reckless on Shao (I assumed you already had it on it, didn't notice), Mienshao doesn't have that much longevity in the first place, and it turns some usual 2HKO's from Regenerator into OHKO's with Reckless, which is really worth it. Also, Snorlax works as a status absorber with the use of Rest, so you'd have Lax and Ampharos as your 2 will-o absorbers and just lax can take any other status :]

 

[Spoiled Royalty]

Okay thank you very much for the time you took to help me out. Sorry for some of the obvious questions.