NU>OU (Too lazy to think of a good title)

Hi everyone this is my fist RMT on Smogon, and it's the NU team that I've been playing with for about a month now, and it worked rather well so I decided to make a RMT. I've been struggling with some members for a bit, so maybe you raters can help me. My current rank with this team is 1705, which I think is decent, but I want to get stronger and get a higher rank. So, I'll first show you the teambuilding process, I guess.

Teambuilding process:

It all started with Scolipede, which is the best spike setter in the game, and I wanted to abuse that. Serperior was added because it was also something I had always wanted to try, and could sweep with calm mind-boosted giga drains. (If I'm honest, I can't remember why Serp was added. It just got on my team at some point.)

I went for a dual-fighting core first, with scarf Primeape cleaning up after Gurdurr had weakened its counters with ice punches. Gurdurr could also take physical attacks nicely.


I added defensive Torkoal because it could set SR, which was important if I wanted Primeape to sweep. And rapid spin never hurts either, of course. At this point, my strategy was to weaken the opponents pokemon until Primeape could sweep. Eelektross helped with this as it could weaken things with volt switch and get out. Most of my pokemon could take a hit before going down, giving them even more chance to damage an opponent. This replay is an example of this:
http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/nu-17835471
Yeah, I know, my opponent was using SD Meganium, but still. I was still learning about NU at that point.



This is my final team. Alomomola replaced Torkoal because it is 10 times better as a physical wall. I'm very content about Alo. It just never dies. I now needed another SR setter, and that became Golurk as I didn't want a defensive setter, and Golurk can still be an offensive threat while setting up SR. It also spinblocks, which is a bonus. For Eelektross, it was just too slow for an offensive pokemon, and while it had some bulk, it often lost to repeated attacks also because it lacks reliable recovery. What I needed was a specially defensive pokemon that wasn't hopeless offensively. I tried sp. defensive Rotom-S, but the SR weakness sucked, and what I needed on my team was a heal beller, as Alo and Golurk hated toxic and Golurk didn't like a burn either. So, that is my current team. Let's go to the sets.

The Team

Serperior @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 60 HP / 252 SAtk / 196 Spd
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Substitute
- Calm Mind

This is IMO the best set Serp can run. Serp often forces switches, for example against a lead Seismitoad, and Serp can then set up a sub, followed by either calm mind or giga drain. initially, giga drain isn't very strong, but after a boost it hits rather hard. It is also my only means of recovery. i didn't choose leftovers because the power is really needed imo, and as I often use giga drain, I usually gain health after an attack, not lose it. Overgrow is a cool ability that works well with Serp's speed and substitute. Often at low health, I fire off an overgrow boosted Giga drain which gets me out of overgrow range, and life orb then brings me back in, which is another advantage of life orb. Anyway, I think most people know how this set works. Let's go to the next mon.


Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Trait: Poison Point
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Spikes
- Rock Slide
- Toxic Spikes

This set will probably require some explanation. I used to run Earthquake in the last slot, but I realised I needed some other means of getting residual damage, which became toxic spikes. A surprisingly large amount of teams don't have a grounded poison type, and Scolipede takes advantage of that. I wanted to keep Rock slide over Aqua tail because it hurts flying types, which I need, as they aren't hurn by spikes. Especially Drifblim is an important target of Rock Slide. The inability to hurt Golurk, or fighing types such as Sawk isn't really a priority, as Alomomola walls them to death. After Scolipede has set up its hazards, I usually fodder it, unless I need him to take on another threat, such as Leavanny or something. Scolipede really is a solid member of the team, not much things like to take a Megahorn, so Scolipede can set up spikes rather easily. The only thing I don't like about Scoli is the 85% accuracy of Megahorn.

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
- Wish
- Toxic
- Protect
- Waterfall

Oh Alomomola. Why aren't you banned yet. I rely on Alomomola to take on almost all physical pokemon on the opposing team. Often times I see for example Sawk, Golurk, Samurott and Braviary in the team preview, and I think by myself: Ok Alo, you got work to do. And Alo often does that without breaking a sweat. Only the less common sets such as Sub Bulk Up Braviary and special Samurott beat Alo, and I can often scout for for example special Samurott with Protect.

Ampharos @ Leftovers
Trait: Static
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Heal Bell
- Discharge
- Toxic
- Focus Blast

I'm a bit iffy about Ampharos. I have used a lot of pokemon in this slot, but now it's Amph. The main reason for that is a flying resist and Heal bell. And decent bulk of course. Ampharos beats most special attackes such as Samurott, Rotom-S, Gorebyss and Eelektross. Some special attackers have ways around it, though, either through super-powerfull attacks such as Charizard's Fire Blast in sun or because of another move such as Jynx's Lovely Kiss. So, as I said, I'm willing to change this slot.

Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Ice Punch
- Stone Edge

As a late-game cleaner, Primeape often wins me games, I basically just don't bring him in untill late-game, unless I need to finish off a psychic type with U-turn. Close Combat is the main move, as it kills most weakened pokemon. I really like Primeape's speed tier. It even outspeeds Ludicolo in rain! It is just one of the fastest scarfers in NU, and there's not really much more I can say about him.

Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Stealth Rock

Golurk is often used as a lead, setting up SR right at the start. Golurk's coverage is really nice, and Earthquake hits like a truck. Only real problem is its speed. Golurk also attracts status like a light bulb attracts mosquitos, but that's why Amph is there. Golurk also beats the most common spinner, Armaldo, while also preventing it from spinning. Honestly, I think you all know how Golurk works, it isn't #1 in the usage statistics for nothing.

Conclusion
So, those were the sets. Finally, I'll state the weaknesses of my team that I experienced and the pokemon that I hate facing with this team:

-Arbok. It's Coil set is really hard to take down. Immune to toxic and the defensive boosts from coil and intimidate are really annoying. All my special attackers have a hard time dealing with it, and with a movepool of coil, gunk shot, sucker punch and earthquake it hits a lot of my team for SE damage. Golurk can live a +1 Sucker punch and KO's even if Arbok got +1 def (or Golurk -1 from intimidate). Annoying though.

-SubBulk Up Braviary. it's uncommon, but hard to beat. Basically the only pokemon he can set up on is Alomomola, so it often doesn't get a free sub. When it does, though, it's annoying. With Return, it can't touch Golurk, though. And when it chooses to run brave bird, Ampharos can often beat it if it doesn't have too many boosts.

-Rapid spin teams. Golurk can beat some spinners, but mostly, I don't like facing them as one of my major ways of dealing damage is prevented. The same goes for poison types who prevent me from setting up toxic spikes. This only goes for grounded poisons, though, but still. Scolipede is common.

-Riolu. Just seriously. **** Riolu. I don't have any ways to prevent a Riolu sweep after it Roars, so I need to OHKO it, mostly. The best way to deal with it, though, is setting up toxic spikes. Most Riolu teams carry a spinner, though.

I will maybe add more pokemon to this list when I remember them. I'm sure there are more, I'm just too lazy to think of them right now.

So, thank you for reading, and please rate the team!

Hey there, bud.

Likewise for Arbok, one glaring flaw that I've noticed in particular is your inability to break through a few cores that involve Poison-types that can get around Golurk. Luckily, though, the only one that slips in through the variants of Poison-types that I find you to be especially weak to is Weezing. This team really struggles against it since Golurk, Scolipede, Alomomola, Primeape, or Serperior can hardly leave a scratch on it and you're heavily reliant on pivoting out to Ampharos just so you can get the Heal Bell off, which in turn cause you to get worn down easily and can lose you a lot of momentum. Speaking of Ampharos, I believe that it's the only thing is has going with it for the team since the Pokemon that I will suggest in addition to Golurk, Primeape, Scolipede can play around and beat most of the particular status-inducers. With that being said, I think you should try Focus Sash Kadabra in placement of Ampharos. Magic Guard means that it can easily come in on Weezing's status and take it out with Psychic. Kadabra can also revenge kill almost all of the Pokemon that you have mentioned to be problematic, as it can serve as a secondary Arbok or Braviary check with the help of Encore, which takes advantage of their setup moves or the possibility of priority (in Arbok's case). It also sort of helps against Riolu in some cases, as you don't take any passive damage and can hit it super effectively.

Jynx, Regice, and Articuno are other problematic Pokemon that you seem to not have a safe switch in to and they are able to beat Alomomola 1v1. Replacing Golurk with Piloswine as your Stealth Rock user can help fix this issue, as it can check most variants of those Pokemon with relative ease without alternating any important roles in particular.

That being said, I don't think you should oversell your Rapid Spin weakness, as you can reliably threaten all of them and Alomomola can provide Wish support for this team if you need your hazard users to stick around long enough to put them back up.

Hope these changes work for you.

run max speed on serperior in order to outspeed opposing scolipedes

As I carry hp rock, I can only speed tie with opposing scolipede, which isn`t the most reliable way to beat them. Anyway, I may try it out, and thanks for replying!

@agent dell, first of all thank you for the rate. I definitely agree with you about the poison types. They are often hard to break through, especially the defensive ones such as weezing and golbat. I will therefore definitely try out kadabra. Now, I haven`t had too much problems with ice types. Jynx is easily revenge killed by Primeape, and if I predict well, I can even switch in on the lovely kiss and threaten jynx out. Tbh i haven`t faced too much regice yet, but they don`t really have reliable recovery, and are thus not as hard to wear down. Resttalk may be annoying thouh. That said, I often have trouble with sleep takers that can boost, They can shrug off the poison and boost in the face of for example alomomola. Recently I was beat by a restalk shift gear klang, which isn`t something I`m particularly proud of, but whatever. Anyway, thank you for the rate, andI will definitely try kadabra over ampharos,and also the piloswine, although I`m less sure about that one.

I noticed your team lacks any priority moves. If you're having trouble with Riolu teams, you should put priority moves on this team. In my opinion, every single team needs priority moves.

TheGhost983 said:

I noticed your team lacks any priority moves. If you're having trouble with Riolu teams, you should put priority moves on this team. In my opinion, every single team needs priority moves.

Click to expand...

Hi theGhost, thank you for replying! I know I lack priority, but besides riolu, It isn`t that much of a problem, as I carry 3 pokemon with a fantastic speed stat for NU standards. When I switch to the piloswine that was suggested by agent dell, I will also have real priority.