Team Dull Days

What with all the weather teams running rampant in all tiers, I decided to create an anti weather team, designed to make use of all of them and eliminate key threats. This is that team:

A first glance:




Empoleon: my devoted lead and special tank

Empoleon @ leftovers
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 SpA/ 252 SpD

-Scald
-Stealth Rock
-Roar
-Aqua Ring

Empoleon is my lead, intended to set up rocks while taking hits with its great special bulk. Scald can cripple physical attackers. Roar brings a pokémon hopefully of one of 12 resistances or immunities Empoleon sports, and works well with Stealth Rock. Great type synergy means it can switch a ground or electric attack to Tangrowth and then switch back for recovery on Tangrowth and a resistance to most of Tangrowth’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, it has to rely on lefties recovery and aqua ring (which I never use).


Houndoom: my revenge killer and mixed sweeper

Houndoom @ life orb
Nature: Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 SpA/252 Spe

-Pursuit
-Sucker Punch
-Overheat
-Hidden Power Grass

Houndoom is a great mixed sweeper but needs the extra speed, even with priority. Sucker Punch and Pursuit is a great combo, Overheat has amazing initial power, and Hidden Power Grass rounds off extremely good coverage. Houndoom brings in specific checks, most of which can be dealt with by Gallade or Froslass, or stalled out by my two tanks. This guy is useful to force a psychic or ghost type into check mate position, as switching will result in a double power pursuit, whereas staying in to attack means sucker punch takes them out. He takes out most counters to other pokémon on the team as well, and has two immunities to switch in on. The main reason I have him is to use sun against sunny day team sweepers, coming in on a flash fire boost, and hopefully taking some of the team out with essentially +2 overheat. I'm thinking of changing hp grass for one of the following: foul play, punishment, will o' wisp, retaliate or solarbeam.


Tangrowth: my physical tank

Tangrowth @ leftovers
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
Ability: Regenerator
Evs: 188 HP/64 Atk/252 Def/4 SpD

-Power Whip
-Earthquake
-Sleep Powder
-Leech Seed

Tangrowth is my physical tank, and has really good type synergy with Empoleon, switching onto powerful attacks which it resists. Its support movepool is also good, including Sleep Powder to put other pokes out of action, and Leech Seed to get some recovery and residual damage. It also has great offensive stats and STAB Power Whip to abuse its attack, and decent coverage with EQ; Regenerator means it can switch into another pokémon and recover most of its health as well. Any mis-prediction could result, unluckily, in loss of Tangrowth or Empoleon. It acts as a good check to a lot of physical sandstorm/ rain sweepers, and can play mind games with a sun user expecting leaf guard or chlorophyll.


Blastoise: My spinner and rain abuser

Blastoise @ leftovers
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Def/ 4 SpA

-Rapid Spin
-Surf
-Foresight
-Ice Beam

Blastoise,with rain dish, uses rain very well, and is useful against sandstorm and some sunny day teams too. Though I already had a bulky water, I do need a spinner, and Empoleon can't use rain much anyway. Ice beam is to hit roserade and other grass types hard, as well as the few dragons in UU, like altaria and flygon. I don't use foresight much, because spinning isn't normally that important, so I guess it could be changed.


Gallade: my ice/rock stopper and set up sweeper

Gallade @ leftovers
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
Ability: Steadfast
Evs: 252 HP/68 Atk/184 Spe

-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Psycho Cut
-Shadow Sneak

This set is the stereotypical Bulk Up Gallade set, with very good coverage and longevity. Essentially my late game sweeper, Gallade comes in once most walls are weakened and finishes the team off, while tanking heavy blows after one or two Bulk Ups. Unfortunately, its speed is somewhat of a let-down and none of its attacks are particularly powerful. It counters most hail pokemon and rock type sandstorm abusers. Shadow Sneak somewhat alleviates the speed issue, but only just, and is good coverage with drain punch.


Froslass: my spiker and spinblocker and hail abuser

Froslass @ focus sash
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
Ability: Snow Cloak
Evs: 4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe

-Spikes
-Destiny Bond
-Ice Beam
-Thunderbolt

This is a really basic froslass set, which is so useful in UU at least. I'm thinking about using it as a lead, but with team preview, maybe the surprise effect is annulled. BoltBeam is basic coverage, and spikes is one of 3 reasons it is here. The others are hail abuse, which I need, and as a special sweeper. It also can hit gliscor, landorus and the majority of chlorophyll sweepers hard with just Ice Beam.


Please give me any feedback: I am open to any criticism, but want this team to remain anti weather. i appreciate that i don't have anything to abuse sandstorm, but I don't have much room, and Empoleon works alright.

Thank You for your time and rate/luvdisc etc...

Down with weather
Dull Days ftw

Hi,
I saw you mention Scald and Ice Beam on Empoleon yet it has Aqua Ring as 4th move. I suggest Switching Blastoise for Hitmontop. Hitmontop fits you team better than Blastoise as it lacks Lefties recovery and does every thing Blastoise does and checks Swords Dance Colbalion better with intimidate. I see you mention a lot of OU pokemon in a UU rmt. Also why run Hasty Nature on Froslass when having no Attacks change it to Timid.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but UU has next to zero weather. There are no perma weather Pokemon, and full rain/sun teams are relatively rare. Having a team built to counter weather won't be very effective, and in general teams designed purely to counter top threats don't get very far. Your team needs to have its own design and purpose. Hope this helped!

I see your point, emerald, and this probably is nothing more than a gimmick team, but the team is meant to work well as a balanced team as well as the anti-weather aspect. Also, there are some NFE weather starters to counter which IMO are big threats. What with the drizzle and swift swim ban, many rain DANCE teams are possible, and many potent threats are available in UU: kingdra, floatzel, omastar, ludicolo and kabutops for example. Even if I do not come across any weather based teams, the team should work well just normally.

Thank you Mylo and Ace Emerald, I feel like I am being too ungrateful. I think I have fixed all problems. With Hitmontop, I am undecided because it may be better, but rain is the most common weather in UU, and having Blastoise to use it may be important. Any other rates or comments? Anyone?

Well, Hello! Interesting team, but I must agree with Emerald, weather is not very existant in UU. It's barely there at all. While weather can still be a fortifying presence, it's usually not that bad that a counter team is needed. But, that doesn't matter.

Anyway, onto an actual rate, I'll go bottom up on pokemon:
Froslass: I know your thing is to use weather, but SnowCloak is just meh at best. I think you should consider using Cursed Body, which isn't that super awesome, but will be useful more often, as it has a 33% (or 30%, same diff) of disabling an opponent's move, which can be useful for like, an opposing Empy's Scald or something, leaving that Empoleon only able to use Ice Beam against you, (usually) so you can just continue to KO it with T-bolt. Otherwise, kewl set.

Gallade: I like the fact you're using an RU pokemon; +2 cool points. Seems pretty good there, Bulk Up is a nice set.

Blastoise: It is a really good spinner, but Hitmontop is pretty awesome. Also, may I suggest: Rindo Berry seems a bit too much to take on Roserade. Blastoise Really appreciates Lefties. Also, maybe try Defensive Blastoise, but putting the 252 sp atk EVs into Defense? I know I like it, but meh, your call. Hitmontop is a legit consideration, but your Gallade might clash a bit type-wise.

tangrowth: Keeeeeewl Points: +1000. It's pretty amazing, I like that you put EQ on it, to take on dem Steels. But be careful with that. I Think mixed/CM Cobalion, although rare, might be able to KO it too easily. nothing to change there, though.

Houndoom: Nice, but HP Grass seems a bit underwhelming. IIRC, Specs Raikou can't always OHKO swampert with HP Grass. But if it works on certain pokemon you need it for, go ahead.

Empoleon: Nice, Aqua Ring is an interesting Unique touch, and seems nice to keep health up. Not really much else I can say there.

TL;DR version:
Froslass: Cursed Body > Snow Cloak, perhaps?
Gallade: Kewlio.
Blastoise: Try defensive set..? Hitmontop is always an option. Rindo berry = meh.
Tangrowth: Kewlio.
Houndoom: Kewlio, but maybe other HP?
Empy: Kewlio.

Thanks a lot, Iminyourcloset, that post really helped. I've changed blastoise to have lefties and more defnsive EVs, and have posted some new options for Houndoom (thinking retaliate to make it a better revenge killer). I think I'll alternate between snow cloak and cursed body on Froslass for a while to see which helps me more. With hitmontop, it does check Cobalion better, but togekiss appears to be a huge threat ( assuming I sacrifice Froslass for an extra layer of spikes). I'm also thinking about revamping for use in OU, where weather teams are everywhere.

P.S I've run into 7 T-tar teams in a row, and possibly more politoed


Edit: I meant that I would use the idea of an anti-weather team, maybe with some of the same pokemon, in OU

You're welcome! And also, You're using this team in OU? That's a bit strange... Now, most UU pokemon are fairly viable for OU, but still, It's a bit weird limiting yourself..
But, it's your team. Glad I helped, I wish you luck! ^_^!
Btw, Personally, on Houndoom, I'd think Retaliate, but I'm not a common Houdoom user, so Idk.
Glad I helped, I wish you luck! ^_^!