General Analysis: The Underused Metagame

[bluelightstar]

So, you want to play UU. Well, playing UU is not the same as playing OU; they have entirely different metagames. The OU, or Overused, metagame is still more defensively oriented than the UU, or Underused, metagame. There are several threats you will face in an underused environment that you will not face in the Overused one. For example, stallish teams can still work to some extent in the OU meta, while such teams are powered through in UU. Yes, OU is full of big, fat, and stale standards, and to quote my good friend, 0rz, UU is "All CB, All the time."

What is the underused metagame?

The UU metagame is battling RS standard but basically with every possible pokemon clause that a nub can think of on. That is, all those complaints about no Skarmory, no Blissey, no Celebi, no Jirachi, no Dugtrio, no Gyarados, no Pokemon finally have been answered. All normal rules still apply.

What pokemon are usable in the underused metagame?

Absol, Aggron, Altaria, Ampharos, Arbok, Azumarill, Banette, Blastoise, Camerupt, Clefable, Cradily, Delibird, Dunsparce, Electabuzz, Electrode, Exploud, Fearow, Feraligatr, Furret, Girafarig, Gligar, Golduck, Golem, Gorebyss, Granbull, Grumpig, Hariyama, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Kabutops, Kangaskhan, Lanturn, Lapras, Linoone, Lunatone, Magmar, Manectric, Mantine, Meganium, Misdreavus, Mr. Mime, Muk, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Ninetales, Octillery, Omastar, Persian, Pikachu*, Pinsir, Politoed, Poliwrath, Primeape, Quagsire, Qwilfish, Raichu, Rapidash, Sableye, Sandslash, Scyther*, Sharpedo, Shedinja, Shiftry, Shuckle, Slowking, Sneasel, Solrock, Stantler, Swalot, Tentacruel, Torkoal, Victreebel, Vileplume, Walrein, Xatu, Yanma.

That list comes from UUSF, a rather reliable source for UU information.

On a side note, the following Pokemon are considered "Borderline" and are typically allowed in moderation on UU teams:

Arcanine, Armaldo, Cloyster, Crobat, Houndoom, Hypno, Jumpluff, Jynx, Machamp, Porygon2, Scizor, Slowbro, Steelix, Swellow, Typhlosion, Ursaring, Zangoose.

What can I expect in the UU metagame?

You can expect to be hit - but hard. This is probably the most offensive metagame, with Choice Banders running amok and stallers using finally themselves being ripped apart by the Pokemon they were supposed to stall. Stalling teams in UU will most likely not work because almost everything is offensive.

What strategies are usable?

The most usable strategy to use in UU is simple: Choice Band. Virtually every Pokemon with an attack stat in UU could have a Choice Band thrown on it for good measure. A Choice Bander is probably the only sure thing to find on a UU team with most other things being designed to cripple your opponent.

What about those BL's and UU's you mentioned?

Even in UU, you have what is called an OU UU and a UU UU (as silly as subgroups are). Underused Underuseds are those Pokemon that are much too good for NU (here's looking at you Arbok) but still find themselves without much use in the UU metagame.

Group 1: The Choice Band Birds

In UU, there are several common Pokemon that appear on almost every team. These are called the CB Birds. They are Swellow, Fearow, and Crobat (I know Crobat isn't a bird but it may as well fit here).

The Movesets:

Fearow/Swellow@ Choice Band
Nature: Jolly/Adamant
Ev's: 252 Atk/252 Speed/6 ?

-Return/Double-Edge
-Quick Attack
-Drill Peck (Fearow)/Aerial Ace (Swellow)
-Hidden Power Ground/Hidden Power Fighting

That is your basic Choice Band bird. They are designed to hit hard and fast.

Crobat @ Choice Band

-Sludge Bomb
-Shadow Ball
-Aerial Ace
-Hidden Power Fighting/Ground

The other CB Bird. No Normal STAB but it gets STAB on Sludge Bomb.

Group 2: The Other Choice Banders

I told you that UU is all about the Choice Band. Well then, they must have their own section of this analysis. The Choice Banders that you will see most often have Normal STAB (Ursaring, Granbull), Fighting STAB (Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Machamp), or Ground STAB (Golem, Nidoking). However, anything with a good attack stat and a good physical STAB has potential to be a CB'er. Think about that next time you switch your Jynx into Xatu's Psychic and get CB Drill Pecked in the face.

Examples:

Ursaring (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Attack/252 Speed/6 HP
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Return
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power Ghost
- Rock Slide/Focus Punch

I've seen Speedsarings like this before, but I don't like that particular spread. HP/Defenses seems more worthwhile.

Granbull (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 124 HP/252 Attack/Defense and Special Defense
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Return/Double-Edge
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Punch/Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake

Again, you're not outspeeding much even with speed.

Hitmonlee (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Limber
EVs: 6 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick/Brick Break
- Rock Slide
- Mach Punch
- Hidden Power Ghost/Focus Punch/Earthquake

Earthquake on Fighters is still silly unless you have some crazy fear of Muk and Swalot.

Nidoking (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Poison Point
EVs: 6 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake
- Shadow Ball/Megahorn/Rock Slide/Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball/Megahorn/Rock Slide/Ice Beam

Even with Adamant and no EV's, IB OHKO's Gligar (no Special Defense and 152 HP EVs. Nidoking also gets double STAB and a nice filler move.

Group 3: The Stat Boosters

Even in UU, you'll find things that use stat boosters. How do they do it? They either have the defenses to boost themselves and then rest off the damage or they can incapacitate the foe while they boost. The predominant boosters are Calm Mind (Jynx, Slowbro), Bulk Up (Hitmontop), and Swords Dance (Victreebel, Tentacruel).

Examples:

Slowbro (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 84 HP/252 Def/8 Spd/68 SAtk/96 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Rest
- Psychic/Ice Beam/Thunder Wave

When it comes to UU, CMBro has no weak. It's practically to UU what Curselax or CMCune is to OU. It stops Gligar, it laughs off Earthquake, and it sweeps teams.

Jynx (F) @ Lum Berry/Leftovers/Petaya Berry
Trait: Oblivious
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Lovely Kiss
- Calm Mind/Fake Tears
- Ice Beam
- Psychic/Substitute

It's your standard Frostitute and Houndoom is probably your best counter to it.

Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 60 HP / 212 Atk / 64 Def / 104 Spd / 68 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Hi Jump Kick
- Mach Punch
- Rock Slide

BulkUpTop. With Intimidate and nice defenses, it can actually switch into things fairly decently. You can go Adamant but with the higher base stat in SDef, Careful gets more points.

Victreebel (M) @ Leftovers ** CUPS
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 76 HP / 228 Atk / 204 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Swords Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain

Swords Dance Victreebel AKA CUPS.

Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 76 HP / 124 Atk / 252 Spd / 56 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Hydro Pump
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Sludge Bomb

Fear it. It has a tendency to destroy teams.

Group 4: The Berry Boosters

This is perhaps the second largest group of Pokemon in the UU metagame behind only the Choice Banders. They use berries to sweep opponents or to assist them in it. They include pokemon that use Salac Berry (Pinsir, Banette,Gligar), Liechi Berry (Scyther, Yanma), or Petaya Berry (Electabuzz). They may be coupled with Swords Dance or Bulk Up.

Gligar (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 100 HP/214 Atk/108 Def/88 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Swords Dance
-Substitute

Swords Dance Gligar. Things like non-IB Nidoking hate this. Golem cant touch it with Rock Blast hax.

Pinsir (F) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Def / 112 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Rock Slide

I've seen this thing destroy so many unprepared teams. It has surprisingly good Defense and awesome attack.

Banette (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Insomnia
EVs: 12 HP / 248 Atk / 248 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Thunder Wave

Perhaps the worst Berry Booster because you should be able to predict Destiny Bond from a mile away.

Scyther (M) @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Substitute
- Reversal

When UU first started getting serious, people all realized something simultaneously: Tyranitar is gone! Thus, that realization gave rise to Scyther. If there is any one Pokemon that forced a severe metagame shift, this is it. Teams were swept under the carpet until they started NEEDING a Quick Attacker or Mach Puncher. Rock Blast is the best bet to deal with Scyther. Resisting Reversal also makes you a wise choice; watch out for the rare (and crappy, IMO) Choice Band Scyther.

Electrode @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Soundproof
EVs: 44 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spd / 152 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion

When an Electrode gets a Liechi boost, you know what's next.

Electabuzz (F) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Static
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]

And finally, Electabuzz. Even Hypno falls to this. You can use Fire Punch if you really want to fight Steelix.

Typhlosion (F) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Thunderpunch
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Substitute

Flamethrower can be used over FB and HP Water can try over HP Grass. This was the second reason people started carrying Mach Punch and Quick Attack. There's nothing worse than getting Petaya, STAB, Blaze Fire Blast in the face.

Group 5: Walls/Tanks

Finally, those Pokemon that I told you weren't as effective here. Well, quite frankly, walls are dead in UU. You tank; you don't wall (and even tanks get powered through in this metagame). The only walls you will really see are Hypno (Special Wall - Borderline) and Steelix (Physical Wall - Borderline). On the Tank side, you'll find Pokemon like Cloyster, Aggron, Slowbro, Grumpig, Meganium, etc.

Examples:

Hypno (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Insomnia
EVs: 100 HP / 104 Def / 128 Spd / 72 SAtk / 104 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Wish
- Thunder Wave
- Fire Punch

The only real point is crippling with Thunder Wave and healing with Wish.

Steelix (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Rock Head
EVs: 244 HP / 180 Atk / 76 Def / 8 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Iron Tail
- Roar
- Explosion

It has awesome defense coupled with nice Rock and Normal resist.

Cloyster (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 104 Spd / 76 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin/Explosion/Rest

This thing takes almost nothing from Earthquakes.

Aggron (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 176 Atk / 32 Def / 104 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Rock]/Rock Slide
- Focus Punch

A nice physical tank.

Grumpig (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 140 HP / 136 Def / 28 Spd / 100 SAtk / 104 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Dark]
- Substitute

With Calm Minds under his belt, he is impenetrable with special attacks. He loves Lanturns so much.

Meganium (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 140 HP / 72 Def / 20 Spd / 56 SAtk / 220 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Grasswhistle

Earthquake over Giga Drain if you want.

Group 6: The Special Sweepers

In UU, the special tanks and walls are nothing comparable to Blissey or Snorlax and they can be overpowered by what they are designed to stop. Here are the most common Special Sweepers of the UU meta.

Houndoom (F) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Crunch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Houndoom. Hello Hypno, Hi Grumpig, would you like to get some STAB Crunch today? Didn't think so.

Raichu (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Static
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Encore is useful too.

Omastar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 92 HP / 68 Def / 96 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
- Hidden Power [Grass]/Spikes

Rain Dance Omastar mauls most of the special walls and tanks in the UU Metagame but the 1 turn of setup prevents him from seeing much use.

The UU Metagame's special sweepers tend to stat boost fairly often and you will find more of them under Group 3 (Stat Boosters) and Group 4 (Berry Boosters).

Group 7: The Others

What other Pokemon show up in UU often? Most of these don't typically fall into another category, though some probably could (Solrock into CB for example). These pokemon usually appear as counters to something else or just because they're fairly good. These are things like Solrock, Lanturn, Lapras, etc. They're not particularly tanks or sweepers, but somewhere in between.

Solrock @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 156 HP / 188 Atk / 156 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Reflect
- Explosion

Solrock switches in on Earthquakes and Normal CB attacks and laughs them off. If he sets up Reflect, physical Pokemon are out of luck for a while.

Lanturn (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 164 HP / 204 Def / 108 SAtk / 32 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Thunder Wave
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam/Confuse Ray

Lanturn. It's a wonderful counter to most of the Petaya sweepers.

Ok, this is all well and good, but what Pokemon do I need to worry about?

I'd say that almost definitely when you play UU, you will see Hypno, Gligar, Slowbro, Scyther, Golem, Solrock, Ursaring, Fearow, and Swellow. We just can't get around it. Almost every UU team you face will have at least one of those.

Countering UU

So, to play UU, your team must have:

01 A Mach Puncher/Quick Attacker
02 A Normal Resistance
03 A Rock resist
04 A Status Taker
05 A Fighting Resistance
06 A Slowbro/Bulky Water counter
07 A Pokemon To Take Choice Band Hits

Common UU Speeds:

97-98: Slowbro, Steelix
122: Cradily
170: Swift Swimmers, Sunnybeamers, Agility
~200-205: Hypno, Cloyster, Hitmontop, Meganium
209: Max Speed (+Atk) Machamp and Ursaring
227: Most Salac boosters
273: Adamant Hitmonlee
295: +Atk Nidoking, Stantler
299: Adamant Fearow
300: Jolly Hitmonlee
306: Timid Mr. Mime
309: Adamant Scyther, Modest Manectric, Modest Electabuzz
317: Timid Jynx, Timid Houndoom, Jolly Primeape
327-328: Timid Typhlosion, Jolly Fearow
329: Adamant Persian, Adamant Sneasel
339: Timid Electabuzz, Jolly Scyther
349: Adamant Swellow
350: +Spd Jumpluff
359: Adamant Crobat
363: Timid/Hasty Electrode



Well, that's the general breakdown of the Underused Metagame. It's offensive. It's virtually all Choice Band, all the time.

This was my first analysis so be nice.

[Loki]

really nice guide, I like this one better than the old one by SBC.

[giga]

hi bluelightstar nice guide

[Raikou21]

Great Guide. I just used it to make my first RS UU team and it was a great help.

[Jackal]

aw MAN i was gonna do this. Peoples image of uu is skewed its not all choice band. of your "list of things to have", my team only has 2 of those things, a fighting resist and a slowbro counter, and I manage to win, only using 1 cber. I already started mine but i guess i'll scrap it =\

[SSBM roy]

IMO, Solrock and Lanturn could just fit under Walls/Tanks instead of getting their own section, and Gligar's actual moveset should be mentioned in there somewhere...

Good job though bls.

[Xiaohaha]

In UU battles, I never see azumarill =/
It has the 8th highest physical attack at 436, a sexy 404 Hp and atleast DECENT defenses. Not only that it completely fools newbs to bring out their blisseys. I use azumarill in my OU team even. I dont get why people don't use Azumarill =/

[Raikou21]

436 attack? I thought it had less than 200.

[bluelightstar]

Azumarill has Huge Power.

[LMK]

I've got nothing against the guide but now every UU team will be standardized using those sets just like the OU metagame is now.

[Kikuichimonji]

Lanturn is more of a tank than anything, especially if it's using 101 HP subs. Mantine is a pretty good tank. Why you'd list HP:rock as a possibility over Rock Slide on Aggron is beyond me, as the whole purpose is for paraflinching. Ampharos functions like a more defensive Electabuzz, and Quagsire deserves mention for having only one weakness, four resistances, and two immunities, one of which is actually better than an immunity. He can Curse up or Haze, and is a great counter for electric types in general.

[ABC-Trainer]

Lunatone is a crappy wall, imo. He won't switch into Normal attacks too many times, and Surf makes a complete fool of him.

[Basics]

Since when is Mr. Mime UU?

Fine Sp Def, and acceptable Def, moderate SpA and average speed, plus the best trait/movepool of any Psychic in the game (Mew excluded.)

Seems kinda *shrug* to me, but whatever. My UU team's gettin' seriously rehauled now!

[chaos**]

How is Lanturn a tank? How is Mantine a tank? Last I checked they don't even learn any stat-up moves.

[spies]

Originally Posted by Fat LMK

I've got nothing against the guide but now every UU team will be standardized using those sets just like the OU metagame is now.

Uh I think that most UU pokes have had standards all the time and some pokes have been popular for a while now... this guide isn't changing anything.

Lunatone has no use other than walling gligar and throwing hypnosis (which will probably miss) at stuff :\

[Warthog]

because Mr Mime in UU (imo) is an equal if not worse than Grumpig/Hypno. Grumpig/Hypno gets better HP, better traits, and a little less SDef; Mr Mime gets a better move pool and thats it.

[giga]

There are plenty of moveset variations for uu anyway

[Mr. Maser]

Originally Posted by Fat chaos

How is Lanturn a tank? How is Mantine a tank? Last I checked they don't even learn any stat-up moves.

Lanturn Amnesia. It can kinda help.

Mantine does'nt have stat-up moves but Haze+Toxic helps.

[Basics]

Originally Posted by Fat Warthog

because Mr Mime in UU (imo) is an equal if not worse than Grumpig/Hypno. Grumpig/Hypno gets better HP, better traits, and a little less SDef; Mr Mime gets a better move pool and thats it.

Better HP: OK.

Better Traits: wtf? Think Fat doesn't really make a difference when Mr. Mime is packing his huge fucking SpD. And Insomnia I don't even find that useful seeing as I use STalking Swellow on my team, but whatever.

When Fearow/Pinsir/etc. are killed, you can bring Barrier Mime into a Special attacker and win. IIRC Hypno still can't sweep, it's like saying that Blissey is better than Snorlax. They're just so totally different, and Grumpig is owned by any good CBer still.

Not to mention Mr. Mime has a significantly larger SpA than either of those cats. Plus, I mean... Baton Pass. Get a Barrier up and find yourself facing down a Golem? BP to your walls and fuck around with it. I mean, don't get me wrong, Grumpig and Hypno are certainly both more durable, but with some Wish support, Mr. Mime is a beast. A ridiculously versatile beast. Hypnosis, Trick, Thunderbolt, Psych Up, Reflect, Thunder Wave... whoa.

[sbc]

This is probably better than mine :)

[Warthog]

The only thing you pointed out Basics that really means anything, or wasnt already mentioned, was that Mr Mime can out speed Adament CBers. I wouldnt take the risk but yea it can definatly help agaisnt ppl like me who like the extra power over speed.

Mr Mime is still a great canidate for UU, I just happen take a liking to Grumpig and Hypno over it. Hypno, even though it cant Rest DOES get Wish, and even without Wish tanks better than Mr Mime does.

[Hipmonlee]

You could say that since MrMime is used often in standard and since the whole point of uu is that the pokemon used often in standard get banned would be a good reason for banning MrMime..

[Edit] - TBH most people say that anything with high defenses is a tank regardless of stat upping ability.. I mean IRL tanks dont learn calm mind either.

Have a nice day.

[0rz]

This is really good, I need to put some more info in my NU one.

"All CB, ALL THE TIME"

[Chronicles]

Muk is a decent pokemon is UU. 100 base Sdef, 105 base Attack and huge HP makes it a great pokemon. Ground weak kinda sux tho :sad:

[sbc]

97-98: Slowbro, Steelix
122: Cradily
170: Swift Swimmers, Sunnybeamers, Agility Most run ~200 iirc
~200-205: Hypno, Cloyster, Hitmontop, Meganium
209: Max Speed (+Atk) Machamp and Ursaring
227: Most Salac boosters 264 is usually Salac
273: Adamant Hitmonlee
295: +Atk Nidoking, Stantler
299: Adamant Fearow
300: Jolly Hitmonlee
306: Timid Mr. Mime
309: Adamant Scyther, Modest Manectric, Modest Electabuzz
317: Timid Jynx, Timid Houndoom, Jolly Primeape
327-328: Timid Typhlosion, Jolly Fearow
329: Adamant Persian, Adamant Sneasel
339: Timid Electabuzz, Jolly Scyther
349: Adamant Swellow
350: +Spd Jumpluff
359: Adamant Crobat
363: Timid/Hasty Electrode, Electrode runs 396 speed to outspeed Crobat and Salacers
374: Standard Jolly Swellow
394: Most Crobats

You don't need a QA or a MP if you have an endure@petaya Sharpedo, it's a better sweeper than Houndoom. And you need Flying resist otherwise you get bumfucked bby fearow