ORAS NU 2pac - Smile ft. Scarface

[Karane]

Introduction​

Hi Smogon, welcome to my first RMT. It's been a solid year since I joined the competitive scene so this RMT is to commemorate all the friends and experiences I have had throughout this period. For those who don't know me, I'm your average ladder player who started in late BW2, peaked the ladder several times with your standard Probo/Mushy/Roselia balance and destroyed ladder scrubs with rain. After that, I took a short break from pokemon due to my real life when everything had changed. I had lost my friends irl all of a sudden at the end of the year which made me feel pretty lonely at times. When I came back to smogon, I didn't really feel like I belonged here. I then discovered 2pac's music and started seeing the world in a more realistic way. His music taught me a new way of life. My life is a way better now and I'm enjoying Pokemon more than ever. I now appreciate my relationships (friends, family, relatives) irl more than 'materialistic wishes, fast cars and bitches' and just 'keep my head up' through tough times. Or maybe I'm going through this stupid little adolescence period but nonetheless this song gives me chills every time I listen to it.

Onto the team itself. I built this HO team around SD Samurott which is a driving force in the metagame after the departure of Gatr. I love spikes stacking and have always been experimenting with different builds in NU despite the prevalence of Xatu, reliable spinners & defoggers in the tier. I've always used Eviolite Pawniard + Colbur Missy in my previous teams but this time I chose to go on the more offensive route with LO Missy + LO Pawn to further pressure the opponent. This is what makes the team truly mine because I am a risky player and a firm believer in momentum in a battle. Garbodor was chosen as a premier spiker in the tier and gives me all round utility with spikes. Scarf Jynx was chosen as a scald switchin and just a emergency check to set up sweepers. Archeops, who was originally Lure Camerupt/Golem/Custap Costa w HP grass, sets up rocks reliably. This team has peaked #5 on the ladder if you're into that and won vs. pretty decent players.

The Squad

Archeops @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Head Smash
- Endeavor
​

One word. Burd. Lead Archeops is seriously one of the best discoveries NU has made and single handedly defines Hyper Offense here. Crustle would be a fine choice here is it wasn't a setup bait to NU's most dangerous threats and let things like weather and trick room implement their strategies. It also happens to scare the fuck out of Xatu and ruin teams which rely on defog + 5 SR weak mon. This thing provides me with early game momentum, Stealth Rock, a powerful 150 BP nuke and generally brings the foe down to 1 HP with Endeavor. This often happens to be be bulky ground types like Seismitoad and Mega Camerupt which my team currently hates. Severely weakening Seismitoad also paves the way for a late game Samurott sweep which is my win condition most of the times. Fire spam looks like a threat to this team but rocks + Aqua jet often neutralize them threats.

Garbodor @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Seed Bomb/Explosion
- Drain Punch
​

From my experience its pretty much impossible to build a HO team in a strict sense. Things like Hariyama, Kanga and Liepard make things pretty tough for frail teams like mine so having a pivot to absorb them hits while setting up spikes is a great asset to have. Archeops + Garbodor was chosen instead of Crustle because momentum. The EV spread outspeeds cluttered base 55s so I can outspeed and setup a crucial layer of spike or attack. Gunk Shot is a pretty powerful stab to have and hits hard even without investment. With Drain Punch and Rocky Helmet, it also happens to check Pawniard and Liepard which are two biggest threats to this team. Seed Bomb is a really great move in Garb and it weakens Seismitoad and Quagsire; two big stops to Samurott. Explosion helps against Mega Camerupt and defoggers/spinners but I can always fall back on my hazard control duo of Pawn + Missy.

Jynx (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Energy Ball/Trick
​

Nicki Minaj and Jynx have so many similarities. They have similar looks, hated by the mainstream society and secretly loved by some (>.<). Although LO variant is a lot more deadly, Choice Scarf is better in the current meta due to its great STABs revenge killing faster threats like Gorebyss at +2, Scarf Rotom, Swellow, Jumpluff etc. It also fucks up defensive oriented teams with Trick and Lovely Kiss. Energy ball is a very good move to have on Jynx as I can kill Seismitoad turn 1 and revenge SD Samurott easily. Its great alternative provides me a broken scald switchins; something offensive teams like mine hate without resorting to a grass type. It also invites Scarf Fire Types which Samurott can set up SDs on and destroy lives. Really an underrated mon right now although it kinda gets fucked by Yama and Sneasel which are being used by everyone and their mother.

Mismagius @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
- Dazzling Gleam
​

With Spikes Stacking there comes a role of Spin Blocking and that's what Missy is here for. What happened to the good ol' days when people used to carry a ghost resist? Unlike its piss weak Colbur Set, LO Mismagius has serious wallbreaking potential and not something people are preparing right now. This set has trouble switching into Sandlash without colbur but Sandlash happens to be a free set up bait for Rott. This thing disrupts teams like crazy with Destiny Bond often eliminating a troublesome threat. Eats Claydol for breakfast and also beats Cryo w Destiny Bond as Cryo don't have full speed investment and is falling down in popularity. Checks Gurdurr too which troubles Pawniard and can potentially beat Garbodor if it has enough Bulk ups. Nasty Plot punishes CB Sawk who love to lock themselves into CC/EQ. Just a solid utility/sweeper that happens to block spin.

Pawniard @ Life Orb/Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit/Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
​

With the departure of Mega Steelix, Pawniard is finally good again. Pawniard was chosen due to its crisp Dark/Steel typing, ability to deter defoggers and pursuit trap Rotom who is a also a big threat if not played around properly. With Adamant and LO, this thing hits pretty hard like OHKOing Swellow after rocks and Typhlosion after Rocks and one layer of Spikes. If you manage to grab a +2, its pretty much GG for offensive teams between its typing and Sucker Punch. Eviolite goes with Swords Dance while LO goes with Pursuit better. Also pursuit traps threats like Scarf Mesprit and its healing wish shenanigans which is a pain to face for offense. Knock Off is pretty spammable and weakens the likes of Vileplume and Quagsire so that Samurott can have an easier time sweeping. Iron Head is its secondary stab move that which can be used for Dark Resists like Hariyama and Mawile. Although quite frail, I'm pretty impressed with this thing's power.

Calcs

252+ Atk Life Orb Pawniard Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Swellow: 211-250 (80.8 - 95.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after toxic damage
252+ Atk Life Orb Pawniard Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Typhlosion: 172-203 (57.9 - 68.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes --> not hard with Chops giving guareanteed rocks.
252+ Atk Life Orb Pawniard Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 200 HP / 252+ Def Seismitoad: 148-175 (36.9 - 43.6%) -- 99.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Pawniard Sucker Punch vs. 200 HP / 252+ Def Seismitoad: 121-144 (30.1 - 35.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery ---> breaking down Seismitoad for Samurott

Samurott @ Rindo Bery
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Megahorn
- Waterfall
​

The star of the show himself. SD Samurott is a driving force in a metagame for good reason. Between its good bulk and solid typing to set fuck up defensive teams and Aqua jet to fuck up offensive teams, Samurott is very consistent and unpredictable. The EV spread outspeeds neutral base 55s like Golurk and Exeggcutor and bops them with appropriate move. With the hazards, Samurott can pick off a lot of faster threats like Zangoose after a SD and Aqua jet. Megahorn makes sure that grass types like Lilligant, Exeggcutor and Ludicolo don't have the pleasure to switching in for free and with Rindo it can even beat them 1v1. It therefore makes a somewhat of a check to Rain teams alongside Jynx. Waterfall is a really good move that can destroy slower mons at +2 and has a handy flinch rate for clutch situations.

Conclusion
​

The main objective of this team is to weaken Samurott checks for a late game sweep. Sorry for lack of switchins to many threats but this team is meant to be played offensively; sacrificing mons when appropriate. Shoutouts to the entire NU community in the forums and the PS! room for making NU the most united and enjoyable tier imo. Feel free to critique the team but keep it in mind that its supposed to be offensive.

Importable

Archeops @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Head Smash
- Endeavor

Garbodor @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch

Jynx (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: null Atk
- Lovely Kiss
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Energy Ball

Mismagius @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: null Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
- Dazzling Gleam

Pawniard @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

Samurott @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Megahorn
- Waterfall

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