(important) It was decided after many conversations in IRC, that this be split into 3 articles. The first part is the introduction and "Know the Ubers" sections(the basic stuff). The second part will be the more advanced stuff, strategy, team building ect. The third part will be Arceus.
Table of Contents:
Basic Ubers Guide (Part 1)
1. Introduction to Ubers
Advanced Ubers Guide (Part 2)
1. Strategy In Ubers
4. Additional Help
Arceus (Part 3)
1. Introduction to Arceus
2. The Different Types
3. How to Counter Arceus
Basic Ubers Guide
Introduction to Ubers.
The Ubers metagame is almost a forgotten metagame, due to the fact that many experienced and new players alike think it is easier to play the Overused tier. However, if you give Ubers a shot, you may find that it is a fun and enjoyable metagame. People might think Ubers isn't worth a try because they believe it takes no skill, but this is far from the truth as Ubers matches are filled with prediction and strategy. Uber Pokemon tend to pack a lot more power than Pokemon in Standard, as well as usually having larger movepools. This translates into Uber Pokemon being a lot more dangerous, and is why prediction and quick thinking are crucial when playing Ubers. This guide aims to teach you the tips and tricks of the Ubers metagame. After reading this guide, you should be familiar with the unique and powerful sweepers found in Ubers so that, when you are face to face with one, you will be able to respond appropriately without panicing.
What Pokemon are Uber?
The following Pokemon are considered Uber: Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A, Deoxys-D, Deoxys-S, Dialga, Garchomp, Giratina, Giratina-O, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Latias, Latios, Lugia, Manaphy, Mew, Mewtwo, Palkia, Rayquaza, Salamence, Shaymin-S, Wobbuffet, Wynaut, and Arceus.
What Makes a Pokemon Uber?
A Pokemon is considered Uber if it is too powerful to be reasonably handled within the bounds of the Standard Metagame. Uber status is determined by this factor alone; it does not matter if a Pokemon is worthless in the Ubers tier, or if it is outclassed by anything already in Ubers. In Ubers, a strategy or Pokemon may appear to be broken; this doesn't matter as Ubers is essentially a ban list for OU, and nothing is currently too broken to be used in Ubers. Uber Pokemon generally have extremely large movepools and very high Base Stats when compared to OU Pokemon.
Wobbuffet, Wynaut?
Wobbuffet and Wynaut seem to defy the description above; they have poor stats in everything but HP, and learn a mere 8 moves. Why then, you may ask, are these Pokemon considered Uber Wobbuffet and Wynaut are Uber because they have the power to let any Pokemon in the game set up freely, or kill at least one of the opponents Pokemon with ease. Their unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows them to trap any Pokemon in the game (besides other Wobbuffet and Wynaut) unless they are holding a Shed Shell or can use Baton Pass or U-turn. This means that Wobbuffet and Wynaut can switch into any Pokemon freely, using their gigantic HP stats to sponge hits, and are free to use either Mirror Coat or Counter to kill the opposing Pokemon, or more importantly, use Encore. With Encore, Wobbuffet turns any Pokemon into set-up bait for a teammate, or condemns it to certain death via Mirror Coat or Counter. Wobbuffet also has the ability to use Tickle if you wish to easily eliminate a wall. Tickle allows Wobbuffet to lower the foes defenses to a point where Pursuit from a teammate shatters it. The same goes for Wynaut; although Wynaut has much lower stats than Wobbuffet, it still has the Shadow Tag trait making it Uber. It is not recommended to use Wynaut for obvious reasons.
What Makes a Team an Uber Team?
If any Uber Pokemon is present on a team, it is automatically an Ubers team. It does not matter if it is one Uber and 5 Magikarp; it is still an Uber team, and therefore is banned from standard play. There are no exceptions to this.
Know the Ubers
The Pokémon will be organized into groups for effectiveness.
The Uber sweepers
Darkrai
Type: Dark
Base Stats: 70/90/90/135/90/125
Ability: Bad Dreams
With a base 90 Attack stat, a base 125 Speed stat, and a base 135 Special Attack stat, Darkrai's stats might make it look like an inferior Mewtwo; however, Darkrai is far from that. Darkrai has the move Dark Void, which is the most accurate sleep move besides Spore, boasting 80% accuracy. It also has the ability Bad Dreams, which deals 12.5% to a Pokémon who is sleeping in its presence, meaning it can break Focus Sashes and incapacitate opposing leads in one swipe. The other thing it has is Dark typing, which gives it an edge in Uber battling by providing STAB Dark Pulse to hit the many Psychic-type Uber Pokemon. This also makes Darkrai immune to Mirror Coat, keeping Wobbuffet from causing major problems unless Darkrai locks itself into Dark Void. Darkrai, like Mewtwo, has virtually no counters. Any Sleep Talker can get Taunted, and Blissey fears a +2 Focus Blast, which 2HKOes. The best strategyagainst Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void, preferably a Sleep Talker, and then switch out to a Pokémon that can outspeed Darkrai, but the options for that are very limited.
Deoxys-A
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/180/20/180/20/150
Ability: Pressure
Laugh at its minuscule defenses as much as you want, but its base 180 Attack and Special Attack alongside base 150 Speed makes Deoxys-A a real threat. There is no true counter for Deoxys-A in the strictest definition of the word. Metagross can Bullet Punch it, but risks being hit by a Thunder. Scizor can also be used to play mind games, threatening to Bullet Punch if Deoxys-A stays in, or hit it with Pursuit if it decides to switch out, but even Scizor must watch out for Hidden Power Fire. Take note that with its abysmal defenses, it is impossible to switch Deoxys-A in safely, necessitating a situation after a Pokemon has fainted.
Dialga
Type: Dragon / Steel
Base Stats: 100/120/120/150/100/90
Ability: Pressure
Dialga's resistances allow it to switch into moves quite easily, and with those offensive stats and an offensive movepool consisting of Aura Sphere, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Overheat, Outrage and Thunder, expect Dialga to inflict a lot of pain on your opponent's team. Dialga's immunity to Toxic grants it the ability to switch into Blissey with relative impunity and put the hurt on her with Brick Break or Outrage, while Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Thunder keep physically defensive Pokémon at bay. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Dialga can make a fantastic revenge killer, and while it misses out by only having a base 90 Speed stat when compared to Palkia, it redeems itself by being a Steel-type. This allows it to easily take Rayquaza's ExtremeSpeed, something Palkia can't do. Dialga can also strike on the physical side by using Bulk Up or a Choice Band to boost its already impressive, but often neglected, base 120 Attack stat.
Garchomp
Type: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108/130/95/80/85/102
Ability: Sand Veil
After being banished from the OU tier, many were worried that Garchomp would not stand a chance in its new home. However, their fears have been reconciled, as Garchomp is still a force to be reckoned with. It has STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves along with Stone Edge and a base 102 Speed stat. It also has an immunity to Electric-type attacks, allowing it to switch in quite easily on, for example, a choice-locked Thunder. Garchomp's base 102 Speed may not seem so great, but it is quite impressive in Ubers, as it lets Garchomp outrun all base 90 to base 100 Speed Pokemon unless they carry Choice Scarf. Of course if Garchomp is holding its own Choice Scarf, it will always outrun the aforementioned Pokemon. In addition, Garchomp is capable of 2HKOing almost every Uber with Outrage or Earthquake, and that is certainly something that a player must be aware of before constructing a team. By using Swords Dance in conjunction with a Life Orb or Haban Berry, it can blaze through all but the strongest physical walls, such as Lugia and Groudon.
Giratina-O
Type: Dragon / Ghost
Base Stats: 150/120/100/120/100/90
Ability: Levitate
Giratina-O has amazing STAB moves in Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks, hitting many of the Pokémon in Ubers for super effective damage. This is a double-edged sword, however, as it is also hit by the majority of attacks used in Ubers super effectively. Despite this, Giratina-O is the best spinblocker in the game. At 90 base Speed, it is also on the slow side for an Uber Pokémon, but it makes up for this lack of speed with two fantastic base 120 Attack stats and tremendous bulk, with 150 base HP and 100 in both Defense and Special Defense. Giratina-O is unique in that the only item it can hold is the Griseous Orb, also known as the Platinum Orb, which keeps it in its Origin forme and boosts its Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks by 20%. It also cannot lose this item, making it immune to Trick and Knock Off's secondary effect. It is quite the offensive menace, as it can attack with STAB Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor and Shadow Ball on the special side, or STAB Outrage/Dragon Claw and Shadow Force, Giratina-O's signature move, on the physical side. Giratina-O is often hailed as the “ultimate stallbreaker”, with its mixed capacity, immunity to Seismic Toss, Toxic Spikes and Spikes, the ability to use Calm Mind, and the ability to use Substitute to block status. After coming in, it can set up a Substitute, which blocks any attempts by stall teams to poison, paralyze, or even Leech Seed it. From there, it can set up by using Calm Mind, which only a Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey or Latias can stop. After only one Calm Mind and with Stealth Rock up, it can OHKO Lugia with Shadow Ball, and possibly OHKO Latias with Dragon Pulse; both of the aforementioned Pokemon are common walls in Ubers. With Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Giratina and Giratina-O gain a new toy in the form of Shadow Sneak, meaning they now have a STAB priority move, which can be used to pick off Psychic-types that have taken some prior damage. Giratina-O has a lot of weaknesses, but is a true force when used properly, especially with paralysis support.
Groudon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 100/150/140/100/90/90
Ability: Drought
In this generation, Groudon received new toys to play with: Dragon Claw and Stone Edge. When not using Swords Dance, Groudon can be an effective user of Choice Band(although it greatly fears Rayquaza switching into a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake), but it is most often used as a defensive player to stop nearly every physical Pokemon cold. Groudon can also use the move Rock Polish, doubling its speed, making it far easier to sweep, especially when used in conjunction with the great attacking combination of Ground/Dragon/Rock, or when used together with Swords Dance, creating a fearsome beast that is nearly impossible to counter. Groudon is also one of the best recipients of a Baton Pass, due to the fact that, with a +2 Attack and Speed boost, it is nearly unstoppable.
Ho-Oh
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 106/130/90/110/154/90
Ability: Pressure
Ho-Oh is limited by the existence of Stealth Rock, which takes away a massive 50% of its total HP if on the field. Even with this limitation, however, it can still be a huge threat with its amazing Special Defense and proper team support. Sacred Fire is nothing to laugh at, with a 50% burn rate, which can destroy physical sweepers such as Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can be even more of a threat with sunlight support from Groudon, halving the power of Water attacks and, in return, increasing the power of Ho-Oh's Fireattacks by 50%. It also appreciates Rapid Spin support. Ho-Oh has the ability to dent many different threats with Life Orb and base 130 Attack as well. With the release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Ho-Oh gained Brave Bird, which allows it to rip through Pokemon such as Latias and Kyogre that previously laughed at its Fire attacks. Ho-Oh can also make use of Recover or Roost to somewhat relieve its Stealth Rock weakness.
Kyogre
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/90/150/140/90
Ability: Drizzle
Kyogre is the rightful “King of Ubers”, as it is able to reach a whopping 438 Special Attack stat without a boost and has the ability Drizzle, which causes rain that boosts its already powerful Water attacks. Kyogre can fix its mediocre Speed stat with Choice Scarf, and abuse that new high Speed with the insanely powerful Water Spout, which effectively has 337.5 Base Power after the rain boost and STAB. Kyogre can use Calm Mind too, of which it can take advantage with protection of 101 HP Substitutes. It can also utilize Choice Specs, pushing that titanic Special Attack so high that not even Blissey can withstand it. This essentially gives it triple Water-type STAB with Choice Specs, STAB, and Drizzle, although it does come with the price of sitting at 306 Speed maximum, which is outpaced by the majority of Ubers. A Choice Specs-boosted Water Spout in the rain from Kyogre is the most powerful move in all of DPP, barring Explosions, and is not to be taken lightly.
Latios and Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
(Latios)Base Stats: 80/90/80/130/110/110
(Latias)Base Stats: 80/80/90/110/130/110
Ability: Levitate
Don't forget about these two, as they pack a serious punch thanks to the boost in their stats provided by Soul Dew. Latios boasts a maximum Special Attack of 591 while retaining the ability to switch moves, which allows it to smash many Pokémon in the opponent's team. However, Latios is still walled by Blissey, who laughs at anything everything Latios can throw at it. Latias packs less power than Latios in exchange for more durability. In this generation, the Lati twins earned several power boosts; Dragon Pulse now replaces Dragon Claw with a higher Base Power, and Draco Meteor can be used to instantly cause insane amounts of damage. They also received Grass Knot for Groudon, Kyogre, and Tyranitar, all of whom take a whopping 120 base damage from it; however, Thunder is generally the better option so they can hit Steel-types without resorting to Hidden Power Fire. A difference between Latios and Latias, aside from their stats, is that Latios learns Dragon Dance and Memento, while Latias learns Wish and Healing Wish. Latios can now utilize a physical STAB Dragon Claw and Outrage with Dragon Dance, making mixed and physical sets that can catch its normal counters by surprise possibilities as well. To aid their sweeping abilities, Latios and Latias also learn moves such as Calm Mind and Recover. They can use Safeguard to prevent things Pokemon from statusing them, as well as use Refresh to cure status they already have been afflicted with.
Manaphy
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Hydration
Manaphy is yet another little event pixie with 100 base stats across the board. Manaphy is often thought to be less of a threat than other Ubers; however, it can be extremely powerful when used in conjunction with Kyogre. Kyogre's rain grants Manaphy virtual immunity to status, which is helpful when Manaphy is trying to boost its Special Attack with Tail Glow or set up Calm Minds. Even though Manaphy's attacking movepool is limited to Surf, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot, a moveset with Tail Glow, Surf, Ice Beam, and one of the Grass-type moves offers huge type coverage and is definitely a force to watch out for. Manaphy can also make great use of a bulky spread with Calm Mind over Tail Glow, trading the instant power for extra survivability. With the correct EV spread, Calm Mind Manaphy has the ability to easily set up on an unboostedThunder from Kyogreafter one use of Calm Mind, to give you an idea of its durability.
Mewtwo
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 106/110/90/154/90/130
Ability: Pressure
With a base 110 Attack stat, a base 130 Speed stat, and a base 154 Special Attack stat, Mewtwo can effectively abuse a wide variety of physical and special attacks. It can also break Uber stall teams down with the combination of Taunt and Calm Mind, which allows it to boost its already sky-high Special Attack and shut down attempts at healing. It can use Selfdestruct too, killing potentially threatening walls and tanks. Its movepool consists of a wide range of attacking types, including Ghost, Ice, and Electric, all of which are very effective types in Ubers. This Psychic clone is also deceptively bulky, with access to 101 HP Substitutes, Will-O-Wisp, and Calm Mind. These factors make Mewtwo a very high-level threat, no matter the set it is running.
Palkia
Type: Dragon / Water
Base Stats: 90/120/100/150/120/100
Ability: Pressure
Palkia is an absolute terror under rain, launching Surfs from a base 150 Special Attack stat coupled with either Lustrous Orb, Life Orb, or Choice Specs, while punishing Dragon-types that attempt to switch into it with a powerful Draco Meteor or Spacial Rend. Palkia comes with a 4x resistance to Water attacks, in addition to an often-overlooked 120 base Special Defense, which makes it a decent non-Calm Mind Kyogre counter, boasting the ability to not be OHKOed by Kyogre's Water Spout with no defensive investment. Palkia's base 100 Speed stat allows it to outspeed many Ubers, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Giratina and Deoxys-D. There is also the commonly forgotten physical Palkia set, which can utilize Aqua Tail and Outrage to decimate its normal counters such as Blissey and Latias. It can also boost Aqua Tail and Outrage further with either Choice Band or the move Bulk Up. Palkia can make use of these moves in a mixed set, which punishes stall teams lacking Latias. Furthermore, Palkia can use Choice Scarf to outspeed even more Ubers, making it a great revenge killer of threats such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Palkia is so deadly and versatile that there is no true counter to it; everything that could switch into one attack is at risk of being hurt too badly by another.
Rayquaza and Salamence
Type: Dragon / Flying
(Rayquaza) Base Stats: 105/150/90/150/90/95
(Salamence) Base Stats: 95/135/80/110/80/100
(Rayquaza) Ability: Air Lock
(Salamence) Ability: Intimidate
Rayquaza and Salamence share 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, but have gained massive improvements from the 3rd Generation to the 4th Generation with the addition of the physical/special split and Outrage getting its Base Power boosted to 120. Rayquaza is the reason why people carry a Steel-type in their teams, as a Dragon Danced Life Orb Outrage can OHKO the majority of Ubers. Don't forget Air Lock, which allows Rayquaza to destroy Pokemon who rely on the weather to boost their Speed stat. Salamence, on the other hand, has Intimidate which allows him to check Swords Dance Rayquaza and Lucario in a pinch. Rayquaza can also use ExtremeSpeed with Swords Dance to annihilate faster threats such as Choice Scarf Palkia, that the Dragon Dancer has trouble with. Also, by using a mixed set, they can effectively hit every Pokémon in the Ubers metagame for phenomenal damage, and make extremely effective stallbreakers. Salamence, at first glance, may seem inferior to the much more powerful Rayquaza, but Salamence is actually one of the most effective partners for it since they have the same counters. Salamence's base 100 Speed stat means that Choice Scarf Palkia, perhaps the most common Dragon Dance Rayquaza check, cannot reliably revenge kill Salamence. Either of these two can sweep in the blink of an eye, making any team that is not prepared to counter them a team that is doomed.
Shaymin-S
Type: Flying / Grass
Base Stats: 100/103/75/120/75/127
Ability: Serene Grace
Shaymin-S sports a blinding base Speed of 127, and while this may not let it outspeed the likes of Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo, it outspeeds everything else that isn't carrying a Choice Scarf; If Shaymin-S carries a Choice Scarf itself it will outrun almost all commonly seen Uber Pokemon. Although it has a 4x weakness to Ice attacks, Shaymin-S has a massive asset in its Grass-typing, more specifically in its signature move, Seed Flare. Coming off a very healthy base 120 Special Attack stat and factoring in STAB, Seed Flare hits Kyogre and Groudon, two of the most prevalent Ubers, like a ton of bricks, OHKOing both. Seed Flare also has the added bonus of having an 80% chance of lowering your opponent's Special Defense by two stages due to Serene Grace. Not only does this help Shaymin-S wear down bulky opponents, but it also forces a lot of switches, which works terrifically with entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Speaking of Serene Grace, Shaymin-S is extremely efficient at abusing flinch hax, using its STAB Air Slash for a 60% flinch rate, which is no laughing matter. Its usefulness doesn't stop there though; Shaymin-S can also be a great SubSeeder, with its obscene Speed and access to the aforementioned Seed Flare. This allows it to deal out heavy damage, or to simply stall the opponent out with Leech Seed.
The Uber Walls
Deoxys-D
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/70/160/70/160/90
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys-D has a massive support movepool, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Knock Off. It has access to Recover to replenish its health, and Toxic to poison the opponent, and it can Taunt its victims too, preventing their attempts to heal. It is worth warning, however, that Deoxys-D is easily set up on, as its mediocre base 70 Special Attack lets its attacks be easily absorbed in a metagame where defenses soar over base 100, even on offensive Pokemon. Disappointingly, Deoxys-D is generally not a good wall because of the fact that it simply doesn't possess the HP to take the powerful attacks in the Ubers environment. Deoxys-D's main draw is as a sturdy Pokemon that can set up multiple layers of Spikes, as well as use Recover.
Giratina
Type: Dragon / Ghost
Base Stats: 150/100/120/100/120/90
Ability: Pressure
Giratina packs useful stats in tanking, and is usually the spinblocker of choice for stall teams. Giratina has a godly base 150 HP and base 120 in both defenses, as well as the ability to learn Will-O-Wisp. This, in conjunction with its useful immunities to Normal- and Fighting-type attacks and resistances to Electric-, Water-, Grass-, Poison-, and Bug-types certainly makes it a great physical wall in Ubers. However, unlike Lugia, Giratina lacks a reliable recovery move, usually forcing it to resort to Rest. Giratina's weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ice-type moves also hurt it severely, seeing as all of said types are common in the Uber metagame. Giratina also has the capacity to be a decent anti-lead, due to its ability to hold a Haban Berry, unlike Giratina-O, who can only hold a Grisseous Orb. It is also worth noting that Giratina-O is impossible to use in WiFi without an external cheating device, so you are limited to Giratina.
Groudon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 100/150/140/100/90/90
Ability: Drought
Groudon is capable of holding up against threats such as Tyranitar, physical Rayquaza, and Metagross with EV investment in HP and Defense. It only needs 252 HP EVs and 24 Defense EVs to survive a Dragon Danced Life Orb Outrage from Rayquaza, and can then retaliate with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw. Both are powerful enough to put Rayquaza down to an incredibly low amount of health so that Life Orb recoil can wipe it out, if it doesn't KO right off the bat. Groudon is a great addition to stall teams because it removes the rain that many Ubers, such as Latias and Latios, rely on to use Thunder effectively, which is sometimes their only way to hurt Steel-types. Groudon also has access to a wide variety of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Safeguard, and Roar, allowing it to aid its teammates in more ways than just absorbing physical blows.
Kyogre
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/90/150/140/90
Ability: Drizzle
Kyogre also has the tools to become an effective defensive tank. Its impressive 100/90/140 defenses coupled with its great defensive typing allow it to hold up against powerful attackers such as Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, Ho-Oh (to an extent), and Groudon. Kyogre is also an excellent Darkrai check thanks to its humongous Special Defense (it can survive a boosted Dark Pulse with ease and KO back with its powerful STAB rain-boosted Surf), and with investment, can also hold up as a fine check to Mewtwo. Although Kyogre's support options are limited, the fact that most Steel- and Ground-types avoid the overgrown fish like the plague means that Kyogre is a fine user of status moves such as Thunder Wave and Toxic. Kyogre can also employ Roar to spread around damage from entry hazards as well as to keep things from setting up on it. Kyogre's infinite rain provided by Drizzle is also a massive boon for Rain-centric teams, as with a defensive EV spread Kyogre can last throughout the match to keep the rain going. Although defensive Kyogre does not hold the same power as the more offensive sets, it can still do plenty of damage with its STAB Surf backed up by rain and its base 150 Special Attack stat.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80/80/90/110/130/110
Ability: Levitate
Unlike her brother Latios, Latias focuses on playing a defensive role. Latias possesses a base 80 HP stat, a base 90 Defense stat, and base 130 Special Defense stat. This may seem small compared to the other Ubers, but Latias' trump card is her mystical item: Soul Dew. Soul Dew boosts her Special Defense and Special Attack stats by 50%, making her a very deadly sweeper as well as a tank for special attacks. Latias is capable of holding her own against tough attackers such as Kyogre, as she can take an Ice Beam from it and dish back significant damage with Thunder or Grass Knot. Latias also has the ability to restore her HP with Recover or Roost, making her an even tougher wall. She is, however, prone to Pursuit users due to her base 80 HP and base 90 Defense. She is best known as a special wall that has a considerable amount of power and speed, as well as the ability to handle Kyogre, which is what separates her from Blissey. Latias also gets special mention because, using her high base 110 Speed, Soul Dew, and Recover, she is the only true counter of a Choice Specs Kyogre, who can down even Blissey in two hits with a full-health Water Spout.
Lugia
Type: Flying / Psychic
Base Stats: 106/90/130/90/154/110
Ability: Pressure
Known as the ultimate wall in the past, Lugia's tanking ability remains almost unchanged in this fast-paced generation. With 106 base HP, 130 base Defense, and 154 base Special Defense, combined with the recovery moves Recover and Roost, and the ability to set up Reflect and Light Screen, Lugia is always a pain to take down. Additionally, its base 110 Speed allows it to outpace many threats, such as Garchomp and Groudon, and Roost to remove its weakness to Stone Edge. Despite its higher Special Defense, Lugia is often used as a physical or mixed wall because it still pales to Blissey in terms of special walling. In Generation 4, Lugia's tanking abilities are slightly hampered by Stealth Rock, however.
Other Ubers
Deoxys
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/150/50/150/50/150
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys is almost directly outclassed by its various other formes; however, Deoxys can function effectively as an anti-lead. Its defenses, while nothing to brag about at 50/50/50, are just good enough so that it can survive two ExtremeSpeeds from Deoxys-S, something that Deoxys-A cannot do. Overall, the ability to beat Deoxys-S from the lead position is the only thing that Deoxys can do better than Deoxys-A.
Deoxys-S
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/95/90/95/90/180
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys-S is a fantastic lead that will almost always do exactly what it's supposed to: get entry hazards up. The only common leads that can outrun Deoxys-S are Scarfed Darkrai and Shaymin-S. Even then, Deoxys-S is sometimes able to get Stealth Rock up; against Darkrai, if it holds a Focus Sash it can survive a Dark Pulse, and if it has a Lum Berry it can avoid a Dark Void. Unfortunately, it only has a 40% chance to get Stealth Rock up against Shaymin-S due to Air Slash flinching Deoxys-S 60% of the time. Although this may not seem like much, having Stealth Rock up can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs by inflicting heavy damage on the likes of Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza. Deoxys-S can also easily set up Spikes alongside Stealth Rock due to its blazing Speed. Focus Sash mitigates its poor defenses and virtually guarantees that it will be able to use both Stealth Rock and Spikes. If you wish to forgo the Focus Sash, Deoxys-S has the ability to outspeed every Pokemon in the game with a Choice Scarf and no Speed EVs, allowing it to run a more bulky spread for the price of only being able to lay down Spikes.
Mew
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Synchronize
“Unpredictable” is Mew in one word. Base 100 in every single stat means it can do almost whatever it wants. Its stats are infinitely outclassed by Mewtwo, but Mew learns quite a decent number of moves that Mewtwo does not, such as Nasty Plot and Hypnosis. Mew can learn all TMs and Baton Pass +2 of any stat. It can also really mess up phazers, such as Lugia and Skarmory, by Taunting them. On the physical side, Mew gets Explosion, a handy move that can destroy a Pokemon valuable to the opponent's team, and Swords Dance to boost it attack, which Mewtwo cannot do. Mew is generally used on Baton Pass teams due to its aforementioned ability to pass +2 of whatever it wants, making whatever it passes to a very potent threat. By backing up Mew with a Lum Berry and Dual Screens, Mew can set up a sweep that is near impossible to stop. The little pixie also makes a good lead, with moves like Stealth Rock, Taunt, U-turn, and Explosion aiding it in its efforts.
Wobbuffet
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 190/33/58/33/58/33
Ability: Shadow Tag
Although Wobbuffet's stats are bad in everything sans HP and it learns a grand total of 8 moves, it is much more threatening than it looks. Wobbuffet's unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows it to trap any Pokemon in the battle except another Wobbuffet or Wynaut. When combined with Counter, Mirror Coat, and Encore, Wobbuffet will all but ensure death to at least one of your opponent's Pokemon. Safeguard combined with the aforementioned Encore also allows deadly sweepers on Wobbuffet's team to come in and set up free of status. Tickle, although rare, allows Wobbuffet to devastate enemy walls when paired with a strong user of Pursuit. On the Pokemon Online battle simulator, Wobbuffet gets access to the item Custap Berry, which turns it into even more of a monster. Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to automatically go first the turn after its health dips below 25% (unless the opponent uses a priority move), meaning it can use Destiny Bond against the opponent, effectively giving it the ability to take down 2 Pokemon.
Commonly used Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Blissey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 255/10/10/75/135/55
Ability: Natural Cure / Serene Grace
With 255 base HP and 135 base Special Defense, Blissey does not need to be explained much. However, with the insanity of special attacks in Ubers, the EV investment on Blissey is often geared to the special defensive side rather than the usual physical defensive department. Because Blissey's base HP is so high, however, it is more beneficial for Blissey to maximize both defense stats in Ubers. Without max Defense, Blissey is 2HKOed by Giratina's Dragon Claw and OHKOed by Metagross's Pursuit. For maximum special walling capabilities, people usually use Toxic, Softboiled (or Wish), Ice Beam (Protect if Wish is used), and Seismic Toss. Blissey can aide its team by using a Wish + Protect strategy, which can heal walling Pokémon that cannot heal themselves, such as Wobbuffet and Groudon.
Forretress
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 75/90/140/60/60/40
Ability: Sturdy
Yet another Steel-type, Forretress comes into Ubers with the wonderful ability to launch Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes onto the opponent's side of the field. Toxic Spikes will hamper Blissey's tanking ability quite drastically, while Stealth Rock hurts Lugia and Ho-Oh badly when they switch. Forretress makes good use of Payback, Gyro Ball and Bug Bite too. Payback is especially useful, as it can hurt Giratina-O, who would otherwise completely block Forretress' Rapid Spin. Be careful however, as Giratina-O often carries Hidden Power Fire for Forretress. Speaking of Rapid Spin, Forretress is one of the only viable users of the move in Ubers. Also, Gyro Ball works relatively well in a metagame like Ubers, where so many Pokémon have high Speed stats.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Base Stats: 91/90/106/130/106/77
Ability: Flash Fire
A terror under the sun like Ho-Oh, Heatran is a valuable Steel-type in Ubers due to its resistances to Dragon and immunity to Fire coupled with sheer power. It can use Dragon Pulse against the Dragon-type switch ins and burn everything to cinders with Overheat. Under the sun and bolstered by Choice Specs, Overheat or Fire Blast puts a big dent into anything that doesn't resist it; even Palkia is 2HKOed by Fire Blast after Stealth Rock with a Flash Fire boost. Heatran might seem like Kyogre bait, but it can explode on the whale. Heatran can effectively stallbreak as well, due to its immunity to Toxic and access to moves like Roar and Taunt.
Jirachi
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Serene Grace
Another one of the little pixies with 100 base stats across the board, Jirachi's Steel-typing provides valuable resistances to the Dragon- and Ice-type attacks so often seen in Ubers; it is not weak to Ghost-, Dark-, or Electric-type attacks either. While Jirachi's offensive capabilities pale in comparison to many Uber sweepers, it can provide valuable team support in the form of Wish and Dual Screens. If Jirachi absolutely must attack, it can smack other Pokémon around with Thunder and STAB Iron Head, which have a 60% paralysis and 60% flinch rate, respectively, due to its ability, Serene Grace. It can make a decent revenge killer with Choice Scarf as well. Jirachi gets Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Body Slam, and U-turn on the physical side; of note are Ice Punch and Body Slam. Ice Punch can destroy a Rayquaza locked into Outrage, while Body Slam has a 60% paralysis rate with Serene Grace, allowing Jirachi to paralyze Ground-types that are immune to Thunder Wave.
Lucario
Type: Fighting / Steel
Base Stats: 70/110/70/115/70/90
Ability: Inner Focus / Steadfast
By using a simple standard Life Orb Swords Dance set, Lucario can instantly pose a large threat even in the Ubers territory. While at first it may seem like it would be completely overshadowed by Swords Dance Rayquaza, Lucario has things that Rayquaza could only dream of attaining, such as Close Combat, which gives Lucario an extremely powerful STAB attack without locking it in and confusing, making it far harder to revenge kill. Finally, and possibly most importantly, it has a plethora of resistances that Rayquaza wishes it had. In exchange for a weakness to Earthquake, it gains the following resistances: 2x to Ice-, 4x to Dark-, 2x to Dragon-, and 4x to Rock-type attacks, all of which are constantly thrown around in Ubers. This makes it very easy to get Lucario in to start Swords Dancing and sweeping, especially when used with Wobbuffet.
Metagross
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 80/135/130/95/90/70
Ability: Clear Body
Metagross is a valuable Pokémon in Ubers due to its much-coveted Steel-typing. Meteor Mash can give many Ubers a hard time, and it also has a few other weapons besides the metallic crusher. Pursuit can seriously hurt Blissey as it switches, and can OHKO Latios and Latias. Metagross gets Bullet Punch for weakened opponents, and Deoxys-A, who gets OHKOed. After all of that, Metagross has Explosion to put a serious dent into anything but Ghost-types once its job is done. Another great thing about Metagross is that it resists Dragon-type attacks, making it a decent Rayquaza stopper provided it's already locked into Outrage, and resistance to Ice-type moves is always handy. Metagross' advantage over Scizor is that it can be EVed to always survive two Thunders from Latias, and almost always survive 2 from Latios.
Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70/130/100/55/80/65
Ability: Swarm / Technician
Scizor is a great Pokemon in Ubers due to its STAB U-turn, which allows it to OHKO Psychic-types with ease. It also has Technician to boost Pursuit to deal quite a bit of damage to Psychic-types as they switch out. Unlike Metagross, Scizor can recover its health with Roost, allowing it to stick around on a team much longer. With Dark-type resistance, base 130 Attack stat, and STAB U-turn, Scizor is a decent counter to Darkrai that lack Nasty Plot; however something else must take the Dark Void before Scizor can switch in. In a similar vein to Metagross, Scizor can lock Deoxys-A into a state of decision. If it decides to switch, Scizor can Pursuit Deoxys-A to death, whereas one trying to stay in may be annihilated by Bullet Punch. Speaking of Bullet Punch, Scizor can make a good revenge killer using Choice Banded Bullet Punch, which hurts even those who resist it due to its massive Attack Stat, STAB, and Technician.
Skarmory
Type: Flying / Steel
Base Stats: 65/80/140/40/70/70
Ability: Keen Eye / Sturdy
Skarmory resists Normal-type and Dragon-type attacks, is immune to Ground-type attacks, and has access to Whirlwind, making it a great check to physical threats, such as Groudon that lack Fire Punch, and Garchomp. It is also immune to Toxic, gets a 50% healing move in Roost, and can effectively use Spikes or Stealth Rock. It makes a good Metagross and Lugia counter as well. Skarmory's weakness is its much weaker Special Defense. While it can wall any physical Dragon-, Ground-, Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type attack, it will fall to the strong special attacks being launched in Ubers, such as Kyogre's Water Spouts and Surfs. It isn't all bad though; Toxic is a good weapon to use on Skarmory in this metagame, as it completely messes up special attacking threats such as Latias and Kyogre who might attempt to switch into you. Toxic severely hampers the defensive ability of Lugia and Deoxys-D too.
Tyranitar
Type: Dark / Rock
Base Stats: 100/134/110/95/100/61
Ability: Sand Stream
STAB Dark-type attacks put a huge dent into most Ubers because of the sheer number of Psychic- and Ghost-types. There aren't many Uber Pokemon who resist Rock-type moves, either. Another thing about Tyranitar is that it has a STAB Pursuit, which puts a giant dent into Blissey, Latios and Latias as they switch out. If they stay in, they will risk getting Crunched, and will still take a lot of damage from Pursuit. Tyranitar's ability, Sand Stream, can change the weather and mess up weather teams, and provides it with a 1.5x Special Defense boost. Be warned, however, that even though Tyranitar has an amazing Special Defense stat with Sandstorm, Ubers special attackers are so powerful that it cannot take them forever. Tyranitar can also function effectively as a mixed attacker, with moves such as Flamethrower for Steel-types and Ice Beam for Groudon and Garchomp.
Uncommon Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Abomasnow
Type: Grass / Ice
Base Stats: 90/92/75/92/85/60
Ability: Snow Warning
The yeti gets special mention because of its unique ability in Snow Warning, which can replace the commonly used rain and sun with hail. Also, Abomasnow can hit many Ubers for super effective damage with its STAB Blizzard, which gains 100% accuracy with the snow falling. It can hit both Groudon and Kyogre super effectively with its Grass-type STAB too. Abomasnow can cause trouble for a stall team too by utilizing an immensely annoying bulky SubSeeding strategy while negating Leftovers with hail, backed up by its Ice- and Grass-type STAB moves. Be careful though, as many Dragon-types that you would hit with Blizzard often carry Fire-type moves, especially Dialga and most Rayquaza.
Bronzong
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 67/89/116/79/116/33
Ability: Heatproof / Levitate
Bronzong can use its Psychic/Steel-typing and respectable 116 base defenses to do some walling in Ubers. Levitate removes its Ground-type weakness, allowing it to beat some Groudon and all Metagross, and it can do significant damage to fast Ubers, such as Latios and Darkrai, with Gyro Ball. Bronzong is capable of beating walls such as Lugia and Groudon lacking Fire Punch with Toxic, while avoiding poison itself through its Steel-typing. Additionally, it can spread poison around many sweepers, as it can switch in on Pokémon decently due to its Ice- and Dragon-type resistances; however it must watch out for Thunder. When Bronzong is about to faint, it can go out with a powerful Explosion. Note that Bronzong needs major Special Defense investment to compete in Ubers, though. Due to Bronzong's great typing, it can very successfully aid in setting up a Baton Pass sweep by throwing up Light Screen and Reflect, which lessen the blows on itself and Mew, who would be passing boosts.
Celebi
Type: Grass / Psychic
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Natural Cure
Celebi’s unimpressive stats (by Uber standards) may decrease its viability, but its sturdy defenses and excellent utility movepool make it a good choice in Ubers. Celebi makes a great lead with access to moves like Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave and U-turn. Celebi can also be an effective attacker, with moves like Leaf Storm, Grass Knot, Earth Power, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and Shadow Ball. Celebi's vast movepool makes it more suited for a supporting role, however, with things like Recover, Light Screen, Reflect, Leech Seed, Trick Room, Baton Pass, Heal Bell, and Perish Song.
Cloyster
Type: Ice / Water
Base Stats: 50/95/180/85/45/70
Ability: Shell Armor / Skill Link
Cloyster is a wasted slot on an Ubers team in every position but the lead spot. As a lead, it has the perfect movepool to accomplish what it's meant to do, with access to a good balance of support and offensive moves. Cloyster can use Ice Beam to maim Groudon severely, always 2HKOing it, and has Ice Shard to pick off Pokemon with a Focus Sash. It can also utilize Rapid Spin and Payback, meaning Deoxys-S's attempts to set up will be futile. Lastly, Cloyster's great support movepool includes Toxic Spikes and Spikes, meaning it can set up against the leads that can't hurt it.
Dugtrio
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 35/80/50/50/70/120
Ability: Arena Trap / Sand Veil
Due to the abundance of Choiced Thunder, Dugtrio is viable because it can come in and finish off any Choice item user that is unfortunate enough to pick an Electric-type attack, thanks to Arena Trap. Commonly Choiced Pokémon, such as Kyogre and Mewtwo, will need to think twice before making a move. Dugtrio can switch in on a Deoxys-A using Thunder or after a kill, trap it, and Sucker Punch it to death. With STAB Earthquake, Dugtrio is powerful enough to take down a Dialga at around 80% with the help of Choice Band. If Blissey doesn't have Ice Beam, Dugtrio can switch in and 2HKO it with Earthquake, effectively opening up the sweeping capabilities of special attackers such as Kyogre, Palkia, and Darkrai. Dugtrio can be used in conjunction with Wobbuffet's Encore to destroy support Pokemon as well.
Froslass
Type: Ghost / Ice
Base Stats: 70/80/70/80/70/110
Ability: Snow Cloak
Froslass has one purpose in the Ubers tier: to set up Spikes while simultaneously blocking Rapid Spin due to its Ghost-typing. At a glance, it may seem as if Froslass is inferior to Deoxys-S in terms of spiking, but this is far from the truth as Froslass can do things Deoxys-S can only dream of. Firstly, as mentioned previously, Froslass blocks Rapid Spin by merit of its Ghost typing, meaning that Forretress can't so easily rid Froslass of all her hard work. Second, it can use Icy Wind to slow down opposing Deoxys-S and then outspeed it next turn with a Shadow Ball, which will always kill Deoxys-S lacking HP investment. It can also use Taunt and Destiny Bond; the former prevents set-up while the latter lets it take an opponent out with ease due to its blazing Speed once its Focus Sash has been activated. Froslass has mediocre stats in all but Speed, but it is not to be doubted when it comes to reliably setting up Spikes.
Gengar
Type: Ghost / Poison
Base Stats: 60/65/60/130/75/110
Ability: Levitate
With Gengar's high Speed stat and helpful Ghost-type STAB, it makes a good candidate for a Choice Scarf revenge killer. Gengar has access to STAB Shadow Ball to hit the many Psychic- and Ghost-types of Ubers for super effective damage. In addition, it can use Thunder and Focus Blast for targets such as Kyogre and Dialga, respectively. While it doesn't have Ice Beam, it can use Hidden Power Ice to hit 4x effective targets such as Garchomp and Rayquaza. Gengar also gains a very useful Normal-type immunity thanks to its Ghost typing, which allows it to revenge kill Pokémon like Rayquaza, who would normally annihilate faster a boosted ExtremeSpeed. Gengar's speed and power, along with good prediction, can make Gengar an effective Pokemon in Ubers. However, it is worth warning that Gengar's paper defenses will crumble under any attack that isn't Ground-, Normal-, Bug or Fighting-typed.
Hariyama
Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 144/120/60/40/60/50
Ability: Guts / Thick Fat
Hariyama may seem like an odd choice for your Uber team, but it can perform quite well as a lead. Hariyama uses Fake Out in conjunction with a Toxic Orb or Flame Orb so that it has the ability to break Focus Sashes and become immune to status moves, such as Darkrai's Dark Void, in one turn. With opposing leads' Sashes broken, Hariyama can proceed to hit hard with a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat or Payback. Hariyama can also come back mid-game if the user needs something to absorb status. Hariyama may seem like a silly choice, but it is not to be underestimated.
Heracross
Type: Bug / Fighting
Base Stats: 80/125/75/40/95/85
Ability: Guts / Swarm
In Ubers, Heracross makes a fine sweeper with a powerful STAB Megahorn and Close Combat, a combination not many Ubers resist. It can also stop Darkrai with Sleep Talk and Choice Scarf; however, beware the restrictions of Sleep Talk by Choice Scarf (you can only use it once before switching out). Heracross is utterly walled by Giratina, but that does not mean it's horrible. The fact that many Pokémon are Psychic- or Dark-type in Ubers allows it to switch in and score a powerful Megahorn easily. Heracross is deceptively bulky as well, with the ability to take things like a Surf from Kyogre in the rain with only 252 HP EVs.
Infernape
Type: Fighting / Fire
Base Stats: 74/104/71/104/71/108
Ability: Blaze
Although Infernape’s poor defenses and average (by Uber standards) offensive stats may seem to limit its viability, Infernape can serve as a great lead and stallbreaker in Ubers. Infernape has several qualities that make it a good lead, such as access to powerful attacks such as Fire Blast and Close Combat, and the ability to use Fake Out and Stealth Rock. Infernape may seem like a poor stallbreaker compared with the powerful mixed attackers in Ubers, but its immunity to Will-O-Wisp, access to STAB Fire Blast and Close Combat (the latter of which takes care of Blissey), ability to use U-turn, and high Speed make him a force to be reckoned with.
Magnezone
Type: Electric / Steel
Base Stats: 70/70/115/130/90/60
Ability: Magnet Pull / Sturdy
Magnezone exists in Ubers solely to destroy other Steel-types that may be blocking your attempt to sweep with Rayquaza or other Dragon-types. With an awesome base 130 Special Attack stat, many Pokémon will fear a STAB Thunder from it. Seeing as most Metagross in Ubers don't carry Earthquake, Magnezone will have an easy time eating it alive. Magnezone can also Toxic the tough special walls and strike fear into Groudon switch-ins with Hidden Power Ice.
Mamoswine
Type: Ground / Ice
Base Stats: 110/130/80/70/60/80
Ability: Oblivious / Snow Cloak
Mamoswine can make a very effective lead, even when pitted against imposing enemies such as Darkrai, Deoxys-S, and Groudon. By taking advantage of Mamoswine's great Attack stat and vast movepool, you can manufacture a set that deals with the three common leads mentioned above. Mamoswine can use combinations of Earthquake, Ice Shard, and Avalanche in order to down Groudon and Deoxys-S in two turns. Also, by using Superpower in conjunction with a Lum Berry, Mamoswine will be able to shut down the omnipresent Darkrai lead, in addition to the less common Tyranitar anti-lead. It also has access to Stealth Rock, in case it is absolutely necessary to set up entry hazards on turn one, and Endeavor for interesting results when used in conjunction with Focus Sash. Lastly, Mamoswine has Ice Shard to pick off Focus Sash leads.
Ninjask
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 61/90/45/50/50/160
Ability: Speed Boost
Ninjask is a great Baton Passer with its ability to pass Speed and Attack to the incoming recipient thanks to his ability, Speed Boost, and access to Swords Dance; it can punish Psychic-types by itself with X-Scissor. Not much else can be said about it. Ninjask has lost a bit of its usefulness, like Ho-Oh, with the addition of Stealth Rock to many movepools. Be sure to use a spinner to support Ninjask in order for it to pull off a Baton Pass successfully, or use it in the lead position so it can avoid Stealth Rock entirely.
Quagsire
Type: Ground / Water
Base Stats: 95/85/85/65/65/35
Ability: Damp / Water Absorb
Quagsire has a few options in Ubers with its two key immunities and support moves. Quagsire's Water Absorb ability allows it to switch into Kyogre's feared STAB Water Spouts and Surfs with impunity, and abuse the fact that Kyogre probably has a Choice item. Quagsire also has a nice Electric-type immunity, allowing it to work well with others by sponging up potential Thunders and crippling Thunder Wave. Furthermore, due to its Water-typing, it has a nice Ice-type neutrality, something that other Water absorbers, such as Parasect, cannot boast. Besides stopping Kyogre and absorbing Thunders, however, Quagsire's use is very limited, and it is usually a wasted team slot. It does have access to moves like Toxic and Encore, but there are better users of those moves, such as Blissey and Wobbuffet, respectively.
Shedinja
Type: Bug / Ghost
Base Stats: 1/90/45/30/30/40
Ability: Wonder Guard
Shedinja does have that pathetic one Hit Point, but its Wonder Guard ability lets it avoid damage from any direct attack that is not Fire-, Ghost-, Dark-, Rock-, or Flying-type. Many Ubers lack an offensive move of those types, including Kyogre, as well as many Latias, Latios, and some Mewtwo. There are also lots of other Pokémon that Shedinja can take on, with its decent base 90 Attack and Swords Dance boosting its STAB Bug-type X-Scissor, and priority in the form of Shadow Sneak. Shedinja can also use the move Will-O-Wisp to incapacitate beasts like Metagross, and Groudon that think they have a free switch-in. Be very careful though, as entry hazards are extremely common, necessitating the use of a Rapid Spinner with Shedinja.
Uxie
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 75/75/130/75/130/95
Ability: Levitate
With a respectable 75 base HP stat and incredible 130 base defenses, Uxie is considered bulky even in the Uber tier. It also has immunity to Ground-type moves and Spikes/Toxic Spikes to help it switch in. While its attacking stats and movepool leave much to be desired, Uxie's supporting movepool complements its defenses and Speed. Uxie has access to a good range of support moves, such as Reflect, Light Screen, Memento, Yawn, and Thunder Wave. These factors give Uxie the ability to easily set up Dual Screens for a Baton Pass Mew - the only reason Uxie is normally used in Ubers.
Weavile
Type: Dark / Ice
Base Stats: 70/120/65/45/85/125
Ability: Pressure
Weavile's main STAB moves are super effective against almost every Uber, making it a decent candidate for a non-Uber in Ubers. It is no slug either, as it speed ties with Darkrai. Weavile has access to priority in the form of Ice Shard, which can be used to pick off Rayquaza and Shaymin-S if the need arises. Weavile's problem is its frailty and the fact that Scizor and Metagross are extremely common. Weavile can also abuse Choice Band Pursuit, which can beat up Latios and Latias, who switch out in fear of Ice Punch.
Chlorophyll Pokemon
Exeggutor
Type: Grass / Psychic
Base Stats: 95/95/85/125/65/55
Ability: Chlorophyll
Exeggutor boasts the strongest STAB Grass Knot in the game, which hits the heavy Pokemon of Ubers for massive damage. Its mediocre defensive stats may not allow it to withstand attacks from the threatening sweepers of Ubers, but its ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach a monstrous Speed of 458 in the sun, allowing it to abuse its 125 Special Attack stat as well as Sleep Powder. Exeggutor can also carry Explosion, letting it go out with a bang and eliminate a troublesome Pokemon.
Jumpluff
Type: Grass / Flying
Base Stats: 75/55/70/55/85/110
Ability: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard
When looking at Jumpluff's stats and typing, it doesn't seem that impressive, but don't underestimate it. Jumpluff's base 110 Speed allows it to outrun a good portion of the Ubers Metagame and speed tie with Lugia and the Lati Siblings. On top of that, Jumpluff's ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach an incredible Speed of 700 in the sun. Accompanying its Speed, Jumpluff also has access to Sleep Powder, Encore, and Leech Seed to make it particularly annoying. With Groudon's help, Jumpluff becomes the fastest SubSeeder in the game. Jumpluff is also immune to Ground-type moves and Spikes/Toxic Spikes, which is good because of its frailty. However, it does take 25% damage from Stealth Rock.
Shiftry
Type: Grass / Dark
Base Stats: 90/100/60/90/60/80
Ability: Chlorophyll / Early Bird
Shiftry has the potenital to sweep entire teams, despite its rather low base stats. With access to Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, and Chlorophyll doubling its decent base 80 Speed in the sun, Shiftry should not be taken lightly. Its STAB Dark attacks, such as Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch, allow it to hit the myriad of Psychic-types in Ubers for super effective damage. Shiftry also has the ability to use moves such as Grass Knot, Seed Bomb, Low Kick, Focus Blast, and Explosion, which lets it to go out with a bang once his usefulness is depleted.
Tangrowth
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 100/100/125/110/50/50
Ability: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard
Although it's the slowest of the Chlorophyll Pokemon, Tangrowth is still fast enough to outspeed Mewtwo in the sunlight. It also boasts great stats in Attack and Special Attack, and unlike Shiftry, Tangrowth can actually switch into Pokemon like Groudon and does not fear priority moves nearly as much. Tangrowth can use Swords Dance with physical attacks, such as Power Whip, Rock Slide, and Earthquake, to get around Pokemon that other Chlorophyll Pokemon have trouble with, such as Dialga and Ho-Oh. Tangrowth can also run a mixed set effectively with special attacks such as Grass Knot, Focus Blast, and Ancientpower. Tangrowth can also fill a supporting role effectively with a myriad of great disruptive attacks such as Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Knock Off.
Rain Pokemon
Kabutops
Type: Rock / Water
Base Stats: 60/115/105/65/70/80
Ability: Battle Armor / Swift Swim
Kabutops is a great candidate for abusing Kyogre's Drizzle ability. Under rain, its Swift Swim ability allows it to outspeed every Pokemon in the game (barring Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf users). Its base 115 Attack may not be that impressive by Uber standards, but Kabutops can quickly double it with the help of Swords Dance. In addition, Kabutops has moves like Low Kick, Stone Edge, Waterfall, and X-Scissor that give it excellent coverage. Under the rain, it can also make use of a Choice Band quite effectively. Kabutops may not seem like much, but under the rain, it poses a huge threat to most teams.
Kingdra
Type: Dragon / Water
Base Stats: 75/95/95/95/95/85
Ability: Sniper / Swift Swim
Although it may seem like Palkia outclasses Kingdra completely, there are still a few good reasons to use Kingdra instead. Kingdra makes good use of Swift Swim, which doubles its mediocre Speed stat in the rain, letting it outrun all non-choiced Pokémon in the Uber tier. Another advantage it has over Palkia is Dragon Dance, which turns Kingdra into a fearsome sweeper if left unchecked. Despite its offensive movepool being limited to its STAB moves (Waterfall, Surf, Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, and Outrage), it should be noted that Water and Dragon can hit everything in Ubers for neutral damage with the exception of Empoleon, which is rarely seen in Ubers. In addition to being a powerful physical sweeper, Kingdra has the ability to utilize an equally high Special Attack stat to run a mixed or special set. This makes Kingdra especially deadly because it can rip through special or physical tanks.
Ludicolo
Type: Grass / Water
Base Stats: 80/70/70/90/100/70
Ability: Rain Dish / Swift Swim
Ludicolo may seem like an odd choice in Ubers, but it shines with rain support from Kyogre. In Ubers, Ludicolo can use moves like Leech Seed, Protect, and Substitute in tandem with its ability, Rain Dish, to stall out a large number of threats in the Uber metagame. Its base 100 Special Defense helps it in this regard, allowing it to easily sponge a multitude of special attacks. Additionally, Ludicolo is one of the best Kyogre counters in the game, being able to switch into any of its attacks (bar Choice Specs Thunder) and stall it out with Leech Seed and Protect. Ludicolo’s other ability, Swift Swim, doubles its Speed in rain, letting it serve as a satisfactory special sweeper.
Qwilfish
Type: Poison / Water
Base Stats: 65/95/75/55/55/85
Ability: Poison Point / Swift Swim
Qwilfish is another physical attacker that can use Swords Dance, like Kabutops. Qwilfish also has the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entry, which is nothing to scoff at, as well as the ability to launch an extremely fast Explosion while the rain is in effect. Even without rain, Qwilfish can be an effective lead, able to set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes, in addition to being able to Explode, as mentioned previously. While none of these are capable of using Sleep Powder, their STAB attacks are boosted in the rain and will pose as much threat as the Chlorophyll users, or probably more, since Kyogre is more common than Groudon in the Uber metagame.
What's Next?
If you have gotten this far, that means you have finished the basic section of the Uber's guide. If you feel you are ready, you should go and try to make an Ubers team. However, if you feel you need more information, and perhaps a sample team, you should read the Advanced Ubers Guide.
Advanced Ubers Guide
If you are just starting Ubers play, it is better to read the basic guide which can be found here. This article is for players who already have a grasp of the basics, or have read the basics section.
Strategy in Ubers
Playing Ubers requires a completely different play style when compared to standard, as some strategies that are effective in standard simply don't cut it in Ubers. In standard play, for instance, a good team has multiple resistances to every type, but this is not always the case in the Uber Metagame. In Ubers it is more important to have checks to all of the Pokemon than just to have a Pokemon who resists every type. For instance, in OU, to counter a Ground-type Pokemon it might be in your best interest to use a Grass-type Pokemon, as it would resist Ground-type moves and hit said Ground-type for super effective damage with its STAB. Uber Pokemon, however, have vast movepools, and their stats soar to such high levels, that they generally have an answer to nearly every type in the game. For this reason it is better to use checks to a specific Pokemon rather than a type resistance. This doesn't mean that having resistances is a bad thing though, and you should have at least one or two resistances to the common attacking types of the Ubers tier.
The Ubers Special Rule
In Standard play, many of the strongest attackers are physically based; in Ubers, the reverse is true. Much of the Uber metagame is centralized around Special Attack and Special Defense, as these two stats soar to astronomical levels with quite a few Ubers. This means that most Ubers have comparatively low Attack and Defense stats, which can be exploited by using heavy physical attackers such as Groudon and Metagross. These Pokémon should be handled with care, however, as physical attackers tend to have comparatively low Special Defense and therefore are vulnerable to the powerful special attacks that run rampant in Ubers.
Maximizing Moves
In Standard, it is generally advised to take advantage of a Pokémon's STAB, unless their STAB is useless. In Ubers, however, type coverage is sometimes more important than STAB, because of the large number of the Psychic-types; some Pokémon, regardless of type, use Dragon-, Electric-, Ice-, Water-, Dark-, and Ghost-type attacks to provide the maximum amount of super effective coverage. Even though many of the Ubers are Psychic-type, they seldom use Psychic-type moves for the very fact that many of their fellow Psychic-types resist them. For example, Mewtwo's Ice Beam hits the majority of the Ubers metagame harder than Psychic. In fact, the only Ubers that hit harder by Psychic are Ho-Oh, Kyogre, and Palkia.
Dragon-, Ice-, and Dark-type attacks can usually be used alone to much success. Darkrai sometimes relies exclusively on its Dark-type STAB, and Mewtwo on Ice Beam. Electric- and Ghost-type moves are rarely seen alone on a moveset, for some Pokémon are completely immune to these attacking types. An Electric-type attack is often paired with an Ice-type attack, and Ghost-type attacks with Fighting-type attacks; the purpose of such pairings is to maximize a specific moveset's type coverage.
Similarly, there are combinations of moves that do not have ample type coverage and are therefore discouraged. For example, a Pokémon almost never has both a Dragon- and an Ice-type attack on a single moveset, for both types together are redundant in that both are super effective against Dragon-types and ineffective against Steel-types. This is one instance where STAB does come into play; the general advice is that a Dragon-type attack be used if it receives STAB, and an Ice-type attack be used otherwise, as Ice-type attacks hits more than just Dragon-types for super effective damage.
Almost all Ubers are capable of increasing their stats through moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, and it would do one well to take advantage of such boosting moves. One would think that with the enormous number of stat boosters, phazers would be in high demand. This is a logical but unfortunately incorrect assumption; Ubers' stats can become numbers that reach far into the thousands, a level that phazers would be hard-pressed to contend with. Instead, the Ubers metagame relies on there being a solid, durable counter that can do something to the Pokémon it wants to counter (such as Giratina using Will-O-Wisp on Groudon to smash its physical potential). Often, it comes down to destroying the opponent before it has the time to set up, or occasionally even racing to see which Uber can raise its stats the fastest.
The Lead Pokemon
As with any Metagame, having a good lead is crucial to in order to obtain an early advantage in the match. Most good leads fall into a few categories: entry hazard leads, anti-leads, and support leads.
Deoxys-S is one of the best leads when it comes to setting up entry hazards, because it has the ability to lay down multiple layers with ease. Entry hazard leads are pretty self explanatory, but even so it is a deadly strategy when employed correctly. The point of leads like Deoxys-S is to limit the amount of switching the opponent can do, and wear them down slowly while making it more and more difficult for the opponent to carry out his strategy. The teams that employ this type of lead often use it in conjunction with phazers, such as Groudon, to rack up damage with their entry hazards quickly. This style is almost always used by stall teams as well, and is usually one of their primary sources of damage. The stacking of entry hazards also aids a lot of sweepers, such as Lucario, who need a small amount of prior damage to get past their counters (such as Groudon in the case of Lucario).
The next type of lead is the anti-lead. Anti-leads are usually very specific to the current metagame, and attempt to hinder as many leads as possible by either hitting very hard, or preventing the opponent from accomplishing their goal with moves such as Taunt. Deoxys-A is a great example of a current anti-lead, able to limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards, and handle many other leads with great type coverage and access to Taunt and ExtremeSpeed. Anti-leads commonly employ moves like Taunt, to stop the opponent from setting up any entry hazards, or Rapid Spin to get rid of any progress the opposing lead has made.
Support leads generally try to get Stealth Rock up, and then help the team by doing things such as spreading status, or having a use outside the lead spot. Groudon is a good example of this kind of lead as he is able to set up Stealth Rock early, spread paralysis via Thunder Wave, and Phaze with Roar while he is at it. Groudon can also come in later in the game and wall nearly every physical attacker there is, meaning he is not just a wasted slot for Stealth Rock.
Although it may be tempting to lead with a wall, it is highly discouraged for several reasons. Walls should react to certain threats, and as they can usually take a good amount of damage, it is not necessary to meet the Pokémon it wants to wall straight up. Additionally, walls are predictable and can easily become setup fodder. As if that were not enough, almost everything in the Uber metagame is capable of bypassing its potential walls; for example, Blissey can take Dialga's special attacks, but she hates Outrage, which leading Dialga often carry.
For the sake of reference here is a list leads that are viable in the current Ubers metagame, and the category they fall into. It is possible for a lead to fall under more than one category, in which case they will be mentioned twice.
Entry Hazard leads
As with any other metagame, there are a few dominating forms of play in Ubers: stall, dual screen, and offense. However, in Ubers, with all the massively destructive sweepers, offense is far more prevalent than stall and dual screens. This section will talk about the pros and cons of each type.
Offense
Offense is the most common play style of Ubers for a good reason: all of the Pokémon are just so good at it. Any and every Uber Pokémon has the potential to be a threatening sweeper, except for Giratina, Wobbuffet, and Deoxys-D. As such, offense is by and far the most common for a team. Offensive teams are risky in the sense that they can perform very well, or very poorly, and either way, the match is over quite quickly. An offensive team that is built and played correctly can win quickly and therefore, very often. There are a few Pokémon that stand out in the area of sweeping, though, and they are Rayquaza, Palkia, Garchomp, and Kyogre. Rayquaza is the chief of physical sweepers. Its massive base 150 Attack stat is accompanied by stat-up moves such as Swords Dance and Dragon Dance, both of which rocket his Attack stat up to scarily high numbers. An equally high Special Attack stat allows him to break physical walls too. It also has the wonderful Dragon-type STAB, which devastates almost every single Pokémon in Ubers. It's no exaggeration to say that Rayquaza is one of the biggest reasons that you must carry a Steel-type on your team.
Palkia is another potent sweeper in the Uber metagame. It gets two boosts, one being the Water-type boost from Kyogre's rain, and the other being its personal item, the Lustrous Orb, which boosts both its Water- and Dragon-type moves. It can go special, physical, or mixed, and thus has no true counters.
Garchomp, while relatively new to the scene, is no slouch. Garchomp is arguably the best revenge killer in the Ubers metagame. Its odd base 102 Speed stat allows it to outrun rival revenge killers with a Choice Scarf and pummel all Pokémon on their generally weaker physical side with STAB Dragon- and Ground-type attacks.
Finally, there's Kyogre, the King of Ubers. Kyogre's Water Spout is truly terrifying coming off of its base 150 Special Attack stat. Backed by STAB, weather boost, and often Choice Specs, this attack truly is the single most deadly attack in the entire game.
One must not forget Wobbuffet, though. Wobbuffet's home is on an offensive team, despite its defensive stats. It can use the power of Encore and Shadow Tag (and in some cases, Safeguard too) in order to give a Pokémon at least one turn to set up and sweep. Furthermore, with Shadow Tag and Counter and Mirror Coat, it can function as an effective revenge killer in a pinch. However, Offensive teams are not unbeatable. Opposing offense can take them down quickly due to the powerful attacks that they can fire back at you. Furthermore, a well-built stall team is the bane of an Ubers offense team, as it can wear down the big hitters due to the necessity of constant switching.
Stall
Conversely, there's the quintessential stall team. These types of teams can be incredibly difficult to beat, as major offensive teams are quickly worn down by the passive damage that accompanies their constant switching. Any team that lacks a stallbreaking Pokémon will be eventually destroyed. An Ubers stall team is made up of a certain core of Pokémon, as only the best of the best in walls can stand up to the powerful attacks in Ubers. Generally, the team should have a Blissey, to soak special hits, Latias, to counter Kyogre and some Palkia, Groudon, to stop rain offense and take physical hits, and Forretress, to take high powered Dragon-type attacks and set down both types of Spikes. Other good Pokémon for stall are Giratina, who blocks Rapid Spin and takes sleep-inducing moves, Skarmory, who can also set up entry hazards and use Whirlwind to shuffle, Abomasnow, whose hail nullifies Leftovers and is a great SubSeeder, Cresselia, a great mixed wall, or Lugia, a great physical wall that counters Groudon, Rayquaza, and Garchomp very well.
There are a few Pokémon a stall team must watch out for, however, those being mixed Palkia, Dialga, and Rayquaza. Certain varieties of Rayquaza, such as the Dragon Dance version with Overheat, can bowl through a weakened stall team. The final two threats are two Substitute Calm Mind sweepers, Kyogre and Giratina-O. Both can boost their Special Attack and Special Defense to extraordinary levels with Calm Mind and protect themselves from status with Substitute, making Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey the only way to stop them. Giratina-O is generally the more threatening of the two because it has Levitate, meaning that it avoids the Spikes and Toxic Spikes that wear Kyogre down.
There also exists a variety of stall teams called "Quick Stall", in which fast Pokémon are used to set up entry hazards, like in Deoxys-S's case, or annoy and stall out the opponent, such as Jumpluff. Stall Teams are good for some, as they require a bit less prediction, but their only way to victory is through a long match, which gives your opponent many potential chances to set up and wipe you out. That's what makes Quick Stall so appealing, it can speed up the game significantly if played right.
Dual Screens
Another type of play is based around the use of dual screens: Reflect and Light Screen. This play style can be further subdivided into Baton Pass and screen offensive, both of which use dual screens to cushion blows. However, it is what they do behind these screens that makes them different from one another. In screen offense, Reflect and Light Screen are used solely to help a normal offensive team run its course. Pokémon that would normally make good checks or counters will now fail because they only hit the Pokémon they're checking for half damage. For example, Dragon Dance Rayquaza behind a Reflect can set up and sweep before Groudon, a typical counter to the set, can down it with Dragon Claw. These teams are slightly harder to beat, as they cannot be stopped with brute force alone. One must stall out or break the screens with Brick Break, and then proceed from there as normal. However, the drawback to this sort of team is that it requires a dedicated dual screener. So as far as offense goes, the team really only has five players.
Baton Pass, the other type of dual screen play, is as deadly as it is rare. What makes Baton Pass so successful in Ubers is the combination of two Pokémon: Deoxys-S and Mew. Deoxys-S, being the fastest Pokémon in the game, makes it easy to set up entry hazards, which will weaken potential counters to the Pokémon who will receive the boosts. Mew, however, is the glue that holds the team together. Mew is the ultimate Baton Passer, as it can pass +2 of whatever stat it chooses. Dual screens are set up to protect Mew as it boosts its stats to obscene levels, and then passes these boosts to a sweeper, which becomes nearly unstoppable after receiving these gifts. Generally, these boosts will be given to a physical Pokemon, such as Groudon, as there is no central physical wall, whereas Blissey and Latias are hard stops to most special threats.
It is possible, albeit difficult, to counter Baton Pass teams. A team like this has one strategy and one strategy only: to prepare the sweeper. The way to counter this is by using smart switching and prediction in order to disrupt the opponent's course of play, making him or her unable to get a sweep ready. Since each Pokémon plays a key role in such a team, fainting even one of the members has essentially halted the process that the team is designed to fulfill. A less tactical and riskier method to counter a Baton Pass team is to include a Pokemon that knows Brick Break on your team, such as a mixed offensive Rayquaza. This can be unreliable, though, as you initially won't know if you are fighting one of these teams, and if your Brick Break user dies, you essentially wasted a moveslot. Baton Pass teams are some of the deadliest and best thought-out of offensive teams, regardless of whether or not one is prepared for them.
Team Building
A checklist and a sample team to help you create your own Uber team.
Ubers Team Checklist
When you are playing in the Ubers metagame, make sure you have most of these items covered. Use this checklist as a guide to build your team. Even if an Ubers team do not have some of these, it is still important to cover the vast majority of threats, although some are more important than others.
Have key resistances.
A misnomer in most Ubers teams is that you must have a physical and special wall. This is not the case. Instead, you need resistances to the following types: Dragon, Water, Ice, Ground, Electric-, Dark-, Normal-, and Ghost. These are the types of the most common attacks in Ubers. Types like Grass and Bug are much more uncommon than the others, because they hit only some of the Ubers threats, which can be a big drawback in constructing a good moveset (see “Maximizing Moves”). The most important thing to make sure you have when checking for key resistances is a Dragon-type resist. It is crucial that your team has a method to absorb the powerful Dragon-type attacks that are thrown around in Ubers or your team will be destroyed easily. Blissey absorbs Draco Meteor and Spatial Rend, the most common Dragon-type attacks, if you don't feel like using a Steel-type, but she is not always the best choice for offensive teams because she is setup bait. If you are using an offensive team, Scizor, Metagross, and specially defensive Jirachi are examples of good Steel-types to use.
Have a physical sweeper (for stall teams, change sweeper to wall).
You will need something to stop Blissey, and it is better to have more than one. Pokemon like Rayquaza cannot switch into Blissey directly due to Toxic and Thunder Wave, but after a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance (or any other boosting move), they can blow through Blissey, either sweeping themselves, or open up a hole for a special sweepers. Certain physical threats such as Metagross or Scizor are also good for their ability to switch directly into Blissey.
Have a special sweeper.
Physical walls may not be as common as special ones in Ubers, but they do exist; however, as a majority of the Ubers are special attackers, you're likely end up using two or three special sweepers anyway.
Have a pseudo hazer (phazer).
This isn't as necessary as the others, since Ninjask is the only thing that would really lose its Baton Passing abilities when phazed. Don't even think about phazing Mew; it will probably Taunt you anyway. This does not have to be a specialized Pokemon made just for phazing though; it's simple as putting Roar on your Groudon. This isn't as important for offensive teams as it is for stall teams.
Have a counter or check to most of the Pokémon described.
That would be all Ubers, Metagross, Blissey, Heatran, Forretress, Skarmory, Magnezone, Ninjask and Weavile. It is impossible to fully counter everything, as some, such as Palkia, does not have a real counter. It is advised that you get close to countering all of them as possible, however. You must have something to switch into common attacks, such as a Kyogre's Water Spout and Rayquaza's Outrage. Pokemon that are faster than Kyogre and have good Special Defense work well, such as Latias or Palkia, whereas most physical walls not weak to Dragon will work for Rayquaza. It is generally better to outspeed Rayquaza as well (an example of a Pokemon who satisfys both conditionsis Lugia). One of the biggest newbie mistakes is to switch Blissey into Specs Kyogre's Water Spout. Remember, Blissey is 2HKOed by the beast, making it a very bad switch-in.
Have a sleep talker/absorber.
There are two Ubers capable of using sleep moves: Darkrai and Mew. Due to the Uber metagame's speed and pace, losing a Pokémon to a sleep move can be fatal to your team. It is important to keep your Pokémon from fainting until it has done its job. A sleep absorber in this metagame is more important than in the OU metagame. For newer players, a Sleep absorber uses the move Sleep Talk to take the status condition sleep and activate Sleep Clause (a standard rule that states one may only put one opposing Pokémon to sleep at a time); Sleep Talk is so it's not completely useless while sleeping.
Have a Rapid Spinner.
Spinning helps you get your Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza onto the field. However, in the Uber metagame, the only Pokémon that should be considered for spinning is Forretress. Forretress can also help by physical walling, setting up its own entry hazards, and soaking up Outrages, and possibly Exploding. Having a Rapid Spinner isn't needed, but it's a nice thing to have as entry hazards limit your switching.
Have a Stealth Rocker or Spiker.
There are a few options here: Skarmory, Forretress, and Deoxys-S can learn Spikes and Stealth Rock. Other Pokémon that learns Stealth Rock but not Spikes are Dialga, Groudon, Blissey, Heatran and Metagross. Stealth Rock will help you weaken things like Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza, while Spikes hurt everything that's on the ground. One of the only Pokémon viable in Ubers that learns Toxic Spikes is Forretress, making it a key player in stall teams and teams that need residual damage. Spikes is not mandatory for offensive teams, but they, along with Toxic Spikes, are mandatory for stall teams.
Have a weather changer.
Tyranitar, Kyogre, Abomasnow, and Groudon are the main weather changers in Uber play. They help against teams that rely on weather to win, and those kinds of teams can be very dangerous unless the weather is changed. Even if you only have one weather changer, it can impact the game significantly.
Sample Team #1
This is a sample offensive team, designed to help brand new players get accustomed to Ubers. There is a disclaimer attached to this, and all of the other sample teams: Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame, and thus in order to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Deoxys-S @ Focus Sash
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk/ 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Superpower
Deoxys-S is chosen to lead this team because it can reliably set up Stealth Rock against nearly every opposing lead and often get a layer or two of Spikes to boot. It has the highest Speed in the game, and it puts its Speed to great use with a speedy Taunt to stop any leads trying to set up their own hazards. Superpower is the attacking move of choice for Deoxys-S to hurt Darkrai. 252 HP EVs are chosen over Attack EVs because the added bulk allows Deoxys-S to score an additional layer on some occasions, and bulk is more useful then power on this suicide lead.
The Kyogre Counter
Latias @ Soul Dew
EVs: 160 HP / 96 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Thunder
With the massive power and bulk provided by Soul Dew, Latias is considered to be one of the best Kyogre counter in the game. Thanks to its great Speed and numerous resistances, Latias will easily find a way to switch in and get in a Calm Mind boost (which can be facilitated by Wobbuffet) and punch holes in the opponent team, or even sweep. Latias also acts as a great defensive check to many dangerous Pokemon such as Garchomp, non-Scarfed Palkia, Shaymin-S, Manaphy, and it can even take a hit or two from Mewtwo and fire back a powerful STAB Dragon Pulse. Thunder is chosen as its coverage attack to zap Lugia, Manaphy, Kyogre, and most Steel-types, and it will never miss in the rain. Recover keeps Latias nice and healthy so it can continue to sweep and check threats on the opponent's team.
The Set-Up Aide
Wobbuffet @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EVs: 28 HP/ 228 Def/ 252 SpD
- Counter
- Mirror Coat
- Encore
- Safeguard
The blue blob is a great addition to this team as it provides either a free set up for Kyogre and Latias, or a free kill on an opponent's team member. Counter and Mirror Coat's purposes are obvious; they allow Wobbuffet to often eliminate at least one Pokemon. Encore lets Wobbuffet turn a support Pokemon into helpless set-up fodder, while Safeguard lets a teammate come in for free against an Encored status move.
The King
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def/ 32 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This isn't Kyogre's most common set, but it is extremely effective at destroying an unprepared opponent. Calm Mind allows Kyogre to boost its massive Special Attack and Special Defense, while Rest allows it to heal off the damage it takes in the process. Sleep Talk means Kyogre isn't completely useless for the two turns it sleeps. Surf is chosen as Kyogre's only attack as it gains a pseudo double STAB boost with rain and Kyogre's Water-typing. As is the case with many setup sweepers, the presence of Wobbuffet makes it easier for Kyogre to setup its first Calm Mind. After one Calm Mind, Pokemon like Palkia will struggle to bring the great whale down, even with Thunder.
The Spin Blocker
Giratina-O @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 248 Atk / 64 SpA / 196 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Hidden Power Fire
- Shadow Sneak
Giratina-O is a nice addition as its Ghost typing prevents Forretress from spinning away Deoxys-S's entry hazards. The spectral Dragon is a great mixed attacker as well, with Draco Meteor and Outrage letting it hit both special and physical walls hard, allowing it to muscle through stall teams in most cases. Hidden Power Fire lets Giratina-O to quickly incinerate Forretress if it dares stay in and attempt to use Payback. Shadow Sneak rounds off the moveset nicely by giving Giratina-O a STAB priority attack to pick off weakened opponents.
The Revenge Killer
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SpA)
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Trick
Most Ubers teams need a good revenge killer to stop fast and powerful sweepers, such as Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Darkrai. Jirachi does just that, and it does it well thanks to its good Speed stat and numerous resistances. Although Jirachi isn't very strong, it can still revenge kill many Pokemon with its STAB Iron Head, which has a 60% chance of flinching the opposing Pokemon. Ice Punch makes Jirachi into a great check for all forms of Rayquaza and Swords Dance Garchomp. U-turn severely hurts Darkrai and Mewtwo and allows Jirachi to scout its counters. It also lures in Groudon, which Kyogre or Latias can come in on and get a free Calm Mind or two. Trick locks an enemy Pokemon into one attack, which can allow Wobbuffet to come in and get a free KO, or Kyogre or Latias to come in and start Calm Minding.
Team Check
This is an evaluation of the sample team. Do they all come together?
Have switch-ins to the major Ubers? Yes.
Have a special sweeper? Yes.
Have a physical sweeper? Yes
Have resistances to Dragon, Ice, Electric, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug, Fighting, Ground, Water, Fire, Steel and Rock? This team doesn't resist Ghost- and Dark-type attacks, but most of the attack of those types are Special Attacks, and Kyogre doesn't mind them.
Have a Spinner? No, but Deoxys-S can Taunt any lead attempting to get down a lot of hazards.
Have a phazer? No, but nothing can get more than one boost with Wobbuffet around.
Have a weather changer? Yes.
Have a Spiker/Stealth Rocker? Yes.
Have a sleep talker? Yes.
Sample Team #2
This sample team is designed for those who prefer to use stall teams. Please note that it may be harder to play stall than offense in Ubers when you first start. This is due to the fact that you may not know what's a good switch-in for a given situation; however, a stall team is provided if that is your preferred play-style. Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame,so to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Groudon @ Leftovers
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Atk / 32 Def/ 60 SpD/ 8 Spe
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Stone Edge
Groudon is one of the best leads for a stall team as it almost always manages to reliably get Stealth Rock up, in addition to having the ability to come in later to sponge a physical hit or two. Groudon is useful because it activates sunlight too, which the majority of offensive teams don't like. Groudon also provides phazing, which is important for most stall teams due to the powerful set-up sweepers in Ubers. Stone Edge allows Groudon to effectively check Ho-Oh, who can 2HKO Kyogre with Brave Bird. Earthquake is a powerful STAB attack, and is needed to check things like Bulk Up Dialga.
The Special Wall
Blissey @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Protect
Blissey is a key member on any Uber stall team due to her ability to wall nearly every single special attacker in the game. In Ubers, unlike standard, Blissey needs a Calm nature with special powerhouses like Dialga running rampant. Wish allows Blissey to heal her teammates, and Protect in tandem with Wish lets her heal herself efficiently. Seismic Toss is mandatory as Blissey's only way of dealing damage, and Toxic lets Blissey stall out Pokemon that are immune to Toxic Spikes due to Levitate or Flying typing.
The Status Absorber
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 Spe
Modest nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Kyogre serves as the late game sweeper and status absorber, but also can create a win condition against opposing teams if they can't break through its defenses. Calm Mind in tandem with Rest and Sleep Talk makes Kyogre very hard to kill, and allows Kyogre to boost its stats until it reaches a point where it can sweep. Surf is chosen as the only attack as it gets STAB and a boost from the rain.
The Spiker and Spinner
Forretress @ Leftovers
Nature: Careful (+ SpD, - SpA)
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 Def/ 252 SpD
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
- Spikes
- Payback
Forretress is the only viable Rapid Spinner in Ubers, and the Toxic Spikes it provides help stall out a lot of Pokemon. Forretress is also chosen for his ability to lay Spikes, which makes it difficult for the opponent to switch frequently. This metal bug is also very useful due to its Steel-typing, being able to easily switch into Dragon-type attacks and set up more entry hazards to the further hinder the opponent. A Careful nature and maximum special bulk are chosen to ensure Forretress isn't crushed by not very effective special attacks, such asDragon Pulse from Dialga. Payback is needed to hit the Giratina formes hard if they attempt to block your Rapid Spin attempts, but it is only advised to attempt to hit them on the switch in, as they both carry moves that are bad news for the little iron ball.
The Glue
Palkia @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Nature: Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
- Spacial Rend
- Surf
- Thunder
- Outrage
Palkia may not seem to fit on a team like this, but it is needed to check powerful set-up sweepers in Ubers, such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Spacial Rend provides a powerful STAB attack, and a way to hit Dragon-types for massive damage, whereas Surf compliments Spacial Rend nicely by washing away pesky Steel-types if sunlight isn't present. Thunder is used to check Kyogre, who can be a big threat to this team as its Water Spout can 2HKO Blissey. Outrage is in the last slot to decimate the Lati twins if they manage to procure to many Calm Minds, as well as giving Palkia a way to hit opposing Blissey.
The Spin Blocker
Giratina-O @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 248 Atk / 64 SpA / 196 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Hidden Power Fire
- Shadow Sneak
Giratina-O is another Pokemon that may seem out of place in a stall team over Giratina, but this spinblocker has some key advantages. First off, Giratina's walling sets generally have problems with Forretress setting up on it, which isn't something this team wants, so this set aims to put a quick end to Forretress with Hidden Power Fire. Giratina-O has another valuable asset in its STAB Shadow Sneak, which can be useful to pick off weakened sweepers that threaten to take a chunk out of the team. Draco Meteor and Outrage form the double Dragon attacking combination, which coming off 120 base Attack and Special Attack, is nothing to scoff at.
Team check
This is an evaluation of the sample team. Do they all come together?
Have switch-ins to the major Ubers? Yes.
Have a special sweeper (for stall change sweeper to wall)? Yes (Blissey).
Have a physical wall? Yes (Groudon).
Have resistances to Dragon, Ice, Electric, Dark, Ghost, Bug, Fighting, Ground, Water, Fire, Steel and Rock? Yes.
Have a Spinner? Yes.
Have a phazer? Yes.
Have a weather changer? Yes.
Have a Spiker/Stealth Rocker? Yes.
Have a sleep talker? Yes.
Sample Team #3
This is the final sample team, and it is a Baton Pass team centered around Mew's amazing ability to nearly always pull off a successful pass. This team should not be the first team you try, but it is here for reference if you wish to make a Baton Pass team of your own (there is no checklist at the end because Baton Pass teams operate differently from the 2 previous teams). Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame, so to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Deoxys-S @ Focus Sash
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- ExtremeSpeed
Deoxys-S can get Stealth Rock up against almost every lead, and can manage to get up a layer of Spikes sometimes. Taunt is great to stop opposing leads from executing their strategy, whatever it may be. ExtremeSpeed is useful to break the Focus Sashes of opposing leads, while Deoxys-S's own Focus Sash allows it to take a hit, meaning it can normally use two moves before going down. Max HP is chosen over Attack because Deoxys-S isn't meant to do damage, and that extra HP can help in a lot of situations.
The Dual Screener
Uxie @ Light Clay
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
Calm nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Memento
- Thunder Wave
Uxie is the choice for Dual Screens over Mewtwo and Latios for a few reasons. Uxie boasts the ability to use Memento, which works better then Selfdestruct for getting Mew in safely, because Selfdestruct gives the opponent a free switch too. Over Latios, Uxie has more bulk, which makes it easier to successfully put up both screens. In a pinch, Memento can be used without screens and Mew's bulk should allow it to survive a hit or so, but it is risky. Thunder Wave is useful for an obvious switch, and lets you choose your first screen accordingly, rather than blindly hoping you pick the right one. The EVs provided give Uxie considerable bulk on both the special and physical sides.
The Baton Passer
Mew @ Lum Berry
EVs: 244 HP / 210 Spd / 56 SpD
Calm nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Baton Pass
- Nasty Plot
- Taunt
- Rock Polish
What good is an Ubers Baton Pass team without Mew? Mew nearly always provides a +2 in Special Attack and Speed to a recipient, as long as you can manage to get Reflect and Light Screen up. Lum Berry is there to act as a safeguard against status, as Taunt means nothing can phaze Mew. It is important to not get greedy with boosts, as it is easy to lose Mew that way, and 1 Nasty Plot and 1 Rock Polish will usually suffice. However, stall teams will usually have a much harder time dealing with this little pixie, so it is fine to go for multiple Nasty Plots while Rock Polish, as stall teams very rarely use fast Pokemon that can threaten Dialga, and Dialga needs 2 Nasty Plots to safely beat Blissey.
The Recipient Sweeper
Dialga @ Lum Berry
EVs: 72 HP / 186 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Dialga is our main recipient for Mew's Baton Pass because of its great type coverage, power, and resistance to most priority attacks. With +2 Special Attack and Speed, Dialga can plow through most of the metagame, being able to take at least one hit with its decent bulk and to use Lum Berry to block status from pests like Blissey. Speaking of Blissey, with +2, Dialga can't muscle past the ball of fat, but she is rarely seen outside of a stall team, meaning you can usually get more than one Nasty Plot. Dragon Pulse maims anything that doesn't resist it, so Thunderbolt and Flamethrower are there to crush the Steel-types that do, no matter the weather. Finally, Aura Sphere does a truck load to Blissey, Heatran, and opposing Dialga. The EVs are designed to let Dialga outspeed Scarfed Shaymin-S after a Rock Polish is passed to it.
Back-up Recipient
Giratina-o @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Spe / 220 SpA
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Aura Sphere
- Calm Mind
Giratina-O is a great choice as a back-up sweeper for Dialga because it achieves perfect coverage with Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere, as well as having a way to set-up by itself if something goes wrong. Another reason Giratina-O is used as a back-up Baton Pass recipient is because if a Pokemon like Groudon comes into Mew, Mew can't safely pass its boosts to Dialga, but it can pass them to Giratina-O, who has a handy immunity to Earthquake. Substitute allows Giratina-O to block status if necessary, but be careful, as it has no way to recover the lost health. Giratina-O also acts as a spinblocker for this team, as it would be a shame for Deoxys-S's work to go waste.
The Clean Up
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Surf
- Sleep Talk
- Ice Beam
Kyogre's has two purposes: to come in if the Baton Pass recipient dies, and to absorb Darkrai's Dark Void. The first is its most important role, and it works as a great clean-up Pokemon with powerful Surfs under the rain, while Ice Beam and Thunder are for Dragons and opposing Water-types, respectively. Kyogre's second purpose is to come in on a Dark Void and Sleep Talk a powerful attack back at Darkrai. Be warned, however, as Sleep Talk can only be used once with a Choice item. Kyogre needs Choice Scarf as its item to effectively clean up a weakened team.
How to counter Uber threats
In this section the Uber threats will be listed, along with their respective checks and counters. This section aims to help you if you are struggling to handle a certain Pokemon, or wish to see if a Pokemon can check multiple threats. Take note that this is not a comprehensive list however, and there are more Pokemon than the ones listed to check these threats. However, these are the most viable ones, and in most cases can do something outside of checking a designated Uber. If a Pokemon is marked with a * symbol, that means that Pokemon is a check and can't safely switch into the Pokemon it checks. Additionally, some Pokemon require a certain item to effectively check another; if this is the case, the item will be mentioned (not counting Latios' and Latias' Soul Dew), this section will also include if a certain Pokemon can only check a specific set of another Uber. Deoxys-S is a bit different then the other Ubers due to the fact the only it is only commonly used in the lead position to set up entry hazards. Therefore, it will list the Pokemon that can limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards while retaining other utility.
Darkrai-
Nasty Plot: Primeape* (Choice Scarf), Heracross*, Mewtwo*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Kyogre*, Ho-Oh*, Scizor*, Jirachi* (Choice Scarf)
Swords Dance: Groudon, Lugia, Giratina, Kyogre* (bulky), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Primeape* (Choice Scarf), Heracross*, Scizor*
Deoxys-S-
Lead: Forretress, Cloyster, Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A*, Abomasnow*, Froslass*, Giratina*, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Deoxys-
Lead: Abomasnow, Cloyster*, Darkrai, Forretress, Froslass, Giratina, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Deoxys-D-
Spiker: Darkrai*, Mewtwo (with Taunt), Scizor, Forretress, Heatran, Tyranitar, Kyogre
Deoxys-A-
Lead: Abomasnow, Cloyster*, Darkrai, Forretress*, Froslass, Giratina, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Life Orb: Scizor*, Giratina-O*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Metagross, Kyogre* (Choice Scarf), Ho-Oh*
Dialga-
Mixed: Deoxys-D, Heatran*, Lugia*, Ho-Oh*, Garchomp*, Latios* (with Draco Meteor),
Choice Specs: Blissey, Heatran*, prediction
Choice Scarf: Blissey, Heatran, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Bulk Up Tank: Groudon, Heatran, Lucario*, Lugia**, Skarmory**, Dialga* (Choice Specs), Mewtwo* (Taunt + Will-o-Wisp)
**Lugia and Skarmory cannot directly defeat Bulk Up Dialga, but they can wall and phaze Dialga until it is the last Pokemon.
Garchomp-
Choice Scarf: Skarmory, Bronzong, Lugia, Forretress, Scizor, Groudon, Kyogre* (bulky), Cresselia, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Swords Dance + Haban Berry: Cresselia, Lugia, Mewtwo, Latios* (with Draco Meteor), Skarmory, Bronzong
Choice Band: Skarmory, Bronzong, Lugia, Forretress*, Scizor*, Groudon*, Cresselia*, prediction
Giratina-O-
Mixed: Lugia, Deoxys-D, Heatran* (if Giratina-O does not have Earthquake), Dialga*, Latias*, Latios*, Jirachi* (without Earthquake), Skarmory* (without HP Fire), Bronzong* (without HP Fire), Scizor* (without HP Fire), Blissey* (without Dragon Claw / Outrage), Kyogre* (without Dragon Claw / Outrage), Registeel* (without Earthquake), Tyranitar*
Substitute + Calm Mind: Lugia* (without Shadow Ball), Latios*, Latias*, Dialga*, Heatran* (without Aura Sphere), Tyranitar* (without Aura Sphere)
Groudon-
Rock Polish and Paradancer: Skarmory, Bronzong, Kyogre*, Groudon* (physically bulky), Giratina*, Giratina-O*, Cresselia, Lugia*, Mewtwo* (Taunt + Will-o-Wisp)
Ho-Oh-
Physical Attacker: Kyogre*, Garchomp*, Groudon* ,Heatran** (if Ho-Oh lacks Earthquake), Tyranitar*
Kyogre-
All sets: Blissey* (beware of Choice Specs Water Spout, as well as Calm Mind + Rest), Latias, Latios*, Ludicolo*, Palkia*, Quagsire*
Latias + Latios-
All Sets: Blissey (as long as they lack Safeguard or Refresh), Metagross, Jirachi, Tyranitar*, Scizor*,
Lugia-
Great Wall: Darkrai, Kyogre, Tyranitar, Forretress**, Skarmory**, anything with Toxic, Wobbuffet***, Mewtwo
Defensive Calm Mind: Blissey, Latias (with Calm Mind), Latios (with Calm Mind), Kyogre* (with Calm Mind), Heatran*, Mewtwo (with Taunt), Darkrai, Jirachi, Wobbuffet***, Tyranitar
Offensive Calm Mind: Blissey, Latias (with Calm Mind), Latios (with Calm Mind), Ho-Oh, opposing Lugia*, Skarmory**, Tyranitar*
**Skarmory and Forretress are incapable of killing Lugia unless they have Toxic. However, they can set up entry hazards on it.
***Wobbuffet doesn't have much to fear from Lugia and can easily aid its teammates by Encoring it.
Manaphy-
Tail Glow and Calm Mind: Blissey (needs Calm Mind), Dialga, Latias + Latios, Kyogre*, Palkia, Groudon**, Tyranitar**, Abomasnow**.
**These Pokemon are weather changers.
Mew-
Lead: Forretress, Tyranitar*, Giratina-O, Rayquaza*
Baton Pass: Darkrai*, Metagross*, Scizor*, Tyranitar*, Rayquaza (with Brick Break), Dialga (with Brick Break), Kyogre (Choice Specs), Mewtwo* (with Taunt)
Mewtwo-
Taunt + Calm Mind: Blissey* (to an extent), Kyogre* (if Mewtwo lacks Thunder), Ho-Oh* (without Thunder), Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Tyranitar* (without Aura Sphere), Giratina-O* (to an extent)
Life Orb + 4 Attacks: Blissey*, Kyogre* (Choice Scarf), Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Giratina-O*, Wobbuffet*, opposing Mewtwo*(specially defensive), Ho-Oh*, Scizor* (without Flamethrower), Metagross* (without Flamethrower).
Taunt + Will-O-Wisp: Ho-Oh, Heatran, Heracross, Kyogre*, Darkrai, Substitute Shaymin-S*
Palkia-
Choice Scarf: Blissey, Heatran*, Ho-Oh* (in sunlight), Lugia*, Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Mixed: Latias*, Latios*, Lugia*, Groudon*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf), prediction
Rayquaza-
Swords Dance: Lugia, Cresselia*, Groudon*, Mewtwo* (bulky), Dialga (Choice Scarf), Jirachi (Choice Scarf), Skarmory* (if Rayquaza does not have a Fire attack), Bronzong*, Tyranitar (Choice Scarf), Garchomp*
Dragon Dance: Lugia*, Cresselia, Groudon*, Palkia (Choice Scarf), Jirachi (Choice Scarf), Skarmory* (without a Fire attack), Bronzong*, Garchomp* (Choice Scarf).
Mixed: Lugia*, Ho-Oh* (without Outrage), Heatran* (without Brick Break), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Palkia*
Salamence- Salamence's counters and checks are mostly the same as Rayquaza's; the only difference is that Choice Scarf Palkia relies on a Speed tie to check Dragon Dance Salamence.
Shaymin-S-
Choice Scarf: Blissey*, Heatran*, Metagross*, Scizor*, Skarmory*, Jirachi*, Lugia*, Ho-Oh*, Tyranitar*
Substitute + Leech Seed: Ho-Oh*, Heatran*, Lugia*, Scizor*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf)
Life Orb: Blissey*, Ho-Oh*, Latias*, Lugia*, Scizor*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Mewtwo*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf)
The Trick Room Factor
In Ubers, Pokémon are generally EVed to outspeed other Pokémon. Examples are Lugia being trained to outspeed Groudon and Rayquaza, and Latias being trained to outspeed Palkia. Trick Room reverses all of these, making these attempts at outspeeding useless. Therefore, hard-hitting and slow-moving Pokémon work extremely well under Trick Room. Some of these Pokémon are Dialga, Giratina-O, Kyogre, and Groudon. However, the Trick Room strategy has a big drawback in that it only lasts for four turns, not including the turn it is set up. Therefore, one must pack enough Trick Room users to keep the field effect up throughout the battle.
Why would one use a turn and a moveslot to set up Trick Room, especially when time and space are such necessary commodities in Ubers? Trick Room can allow powerful but slow Pokémon such as Groudon or Dialga to make an impact. Of course, Pokémon that can set up Trick Room safely are also necessary. Usually, Pokémon that are used to set up Trick Room in Ubers are sturdy specimens such as Dialga, who is arguably the best Trick Roomer due to its fortuitous Dragon/Steel-typing and decent defensive stats. Obviously, one would not leave the Trick Rooming to something like Deoxys-A.
Additional Help
If, after reading this guide, you feel that your Ubers skills are still lacking, there are some resources on Smogon's forums that can help you. First and foremost, there's the first section of the Ubers Guide, which can help you with the basics. Second, there is also another section to this guide, called Basic Ubers Guide<-link goes here , that has detailed information about Arceus and its many uses. There's also the Rate My Team Archive, where great teams are saved, including Ubers teams, which can aid you in building a team. You can also use the Warstory Archive to get ideas for teams, and also to see how an Ubers match plays out. There's also the Project Uber thread in Stark Mountain,which, while currently closed, still has many pages on the uses of non-Uber Pokémonin the Ubers metagame. Furthermore, there is a more general thread on Ubers, which contains some basic answers and strategies. If you can't seem to find a lead that fits your team, you can look in the Uber Leads thread, which is still a work in progress. In addition, if you have a simple query, you can check the Ubers Simple Questions Simple Answer thread. Finally, you can stop by the Battling 101 Forum and sign up for Ubers tutoring when a new round starts.
Arceus
Base Stats: 120/120/120/120/120/120
Ability: Multitype
Special Note: Arceus has only been released at level 100, meaning the the only legally obtainable Arceus has a limit of 100 EVs in each stat. The beast isn't available in Shoddy Battle 1, but will be usable in Shoddy 2, and is correctly programmed into the Pokémon Online battle simulator. Because of extensive playtesting on Pokémon Online, we have a general knowledge on what all the different types are capable of.
Sporting a base 120 in every single stat, plus a ton of moves to choose from, Arceus can do basically anything. Arceus has another quality that sends it way over the top: Multitype. With this ability, Arceus can become any type in the game as long as it holds the right plate. Essentially, this enables Arceus to be 17 Pokémon in one! There are generally 3 different kinds of Arceus that you should prepare for, but keep in mind that there are many Arceus sets that don't fall into any of the 3 categories.
The 3 main kinds of Arceus
Swords Dance
Calm Mind
Support
The Arceus Types
Bug
Bug Arceus may have an unfortunate weakness to Stealth Rock, but its superb STAB in the Uber tier more than makes up for it. The biggest selling point to Bug Arceus is that it has the only mono-attacking Calm Mind set that beats both Latias and Scizor simultaneously in addition to sometimes beating Tyranitar. Bug Arceus is also capable of going physical with Swords Dance, X-scissor, and either a coverage move or Cosmic Power. When using a Bug Arceus with only one attack, though, let it be known that it will be extremely weak to Ho-Oh and Heatran.
Dark
Don't be fooled by its inferior Speed, Dark Arceus is by no means a bad Darkrai. Like Bug Arceus, Dark Arceus is a superb Calm Minder because of its ability to defeat Latias one on one. Unlike Bug Arceus, however, Dark Arceus will have trouble with Scizor and Tyranitar. To make up for this, Dark Arceus lacks a Steath Rock weakness and smashes through Ghost Arceus, Giratina, and Lugia with Judgment, all of which would easily phaze Bug Arceus away.
Dragon
Unfortunately, the EV limitations greatly reduce Dragon Arceus's potential, as it cannot outspeed Garchomp, Latias, and Latios. Despite these setbacks, Dragon Arceus still makes a superb mono-attacker, with only Steel-types resisting Judgment. Dragon Arceus can also use Swords Dance, but it must run Recover in order to not be outclassed by Garchomp and Rayquaza.
Electric
Under the rain, Electric Arceus becomes one of the most destructive Calm Mind users in the game with STAB Thunder. After one Calm Mind, 252 HP Kyogre is OHKOed and Palkia is OHKOed after Stealth Rock and Spikes damage. Helping Arceus even more is Thunder's 30% chance to paralyze, which can screw over Electric Arceus's offensive checks, like Latias. Electric Arceus even has access to Ice Beam and Grass Knot with which to maul Groudon.
Fighting
Despite Ubers being loaded with Psychic-types, Fighting Arceus is still an excellent user of Calm Mind. After 2 Calm Mind boosts, Fighting Arceus can 2HKO Blissey with Judgment. When Sleep Clause is in effect, Fighting Arceus becomes one of the best Darkrai checks in the game with Judgment. Fighting Arceus can also run a support set to check Darkrai and lure Latias into a Toxic.
Fire
At first, Fire may seem like a bad typing for Arceus. It's weak to Stealth Rock and is totally neutered by Kyogre's rain. However, when used in conjunction with Groudon's Sunlight, Fire Arceus is fully capable of sweeping with Calm Mind. Sun and Flame Plate boost Arceus's already powerful STAB Judgment to even higher levels, effectively allowing it to smash through most opponents without a 4x resistance. As a bonus, Fire Arceus can also hit pesky Kyogre switch-ins with Thunder.
Flying
Flying may not seem like an appealing typing at first, mainly due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and Thunder, but Flying Arceus is the only Arceus that's immune to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Earthquake. Flying Arceus's main use is as a mono-attacking Calm Mind user, since the only common Pokémon that resist Flying in Ubers are Dialga, Jirachi, Heatran, Metagross, and Tyranitar.
Ghost
With its amazing defensive stats and Recover, Ghost Arceus is by far the best spin blocker in the game for both offensisve and defensive teams. On the offensive side, Ghost Arceus is a very potent user of Swords Dance, being able to crush through most stall teams once Skarmory and Groudon are weakened. Ghost Arceus is also a great user of Calm Mind, and can use Substitute over Recover to set up on Blissey. On the supporting side, Ghost Arceus is notable for being the only Stealth Rock user that is immune to Rapid Spin.
Grass
Grass may not be the best offensive typing out there, but Grass Arceus has several tricks up its sleeve that make it worthwhile. The biggest selling point of Grass Arceus is that it can use Thunder Wave so well. Thanks to its Grass typing, Groudon will never switch in, allowing you to paralyze almost anything that comes in on Grass Arceus. Grass Arceus is also the closest thing to a Palkia counter in the rain. To add to that, Grass Arceus fares well against Kyogre and Groudon too, slamming both with Grass Knot or Judgment. Grass Arceus is also a viable user of Calm Mind, though make sure to use Judgment over Grass Knot so Wobbuffet won't counter you.
Ground
Ground may seem like a strange type for Arceus when Groudon and Garchomp exist, but Ground Arceus separates itself from the crowd by being a potent special attacker and having Recover. Ground Arceus also has the huge bonus of being the only Calm Mind user to be immune to Thunder Wave. Ground Arceus is also a very good user of Swords Dance, and unlike Garchomp and Groudon, Ground Arceus can use Recover to potentially set up multiple Swords Dances.
Ice
Ice is a very poor defensive typing, resisting only itself, and being weak to Stealth Rock and Scizor's Bullet Punch. On the bright side,though, Ice is a fantastic offensive type, hitting Rayquaza, Groudon, and Garchomp super effectively. Ice Arceus, like Electric Arceus, is a very good user of the BoltBeam type coverage from Judgment and Thunder. Unlike Electric Arceus, though, Ice Arceus is capable of beating Latias one on one with a Calm Mind set.
Normal
While it may seem strange to not take advantage of Arceus's wonderful ability, Normal Arceus may be the most notorious user of Swords Dance in the entire game.This is because Arceus is the only Pokémon in the game besides Smeargle with Swords Dance and STAB ExtremeSpeed. While Swords Dance Normal Arceus may be the most prominent Arceus set of all, Normal Arceus is capable of more than just that. Unlike other Arceus types, Normal Arceus has the option of using other items since it doesn't need a plate. Leftovers in particular is a godsend to Normal Calm Mind Arceus, letting it have even more lasting power than the others. Normal Calm Mind Arceus can also opt to use Life Orb for more power. Because of Leftovers, Normal Arceus also makes a particulary good defensive Pokémon, only being weak to Fighting-type attacks.
Poison
Poison typing may seem awful at first, but it's actually fairly good for Arceus. Poison Arceus is one of two Calm Mind Arceus that can beat Blissey without the use of Substitute. While Poison doesn't have nearly as many resistances as Steel, Poison Arceus is neutral to Fire and resists Fighting, both of which are major problems for Steel Arceus. Poison Arceus is also the most viable Toxic Spikes absorber in Ubers, a quality which can be very helpful for many offensive teams. This Arceus is also good in a support role, because it can combine the utilties of phazing and laying down Stealth Rock with Toxic Spikes absorption. Finally, Poison Arceus is one of the best users of Cosmic Power due to its Toxic immunity.
Psychic
Psychic Arceus is the only Arceus that is totally outclassed across the board. Generally, Ghost Arceus is better than Psychic Arceus in almost every way imaginable, and the many Psychic-types of Ubers also offer stiff competition for this Arceus in other regards. As it stands, the only reason to use Psychic Arceus is if your team can't handle both Poison and Fighting Arceus, and even that's a stretch.
Rock
Under the sandstorm started by Tyranitar, Rock Arceus becomes an excellent Calm Minder that is almost impenetrable on the special side. For example, under the Sandstorm, a Choice Scarf Palkia rarely 2HKOs +0 Rock Arceus with Surf. Rock Arceus is also notable for being one of the few Calm Minders to actually beat Ho-Oh, thanks to Rock Judgment. Rock Arceus is also a usable Swords Dancer with either Rock Slide or Stone Edge.
Steel
Steel Arceus is one of the most threatening Arceus types that exist. With its superb defenses and typing, Steel Arceus is by far the best Dragon-type switch-in in the game. The most threatening set Steel Arceus posses is Calm Mind. While Steel has a reputation for being a poor attacking type, Arceus puts it to excellent use here as its sole attack. Thanks to its Toxic immunity, Steel Arceus is also one of two Calm Minders that defeats Blissey without the use of Substitute, freeing up that slot for Roar. For similar reasons, Steel Arceus is also a great user of Swords Dance. Since the only attack Steel Arceus needs is Iron Head, it can opt to use Cosmic Power over another attack, making Steel Arceus insanely hard to take down. Finally, thanks to Steel Arceus's superb typing, its an excellent supporting Pokémon.
Water
Under rain, Water Arceus is an excellent sweeper. The most prominent of these sweeping sets is Swords Dance. With just one Swords Dance under its belt and the rain, Waterfall will OHKO Mewtwo and have a chance of OHKOing Wobbuffet and Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Water Arceus is also a superb Calm Mind user. With just Surf, it can easily run a mono-attacking Calm Mind set that is similar to RestTalk Kyogre, except with immediate Recovery and more Speed.
How to Counter Arceus
Arceus is an extremely dangerous and versatile Pokemon, but each one of its sets is able to be beaten. This section will list the most prominent counters for the Calm Mind and Swords Dance sets of every type. If one of these two moves isn't viable on a certain type, it won't be included. This will not be an exhaustive list, and will only include Pokemon that have uses outside of countering a certain Arceus set. If a Pokemon is marked with a *, it cannot switch into Arceus, and is only a check. If it is marked with **, it means the Pokemon can only effectively counter a mono-attacker of that type. This only applies if a mono attacker is useful for a given type. Also, take note that Arceus will not be listed as a counter to itself, as it is obvious which types counter each other.
Bug Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey***, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Skarmory** (Skarmory can't hurt it much, but it can Whirlwind Arceus away if it's not the last Pokemon and it lacks Flamethrower.)
***It is worth noting that while Blissey is listed as a counter to a large amount of these sets, she will be hard pressed to beat an Arceus that has Substitute in conjunction with Recover.
Dark Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga** (Bulk Up set) Heracross (Choice Scarf), Heatran**, Ho-Oh, Lucario**
Dragon Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga*, Heatran** (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Latios*
Swords Dance: Bronzong, Garchomp*, Groudon*, Latios*, Skarmory* (needs to watch out for Overheat)
Electric Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga (physical variants), Garchomp* (without Ice Beam), Groudon* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam)
Fighting Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey*, Ho-Oh, Latias* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam), Latios, Mewtwo (without Dark Pulse), Shaymin-S (without Ice Beam), Wobbuffet
Swords Dance: Groudon*, Giratina*, Ho-Oh*, Lugia*, Shaymin-S
Fire Arceus-
Calm Mind: Latias* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam), Ho-Oh, Kyogre
Flying Arceus-
Calm Mind: Dialga*, Ho-Oh, Heatran*, Jirachi* (without Earth Power), Tyranitar* (without Earth Power)
Ghost Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Darkrai*, Dialga* (Bulk Up set), Heatran*, Ho-Oh
Swords Dance: Groudon*, Skarmory*
Grass Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga (physical variants) Ho-Oh, Lugia* (without Ice Beam), Skarmory* (without Flamethrower)
Ground Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Ho-Oh, Latias*, Kyogre*, Shaymin-S*
Swords Dance: Kyogre* (needs Choice Scarf), Shaymin-S*(without ExtremeSpeed), Skarmory* (without Overheat)
Ice Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Metagross* (without Earth Power), Jirachi* (without Earth Power)
Normal Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Heracross (Choice Scarf), Ho-Oh, Infernape*
Swords Dance: Giratina, Lugia, Skarmory* (without Overheat)
Poison Arceus-
Calm Mind: Garchomp*, Groudon*, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Skarmory* (without a Fire-type move).
Rock Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga*, Garchomp*, Groudon*, Kyogre*
Steel Arceus-
Calm Mind: Garchomp*, Groudon*, Heatran* (sets that lack Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Lucario*
Swords Dance: Ho-Oh, Groudon*, Garchomp*
Water Arceus-
Calm Mind: Latias, Kyogre* (needs Calm Mind and Thunder)
Swords Dance: Groudon***, Latias*, Kyogre*
***Groudon makes it sunny, which decreases the power of Water-type attacks.
Table of Contents:
Basic Ubers Guide (Part 1)
1. Introduction to Ubers
- Which Pokemon are Uber?
- What Makes a Pokemon Uber?
- Wobbuffet, Wynaut?
- What Makes a Team an Uber Team?
- The Uber Sweepers
- The Uber Walls
- Other Ubers
- Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
- Uncommon Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
- Chlorophyll Pokemon
- Rain Pokemon
Advanced Ubers Guide (Part 2)
1. Strategy In Ubers
- The Ubers Specials Rule
- Maximizing Moves
- The Lead Pokémon
- Prediction
- Different Playing Styles
- Uber Team Checklist
- Sample Team #1
- Sample Team #2
- Sample Team #3
- List of Checks
4. Additional Help
Arceus (Part 3)
1. Introduction to Arceus
2. The Different Types
3. How to Counter Arceus
Basic Ubers Guide
Introduction to Ubers.
The Ubers metagame is almost a forgotten metagame, due to the fact that many experienced and new players alike think it is easier to play the Overused tier. However, if you give Ubers a shot, you may find that it is a fun and enjoyable metagame. People might think Ubers isn't worth a try because they believe it takes no skill, but this is far from the truth as Ubers matches are filled with prediction and strategy. Uber Pokemon tend to pack a lot more power than Pokemon in Standard, as well as usually having larger movepools. This translates into Uber Pokemon being a lot more dangerous, and is why prediction and quick thinking are crucial when playing Ubers. This guide aims to teach you the tips and tricks of the Ubers metagame. After reading this guide, you should be familiar with the unique and powerful sweepers found in Ubers so that, when you are face to face with one, you will be able to respond appropriately without panicing.
What Pokemon are Uber?
The following Pokemon are considered Uber: Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A, Deoxys-D, Deoxys-S, Dialga, Garchomp, Giratina, Giratina-O, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Latias, Latios, Lugia, Manaphy, Mew, Mewtwo, Palkia, Rayquaza, Salamence, Shaymin-S, Wobbuffet, Wynaut, and Arceus.
What Makes a Pokemon Uber?
A Pokemon is considered Uber if it is too powerful to be reasonably handled within the bounds of the Standard Metagame. Uber status is determined by this factor alone; it does not matter if a Pokemon is worthless in the Ubers tier, or if it is outclassed by anything already in Ubers. In Ubers, a strategy or Pokemon may appear to be broken; this doesn't matter as Ubers is essentially a ban list for OU, and nothing is currently too broken to be used in Ubers. Uber Pokemon generally have extremely large movepools and very high Base Stats when compared to OU Pokemon.
Wobbuffet, Wynaut?
Wobbuffet and Wynaut seem to defy the description above; they have poor stats in everything but HP, and learn a mere 8 moves. Why then, you may ask, are these Pokemon considered Uber Wobbuffet and Wynaut are Uber because they have the power to let any Pokemon in the game set up freely, or kill at least one of the opponents Pokemon with ease. Their unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows them to trap any Pokemon in the game (besides other Wobbuffet and Wynaut) unless they are holding a Shed Shell or can use Baton Pass or U-turn. This means that Wobbuffet and Wynaut can switch into any Pokemon freely, using their gigantic HP stats to sponge hits, and are free to use either Mirror Coat or Counter to kill the opposing Pokemon, or more importantly, use Encore. With Encore, Wobbuffet turns any Pokemon into set-up bait for a teammate, or condemns it to certain death via Mirror Coat or Counter. Wobbuffet also has the ability to use Tickle if you wish to easily eliminate a wall. Tickle allows Wobbuffet to lower the foes defenses to a point where Pursuit from a teammate shatters it. The same goes for Wynaut; although Wynaut has much lower stats than Wobbuffet, it still has the Shadow Tag trait making it Uber. It is not recommended to use Wynaut for obvious reasons.
What Makes a Team an Uber Team?
If any Uber Pokemon is present on a team, it is automatically an Ubers team. It does not matter if it is one Uber and 5 Magikarp; it is still an Uber team, and therefore is banned from standard play. There are no exceptions to this.
Know the Ubers
The Pokémon will be organized into groups for effectiveness.
The Uber sweepers
Darkrai
Type: Dark
Base Stats: 70/90/90/135/90/125
Ability: Bad Dreams
With a base 90 Attack stat, a base 125 Speed stat, and a base 135 Special Attack stat, Darkrai's stats might make it look like an inferior Mewtwo; however, Darkrai is far from that. Darkrai has the move Dark Void, which is the most accurate sleep move besides Spore, boasting 80% accuracy. It also has the ability Bad Dreams, which deals 12.5% to a Pokémon who is sleeping in its presence, meaning it can break Focus Sashes and incapacitate opposing leads in one swipe. The other thing it has is Dark typing, which gives it an edge in Uber battling by providing STAB Dark Pulse to hit the many Psychic-type Uber Pokemon. This also makes Darkrai immune to Mirror Coat, keeping Wobbuffet from causing major problems unless Darkrai locks itself into Dark Void. Darkrai, like Mewtwo, has virtually no counters. Any Sleep Talker can get Taunted, and Blissey fears a +2 Focus Blast, which 2HKOes. The best strategyagainst Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void, preferably a Sleep Talker, and then switch out to a Pokémon that can outspeed Darkrai, but the options for that are very limited.
Deoxys-A
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/180/20/180/20/150
Ability: Pressure
Laugh at its minuscule defenses as much as you want, but its base 180 Attack and Special Attack alongside base 150 Speed makes Deoxys-A a real threat. There is no true counter for Deoxys-A in the strictest definition of the word. Metagross can Bullet Punch it, but risks being hit by a Thunder. Scizor can also be used to play mind games, threatening to Bullet Punch if Deoxys-A stays in, or hit it with Pursuit if it decides to switch out, but even Scizor must watch out for Hidden Power Fire. Take note that with its abysmal defenses, it is impossible to switch Deoxys-A in safely, necessitating a situation after a Pokemon has fainted.
Dialga
Type: Dragon / Steel
Base Stats: 100/120/120/150/100/90
Ability: Pressure
Dialga's resistances allow it to switch into moves quite easily, and with those offensive stats and an offensive movepool consisting of Aura Sphere, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Overheat, Outrage and Thunder, expect Dialga to inflict a lot of pain on your opponent's team. Dialga's immunity to Toxic grants it the ability to switch into Blissey with relative impunity and put the hurt on her with Brick Break or Outrage, while Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Thunder keep physically defensive Pokémon at bay. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Dialga can make a fantastic revenge killer, and while it misses out by only having a base 90 Speed stat when compared to Palkia, it redeems itself by being a Steel-type. This allows it to easily take Rayquaza's ExtremeSpeed, something Palkia can't do. Dialga can also strike on the physical side by using Bulk Up or a Choice Band to boost its already impressive, but often neglected, base 120 Attack stat.
Garchomp
Type: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108/130/95/80/85/102
Ability: Sand Veil
After being banished from the OU tier, many were worried that Garchomp would not stand a chance in its new home. However, their fears have been reconciled, as Garchomp is still a force to be reckoned with. It has STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves along with Stone Edge and a base 102 Speed stat. It also has an immunity to Electric-type attacks, allowing it to switch in quite easily on, for example, a choice-locked Thunder. Garchomp's base 102 Speed may not seem so great, but it is quite impressive in Ubers, as it lets Garchomp outrun all base 90 to base 100 Speed Pokemon unless they carry Choice Scarf. Of course if Garchomp is holding its own Choice Scarf, it will always outrun the aforementioned Pokemon. In addition, Garchomp is capable of 2HKOing almost every Uber with Outrage or Earthquake, and that is certainly something that a player must be aware of before constructing a team. By using Swords Dance in conjunction with a Life Orb or Haban Berry, it can blaze through all but the strongest physical walls, such as Lugia and Groudon.
Giratina-O
Type: Dragon / Ghost
Base Stats: 150/120/100/120/100/90
Ability: Levitate
Giratina-O has amazing STAB moves in Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks, hitting many of the Pokémon in Ubers for super effective damage. This is a double-edged sword, however, as it is also hit by the majority of attacks used in Ubers super effectively. Despite this, Giratina-O is the best spinblocker in the game. At 90 base Speed, it is also on the slow side for an Uber Pokémon, but it makes up for this lack of speed with two fantastic base 120 Attack stats and tremendous bulk, with 150 base HP and 100 in both Defense and Special Defense. Giratina-O is unique in that the only item it can hold is the Griseous Orb, also known as the Platinum Orb, which keeps it in its Origin forme and boosts its Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks by 20%. It also cannot lose this item, making it immune to Trick and Knock Off's secondary effect. It is quite the offensive menace, as it can attack with STAB Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor and Shadow Ball on the special side, or STAB Outrage/Dragon Claw and Shadow Force, Giratina-O's signature move, on the physical side. Giratina-O is often hailed as the “ultimate stallbreaker”, with its mixed capacity, immunity to Seismic Toss, Toxic Spikes and Spikes, the ability to use Calm Mind, and the ability to use Substitute to block status. After coming in, it can set up a Substitute, which blocks any attempts by stall teams to poison, paralyze, or even Leech Seed it. From there, it can set up by using Calm Mind, which only a Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey or Latias can stop. After only one Calm Mind and with Stealth Rock up, it can OHKO Lugia with Shadow Ball, and possibly OHKO Latias with Dragon Pulse; both of the aforementioned Pokemon are common walls in Ubers. With Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Giratina and Giratina-O gain a new toy in the form of Shadow Sneak, meaning they now have a STAB priority move, which can be used to pick off Psychic-types that have taken some prior damage. Giratina-O has a lot of weaknesses, but is a true force when used properly, especially with paralysis support.
Groudon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 100/150/140/100/90/90
Ability: Drought
In this generation, Groudon received new toys to play with: Dragon Claw and Stone Edge. When not using Swords Dance, Groudon can be an effective user of Choice Band(although it greatly fears Rayquaza switching into a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake), but it is most often used as a defensive player to stop nearly every physical Pokemon cold. Groudon can also use the move Rock Polish, doubling its speed, making it far easier to sweep, especially when used in conjunction with the great attacking combination of Ground/Dragon/Rock, or when used together with Swords Dance, creating a fearsome beast that is nearly impossible to counter. Groudon is also one of the best recipients of a Baton Pass, due to the fact that, with a +2 Attack and Speed boost, it is nearly unstoppable.
Ho-Oh
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 106/130/90/110/154/90
Ability: Pressure
Ho-Oh is limited by the existence of Stealth Rock, which takes away a massive 50% of its total HP if on the field. Even with this limitation, however, it can still be a huge threat with its amazing Special Defense and proper team support. Sacred Fire is nothing to laugh at, with a 50% burn rate, which can destroy physical sweepers such as Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can be even more of a threat with sunlight support from Groudon, halving the power of Water attacks and, in return, increasing the power of Ho-Oh's Fireattacks by 50%. It also appreciates Rapid Spin support. Ho-Oh has the ability to dent many different threats with Life Orb and base 130 Attack as well. With the release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Ho-Oh gained Brave Bird, which allows it to rip through Pokemon such as Latias and Kyogre that previously laughed at its Fire attacks. Ho-Oh can also make use of Recover or Roost to somewhat relieve its Stealth Rock weakness.
Kyogre
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/90/150/140/90
Ability: Drizzle
Kyogre is the rightful “King of Ubers”, as it is able to reach a whopping 438 Special Attack stat without a boost and has the ability Drizzle, which causes rain that boosts its already powerful Water attacks. Kyogre can fix its mediocre Speed stat with Choice Scarf, and abuse that new high Speed with the insanely powerful Water Spout, which effectively has 337.5 Base Power after the rain boost and STAB. Kyogre can use Calm Mind too, of which it can take advantage with protection of 101 HP Substitutes. It can also utilize Choice Specs, pushing that titanic Special Attack so high that not even Blissey can withstand it. This essentially gives it triple Water-type STAB with Choice Specs, STAB, and Drizzle, although it does come with the price of sitting at 306 Speed maximum, which is outpaced by the majority of Ubers. A Choice Specs-boosted Water Spout in the rain from Kyogre is the most powerful move in all of DPP, barring Explosions, and is not to be taken lightly.
Latios and Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
(Latios)Base Stats: 80/90/80/130/110/110
(Latias)Base Stats: 80/80/90/110/130/110
Ability: Levitate
Don't forget about these two, as they pack a serious punch thanks to the boost in their stats provided by Soul Dew. Latios boasts a maximum Special Attack of 591 while retaining the ability to switch moves, which allows it to smash many Pokémon in the opponent's team. However, Latios is still walled by Blissey, who laughs at anything everything Latios can throw at it. Latias packs less power than Latios in exchange for more durability. In this generation, the Lati twins earned several power boosts; Dragon Pulse now replaces Dragon Claw with a higher Base Power, and Draco Meteor can be used to instantly cause insane amounts of damage. They also received Grass Knot for Groudon, Kyogre, and Tyranitar, all of whom take a whopping 120 base damage from it; however, Thunder is generally the better option so they can hit Steel-types without resorting to Hidden Power Fire. A difference between Latios and Latias, aside from their stats, is that Latios learns Dragon Dance and Memento, while Latias learns Wish and Healing Wish. Latios can now utilize a physical STAB Dragon Claw and Outrage with Dragon Dance, making mixed and physical sets that can catch its normal counters by surprise possibilities as well. To aid their sweeping abilities, Latios and Latias also learn moves such as Calm Mind and Recover. They can use Safeguard to prevent things Pokemon from statusing them, as well as use Refresh to cure status they already have been afflicted with.
Manaphy
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Hydration
Manaphy is yet another little event pixie with 100 base stats across the board. Manaphy is often thought to be less of a threat than other Ubers; however, it can be extremely powerful when used in conjunction with Kyogre. Kyogre's rain grants Manaphy virtual immunity to status, which is helpful when Manaphy is trying to boost its Special Attack with Tail Glow or set up Calm Minds. Even though Manaphy's attacking movepool is limited to Surf, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot, a moveset with Tail Glow, Surf, Ice Beam, and one of the Grass-type moves offers huge type coverage and is definitely a force to watch out for. Manaphy can also make great use of a bulky spread with Calm Mind over Tail Glow, trading the instant power for extra survivability. With the correct EV spread, Calm Mind Manaphy has the ability to easily set up on an unboostedThunder from Kyogreafter one use of Calm Mind, to give you an idea of its durability.
Mewtwo
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 106/110/90/154/90/130
Ability: Pressure
With a base 110 Attack stat, a base 130 Speed stat, and a base 154 Special Attack stat, Mewtwo can effectively abuse a wide variety of physical and special attacks. It can also break Uber stall teams down with the combination of Taunt and Calm Mind, which allows it to boost its already sky-high Special Attack and shut down attempts at healing. It can use Selfdestruct too, killing potentially threatening walls and tanks. Its movepool consists of a wide range of attacking types, including Ghost, Ice, and Electric, all of which are very effective types in Ubers. This Psychic clone is also deceptively bulky, with access to 101 HP Substitutes, Will-O-Wisp, and Calm Mind. These factors make Mewtwo a very high-level threat, no matter the set it is running.
Palkia
Type: Dragon / Water
Base Stats: 90/120/100/150/120/100
Ability: Pressure
Palkia is an absolute terror under rain, launching Surfs from a base 150 Special Attack stat coupled with either Lustrous Orb, Life Orb, or Choice Specs, while punishing Dragon-types that attempt to switch into it with a powerful Draco Meteor or Spacial Rend. Palkia comes with a 4x resistance to Water attacks, in addition to an often-overlooked 120 base Special Defense, which makes it a decent non-Calm Mind Kyogre counter, boasting the ability to not be OHKOed by Kyogre's Water Spout with no defensive investment. Palkia's base 100 Speed stat allows it to outspeed many Ubers, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Giratina and Deoxys-D. There is also the commonly forgotten physical Palkia set, which can utilize Aqua Tail and Outrage to decimate its normal counters such as Blissey and Latias. It can also boost Aqua Tail and Outrage further with either Choice Band or the move Bulk Up. Palkia can make use of these moves in a mixed set, which punishes stall teams lacking Latias. Furthermore, Palkia can use Choice Scarf to outspeed even more Ubers, making it a great revenge killer of threats such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Palkia is so deadly and versatile that there is no true counter to it; everything that could switch into one attack is at risk of being hurt too badly by another.
Rayquaza and Salamence
Type: Dragon / Flying
(Rayquaza) Base Stats: 105/150/90/150/90/95
(Salamence) Base Stats: 95/135/80/110/80/100
(Rayquaza) Ability: Air Lock
(Salamence) Ability: Intimidate
Rayquaza and Salamence share 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, but have gained massive improvements from the 3rd Generation to the 4th Generation with the addition of the physical/special split and Outrage getting its Base Power boosted to 120. Rayquaza is the reason why people carry a Steel-type in their teams, as a Dragon Danced Life Orb Outrage can OHKO the majority of Ubers. Don't forget Air Lock, which allows Rayquaza to destroy Pokemon who rely on the weather to boost their Speed stat. Salamence, on the other hand, has Intimidate which allows him to check Swords Dance Rayquaza and Lucario in a pinch. Rayquaza can also use ExtremeSpeed with Swords Dance to annihilate faster threats such as Choice Scarf Palkia, that the Dragon Dancer has trouble with. Also, by using a mixed set, they can effectively hit every Pokémon in the Ubers metagame for phenomenal damage, and make extremely effective stallbreakers. Salamence, at first glance, may seem inferior to the much more powerful Rayquaza, but Salamence is actually one of the most effective partners for it since they have the same counters. Salamence's base 100 Speed stat means that Choice Scarf Palkia, perhaps the most common Dragon Dance Rayquaza check, cannot reliably revenge kill Salamence. Either of these two can sweep in the blink of an eye, making any team that is not prepared to counter them a team that is doomed.
Shaymin-S
Type: Flying / Grass
Base Stats: 100/103/75/120/75/127
Ability: Serene Grace
Shaymin-S sports a blinding base Speed of 127, and while this may not let it outspeed the likes of Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo, it outspeeds everything else that isn't carrying a Choice Scarf; If Shaymin-S carries a Choice Scarf itself it will outrun almost all commonly seen Uber Pokemon. Although it has a 4x weakness to Ice attacks, Shaymin-S has a massive asset in its Grass-typing, more specifically in its signature move, Seed Flare. Coming off a very healthy base 120 Special Attack stat and factoring in STAB, Seed Flare hits Kyogre and Groudon, two of the most prevalent Ubers, like a ton of bricks, OHKOing both. Seed Flare also has the added bonus of having an 80% chance of lowering your opponent's Special Defense by two stages due to Serene Grace. Not only does this help Shaymin-S wear down bulky opponents, but it also forces a lot of switches, which works terrifically with entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Speaking of Serene Grace, Shaymin-S is extremely efficient at abusing flinch hax, using its STAB Air Slash for a 60% flinch rate, which is no laughing matter. Its usefulness doesn't stop there though; Shaymin-S can also be a great SubSeeder, with its obscene Speed and access to the aforementioned Seed Flare. This allows it to deal out heavy damage, or to simply stall the opponent out with Leech Seed.
The Uber Walls
Deoxys-D
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/70/160/70/160/90
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys-D has a massive support movepool, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Knock Off. It has access to Recover to replenish its health, and Toxic to poison the opponent, and it can Taunt its victims too, preventing their attempts to heal. It is worth warning, however, that Deoxys-D is easily set up on, as its mediocre base 70 Special Attack lets its attacks be easily absorbed in a metagame where defenses soar over base 100, even on offensive Pokemon. Disappointingly, Deoxys-D is generally not a good wall because of the fact that it simply doesn't possess the HP to take the powerful attacks in the Ubers environment. Deoxys-D's main draw is as a sturdy Pokemon that can set up multiple layers of Spikes, as well as use Recover.
Giratina
Type: Dragon / Ghost
Base Stats: 150/100/120/100/120/90
Ability: Pressure
Giratina packs useful stats in tanking, and is usually the spinblocker of choice for stall teams. Giratina has a godly base 150 HP and base 120 in both defenses, as well as the ability to learn Will-O-Wisp. This, in conjunction with its useful immunities to Normal- and Fighting-type attacks and resistances to Electric-, Water-, Grass-, Poison-, and Bug-types certainly makes it a great physical wall in Ubers. However, unlike Lugia, Giratina lacks a reliable recovery move, usually forcing it to resort to Rest. Giratina's weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ice-type moves also hurt it severely, seeing as all of said types are common in the Uber metagame. Giratina also has the capacity to be a decent anti-lead, due to its ability to hold a Haban Berry, unlike Giratina-O, who can only hold a Grisseous Orb. It is also worth noting that Giratina-O is impossible to use in WiFi without an external cheating device, so you are limited to Giratina.
Groudon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 100/150/140/100/90/90
Ability: Drought
Groudon is capable of holding up against threats such as Tyranitar, physical Rayquaza, and Metagross with EV investment in HP and Defense. It only needs 252 HP EVs and 24 Defense EVs to survive a Dragon Danced Life Orb Outrage from Rayquaza, and can then retaliate with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw. Both are powerful enough to put Rayquaza down to an incredibly low amount of health so that Life Orb recoil can wipe it out, if it doesn't KO right off the bat. Groudon is a great addition to stall teams because it removes the rain that many Ubers, such as Latias and Latios, rely on to use Thunder effectively, which is sometimes their only way to hurt Steel-types. Groudon also has access to a wide variety of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Safeguard, and Roar, allowing it to aid its teammates in more ways than just absorbing physical blows.
Kyogre
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100/100/90/150/140/90
Ability: Drizzle
Kyogre also has the tools to become an effective defensive tank. Its impressive 100/90/140 defenses coupled with its great defensive typing allow it to hold up against powerful attackers such as Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, Ho-Oh (to an extent), and Groudon. Kyogre is also an excellent Darkrai check thanks to its humongous Special Defense (it can survive a boosted Dark Pulse with ease and KO back with its powerful STAB rain-boosted Surf), and with investment, can also hold up as a fine check to Mewtwo. Although Kyogre's support options are limited, the fact that most Steel- and Ground-types avoid the overgrown fish like the plague means that Kyogre is a fine user of status moves such as Thunder Wave and Toxic. Kyogre can also employ Roar to spread around damage from entry hazards as well as to keep things from setting up on it. Kyogre's infinite rain provided by Drizzle is also a massive boon for Rain-centric teams, as with a defensive EV spread Kyogre can last throughout the match to keep the rain going. Although defensive Kyogre does not hold the same power as the more offensive sets, it can still do plenty of damage with its STAB Surf backed up by rain and its base 150 Special Attack stat.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80/80/90/110/130/110
Ability: Levitate
Unlike her brother Latios, Latias focuses on playing a defensive role. Latias possesses a base 80 HP stat, a base 90 Defense stat, and base 130 Special Defense stat. This may seem small compared to the other Ubers, but Latias' trump card is her mystical item: Soul Dew. Soul Dew boosts her Special Defense and Special Attack stats by 50%, making her a very deadly sweeper as well as a tank for special attacks. Latias is capable of holding her own against tough attackers such as Kyogre, as she can take an Ice Beam from it and dish back significant damage with Thunder or Grass Knot. Latias also has the ability to restore her HP with Recover or Roost, making her an even tougher wall. She is, however, prone to Pursuit users due to her base 80 HP and base 90 Defense. She is best known as a special wall that has a considerable amount of power and speed, as well as the ability to handle Kyogre, which is what separates her from Blissey. Latias also gets special mention because, using her high base 110 Speed, Soul Dew, and Recover, she is the only true counter of a Choice Specs Kyogre, who can down even Blissey in two hits with a full-health Water Spout.
Lugia
Type: Flying / Psychic
Base Stats: 106/90/130/90/154/110
Ability: Pressure
Known as the ultimate wall in the past, Lugia's tanking ability remains almost unchanged in this fast-paced generation. With 106 base HP, 130 base Defense, and 154 base Special Defense, combined with the recovery moves Recover and Roost, and the ability to set up Reflect and Light Screen, Lugia is always a pain to take down. Additionally, its base 110 Speed allows it to outpace many threats, such as Garchomp and Groudon, and Roost to remove its weakness to Stone Edge. Despite its higher Special Defense, Lugia is often used as a physical or mixed wall because it still pales to Blissey in terms of special walling. In Generation 4, Lugia's tanking abilities are slightly hampered by Stealth Rock, however.
Other Ubers
Deoxys
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/150/50/150/50/150
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys is almost directly outclassed by its various other formes; however, Deoxys can function effectively as an anti-lead. Its defenses, while nothing to brag about at 50/50/50, are just good enough so that it can survive two ExtremeSpeeds from Deoxys-S, something that Deoxys-A cannot do. Overall, the ability to beat Deoxys-S from the lead position is the only thing that Deoxys can do better than Deoxys-A.
Deoxys-S
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50/95/90/95/90/180
Ability: Pressure
Deoxys-S is a fantastic lead that will almost always do exactly what it's supposed to: get entry hazards up. The only common leads that can outrun Deoxys-S are Scarfed Darkrai and Shaymin-S. Even then, Deoxys-S is sometimes able to get Stealth Rock up; against Darkrai, if it holds a Focus Sash it can survive a Dark Pulse, and if it has a Lum Berry it can avoid a Dark Void. Unfortunately, it only has a 40% chance to get Stealth Rock up against Shaymin-S due to Air Slash flinching Deoxys-S 60% of the time. Although this may not seem like much, having Stealth Rock up can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs by inflicting heavy damage on the likes of Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza. Deoxys-S can also easily set up Spikes alongside Stealth Rock due to its blazing Speed. Focus Sash mitigates its poor defenses and virtually guarantees that it will be able to use both Stealth Rock and Spikes. If you wish to forgo the Focus Sash, Deoxys-S has the ability to outspeed every Pokemon in the game with a Choice Scarf and no Speed EVs, allowing it to run a more bulky spread for the price of only being able to lay down Spikes.
Mew
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Synchronize
“Unpredictable” is Mew in one word. Base 100 in every single stat means it can do almost whatever it wants. Its stats are infinitely outclassed by Mewtwo, but Mew learns quite a decent number of moves that Mewtwo does not, such as Nasty Plot and Hypnosis. Mew can learn all TMs and Baton Pass +2 of any stat. It can also really mess up phazers, such as Lugia and Skarmory, by Taunting them. On the physical side, Mew gets Explosion, a handy move that can destroy a Pokemon valuable to the opponent's team, and Swords Dance to boost it attack, which Mewtwo cannot do. Mew is generally used on Baton Pass teams due to its aforementioned ability to pass +2 of whatever it wants, making whatever it passes to a very potent threat. By backing up Mew with a Lum Berry and Dual Screens, Mew can set up a sweep that is near impossible to stop. The little pixie also makes a good lead, with moves like Stealth Rock, Taunt, U-turn, and Explosion aiding it in its efforts.
Wobbuffet
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 190/33/58/33/58/33
Ability: Shadow Tag
Although Wobbuffet's stats are bad in everything sans HP and it learns a grand total of 8 moves, it is much more threatening than it looks. Wobbuffet's unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows it to trap any Pokemon in the battle except another Wobbuffet or Wynaut. When combined with Counter, Mirror Coat, and Encore, Wobbuffet will all but ensure death to at least one of your opponent's Pokemon. Safeguard combined with the aforementioned Encore also allows deadly sweepers on Wobbuffet's team to come in and set up free of status. Tickle, although rare, allows Wobbuffet to devastate enemy walls when paired with a strong user of Pursuit. On the Pokemon Online battle simulator, Wobbuffet gets access to the item Custap Berry, which turns it into even more of a monster. Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to automatically go first the turn after its health dips below 25% (unless the opponent uses a priority move), meaning it can use Destiny Bond against the opponent, effectively giving it the ability to take down 2 Pokemon.
Commonly used Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Blissey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 255/10/10/75/135/55
Ability: Natural Cure / Serene Grace
With 255 base HP and 135 base Special Defense, Blissey does not need to be explained much. However, with the insanity of special attacks in Ubers, the EV investment on Blissey is often geared to the special defensive side rather than the usual physical defensive department. Because Blissey's base HP is so high, however, it is more beneficial for Blissey to maximize both defense stats in Ubers. Without max Defense, Blissey is 2HKOed by Giratina's Dragon Claw and OHKOed by Metagross's Pursuit. For maximum special walling capabilities, people usually use Toxic, Softboiled (or Wish), Ice Beam (Protect if Wish is used), and Seismic Toss. Blissey can aide its team by using a Wish + Protect strategy, which can heal walling Pokémon that cannot heal themselves, such as Wobbuffet and Groudon.
Forretress
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 75/90/140/60/60/40
Ability: Sturdy
Yet another Steel-type, Forretress comes into Ubers with the wonderful ability to launch Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes onto the opponent's side of the field. Toxic Spikes will hamper Blissey's tanking ability quite drastically, while Stealth Rock hurts Lugia and Ho-Oh badly when they switch. Forretress makes good use of Payback, Gyro Ball and Bug Bite too. Payback is especially useful, as it can hurt Giratina-O, who would otherwise completely block Forretress' Rapid Spin. Be careful however, as Giratina-O often carries Hidden Power Fire for Forretress. Speaking of Rapid Spin, Forretress is one of the only viable users of the move in Ubers. Also, Gyro Ball works relatively well in a metagame like Ubers, where so many Pokémon have high Speed stats.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Base Stats: 91/90/106/130/106/77
Ability: Flash Fire
A terror under the sun like Ho-Oh, Heatran is a valuable Steel-type in Ubers due to its resistances to Dragon and immunity to Fire coupled with sheer power. It can use Dragon Pulse against the Dragon-type switch ins and burn everything to cinders with Overheat. Under the sun and bolstered by Choice Specs, Overheat or Fire Blast puts a big dent into anything that doesn't resist it; even Palkia is 2HKOed by Fire Blast after Stealth Rock with a Flash Fire boost. Heatran might seem like Kyogre bait, but it can explode on the whale. Heatran can effectively stallbreak as well, due to its immunity to Toxic and access to moves like Roar and Taunt.
Jirachi
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Serene Grace
Another one of the little pixies with 100 base stats across the board, Jirachi's Steel-typing provides valuable resistances to the Dragon- and Ice-type attacks so often seen in Ubers; it is not weak to Ghost-, Dark-, or Electric-type attacks either. While Jirachi's offensive capabilities pale in comparison to many Uber sweepers, it can provide valuable team support in the form of Wish and Dual Screens. If Jirachi absolutely must attack, it can smack other Pokémon around with Thunder and STAB Iron Head, which have a 60% paralysis and 60% flinch rate, respectively, due to its ability, Serene Grace. It can make a decent revenge killer with Choice Scarf as well. Jirachi gets Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Body Slam, and U-turn on the physical side; of note are Ice Punch and Body Slam. Ice Punch can destroy a Rayquaza locked into Outrage, while Body Slam has a 60% paralysis rate with Serene Grace, allowing Jirachi to paralyze Ground-types that are immune to Thunder Wave.
Lucario
Type: Fighting / Steel
Base Stats: 70/110/70/115/70/90
Ability: Inner Focus / Steadfast
By using a simple standard Life Orb Swords Dance set, Lucario can instantly pose a large threat even in the Ubers territory. While at first it may seem like it would be completely overshadowed by Swords Dance Rayquaza, Lucario has things that Rayquaza could only dream of attaining, such as Close Combat, which gives Lucario an extremely powerful STAB attack without locking it in and confusing, making it far harder to revenge kill. Finally, and possibly most importantly, it has a plethora of resistances that Rayquaza wishes it had. In exchange for a weakness to Earthquake, it gains the following resistances: 2x to Ice-, 4x to Dark-, 2x to Dragon-, and 4x to Rock-type attacks, all of which are constantly thrown around in Ubers. This makes it very easy to get Lucario in to start Swords Dancing and sweeping, especially when used with Wobbuffet.
Metagross
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 80/135/130/95/90/70
Ability: Clear Body
Metagross is a valuable Pokémon in Ubers due to its much-coveted Steel-typing. Meteor Mash can give many Ubers a hard time, and it also has a few other weapons besides the metallic crusher. Pursuit can seriously hurt Blissey as it switches, and can OHKO Latios and Latias. Metagross gets Bullet Punch for weakened opponents, and Deoxys-A, who gets OHKOed. After all of that, Metagross has Explosion to put a serious dent into anything but Ghost-types once its job is done. Another great thing about Metagross is that it resists Dragon-type attacks, making it a decent Rayquaza stopper provided it's already locked into Outrage, and resistance to Ice-type moves is always handy. Metagross' advantage over Scizor is that it can be EVed to always survive two Thunders from Latias, and almost always survive 2 from Latios.
Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70/130/100/55/80/65
Ability: Swarm / Technician
Scizor is a great Pokemon in Ubers due to its STAB U-turn, which allows it to OHKO Psychic-types with ease. It also has Technician to boost Pursuit to deal quite a bit of damage to Psychic-types as they switch out. Unlike Metagross, Scizor can recover its health with Roost, allowing it to stick around on a team much longer. With Dark-type resistance, base 130 Attack stat, and STAB U-turn, Scizor is a decent counter to Darkrai that lack Nasty Plot; however something else must take the Dark Void before Scizor can switch in. In a similar vein to Metagross, Scizor can lock Deoxys-A into a state of decision. If it decides to switch, Scizor can Pursuit Deoxys-A to death, whereas one trying to stay in may be annihilated by Bullet Punch. Speaking of Bullet Punch, Scizor can make a good revenge killer using Choice Banded Bullet Punch, which hurts even those who resist it due to its massive Attack Stat, STAB, and Technician.
Skarmory
Type: Flying / Steel
Base Stats: 65/80/140/40/70/70
Ability: Keen Eye / Sturdy
Skarmory resists Normal-type and Dragon-type attacks, is immune to Ground-type attacks, and has access to Whirlwind, making it a great check to physical threats, such as Groudon that lack Fire Punch, and Garchomp. It is also immune to Toxic, gets a 50% healing move in Roost, and can effectively use Spikes or Stealth Rock. It makes a good Metagross and Lugia counter as well. Skarmory's weakness is its much weaker Special Defense. While it can wall any physical Dragon-, Ground-, Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type attack, it will fall to the strong special attacks being launched in Ubers, such as Kyogre's Water Spouts and Surfs. It isn't all bad though; Toxic is a good weapon to use on Skarmory in this metagame, as it completely messes up special attacking threats such as Latias and Kyogre who might attempt to switch into you. Toxic severely hampers the defensive ability of Lugia and Deoxys-D too.
Tyranitar
Type: Dark / Rock
Base Stats: 100/134/110/95/100/61
Ability: Sand Stream
STAB Dark-type attacks put a huge dent into most Ubers because of the sheer number of Psychic- and Ghost-types. There aren't many Uber Pokemon who resist Rock-type moves, either. Another thing about Tyranitar is that it has a STAB Pursuit, which puts a giant dent into Blissey, Latios and Latias as they switch out. If they stay in, they will risk getting Crunched, and will still take a lot of damage from Pursuit. Tyranitar's ability, Sand Stream, can change the weather and mess up weather teams, and provides it with a 1.5x Special Defense boost. Be warned, however, that even though Tyranitar has an amazing Special Defense stat with Sandstorm, Ubers special attackers are so powerful that it cannot take them forever. Tyranitar can also function effectively as a mixed attacker, with moves such as Flamethrower for Steel-types and Ice Beam for Groudon and Garchomp.
Uncommon Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Abomasnow
Type: Grass / Ice
Base Stats: 90/92/75/92/85/60
Ability: Snow Warning
The yeti gets special mention because of its unique ability in Snow Warning, which can replace the commonly used rain and sun with hail. Also, Abomasnow can hit many Ubers for super effective damage with its STAB Blizzard, which gains 100% accuracy with the snow falling. It can hit both Groudon and Kyogre super effectively with its Grass-type STAB too. Abomasnow can cause trouble for a stall team too by utilizing an immensely annoying bulky SubSeeding strategy while negating Leftovers with hail, backed up by its Ice- and Grass-type STAB moves. Be careful though, as many Dragon-types that you would hit with Blizzard often carry Fire-type moves, especially Dialga and most Rayquaza.
Bronzong
Type: Psychic / Steel
Base Stats: 67/89/116/79/116/33
Ability: Heatproof / Levitate
Bronzong can use its Psychic/Steel-typing and respectable 116 base defenses to do some walling in Ubers. Levitate removes its Ground-type weakness, allowing it to beat some Groudon and all Metagross, and it can do significant damage to fast Ubers, such as Latios and Darkrai, with Gyro Ball. Bronzong is capable of beating walls such as Lugia and Groudon lacking Fire Punch with Toxic, while avoiding poison itself through its Steel-typing. Additionally, it can spread poison around many sweepers, as it can switch in on Pokémon decently due to its Ice- and Dragon-type resistances; however it must watch out for Thunder. When Bronzong is about to faint, it can go out with a powerful Explosion. Note that Bronzong needs major Special Defense investment to compete in Ubers, though. Due to Bronzong's great typing, it can very successfully aid in setting up a Baton Pass sweep by throwing up Light Screen and Reflect, which lessen the blows on itself and Mew, who would be passing boosts.
Celebi
Type: Grass / Psychic
Base Stats: 100/100/100/100/100/100
Ability: Natural Cure
Celebi’s unimpressive stats (by Uber standards) may decrease its viability, but its sturdy defenses and excellent utility movepool make it a good choice in Ubers. Celebi makes a great lead with access to moves like Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave and U-turn. Celebi can also be an effective attacker, with moves like Leaf Storm, Grass Knot, Earth Power, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and Shadow Ball. Celebi's vast movepool makes it more suited for a supporting role, however, with things like Recover, Light Screen, Reflect, Leech Seed, Trick Room, Baton Pass, Heal Bell, and Perish Song.
Cloyster
Type: Ice / Water
Base Stats: 50/95/180/85/45/70
Ability: Shell Armor / Skill Link
Cloyster is a wasted slot on an Ubers team in every position but the lead spot. As a lead, it has the perfect movepool to accomplish what it's meant to do, with access to a good balance of support and offensive moves. Cloyster can use Ice Beam to maim Groudon severely, always 2HKOing it, and has Ice Shard to pick off Pokemon with a Focus Sash. It can also utilize Rapid Spin and Payback, meaning Deoxys-S's attempts to set up will be futile. Lastly, Cloyster's great support movepool includes Toxic Spikes and Spikes, meaning it can set up against the leads that can't hurt it.
Dugtrio
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 35/80/50/50/70/120
Ability: Arena Trap / Sand Veil
Due to the abundance of Choiced Thunder, Dugtrio is viable because it can come in and finish off any Choice item user that is unfortunate enough to pick an Electric-type attack, thanks to Arena Trap. Commonly Choiced Pokémon, such as Kyogre and Mewtwo, will need to think twice before making a move. Dugtrio can switch in on a Deoxys-A using Thunder or after a kill, trap it, and Sucker Punch it to death. With STAB Earthquake, Dugtrio is powerful enough to take down a Dialga at around 80% with the help of Choice Band. If Blissey doesn't have Ice Beam, Dugtrio can switch in and 2HKO it with Earthquake, effectively opening up the sweeping capabilities of special attackers such as Kyogre, Palkia, and Darkrai. Dugtrio can be used in conjunction with Wobbuffet's Encore to destroy support Pokemon as well.
Froslass
Type: Ghost / Ice
Base Stats: 70/80/70/80/70/110
Ability: Snow Cloak
Froslass has one purpose in the Ubers tier: to set up Spikes while simultaneously blocking Rapid Spin due to its Ghost-typing. At a glance, it may seem as if Froslass is inferior to Deoxys-S in terms of spiking, but this is far from the truth as Froslass can do things Deoxys-S can only dream of. Firstly, as mentioned previously, Froslass blocks Rapid Spin by merit of its Ghost typing, meaning that Forretress can't so easily rid Froslass of all her hard work. Second, it can use Icy Wind to slow down opposing Deoxys-S and then outspeed it next turn with a Shadow Ball, which will always kill Deoxys-S lacking HP investment. It can also use Taunt and Destiny Bond; the former prevents set-up while the latter lets it take an opponent out with ease due to its blazing Speed once its Focus Sash has been activated. Froslass has mediocre stats in all but Speed, but it is not to be doubted when it comes to reliably setting up Spikes.
Gengar
Type: Ghost / Poison
Base Stats: 60/65/60/130/75/110
Ability: Levitate
With Gengar's high Speed stat and helpful Ghost-type STAB, it makes a good candidate for a Choice Scarf revenge killer. Gengar has access to STAB Shadow Ball to hit the many Psychic- and Ghost-types of Ubers for super effective damage. In addition, it can use Thunder and Focus Blast for targets such as Kyogre and Dialga, respectively. While it doesn't have Ice Beam, it can use Hidden Power Ice to hit 4x effective targets such as Garchomp and Rayquaza. Gengar also gains a very useful Normal-type immunity thanks to its Ghost typing, which allows it to revenge kill Pokémon like Rayquaza, who would normally annihilate faster a boosted ExtremeSpeed. Gengar's speed and power, along with good prediction, can make Gengar an effective Pokemon in Ubers. However, it is worth warning that Gengar's paper defenses will crumble under any attack that isn't Ground-, Normal-, Bug or Fighting-typed.
Hariyama
Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 144/120/60/40/60/50
Ability: Guts / Thick Fat
Hariyama may seem like an odd choice for your Uber team, but it can perform quite well as a lead. Hariyama uses Fake Out in conjunction with a Toxic Orb or Flame Orb so that it has the ability to break Focus Sashes and become immune to status moves, such as Darkrai's Dark Void, in one turn. With opposing leads' Sashes broken, Hariyama can proceed to hit hard with a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat or Payback. Hariyama can also come back mid-game if the user needs something to absorb status. Hariyama may seem like a silly choice, but it is not to be underestimated.
Heracross
Type: Bug / Fighting
Base Stats: 80/125/75/40/95/85
Ability: Guts / Swarm
In Ubers, Heracross makes a fine sweeper with a powerful STAB Megahorn and Close Combat, a combination not many Ubers resist. It can also stop Darkrai with Sleep Talk and Choice Scarf; however, beware the restrictions of Sleep Talk by Choice Scarf (you can only use it once before switching out). Heracross is utterly walled by Giratina, but that does not mean it's horrible. The fact that many Pokémon are Psychic- or Dark-type in Ubers allows it to switch in and score a powerful Megahorn easily. Heracross is deceptively bulky as well, with the ability to take things like a Surf from Kyogre in the rain with only 252 HP EVs.
Infernape
Type: Fighting / Fire
Base Stats: 74/104/71/104/71/108
Ability: Blaze
Although Infernape’s poor defenses and average (by Uber standards) offensive stats may seem to limit its viability, Infernape can serve as a great lead and stallbreaker in Ubers. Infernape has several qualities that make it a good lead, such as access to powerful attacks such as Fire Blast and Close Combat, and the ability to use Fake Out and Stealth Rock. Infernape may seem like a poor stallbreaker compared with the powerful mixed attackers in Ubers, but its immunity to Will-O-Wisp, access to STAB Fire Blast and Close Combat (the latter of which takes care of Blissey), ability to use U-turn, and high Speed make him a force to be reckoned with.
Magnezone
Type: Electric / Steel
Base Stats: 70/70/115/130/90/60
Ability: Magnet Pull / Sturdy
Magnezone exists in Ubers solely to destroy other Steel-types that may be blocking your attempt to sweep with Rayquaza or other Dragon-types. With an awesome base 130 Special Attack stat, many Pokémon will fear a STAB Thunder from it. Seeing as most Metagross in Ubers don't carry Earthquake, Magnezone will have an easy time eating it alive. Magnezone can also Toxic the tough special walls and strike fear into Groudon switch-ins with Hidden Power Ice.
Mamoswine
Type: Ground / Ice
Base Stats: 110/130/80/70/60/80
Ability: Oblivious / Snow Cloak
Mamoswine can make a very effective lead, even when pitted against imposing enemies such as Darkrai, Deoxys-S, and Groudon. By taking advantage of Mamoswine's great Attack stat and vast movepool, you can manufacture a set that deals with the three common leads mentioned above. Mamoswine can use combinations of Earthquake, Ice Shard, and Avalanche in order to down Groudon and Deoxys-S in two turns. Also, by using Superpower in conjunction with a Lum Berry, Mamoswine will be able to shut down the omnipresent Darkrai lead, in addition to the less common Tyranitar anti-lead. It also has access to Stealth Rock, in case it is absolutely necessary to set up entry hazards on turn one, and Endeavor for interesting results when used in conjunction with Focus Sash. Lastly, Mamoswine has Ice Shard to pick off Focus Sash leads.
Ninjask
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 61/90/45/50/50/160
Ability: Speed Boost
Ninjask is a great Baton Passer with its ability to pass Speed and Attack to the incoming recipient thanks to his ability, Speed Boost, and access to Swords Dance; it can punish Psychic-types by itself with X-Scissor. Not much else can be said about it. Ninjask has lost a bit of its usefulness, like Ho-Oh, with the addition of Stealth Rock to many movepools. Be sure to use a spinner to support Ninjask in order for it to pull off a Baton Pass successfully, or use it in the lead position so it can avoid Stealth Rock entirely.
Quagsire
Type: Ground / Water
Base Stats: 95/85/85/65/65/35
Ability: Damp / Water Absorb
Quagsire has a few options in Ubers with its two key immunities and support moves. Quagsire's Water Absorb ability allows it to switch into Kyogre's feared STAB Water Spouts and Surfs with impunity, and abuse the fact that Kyogre probably has a Choice item. Quagsire also has a nice Electric-type immunity, allowing it to work well with others by sponging up potential Thunders and crippling Thunder Wave. Furthermore, due to its Water-typing, it has a nice Ice-type neutrality, something that other Water absorbers, such as Parasect, cannot boast. Besides stopping Kyogre and absorbing Thunders, however, Quagsire's use is very limited, and it is usually a wasted team slot. It does have access to moves like Toxic and Encore, but there are better users of those moves, such as Blissey and Wobbuffet, respectively.
Shedinja
Type: Bug / Ghost
Base Stats: 1/90/45/30/30/40
Ability: Wonder Guard
Shedinja does have that pathetic one Hit Point, but its Wonder Guard ability lets it avoid damage from any direct attack that is not Fire-, Ghost-, Dark-, Rock-, or Flying-type. Many Ubers lack an offensive move of those types, including Kyogre, as well as many Latias, Latios, and some Mewtwo. There are also lots of other Pokémon that Shedinja can take on, with its decent base 90 Attack and Swords Dance boosting its STAB Bug-type X-Scissor, and priority in the form of Shadow Sneak. Shedinja can also use the move Will-O-Wisp to incapacitate beasts like Metagross, and Groudon that think they have a free switch-in. Be very careful though, as entry hazards are extremely common, necessitating the use of a Rapid Spinner with Shedinja.
Uxie
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 75/75/130/75/130/95
Ability: Levitate
With a respectable 75 base HP stat and incredible 130 base defenses, Uxie is considered bulky even in the Uber tier. It also has immunity to Ground-type moves and Spikes/Toxic Spikes to help it switch in. While its attacking stats and movepool leave much to be desired, Uxie's supporting movepool complements its defenses and Speed. Uxie has access to a good range of support moves, such as Reflect, Light Screen, Memento, Yawn, and Thunder Wave. These factors give Uxie the ability to easily set up Dual Screens for a Baton Pass Mew - the only reason Uxie is normally used in Ubers.
Weavile
Type: Dark / Ice
Base Stats: 70/120/65/45/85/125
Ability: Pressure
Weavile's main STAB moves are super effective against almost every Uber, making it a decent candidate for a non-Uber in Ubers. It is no slug either, as it speed ties with Darkrai. Weavile has access to priority in the form of Ice Shard, which can be used to pick off Rayquaza and Shaymin-S if the need arises. Weavile's problem is its frailty and the fact that Scizor and Metagross are extremely common. Weavile can also abuse Choice Band Pursuit, which can beat up Latios and Latias, who switch out in fear of Ice Punch.
Chlorophyll Pokemon
Exeggutor
Type: Grass / Psychic
Base Stats: 95/95/85/125/65/55
Ability: Chlorophyll
Exeggutor boasts the strongest STAB Grass Knot in the game, which hits the heavy Pokemon of Ubers for massive damage. Its mediocre defensive stats may not allow it to withstand attacks from the threatening sweepers of Ubers, but its ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach a monstrous Speed of 458 in the sun, allowing it to abuse its 125 Special Attack stat as well as Sleep Powder. Exeggutor can also carry Explosion, letting it go out with a bang and eliminate a troublesome Pokemon.
Jumpluff
Type: Grass / Flying
Base Stats: 75/55/70/55/85/110
Ability: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard
When looking at Jumpluff's stats and typing, it doesn't seem that impressive, but don't underestimate it. Jumpluff's base 110 Speed allows it to outrun a good portion of the Ubers Metagame and speed tie with Lugia and the Lati Siblings. On top of that, Jumpluff's ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach an incredible Speed of 700 in the sun. Accompanying its Speed, Jumpluff also has access to Sleep Powder, Encore, and Leech Seed to make it particularly annoying. With Groudon's help, Jumpluff becomes the fastest SubSeeder in the game. Jumpluff is also immune to Ground-type moves and Spikes/Toxic Spikes, which is good because of its frailty. However, it does take 25% damage from Stealth Rock.
Shiftry
Type: Grass / Dark
Base Stats: 90/100/60/90/60/80
Ability: Chlorophyll / Early Bird
Shiftry has the potenital to sweep entire teams, despite its rather low base stats. With access to Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, and Chlorophyll doubling its decent base 80 Speed in the sun, Shiftry should not be taken lightly. Its STAB Dark attacks, such as Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch, allow it to hit the myriad of Psychic-types in Ubers for super effective damage. Shiftry also has the ability to use moves such as Grass Knot, Seed Bomb, Low Kick, Focus Blast, and Explosion, which lets it to go out with a bang once his usefulness is depleted.
Tangrowth
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 100/100/125/110/50/50
Ability: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard
Although it's the slowest of the Chlorophyll Pokemon, Tangrowth is still fast enough to outspeed Mewtwo in the sunlight. It also boasts great stats in Attack and Special Attack, and unlike Shiftry, Tangrowth can actually switch into Pokemon like Groudon and does not fear priority moves nearly as much. Tangrowth can use Swords Dance with physical attacks, such as Power Whip, Rock Slide, and Earthquake, to get around Pokemon that other Chlorophyll Pokemon have trouble with, such as Dialga and Ho-Oh. Tangrowth can also run a mixed set effectively with special attacks such as Grass Knot, Focus Blast, and Ancientpower. Tangrowth can also fill a supporting role effectively with a myriad of great disruptive attacks such as Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Knock Off.
Rain Pokemon
Kabutops
Type: Rock / Water
Base Stats: 60/115/105/65/70/80
Ability: Battle Armor / Swift Swim
Kabutops is a great candidate for abusing Kyogre's Drizzle ability. Under rain, its Swift Swim ability allows it to outspeed every Pokemon in the game (barring Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf users). Its base 115 Attack may not be that impressive by Uber standards, but Kabutops can quickly double it with the help of Swords Dance. In addition, Kabutops has moves like Low Kick, Stone Edge, Waterfall, and X-Scissor that give it excellent coverage. Under the rain, it can also make use of a Choice Band quite effectively. Kabutops may not seem like much, but under the rain, it poses a huge threat to most teams.
Kingdra
Type: Dragon / Water
Base Stats: 75/95/95/95/95/85
Ability: Sniper / Swift Swim
Although it may seem like Palkia outclasses Kingdra completely, there are still a few good reasons to use Kingdra instead. Kingdra makes good use of Swift Swim, which doubles its mediocre Speed stat in the rain, letting it outrun all non-choiced Pokémon in the Uber tier. Another advantage it has over Palkia is Dragon Dance, which turns Kingdra into a fearsome sweeper if left unchecked. Despite its offensive movepool being limited to its STAB moves (Waterfall, Surf, Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, and Outrage), it should be noted that Water and Dragon can hit everything in Ubers for neutral damage with the exception of Empoleon, which is rarely seen in Ubers. In addition to being a powerful physical sweeper, Kingdra has the ability to utilize an equally high Special Attack stat to run a mixed or special set. This makes Kingdra especially deadly because it can rip through special or physical tanks.
Ludicolo
Type: Grass / Water
Base Stats: 80/70/70/90/100/70
Ability: Rain Dish / Swift Swim
Ludicolo may seem like an odd choice in Ubers, but it shines with rain support from Kyogre. In Ubers, Ludicolo can use moves like Leech Seed, Protect, and Substitute in tandem with its ability, Rain Dish, to stall out a large number of threats in the Uber metagame. Its base 100 Special Defense helps it in this regard, allowing it to easily sponge a multitude of special attacks. Additionally, Ludicolo is one of the best Kyogre counters in the game, being able to switch into any of its attacks (bar Choice Specs Thunder) and stall it out with Leech Seed and Protect. Ludicolo’s other ability, Swift Swim, doubles its Speed in rain, letting it serve as a satisfactory special sweeper.
Qwilfish
Type: Poison / Water
Base Stats: 65/95/75/55/55/85
Ability: Poison Point / Swift Swim
Qwilfish is another physical attacker that can use Swords Dance, like Kabutops. Qwilfish also has the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entry, which is nothing to scoff at, as well as the ability to launch an extremely fast Explosion while the rain is in effect. Even without rain, Qwilfish can be an effective lead, able to set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes, in addition to being able to Explode, as mentioned previously. While none of these are capable of using Sleep Powder, their STAB attacks are boosted in the rain and will pose as much threat as the Chlorophyll users, or probably more, since Kyogre is more common than Groudon in the Uber metagame.
What's Next?
If you have gotten this far, that means you have finished the basic section of the Uber's guide. If you feel you are ready, you should go and try to make an Ubers team. However, if you feel you need more information, and perhaps a sample team, you should read the Advanced Ubers Guide.
Advanced Ubers Guide
If you are just starting Ubers play, it is better to read the basic guide which can be found here. This article is for players who already have a grasp of the basics, or have read the basics section.
Strategy in Ubers
Playing Ubers requires a completely different play style when compared to standard, as some strategies that are effective in standard simply don't cut it in Ubers. In standard play, for instance, a good team has multiple resistances to every type, but this is not always the case in the Uber Metagame. In Ubers it is more important to have checks to all of the Pokemon than just to have a Pokemon who resists every type. For instance, in OU, to counter a Ground-type Pokemon it might be in your best interest to use a Grass-type Pokemon, as it would resist Ground-type moves and hit said Ground-type for super effective damage with its STAB. Uber Pokemon, however, have vast movepools, and their stats soar to such high levels, that they generally have an answer to nearly every type in the game. For this reason it is better to use checks to a specific Pokemon rather than a type resistance. This doesn't mean that having resistances is a bad thing though, and you should have at least one or two resistances to the common attacking types of the Ubers tier.
The Ubers Special Rule
In Standard play, many of the strongest attackers are physically based; in Ubers, the reverse is true. Much of the Uber metagame is centralized around Special Attack and Special Defense, as these two stats soar to astronomical levels with quite a few Ubers. This means that most Ubers have comparatively low Attack and Defense stats, which can be exploited by using heavy physical attackers such as Groudon and Metagross. These Pokémon should be handled with care, however, as physical attackers tend to have comparatively low Special Defense and therefore are vulnerable to the powerful special attacks that run rampant in Ubers.
Maximizing Moves
In Standard, it is generally advised to take advantage of a Pokémon's STAB, unless their STAB is useless. In Ubers, however, type coverage is sometimes more important than STAB, because of the large number of the Psychic-types; some Pokémon, regardless of type, use Dragon-, Electric-, Ice-, Water-, Dark-, and Ghost-type attacks to provide the maximum amount of super effective coverage. Even though many of the Ubers are Psychic-type, they seldom use Psychic-type moves for the very fact that many of their fellow Psychic-types resist them. For example, Mewtwo's Ice Beam hits the majority of the Ubers metagame harder than Psychic. In fact, the only Ubers that hit harder by Psychic are Ho-Oh, Kyogre, and Palkia.
Dragon-, Ice-, and Dark-type attacks can usually be used alone to much success. Darkrai sometimes relies exclusively on its Dark-type STAB, and Mewtwo on Ice Beam. Electric- and Ghost-type moves are rarely seen alone on a moveset, for some Pokémon are completely immune to these attacking types. An Electric-type attack is often paired with an Ice-type attack, and Ghost-type attacks with Fighting-type attacks; the purpose of such pairings is to maximize a specific moveset's type coverage.
Similarly, there are combinations of moves that do not have ample type coverage and are therefore discouraged. For example, a Pokémon almost never has both a Dragon- and an Ice-type attack on a single moveset, for both types together are redundant in that both are super effective against Dragon-types and ineffective against Steel-types. This is one instance where STAB does come into play; the general advice is that a Dragon-type attack be used if it receives STAB, and an Ice-type attack be used otherwise, as Ice-type attacks hits more than just Dragon-types for super effective damage.
Almost all Ubers are capable of increasing their stats through moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, and it would do one well to take advantage of such boosting moves. One would think that with the enormous number of stat boosters, phazers would be in high demand. This is a logical but unfortunately incorrect assumption; Ubers' stats can become numbers that reach far into the thousands, a level that phazers would be hard-pressed to contend with. Instead, the Ubers metagame relies on there being a solid, durable counter that can do something to the Pokémon it wants to counter (such as Giratina using Will-O-Wisp on Groudon to smash its physical potential). Often, it comes down to destroying the opponent before it has the time to set up, or occasionally even racing to see which Uber can raise its stats the fastest.
The Lead Pokemon
As with any Metagame, having a good lead is crucial to in order to obtain an early advantage in the match. Most good leads fall into a few categories: entry hazard leads, anti-leads, and support leads.
Deoxys-S is one of the best leads when it comes to setting up entry hazards, because it has the ability to lay down multiple layers with ease. Entry hazard leads are pretty self explanatory, but even so it is a deadly strategy when employed correctly. The point of leads like Deoxys-S is to limit the amount of switching the opponent can do, and wear them down slowly while making it more and more difficult for the opponent to carry out his strategy. The teams that employ this type of lead often use it in conjunction with phazers, such as Groudon, to rack up damage with their entry hazards quickly. This style is almost always used by stall teams as well, and is usually one of their primary sources of damage. The stacking of entry hazards also aids a lot of sweepers, such as Lucario, who need a small amount of prior damage to get past their counters (such as Groudon in the case of Lucario).
The next type of lead is the anti-lead. Anti-leads are usually very specific to the current metagame, and attempt to hinder as many leads as possible by either hitting very hard, or preventing the opponent from accomplishing their goal with moves such as Taunt. Deoxys-A is a great example of a current anti-lead, able to limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards, and handle many other leads with great type coverage and access to Taunt and ExtremeSpeed. Anti-leads commonly employ moves like Taunt, to stop the opponent from setting up any entry hazards, or Rapid Spin to get rid of any progress the opposing lead has made.
Support leads generally try to get Stealth Rock up, and then help the team by doing things such as spreading status, or having a use outside the lead spot. Groudon is a good example of this kind of lead as he is able to set up Stealth Rock early, spread paralysis via Thunder Wave, and Phaze with Roar while he is at it. Groudon can also come in later in the game and wall nearly every physical attacker there is, meaning he is not just a wasted slot for Stealth Rock.
Although it may be tempting to lead with a wall, it is highly discouraged for several reasons. Walls should react to certain threats, and as they can usually take a good amount of damage, it is not necessary to meet the Pokémon it wants to wall straight up. Additionally, walls are predictable and can easily become setup fodder. As if that were not enough, almost everything in the Uber metagame is capable of bypassing its potential walls; for example, Blissey can take Dialga's special attacks, but she hates Outrage, which leading Dialga often carry.
For the sake of reference here is a list leads that are viable in the current Ubers metagame, and the category they fall into. It is possible for a lead to fall under more than one category, in which case they will be mentioned twice.
Entry Hazard leads
- Cloyster (Spikes / Toxic Spikes)
- Deoxys (Spikes / Stealth Rock)
- Deoxys-A (Spikes / Stealth Rock)
- Deoxys-S (Spikes / Stealth Rock)
- Dialga (Stealth Rock)
- Forretress (Spikes / Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes)
- Froslass (Spikes)
- Groudon (Stealth Rock)
- Infernape (Stealth Rock)
- Mamoswine (Stealth Rock)
- Metagross (Stealth Rock)
- Mew (Stealth Rock)
- Smeargle (Stealth Rock / Spikes / Toxic Spikes)
- Tyranitar (Stealth Rock)
- Qwilfish (Spikes / Toxic Spikes)
- Darkrai
- Deoxys
- Deoxys-A
- Forretress
- Giratina-O
- Hariyama
- Infernape
- Kyogre
- Lucario
- Mamoswine
- Metagross
- Mew
- Mewtwo
- Rayquaza
- Scizor
- Shaymin-S
- Smeargle
- Tyranitar
- Abomasnow
- Darkrai
- Forretress
- Froslass
- Groudon
- Kyogre
- Smeargle
- Tyranitar
As with any other metagame, there are a few dominating forms of play in Ubers: stall, dual screen, and offense. However, in Ubers, with all the massively destructive sweepers, offense is far more prevalent than stall and dual screens. This section will talk about the pros and cons of each type.
Offense
Offense is the most common play style of Ubers for a good reason: all of the Pokémon are just so good at it. Any and every Uber Pokémon has the potential to be a threatening sweeper, except for Giratina, Wobbuffet, and Deoxys-D. As such, offense is by and far the most common for a team. Offensive teams are risky in the sense that they can perform very well, or very poorly, and either way, the match is over quite quickly. An offensive team that is built and played correctly can win quickly and therefore, very often. There are a few Pokémon that stand out in the area of sweeping, though, and they are Rayquaza, Palkia, Garchomp, and Kyogre. Rayquaza is the chief of physical sweepers. Its massive base 150 Attack stat is accompanied by stat-up moves such as Swords Dance and Dragon Dance, both of which rocket his Attack stat up to scarily high numbers. An equally high Special Attack stat allows him to break physical walls too. It also has the wonderful Dragon-type STAB, which devastates almost every single Pokémon in Ubers. It's no exaggeration to say that Rayquaza is one of the biggest reasons that you must carry a Steel-type on your team.
Palkia is another potent sweeper in the Uber metagame. It gets two boosts, one being the Water-type boost from Kyogre's rain, and the other being its personal item, the Lustrous Orb, which boosts both its Water- and Dragon-type moves. It can go special, physical, or mixed, and thus has no true counters.
Garchomp, while relatively new to the scene, is no slouch. Garchomp is arguably the best revenge killer in the Ubers metagame. Its odd base 102 Speed stat allows it to outrun rival revenge killers with a Choice Scarf and pummel all Pokémon on their generally weaker physical side with STAB Dragon- and Ground-type attacks.
Finally, there's Kyogre, the King of Ubers. Kyogre's Water Spout is truly terrifying coming off of its base 150 Special Attack stat. Backed by STAB, weather boost, and often Choice Specs, this attack truly is the single most deadly attack in the entire game.
One must not forget Wobbuffet, though. Wobbuffet's home is on an offensive team, despite its defensive stats. It can use the power of Encore and Shadow Tag (and in some cases, Safeguard too) in order to give a Pokémon at least one turn to set up and sweep. Furthermore, with Shadow Tag and Counter and Mirror Coat, it can function as an effective revenge killer in a pinch. However, Offensive teams are not unbeatable. Opposing offense can take them down quickly due to the powerful attacks that they can fire back at you. Furthermore, a well-built stall team is the bane of an Ubers offense team, as it can wear down the big hitters due to the necessity of constant switching.
Stall
Conversely, there's the quintessential stall team. These types of teams can be incredibly difficult to beat, as major offensive teams are quickly worn down by the passive damage that accompanies their constant switching. Any team that lacks a stallbreaking Pokémon will be eventually destroyed. An Ubers stall team is made up of a certain core of Pokémon, as only the best of the best in walls can stand up to the powerful attacks in Ubers. Generally, the team should have a Blissey, to soak special hits, Latias, to counter Kyogre and some Palkia, Groudon, to stop rain offense and take physical hits, and Forretress, to take high powered Dragon-type attacks and set down both types of Spikes. Other good Pokémon for stall are Giratina, who blocks Rapid Spin and takes sleep-inducing moves, Skarmory, who can also set up entry hazards and use Whirlwind to shuffle, Abomasnow, whose hail nullifies Leftovers and is a great SubSeeder, Cresselia, a great mixed wall, or Lugia, a great physical wall that counters Groudon, Rayquaza, and Garchomp very well.
There are a few Pokémon a stall team must watch out for, however, those being mixed Palkia, Dialga, and Rayquaza. Certain varieties of Rayquaza, such as the Dragon Dance version with Overheat, can bowl through a weakened stall team. The final two threats are two Substitute Calm Mind sweepers, Kyogre and Giratina-O. Both can boost their Special Attack and Special Defense to extraordinary levels with Calm Mind and protect themselves from status with Substitute, making Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey the only way to stop them. Giratina-O is generally the more threatening of the two because it has Levitate, meaning that it avoids the Spikes and Toxic Spikes that wear Kyogre down.
There also exists a variety of stall teams called "Quick Stall", in which fast Pokémon are used to set up entry hazards, like in Deoxys-S's case, or annoy and stall out the opponent, such as Jumpluff. Stall Teams are good for some, as they require a bit less prediction, but their only way to victory is through a long match, which gives your opponent many potential chances to set up and wipe you out. That's what makes Quick Stall so appealing, it can speed up the game significantly if played right.
Dual Screens
Another type of play is based around the use of dual screens: Reflect and Light Screen. This play style can be further subdivided into Baton Pass and screen offensive, both of which use dual screens to cushion blows. However, it is what they do behind these screens that makes them different from one another. In screen offense, Reflect and Light Screen are used solely to help a normal offensive team run its course. Pokémon that would normally make good checks or counters will now fail because they only hit the Pokémon they're checking for half damage. For example, Dragon Dance Rayquaza behind a Reflect can set up and sweep before Groudon, a typical counter to the set, can down it with Dragon Claw. These teams are slightly harder to beat, as they cannot be stopped with brute force alone. One must stall out or break the screens with Brick Break, and then proceed from there as normal. However, the drawback to this sort of team is that it requires a dedicated dual screener. So as far as offense goes, the team really only has five players.
Baton Pass, the other type of dual screen play, is as deadly as it is rare. What makes Baton Pass so successful in Ubers is the combination of two Pokémon: Deoxys-S and Mew. Deoxys-S, being the fastest Pokémon in the game, makes it easy to set up entry hazards, which will weaken potential counters to the Pokémon who will receive the boosts. Mew, however, is the glue that holds the team together. Mew is the ultimate Baton Passer, as it can pass +2 of whatever stat it chooses. Dual screens are set up to protect Mew as it boosts its stats to obscene levels, and then passes these boosts to a sweeper, which becomes nearly unstoppable after receiving these gifts. Generally, these boosts will be given to a physical Pokemon, such as Groudon, as there is no central physical wall, whereas Blissey and Latias are hard stops to most special threats.
It is possible, albeit difficult, to counter Baton Pass teams. A team like this has one strategy and one strategy only: to prepare the sweeper. The way to counter this is by using smart switching and prediction in order to disrupt the opponent's course of play, making him or her unable to get a sweep ready. Since each Pokémon plays a key role in such a team, fainting even one of the members has essentially halted the process that the team is designed to fulfill. A less tactical and riskier method to counter a Baton Pass team is to include a Pokemon that knows Brick Break on your team, such as a mixed offensive Rayquaza. This can be unreliable, though, as you initially won't know if you are fighting one of these teams, and if your Brick Break user dies, you essentially wasted a moveslot. Baton Pass teams are some of the deadliest and best thought-out of offensive teams, regardless of whether or not one is prepared for them.
Team Building
A checklist and a sample team to help you create your own Uber team.
Ubers Team Checklist
When you are playing in the Ubers metagame, make sure you have most of these items covered. Use this checklist as a guide to build your team. Even if an Ubers team do not have some of these, it is still important to cover the vast majority of threats, although some are more important than others.
Have key resistances.
A misnomer in most Ubers teams is that you must have a physical and special wall. This is not the case. Instead, you need resistances to the following types: Dragon, Water, Ice, Ground, Electric-, Dark-, Normal-, and Ghost. These are the types of the most common attacks in Ubers. Types like Grass and Bug are much more uncommon than the others, because they hit only some of the Ubers threats, which can be a big drawback in constructing a good moveset (see “Maximizing Moves”). The most important thing to make sure you have when checking for key resistances is a Dragon-type resist. It is crucial that your team has a method to absorb the powerful Dragon-type attacks that are thrown around in Ubers or your team will be destroyed easily. Blissey absorbs Draco Meteor and Spatial Rend, the most common Dragon-type attacks, if you don't feel like using a Steel-type, but she is not always the best choice for offensive teams because she is setup bait. If you are using an offensive team, Scizor, Metagross, and specially defensive Jirachi are examples of good Steel-types to use.
Have a physical sweeper (for stall teams, change sweeper to wall).
You will need something to stop Blissey, and it is better to have more than one. Pokemon like Rayquaza cannot switch into Blissey directly due to Toxic and Thunder Wave, but after a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance (or any other boosting move), they can blow through Blissey, either sweeping themselves, or open up a hole for a special sweepers. Certain physical threats such as Metagross or Scizor are also good for their ability to switch directly into Blissey.
Have a special sweeper.
Physical walls may not be as common as special ones in Ubers, but they do exist; however, as a majority of the Ubers are special attackers, you're likely end up using two or three special sweepers anyway.
Have a pseudo hazer (phazer).
This isn't as necessary as the others, since Ninjask is the only thing that would really lose its Baton Passing abilities when phazed. Don't even think about phazing Mew; it will probably Taunt you anyway. This does not have to be a specialized Pokemon made just for phazing though; it's simple as putting Roar on your Groudon. This isn't as important for offensive teams as it is for stall teams.
Have a counter or check to most of the Pokémon described.
That would be all Ubers, Metagross, Blissey, Heatran, Forretress, Skarmory, Magnezone, Ninjask and Weavile. It is impossible to fully counter everything, as some, such as Palkia, does not have a real counter. It is advised that you get close to countering all of them as possible, however. You must have something to switch into common attacks, such as a Kyogre's Water Spout and Rayquaza's Outrage. Pokemon that are faster than Kyogre and have good Special Defense work well, such as Latias or Palkia, whereas most physical walls not weak to Dragon will work for Rayquaza. It is generally better to outspeed Rayquaza as well (an example of a Pokemon who satisfys both conditionsis Lugia). One of the biggest newbie mistakes is to switch Blissey into Specs Kyogre's Water Spout. Remember, Blissey is 2HKOed by the beast, making it a very bad switch-in.
Have a sleep talker/absorber.
There are two Ubers capable of using sleep moves: Darkrai and Mew. Due to the Uber metagame's speed and pace, losing a Pokémon to a sleep move can be fatal to your team. It is important to keep your Pokémon from fainting until it has done its job. A sleep absorber in this metagame is more important than in the OU metagame. For newer players, a Sleep absorber uses the move Sleep Talk to take the status condition sleep and activate Sleep Clause (a standard rule that states one may only put one opposing Pokémon to sleep at a time); Sleep Talk is so it's not completely useless while sleeping.
Have a Rapid Spinner.
Spinning helps you get your Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza onto the field. However, in the Uber metagame, the only Pokémon that should be considered for spinning is Forretress. Forretress can also help by physical walling, setting up its own entry hazards, and soaking up Outrages, and possibly Exploding. Having a Rapid Spinner isn't needed, but it's a nice thing to have as entry hazards limit your switching.
Have a Stealth Rocker or Spiker.
There are a few options here: Skarmory, Forretress, and Deoxys-S can learn Spikes and Stealth Rock. Other Pokémon that learns Stealth Rock but not Spikes are Dialga, Groudon, Blissey, Heatran and Metagross. Stealth Rock will help you weaken things like Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza, while Spikes hurt everything that's on the ground. One of the only Pokémon viable in Ubers that learns Toxic Spikes is Forretress, making it a key player in stall teams and teams that need residual damage. Spikes is not mandatory for offensive teams, but they, along with Toxic Spikes, are mandatory for stall teams.
Have a weather changer.
Tyranitar, Kyogre, Abomasnow, and Groudon are the main weather changers in Uber play. They help against teams that rely on weather to win, and those kinds of teams can be very dangerous unless the weather is changed. Even if you only have one weather changer, it can impact the game significantly.
Sample Team #1
This is a sample offensive team, designed to help brand new players get accustomed to Ubers. There is a disclaimer attached to this, and all of the other sample teams: Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame, and thus in order to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Deoxys-S @ Focus Sash
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk/ 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Superpower
Deoxys-S is chosen to lead this team because it can reliably set up Stealth Rock against nearly every opposing lead and often get a layer or two of Spikes to boot. It has the highest Speed in the game, and it puts its Speed to great use with a speedy Taunt to stop any leads trying to set up their own hazards. Superpower is the attacking move of choice for Deoxys-S to hurt Darkrai. 252 HP EVs are chosen over Attack EVs because the added bulk allows Deoxys-S to score an additional layer on some occasions, and bulk is more useful then power on this suicide lead.
The Kyogre Counter
Latias @ Soul Dew
EVs: 160 HP / 96 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Thunder
With the massive power and bulk provided by Soul Dew, Latias is considered to be one of the best Kyogre counter in the game. Thanks to its great Speed and numerous resistances, Latias will easily find a way to switch in and get in a Calm Mind boost (which can be facilitated by Wobbuffet) and punch holes in the opponent team, or even sweep. Latias also acts as a great defensive check to many dangerous Pokemon such as Garchomp, non-Scarfed Palkia, Shaymin-S, Manaphy, and it can even take a hit or two from Mewtwo and fire back a powerful STAB Dragon Pulse. Thunder is chosen as its coverage attack to zap Lugia, Manaphy, Kyogre, and most Steel-types, and it will never miss in the rain. Recover keeps Latias nice and healthy so it can continue to sweep and check threats on the opponent's team.
The Set-Up Aide
Wobbuffet @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EVs: 28 HP/ 228 Def/ 252 SpD
- Counter
- Mirror Coat
- Encore
- Safeguard
The blue blob is a great addition to this team as it provides either a free set up for Kyogre and Latias, or a free kill on an opponent's team member. Counter and Mirror Coat's purposes are obvious; they allow Wobbuffet to often eliminate at least one Pokemon. Encore lets Wobbuffet turn a support Pokemon into helpless set-up fodder, while Safeguard lets a teammate come in for free against an Encored status move.
The King
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def/ 32 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This isn't Kyogre's most common set, but it is extremely effective at destroying an unprepared opponent. Calm Mind allows Kyogre to boost its massive Special Attack and Special Defense, while Rest allows it to heal off the damage it takes in the process. Sleep Talk means Kyogre isn't completely useless for the two turns it sleeps. Surf is chosen as Kyogre's only attack as it gains a pseudo double STAB boost with rain and Kyogre's Water-typing. As is the case with many setup sweepers, the presence of Wobbuffet makes it easier for Kyogre to setup its first Calm Mind. After one Calm Mind, Pokemon like Palkia will struggle to bring the great whale down, even with Thunder.
The Spin Blocker
Giratina-O @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 248 Atk / 64 SpA / 196 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Hidden Power Fire
- Shadow Sneak
Giratina-O is a nice addition as its Ghost typing prevents Forretress from spinning away Deoxys-S's entry hazards. The spectral Dragon is a great mixed attacker as well, with Draco Meteor and Outrage letting it hit both special and physical walls hard, allowing it to muscle through stall teams in most cases. Hidden Power Fire lets Giratina-O to quickly incinerate Forretress if it dares stay in and attempt to use Payback. Shadow Sneak rounds off the moveset nicely by giving Giratina-O a STAB priority attack to pick off weakened opponents.
The Revenge Killer
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SpA)
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Trick
Most Ubers teams need a good revenge killer to stop fast and powerful sweepers, such as Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Darkrai. Jirachi does just that, and it does it well thanks to its good Speed stat and numerous resistances. Although Jirachi isn't very strong, it can still revenge kill many Pokemon with its STAB Iron Head, which has a 60% chance of flinching the opposing Pokemon. Ice Punch makes Jirachi into a great check for all forms of Rayquaza and Swords Dance Garchomp. U-turn severely hurts Darkrai and Mewtwo and allows Jirachi to scout its counters. It also lures in Groudon, which Kyogre or Latias can come in on and get a free Calm Mind or two. Trick locks an enemy Pokemon into one attack, which can allow Wobbuffet to come in and get a free KO, or Kyogre or Latias to come in and start Calm Minding.
Team Check
This is an evaluation of the sample team. Do they all come together?
Have switch-ins to the major Ubers? Yes.
Have a special sweeper? Yes.
Have a physical sweeper? Yes
Have resistances to Dragon, Ice, Electric, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug, Fighting, Ground, Water, Fire, Steel and Rock? This team doesn't resist Ghost- and Dark-type attacks, but most of the attack of those types are Special Attacks, and Kyogre doesn't mind them.
Have a Spinner? No, but Deoxys-S can Taunt any lead attempting to get down a lot of hazards.
Have a phazer? No, but nothing can get more than one boost with Wobbuffet around.
Have a weather changer? Yes.
Have a Spiker/Stealth Rocker? Yes.
Have a sleep talker? Yes.
Sample Team #2
This sample team is designed for those who prefer to use stall teams. Please note that it may be harder to play stall than offense in Ubers when you first start. This is due to the fact that you may not know what's a good switch-in for a given situation; however, a stall team is provided if that is your preferred play-style. Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame,so to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Groudon @ Leftovers
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Atk / 32 Def/ 60 SpD/ 8 Spe
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Stone Edge
Groudon is one of the best leads for a stall team as it almost always manages to reliably get Stealth Rock up, in addition to having the ability to come in later to sponge a physical hit or two. Groudon is useful because it activates sunlight too, which the majority of offensive teams don't like. Groudon also provides phazing, which is important for most stall teams due to the powerful set-up sweepers in Ubers. Stone Edge allows Groudon to effectively check Ho-Oh, who can 2HKO Kyogre with Brave Bird. Earthquake is a powerful STAB attack, and is needed to check things like Bulk Up Dialga.
The Special Wall
Blissey @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Protect
Blissey is a key member on any Uber stall team due to her ability to wall nearly every single special attacker in the game. In Ubers, unlike standard, Blissey needs a Calm nature with special powerhouses like Dialga running rampant. Wish allows Blissey to heal her teammates, and Protect in tandem with Wish lets her heal herself efficiently. Seismic Toss is mandatory as Blissey's only way of dealing damage, and Toxic lets Blissey stall out Pokemon that are immune to Toxic Spikes due to Levitate or Flying typing.
The Status Absorber
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 Spe
Modest nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Kyogre serves as the late game sweeper and status absorber, but also can create a win condition against opposing teams if they can't break through its defenses. Calm Mind in tandem with Rest and Sleep Talk makes Kyogre very hard to kill, and allows Kyogre to boost its stats until it reaches a point where it can sweep. Surf is chosen as the only attack as it gets STAB and a boost from the rain.
The Spiker and Spinner
Forretress @ Leftovers
Nature: Careful (+ SpD, - SpA)
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 Def/ 252 SpD
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
- Spikes
- Payback
Forretress is the only viable Rapid Spinner in Ubers, and the Toxic Spikes it provides help stall out a lot of Pokemon. Forretress is also chosen for his ability to lay Spikes, which makes it difficult for the opponent to switch frequently. This metal bug is also very useful due to its Steel-typing, being able to easily switch into Dragon-type attacks and set up more entry hazards to the further hinder the opponent. A Careful nature and maximum special bulk are chosen to ensure Forretress isn't crushed by not very effective special attacks, such asDragon Pulse from Dialga. Payback is needed to hit the Giratina formes hard if they attempt to block your Rapid Spin attempts, but it is only advised to attempt to hit them on the switch in, as they both carry moves that are bad news for the little iron ball.
The Glue
Palkia @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Nature: Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
- Spacial Rend
- Surf
- Thunder
- Outrage
Palkia may not seem to fit on a team like this, but it is needed to check powerful set-up sweepers in Ubers, such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Spacial Rend provides a powerful STAB attack, and a way to hit Dragon-types for massive damage, whereas Surf compliments Spacial Rend nicely by washing away pesky Steel-types if sunlight isn't present. Thunder is used to check Kyogre, who can be a big threat to this team as its Water Spout can 2HKO Blissey. Outrage is in the last slot to decimate the Lati twins if they manage to procure to many Calm Minds, as well as giving Palkia a way to hit opposing Blissey.
The Spin Blocker
Giratina-O @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 248 Atk / 64 SpA / 196 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Hidden Power Fire
- Shadow Sneak
Giratina-O is another Pokemon that may seem out of place in a stall team over Giratina, but this spinblocker has some key advantages. First off, Giratina's walling sets generally have problems with Forretress setting up on it, which isn't something this team wants, so this set aims to put a quick end to Forretress with Hidden Power Fire. Giratina-O has another valuable asset in its STAB Shadow Sneak, which can be useful to pick off weakened sweepers that threaten to take a chunk out of the team. Draco Meteor and Outrage form the double Dragon attacking combination, which coming off 120 base Attack and Special Attack, is nothing to scoff at.
Team check
This is an evaluation of the sample team. Do they all come together?
Have switch-ins to the major Ubers? Yes.
Have a special sweeper (for stall change sweeper to wall)? Yes (Blissey).
Have a physical wall? Yes (Groudon).
Have resistances to Dragon, Ice, Electric, Dark, Ghost, Bug, Fighting, Ground, Water, Fire, Steel and Rock? Yes.
Have a Spinner? Yes.
Have a phazer? Yes.
Have a weather changer? Yes.
Have a Spiker/Stealth Rocker? Yes.
Have a sleep talker? Yes.
Sample Team #3
This is the final sample team, and it is a Baton Pass team centered around Mew's amazing ability to nearly always pull off a successful pass. This team should not be the first team you try, but it is here for reference if you wish to make a Baton Pass team of your own (there is no checklist at the end because Baton Pass teams operate differently from the 2 previous teams). Creating your own team is a great way of learning the metagame, so to get better with Ubers, you should make your own team after a few rounds with this one.
The Lead
Deoxys-S @ Focus Sash
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- ExtremeSpeed
Deoxys-S can get Stealth Rock up against almost every lead, and can manage to get up a layer of Spikes sometimes. Taunt is great to stop opposing leads from executing their strategy, whatever it may be. ExtremeSpeed is useful to break the Focus Sashes of opposing leads, while Deoxys-S's own Focus Sash allows it to take a hit, meaning it can normally use two moves before going down. Max HP is chosen over Attack because Deoxys-S isn't meant to do damage, and that extra HP can help in a lot of situations.
The Dual Screener
Uxie @ Light Clay
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
Calm nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Memento
- Thunder Wave
Uxie is the choice for Dual Screens over Mewtwo and Latios for a few reasons. Uxie boasts the ability to use Memento, which works better then Selfdestruct for getting Mew in safely, because Selfdestruct gives the opponent a free switch too. Over Latios, Uxie has more bulk, which makes it easier to successfully put up both screens. In a pinch, Memento can be used without screens and Mew's bulk should allow it to survive a hit or so, but it is risky. Thunder Wave is useful for an obvious switch, and lets you choose your first screen accordingly, rather than blindly hoping you pick the right one. The EVs provided give Uxie considerable bulk on both the special and physical sides.
The Baton Passer
Mew @ Lum Berry
EVs: 244 HP / 210 Spd / 56 SpD
Calm nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Baton Pass
- Nasty Plot
- Taunt
- Rock Polish
What good is an Ubers Baton Pass team without Mew? Mew nearly always provides a +2 in Special Attack and Speed to a recipient, as long as you can manage to get Reflect and Light Screen up. Lum Berry is there to act as a safeguard against status, as Taunt means nothing can phaze Mew. It is important to not get greedy with boosts, as it is easy to lose Mew that way, and 1 Nasty Plot and 1 Rock Polish will usually suffice. However, stall teams will usually have a much harder time dealing with this little pixie, so it is fine to go for multiple Nasty Plots while Rock Polish, as stall teams very rarely use fast Pokemon that can threaten Dialga, and Dialga needs 2 Nasty Plots to safely beat Blissey.
The Recipient Sweeper
Dialga @ Lum Berry
EVs: 72 HP / 186 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
Dialga is our main recipient for Mew's Baton Pass because of its great type coverage, power, and resistance to most priority attacks. With +2 Special Attack and Speed, Dialga can plow through most of the metagame, being able to take at least one hit with its decent bulk and to use Lum Berry to block status from pests like Blissey. Speaking of Blissey, with +2, Dialga can't muscle past the ball of fat, but she is rarely seen outside of a stall team, meaning you can usually get more than one Nasty Plot. Dragon Pulse maims anything that doesn't resist it, so Thunderbolt and Flamethrower are there to crush the Steel-types that do, no matter the weather. Finally, Aura Sphere does a truck load to Blissey, Heatran, and opposing Dialga. The EVs are designed to let Dialga outspeed Scarfed Shaymin-S after a Rock Polish is passed to it.
Back-up Recipient
Giratina-o @ Platinum Orb
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Spe / 220 SpA
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Aura Sphere
- Calm Mind
Giratina-O is a great choice as a back-up sweeper for Dialga because it achieves perfect coverage with Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere, as well as having a way to set-up by itself if something goes wrong. Another reason Giratina-O is used as a back-up Baton Pass recipient is because if a Pokemon like Groudon comes into Mew, Mew can't safely pass its boosts to Dialga, but it can pass them to Giratina-O, who has a handy immunity to Earthquake. Substitute allows Giratina-O to block status if necessary, but be careful, as it has no way to recover the lost health. Giratina-O also acts as a spinblocker for this team, as it would be a shame for Deoxys-S's work to go waste.
The Clean Up
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Timid nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Surf
- Sleep Talk
- Ice Beam
Kyogre's has two purposes: to come in if the Baton Pass recipient dies, and to absorb Darkrai's Dark Void. The first is its most important role, and it works as a great clean-up Pokemon with powerful Surfs under the rain, while Ice Beam and Thunder are for Dragons and opposing Water-types, respectively. Kyogre's second purpose is to come in on a Dark Void and Sleep Talk a powerful attack back at Darkrai. Be warned, however, as Sleep Talk can only be used once with a Choice item. Kyogre needs Choice Scarf as its item to effectively clean up a weakened team.
How to counter Uber threats
In this section the Uber threats will be listed, along with their respective checks and counters. This section aims to help you if you are struggling to handle a certain Pokemon, or wish to see if a Pokemon can check multiple threats. Take note that this is not a comprehensive list however, and there are more Pokemon than the ones listed to check these threats. However, these are the most viable ones, and in most cases can do something outside of checking a designated Uber. If a Pokemon is marked with a * symbol, that means that Pokemon is a check and can't safely switch into the Pokemon it checks. Additionally, some Pokemon require a certain item to effectively check another; if this is the case, the item will be mentioned (not counting Latios' and Latias' Soul Dew), this section will also include if a certain Pokemon can only check a specific set of another Uber. Deoxys-S is a bit different then the other Ubers due to the fact the only it is only commonly used in the lead position to set up entry hazards. Therefore, it will list the Pokemon that can limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards while retaining other utility.
Darkrai-
Nasty Plot: Primeape* (Choice Scarf), Heracross*, Mewtwo*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Kyogre*, Ho-Oh*, Scizor*, Jirachi* (Choice Scarf)
Swords Dance: Groudon, Lugia, Giratina, Kyogre* (bulky), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Primeape* (Choice Scarf), Heracross*, Scizor*
Deoxys-S-
Lead: Forretress, Cloyster, Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A*, Abomasnow*, Froslass*, Giratina*, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Deoxys-
Lead: Abomasnow, Cloyster*, Darkrai, Forretress, Froslass, Giratina, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Deoxys-D-
Spiker: Darkrai*, Mewtwo (with Taunt), Scizor, Forretress, Heatran, Tyranitar, Kyogre
Deoxys-A-
Lead: Abomasnow, Cloyster*, Darkrai, Forretress*, Froslass, Giratina, Giratina-O, Hariyama, Heracross*, Lucario, Mamoswine, Mewtwo*, Rayquaza, Scizor*, Shaymin-S*, Tyranitar, Metagross
Life Orb: Scizor*, Giratina-O*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Metagross, Kyogre* (Choice Scarf), Ho-Oh*
Dialga-
Mixed: Deoxys-D, Heatran*, Lugia*, Ho-Oh*, Garchomp*, Latios* (with Draco Meteor),
Choice Specs: Blissey, Heatran*, prediction
Choice Scarf: Blissey, Heatran, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Bulk Up Tank: Groudon, Heatran, Lucario*, Lugia**, Skarmory**, Dialga* (Choice Specs), Mewtwo* (Taunt + Will-o-Wisp)
**Lugia and Skarmory cannot directly defeat Bulk Up Dialga, but they can wall and phaze Dialga until it is the last Pokemon.
Garchomp-
Choice Scarf: Skarmory, Bronzong, Lugia, Forretress, Scizor, Groudon, Kyogre* (bulky), Cresselia, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Swords Dance + Haban Berry: Cresselia, Lugia, Mewtwo, Latios* (with Draco Meteor), Skarmory, Bronzong
Choice Band: Skarmory, Bronzong, Lugia, Forretress*, Scizor*, Groudon*, Cresselia*, prediction
Giratina-O-
Mixed: Lugia, Deoxys-D, Heatran* (if Giratina-O does not have Earthquake), Dialga*, Latias*, Latios*, Jirachi* (without Earthquake), Skarmory* (without HP Fire), Bronzong* (without HP Fire), Scizor* (without HP Fire), Blissey* (without Dragon Claw / Outrage), Kyogre* (without Dragon Claw / Outrage), Registeel* (without Earthquake), Tyranitar*
Substitute + Calm Mind: Lugia* (without Shadow Ball), Latios*, Latias*, Dialga*, Heatran* (without Aura Sphere), Tyranitar* (without Aura Sphere)
Groudon-
Rock Polish and Paradancer: Skarmory, Bronzong, Kyogre*, Groudon* (physically bulky), Giratina*, Giratina-O*, Cresselia, Lugia*, Mewtwo* (Taunt + Will-o-Wisp)
Ho-Oh-
Physical Attacker: Kyogre*, Garchomp*, Groudon* ,Heatran** (if Ho-Oh lacks Earthquake), Tyranitar*
Kyogre-
All sets: Blissey* (beware of Choice Specs Water Spout, as well as Calm Mind + Rest), Latias, Latios*, Ludicolo*, Palkia*, Quagsire*
Latias + Latios-
All Sets: Blissey (as long as they lack Safeguard or Refresh), Metagross, Jirachi, Tyranitar*, Scizor*,
Lugia-
Great Wall: Darkrai, Kyogre, Tyranitar, Forretress**, Skarmory**, anything with Toxic, Wobbuffet***, Mewtwo
Defensive Calm Mind: Blissey, Latias (with Calm Mind), Latios (with Calm Mind), Kyogre* (with Calm Mind), Heatran*, Mewtwo (with Taunt), Darkrai, Jirachi, Wobbuffet***, Tyranitar
Offensive Calm Mind: Blissey, Latias (with Calm Mind), Latios (with Calm Mind), Ho-Oh, opposing Lugia*, Skarmory**, Tyranitar*
**Skarmory and Forretress are incapable of killing Lugia unless they have Toxic. However, they can set up entry hazards on it.
***Wobbuffet doesn't have much to fear from Lugia and can easily aid its teammates by Encoring it.
Manaphy-
Tail Glow and Calm Mind: Blissey (needs Calm Mind), Dialga, Latias + Latios, Kyogre*, Palkia, Groudon**, Tyranitar**, Abomasnow**.
**These Pokemon are weather changers.
Mew-
Lead: Forretress, Tyranitar*, Giratina-O, Rayquaza*
Baton Pass: Darkrai*, Metagross*, Scizor*, Tyranitar*, Rayquaza (with Brick Break), Dialga (with Brick Break), Kyogre (Choice Specs), Mewtwo* (with Taunt)
Mewtwo-
Taunt + Calm Mind: Blissey* (to an extent), Kyogre* (if Mewtwo lacks Thunder), Ho-Oh* (without Thunder), Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Tyranitar* (without Aura Sphere), Giratina-O* (to an extent)
Life Orb + 4 Attacks: Blissey*, Kyogre* (Choice Scarf), Palkia* (Choice Scarf), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Giratina-O*, Wobbuffet*, opposing Mewtwo*(specially defensive), Ho-Oh*, Scizor* (without Flamethrower), Metagross* (without Flamethrower).
Taunt + Will-O-Wisp: Ho-Oh, Heatran, Heracross, Kyogre*, Darkrai, Substitute Shaymin-S*
Palkia-
Choice Scarf: Blissey, Heatran*, Ho-Oh* (in sunlight), Lugia*, Scizor*, Metagross*, Jirachi*, Wobbuffet*, prediction
Mixed: Latias*, Latios*, Lugia*, Groudon*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf), prediction
Rayquaza-
Swords Dance: Lugia, Cresselia*, Groudon*, Mewtwo* (bulky), Dialga (Choice Scarf), Jirachi (Choice Scarf), Skarmory* (if Rayquaza does not have a Fire attack), Bronzong*, Tyranitar (Choice Scarf), Garchomp*
Dragon Dance: Lugia*, Cresselia, Groudon*, Palkia (Choice Scarf), Jirachi (Choice Scarf), Skarmory* (without a Fire attack), Bronzong*, Garchomp* (Choice Scarf).
Mixed: Lugia*, Ho-Oh* (without Outrage), Heatran* (without Brick Break), Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Palkia*
Salamence- Salamence's counters and checks are mostly the same as Rayquaza's; the only difference is that Choice Scarf Palkia relies on a Speed tie to check Dragon Dance Salamence.
Shaymin-S-
Choice Scarf: Blissey*, Heatran*, Metagross*, Scizor*, Skarmory*, Jirachi*, Lugia*, Ho-Oh*, Tyranitar*
Substitute + Leech Seed: Ho-Oh*, Heatran*, Lugia*, Scizor*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf)
Life Orb: Blissey*, Ho-Oh*, Latias*, Lugia*, Scizor*, Dialga* (Choice Scarf), Mewtwo*, Palkia* (Choice Scarf)
The Trick Room Factor
In Ubers, Pokémon are generally EVed to outspeed other Pokémon. Examples are Lugia being trained to outspeed Groudon and Rayquaza, and Latias being trained to outspeed Palkia. Trick Room reverses all of these, making these attempts at outspeeding useless. Therefore, hard-hitting and slow-moving Pokémon work extremely well under Trick Room. Some of these Pokémon are Dialga, Giratina-O, Kyogre, and Groudon. However, the Trick Room strategy has a big drawback in that it only lasts for four turns, not including the turn it is set up. Therefore, one must pack enough Trick Room users to keep the field effect up throughout the battle.
Why would one use a turn and a moveslot to set up Trick Room, especially when time and space are such necessary commodities in Ubers? Trick Room can allow powerful but slow Pokémon such as Groudon or Dialga to make an impact. Of course, Pokémon that can set up Trick Room safely are also necessary. Usually, Pokémon that are used to set up Trick Room in Ubers are sturdy specimens such as Dialga, who is arguably the best Trick Roomer due to its fortuitous Dragon/Steel-typing and decent defensive stats. Obviously, one would not leave the Trick Rooming to something like Deoxys-A.
Additional Help
If, after reading this guide, you feel that your Ubers skills are still lacking, there are some resources on Smogon's forums that can help you. First and foremost, there's the first section of the Ubers Guide, which can help you with the basics. Second, there is also another section to this guide, called Basic Ubers Guide<-link goes here , that has detailed information about Arceus and its many uses. There's also the Rate My Team Archive, where great teams are saved, including Ubers teams, which can aid you in building a team. You can also use the Warstory Archive to get ideas for teams, and also to see how an Ubers match plays out. There's also the Project Uber thread in Stark Mountain,which, while currently closed, still has many pages on the uses of non-Uber Pokémonin the Ubers metagame. Furthermore, there is a more general thread on Ubers, which contains some basic answers and strategies. If you can't seem to find a lead that fits your team, you can look in the Uber Leads thread, which is still a work in progress. In addition, if you have a simple query, you can check the Ubers Simple Questions Simple Answer thread. Finally, you can stop by the Battling 101 Forum and sign up for Ubers tutoring when a new round starts.
Arceus
Base Stats: 120/120/120/120/120/120
Ability: Multitype
Special Note: Arceus has only been released at level 100, meaning the the only legally obtainable Arceus has a limit of 100 EVs in each stat. The beast isn't available in Shoddy Battle 1, but will be usable in Shoddy 2, and is correctly programmed into the Pokémon Online battle simulator. Because of extensive playtesting on Pokémon Online, we have a general knowledge on what all the different types are capable of.
Sporting a base 120 in every single stat, plus a ton of moves to choose from, Arceus can do basically anything. Arceus has another quality that sends it way over the top: Multitype. With this ability, Arceus can become any type in the game as long as it holds the right plate. Essentially, this enables Arceus to be 17 Pokémon in one! There are generally 3 different kinds of Arceus that you should prepare for, but keep in mind that there are many Arceus sets that don't fall into any of the 3 categories.
The 3 main kinds of Arceus
Swords Dance
Notable users of Swords Dance: Normal, Ghost, Water, Ground, Fighting
Notable users of Swords Dance and Cosmic Power: Steel, Dragon
Swords Dance is Arceus's quickest way to attempt a sweep because it exploits the Uber metagame's vulnerability to physical attacks. With the exception of Normal Arceus, most Swords Dance Arceus will only need two attacks to cover most threats in the Ubers metagame. This allows Arceus to use one of its many filler moves, which can be deadly if you aren't expecting them. ExtremeSpeed is one of the best choices, as it allows Arceus to pick off weakened Pokémon that attempt to stop your sweep. Substitute is a great defense against Will-O-Wisp users that lack Roar, allowing you to turn the tables on your opponent and set up on their check. Finally, Recover is a great option to let Arceus stick around longer. If your Arceus can hit everything in the Ubers metagame with one move, you can run Cosmic Power and Recover simultaneously alongside Swords Dance to truly be a pest.
Calm Mind
Notable Users of Calm Mind + 1 Attack: Steel, Dark, Dragon, Water, Rock, Flying, Bug
Users of Calm Mind that can beat Blissey without Substitute / Refresh / Safeguard: Steel, Fighting, Poison
Other Notable users of Calm Mind: Electric, Ground, Normal, Ghost, Grass, Fire, Ice
Calm Mind Arceus work toward a slower sweep than Swords Dance Arceus, but don't let this discourage you from using them. When used in conjunction with Recover, Calm Mind Arceus can easily achieve multiple boosts and become a fast, bulky, and fearsome sweeper that is almost impenetrable on the special side. Thanks to Judgment, Arceus's signature move, many more types have viable Calm Mind sets than they do Swords Dance sets. For Calm Mind sets that only need one attack, there are 3 moves that protect Arceus from status. Substitute is usually the best, as Arceus has enough HP to make 101+ HP Substitutes and Substitute keeps it from being revenge killed. If you are worried about Toxic Spikes or paralysis from Thunder, Refresh is a fine alternative. Finally, if supporting the rest of the team is your preference, Safeguard is always an option.
Support
Notable Supporters: Steel, Ghost, Poison, Normal, Grass, Fighting
Arceus isn't limited to being offensive. With its excellent defensive stats and amazing support movepool, Arceus is fully capable of supporting its team. Recover and Stealth Rock, both rare commodities in Uber Pokemon movepools, are staples for support Arceus. Arceus can also use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage and prevent opposing setup. Arceus can also inflict status with Thunder Wave, Toxic, and the elusive Will-O-Wisp. Arceus has plenty of other support moves to choose from too, such as Reflect, Light Screen, Psych Up, Magic Coat, and even Gravity. As for attacking options, Arceus should usually have a STAB attack and/or an attack to check specific threats your team has trouble with, such as Ice Beam for Rayquaza and Garchomp.
The Arceus Types
Bug
Bug Arceus may have an unfortunate weakness to Stealth Rock, but its superb STAB in the Uber tier more than makes up for it. The biggest selling point to Bug Arceus is that it has the only mono-attacking Calm Mind set that beats both Latias and Scizor simultaneously in addition to sometimes beating Tyranitar. Bug Arceus is also capable of going physical with Swords Dance, X-scissor, and either a coverage move or Cosmic Power. When using a Bug Arceus with only one attack, though, let it be known that it will be extremely weak to Ho-Oh and Heatran.
Dark
Don't be fooled by its inferior Speed, Dark Arceus is by no means a bad Darkrai. Like Bug Arceus, Dark Arceus is a superb Calm Minder because of its ability to defeat Latias one on one. Unlike Bug Arceus, however, Dark Arceus will have trouble with Scizor and Tyranitar. To make up for this, Dark Arceus lacks a Steath Rock weakness and smashes through Ghost Arceus, Giratina, and Lugia with Judgment, all of which would easily phaze Bug Arceus away.
Dragon
Unfortunately, the EV limitations greatly reduce Dragon Arceus's potential, as it cannot outspeed Garchomp, Latias, and Latios. Despite these setbacks, Dragon Arceus still makes a superb mono-attacker, with only Steel-types resisting Judgment. Dragon Arceus can also use Swords Dance, but it must run Recover in order to not be outclassed by Garchomp and Rayquaza.
Electric
Under the rain, Electric Arceus becomes one of the most destructive Calm Mind users in the game with STAB Thunder. After one Calm Mind, 252 HP Kyogre is OHKOed and Palkia is OHKOed after Stealth Rock and Spikes damage. Helping Arceus even more is Thunder's 30% chance to paralyze, which can screw over Electric Arceus's offensive checks, like Latias. Electric Arceus even has access to Ice Beam and Grass Knot with which to maul Groudon.
Fighting
Despite Ubers being loaded with Psychic-types, Fighting Arceus is still an excellent user of Calm Mind. After 2 Calm Mind boosts, Fighting Arceus can 2HKO Blissey with Judgment. When Sleep Clause is in effect, Fighting Arceus becomes one of the best Darkrai checks in the game with Judgment. Fighting Arceus can also run a support set to check Darkrai and lure Latias into a Toxic.
Fire
At first, Fire may seem like a bad typing for Arceus. It's weak to Stealth Rock and is totally neutered by Kyogre's rain. However, when used in conjunction with Groudon's Sunlight, Fire Arceus is fully capable of sweeping with Calm Mind. Sun and Flame Plate boost Arceus's already powerful STAB Judgment to even higher levels, effectively allowing it to smash through most opponents without a 4x resistance. As a bonus, Fire Arceus can also hit pesky Kyogre switch-ins with Thunder.
Flying
Flying may not seem like an appealing typing at first, mainly due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and Thunder, but Flying Arceus is the only Arceus that's immune to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Earthquake. Flying Arceus's main use is as a mono-attacking Calm Mind user, since the only common Pokémon that resist Flying in Ubers are Dialga, Jirachi, Heatran, Metagross, and Tyranitar.
Ghost
With its amazing defensive stats and Recover, Ghost Arceus is by far the best spin blocker in the game for both offensisve and defensive teams. On the offensive side, Ghost Arceus is a very potent user of Swords Dance, being able to crush through most stall teams once Skarmory and Groudon are weakened. Ghost Arceus is also a great user of Calm Mind, and can use Substitute over Recover to set up on Blissey. On the supporting side, Ghost Arceus is notable for being the only Stealth Rock user that is immune to Rapid Spin.
Grass
Grass may not be the best offensive typing out there, but Grass Arceus has several tricks up its sleeve that make it worthwhile. The biggest selling point of Grass Arceus is that it can use Thunder Wave so well. Thanks to its Grass typing, Groudon will never switch in, allowing you to paralyze almost anything that comes in on Grass Arceus. Grass Arceus is also the closest thing to a Palkia counter in the rain. To add to that, Grass Arceus fares well against Kyogre and Groudon too, slamming both with Grass Knot or Judgment. Grass Arceus is also a viable user of Calm Mind, though make sure to use Judgment over Grass Knot so Wobbuffet won't counter you.
Ground
Ground may seem like a strange type for Arceus when Groudon and Garchomp exist, but Ground Arceus separates itself from the crowd by being a potent special attacker and having Recover. Ground Arceus also has the huge bonus of being the only Calm Mind user to be immune to Thunder Wave. Ground Arceus is also a very good user of Swords Dance, and unlike Garchomp and Groudon, Ground Arceus can use Recover to potentially set up multiple Swords Dances.
Ice
Ice is a very poor defensive typing, resisting only itself, and being weak to Stealth Rock and Scizor's Bullet Punch. On the bright side,though, Ice is a fantastic offensive type, hitting Rayquaza, Groudon, and Garchomp super effectively. Ice Arceus, like Electric Arceus, is a very good user of the BoltBeam type coverage from Judgment and Thunder. Unlike Electric Arceus, though, Ice Arceus is capable of beating Latias one on one with a Calm Mind set.
Normal
While it may seem strange to not take advantage of Arceus's wonderful ability, Normal Arceus may be the most notorious user of Swords Dance in the entire game.This is because Arceus is the only Pokémon in the game besides Smeargle with Swords Dance and STAB ExtremeSpeed. While Swords Dance Normal Arceus may be the most prominent Arceus set of all, Normal Arceus is capable of more than just that. Unlike other Arceus types, Normal Arceus has the option of using other items since it doesn't need a plate. Leftovers in particular is a godsend to Normal Calm Mind Arceus, letting it have even more lasting power than the others. Normal Calm Mind Arceus can also opt to use Life Orb for more power. Because of Leftovers, Normal Arceus also makes a particulary good defensive Pokémon, only being weak to Fighting-type attacks.
Poison
Poison typing may seem awful at first, but it's actually fairly good for Arceus. Poison Arceus is one of two Calm Mind Arceus that can beat Blissey without the use of Substitute. While Poison doesn't have nearly as many resistances as Steel, Poison Arceus is neutral to Fire and resists Fighting, both of which are major problems for Steel Arceus. Poison Arceus is also the most viable Toxic Spikes absorber in Ubers, a quality which can be very helpful for many offensive teams. This Arceus is also good in a support role, because it can combine the utilties of phazing and laying down Stealth Rock with Toxic Spikes absorption. Finally, Poison Arceus is one of the best users of Cosmic Power due to its Toxic immunity.
Psychic
Psychic Arceus is the only Arceus that is totally outclassed across the board. Generally, Ghost Arceus is better than Psychic Arceus in almost every way imaginable, and the many Psychic-types of Ubers also offer stiff competition for this Arceus in other regards. As it stands, the only reason to use Psychic Arceus is if your team can't handle both Poison and Fighting Arceus, and even that's a stretch.
Rock
Under the sandstorm started by Tyranitar, Rock Arceus becomes an excellent Calm Minder that is almost impenetrable on the special side. For example, under the Sandstorm, a Choice Scarf Palkia rarely 2HKOs +0 Rock Arceus with Surf. Rock Arceus is also notable for being one of the few Calm Minders to actually beat Ho-Oh, thanks to Rock Judgment. Rock Arceus is also a usable Swords Dancer with either Rock Slide or Stone Edge.
Steel
Steel Arceus is one of the most threatening Arceus types that exist. With its superb defenses and typing, Steel Arceus is by far the best Dragon-type switch-in in the game. The most threatening set Steel Arceus posses is Calm Mind. While Steel has a reputation for being a poor attacking type, Arceus puts it to excellent use here as its sole attack. Thanks to its Toxic immunity, Steel Arceus is also one of two Calm Minders that defeats Blissey without the use of Substitute, freeing up that slot for Roar. For similar reasons, Steel Arceus is also a great user of Swords Dance. Since the only attack Steel Arceus needs is Iron Head, it can opt to use Cosmic Power over another attack, making Steel Arceus insanely hard to take down. Finally, thanks to Steel Arceus's superb typing, its an excellent supporting Pokémon.
Water
Under rain, Water Arceus is an excellent sweeper. The most prominent of these sweeping sets is Swords Dance. With just one Swords Dance under its belt and the rain, Waterfall will OHKO Mewtwo and have a chance of OHKOing Wobbuffet and Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Water Arceus is also a superb Calm Mind user. With just Surf, it can easily run a mono-attacking Calm Mind set that is similar to RestTalk Kyogre, except with immediate Recovery and more Speed.
How to Counter Arceus
Arceus is an extremely dangerous and versatile Pokemon, but each one of its sets is able to be beaten. This section will list the most prominent counters for the Calm Mind and Swords Dance sets of every type. If one of these two moves isn't viable on a certain type, it won't be included. This will not be an exhaustive list, and will only include Pokemon that have uses outside of countering a certain Arceus set. If a Pokemon is marked with a *, it cannot switch into Arceus, and is only a check. If it is marked with **, it means the Pokemon can only effectively counter a mono-attacker of that type. This only applies if a mono attacker is useful for a given type. Also, take note that Arceus will not be listed as a counter to itself, as it is obvious which types counter each other.
Bug Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey***, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Skarmory** (Skarmory can't hurt it much, but it can Whirlwind Arceus away if it's not the last Pokemon and it lacks Flamethrower.)
***It is worth noting that while Blissey is listed as a counter to a large amount of these sets, she will be hard pressed to beat an Arceus that has Substitute in conjunction with Recover.
Dark Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga** (Bulk Up set) Heracross (Choice Scarf), Heatran**, Ho-Oh, Lucario**
Dragon Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga*, Heatran** (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Latios*
Swords Dance: Bronzong, Garchomp*, Groudon*, Latios*, Skarmory* (needs to watch out for Overheat)
Electric Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga (physical variants), Garchomp* (without Ice Beam), Groudon* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam)
Fighting Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey*, Ho-Oh, Latias* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam), Latios, Mewtwo (without Dark Pulse), Shaymin-S (without Ice Beam), Wobbuffet
Swords Dance: Groudon*, Giratina*, Ho-Oh*, Lugia*, Shaymin-S
Fire Arceus-
Calm Mind: Latias* (needs to watch out for Ice Beam), Ho-Oh, Kyogre
Flying Arceus-
Calm Mind: Dialga*, Ho-Oh, Heatran*, Jirachi* (without Earth Power), Tyranitar* (without Earth Power)
Ghost Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Darkrai*, Dialga* (Bulk Up set), Heatran*, Ho-Oh
Swords Dance: Groudon*, Skarmory*
Grass Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga (physical variants) Ho-Oh, Lugia* (without Ice Beam), Skarmory* (without Flamethrower)
Ground Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Ho-Oh, Latias*, Kyogre*, Shaymin-S*
Swords Dance: Kyogre* (needs Choice Scarf), Shaymin-S*(without ExtremeSpeed), Skarmory* (without Overheat)
Ice Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Metagross* (without Earth Power), Jirachi* (without Earth Power)
Normal Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Heracross (Choice Scarf), Ho-Oh, Infernape*
Swords Dance: Giratina, Lugia, Skarmory* (without Overheat)
Poison Arceus-
Calm Mind: Garchomp*, Groudon*, Heatran* (without Earth Power), Skarmory* (without a Fire-type move).
Rock Arceus-
Calm Mind: Blissey, Dialga*, Garchomp*, Groudon*, Kyogre*
Steel Arceus-
Calm Mind: Garchomp*, Groudon*, Heatran* (sets that lack Earth Power), Ho-Oh, Lucario*
Swords Dance: Ho-Oh, Groudon*, Garchomp*
Water Arceus-
Calm Mind: Latias, Kyogre* (needs Calm Mind and Thunder)
Swords Dance: Groudon***, Latias*, Kyogre*
***Groudon makes it sunny, which decreases the power of Water-type attacks.
