Hello Smogon Forums, long time no see. How've you been?
Today I bring you the UU team that I've been working on recently, designed around the terrific Mixed Sweeper that is Meloetta. Her Aria form bosts tremendous Special Stats, and with Relic Song allowing her to trade that in for breakneck speed and physical attack power, she is a very versatile threat that I've been dying to try. So far, I've not been disappointed.
This team began with Meloetta, originally wielding a Calm Mind. I wanted to build around the dancer, using her as a set-up sweeper using her Aria Forme's special bulk to set up, using Relic Song to transform and utilize Pirouette Forme's blistering 128 base speed. This would later change to the standard Mixed Relic Song set, which I don't regret.
Froslass was my lead of choice; entry hazards are important, and Froslass can guarantee at least two layers of Spikes against most leads, as well as having a very fast Taunt.
With Meloetta taking care of the Special side of things, I wanted a good physical sweeper to pick up the slack. My weapon of choice was SubPunch Azumarill.
Rotom-C granted me some extra control of the pace of the battle, with Volt Switch easing prediction and Thunder Wave crippling opposing sweepers. It could also switch into Water, Ground and Grass moves with impunity.
Sheer Force Nidoking was another powerful Special Sweeper, with a ton of coverage. I needed a quick, powerful hitter to act as Revenger, and with the application of a Choice Scarf, Nidoking could fill that role beautifully.
My team was lacking a dedicated physical wall, and I went to an old favourite of mine; Gligar. Capable of putting up Stealth Rocks and tanking like a champion, Gligar served as a potent deterrent to physical attackers.
However, with Gligar and Nidoking both having a fairly major Ice Weakness, and Gligar's inability to even touch Bronzong or Crobat, two physical threats that I would've otherwise loved to utilise him against, I reluctantly said goodbye to Gligar and replaced him with a physically bulky Arcanine. His addition gave me a little more punch on the physical side, and even without attack investment, Flare Blitz is still a powerful attack.
Rotom just wasn't cutting it, and its Grass typing was becoming more of a detriment then it was a boon. I went instead to Zapdos, who boosted better attack power and speed, while still having access to the tools that gave Rotom its place on the team in the first place; fast, powerful Volt Switches, not insignificant bulk and coverage moves to round out my offenses.
Clef (Froslass) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Shadow Ball
Clef is the first Pokemon to take the stage in almost every confrontation; it is very unlikely that anything my opponent can field will scare her away, as she quietly and politely sets up layer after layer of spikes against whatever my opponent sends up against her.
Beyond her role as Suicide Lead, Froslass also outspeeds many set-up leads and uses her fast taunt to screw them up pretty badly. She prevents opposing Hazards from being set up, and forces attacks to be be thrown at her, risking her Cursed Body or Destiny Bond. Not only does she weaken the opponent's team throughout the fight, but she can remove opposing threats with ease.
If Froslass survives the opening turns, she can later come back in as a Spin Blocker or as Fodder to bring in one of her team-mates safely. Shadow Ball provides STAB Ghost type attacks, which she can use to threaten Psychic or Ghost attackers, such as Mismagius (who Froslass outspeeds, coincidently).
Bass (Azumarill) @ Leftovers
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Return
Bass is the most potent physical threat on my team; This Azumarill is designed to have the highest Attack stat he can muster, while wrecking anything that doesn't resist his powerful attacks, and even those that do come away with some heavy wounds.
Aqua Jet is my default answer to frail sweepers, and is Azumarill's only STAB move. Focus Punch rips holes in anything that doesn't resist it, pack huge physical bulk, or both. Return provides coverage, and can hit things in situations where Focus Punch's charge time is a bad idea. It also gives me something to do when I'm staring down a Slowbro, who otherwise would be able to blithely ignore all my efforts to hurt it.
Azumarill is one of the workhorses of the team, fighting inch by inch to secure KO's against opposing threats.
Tempo (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
In keeping with the musical nickname theme, Tempo serves as a way of keeping up my own momentum, using Volt Switch with impunity to KO or damage enemy Fliers, Bulky Waters and anything in between. By giving me that extra leeway with switches, and acting as a very safe switch in when Froslass pulls off a Destiny Bond, Zapdos keeps my team running smoothly.
With the aid of Roost, Zapdos can stick around for a very long time, wearing down opposing walls and hitting hard with its Pseudo-BoltBeam, and Heat Wave.
Very fast, and very threatening, Zapdos is the glue that holds my team together throughout the mid-game.
Alto (Arcanine) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Flare Blitz
- ExtremeSpeed
- Toxic
- Morning Sun
A Physical tank, capable of spreading Toxic through my opponents team and punching holes with Flare Blitz and Extremespeed, Alto is a team player, weakening threats so that his more offensively minded teammates can finish them off while he sponges hits and debuffs enemies.
With Intimidate, Arcanine can safely switch into even super effective physical moves and come out alive, leaving whatever he was fighting much less threatening to the others now that they're sitting at -1 Atk.
Even with such low attack investment, Arcanine will still 2HKO Bronzong (Baring weird things like Heatproof), Specially Defensive Registeel, Bulky Cobalion and other steels.
Tenor (Nidoking) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rocks
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
Revenge Killer, Special Sweeper and until-further-notice Stealth Rocker, Tenor is the trustworthy Pokemon that I send in to deal with threats that the rest of the team simply can't handle. With Sheer Force, Nidoking's arsenal of offensive moves is hard to match.
He is often underestimated by foes, who don't anticipate just how fast this monster is; he can outspeed and KO much of the meta-game with his very powerful attacks. Max possible speed gets him past frail speedsters like Speed Boost Yanmega and Sharpedo, and gives him the best possible chance to outspeed other Scarfed Nidokings.
Crescendo (Meloetta) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56 Atk / 200 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Relic Song
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt/Energy Ball
- Psychic
The star of the show, Crescendo serves as a Mixed Wall Breaker that has the unique trait of possessing three STABs; Normal, Fighting and Psychic.
Relic Song is the key to this set, shuffling Meloetta's stats around to where they need to be. Base 128's in Sp.Atk and Sp.Def in Aria Forme make Crescendo a formidable special threat, with enough speed investment to outrun neutral base 100s, with a Special Attack stat sufficient to hurt anything without special defense investment badly.
If that speed and special attack isn't enough for the job, Meloetta can use Relic Song to become a quick, brutal physical sweeper whose STAB Close Combat and 128 Base Speed let her destroy special walls that don't resist Fighting, without denying her the use of her Special Arsenal (which, while not as potent, is still rather threatening with her heavy Sp.Atk investment).
In most battles, I attempt to conserve Meloetta until the mid-to-late game, by which time most of her counters, as well as my opponent's generally bulky Pokemon, will have been weakened enough for her to get off a clean sweep.
Yeah, Flygon is the anti-life for this team.
Bass can handle it, if Bass has a Substitute up when the Flygon enters, which isn't particularly likely. Alto can hit it with Toxic, but even at -1, there's a decent chance for a 2HKO with Earthquake, guaranteed if my opponent has put up any hazards. In the rare event that it isn't scarfed, Tenor can OHKO it with Ice Beam, as can Tempo with HP [Ice]. I can, theoretically, beat Flygon. Its just that anyone who knows how to keep it out of bad situations is going to destroy me with it.
I really need a reliable counter to Scarfed Flygon, because as it stands, its almost an auto-lose for me.
Rates, Comments and Suggestions are all very much appreciated.
Today I bring you the UU team that I've been working on recently, designed around the terrific Mixed Sweeper that is Meloetta. Her Aria form bosts tremendous Special Stats, and with Relic Song allowing her to trade that in for breakneck speed and physical attack power, she is a very versatile threat that I've been dying to try. So far, I've not been disappointed.
How We Got Here
This team began with Meloetta, originally wielding a Calm Mind. I wanted to build around the dancer, using her as a set-up sweeper using her Aria Forme's special bulk to set up, using Relic Song to transform and utilize Pirouette Forme's blistering 128 base speed. This would later change to the standard Mixed Relic Song set, which I don't regret.
Froslass was my lead of choice; entry hazards are important, and Froslass can guarantee at least two layers of Spikes against most leads, as well as having a very fast Taunt.
With Meloetta taking care of the Special side of things, I wanted a good physical sweeper to pick up the slack. My weapon of choice was SubPunch Azumarill.
Rotom-C granted me some extra control of the pace of the battle, with Volt Switch easing prediction and Thunder Wave crippling opposing sweepers. It could also switch into Water, Ground and Grass moves with impunity.
Sheer Force Nidoking was another powerful Special Sweeper, with a ton of coverage. I needed a quick, powerful hitter to act as Revenger, and with the application of a Choice Scarf, Nidoking could fill that role beautifully.
My team was lacking a dedicated physical wall, and I went to an old favourite of mine; Gligar. Capable of putting up Stealth Rocks and tanking like a champion, Gligar served as a potent deterrent to physical attackers.
However, with Gligar and Nidoking both having a fairly major Ice Weakness, and Gligar's inability to even touch Bronzong or Crobat, two physical threats that I would've otherwise loved to utilise him against, I reluctantly said goodbye to Gligar and replaced him with a physically bulky Arcanine. His addition gave me a little more punch on the physical side, and even without attack investment, Flare Blitz is still a powerful attack.
Rotom just wasn't cutting it, and its Grass typing was becoming more of a detriment then it was a boon. I went instead to Zapdos, who boosted better attack power and speed, while still having access to the tools that gave Rotom its place on the team in the first place; fast, powerful Volt Switches, not insignificant bulk and coverage moves to round out my offenses.
The Team
Clef (Froslass) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Shadow Ball
Clef is the first Pokemon to take the stage in almost every confrontation; it is very unlikely that anything my opponent can field will scare her away, as she quietly and politely sets up layer after layer of spikes against whatever my opponent sends up against her.
Beyond her role as Suicide Lead, Froslass also outspeeds many set-up leads and uses her fast taunt to screw them up pretty badly. She prevents opposing Hazards from being set up, and forces attacks to be be thrown at her, risking her Cursed Body or Destiny Bond. Not only does she weaken the opponent's team throughout the fight, but she can remove opposing threats with ease.
If Froslass survives the opening turns, she can later come back in as a Spin Blocker or as Fodder to bring in one of her team-mates safely. Shadow Ball provides STAB Ghost type attacks, which she can use to threaten Psychic or Ghost attackers, such as Mismagius (who Froslass outspeeds, coincidently).
Bass (Azumarill) @ Leftovers
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Return
Bass is the most potent physical threat on my team; This Azumarill is designed to have the highest Attack stat he can muster, while wrecking anything that doesn't resist his powerful attacks, and even those that do come away with some heavy wounds.
Aqua Jet is my default answer to frail sweepers, and is Azumarill's only STAB move. Focus Punch rips holes in anything that doesn't resist it, pack huge physical bulk, or both. Return provides coverage, and can hit things in situations where Focus Punch's charge time is a bad idea. It also gives me something to do when I'm staring down a Slowbro, who otherwise would be able to blithely ignore all my efforts to hurt it.
Azumarill is one of the workhorses of the team, fighting inch by inch to secure KO's against opposing threats.
Tempo (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
In keeping with the musical nickname theme, Tempo serves as a way of keeping up my own momentum, using Volt Switch with impunity to KO or damage enemy Fliers, Bulky Waters and anything in between. By giving me that extra leeway with switches, and acting as a very safe switch in when Froslass pulls off a Destiny Bond, Zapdos keeps my team running smoothly.
With the aid of Roost, Zapdos can stick around for a very long time, wearing down opposing walls and hitting hard with its Pseudo-BoltBeam, and Heat Wave.
Very fast, and very threatening, Zapdos is the glue that holds my team together throughout the mid-game.
Alto (Arcanine) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Flare Blitz
- ExtremeSpeed
- Toxic
- Morning Sun
A Physical tank, capable of spreading Toxic through my opponents team and punching holes with Flare Blitz and Extremespeed, Alto is a team player, weakening threats so that his more offensively minded teammates can finish them off while he sponges hits and debuffs enemies.
With Intimidate, Arcanine can safely switch into even super effective physical moves and come out alive, leaving whatever he was fighting much less threatening to the others now that they're sitting at -1 Atk.
Even with such low attack investment, Arcanine will still 2HKO Bronzong (Baring weird things like Heatproof), Specially Defensive Registeel, Bulky Cobalion and other steels.
Tenor (Nidoking) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rocks
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
Revenge Killer, Special Sweeper and until-further-notice Stealth Rocker, Tenor is the trustworthy Pokemon that I send in to deal with threats that the rest of the team simply can't handle. With Sheer Force, Nidoking's arsenal of offensive moves is hard to match.
He is often underestimated by foes, who don't anticipate just how fast this monster is; he can outspeed and KO much of the meta-game with his very powerful attacks. Max possible speed gets him past frail speedsters like Speed Boost Yanmega and Sharpedo, and gives him the best possible chance to outspeed other Scarfed Nidokings.
Crescendo (Meloetta) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56 Atk / 200 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Relic Song
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt/Energy Ball
- Psychic
The star of the show, Crescendo serves as a Mixed Wall Breaker that has the unique trait of possessing three STABs; Normal, Fighting and Psychic.
Relic Song is the key to this set, shuffling Meloetta's stats around to where they need to be. Base 128's in Sp.Atk and Sp.Def in Aria Forme make Crescendo a formidable special threat, with enough speed investment to outrun neutral base 100s, with a Special Attack stat sufficient to hurt anything without special defense investment badly.
If that speed and special attack isn't enough for the job, Meloetta can use Relic Song to become a quick, brutal physical sweeper whose STAB Close Combat and 128 Base Speed let her destroy special walls that don't resist Fighting, without denying her the use of her Special Arsenal (which, while not as potent, is still rather threatening with her heavy Sp.Atk investment).
In most battles, I attempt to conserve Meloetta until the mid-to-late game, by which time most of her counters, as well as my opponent's generally bulky Pokemon, will have been weakened enough for her to get off a clean sweep.
The Problem
Yeah, Flygon is the anti-life for this team.
Bass can handle it, if Bass has a Substitute up when the Flygon enters, which isn't particularly likely. Alto can hit it with Toxic, but even at -1, there's a decent chance for a 2HKO with Earthquake, guaranteed if my opponent has put up any hazards. In the rare event that it isn't scarfed, Tenor can OHKO it with Ice Beam, as can Tempo with HP [Ice]. I can, theoretically, beat Flygon. Its just that anyone who knows how to keep it out of bad situations is going to destroy me with it.
I really need a reliable counter to Scarfed Flygon, because as it stands, its almost an auto-lose for me.
Importable
Clef (Froslass) (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Shadow Ball
Bass (Azumarill) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Return
Tempo (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
Alto (Arcanine) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 220 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Flare Blitz
- ExtremeSpeed
- Toxic
- Morning Sun
Tenor (Nidoking) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
Crescendo (Meloetta) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56 Atk / 200 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Relic Song
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Shadow Ball
Bass (Azumarill) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Return
Tempo (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
Alto (Arcanine) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 220 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Flare Blitz
- ExtremeSpeed
- Toxic
- Morning Sun
Tenor (Nidoking) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
Crescendo (Meloetta) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56 Atk / 200 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Relic Song
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
Rates, Comments and Suggestions are all very much appreciated.
