SM RU hear me

[ManOfMany]

​

--​

INTRODUCTION
​

Hello and welcome to my 4th RMT! So, I've recently decided to invest my time into learning SM RU, and I've been having a lot of fun playing the meta, even if it is incomplete. While I was not planning on creating an RMT, after building this team and playing with it a bunch, I decided I liked it enough that I had to present it before the SM RU meta probably changes a lot very soon (once Antar finishes with the stats). I want to get this team out there before those changes may make it obsolete. Interestingly, this team is a lot different from the builds I usually use. I normally build very linear balance stuff- strong wallbreakers, defensive core with complementary typing, hazard removal, and a revenge killer. With this team, however, I decided to experiment with a very different style and step out of my comfort zone, and it worked much better than I could have anticipated. While it may not be perfect, I hope people can enjoy trying it out!

TEAM DEVELOPMENT​

I started off with Araquanid, as this was the pokemon I was building the team around. I had little prior experience with the mon, and I had written it off as mediocre, but I did want to give it one last shot with a build that fully supported its capabilities.

I wanted to give Araquanid proper support, Wish and Heal Bell especially, so that it could last throughout the match. Umbreon was a natural choice here as the two shared fantastic type synergy.

For some reason I wanted to experiment with defensive hazard stack. Defensive Nidoqueen seemed to fit nicely here, providing hazards as well as an Electric and Fighting check.

I didn't want the team to be entirely slow though. I wanted a sort of fast pokemon that would also act as a setup sweeper to plow through defensive teams. It was a tough choice, but Mismagius managed to enter my head and it fit wonderfully.

I liked a steel-type here, because having a normal resist is cool and it helps relieve some the pressure off of Umbreon for certain special attackers. While I was originally considering Registeel, I began to realize that Ferroseed was actually a better fit, helping me with water-types and fitting with the hazard-stack theme.

I wanted to put a Psychic-type here. Not really sure why anymore, but it felt like a good idea. I originally had placed a CM + HP Fire Cresselia as a late-game win condition that took advantage of T-spikes support.

While Cresselia did well in some cases, I really started to feel that I needed a revenge-killer, at least something for pokemon like NP Salazzle and SD Virizion for example if they got out of hand. Scarf Gardevoir was my replacement, taking care of practically all the pokemon that I was scared of and having excellent type synergy.​

THE TEAM

joa-walker (Araquanid) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic
- Protect
- Liquidation
- Leech Life​

Araquanid is the star of the team, and the main holepuncher. I send it in vs something that can't really touch it, and try to take down as many pokemon as possible with it. I usually just click Liquidation, unless they have a bulky-water, in which case I may try for Toxic on the switch. Protect is used not only to scout for possible Choice-locked pokemon like Gardevoir and Rotom-H, but to restore health while Toxic stalling the opponent. Finally Leech Life, while not the most powerful move, can still be incredibly useful for gaining health back on pokemon like Shaymin. Araquanid is a match-up based pokemon, and while in some matches it may get 2 or even 3 kills, it is not going to put work in every time. The largest problem with Araquanid is its SR-weakness, since I am carrying no hazard removal, and how it only takes one double switch to punish it in that regard. However, if you play it smart and carefully it can prove to be a very valuable member.

neos kimick (Ferroseed) @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Protect
​

Ferroseed provides an important role for the team, functioning as a check to a lot of dangerous physical attackers that I would be unable to otherwise safely deal with. This includes Feraligatr, Scarf Tyrantrum, and Band Stoutland. The given EVs let it avoid the 3HKO from Swellow's Boomburst while still being able to effectively check Feraligatr and Dragonium Flygon. Ferroseed is able to also annoy a lot of slower pokemon with Leech Seed and iron barbs, which just adds to the teams primary objective of wearing the opponent down slowly. I opted to go with Stealth Rock and Protect on Ferroseed over Spikes so that I could free a slot on Nidoqueen for reasons that I will explain later, while still being able to have Leech Seed recovery through Protect and scout for moves. Spikes is of course perfectly viable though. While Ferroseed is useful, it is very often the weakest leak on the team due to its passivity and how easily it is lured due to HP fire.

prime luna (Umbreon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Foul Play
- Heal Bell
​

Umbreon is the glue of the team, and without it pivoting into threats and clicking Wish the team simply cannot work. Umbreon counters or checks pretty much every special attacker that the other pokemon of the team cannot, whether it is Nidoqueen, Swellow, or Zoroark. Not only that, but its Wish Support is crucial for Araquanid, Ferroseed, and Nidoqueen as they can check a lot of pokemon but get worn down easily. Heal Bell is a fantastic way to support defensive teams in general, but it is especially important for Araquanid, since you will often stay in vs. Milotic and Mantine to Toxic it and get poisoned in return. Umbreon does open up a hole on the team vs. certain pokemon like Heracross and Specs Gardevoir, but nevertheless it is rock solid in every match.

ray talione (Nidoqueen) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Poison Jab
- Earth Power
​

Defensive queen is an interesting pokemon, although one that doesn't get a lot of usage. While I was never inclined to waste Nidoqueen's offensive potential in the past, I wanted to give it a try on this team and it became a nice fit. Queen is my main fighting-check, and it is a solid one, even if it cannot deal with the most powerful of threats like a +2 Heracross or Pangoro. It also manages to check a number of miscellaneous attackers, such as Calm Mind Florges and Comfey with Poison Jab, Doublade, and Toxicroak that could otherwise be extremely annoying to me. While Gligar would be the better pokemon in theory, Queen's increased offensive presence and resilience to moves like Knock Off has made it stand out. It also crucially provides Toxic Spikes support, which happens to help out this kind of multiple-protect mons, half stally build out a great deal. Often, Toxic Spikes are even more useful than Queen's defensive capabilities, and I sack it to get them up. I was originally running both Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock on it, but I decided that not being able to hit Flygon and Gligar was a huge nuisance and moved the Stealth Rock role over to Ferroseed.

*note that you can increase the speed to 48 Spe to creep Adamant max speed Rhyperior, but otherwise losing out on SpD is not worth it.

whisp (Mismagius) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt​

The token Z-move user, and also unfortunately my only setup sweeper on the team. Mismagius is the easiest way for me to break down other slower builds, including stall. Due to its near-perfect coverage and access to Nasty Plot and Taunt, Mismagius is a very tough pokemon to switch into. It does lack in immediate power though, so I have to play it carefully to make sure that it does not lose too much health while setting up (being very hazard resistant helps it out a lot here), so I can grab multiple Nasty Plot boosts. Using Mismagius is all about timing- making sure that pokemon like Umbreon and Florges are worn down enough from Toxic Spikes before attempting a sweep for example. Besides being a powerful win condition, Mismagius does carry a few interesting perks for my team. It provides me with a ground-immunity, which is always useful for common pokemon like Scarf Flygon and Nidoqueen, and it lets me beat mono-attacking Curselax . It also does help me with spinblocking in very specific occasions.

kyla tasper (Gardevoir) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Healing Wish
- Moonblast
​

The revenge killer. I really like Gardevoir as a Choice Scarf user in this metagame. It is reasonably powerful, has great STAB moves, and revenge kills important pokemon like Salazzle, Feraligatr, and Venusaur in sun. Almost anything fast that gets too out of hand, Gardevoir is prepared to deal with it. The ideal goal for Gardevoir is for me to wear the opponents team down so much with Toxic Spikes and other mainly passive damage so that I can sweep lategame, but this is easier said than done. Mainly it will be used to pivot into battle once or twice, use its typing as a way of checking Kommo-O or other fighting or dragons, and maybe revenge kill a threat like Salazzle. Healing Wish is also very useful for this team because both Araquanid and Mismagius can do incredible things once given a second chance, although you can run Trick if you are fearing the matchup vs bulkier pokemon.


IMPORTABLE

Importable

neos kimick (Ferroseed) @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Protect

joa-walker (Araquanid) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic
- Protect
- Liquidation
- Leech Life

ray talione (Nidoqueen) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Poison Jab
- Earth Power

prime luna (Umbreon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Foul Play
- Heal Bell

whisp (Mismagius) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt

kyla tasper (Gardevoir) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Healing Wish
- Moonblast

THREATLIST

Threatlist

Flying Types- I have no flying resist on this team so I just have to play the best around them as I can, relying on recoil and revenge killing. In Honchkrow's case, the matchup is particularly bad as my only way of playing around Sucker Punch is by outpredicting with Mismagius.

SpikeStack- I have no hazard removal, so spikestack is a threat. This is simply a fact that cannot be got around. My bulky core is much easier to break when there are multiple hazards impeding them. I can play around Spikestack by imposing pressure with my own Toxic Spikes and hoping

Grass types- Roserade is just supremely annoying for this team. Umbreon can wall it except if it has Sleep Powder, and Ferroseed can do so if it does not have HP fire, but both just get Spikes set up on either way. Shaymin is also extremely tough if it gets lucky with Seed Flare, and Virizion requires you to play around it perfectly with Nidoqueen and Gardevoir.

Powerful wallbreakers- Pokemon like Pangoro, Specs Gardevoir, and SD Heracross to a lesser extent are able to break through my defensive core, leaving me vulnerable to faster threats.

Full stall- The tactic vs stall is to set up Mismagius on something that cannot touch you and hope that you can overpower the team before you lose health. Toxic Spikes help a lot here, and Araquanid can eventually break through bulky waters once they run out of Heal Bells. But if you do not play at the top of your game you will simply be outlasted.

REPLAYS
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-577943101 (vs Volt-turn)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-575734431 (close loss vs Milotic webs)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-578229491 (comeback time)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-574054640 (vs Viriz + zoro offense)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-578436429 (vs Spikes HO)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7rubeta-578438071 (mismagius sweeps stall)

SHOUTOUTS

s/o

if i forgot you, i'm sorry. tell me and i'll add you ;-;

My RU people, it was nice getting to know you and learn the tier alongside you guys. TheWall spookysocialist EviGaro Spirit cyanize slurmz passion Arikado eifo Rakan Lord Death Man Rider col49 Espeonage.MrAldo

my PU family... I've been a part of this community for so long, and have made so many friends, both old and new users. Thanks for all the fun memories. Anty galbia Megazard RawMelon ShuckleDeath Slowbroth Dundies ;) The Jungle Fox pancake 5gen ayo sb Dibs The Dreamer HJAD Teddeh PokemonmasterTj Taskr MaroGod iRebel Chrisloud1 UBERSkitty Magnemite Haund Leru Sir KayLord Sample Team

shoutout to my LC guys too who i just met. I was never too too big on LC, but I wanted to be more involved Little Cup after getting drafted for LCPL, and you guys are hilarious and a lot of fun.

hope you enjoyed it!