Lord of the Flies
UU balanced offense team
Introduction:
First, I'd like to thank everyone here for taking a look at my RMT. I'd like to say I put a lot of work into the presentation for my team due to its successes I will outline later. Nevertheless... I'm sure most of ya'll known me primarily as a battler in the OU environment. Heck, I'm surprised that I somehow managed to get into UU as well, being the only tier I had yet to play in consistently when I first came up with the idea for this team. To be quite honest, I have to say that OU has gotten quite boring for me and the emphasis on team matchups in rather annoying to deal with, so I can say for now I've pretty much migrated over to the UU tier for now.
Anyways, the original concept for this team actually got started back when I was working on the Donphan analysis update (which is currently on-site, so make sure to check it out). I was specifically working on testing the Choice Band set, which I heard was great at creating holes in the opponent's team due to the high raw power it is capable of. From what I had heard at that point, Yanmega was one of the best partners to Donphan in the tier because it could easily benefit from Donphan's ability to spin away Stealth Rock, plus it gets multiple chances to switch into the Grass type attacks aimed at Donphan. From there, I pretty much began working on a general concept that could bring the most amount of success for this team. Due to my lack of expertise with pure offense, I decided I wanted to make a defensive team that could revolve around a certain strategy, which actually turned out to be to weaken the opponent through entry hazards to set up a possible sweep while at the same time being able to take most hits comfortably. In short, it can be said that all team members are vital and not just Yanmega (which the title implies).
I chose the name Lord of the Flies for this RMT because I had just read the book for summer reading, and it characterizes Yanmega perfectly. For all of us who have battled in the UU ladder, I'm sure all of us can agree that Yanmega is certainly a threat that should not be ignored, because if not prepared for, it will sweep you, no questions asked. From my experience with this team, I have to say that Yanmega has been a really fun Pokémon to play with just because it deals so much damage to everything. Needless to say, it's a shame it has to go to BL but it is for the best in my opinion.
Anyways here are some accomplishments with the team:
- 1622 CRE in the UU Ladder after a record of approximately of 25-1
- Reached the semifinals of New Grounds tournament
- Has beat some big names in the UU ladder like Krack and Loki (but Dekzeh always beats me :P)
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 156 SpD
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Wave
At first, I actually had TrickScarf Uxie in this slot, but after using it, I knew that I needed to replace it as I really needed a strong defensive tank to take Normal- and Flying-type attacks that could otherwise devastate my team. As such, I settled for Registeel because it checks a lot of the UU metagame and I knew it would serve as a great new addition to my team, and I have not regretted adding it since then. Anyways, I use Registeel as my main check to things like Roserade, Yanmega, Swellow, etc., basically stuff that could sweep me otherwise, although the lack of recovery does make it difficult to switch in repeatedly. It's specific role on the team is to check Pokémon and cripple non-Ground types when given the chance with Thunder Wave.
The moves I chose to use serve specific purposes for my team. Iron Head is essentially your obligatory STAB, which allows me to hurt things like Mismagius which could otherwise wear me down with Hidden Power Fighting. Iron Head is also useful against other things that don't resist it, and I've been highly surprised by the amount of damage it can deal at times (Sometimes I even get lucky with flinchhax lol.) For the next slot, I chose Earthquake because I wanted Registeel to be able to hit other Steel-types for super effective. With a combination of Thunder Wave and Earthquake, Registeel has actually been able to beat Magneton one-on-one, although I can't guarantee that it will always turn out that way. Earthquake is also useful in getting rid of threats like Houndoom which think that they can switch in for free, only to get swiftly KO'd. For the next slot, Ice Punch it was. I wanted something which could hit Roserade a little harder, and I also needed a way to hit Altaria for super effective else it sweeps my team. Plus, Ice Punch can hit Torterra who are brave enough to set up Rock Polish on me, but TORTERRA IS A FREAKING ASS. For the last slot, I decided to go with Thunder Wave simply because I like slowing down stuff, particularly since my team is a little slower than most. Donphan has Stealth Rock anyways, so it hardly mattered what I used in that slot. I didn't choose Rest because it lets too much stuff set up on Registeel.
UU balanced offense team
Introduction:
First, I'd like to thank everyone here for taking a look at my RMT. I'd like to say I put a lot of work into the presentation for my team due to its successes I will outline later. Nevertheless... I'm sure most of ya'll known me primarily as a battler in the OU environment. Heck, I'm surprised that I somehow managed to get into UU as well, being the only tier I had yet to play in consistently when I first came up with the idea for this team. To be quite honest, I have to say that OU has gotten quite boring for me and the emphasis on team matchups in rather annoying to deal with, so I can say for now I've pretty much migrated over to the UU tier for now.
Anyways, the original concept for this team actually got started back when I was working on the Donphan analysis update (which is currently on-site, so make sure to check it out). I was specifically working on testing the Choice Band set, which I heard was great at creating holes in the opponent's team due to the high raw power it is capable of. From what I had heard at that point, Yanmega was one of the best partners to Donphan in the tier because it could easily benefit from Donphan's ability to spin away Stealth Rock, plus it gets multiple chances to switch into the Grass type attacks aimed at Donphan. From there, I pretty much began working on a general concept that could bring the most amount of success for this team. Due to my lack of expertise with pure offense, I decided I wanted to make a defensive team that could revolve around a certain strategy, which actually turned out to be to weaken the opponent through entry hazards to set up a possible sweep while at the same time being able to take most hits comfortably. In short, it can be said that all team members are vital and not just Yanmega (which the title implies).
I chose the name Lord of the Flies for this RMT because I had just read the book for summer reading, and it characterizes Yanmega perfectly. For all of us who have battled in the UU ladder, I'm sure all of us can agree that Yanmega is certainly a threat that should not be ignored, because if not prepared for, it will sweep you, no questions asked. From my experience with this team, I have to say that Yanmega has been a really fun Pokémon to play with just because it deals so much damage to everything. Needless to say, it's a shame it has to go to BL but it is for the best in my opinion.
Anyways here are some accomplishments with the team:
- 1622 CRE in the UU Ladder after a record of approximately of 25-1
- Reached the semifinals of New Grounds tournament
- Has beat some big names in the UU ladder like Krack and Loki (but Dekzeh always beats me :P)
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 156 SpD
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Wave
At first, I actually had TrickScarf Uxie in this slot, but after using it, I knew that I needed to replace it as I really needed a strong defensive tank to take Normal- and Flying-type attacks that could otherwise devastate my team. As such, I settled for Registeel because it checks a lot of the UU metagame and I knew it would serve as a great new addition to my team, and I have not regretted adding it since then. Anyways, I use Registeel as my main check to things like Roserade, Yanmega, Swellow, etc., basically stuff that could sweep me otherwise, although the lack of recovery does make it difficult to switch in repeatedly. It's specific role on the team is to check Pokémon and cripple non-Ground types when given the chance with Thunder Wave.
The moves I chose to use serve specific purposes for my team. Iron Head is essentially your obligatory STAB, which allows me to hurt things like Mismagius which could otherwise wear me down with Hidden Power Fighting. Iron Head is also useful against other things that don't resist it, and I've been highly surprised by the amount of damage it can deal at times (Sometimes I even get lucky with flinchhax lol.) For the next slot, I chose Earthquake because I wanted Registeel to be able to hit other Steel-types for super effective. With a combination of Thunder Wave and Earthquake, Registeel has actually been able to beat Magneton one-on-one, although I can't guarantee that it will always turn out that way. Earthquake is also useful in getting rid of threats like Houndoom which think that they can switch in for free, only to get swiftly KO'd. For the next slot, Ice Punch it was. I wanted something which could hit Roserade a little harder, and I also needed a way to hit Altaria for super effective else it sweeps my team. Plus, Ice Punch can hit Torterra who are brave enough to set up Rock Polish on me, but TORTERRA IS A FREAKING ASS. For the last slot, I decided to go with Thunder Wave simply because I like slowing down stuff, particularly since my team is a little slower than most. Donphan has Stealth Rock anyways, so it hardly mattered what I used in that slot. I didn't choose Rest because it lets too much stuff set up on Registeel.
The EVs are pretty self explanatory. I just copied it from the analysis. Nothing I really need to add.
Team synergy isn't too hard to identify with a Pokémon like Registeel. Fire attacks are redirected to Milotic while Mismagius switches into Ground and fighting attacks with relative ease and proceed to burn users of the move with Will-O-Wisp. Other than that, very little troubles Registeel. Registeel helps Milotic out by beating Roserade 1-on-1 unless it's a SubSeeder (not that I've encountered one) while Registeel is a decent switch-in to Rotom, which I beat with Ice Punch if it's a SubCharge. Mismagius also appreciates Registeel switching into the Dark attacks possibly aimed at it.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Def
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Assurance
- Stealth Rock
As stated before, Donphan is actually one of the key members of this team as the only reason this team exists is because I was testing Choice Band Donphan for the analysis write-up I was working on. Ironically, I was testing under an alt named "CBDonphanTest" and people still lost to this team (lol) so Donphan is definitely a cool Pokémon because it can't be stopped. Mainly though, I find Donphan to be a really neat Pokémon in the UU tier because it is a reliable spinner, user of Stealth Rock, and can actually beat most Ghost-types one-on-one by focusing on offensive stats instead of defensive, where you'll be forced to switch and take even more entry hazard damage the next time you switch in. I've mainly depend on Donphan to help my team take out threats like Drapion and Toxicroak which would otherwise have a field day with this team. Donphan is also great in weakening down the defensive behemoth that is Registeel. To be honest, even though Hitmontop is also a reliable spinner, I find Donphan to be irreplaceable on this team.
The given set is pretty standard from what I've tested and it works the best for this team. Rapid Spin is an obvious crux which allows me to switch in Yanmega indefinitely provided I managed to spin away Stealth Rock successfully. Earthquake is a fantastic STAB move which allows me to deal with bulky Ghost-types like Spiritomb who expect to wall me, as it takes an average from 40%, even when running max / max. Earthquake will also force things like Milotic to use Recover, giving me a free switch to Roserade to set up another layer of Spikes. Assurance is a great move on this set as it allows me to dispatch Rotom and Mismagius, two Pokémon which absolutely love to switch in on Donphan. Assurance also does great against some Flying-types, but I often just switch to either Registeel or Milotic depending on which Flying-type switches in on me. Stealth Rock was needed somewhere on the team since I aim to force switches, so I figured Donphan would be suitable for the job. However, I have found it particularly difficult to find time in a match to switch in Donphan safely and set up Stealth Rock, due to the overcentralization of Water and Grass types in UU.
The given EVs are essential in allowing Donphan to hit as hard as possible 52 HP and 204 Defense EVs allow me to take physical hits marginally better than by simply maxing out HP.
Normally, I find Donphan to lure out Water-types, which is great because Roserade usually switches in for free and sets up another layer of Spikes. In turn, Donphan handily beats Poison-types that try to switch in on Roserade and set up. As stated before, my main concern has been that I have difficulty finding time to switch in Donphan repeatedly through a match, particularly against stall teams that use multiple phazers which quickly wear down Donphan. Other than that, Donphan's main objective is usually just to cover Yanmega's main weaknesses and allow it more chances to switch in and sweep.
Yanmega (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Air Slash
- Bug Buzz
- Ancientpower
- U-turn
Yanmega, key player on this team, very annoying Pokémon to face... and very fun to use as well. Since this team's purpose was to test possible teammates for Donphan, I figured that Yanmega would be able to fit this slot well, and so far it has not failed me except when it lost a speed tie a few times. With Choice Specs equipped along with a nice ability in Tinted Lens, Yanmega serves as a great way to rack up damage against the opposing team, especially with entry hazard damage taken into account. Yanmega also helps weaken down some of Mismagius's common switch-ins like Registeel and Honchkrow, although the former doesn't even stand a chance thanks to Spikes. Generally though, my favorite thing about Yanmega has been saving it until the late game and then sweeping the living hell out of the opponent.
I chose the Choice Specs set over the Life Orb / Speed Boost sweeper for a few reasons. The first is that entry hazards are a great combination with the Tinted Lens ability because very few Pokemon in UU have a 4x resist to Bug so it isn't difficult to rack up damage over time. Note that this is made even easier thanks to Donphan's Spinning abilities. When using Yanmega, what I will usually do is start off the match by using Bug Buzz. More often that not, doing so will allow me to weaken the opponent while also learning more about that my opponent uses to counter Yanmega. Air Slash is an attack that I usually do not use because it is so much weaker than Bug Buzz and the accuracy is a bit of a turnoff (it can still miss), but it is a helpful move against Moltres and Grass-types like Roserade and Yanmega, but AncientPower takes care of the former. I've actually never had to use Ancientpower when using Yanmega, but the main reason I added it was to be able to take out Moltres which can otherwise be a pain, especially if it is running Toxic. Finally, U-turn allows me to scout when need be, although I hardly ever use it as well.
EVs allow for maximum sweeping efficiency.
I'll mainly use Yanmega as my primary switch-in to things like Roserade due to its 4x resist to Grass-type attacks which Milotic commonly lures out. I'll also use Yanmega to switch into Ground- and Fighting-type attacks possibly aimed at Registeel. Donphan is great at switching into the Rock- and Electric-type attacks aimed at 'Mega while Milotic takes most of the other special attacks. Milotic also takes care of most priority users like Honchkrow and Azumarill.
Milotic (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power Grass
- Recover
- Haze
Milotic has always been one of my favorite Pokémon in the UU tier, so I knew I wanted to use it in this team. Milotic has always proven to be a worthy defensive wall that can deal a good amount of damage in return when needed, so I knew it would be a good addition to this team. Mainly, I use Milotic to counter specific threats to my team such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and other bulky Waters. Milotic is also my primary switch-ins into Fire-types and other physically inclined Pokémon that are unable to break through Milotic's defenses. I swear, this thing walls half the tier with little effort.
I decided to go with the standard defensive set for a few reasons, which among them is that I needed a dedicated physical wall alongside Donphan to cover its weaknesses. While the Life Orb set does hit harder, I feel that it cannot take hits as well as this set and it's probably less durable as a whole. Surf is my main STAB move which takes full abuse of the 100 base Special Attack stat; it deals a great amount of damage to anything that does not resist. Hidden Power Grass is my sole option against opposing Water-types like Azumarill and other Milotic, which I can actually outstall most of the time or just switch straight to Roserade. Recover is essential in allowing Milotic to stay alive, and this team benefits more from Recover than Rest + Sleep Talk. Finally, Haze is a good move which allows me to beat stat uppers like Spiritomb and Feraligatr, which is useful if either is the last Pokémon remaining on the opponent's team.
Milotic pairs best with Roserade on my team, as both cover each other's weaknesses nearly perfectly. Milotic tends to lure out Pokémon which Roserade can set up on with ease, such as Rotom and more defensive Grass-types. Milotic also deals with some things that can give Roserade trouble, such as Blaziken for example.
Roserade (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Care
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
Roserade is another Pokémon I had been itching to use in UU after hearing how good of a Spiker it was in the UU tier, so I tried it, and needless to say, it fit in perfectly. Spikes form the central core of my team, increasing residual damage and thus allowing Yanmega to sweep in the late game. Roserade is also my main response to opposing Grass-types whom I can beat with repeated Sludge Bombs while the rest of my team lures out Pokémon that Roserade can set up on. After using Roserade, I can surely say that it is an interesting Pokémon and should not be underestimated.
The most important move in this set is obviously Spikes for a number of reasons. First, my team is great at taking hits repeatedly and forcing switches, so Spikes ensures that my opponents will be punished for doing so. Next, Yanmega's main counters, Registeel, Chansey, and Milotic, are grounded, so Spikes ensures that they cannot switch in repeatedly and expect to wall me. I get plenty of chances to set up Spikes with Roserade, as my team commonly lures out Milotic and other special sweepers that cannot get past Roserade, such as Rotom. Next, I wanted to run at least one attacking move, so I originally went with Sludge Bomb because of the higher Base Power and its ability to hit opposing Grass-types who may try to set up on me. Obviously, the next most important attack is Synthesis, which ensures that Roserade will remain healthy through the match, which in turn means more Spikes in the long run. Finally, I couldn't really think of anything else I wanted to run in the last slot, so I went with Energy Ball t abuse Roserade's other STAB. I didn't go with Aromatherapy because my team would be slowed down if I did, and obviously I cannot run Sleep Powder on this set.
Roserade aims to compliment this team through type resistances. Roserade is used to switch into the Electric- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Milotic. In return, Milotic beats Fire-types which can give Roserade grief, such as Blaziken. Registeel thats care of most other Pokémon that try to switch into Roserade for free, like Swellow and Yanmega. Overall, there isn't much to say that I haven't said already.
Mismagius (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
Although normally seen as a Calm Minder, my friends on IRC told me about what is commonly referred to as "JabbaMagius" since he came up with the basic idea for this set. After using it extensively, I have fallen it love with it. Not only is it durable, but it causes so much havoc to my opponent that it is integral in executing my strategy of entry hazards are best as possible. Mismagius is used on this team to beat Spinners which will try to spin away my Spikes, such as Donphan and Hitmontop. Thankfully though, none stand a chance against Mismagius because they are always destroyed. Mismagius is also my main answer to stall teams, as the only thing that even comes close to being an immediate problem is Drapion, which is really a huge pain in the ass to this team. However, my team is able to work around it somewhat provided my opponent hasn't set up entry hazards yet.
I chose this set because it appears great at forcing switches, which is exactly what my team needed. Shadow Ball is your basic STAB, and I've been impressed by how much damage it deals to things like Azumarril and Roserade that have adequate defenses. Hell, I've been able to beat offensive Rotom and Mismagius one-on-one as well. Pain Split is essential as a recovery move, as Mismagius has no other way to restoring its HP. Pain Split also taked advantage of the fact that Normal types are the most troublesome to my team so I can usually nag a free Pain Split or two. Will-O-Wisp is an excellent move which allows Mismagius to not only tank Special hits but to also tank non super effective Physical hits as well. Will-O-Wisp has saved me in many scenarios by burning things like Drapion so they do not pose an immediate threat to me, but I tend to be predictable with it and my opponent will usually switch in Houndoom or Arcanine without no second though. Finally, Taunt is especially designed to give stall teams trouble. By Taunting the opponent, they will be unable to recover while entry hazards will keep wearing them down the more they switch, and if they don't, Will-O-Wisp or repeated Shadow Balls usually take out my opponent.
Mismagius is an integral part of my tea due to the immunities and resistances it offers. As explained before, its most important duty is to block Rapid Spin. Apart from that, Mismagius is my main switch in to Normal-type attacks from things like Ambipom and Fighting and Ground type attacks if my opponent has Stealth Rock set up. The rest of my team also deals with Mismagius's weaknesses quite well. Registeel fulfills the job type-wise, taking care of Dark- and Ghost-types with its selection of moves. Milotic will also beat Arcanine and Houndoom most of the time if I play around them carefully.
Threat List:
*coming later once I find one to steal*
Final Comments...
Overall, I have to say that I have had a fun time using this team during the Yanmega testing, but that is precisely why I have decided to retire the team. Obviously, this team is also not meant for the current HGSS metagame with introduced threats like Swords Dance Feraligatr and Aggron which my team will currently have trouble dealing with. Through this team, I hope to have shown how balanced offense is a good playstyle in the UU metagame.
Thanks for reading!
Team synergy isn't too hard to identify with a Pokémon like Registeel. Fire attacks are redirected to Milotic while Mismagius switches into Ground and fighting attacks with relative ease and proceed to burn users of the move with Will-O-Wisp. Other than that, very little troubles Registeel. Registeel helps Milotic out by beating Roserade 1-on-1 unless it's a SubSeeder (not that I've encountered one) while Registeel is a decent switch-in to Rotom, which I beat with Ice Punch if it's a SubCharge. Mismagius also appreciates Registeel switching into the Dark attacks possibly aimed at it.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Def
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Assurance
- Stealth Rock
As stated before, Donphan is actually one of the key members of this team as the only reason this team exists is because I was testing Choice Band Donphan for the analysis write-up I was working on. Ironically, I was testing under an alt named "CBDonphanTest" and people still lost to this team (lol) so Donphan is definitely a cool Pokémon because it can't be stopped. Mainly though, I find Donphan to be a really neat Pokémon in the UU tier because it is a reliable spinner, user of Stealth Rock, and can actually beat most Ghost-types one-on-one by focusing on offensive stats instead of defensive, where you'll be forced to switch and take even more entry hazard damage the next time you switch in. I've mainly depend on Donphan to help my team take out threats like Drapion and Toxicroak which would otherwise have a field day with this team. Donphan is also great in weakening down the defensive behemoth that is Registeel. To be honest, even though Hitmontop is also a reliable spinner, I find Donphan to be irreplaceable on this team.
The given set is pretty standard from what I've tested and it works the best for this team. Rapid Spin is an obvious crux which allows me to switch in Yanmega indefinitely provided I managed to spin away Stealth Rock successfully. Earthquake is a fantastic STAB move which allows me to deal with bulky Ghost-types like Spiritomb who expect to wall me, as it takes an average from 40%, even when running max / max. Earthquake will also force things like Milotic to use Recover, giving me a free switch to Roserade to set up another layer of Spikes. Assurance is a great move on this set as it allows me to dispatch Rotom and Mismagius, two Pokémon which absolutely love to switch in on Donphan. Assurance also does great against some Flying-types, but I often just switch to either Registeel or Milotic depending on which Flying-type switches in on me. Stealth Rock was needed somewhere on the team since I aim to force switches, so I figured Donphan would be suitable for the job. However, I have found it particularly difficult to find time in a match to switch in Donphan safely and set up Stealth Rock, due to the overcentralization of Water and Grass types in UU.
The given EVs are essential in allowing Donphan to hit as hard as possible 52 HP and 204 Defense EVs allow me to take physical hits marginally better than by simply maxing out HP.
Normally, I find Donphan to lure out Water-types, which is great because Roserade usually switches in for free and sets up another layer of Spikes. In turn, Donphan handily beats Poison-types that try to switch in on Roserade and set up. As stated before, my main concern has been that I have difficulty finding time to switch in Donphan repeatedly through a match, particularly against stall teams that use multiple phazers which quickly wear down Donphan. Other than that, Donphan's main objective is usually just to cover Yanmega's main weaknesses and allow it more chances to switch in and sweep.
Yanmega (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Air Slash
- Bug Buzz
- Ancientpower
- U-turn
Yanmega, key player on this team, very annoying Pokémon to face... and very fun to use as well. Since this team's purpose was to test possible teammates for Donphan, I figured that Yanmega would be able to fit this slot well, and so far it has not failed me except when it lost a speed tie a few times. With Choice Specs equipped along with a nice ability in Tinted Lens, Yanmega serves as a great way to rack up damage against the opposing team, especially with entry hazard damage taken into account. Yanmega also helps weaken down some of Mismagius's common switch-ins like Registeel and Honchkrow, although the former doesn't even stand a chance thanks to Spikes. Generally though, my favorite thing about Yanmega has been saving it until the late game and then sweeping the living hell out of the opponent.
I chose the Choice Specs set over the Life Orb / Speed Boost sweeper for a few reasons. The first is that entry hazards are a great combination with the Tinted Lens ability because very few Pokemon in UU have a 4x resist to Bug so it isn't difficult to rack up damage over time. Note that this is made even easier thanks to Donphan's Spinning abilities. When using Yanmega, what I will usually do is start off the match by using Bug Buzz. More often that not, doing so will allow me to weaken the opponent while also learning more about that my opponent uses to counter Yanmega. Air Slash is an attack that I usually do not use because it is so much weaker than Bug Buzz and the accuracy is a bit of a turnoff (it can still miss), but it is a helpful move against Moltres and Grass-types like Roserade and Yanmega, but AncientPower takes care of the former. I've actually never had to use Ancientpower when using Yanmega, but the main reason I added it was to be able to take out Moltres which can otherwise be a pain, especially if it is running Toxic. Finally, U-turn allows me to scout when need be, although I hardly ever use it as well.
EVs allow for maximum sweeping efficiency.
I'll mainly use Yanmega as my primary switch-in to things like Roserade due to its 4x resist to Grass-type attacks which Milotic commonly lures out. I'll also use Yanmega to switch into Ground- and Fighting-type attacks possibly aimed at Registeel. Donphan is great at switching into the Rock- and Electric-type attacks aimed at 'Mega while Milotic takes most of the other special attacks. Milotic also takes care of most priority users like Honchkrow and Azumarill.
Milotic (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power Grass
- Recover
- Haze
Milotic has always been one of my favorite Pokémon in the UU tier, so I knew I wanted to use it in this team. Milotic has always proven to be a worthy defensive wall that can deal a good amount of damage in return when needed, so I knew it would be a good addition to this team. Mainly, I use Milotic to counter specific threats to my team such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and other bulky Waters. Milotic is also my primary switch-ins into Fire-types and other physically inclined Pokémon that are unable to break through Milotic's defenses. I swear, this thing walls half the tier with little effort.
I decided to go with the standard defensive set for a few reasons, which among them is that I needed a dedicated physical wall alongside Donphan to cover its weaknesses. While the Life Orb set does hit harder, I feel that it cannot take hits as well as this set and it's probably less durable as a whole. Surf is my main STAB move which takes full abuse of the 100 base Special Attack stat; it deals a great amount of damage to anything that does not resist. Hidden Power Grass is my sole option against opposing Water-types like Azumarill and other Milotic, which I can actually outstall most of the time or just switch straight to Roserade. Recover is essential in allowing Milotic to stay alive, and this team benefits more from Recover than Rest + Sleep Talk. Finally, Haze is a good move which allows me to beat stat uppers like Spiritomb and Feraligatr, which is useful if either is the last Pokémon remaining on the opponent's team.
Milotic pairs best with Roserade on my team, as both cover each other's weaknesses nearly perfectly. Milotic tends to lure out Pokémon which Roserade can set up on with ease, such as Rotom and more defensive Grass-types. Milotic also deals with some things that can give Roserade trouble, such as Blaziken for example.
Roserade (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Care
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
Roserade is another Pokémon I had been itching to use in UU after hearing how good of a Spiker it was in the UU tier, so I tried it, and needless to say, it fit in perfectly. Spikes form the central core of my team, increasing residual damage and thus allowing Yanmega to sweep in the late game. Roserade is also my main response to opposing Grass-types whom I can beat with repeated Sludge Bombs while the rest of my team lures out Pokémon that Roserade can set up on. After using Roserade, I can surely say that it is an interesting Pokémon and should not be underestimated.
The most important move in this set is obviously Spikes for a number of reasons. First, my team is great at taking hits repeatedly and forcing switches, so Spikes ensures that my opponents will be punished for doing so. Next, Yanmega's main counters, Registeel, Chansey, and Milotic, are grounded, so Spikes ensures that they cannot switch in repeatedly and expect to wall me. I get plenty of chances to set up Spikes with Roserade, as my team commonly lures out Milotic and other special sweepers that cannot get past Roserade, such as Rotom. Next, I wanted to run at least one attacking move, so I originally went with Sludge Bomb because of the higher Base Power and its ability to hit opposing Grass-types who may try to set up on me. Obviously, the next most important attack is Synthesis, which ensures that Roserade will remain healthy through the match, which in turn means more Spikes in the long run. Finally, I couldn't really think of anything else I wanted to run in the last slot, so I went with Energy Ball t abuse Roserade's other STAB. I didn't go with Aromatherapy because my team would be slowed down if I did, and obviously I cannot run Sleep Powder on this set.
Roserade aims to compliment this team through type resistances. Roserade is used to switch into the Electric- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Milotic. In return, Milotic beats Fire-types which can give Roserade grief, such as Blaziken. Registeel thats care of most other Pokémon that try to switch into Roserade for free, like Swellow and Yanmega. Overall, there isn't much to say that I haven't said already.
Mismagius (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
Although normally seen as a Calm Minder, my friends on IRC told me about what is commonly referred to as "JabbaMagius" since he came up with the basic idea for this set. After using it extensively, I have fallen it love with it. Not only is it durable, but it causes so much havoc to my opponent that it is integral in executing my strategy of entry hazards are best as possible. Mismagius is used on this team to beat Spinners which will try to spin away my Spikes, such as Donphan and Hitmontop. Thankfully though, none stand a chance against Mismagius because they are always destroyed. Mismagius is also my main answer to stall teams, as the only thing that even comes close to being an immediate problem is Drapion, which is really a huge pain in the ass to this team. However, my team is able to work around it somewhat provided my opponent hasn't set up entry hazards yet.
I chose this set because it appears great at forcing switches, which is exactly what my team needed. Shadow Ball is your basic STAB, and I've been impressed by how much damage it deals to things like Azumarril and Roserade that have adequate defenses. Hell, I've been able to beat offensive Rotom and Mismagius one-on-one as well. Pain Split is essential as a recovery move, as Mismagius has no other way to restoring its HP. Pain Split also taked advantage of the fact that Normal types are the most troublesome to my team so I can usually nag a free Pain Split or two. Will-O-Wisp is an excellent move which allows Mismagius to not only tank Special hits but to also tank non super effective Physical hits as well. Will-O-Wisp has saved me in many scenarios by burning things like Drapion so they do not pose an immediate threat to me, but I tend to be predictable with it and my opponent will usually switch in Houndoom or Arcanine without no second though. Finally, Taunt is especially designed to give stall teams trouble. By Taunting the opponent, they will be unable to recover while entry hazards will keep wearing them down the more they switch, and if they don't, Will-O-Wisp or repeated Shadow Balls usually take out my opponent.
Mismagius is an integral part of my tea due to the immunities and resistances it offers. As explained before, its most important duty is to block Rapid Spin. Apart from that, Mismagius is my main switch in to Normal-type attacks from things like Ambipom and Fighting and Ground type attacks if my opponent has Stealth Rock set up. The rest of my team also deals with Mismagius's weaknesses quite well. Registeel fulfills the job type-wise, taking care of Dark- and Ghost-types with its selection of moves. Milotic will also beat Arcanine and Houndoom most of the time if I play around them carefully.
Threat List:
*coming later once I find one to steal*
Final Comments...
Overall, I have to say that I have had a fun time using this team during the Yanmega testing, but that is precisely why I have decided to retire the team. Obviously, this team is also not meant for the current HGSS metagame with introduced threats like Swords Dance Feraligatr and Aggron which my team will currently have trouble dealing with. Through this team, I hope to have shown how balanced offense is a good playstyle in the UU metagame.
Thanks for reading!
