The title is pretty self explanatory - I've been running this team in uber for a few days now, and its made up of only non-uber, non-legendary pokemon. It's designed to counter most of the prevalent pokemon in the meta. I've made my way up to an elo of 1400 for now with this team but I struggle at times so I figured I'd try to get some help.
The basic design of the team is ditching defense for an all offence oriented team, which can be seen by how paper-thin everyone's defenses are. It's hard to switch into a pokemon without them being KO'ed, so this team focuses on being able to fight even their checks and weaken them to allow for an easy revenge kill.
The sweepers are primarily Ditto and Porygon-Z, though its very hard to set up Porygon-Z properly. When set up, Porygon is the more effective sweeper due to not being pigeonholed into one move with 5 PP as well as being more tanky, but it is easier to start the Ditto sweep.
The two pokemon that give me the most trouble is Yveltal and all typings of Arceus with Recover.
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Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Outrage
Garchomp's main purpose is to deal chip damage and to set down Stealth Rock so Lopunny can finish them off, as well as being a counter to Primal Groudon.
Earthquake is used as STAB, and I generally spam it against anything and anyone. It generally takes out half of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre's HP, as well as OHKOing most Steel types I encounter. Iron Head is meant to deal 30~40% damage to Xerneas when they inevitably switch it in. Stealth Rock will be used whenever there's an opportunity (Such as after Smeargle pops a Parting Shot), and Outrage is for damaging pokemon that are unaffected by Earthquake. Outrage is Garchomp's high damage STAB, and is used against any enemy that I am struggling to take out. Something to note is after using Outrage on a Fairy type, Garchomp will be released from Outrage, so it can be used to bait out a Fairy for an Iron Head. Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet deal significant damage to all physical attackers, and is a hard counter to Kangaskhan-Mega, because Kangaskhan will take 4 hits from it. It was originally added to deal with Extreme Speed Arceus, and can still effectively counter it.
I opted for max Atk and Spe because with these EVs it outspeeds most of the meta, and it can deal major damage before being taken out.
Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Scrappy
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Quick Attack
Lopunny's main purpose is of weakening the enemy, as well as being used as a hard counter to Marshadow. High Jump Kick will OHKO, and Lopunny outspeeds it as well as being immune to shadow sneak.
Fake Out is used to deal chip damage, as well as to gauge how much Return and Quick Attack will do respectively. High Jump Kick is used as main STAB unless I'm confident Return will take it out. I generally switch Lopunny out immediately if the enemy resists Fighting. Return is used as a side STAB move that doesn't have any risks involved. Quick Attack is used to finish off low HP enemies.
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
Nature: Timid
EVs: 112 HP | 144 Def | 252 Spe
- Spore
- Parting Shot
- Sticky Web
- Glare
Smeargle is mainly used to get off Sticky Web and crippling as many pokemon with Spore and Glare as physically possible. Spore will typically be used at the start of the engagement followed then by Sticky Web. Parting Shot is used to escape from Gengar-Mega, as well as being used to weaken a pokemon so that Porygon-Z can safely set up on it, or so that Garchomp can switch in to deal Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet damage without taking a lot in return. When playing Smeargle, it is important to see what pokemon the opponent has. Since everyone expects Smeargle to be played first, it is possible to predict the opponent's first pokemon, and plan accordingly, which is another bonus with using Smeargle. Generally though, I find running Smeargle first being optimal unless the opponent has Deoxys Speed in which case Lopunny or Ditto work better.
Max Spe is used so Smeargle can outspeed non-sweeper opponents, and the distribution in HP and Def is used so that Smeargle wont get killed immediately by pokemon with more than one hit, such as a stray Cloyster, though rare.
Smeargle is hard countered by Shaymin-Sky due to Air Slash, as well as by Yveltal and other taunt users.
Porygon-Z @ Normalium Z
Ability: Adaptability
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Convert
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
Porygon-Z is the main sweeper of the team, capable of one-shotting majority of the opponent's team after Z-Convert.
Ice Beam is the main STAB after Z-Convert is used, and can OHKO most pokemon that don't resist it or have ridiculous SpD. Convert is used to boost all stats by 1 and change Porygon's typing to Ice. I only ever use it as a Z move. Thunderbolt is used for coverage, and can take out majority of Primal Kyogre's HP. One thing to keep in mind is that a Primal Groudon can tank a boosted Ice Beam after Stealth Rock if it's built to tank special attacks, and most forms of Arceus will also tank it barely, though for the most part neither can take two hits. At full HP, Porygon can take a Swords Dance boosted Extreme Speed from Arceus if Porygon-Z is boosted. Nasty Plot was newly added to guarantee OHKOs. The only pokemon that can survive a Nasty Plot + Z-Convert Ice Beam is Necrozma Dusk Mane as well as a few other tanky steel types, so Thunderbolt should be used instead in that one instance.
Full Spe and SpA is used to maximize its abilities as a sweeper. After Z-Convert, it can outspeed an unbuffed Marshadow and Mewtwo-Y.
Choice Scarf Marshadow and Focus Sash Matshadow is still a counter to Porygon-Z, so its better to take out Marshadow with Lopunny beforehand if possible. Focus Sash Marshadow can also be taken out using Stealth Rock, and Choice Scarf Marshadow will not be able to outspeed Porygon-Z after buffs if Sticky Web has been used.
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mold Breaker
Nature: Jolly
252 Atk | 4 Def | 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
Excadrill serves as an extra check to Xerneas, being able to get an Iron Head off which will lower the Xerneas' HP to a place where Ditto can safely kill. Excadrill can also dish out large amounts of damage with Earthquake, can Rapid Spin hazards, and can support the team through Stealth Rock. At full Spe, Excadrill can outspeed most pokemon that don't invest fully in speed, but with focus sash Excadrill can get in at least one STAB move to weaken it severely.
Excadrill's role as a Rapid Spinner is crucial in order to reintroduce Smeargle if Smeargle made it out of its engagement unscathed.
Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
Nature: Relaxed
252 HP | 252 Def | 4 SpA
- Transform
Ditto serves as a revenge killer for the most prevalent sweepers in the meta, such as Necrozma and a geo-boosted Xerneas. However, due to PP restrictions, the Xerneas must be weakened by an Iron Head or two from Garchomp or Excadrill in order to be able to steal their Xerneas for a sweep. Necrozma will always lose in a duel to Ditto unless it runs Hidden Power Ice without using Dragon Pulse or Moongeist Beam. Ditto can not effectively copy and defeat pokemon such as Arceus without Swords Dance or Mewtwo, so there should be some caution as to what pokemon it should try to revenge kill.
Replays:
Edit:
The basic design of the team is ditching defense for an all offence oriented team, which can be seen by how paper-thin everyone's defenses are. It's hard to switch into a pokemon without them being KO'ed, so this team focuses on being able to fight even their checks and weaken them to allow for an easy revenge kill.
The sweepers are primarily Ditto and Porygon-Z, though its very hard to set up Porygon-Z properly. When set up, Porygon is the more effective sweeper due to not being pigeonholed into one move with 5 PP as well as being more tanky, but it is easier to start the Ditto sweep.
The two pokemon that give me the most trouble is Yveltal and all typings of Arceus with Recover.
------------
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Outrage
Garchomp's main purpose is to deal chip damage and to set down Stealth Rock so Lopunny can finish them off, as well as being a counter to Primal Groudon.
Earthquake is used as STAB, and I generally spam it against anything and anyone. It generally takes out half of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre's HP, as well as OHKOing most Steel types I encounter. Iron Head is meant to deal 30~40% damage to Xerneas when they inevitably switch it in. Stealth Rock will be used whenever there's an opportunity (Such as after Smeargle pops a Parting Shot), and Outrage is for damaging pokemon that are unaffected by Earthquake. Outrage is Garchomp's high damage STAB, and is used against any enemy that I am struggling to take out. Something to note is after using Outrage on a Fairy type, Garchomp will be released from Outrage, so it can be used to bait out a Fairy for an Iron Head. Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet deal significant damage to all physical attackers, and is a hard counter to Kangaskhan-Mega, because Kangaskhan will take 4 hits from it. It was originally added to deal with Extreme Speed Arceus, and can still effectively counter it.
I opted for max Atk and Spe because with these EVs it outspeeds most of the meta, and it can deal major damage before being taken out.
Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Scrappy
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Quick Attack
Lopunny's main purpose is of weakening the enemy, as well as being used as a hard counter to Marshadow. High Jump Kick will OHKO, and Lopunny outspeeds it as well as being immune to shadow sneak.
Fake Out is used to deal chip damage, as well as to gauge how much Return and Quick Attack will do respectively. High Jump Kick is used as main STAB unless I'm confident Return will take it out. I generally switch Lopunny out immediately if the enemy resists Fighting. Return is used as a side STAB move that doesn't have any risks involved. Quick Attack is used to finish off low HP enemies.
Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
Nature: Timid
EVs: 112 HP | 144 Def | 252 Spe
- Spore
- Parting Shot
- Sticky Web
- Glare
Smeargle is mainly used to get off Sticky Web and crippling as many pokemon with Spore and Glare as physically possible. Spore will typically be used at the start of the engagement followed then by Sticky Web. Parting Shot is used to escape from Gengar-Mega, as well as being used to weaken a pokemon so that Porygon-Z can safely set up on it, or so that Garchomp can switch in to deal Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet damage without taking a lot in return. When playing Smeargle, it is important to see what pokemon the opponent has. Since everyone expects Smeargle to be played first, it is possible to predict the opponent's first pokemon, and plan accordingly, which is another bonus with using Smeargle. Generally though, I find running Smeargle first being optimal unless the opponent has Deoxys Speed in which case Lopunny or Ditto work better.
Max Spe is used so Smeargle can outspeed non-sweeper opponents, and the distribution in HP and Def is used so that Smeargle wont get killed immediately by pokemon with more than one hit, such as a stray Cloyster, though rare.
Smeargle is hard countered by Shaymin-Sky due to Air Slash, as well as by Yveltal and other taunt users.
Porygon-Z @ Normalium Z
Ability: Adaptability
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Convert
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
Porygon-Z is the main sweeper of the team, capable of one-shotting majority of the opponent's team after Z-Convert.
Ice Beam is the main STAB after Z-Convert is used, and can OHKO most pokemon that don't resist it or have ridiculous SpD. Convert is used to boost all stats by 1 and change Porygon's typing to Ice. I only ever use it as a Z move. Thunderbolt is used for coverage, and can take out majority of Primal Kyogre's HP. One thing to keep in mind is that a Primal Groudon can tank a boosted Ice Beam after Stealth Rock if it's built to tank special attacks, and most forms of Arceus will also tank it barely, though for the most part neither can take two hits. At full HP, Porygon can take a Swords Dance boosted Extreme Speed from Arceus if Porygon-Z is boosted. Nasty Plot was newly added to guarantee OHKOs. The only pokemon that can survive a Nasty Plot + Z-Convert Ice Beam is Necrozma Dusk Mane as well as a few other tanky steel types, so Thunderbolt should be used instead in that one instance.
Full Spe and SpA is used to maximize its abilities as a sweeper. After Z-Convert, it can outspeed an unbuffed Marshadow and Mewtwo-Y.
Choice Scarf Marshadow and Focus Sash Matshadow is still a counter to Porygon-Z, so its better to take out Marshadow with Lopunny beforehand if possible. Focus Sash Marshadow can also be taken out using Stealth Rock, and Choice Scarf Marshadow will not be able to outspeed Porygon-Z after buffs if Sticky Web has been used.
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mold Breaker
Nature: Jolly
252 Atk | 4 Def | 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
Excadrill serves as an extra check to Xerneas, being able to get an Iron Head off which will lower the Xerneas' HP to a place where Ditto can safely kill. Excadrill can also dish out large amounts of damage with Earthquake, can Rapid Spin hazards, and can support the team through Stealth Rock. At full Spe, Excadrill can outspeed most pokemon that don't invest fully in speed, but with focus sash Excadrill can get in at least one STAB move to weaken it severely.
Excadrill's role as a Rapid Spinner is crucial in order to reintroduce Smeargle if Smeargle made it out of its engagement unscathed.
Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
Nature: Relaxed
252 HP | 252 Def | 4 SpA
- Transform
Ditto serves as a revenge killer for the most prevalent sweepers in the meta, such as Necrozma and a geo-boosted Xerneas. However, due to PP restrictions, the Xerneas must be weakened by an Iron Head or two from Garchomp or Excadrill in order to be able to steal their Xerneas for a sweep. Necrozma will always lose in a duel to Ditto unless it runs Hidden Power Ice without using Dragon Pulse or Moongeist Beam. Ditto can not effectively copy and defeat pokemon such as Arceus without Swords Dance or Mewtwo, so there should be some caution as to what pokemon it should try to revenge kill.
Replays:
Example of outrage cancel via fairy type switch in:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ubers-756704688
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ubers-756704688
Edit:
11/18/2017 - Reunicles is switched for Ditto, Garchomp has Toxic switched for Outrage. Porygon-Z has had the placement for Thunderbolt and Icebeam switched. Froslass has been switched for Smeargle.
11/20/2017 - Tri Attack on Porygon has been switched to Nasty Plot.
6/2/2018 - Knock Off on Smeargle has been switched for Parting Shot
11/20/2017 - Tri Attack on Porygon has been switched to Nasty Plot.
6/2/2018 - Knock Off on Smeargle has been switched for Parting Shot
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