Approved by Magnemite
With the first ever PU Open now finished, I thought it'd be cool if we could have a place where people could showcase any teams/sets that they used throughout the open.
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Golem @ Choice Band
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Superpower
- Sucker Punch
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
Gourgeist-Super @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp
- Synthesis
Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Coil
Rotom-Frost @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Superpower
- Sucker Punch
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
Gourgeist-Super @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp
- Synthesis
Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Coil
Rotom-Frost @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Anybody who knows me, or has played against me a handful of times should recognise this team. Unfortunately I can't claim this team to be my creation, this team was passed to me by Dundies, however I have made a few tweaks to my own personal taste. If I remember correctly, the first time I used this team was against HJAD in one of the later rounds of the last Spring Seasonal. This has pretty much been my go-to team ever since, and has served me very well.
The team utilises the savagely underrated threat that is Choice Band Golem. The offensive core is rounded out by Coil Arbok and Choice Scarf Rotom-F, whilst the defensive backbone consists of SpD Clefairy, Vullaby, and Gourgeist-XL. One of the things that I really love about this team is just how solid it is against the majority of the major threats in PU. This team packs multiple reliable checks to just about every top tier Pokemon, and is very solid when facing the likes of Cacturne, Floatzel, Stoutland, and Leafeon.
Clefairy + Golem is a pretty cool combination, and one that works well not only in battle, but also in team preview, since many people will assume Golem to be Stealth Rock, switching in a Pokemon such as Leafeon to get blown away by Choice Band Stone Edge. SpD Clefairy provides Speed control for Golem, whilst also reliably getting Stealth Rock against the majority of Water-type Defoggers that try to force Golem out. Coil Arbok is a cool Pokemon that beats up on weakened Ground-types such as Stunfisk that may have had to switch into a Choice Band Golem once or twice. With a few Coils under its belt, Arbok is very tough to stop. Vullaby and Gourgeist-XL are standard, with Rotom-F providing some Speed control via Scarf, and also a check to Articuno. The team is stupidly weak to a few specific things, but it plays in such a flowchart-like fashion that you can pretty much beat anything if you play well, which is one of the main things I love about this team.
The team utilises the savagely underrated threat that is Choice Band Golem. The offensive core is rounded out by Coil Arbok and Choice Scarf Rotom-F, whilst the defensive backbone consists of SpD Clefairy, Vullaby, and Gourgeist-XL. One of the things that I really love about this team is just how solid it is against the majority of the major threats in PU. This team packs multiple reliable checks to just about every top tier Pokemon, and is very solid when facing the likes of Cacturne, Floatzel, Stoutland, and Leafeon.
Clefairy + Golem is a pretty cool combination, and one that works well not only in battle, but also in team preview, since many people will assume Golem to be Stealth Rock, switching in a Pokemon such as Leafeon to get blown away by Choice Band Stone Edge. SpD Clefairy provides Speed control for Golem, whilst also reliably getting Stealth Rock against the majority of Water-type Defoggers that try to force Golem out. Coil Arbok is a cool Pokemon that beats up on weakened Ground-types such as Stunfisk that may have had to switch into a Choice Band Golem once or twice. With a few Coils under its belt, Arbok is very tough to stop. Vullaby and Gourgeist-XL are standard, with Rotom-F providing some Speed control via Scarf, and also a check to Articuno. The team is stupidly weak to a few specific things, but it plays in such a flowchart-like fashion that you can pretty much beat anything if you play well, which is one of the main things I love about this team.
Probopass @ Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Volt Switch
- Stealth Rock
Muk @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Grumpig @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 204 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Waterfall
- Frustration
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Gourgeist-Super @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp
- Synthesis
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Volt Switch
- Stealth Rock
Muk @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Grumpig @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 204 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Waterfall
- Frustration
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Gourgeist-Super @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp
- Synthesis
This was a team I made for my Semifinal series vs Advantage. I wanted to bring Curse Muk + Probopass, because I'd experienced success using a Curse Muk + Probopass team made by Megazard, and I wanted to build my own.
Muk is the standard Curse set, with a slightly tweaked EV spread that I made myself. 8 Def EVs avoids the OHKO from Choice Band Stoutland's Frustration after Stealth Rock, and avoids the 2HKO at +2, whilst 12 Spe can be really nice to creep other base 50s such as Audino and Prinplup. Especially with Muk being so slow, sometimes finding opportunities to Rest can be tough if Muk is Pursuit trapped by the likes of Stoutland or Dodrio, having a little extra Speed just gives you a few extra situations in which you can recover safely if needed. Probopass is standard, trapping Steel-types such as Mawile, Pawniard, Metang, as well as opposing Probopass thanks to Air Balloon. It also setting Stealth Rock, and checks normals such as Dodrio. Next I added SubCM Grumpig, which was just another Pokemon that I felt had a good matchup against a variety of bulky offenses, whilst also giving me a blanket check to stuff like Monferno. Golem was next, and was a last minute change that I made after I suddenly became irrationally scared of my Probopass + Gourgeist-XL being overwhelmed by Normal spam, or my Grumpig + Muk being overwhelmed by Electrics. It doesn't have Stealth Rock, because I already have them on Probopass, so I just opted for Protect to gain Leftovers, and scout Choice items if necessary. At this point, the team was looking exceedingly slow, so I decided to add mixed Floatzel as a cool breaker, as well as a general catch-all when facing a variety of offensive teams. I had seen that Advantage had been fond of the Pelipper + Chinchou defensive core, so I opted for both Frustration and Hidden Power [Electric] so that my Floatzel would be able to break as best as possible. Lastly I needed a check to Golem, physically biased Floatzel, and Leafeon, so I opted for Gourgeist-XL, which also rounded out the team nicely by covering both of my Fighting-weak Normal checks.
Muk is the standard Curse set, with a slightly tweaked EV spread that I made myself. 8 Def EVs avoids the OHKO from Choice Band Stoutland's Frustration after Stealth Rock, and avoids the 2HKO at +2, whilst 12 Spe can be really nice to creep other base 50s such as Audino and Prinplup. Especially with Muk being so slow, sometimes finding opportunities to Rest can be tough if Muk is Pursuit trapped by the likes of Stoutland or Dodrio, having a little extra Speed just gives you a few extra situations in which you can recover safely if needed. Probopass is standard, trapping Steel-types such as Mawile, Pawniard, Metang, as well as opposing Probopass thanks to Air Balloon. It also setting Stealth Rock, and checks normals such as Dodrio. Next I added SubCM Grumpig, which was just another Pokemon that I felt had a good matchup against a variety of bulky offenses, whilst also giving me a blanket check to stuff like Monferno. Golem was next, and was a last minute change that I made after I suddenly became irrationally scared of my Probopass + Gourgeist-XL being overwhelmed by Normal spam, or my Grumpig + Muk being overwhelmed by Electrics. It doesn't have Stealth Rock, because I already have them on Probopass, so I just opted for Protect to gain Leftovers, and scout Choice items if necessary. At this point, the team was looking exceedingly slow, so I decided to add mixed Floatzel as a cool breaker, as well as a general catch-all when facing a variety of offensive teams. I had seen that Advantage had been fond of the Pelipper + Chinchou defensive core, so I opted for both Frustration and Hidden Power [Electric] so that my Floatzel would be able to break as best as possible. Lastly I needed a check to Golem, physically biased Floatzel, and Leafeon, so I opted for Gourgeist-XL, which also rounded out the team nicely by covering both of my Fighting-weak Normal checks.
Muk @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Trapinch @ Eviolite
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Mawile @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Pain Split
- Baton Pass
- Stealth Rock
Zebstrika @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Leafeon @ Lum Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Synthesis
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Knock Off / Foul Play
- Taunt
- Defog
- Roost
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Trapinch @ Eviolite
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Mawile @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Pain Split
- Baton Pass
- Stealth Rock
Zebstrika @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Leafeon @ Lum Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Synthesis
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Knock Off / Foul Play
- Taunt
- Defog
- Roost
This was the team that I build for PDC, and whilst I'm not sure I can solely accredit this team for my victory, I do still think its a pretty solid team. Once again I'm using Muk. With its ability to blanket check 90% of special attackers, whilst also acting as a deadly setup sweeper, and a 100% stop to Calm Mind Clefairy, I find myself hard pressed to find a reason to not fit Muk onto my teams.
I chose RestTalk Trapinch over Probopass for its ability to also trap the likes of Chinchou and non Seed Bomb Gourgeist, since removing those Pokemon supported Leafeon and Zebstrika far better than Probopass trapping Steels would do. Next, I added Mawile as my normal resist. I had seen that PDC was somewhat fond of Choice Band users such as Stoutland, Floatzel and Zweilous. Defensive Mawile was the only Pokemon that I found that could reliably check all three, whilst also chipping away at them with Rocky Helmet. I opted for Pain Split over Swords Dance/Toxic/Knock Off since I didn't find any of the other utility moves useful in testing, and Pain Split was also nice to surprise Pokemon such as Duosion, as well as keep Mawile that bit healthier when facing the likes of Stoutland. I added Zebstrika as a catch all vs offensive teams. I went with Sap Sipper since I already had Trapinch to trap most Electric-types. I opted for Hidden Power [Grass] since Ice coverage seemed useless for the majority of the teams PDC was using, whilst Grass coverage also had the added benefit of hitting Golem, a Pokemon that can definitely be somewhat threatening to this team. Speaking of Golem being a threat, Leafeon was added as my next Pokemon, with one of the main reasons for its addition being that it was a solid Golem check. Outside of this, Leafeon was able to pressure a variety of bulkier teams with Swords Dance, whilst also packing Lum Berry in order to better check Pokemon such as Clefairy, as well as avoid taking chip damage from Toxic Golem. In the last slot I chose Vullaby as I required a blanket check to a massive number of threatening Pokemon such as Monferno, Grumpig and Leafeon, but also required hazard removal. Taunt + Knock Off was specifically for Duosion, since I'm always pretty paranoid about being swept by it, with Vullaby's abilty to lure and knock off items from the likes of Rotom-F, and Clefairy being a nice boon too.
I chose RestTalk Trapinch over Probopass for its ability to also trap the likes of Chinchou and non Seed Bomb Gourgeist, since removing those Pokemon supported Leafeon and Zebstrika far better than Probopass trapping Steels would do. Next, I added Mawile as my normal resist. I had seen that PDC was somewhat fond of Choice Band users such as Stoutland, Floatzel and Zweilous. Defensive Mawile was the only Pokemon that I found that could reliably check all three, whilst also chipping away at them with Rocky Helmet. I opted for Pain Split over Swords Dance/Toxic/Knock Off since I didn't find any of the other utility moves useful in testing, and Pain Split was also nice to surprise Pokemon such as Duosion, as well as keep Mawile that bit healthier when facing the likes of Stoutland. I added Zebstrika as a catch all vs offensive teams. I went with Sap Sipper since I already had Trapinch to trap most Electric-types. I opted for Hidden Power [Grass] since Ice coverage seemed useless for the majority of the teams PDC was using, whilst Grass coverage also had the added benefit of hitting Golem, a Pokemon that can definitely be somewhat threatening to this team. Speaking of Golem being a threat, Leafeon was added as my next Pokemon, with one of the main reasons for its addition being that it was a solid Golem check. Outside of this, Leafeon was able to pressure a variety of bulkier teams with Swords Dance, whilst also packing Lum Berry in order to better check Pokemon such as Clefairy, as well as avoid taking chip damage from Toxic Golem. In the last slot I chose Vullaby as I required a blanket check to a massive number of threatening Pokemon such as Monferno, Grumpig and Leafeon, but also required hazard removal. Taunt + Knock Off was specifically for Duosion, since I'm always pretty paranoid about being swept by it, with Vullaby's abilty to lure and knock off items from the likes of Rotom-F, and Clefairy being a nice boon too.
Trapinch @ Eviolite
Ability: Arena Trap
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Hurricane
- Substitute
- Roost
Pelipper @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Defog
- Roost
Muk @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 208 HP / 32 Atk / 216 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
Ability: Arena Trap
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Hurricane
- Substitute
- Roost
Pelipper @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Defog
- Roost
Muk @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 208 HP / 32 Atk / 216 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
Of the handful of teams that I made, this was the team that I ended up going with vs .CarloO~. Whilst this team does have a Muk, this team was actually built around the core of SubRoost Articuno + RestTalk Trapinch, a core that I think is very underrated. SubRoost Articuno is a Pokemon that can prove to be unbelievably difficult for some teams to deal with, and when you consider that Trapinch is able to remove the likes of Probopass and Grumpig, Articuno becomes that much harder to beat. I opted for Ice Beam over Freeze-Dry on Articuno purely because Trapinch was able to reliably trap Chinchou, one of Freeze-Dry's main targets, whilst Ice Beam's damage rolls vs Pokemon such as Golem and Stunfisk were far more favourable than Freeze-Dry.
- 252 SpA Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Stunfisk: 186-222 (44 - 52.6%) -- 19.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
- 252 SpA Articuno Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Stunfisk: 236-282 (55.9 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
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