[SET]
Volbeat (M) @ Damp Rock / Heat Rock
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rain Dance / Sunny Day
- Encore
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
Role: There should prob be a category for weather setters or something, cuz this thing doesn't fit in any of them .-.
What it Does: Volbeat is probably the best weather setter in RU due to Prankster. It can get off a clutch Rain Dance or Sunny Day almost whenever necessary, making it a true staple for weather teams. It is also essentially impossible to set up on (unless the opponent has a Linoone), as Encore will thwart any attempts for that. Encore can also give your own sweepers a chance to set up. Substitute allows for status protection and can work very well with Encore, as with Baton Pass, Volbeat can pass a Substitute to its teammate. Substitute can also be useful if there's only one turn of Rain Dance or Sunny Day left, as Volbeat can then use it to stall out the last turn and then set it up again for a full 8 turns. Max HP and Max Defense are used in order to take priority attacks from the likes of Entei and Kabutops relatively well.
Good Teammates: Swift Swim sweepers, such as Kabutops, Omastar, and Gorebyss are essential partners for this set if one is running Rain Dance. Pokemon such as Charizard and Victreebel can be good partners if one is running Sunny Day. Rapid Spin support from a Pokemon such as Kabutops is also appreciated, as it will allow Volbeat to come in as many times as possible and do its job. Volbeat tends to force a lot of switches, so entry hazard support can be beneficial as well.
Counters: Because of the fact that Volbeat is merely a support pokemon, countering it isn't really possible. However, Volbeat's biggest enemy is Linoone. Linoone can come in on a Rain Dance, set up a Belly Drum, and then proceed to smash one's team with ExtremeSpeed. If Volbeat doesn't have something like Scarf Rotom as its partner, there's a good chance that Linoone will easily be able to smash them. Entry hazards are also a good way to get rid of Volbeat, as without any recovery whatsoever, it will be worn down quickly, especially if it is using Substitute.
Crustle (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake / X-Scissor
Role: Hazard Users
What it Does: Crustle is easily one of the best leads in the metagame. Thanks to Sturdy, Crustle has an edge over other leads because it does not have to run a Focus Sash. With Lum Berry, it completely trolls Smeargle, breaking its Focus Sash and knocking it out with Rock Blast, stopping Smeargle from setting up any hazards and putting the opponent at a major disadvantage. Crustle also destroys other leads such as Aerodactyl and Accelgor very easily. It also has a solid amount of bulk, which means that it can get up Stealth Rock and Spikes relatively easily. Earthquake can nail Pokemon such as Kabutops and Omastar, but X-Scissor can be used to hit Grass-types, as well as Mesprit and Uxie.
Good Teammates: Crustle works best on Heavy Offense teams, so teams with a lot of sweepers, such as Entei and Kabutops, make great partners for this set. A Ghost-type is almost a necessity as well, as there's no point setting up entry hazards if a Kabutops can just spin them away later. The best choice for this would be a defensive Cofagrigus, as it can spinblock Kabutops and isn't too worried about Stone Edge. Also, Pokemon that can take on possible set-up attackers that may set up on this Crustle are also appreciated; for example, Slowking can be a good partner since it can stop Pokemon such as Omastar from sweeping if they set up on Crustle.
Counters: Kabutops is a major problem for this set. It can Stone Edge to do massive damage to Crustle, and then Rapid Spin its hazards away later. Some set-up sweepers, such as Lilligant and Feraligatr, can also be a problem, as they can set up on Crustle relatively easily. Uxie and Mesprit leads also beat this set one-on-one easily.
Aerodactyl (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Role: Hazard Users
What it Does: Aerodactyl is a solid lead that can give one's team the momentum by stopping the opponent from getting up hazards while getting up one's own Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl can shut down almost all Smeargle leads, bar Magic Coat versions, in which case it comes down to a 50-50 prediction. Earthquake and Stone Edge hit relatively hard, and can stop the opponent from being completely carefree when playing vs Aerodactyl. Earthquake does a solid 70% or more to Kabutops, the best Rapid Spinner in the tier. For Heavy Offense teams, Stealth Rock and momentum is all they need to win the game in the end, so Aerodactyl is a great choice for those teams.
Good Teammates: Aerodactyl works best on Heavy Offense teams, so sweepers, such as Sceptile and Entei, are good partners for this set. A Ghost-type is also necessary to stop the opponent from spinning away Stealth Rock. Defensive Cofagrigus is a good partner, as it can spin-block Kabutops relatively easily without worrying too much about Stone Edge. Spiritomb, on the other hand, can be useful for getting rid of Cryogonal.
Counters: Magic Coat Smeargle can usually defeat this Aerodactyl, as most Aerodactyl users will use Taunt turn one, which will let Smeargle reflect it with Magic Coat, Spore it next turn, and set up its own hazards. Crustle is also a solid counter for Aerodactyl, being able to tank a Stone Edge and OHKO Aerodactyl. through Focus Sash with Rock Blast. Rhydon is in the same boat, hardly getting a scartch from Earthquake and being able to OHKO back with Rock Blast. Steelix also shuts down Aerodactyl, although it will not get Stealth Rock up while Aerodactyl will. Hidden Power Water or Hidden Power Rock Accelgor can also take down Aerodactyl easily. Also, Kabutops leads can Stone Edge Aerodactyl Turn 1, and then proceed to use Aqua Jet to finish it off, or use Rapid Spin to spin away Stealth Rock.
Uxie @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Memento / Yawn / U-Turn
What it Does: Uxie is the best Dual Screener in the RU by far. With Max Speed and a Timid nature, it can outrun a large part of the metagame and set up Reflect and Light Screen easily. Also, thanks to Uxie's great bulk, it can take hits even if it's outsped, making it even better at its role. Uxie also learns Stealth Rock, which makes it a perfect option for Heavy Offense teams, as they get Reflect, Light Screen, and Stealth Rock with one Pokemon. The last thing that makes Dual Screens Uxie so good is Memento, which makes it much easier for Uxie's teammates to set up. Yawn is also an option, however, and can shut down Pokemon such as OTR Cofagrigus that try to set up on Uxie. U-Turn can also work in the last slot, and is good for when the user feels like the Pokemon that is in against Uxie is not an immediate threat and that they might need Uxie for later.
Good Teammates: Teammates that can set up and wreak havoc on the opposition are great partners for this set. Pokemon such as Lilligant, Linone, Omastar, and Feraligatr are all excellent choices for teammates. If running Memento, a Pokemon that can handle OTR Cofagrigus, such as Taunt + Swords Dance Drapion, is appreciated, as otherwise, Cofagrigus will be able to wreak havoc through the team. Pokemon that can handle Aerodactyl and Smeargle leads are also appreciated, as they can truly mess up the strategy of a Dual Screens Hyper Offense team. Lum Berry Crustle is a good example of this; it can also run Stealth Rock itself, which frees up a slot for Uxie to use Yawn or U-Turn over Stealth Rock. Other Dual Screeners are also appreciated, as Reflect and Light Screen only last for 8 turns.
What Counters It: Aerodactyl can completely shut down Uxie, and is its best counter. Smeargle can Spore Uxie after it gets up either Stealth Rock or one of the screens, proceed to set up its own hazards, and Whirlwind out any Pokemon that tries to set up under the benefit of Dual Screens. OTR Cofagrigus can easily set up on any Uxie that chooses to forgo Yawn. Choice Scarf Rotom-C and Choice Scarf Rotom can also be problematic, as they can Trick away Uxie's Light Clay and give it a Choice Scarf, which makes it much less effective.