Metal Sonic
Resurgence
**Renamed**
Hey everyone! This is Metal Sonic, and I believe it's time to retire my #1 trusted team which was built just after BW2(2012) and I have been using until now. I play a ton of UU(and other tiers too!), so many of you have seen me play with this team on perfectly normal and #1 alts burstdrone, curiousinvestment, or extremely douchy alts like "Sonicthebest which poetically did not get #1. Anyway.
Clarification: The 2973 ACRE is for interest purposes and a fun fact. It's not official and is not recognised by larger institutions; just like I can't say that I juggle pairs of scissors at home in my application for a Martial-Arts instructor.(This is real too) However, the #1 ranking can be accepted for an official peak.
I've played about thousands of games with this and it has led me to make a few C&C analyses based on this team; my favourite is the Hitmonlee analysis on-site.
Update: 27 October 2013 - 12 November 2013
This team is really tough to use, as the usage of Hitmonlee demands very special (and careful!) attention, so I suggest you read this guide thoroughly.
At a glance...
This team revolves around Empoleon and Hitmonlee -- Metal Sonic and Knuckles -- as win conditions. The other pokemon are built to destroy their specific counters, and weren't meant to be sweepers, but a few hundred games in I have realised that each and every one of them are also able to wreck giant holes in the opponent's team, and still sweep. Make good use of all of them!
Let's start off with one of the most underrated Ghosts in the tier, Mismagius.
Nega-Wisp (Mismagius) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
Vector (Rhyperior) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 180 HP / 128 Atk / 192 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
Rhyperior is to set up Stealth Rocks and is my "Physical Wall". It's main job is to kill Arcanine, as its Extremespeed hard counters Hitmonlee. A nice couple of bonuses is the ability to counter Darmanitan, Victini, Flygon, Snorlax, Honchkrow, and lots more.
The EVs are set to allow maximum pain upon the opponent. Adamant with Attack investment mean that spamming Earthquakes against the opponent to be a threat. The HP and Defense EVs are to give Rhyperior the best HP:Defense ratio, in order to reduce the damage dealt by Physical attacks, yet not neglecting its HP stat to take Special hits. Finally, 8 Spd EVs are great for outspeeding opponent's Rhyperior. I once had this player who cried "Speed tie haxer" when my Rhyperior smashed through his, even though he was clearly having 0 Spd EVs.
Rock Blast is chosen for being a Multi-hit move. Liepards can die, and Ninjasks will run away in fear. Furthermore, stuff that think that can set up a Substitute on me (opponents' Mismagius, Honchkrows, etc) get browbeaten by an invested STAB base 140 Attack Rock Blast. Ice Punch is special here; normal mainstream Rhyperiors run Megahorn or Dragon Tail or Roar. Ice Punch is exceptionally good for killing Flygon and Gligar, and also checking Grass-type switch ins that give Empoleon trouble, such as Shaymin or Roserade.
A few extra things that Rhyperior checks are Bisharp, Cobalion, Mienshao(Earthquake OHKOs, while HJK does not) and Heracross (Rock Blast 2HKOs at worst and OHKOs with 5 shots). It also kills random stuff like Archeops, Muk, and things that you see fit.
Credits to col49 for suggesting a better EV spread for Rhyperior. Think out of the box!~
Next, the ultimate scout of the team
Rouge (Rotom-H) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 SDef / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick
Rotom-H was definitely the last pokemon that I had fit onto the team. In honesty, it initially was not intended to defeat any specific counters of Hitmonlee. During the teambuilding process, I felt that the other four pokemon were already sufficient to defeat Hitmonlee's checks and counters, and that I had an extra slot left and didn't know what to do with it. I decided that since I was too lazy to switch leads in the Team Preview, I just slapped on a synergically-appropriate scouter, Rotom-H. Not only has it surpassed my expectations, by allowing me to actually check and counter most of the threats that woul plague the team otherwise, it also allows me to be super lazy when I'm doing grind laddering and get tired.
I use Choice Specs Rotom-H instead of Choice Scarf, for two main reasons. One, was obviously that I already have a Scarfed Heracross, and thus not require another Scarfer on this. However, the next reason is a lot more interesting. Trick was an obvious option on Rotom, since crippling stuff like Snorlax and Umbreon and Porygon2 are very, very helpful towards the team's win condition in Empoleon. The fact is that Tricking a Choice Specs on an opponent leads to better results than Tricking a Choice Scarf. With a Choice Scarf, everything gets greater Speed, which isn't really such a bad side effect. However, if I Trick a Choice Specs onto a Support pokemon, or even a physical attacker, I stand to gain much more, as the opponent's Speed isn't boosted(bad for me), yet is locked into one move with a totally useless item in their perspective. Choice Scarf can benefit your opponent, but Choice Specs cripples two-thirds of the pokemon types(Physical Attackers and Supports)
Rotom-H is also great for halting Crocune(contrary to popular belief) with Trick, especially when you have it locked into Rest/Sleep Talk/Calm Mind, and then it cannot hurt my team anymore.
Hidden Power Ice is very useful for killing Gligar. Killing Gligar is priority numero uno if you want to sweep with Hitmonlee. Normally, players would not expect a Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch on Rhyperior, therefore letting down their guard and allowing me to OHKO Gligar. It also comes in useful for killing Flygon, which can bring a match from 6-6 down to 6-5.
On a side note, Volt Switch is very useful when dealing with Slowbro and occasionally Blastoise. If you predict that the opponent can give you a free switch into Rotom-H, for example if Slowbro uses Slack Off or Blastoise using Toxic/Rapid Spin, you can Volt Switch to scare them out, and also gain much-appreciated momentum in the process.
A good situation to note is when you are Tricking, the opponent's Flygon switches in, expecting a Choice Scarf from you. Unfortunately, he receives a Choice Specs, and you a Choice Scarf. From there, OHKO with Hidden Power Ice(since he is slower). One of his winconditions is now dead.
Some more useful information when you are using the team is the power of Overheat. It OHKOs Nidoking, and OHKOs uninvested Nidoqueen and Cofagrigus, two very giant problems. However, sometimes Nidoqueen with bulk and Cofagrigus will survive at about 1% - 5%, so be wary of that.
Rotom-H is also the team's best counter to Yanmega and Amoonguss, two of the giant threats which I discovered along my use of this team.
Now begins the wrecking balls of the team.
Firstly, introducing: Metal Sonic
Metal Sonic (Empoleon) (M) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 252 SAtk / 244 Spd
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
The Pokemon named after me. It's blue, it's metallic, it's fast, and it decimates teams. One turn to setup, the rest to sweep.
This is the powerful SubAgili Empoleon set from DPP UU. I might say that I was one of the first to use this beast after BW2 came out, but back then I hadn't joined Smogon. Use Agility when your opponent is faster than you or when you are sure that he is not switching out; or use Substitute when you are sure to force a switchor to block a status move. The rule is that if your opponent is staying in and outspeeds you, yet cannot kill, for example Outrage Kingdra, unboosted Scrafty, Amoonguss, you use Agility. If you are sure to force a switch, for example Choice-locked Mienshao, Rhyperior, you use Substitute. Not doing so is a misplay, which might cost the game(I learnt this the hard way).
I'm using Grass Knot instead of Ice Beam, in order to defeat Slowbro better. It is also able to kill Blastoise, Suicune and Swampert with ease, but the drawback is that I am susceptible to Grass-types in general, including Shaymin, Roserade, and Amoonguss. I had tried using Ice Beam over Grass Knot for a brief stint last year, and the team did not do as well compared to using Grass Knot, so I'm sticking with this.
After the Petaya Berry + Torrent combo is triggered, Empoleon 2HKOs all special walls, including Snorlax, Porygon2, Bronzong and Umbreon, and 2 - 3HKOs bulky Grass-types like Shaymin and Amoonguss. Crits help too. Unfortunately, you won't get the chance to land two hits on stuff like Snorlax if your Substitute is not up, so it is recommended to deal some prior damage first in order to sweep. In these cases, the Trick from Rotom-H comes in really handy, as it can lock the opponents into resistant moves(Umbreon into Foul Play, Snorlax into Body Slam), and let Empoleon set up Substitutes with ease. Occasionally, if the opponent's special wall cannot threaten you out, for example Bronzong, you can inflict prior damage with Surf and Agility, before killing it; Substitute may not be necessary thanks to him bringing you to 25% range for you.
Also take note that even though Empoleon has Agilitied once, Scarfers that are above the JollyCross mark can still outspeed it. AdamantCross cannot outspeed, but if you really really want to secure a win and you spot a threat still hiding in team preview, Agilitying again will guarantee you it.
Next, the fan favourite: Sonic
My favourite video game series. It's blue, it's fast, and it hits hard from the get-go. Sometimes, Heracross can finish a game thanks to its Scarf, and its great STAB moves. It's meant to lure in Hitmonlee's counters such as Slowbro and Sableye and to destroy them, so that Hitmonlee can sweep later on.
This is ScarfCross, with a few minor and major differences. I'll talk about the minor differences first. First, is the fact that I'm running Guts ScarfCross. Guts is a great ability, as it gives me insurance against Toxic Spikes which render Hitmonlee unusable. It is also the best Sableye counter in my opinion, being able to eat Will-O-Wisps for dinner and OHKOing with Megahorn. It is also my team's Scald eater, especially from weak but burn-friendly Scalders like Suicune and Blastoise, dealing only 30% but giving me a chance to OHKO or badly cripple the opponent. Next is the fact that I'm running Adamant. Honestly, I prefer the power more than the speed, firstly because my team's sweepers are really very fast already, and Heracross needs the most power in order to muscle past Slowbro and Suicune. Yes, I can use Heracross to beat Crocune in a 1v1.
Now, you may notice two unusual moves on Heracross. Earthquake is there to lure and kill Poison-types that give Hitmonlee problems, especially Nidoking and Queen. It is also very useful against SubCM Raikou(you'll never have problems with it ever again) and Arcanine, which is a threat. Next is Sleep Talk, which was originally Night Slash. Sleep Talk was to let the team orientate better with the increase of Amoonguss Spores and Roserade Sleep Powders that give the team problems, and even better it activates Guts! I don't know if I'm just lucky or that Heracross likes me, because more often than not Sleep Talk chooses the correct move most of the time.
Take note that this Heracross variant is weak to Zapdos, and must be played around. Fortunately, Guts-boosted attacks can 2HKO Zapdos, with uninvested Zappies taking 70% while max bulk Zappies take 50%.
Finally, the ultimate star of the team: Knuckles
Knuckles (Hitmonlee) (M) @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Rock Slide
- Mach Punch
Hell yeah! This thing was a beast back in the day, I could 6-0 everyone with no issue. But now that I've made this thing public, more people are building more checks and counters into the team and it makes it a little tougher to pull that off. Nonetheless, sometimes on the ladder, I can still pull it off if they lack a counter to this.
This set: the original. Although the uploaded analysis had Stone Edge and Earthquake, that was only because the QC guys told me to do it. Rock Slide > Stone Edge because missing sucks. Nothing is worse than have the win pulled under your feet just because that Chandelure dodged your stupid Stone Edge. However, take note that Rock Slide is unable to OHKO Crobat(it lives with 3 - 7%), and thus requires Stealth Rock to OHKO. Also note that a Super Effective Rock Slide deals as much damage as a resisted Reversal, so if you're up against a Victini, use Reversal instead. But it wouldn't OHKO without Rocks either.
Mach Punch is great; it helps secure wins against Sucker Punchers and Priority users. These include Honchkrow and Bisharp, and rare but still-being-used stuff like Swellow. Azumarill is a bit of an issue, as Mach Punch only deals 30%, which means Azumarill can defeat Hitmonlee one-on-one. Or does it? Let me tell you guys a secret: Azumarill never OHKOs with Aqua Jet. What does this mean?
This means that if there are no rocks on your field, and Hitmonlee is at 100% health, vs Azumarill, Aqua Jet brings you down to 3%, and you click Reversal to win.
Also take note of some exceptional pokemon that Hitmonlee cannot OHKO, yet are neutral resists. These three pokemon are 252/252+ Suicune, Tangrowth and Alomomola. They live Reversal at about 1 - 10%. Use Stealth Rocks to ensure a kill.
Okay so with all the Pokemon out of the way, I'm going to list the threats of the team, ranging from the biggest threat and downwards, in different sections on Offensive / Defensive threats
Threat Level: High
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: High
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Variable
Defensive Threat
This guy deserves a whole mention all to himself. It will be on my post below for aesthetic purposes.
Threat Level: Medium-High
Defensive ThreatBack in the day, Golurk was extremely scary. It hard walls Hitmonlee. Top-tier players used Golurk and wrecked holes in my team. However, recently I've seen more Golurk users on the ladder, and they were very unimpressive. They sack it early. They stay in on Empoleon. This would have been a High-level threat, if not for the generally underwhelming usage that makes it not much as a threat as it should be. Empoleon takes it down. So does Mismagius(it's a 2HKO though, watch out!). Rotom-H can come in handy and OHKO uninvested Golurk with Overheat, or deal at least 60% to specially defensive variants. And Heracross does as much damage with Megahorn on it as on Zapdos -- Guts Boosted Megahorns 2HKO.
Threat Level: Medium-High
Offensive ThreatCofagrigus is another popular Ghost who can stop a Hitmonlee sweep. However, it is OHKOed by Rotom-H's Overheat, activated Empoleon's Surf, and 2HKOed with Shadow Ball from Mismagius. Defensive Cofagrigus who is Will-O-Wisp happy gives free setup to Heracross. However, OTR Cofagrigus is a big problem, as I do not have a solid answer to a +2 onslaught. The optimal scenario is to switch into Rotom-H and kill it with Overheat, before it even gets the chance to mess with the Trick Room. If it uses Nasty Plot first, then Trick Room, then you can Trick it on the room that it uses Trick Room, so he will be locked into it and have to switch out. However, if the unfortunate event happens that it sets up the Nasty Room already, you can either get Empoleon to stall him out using the Substitutes and then OHKOing with boosted Surf, or in the worst case scenario play some switching shenanigans with Mismagius and Empoleon.
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive ThreatAlways a Pokemon you have to prepare for in UU. If given its way, it can OHKO everything except Heracross. But I will not give it its way. Mach Punch from Hitmonlee annihilates the Life Orb Sharpedos. Waterfall fails to OHKO Heracross and thus can revenge with Close Combat. If your opponent uses some silly Focus Sash Sharpedo, Rhyperior lives Waterfall at 10% and can throw a Rock Blast.
Threat Level: Medium
Defensive ThreatThe classic Heracross wall. It happens to wall Hitmonlee too, which is really annoying. Fortunately, all my other Pokemon are built to deal with it. Hidden Power Ice is placed on Rotom-H and Ice Punch on Rhyperior for this reason. Mismagius can SubPlot on it, while Empoleon can live 2 or 3 Earthquakes to set up Agility. However, take note that Gligar must be eliminated at all costs if seen in the Team Preview. If you are left in a 3-1 situation, with Hitmonlee, Rhyperior and Heracross against a Gligar with Toxic, you automatically lose(save for Ice Punch hax)
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive ThreatExtremespeed halts Hitmonlee in its tracks, 100%. You can hope for Rock Slide flinch or Reversal Critical Hit on its other counters, but Arcanine is a fullstop. It outspeeds unboosted Empoleon and OHKOs with Close Combat. Rhyperior is your best bet here. Heracross's Earthquake and Mismagius makes good checks as well.
Threat Level: Medium (Annoyance)
Defensive ThreatShaymin is a counter to Empoleon. Its normal LO set is no problem; Heracross Megahorn will take care of it. However, you need to beware of its SubSeed set, its extremely annoying to the heavens and Rhyperior cannot use Rock Blast for Substitute-breaking for obvious reasons. Rotom-H can potentially spam Hidden Power Ice, or Mismagius take it on with its own Subtitute shenanigans. Heracross can still be used to break Substitutes when necessary with Megahorn, but the Leech Seed spam is definitely irritating.
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive ThreatNothing can switch in safely except for Empoleon. However, it cannot switch in safely either due to my high-powered moves. Aqua Jet 3HKOs Heracross, 2HKOs Rhyperior, and cannot kill Empoleon unless it uses Superpower. Watch out though, its bulk is remarkably big, and all of these checks can only 2HKO it back. Fortunately, some Azumarills are funny and stay in on Empoleon's Grass Knot twice, in order to die.
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Defensive ThreatThis thing stops Hitmonlee. Fortunately, I built the team around countering this guy, so it should be manageable. But make sure to kill it over the course of the game! Rhyperior picks off weakened Slowbro with Earthquakes dealing 40%-50%
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Offensive ThreatCrocune. If he thinks spamming Calm Mind and Rests are funny, show him that Megahorn spam is even funnier. Megahorn usually 2HKOs or 3HKOs. Before it sets up, you can defuse this bomb by using Rotom-H to Trick it on a Rest / Sleep Talk / Calm Mind. Volt Switch on unboosted Crocune deals 80%, and 60% to a +1(I memorise these things). Grass Knot spam using Empoleon is also helpful, more often than not a Critical Hit will occur over the course of the spamfest, and he dies. Finally, Mismagius's Nasty Plot Thunderbolt also does the trick.
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Defensive ThreatAnother counter to Hitmonlee. Setup bait for Empoleon. Do take note that Surf deals more damage than Grass Knot in this case, so always use Surf to kill it! Earthquake from Heracross can do some work, and the aforementioned Electric attacks also OHKO it.
All right! That's about the end of it! My advice when laddering is to always have a clear mind when doing so. As long as you have a great laddering team, which can be gotten from the RMT Archives or from great players, and with practice, laddering should be possible. When you have a clear mind, and understand what is going on in the game, you choke less, and not lose important matches which count harshly towards your score.
Finally, many people say that Endure Reversal Hitmonlee is a cheap tactic and that anybody can do it. I think quite the opposite however, as it is just as viable a win condition as any other, and you still need to defeat its checks and counters before winning the game. You know the team is good enough to repeatedly make it to the #1 spot on the ladder, so if you lose you basically only can blame yourself(Like I do!) Have fun!
Importable:
Rouge (Rotom-H) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 SDef / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick
Metal Sonic (Empoleon) (M) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 252 SAtk / 244 Spd
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
Sonic (Heracross) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
Nega-Wisp (Mismagius) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
Vector (Rhyperior) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 180 HP / 128 Atk / 192 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
Knuckles (Hitmonlee) (M) @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Rock Slide
- Mach Punch
Hey everyone! This is Metal Sonic, and I believe it's time to retire my #1 trusted team which was built just after BW2(2012) and I have been using until now. I play a ton of UU(and other tiers too!), so many of you have seen me play with this team on perfectly normal and #1 alts burstdrone, curiousinvestment, or extremely douchy alts like "Sonicthebest which poetically did not get #1. Anyway.
Clarification: The 2973 ACRE is for interest purposes and a fun fact. It's not official and is not recognised by larger institutions; just like I can't say that I juggle pairs of scissors at home in my application for a Martial-Arts instructor.(This is real too) However, the #1 ranking can be accepted for an official peak.
I've played about thousands of games with this and it has led me to make a few C&C analyses based on this team; my favourite is the Hitmonlee analysis on-site.
Update: 27 October 2013 - 12 November 2013
This team is really tough to use, as the usage of Hitmonlee demands very special (and careful!) attention, so I suggest you read this guide thoroughly.
At a glance...
This team revolves around Empoleon and Hitmonlee -- Metal Sonic and Knuckles -- as win conditions. The other pokemon are built to destroy their specific counters, and weren't meant to be sweepers, but a few hundred games in I have realised that each and every one of them are also able to wreck giant holes in the opponent's team, and still sweep. Make good use of all of them!
Let's start off with one of the most underrated Ghosts in the tier, Mismagius.
Nega-Wisp (Mismagius) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
Mismagius was the second last pokemon to be fitted on my team; it was like glue. During the teambuilding process, I had to think of counters for Psychic-types and Ghost-types. The two types that could defeat them where Dark or Ghost. I figured that a spinblocker would do me good, so I elected to have a Ghost. Which Ghost should I chose? I wondered. There weren't many Ghosts to choose from; I had to select one that didn't make me lose momentum(Cofagrigus, get out!)
Mismagius boasts awesome Speed, Special Defense, and Special Attack, just my kind of pokemon. It uses Shadow Ball to those Psychic-types and Ghost-types that give trouble to Hitmonlee, and Thunderbolt is specially to kill Slowbro. But it comes in handy as well against other stuff like Suicune, Blastoise, and also very importantly Yanmega. I'll touch more on that later on.
Substitute is very useful for those noobmons who cannot touch Mismagius, thanks to her three immunities and multiple resistances. Stuff like Hitmontop, Claydol(and this is a textbook example of why Claydol sucks), Choice-locked Mienshao gives Mismagius setup opportunities, then you can use Nasty Plot to pulverise the opponent or just use it to attack twice. Best of all, Leftovers recovery can help you regain all that health lost to Substitute.
Next up, the Physical Monster of the team, Vector
Mismagius boasts awesome Speed, Special Defense, and Special Attack, just my kind of pokemon. It uses Shadow Ball to those Psychic-types and Ghost-types that give trouble to Hitmonlee, and Thunderbolt is specially to kill Slowbro. But it comes in handy as well against other stuff like Suicune, Blastoise, and also very importantly Yanmega. I'll touch more on that later on.
Substitute is very useful for those noobmons who cannot touch Mismagius, thanks to her three immunities and multiple resistances. Stuff like Hitmontop, Claydol(and this is a textbook example of why Claydol sucks), Choice-locked Mienshao gives Mismagius setup opportunities, then you can use Nasty Plot to pulverise the opponent or just use it to attack twice. Best of all, Leftovers recovery can help you regain all that health lost to Substitute.
Next up, the Physical Monster of the team, Vector
Vector (Rhyperior) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 180 HP / 128 Atk / 192 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
The EVs are set to allow maximum pain upon the opponent. Adamant with Attack investment mean that spamming Earthquakes against the opponent to be a threat. The HP and Defense EVs are to give Rhyperior the best HP:Defense ratio, in order to reduce the damage dealt by Physical attacks, yet not neglecting its HP stat to take Special hits. Finally, 8 Spd EVs are great for outspeeding opponent's Rhyperior. I once had this player who cried "Speed tie haxer" when my Rhyperior smashed through his, even though he was clearly having 0 Spd EVs.
Rock Blast is chosen for being a Multi-hit move. Liepards can die, and Ninjasks will run away in fear. Furthermore, stuff that think that can set up a Substitute on me (opponents' Mismagius, Honchkrows, etc) get browbeaten by an invested STAB base 140 Attack Rock Blast. Ice Punch is special here; normal mainstream Rhyperiors run Megahorn or Dragon Tail or Roar. Ice Punch is exceptionally good for killing Flygon and Gligar, and also checking Grass-type switch ins that give Empoleon trouble, such as Shaymin or Roserade.
A few extra things that Rhyperior checks are Bisharp, Cobalion, Mienshao(Earthquake OHKOs, while HJK does not) and Heracross (Rock Blast 2HKOs at worst and OHKOs with 5 shots). It also kills random stuff like Archeops, Muk, and things that you see fit.
Credits to col49 for suggesting a better EV spread for Rhyperior. Think out of the box!~
Next, the ultimate scout of the team
Rouge (Rotom-H) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 SDef / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick
I use Choice Specs Rotom-H instead of Choice Scarf, for two main reasons. One, was obviously that I already have a Scarfed Heracross, and thus not require another Scarfer on this. However, the next reason is a lot more interesting. Trick was an obvious option on Rotom, since crippling stuff like Snorlax and Umbreon and Porygon2 are very, very helpful towards the team's win condition in Empoleon. The fact is that Tricking a Choice Specs on an opponent leads to better results than Tricking a Choice Scarf. With a Choice Scarf, everything gets greater Speed, which isn't really such a bad side effect. However, if I Trick a Choice Specs onto a Support pokemon, or even a physical attacker, I stand to gain much more, as the opponent's Speed isn't boosted(bad for me), yet is locked into one move with a totally useless item in their perspective. Choice Scarf can benefit your opponent, but Choice Specs cripples two-thirds of the pokemon types(Physical Attackers and Supports)
Rotom-H is also great for halting Crocune(contrary to popular belief) with Trick, especially when you have it locked into Rest/Sleep Talk/Calm Mind, and then it cannot hurt my team anymore.
Hidden Power Ice is very useful for killing Gligar. Killing Gligar is priority numero uno if you want to sweep with Hitmonlee. Normally, players would not expect a Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch on Rhyperior, therefore letting down their guard and allowing me to OHKO Gligar. It also comes in useful for killing Flygon, which can bring a match from 6-6 down to 6-5.
On a side note, Volt Switch is very useful when dealing with Slowbro and occasionally Blastoise. If you predict that the opponent can give you a free switch into Rotom-H, for example if Slowbro uses Slack Off or Blastoise using Toxic/Rapid Spin, you can Volt Switch to scare them out, and also gain much-appreciated momentum in the process.
A good situation to note is when you are Tricking, the opponent's Flygon switches in, expecting a Choice Scarf from you. Unfortunately, he receives a Choice Specs, and you a Choice Scarf. From there, OHKO with Hidden Power Ice(since he is slower). One of his winconditions is now dead.
Some more useful information when you are using the team is the power of Overheat. It OHKOs Nidoking, and OHKOs uninvested Nidoqueen and Cofagrigus, two very giant problems. However, sometimes Nidoqueen with bulk and Cofagrigus will survive at about 1% - 5%, so be wary of that.
Rotom-H is also the team's best counter to Yanmega and Amoonguss, two of the giant threats which I discovered along my use of this team.
Now begins the wrecking balls of the team.
Firstly, introducing: Metal Sonic
Metal Sonic (Empoleon) (M) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 252 SAtk / 244 Spd
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
The Pokemon named after me. It's blue, it's metallic, it's fast, and it decimates teams. One turn to setup, the rest to sweep.
This is the powerful SubAgili Empoleon set from DPP UU. I might say that I was one of the first to use this beast after BW2 came out, but back then I hadn't joined Smogon. Use Agility when your opponent is faster than you or when you are sure that he is not switching out; or use Substitute when you are sure to force a switchor to block a status move. The rule is that if your opponent is staying in and outspeeds you, yet cannot kill, for example Outrage Kingdra, unboosted Scrafty, Amoonguss, you use Agility. If you are sure to force a switch, for example Choice-locked Mienshao, Rhyperior, you use Substitute. Not doing so is a misplay, which might cost the game(I learnt this the hard way).
I'm using Grass Knot instead of Ice Beam, in order to defeat Slowbro better. It is also able to kill Blastoise, Suicune and Swampert with ease, but the drawback is that I am susceptible to Grass-types in general, including Shaymin, Roserade, and Amoonguss. I had tried using Ice Beam over Grass Knot for a brief stint last year, and the team did not do as well compared to using Grass Knot, so I'm sticking with this.
After the Petaya Berry + Torrent combo is triggered, Empoleon 2HKOs all special walls, including Snorlax, Porygon2, Bronzong and Umbreon, and 2 - 3HKOs bulky Grass-types like Shaymin and Amoonguss. Crits help too. Unfortunately, you won't get the chance to land two hits on stuff like Snorlax if your Substitute is not up, so it is recommended to deal some prior damage first in order to sweep. In these cases, the Trick from Rotom-H comes in really handy, as it can lock the opponents into resistant moves(Umbreon into Foul Play, Snorlax into Body Slam), and let Empoleon set up Substitutes with ease. Occasionally, if the opponent's special wall cannot threaten you out, for example Bronzong, you can inflict prior damage with Surf and Agility, before killing it; Substitute may not be necessary thanks to him bringing you to 25% range for you.
Also take note that even though Empoleon has Agilitied once, Scarfers that are above the JollyCross mark can still outspeed it. AdamantCross cannot outspeed, but if you really really want to secure a win and you spot a threat still hiding in team preview, Agilitying again will guarantee you it.
Next, the fan favourite: Sonic
Sonic (Heracross) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
Trait: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
My favourite video game series. It's blue, it's fast, and it hits hard from the get-go. Sometimes, Heracross can finish a game thanks to its Scarf, and its great STAB moves. It's meant to lure in Hitmonlee's counters such as Slowbro and Sableye and to destroy them, so that Hitmonlee can sweep later on.
This is ScarfCross, with a few minor and major differences. I'll talk about the minor differences first. First, is the fact that I'm running Guts ScarfCross. Guts is a great ability, as it gives me insurance against Toxic Spikes which render Hitmonlee unusable. It is also the best Sableye counter in my opinion, being able to eat Will-O-Wisps for dinner and OHKOing with Megahorn. It is also my team's Scald eater, especially from weak but burn-friendly Scalders like Suicune and Blastoise, dealing only 30% but giving me a chance to OHKO or badly cripple the opponent. Next is the fact that I'm running Adamant. Honestly, I prefer the power more than the speed, firstly because my team's sweepers are really very fast already, and Heracross needs the most power in order to muscle past Slowbro and Suicune. Yes, I can use Heracross to beat Crocune in a 1v1.
Now, you may notice two unusual moves on Heracross. Earthquake is there to lure and kill Poison-types that give Hitmonlee problems, especially Nidoking and Queen. It is also very useful against SubCM Raikou(you'll never have problems with it ever again) and Arcanine, which is a threat. Next is Sleep Talk, which was originally Night Slash. Sleep Talk was to let the team orientate better with the increase of Amoonguss Spores and Roserade Sleep Powders that give the team problems, and even better it activates Guts! I don't know if I'm just lucky or that Heracross likes me, because more often than not Sleep Talk chooses the correct move most of the time.
Take note that this Heracross variant is weak to Zapdos, and must be played around. Fortunately, Guts-boosted attacks can 2HKO Zapdos, with uninvested Zappies taking 70% while max bulk Zappies take 50%.
Finally, the ultimate star of the team: Knuckles
Knuckles (Hitmonlee) (M) @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Rock Slide
- Mach Punch
Hell yeah! This thing was a beast back in the day, I could 6-0 everyone with no issue. But now that I've made this thing public, more people are building more checks and counters into the team and it makes it a little tougher to pull that off. Nonetheless, sometimes on the ladder, I can still pull it off if they lack a counter to this.
This set: the original. Although the uploaded analysis had Stone Edge and Earthquake, that was only because the QC guys told me to do it. Rock Slide > Stone Edge because missing sucks. Nothing is worse than have the win pulled under your feet just because that Chandelure dodged your stupid Stone Edge. However, take note that Rock Slide is unable to OHKO Crobat(it lives with 3 - 7%), and thus requires Stealth Rock to OHKO. Also note that a Super Effective Rock Slide deals as much damage as a resisted Reversal, so if you're up against a Victini, use Reversal instead. But it wouldn't OHKO without Rocks either.
Mach Punch is great; it helps secure wins against Sucker Punchers and Priority users. These include Honchkrow and Bisharp, and rare but still-being-used stuff like Swellow. Azumarill is a bit of an issue, as Mach Punch only deals 30%, which means Azumarill can defeat Hitmonlee one-on-one. Or does it? Let me tell you guys a secret: Azumarill never OHKOs with Aqua Jet. What does this mean?
This means that if there are no rocks on your field, and Hitmonlee is at 100% health, vs Azumarill, Aqua Jet brings you down to 3%, and you click Reversal to win.
Also take note of some exceptional pokemon that Hitmonlee cannot OHKO, yet are neutral resists. These three pokemon are 252/252+ Suicune, Tangrowth and Alomomola. They live Reversal at about 1 - 10%. Use Stealth Rocks to ensure a kill.
Okay so with all the Pokemon out of the way, I'm going to list the threats of the team, ranging from the biggest threat and downwards, in different sections on Offensive / Defensive threats
Threat Level: High
Offensive Threat
Yanmega is one of the few offensive threats that can run down my team, with Air Slash OHKOing Heracross and Hitmonlee, and with Giga Drain OHKOing Rhyperior. It can 2HKO Empoleon and Mismagius, and can pick off weakened Rotom-H. The best check to it will be Rotom-H, and then Mismagius, shooting it down with a Thunderbolt. Play very carefully around this thing.
Threat Level: High
Defensive Threat
This thing is a monster. Its bulk is really big, and Regenerator means that I cannot use prior damage to pick it off with Reversal. It resists both Hitmonlee and Empoleon, and is in general a giant stumbling block for the team. Heracross is great for taking Spores, and a Sleep-Talked Megahorn deals 70 - 90% on it depending on its spread. Rotom-H also comes in very handy here with an Overheat straight off the bat. Rhyperior also outspeeds, so Earthquake can deal about 50% to it, and can finish it off.
Threat Level: Variable
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium-High
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium-High
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium (Annoyance)
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Defensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Offensive Threat
Threat Level: Medium-Low
Defensive Threat
All right! That's about the end of it! My advice when laddering is to always have a clear mind when doing so. As long as you have a great laddering team, which can be gotten from the RMT Archives or from great players, and with practice, laddering should be possible. When you have a clear mind, and understand what is going on in the game, you choke less, and not lose important matches which count harshly towards your score.
Finally, many people say that Endure Reversal Hitmonlee is a cheap tactic and that anybody can do it. I think quite the opposite however, as it is just as viable a win condition as any other, and you still need to defeat its checks and counters before winning the game. You know the team is good enough to repeatedly make it to the #1 spot on the ladder, so if you lose you basically only can blame yourself(Like I do!) Have fun!
Importable:
Rouge (Rotom-H) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 SDef / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick
Metal Sonic (Empoleon) (M) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 12 HP / 252 SAtk / 244 Spd
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Substitute
- Surf
- Grass Knot
Sonic (Heracross) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
Nega-Wisp (Mismagius) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
Vector (Rhyperior) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 180 HP / 128 Atk / 192 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
Knuckles (Hitmonlee) (M) @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Rock Slide
- Mach Punch
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