Team Hopefully Viable

Hello, Smogon! Below you can read about my attempt at venturing into the UU tier. I haven't tried to get a particular peak on an alt so far, and just stuck to playing on my main account, as I am still in the proccess of teambuilding. Highest I got so far is ~1750 rating, and I'm hoping to get further with proper guidance.

When creating this team I was trying of using the idea of having a spiker, SR setter, scarfer, sweeper (special or physical depending on the scarfer) and a defensive core, often testing and comparing various options.


Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond

My spiker. This set is rather basic, with HP EVs hitting SR number, and SDef EVs for Download pokes to get an Attack boost. She's often my lead, and her role is usually gone after she hopefully sets up some spikes, and takes an enemy with her through Destiny Bond. She can also spinblock for herself, which is useful sometimes, especially if my opponent leads with a spinner.
I also tried Roserade in this slot, however she fulfills a completely different role overall, and generally wasn't that useful (even when I was not using Shaymin).


Nidoqueen @ Black Sludge
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spd
Bold Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

Defensive Nidoqueen, mostly used to set up Stealth Rocks. The reason why I'm using Nidoqueen over another SR setter is because of Togekiss. Swampert was just getting flinched to death and couldn't do much in return, and Rhyperior was decimated by NP sets (Grass Knot to the horn, boom). Nidoqueen gives me a fighting chance. Her Spd EVs let me outspeed and finish off a weakened defensive Blastoise, which saved my hazards from being removed a few times. She's also a fire resist, and one of the switch-ins to pokes like Darm, Victini or Arcanine. Takes fighting attacks like a boss, too.
I tried Swampert and Rhyperior here. Compared to Nidoqueen they were too slow and offered nothing significant in return (except maybe Flying resist from Rhyperior).


Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Superpower

My scarfer. This thing is a beast, plain and simple. It can not only revenge kill like a boss, but also clean up after all fire resists are eliminated. To my knowledge the only faster scarfers in UU are Flygon and Mienshao. Everything else just dies. It's quite funny how people sometimes leave a scarf Heracross in, expecting to outspeed, and eat a Flare Blitz..
As for other scarfers I tried, Victini was quite good but V-Create's speed drop was a huge problem. It could still work as a revenge killer, but forget about cleaning up. Also his physical coverage is sub par at best. Mienshao on the other hand did not bring anything useful to the team at all. Except missing HJKs and Stone Edges, that is..


Shaymin @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Seed Flare
- Earth Power
- Air Slash
- Rest

Since my scarfer is physical, I went with a special sweeper. Shaymin fits perfectly, removing water types who would otherwise give me trouble (excluding random Ice Beams on the switch, ugh). Air Slash is great for opposing Grass types and slower Fighting types, while Earth Power rounds up the coverage quite nicely. Her only problem is Seed Flare's accuracy: it's very unreliable, and capable of missing twice in a row if I'm unlucky. True story.
In this spot, I have also tried Zapdos. Sadly, he wasn't really any better. Shaymin has both better ability and recovery, also it does not lose when it comes to power. When Lightingrod Zapdos is released, I might revise this.


Cofagrigus (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Mummy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 2 Spd
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Trick Room
- Shadow Ball
- Nasty Plot

First part of my defensive core, also a spinblocker. This thing is a MONSTER. If it manages to set up Trick Room and Nasty Plot, preferably without being statused while doing it, it can sweep teams by itself. He has won me so many games against unprepared players, it's just unbelievable. Other than this, I'm mostly treating him as a physical tank. Perfect synergy with my last poke, too.


Snorlax (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 52 Def / 200 SDef / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Body Slam
- Pursuit

This guy sponges special attacks, Pursuit traps a lot of annoying threats (Azelf, Chandelure), and if he's sent out when TR is up.. shit gets real. With Choice Band, his damage is through the roof, basically 2HKOing (at worst) almost everything with the correct move. Works insanely well with Cofagrigus, too, forming probably my favourite core ever.

THREATS
I strongly believe that this team has a way of playing around anything. There are however three pokes that I'm having some trouble with.


Paraflinch is broken like hell, I tell ya. This thing can become a serious issue. Nidoqueen has a good fighting chance against the NP set, however defensive paraflincher is a huge threat, and the only thing I can do is revenge him with Darm. Everything else gets paraflinched to death.


Rare, but extremely dangerous. Good coverage nails most of my team super effectively, Sucker Punch can prevent being revenge killed by Darm. My only decent answer is Cofagrigus, and even then I'm stuck trying to kill him with a HP Fighting.


More of a troll than a real threat, however it is worth noting that if it manages to get Roar off and there are hazards on my side of the field, I can only forfeit.

Well, that's it I suppose. Thanks for reading. I'm looking forward to suggestion on how to improve this team.
 
Having nidoqueen and cofagrigus together like that is redundant, they both wall the same type of pokemon. I'd suggest changing nidoqueen to something else, it's a wasted teamslot right now imo. And nidoqueen isn't a fire resist, lol.

Idk what you want to replace it with, maybe a blastoise? Lots of possiblilities, but please junk either cofagrigus or nidoqueen.
 
In regards to Nidoqueen vs Rhyperior for dealing with Togekiss: About 7% of Togekiss run Grass Knot and Nidoqueen really can't deal with Togekiss too well with no offensive investment. Rhyperior would definitely be the superior option for dealing with Togekiss and would also give you a way to beat Honchkrow.

Since you're running bulky Froslass it doesn't make much sense to give it a Sash, I'd say Leftovers would be better.
 
Hey Manveru123,

I really like this team =). I do have some suggestions though. Firstly Nidoqueen unfortunately does not resist Fire-type attacks. Thus your only Fire Resist is Darmanitan and Snorlax (Who's in no shape to face a Arcanite etc.) Darmintan cannot switch into a LO Close Combat from Arcanite as it will be Ko'd next turn by Extreme Speed. Nor can it switch into CB Victini's V-create since it'll be OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage. I thus suggest using Swampert > Nidoqueen. Swampert gives you a solid option against UU's Fire-types and provides vital Stealth Rock support. Swampert still gives you phazing in Roar as well as a Ground-type that can beat non-Hidden Power [Grass] Electric types. You lose a solid Fighting-type check but you still have Cofag which beats probably every viable Fighting type in the tier. Only 7% of all Togekiss run Grass Knot so theres nothing to worry about.

Togekiss and Honchkrow, as you said yourself beats this team easily especially the NP + Heal Bell and LO Moxie variants. I suggest using Zapdos > Shamin. Zapdos has a powerful base 125 Special Attack and a quick base 100 Speed. Its Electric typing enables it to resist Togekiss' Air Slash and Honchkrow's Brave Bird, then retaliate with a powerful STAB + Life Orb Thunderbolt. Zapdos also checks Water-types so Darmanitan can sweep freely.

Since your using a more offensive moveset and using a Focus Shas as the item of choice I suggest using a more offensive ev spread, 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe. Since you have a Cofag, you don't need Froslass to Spinblock hazards. Overall, a pretty solid team. I hope my suggestion will help. Good luck!

Sets:

@ Leftovers
Torrent | 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Atk
Relaxed | Stealth Rock / Earthquake / Scald / Roar or Toxic

@ Life Orb
Pressure | 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Timid | Thunderbolt / Heat Wave / Hidden Power [Grass] / Roost
 
By saying "fire resist" I actually meant that I'm sending her out against all physical Fire types. I suppose I should've said so clearly..

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'll go with offensive EV Froslass, Swampert and Zapdos.
 
For your team, you should be running Return on your Snorlax and Fire Punch instead of Crunch. Return will let you put out slightly more damage, and your team doesn't really benefit from paralysis support. It is actually kind of bad seeing as you have a Trick Room user. Fire Punch is to hit like Bronzong who otherwise walls the hell out of your Snorlax. Pursuit will be doing pretty much a 2HK on anything you want to pursuit trap (Azelf, Chandelure, etc). I would run 0 ATK IVs on Shaymin so Foul Play and Confusion damage don't do too much.

Special Victini kind of poops on your life if it opts to run Glaciate instead of Focus Blast. It can beat Froslass 1v1 and Psyshock 2HK's your Snorlax after Rocks. I would run Psychic over Air Slash on Shaymin btw, it hits Crobat which likes to switch in. I'm all over the place, but these are the changes I would do.

One more thing, I always run Shadow Ball when I use Froslass because it beats all the spinners 1v1 (Loses to Blastoise with Ice Beam), hits other Froslass for good damage and is a good move against most leads (Bronzong, Victini, Azelf, etc). Ice Beam is iffy; I would only use it for the freeze hax
 

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