That Guy Who Posts 2 Teams in One RMT (peaked #5) (3 days in the making)

[Moose V]

Peak (I peaked #5 prior to this picture but forgot to screenshot it so I guess you'll just have to believe me)

Hello once again Smogon, today I bring you two new teams that have recently put me pretty high on the NU ladder. I'll go through them one at a time. Here's the first one:

G

|C

|L

|M

|R

|Ø

When I started playing NU, I promised myself that I'd try to peak #1 with a Gothorita team. I haven't gotten a #1 peak yet, but this is the closest I've come. I love how there are so many chances to be original in NU and you'll see that I try to take advantage of this with some of these pokes. Big shoutout to @Calloflochie for helping out with teambuilding (he basically made half the team for me lol). It's pretty based around getting a ludicolo sweep.

You Already Know [G]

Shadow Tag
IVs: 0 Atk
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
These EVs give Gothorita a pretty nice 323 / 393 / 309 bulk with a little extra speed
Bold Nature (+Def -Atk)
Calm Mind / Rest / Signal Beam / Psychic
​

Ah, Gothorita. Oh the time you've wasted, the tempers you've set off, the teams you've swept. If you haven't already, and you play NU a bit, try this set out, I'm trying to make Gothorita an actual thing so it gets banned cuz this thing should seriously not be allowed in the tier just for the sake of people's sanity. Thing thing traps and takes down everything from banded Sawk to Alomomola to Regirock. Once it gets something that can't touch it trapped, you better hope you have something for a + 6 Gothorita and if you don't you might as well forfeit right then and there. While Goth can be a win condition in of itself, it also traps and take out things that can actually take hits from my primary win condition, Ludicolo.

> Ubers [C]

Blaze
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
These are just pretty standard Charizard stuff
Timid Nature (+Spe -Atk )
Fire Blast / Roost / Air Slash / Hidden Power Grass
​

Calloflochie encouraged me to try this guy out and I'd been reluctant to do so before do because it seemed too frail and easily crippled by rocks. But damn, this thing is powerful. Very few things can comfortably switch into this thing and those that can are likely to become weakened for the rest of the game, which helps out Ludicolo. The fact that Liepard has Rain Dance (spoiler alert) doesn't really hurt Char since I normally set up rain only very lategame while this thing normally dies Early/Mid game.

Miror BITCH! [L]

Swift Swim
IVs: 0 Atk
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Again, pretty standard EVs
Timid Nature (+Spe - SpA)
Surf / Hydro Pump / Giga Drain / Ice Beam
​

The star of the team, Ludicolo. Ludi's primary counters are Munchlax, Mantine, Regice, Lickilicky, Jynx and itself. All of these get taken down by Goth of worn down by hazards except other Ludicolo's but I have Roselia for those. If those things are dealt with and I get SR and spikes up, Ludicolo pretty much ohkos and outspeeds the entire tier (including all common scarfers) bar a few pokes that can barely live a hit if they switch in at full health. Really not much else to say here but that Ludicolo is a massive threat.

Legs 4 UU [M]

Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 100 Atk / 156 SpD / 4 Spe
These EVs ensure that I 2HKO all but max defense max hp probopass while leaving some room for SpD to take repeated hits from jynx
Adamant Nature (+Atk -SpA)
Stealth Rocks / Toxic / Earthquake / Meteor Mash
​

I really needed something for jynx and this is about the closest thing it has to a counter and I needed rocks so Call suggested I use Metang. It can take hits from both ends of the spectrum pretty well which is pretty much all I need for this role. Metang also acts as one of my 2 fire type lure which, after metang is finished off, allows me to easily go into Liepard to set up rain for a Ludicolo sweep.

Rose B4 Hoes [R]

Natural Cure
IVs: 0 Atk
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Def / 200 SpD / 8 Spe
These EVs Allow Roselia to ensure that timid Ludicolo can't 2HKO and give some nice physical bulk to work with
Calm Nature (+SpD -Atk)
Spikes / Sludge Bomb / Giga Drain / Rest
​

After a few games I realized that the difference between Rocks and Spikes vs. just rocks often meant the difference between a Ludicolo sweep and not. Using 2 types of hazards without a spin blocker isn't really that detrimental to the team since Gothorita can trap and kill spinners like torkoal and wartortle early. Roselia's my main counter to rain team threats as well as several other special attackers that the rest of the team struggles with.

Pardon Me Sir [Ø]

Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Spe / 8 Atk
These EVs ensure that I can take a hit if I need to rely on doing so before setting up rain
Jolly Nature (+Spe -SpA)
Encore / U-turn / Rain Dance / Thunder Wave
​

If you're wondering why Liepard doesn't have a real letter next to its name, it's because Liepard in general doesn't deserve one. That being said, this is obviously not the generic hax based set. It occured to me that perhaps the 2 biggest flaws with Ludicolo as a sweeper was 1) it had to waste a turn setting up its own rain during which it could be hit with an attack that prevented it from taking too many life orb recoils or an opponent could switch into something that wasn't 2HKO'd and force Ludicolo right out 2) The normal set couldn't run both Surf and Hydro Pump at the same time, both of which I felt were pretty necessary. Liepard solved both of these problems (plus rain is up for longer). Why Liepard over, say, Volbeat? Well first, Liepard, by nature, forces a lot more switches and has an easier time setting up. Second, 3 fire weaknesses is a bit too much and third, Liepard's great speed means that I can outspeed and encore other prankster users.

Threat List:

Counters main sweeper

Can put holes in a lot of things due to good coverage and also doesn't take spikes damage

Ludicolo doesn't appreciate strong priority and this thing needs to be removed before a sweep can take place

Same as Mightyena

Same as Electross but faster and I have nothing to outspeed

Team Two:

G1

|C

|S

|J

|A

|G2

I really should put more thought into the first letter of my pokes' names while making a team but oh well. I wanted to try out Charizard once more as well as specs Gothorita. After using Charizard for a bit on the other team, it became apparent that its presence meant that my opponent almost always lead off with their stealth rocker, which eased my lead predictions. Gothorita and Golurk aim to take down stealth rockers right at the start so Charizard can put in a shit ton of work later.

:]]]]]]]] [G1]

Shadow Tag
IVs: 0 Atk
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
These EVs take a bit more explanation which I will analyze in a moment
Modest Nature (+SpA -Atk)
Trick / Rest / Grass Knot / Psyshock
​

This is the first time I've slapped specs on a Gothorita in NU, but this set is absolutely perfect. 160 HP EVs hits 301 HP, which means that Gothorita can't be killed by seismic toss/night shade if it's tricked off its specs and goes for rest, 252 SpA w/ specs gives it just enough power to OHKO certain leads and 96 speed allows it to outspeed base 65 speed pokes running up to 12 EVs, for example Roselia. Goth pretty much takes down the lead hazard setters that Sawk can't. I'll let the calcs speak for themselves: (note I've replaced Goth w/ uxie since they have the same SpA and typing and it's easier to imput stuff for Uxie since the calc I'm using doesn't have Goth)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Uxie Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Golurk: 360-424 (94.48 - 111.28%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Uxie Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 50 Def Eviolite Roselia: 338-402 (111.55 - 132.67%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Uxie Psyshock vs. 172 HP / 0 Def Vileplume: 342-404 (102.39 - 120.95%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Uxie Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Carracosta: 423-501 (120.51 - 142.73%) -- guaranteed OHKO
and so on.

> Ubers [C]

Blaze
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
These are just pretty standard Charizard stuff
Timid Nature (+Spe -Atk )
Fire Blast / Roost / Air Slash / Hidden Power Grass
​

This is the same set as before so I can't say a lot more except that Charizard is my 3rd destroyer of SR leads that perhaps Goth or Sawk can't outspeed/OHKO such as Metang or Seismitoad.

Checks and Counters: Shoe [ S ]

Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Standard ass shit
Jolly Nature (+Spe - SpA)
Close Combat / Earthquake / Ice Punch / Stone Edge
​

To be honest, I'm not sure why jolly banded Sawk isn't used more cuz the extra speed feels a lot more useful than extra power but to each their own. This guy destroys Probopass, Golem and Bastiodon and completely ignores sturdy which is so nice to keep rocks away. The only mildly common stealth rocker that neither Goth nor Sawk nor Charizard can ohko is Regirock but considering that thing's on about 1 team in 18, that's not so bad.

Great Vote Guys [J]

Dry Skin
IVs: 0 Atk
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Standard 252 HP 252 Speed stuff goin on
Timid Nature (+Spe -Atk)
Ice Beam / Psychic / Trick / Lovely Kiss
​

I joke with the name but seriously Jynx is easily the best poke in NU right now. Not only does it check massive threats like Gorebyss and Ludicolo, but is has an amazing movepool, great speed, great special attack, and great STAB. Jynx also appreciates a lack of stealth rocks so it fits into the team very well.

Wishful Thinking [A]

Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 148 SpD / 4 Spe
These EVs specifically allow Alomomola to deal with Charizard even w/ rocks up
Impish Nature (+Def -SpA)
Waterfall / Toxic / Wish / Protect
​

In a tier filled with physical threats, Alomomola really pulls its weight (which oddly enough is only 70 lbs. meaning grass knot is only 60 base power). This thing needs pretty minimal support and just tanks the shit out of repeated physical (and some special) attacks. I usually try to keep Al around as long as possible (which isn't too difficult) to help stall out the rest of the match if my opponent has lost whatever they had for this thing.

Where's My Face Tho [G2]

No Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Atk / 216 SpD / 8 Spe
I needed to hit hard but also take hits from electric types so this is what I came up with.
Adamant Nature (+Atk -SpA)
Stealth Rocks / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Dynamic Punch​

There's really no reason not to use golurk in NU or in pretty much any tier for that matter. 3 immunities, an attack stat that trumps many of NU's premier physical threats and No Guard Dynamic Punches are reason enough but golurk also boasts access to stealth rocks and great coverage to hit many other leads with. The only real thing Golurk has going against it is its somewhat poor base 55 speed. Golurk shuts down volturn pretty easily and doesn't mind taking an hp grass or ice and retaliating:

252+ SpA Electabuzz Hidden Power Ice vs. 248 HP / 216 SpD Golurk: 128-152 (33.59 - 39.89%) -- 29.3% chance to 3HKO
36+ Atk Golurk Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Electabuzz: 462-546 (169.85 - 200.73%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Rotom-S Air Slash vs. 248 HP / 216 SpD Golurk: 100-118 (26.24 - 30.97%) -- possible 4HKO
36+ Atk Golurk Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Rotom-S: 184-218 (76.34 - 90.45%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Threat List:

Depending on the set, Misdreavus can take hits from a lot of things on my team with relative ease and dish out super effective damage back

Toxic spikes are a pain as I have no poison type. Since the team's pretty offensive they aren't the end of the world but t-spikes are annoying.

Honestly when is Jynx not a threat? If rocks aren't up charizard can come in, take a hit and ohko but that's assuming it doesn't put me to sleep.

Replays:
Round 1 NU open 1st Battle
Round 1 NU open 2nd Battle (these got kinda haxy)
Random Opponent I got
Another Random Battle
Just, you know, a TPO3 battle thrown in for good measure
Team 1 performing its functions beautifully
The power of Gothorita (after turn 6 you may want to skip to turn 23 or so)

Shoutout to @Kushalos for being pwrful.

Yes, this did actually take me the course of 3 days to make lol so please show some love by liking, commenting or just taking the time to read all this. <3333

 

[watashi]

it makes no sense to use rain support liepard when your only sweeper is ludicolo so i suggest you just use the standard pivot liepard with sucker punch / encore / u-turn / pursuit with max attack and speed and put rain dance on ludicolo

 

[Kushalos]

Yay I'm powerful :D, but yeah FLCL is right, you should just use:

Liepard @ Dread Plate
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Encore
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch

For Ludicolo you should replace Surf with Rain Dance so it can support itself

 

[epikkyogre78]

it makes no sense to use rain support liepard when your only sweeper is ludicolo so i suggest you just use the standard pivot liepard with sucker punch / encore / u-turn / pursuit with max attack and speed and put rain dance on ludicolo

I completely disagree with you. He clearly stated that with Rain Dance on Liepard, he can set up with more ease, and he gets essentially 2 more turns to abuse rain, and it also frees up a moveslot to put a useful move, and in this it's case it's Surf, which allows him to clean up easier with a strong STAB when the power of Hydro Pump isn't needed. Not only that, but Metang and Roselia benefit from the rain Liepard provides, as it allows both of them to take Fire-type attacks much better. I don't know about you, but I think that's a lot better than "not making sense."

 

[Blast]

I agree with @FLCL and @Kushalos on Liepard and Ludicolo. Extending rain turns aren't that useful for this team because he has a Charizard, who loses a significant amount of power in the rain which is bad b/c Zard is one of the team's main powerhouses. Even though Moose V says he only sets up rain late-game and Zard comes in early-game, that's really just another reason Ludicolo should be able to set up rain himself. Yeah Metang and Roselia like rain up, but they should be able to do just fine even without two extra turns and you really shouldn't be 100% relying on rain to remove their Fire weakness anyway. Ludicolo doesn't really need both Water STABs too since he's mainly used to clean, so probably replace Hydro with Surf.

Might do a full rate later, but this is what I've got for now.

 

[Moose V]

it makes no sense to use rain support liepard when your only sweeper is ludicolo so i suggest you just use the standard pivot liepard with sucker punch / encore / u-turn / pursuit with max attack and speed and put rain dance on ludicolo

I'll probably write more later in response to some of these rates but I wanna say here that the reason Ludicolo doesn't have Rain dance and Liepard does is to absolutely guarantee that I don't miss out on a sweep. This way, if I have enough hazards up and have taken down my opponent's dedicated special wall, I am guaranteed to sweep since all I have to do is send in liepard after something dies and from there it's a clean victiory. The reasons I took rain dance off ludicolo (I used the standard set before) are A) Ludicolo had to find something to set up rain on, which is actually quite difficult to do without taking significant damage (that could cut the sweep short) or being crippled by status, B) With Ludicolo as my absolute primary win condition, I can't leave anything to chance and having hydro pump as my only attack absolutely screwed me out of easy victories, C) Setting up rain with Ludicolo essentially gives it only 4 turns to abuse it. Thus means that I generally can only get 4 KO's, if that, which is not enough to ensure the game by a longshot. Thus it does make some sense to have something else set up the rain for ludi.

I agree that it looks a little weird to have a rain setter just for ludicolo but looking at most rain teams, ludicolo's the best sweeper by far. I'm definitely willing to sub in another rain setter, especially one that might appreciate the rain itself, but I'm fairly reluctant to make ludicolo set up its own rain as the team is absolutely centered on its sweeping power.

Kyogre also brings up a good point about rain helping metang and roselia.

@Dat Blast
After using this team for a while, I really truly only set up rain after Charizard's dead or if an early opportunity arises for a Ludicolo sweep (opponent's team is HO with no ludicolo checks or something) so the rain 99% of the time won't hinder Char. Tho it doesn't help Met and Rose a whole lot, they are more likely to appreciate it than Charizard is to be bothered by it.

On top of all this I somewhat appreciate the not quite gimmicky but unusual factor of the liepard set which is one of the reasons I tried it out in the first place.

This kinda turned into a longer post than I meant it to but feel free to discuss this more or suggest something else too.


EDIT: I'm realizing right now that the replays I provided don't accurately represent how the first team works. I'm actually gonna get a battle right now that does this better

DOUBLE EDIT: I just logged onto PS and played 2 quick battles and saved the replays (they're the last 2 now). Watch this one and see how I would've lost w/o rain support from liepard since Ludicolo couldn't have set up its own rain and still have swept.