So I've been trying to get into nUU, seeing as I can't find any reason to play OU right now. I'm not done with OU for sure, but for now I want a change of pace. So I figure the best way to get familiar with nUU is to throw together some random crap, and see what happens. Mixed results, but the bigger problem I found wasn't that I couldn't put together a good team, the problem was I found it...boring. So, like I have so often in my past UU adventures, I set out to try and make a competitive theme team of some sorts. I didn't want to do Rain Dance as that, in my opinion, is simply too easy. Sunny Day is an option, but I've already done a SD team in old UU, so I didn't feel like it again. While racking my brain for a theme that would be fun but also viable, I came across the idea of Trick Room. My first impression of TR was that it certainly was on the gimmicky side of things(if only it had an item that made it last longer, like RD/SD, then it wouldn't be a gimmick at all), but I decided to simply take it's natural gimmicky-ness as a challenge. After some testing, this is what I've got:
Mismagius@Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 136 Spe, 120 Def
Nature: Timid
- Trick Room
- Taunt
- Memento
- Destiny Bond
And leading off my TR team is....Mismagius? With no Attacking moves? Memento AND Destiny Bond...? Yes, that is my lead. Taunt is there to stop SR, because this team has 3(God I feel like a noob for having 3 Sashes lol) Sashes. It also blocks sleep, while my EV's allow me to conveniently out speed every common user of Sleep, bar Jumpluff. Focus Sash keeps me alive to set up TR. Despite being fairly fast, most guys who are dealing major damage to Mismagius are faster, so this allows me to use Memento/Destiny Bond. The reason for both Memento and Destiny Bond is that while Destiny Bond is obviously good for bringing a foe down with me, not everyone is going to fall for this trick. This means my opponent can just switch around, stalling out TR. That's where Memento comes into play. It makes me die. The reduced attacking stats are nice but rarely helpful, seeing as I'm about to bring in something that can out speed and OHKO anyways.
Overall, this lead position is giving me the most trouble by far. I need to be able to stop SR as that really screws me over. Uxie, the fastest common SR user, sits at 226 speed. However my lead also needs to either out speed Roserade + Taunt it/put it to Sleep, or be immune to sleep. The only TR'ers who boast immunities to sleep are Banette and Hypno. They can both out speed min speed Uxie which is cool and all, but neither of them can kill themselves!!! This mean my opponent just switches around and wastes TR turns. Mismagius is able to do all this, but then going and being fast bites me in the butt :/ So yea I need to be fast to stop the opponent setting up, but also set up TR....Contradictory much? Oh, and Taunt Ambipom is extremely annoying
Claydol@Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Trick Room
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
TR'er #2, Claydol. At first, I tried this set with LO over FS, hoping that perhaps he could set up TR, and then either sweep or explode, but honestly that just didn't work. Couldn't always survive long enough to set up TR, and couldn't really sweep. So I simply use FS to guarantee set up + Explosion, if I've managed to keep rocks of the field. EQ/SE are there to finish of something if I get the chance, but really then never get used <_< Perhaps throw SR over SE? It's be nice to have if I find myself with some free time, but I rarely find myself with free time, and when I do I'm generally better off using TR/Exploding. But then again it's not like he ever even uses his attacks. Opinions on Stone Edge or SR?
Exeggutor@Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Brave
EVs: 4HP, 252 Atk, 252 SAtk,
- Trick Room
- Sleep Powder
- Grass Knot
- Explosion
And finally TR'er #3, Exeggutor. Brave > Quiet cause Explosions sees way more use than GK. EV's are cause basically there's no where else worth putting them. Grass Knot like I said almost never sees use, but it's there if I need it. Sleep Powder on the other hand is helpful. With a Sash I can take a hit, sleep, and set up TR and then go do my own thing. Or, I can get him in on the last turn of TR, sleep something, and set up another round of TR fun on my free turn. There's not much else to be said about Exeggutor, he's been surprisingly solid and get's the job done, what more can you ask for?
Tangrowth@Life Orb
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Power Whip
- Earth Quake
- Rock Slide
- Sleep Powder
Tangrowth is probably the least scary of my sweepers, and yet I need him the most...A quick glance at my team reveals 3 weaknesses to Water, and one poke who is dead in the first few turns. That means Azumarill is a very, very scary foe. Tangrowth is here to absorb his powerful Aqua Jet, and threaten with Power Whip. That said, Tangrowth isn't here -just- to counter Azumarill, he's still very powerful. The 3 attacks give good coverage, only thing that really annoys me is Shaymin...I'd like advice on some way to better deal with Shaymin, as he can easily switch in on me, taking away the momentum that this team so dearly relies on. Sleep Powder sorta gets rid of Shaymin, but really it just switches out and back in and I'm back to square one. Not to mention wasting turns in TR to put something to sleep when it'll just wake up next time it comes in is a very bad waste of turns...Those HP EVs actually go a long way in making Tangrowth bulky, something that is really helpful when not playing under TR.
Marowak@Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
- Double Edge
Marowak is absolutely devastating....a monster 568 Attack stat + perfect coverage is just incredible. Not to mention he's bulky enough to take a hit while not under TR. You'll notice a lack of SD, and that's because A) he gets 3 turns max under TR, no use setting up, and B) he already hits like a train. Overall, this guy is probably my favorite TR sweeper, there's simply no sweeper as complete as him, he can dish out the damage, and even take a hit.
Camerupt@Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Atk, 252 SAtk
Nature: Quiet
- Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Explosion
Last but not least, Camerupt. Though not quite as powerful as Marowak, Camerupt is still a monster. Fire Blast + Earth Power is wonderful coverage, HP Grass his water types, albeit I don't ever really use it cause I tend to just explode on them....but eh there's nothing else worth using so whatever...Though Camerupt tends to not sweep as much as Marowak, it's usually because he's sacrificing himself to explode on a key part of my opponent's defense, allowing Marowak/Tangrowth to finish the job. Attack EVs guarantee the OHKO w/ explosion on Slowbro.
So I've switched HP: Grass out, because I absolutely never use it. In it's place, is Eruption. I had forgotten Camerupt even got the move, but while looking through his movepool I came across it. And well, it's the definition of destruction. Slowbro switching in to absorb your fire attack? Shear off 55-65% of his hp, and finish it with Earth Power. 2HKO's Clefable, and pretty much everything that doesn't resist(and even some that do obviously), minus Chansey. But who uses Chansey? The fact that I need to be at full health for that first attack is yet to be a problem, seeing as he always gets in for free after an explosion/destiny bond/memento.
Overall: I must say, for a gimmick, I'm surprised at just how well this team does. This team has even showed the ability to stick in there and fight it out, not just either 6-0 someone or get 6-0'ed. Of course, one thing that's annoying for this team and pretty much every 'gimmicky' team, is that you can't afford to have a bad game, you'll get squashed.....
The lead: Ugh, I hate this cursed spot. I'm really not sure if Mismagius is the best lead out there, but it's the only I've found who can do what I need it to....Ideas, anyone?
Azumarill: Go die. Aqua Jet rapes this team, I need to always make sure I've got Tangrowth/Exeggutor around to absorb Aqua Jet, or else I'll simply get swept...so my question is, can anyone think of A) a possible TR'er that I've overlooked who can stand up to an Aqua Jet or two, or B) a sweeper that can take an Aqua Jet, but also be able to ya'know, sweep? Actually as I'm typing this up I've just remember I've forgotten to test out Crawdaunt, any opinions on him?
There's really no point in a threat list, I've already said Azumarill gives me trouble, everything else just sorta is there, it'll either sweep if TR is down or get swept if TR is up.
Mismagius@Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 136 Spe, 120 Def
Nature: Timid
- Trick Room
- Taunt
- Memento
- Destiny Bond
And leading off my TR team is....Mismagius? With no Attacking moves? Memento AND Destiny Bond...? Yes, that is my lead. Taunt is there to stop SR, because this team has 3(God I feel like a noob for having 3 Sashes lol) Sashes. It also blocks sleep, while my EV's allow me to conveniently out speed every common user of Sleep, bar Jumpluff. Focus Sash keeps me alive to set up TR. Despite being fairly fast, most guys who are dealing major damage to Mismagius are faster, so this allows me to use Memento/Destiny Bond. The reason for both Memento and Destiny Bond is that while Destiny Bond is obviously good for bringing a foe down with me, not everyone is going to fall for this trick. This means my opponent can just switch around, stalling out TR. That's where Memento comes into play. It makes me die. The reduced attacking stats are nice but rarely helpful, seeing as I'm about to bring in something that can out speed and OHKO anyways.
Overall, this lead position is giving me the most trouble by far. I need to be able to stop SR as that really screws me over. Uxie, the fastest common SR user, sits at 226 speed. However my lead also needs to either out speed Roserade + Taunt it/put it to Sleep, or be immune to sleep. The only TR'ers who boast immunities to sleep are Banette and Hypno. They can both out speed min speed Uxie which is cool and all, but neither of them can kill themselves!!! This mean my opponent just switches around and wastes TR turns. Mismagius is able to do all this, but then going and being fast bites me in the butt :/ So yea I need to be fast to stop the opponent setting up, but also set up TR....Contradictory much? Oh, and Taunt Ambipom is extremely annoying
Claydol@Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Trick Room
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
TR'er #2, Claydol. At first, I tried this set with LO over FS, hoping that perhaps he could set up TR, and then either sweep or explode, but honestly that just didn't work. Couldn't always survive long enough to set up TR, and couldn't really sweep. So I simply use FS to guarantee set up + Explosion, if I've managed to keep rocks of the field. EQ/SE are there to finish of something if I get the chance, but really then never get used <_< Perhaps throw SR over SE? It's be nice to have if I find myself with some free time, but I rarely find myself with free time, and when I do I'm generally better off using TR/Exploding. But then again it's not like he ever even uses his attacks. Opinions on Stone Edge or SR?
Exeggutor@Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Brave
EVs: 4HP, 252 Atk, 252 SAtk,
- Trick Room
- Sleep Powder
- Grass Knot
- Explosion
And finally TR'er #3, Exeggutor. Brave > Quiet cause Explosions sees way more use than GK. EV's are cause basically there's no where else worth putting them. Grass Knot like I said almost never sees use, but it's there if I need it. Sleep Powder on the other hand is helpful. With a Sash I can take a hit, sleep, and set up TR and then go do my own thing. Or, I can get him in on the last turn of TR, sleep something, and set up another round of TR fun on my free turn. There's not much else to be said about Exeggutor, he's been surprisingly solid and get's the job done, what more can you ask for?
Tangrowth@Life Orb
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Power Whip
- Earth Quake
- Rock Slide
- Sleep Powder
Tangrowth is probably the least scary of my sweepers, and yet I need him the most...A quick glance at my team reveals 3 weaknesses to Water, and one poke who is dead in the first few turns. That means Azumarill is a very, very scary foe. Tangrowth is here to absorb his powerful Aqua Jet, and threaten with Power Whip. That said, Tangrowth isn't here -just- to counter Azumarill, he's still very powerful. The 3 attacks give good coverage, only thing that really annoys me is Shaymin...I'd like advice on some way to better deal with Shaymin, as he can easily switch in on me, taking away the momentum that this team so dearly relies on. Sleep Powder sorta gets rid of Shaymin, but really it just switches out and back in and I'm back to square one. Not to mention wasting turns in TR to put something to sleep when it'll just wake up next time it comes in is a very bad waste of turns...Those HP EVs actually go a long way in making Tangrowth bulky, something that is really helpful when not playing under TR.
Marowak@Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Def
Nature: Brave
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
- Double Edge
Marowak is absolutely devastating....a monster 568 Attack stat + perfect coverage is just incredible. Not to mention he's bulky enough to take a hit while not under TR. You'll notice a lack of SD, and that's because A) he gets 3 turns max under TR, no use setting up, and B) he already hits like a train. Overall, this guy is probably my favorite TR sweeper, there's simply no sweeper as complete as him, he can dish out the damage, and even take a hit.
Camerupt@Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Atk, 252 SAtk
Nature: Quiet
- Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Explosion
Last but not least, Camerupt. Though not quite as powerful as Marowak, Camerupt is still a monster. Fire Blast + Earth Power is wonderful coverage, HP Grass his water types, albeit I don't ever really use it cause I tend to just explode on them....but eh there's nothing else worth using so whatever...Though Camerupt tends to not sweep as much as Marowak, it's usually because he's sacrificing himself to explode on a key part of my opponent's defense, allowing Marowak/Tangrowth to finish the job. Attack EVs guarantee the OHKO w/ explosion on Slowbro.
So I've switched HP: Grass out, because I absolutely never use it. In it's place, is Eruption. I had forgotten Camerupt even got the move, but while looking through his movepool I came across it. And well, it's the definition of destruction. Slowbro switching in to absorb your fire attack? Shear off 55-65% of his hp, and finish it with Earth Power. 2HKO's Clefable, and pretty much everything that doesn't resist(and even some that do obviously), minus Chansey. But who uses Chansey? The fact that I need to be at full health for that first attack is yet to be a problem, seeing as he always gets in for free after an explosion/destiny bond/memento.
Overall: I must say, for a gimmick, I'm surprised at just how well this team does. This team has even showed the ability to stick in there and fight it out, not just either 6-0 someone or get 6-0'ed. Of course, one thing that's annoying for this team and pretty much every 'gimmicky' team, is that you can't afford to have a bad game, you'll get squashed.....
The lead: Ugh, I hate this cursed spot. I'm really not sure if Mismagius is the best lead out there, but it's the only I've found who can do what I need it to....Ideas, anyone?
Azumarill: Go die. Aqua Jet rapes this team, I need to always make sure I've got Tangrowth/Exeggutor around to absorb Aqua Jet, or else I'll simply get swept...so my question is, can anyone think of A) a possible TR'er that I've overlooked who can stand up to an Aqua Jet or two, or B) a sweeper that can take an Aqua Jet, but also be able to ya'know, sweep? Actually as I'm typing this up I've just remember I've forgotten to test out Crawdaunt, any opinions on him?
There's really no point in a threat list, I've already said Azumarill gives me trouble, everything else just sorta is there, it'll either sweep if TR is down or get swept if TR is up.
