Forry is an incredible Hydrei lure, and volt-switching at the prime time might really help your team.
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
-
Congrats to the winners of the 2023 Smog Awards!
UU Simple Questions Thread
- Thread starter kokoloko
- Start date
Forry is an incredible Hydrei lure, and volt-switching at the prime time might really help your team.
Running a 4 Attacks Mega Absol set, but Play Rough is keeping me from using Superpower. My other two attacks are Sucker Punch and Ice Beam. What do I run instead of Superpower for stuff like Snorlax and Steel-types?
Tbh play rough is not very good on mega absol - it forces you not to be able to use knock off and superpower.
Swords dance is mega absols best set with SD, Sucker, Superpower, and Knock Off. A 4 attacks set is also viable with fire blast or ice beam in place of SD.
Alright. Was trying to use something that could neutrally hit Fighting- and Fairy-types, but I've never used Mega Absol before.
Iron Tail is an option to smack fairy types, but it doesn't have as good coverage as superpower.
Why is Sludge Wave the preferred Poison STAB on LO Nidoking? Even with only 4 Atk EVs:
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 24+ SpD Florges: 242-289 (67.2 - 80.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 307-361 (85.2 - 100.2%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 273-322 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Florges: 273-322 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 153-181 (21.4 - 25.3%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 269-317 (37.6 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
You at least deal somewhat respectable damage to Blissey the first time she switches in on a Poison Jab. You avoid the 1% chance 2HKO from Umbreon's Foul Play when running 0 Atk EVs and a hindering nature when running Sludge Wave. Aromatisse avoids the OHKO from Poison Jab but not from Sludge Wave, but can't really WishTect safely. Running physical or special poison doesn't really matter for Mega Aggron.
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 24+ SpD Florges: 242-289 (67.2 - 80.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 307-361 (85.2 - 100.2%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 273-322 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Florges: 273-322 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 153-181 (21.4 - 25.3%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 269-317 (37.6 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
You at least deal somewhat respectable damage to Blissey the first time she switches in on a Poison Jab. You avoid the 1% chance 2HKO from Umbreon's Foul Play when running 0 Atk EVs and a hindering nature when running Sludge Wave. Aromatisse avoids the OHKO from Poison Jab but not from Sludge Wave, but can't really WishTect safely. Running physical or special poison doesn't really matter for Mega Aggron.
Sludge Wave is Nidoking's general strongest attack and its safest move. There's a LOT of fliers and Levitators (STFU, Chrome, you don't have a better option) that can freely switch in on Earth Power.
Also, Florges isn't a great example because it will never switch in on a nidoking, and any poison move coming from nidoking can 2hko it.
Edit: when I say any I mean sludge wave or poison jab.
Edit: when I say any I mean sludge wave or poison jab.
Florges is an important example because Calm Mind Florges (whose typing easily forces switches to boost) at +1/+1 can easily survive Sludge Wave even with prior damage and easily OHKO Nidoking with Psychic.
Florges @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Wish/Aromatherapy/Toxic
4 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Poison Jab vs. 132 HP / 0 Def Florges: 408-484 (123.6 - 146.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. +1 132 HP / 0 SpD Florges: 182-218 (55.1 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ SpA Florges Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Nidoking: 370-436 (122.1 - 143.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Both Metagross and Jirachi can deal with CM Florges but since Florges isn't doing full-time cleric, it usually has Cleric + Foul Play Umbreon as a partner, who OHKOs most variants of the 2.
Calm mind florges is not relevent enough imo, the only viable set is the defensive wish passer.
Offensively check and out-speed?
You want scarfed Darm or banded dugtrio, friend. Careful though, cause dugtrio can't switch in on a move, only a revenge kill.
Another option is scarfed Chandy.
SD Cobalion is also a decent option if they're not running a calm mind/superachi set.
How well does Infiltrator Chandelure deal with the most common Baton Pass teams? Clear Smog feels niche as a fourth move, but Fire/Ghost/Grass seems good enough as coverage. Clear Smog Amoongus is clearly superior, but being weak to a mildly boosted Espeon lets it down somewhat, since it cannot get past most Substitutes.
Infiltrator chandy is pretty meh. Nabbing that flash fire boostand that immunity is really good. i suppose ypu could use it as a check to espeon behind a sub. Esepon is so frail tbh that its pretty easy to check. A better option imo is infiltrator crobat, which hits espeons weaker defense stat while hitting behind the sub. It is one of the other faster infiltrator as well so it doesnt have to worry about taking a hit. Another good option is noivern.
Regarding your physical vs. Special king question, special or mixed with superpower is bybfar the most superior. With mew gone, the mega aggron/florges core is much weaker, but mega aggron can handle physical nido with earthquake easily and rk with little ease. Its almost cleanly OHKO by earth power though. But, blissey is the premier special wall of UU now, but it is maimed by a LO superpower expecting a sludge wave or earth power. Physical king is also prone tobWoW now, which makes its job harder. Immune to toxic and thunder wave and no need to worry about burn is another plus for special nido.
While kings attack is better. The BP of Sheer Force boosted moves is greater on average. So, a dedicated special or mixed set is the most viable (moreso if you choose superpower/sludge wavs/earth power/ice beam)
Infiltrator is kind of situational. I've used it a couple of times as a check to some form of SubSeeders (Shaymin). To be honest, I've used Infiltrator on the Specs set to beat faster Substitute Users.
Before I posted question I used to run 4 Atk 252 SpA 252 Spe with a Speed oriented nature, with Earth Power, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and either Sludge Wave or Poison Jab, depending on how what Poison coverage moves I already had on teammates. According to the answers so far, a better mixed set would be Sludge Wave, Earth Power, Ice Beam, and Superpower. I guess the water types that aren't 2HKOd by Sludge Wave are immune to Thunderbolt anyways, but Nidoking has no business staying in on water types unless it can outspeed and KO with even some prior damage, like Blastoise. Empoleon is wrecked by Earthpower anyway.
I've used Scarf Infiltrator Chandelure to support SD Lucario, by at least getting the speed tie on opposing Chandelure or beating SubCM Chandelure cleanly. Though you're right, Flash Fire is much more useful otherwise.
Whats a good EV spread for NP Mxape? Good partners as well?
I was assuming Naive LO NP/CC/Fire Blast/Grass Knot was the set
Not exactly ideal (or sure), but some important benchmarks
136 Atk EVs always OHKOs Blissey (and Umbreon with rocks), since any form of Status from them would be terrible for ape. 76 Atk can OHKO both with rocks
232 Spe EVs still outspeeds Jolly non-scarfed Mienshao and anything below 105 Spe+
140 SpA EVs are enough at +2 to OHKO most Water types in the tier bar Suicune and Vaporeon, even with rocks. With rocks, Starmie is OHKOd even with Fire Blast.
Partners to handle Suicune and Vaporeon I suppose. Kingdra can set up Focus Energy on both and will 2HKO, but both of them have access to Roar. Gastrodon with Toxic seems good too.
Getting rid of Mega Aerodactyl (outspeeds and OHKOs), defensive Mega Ampharos (lives through everything nicely and OHKO), Scarf Darmanitan (and all other scarfers with super effective moves) is also important. Swampert and Gastrodon are great; Swampert can additionally set up SR, Gastrodon also can deal with most other Water types, and both can sponge hits and retaliate with their STAB attacks.
HP Ice over Grass Knot needs different EVs, but I suppose Celebi is an excellent partner no matter what viable set the onion thing runs.
Can Rain Offense be effective in UU? I know Drizzle is banned, but I found Azelf and Torn-I to be good secondary setters in OU. I figure I could build a team around the two of them but I'm not sure if it can be effective or not. Also, is just Drizzle banned or is all auto-weather banned?
Rain offence can be effective, but you need to have a very well-built team to bust through a lot of its checks. This tier is jam-packed with stuff that can easily beat or shut down rain teams (thinking Blissey, Suicune, Toxicroak, etc.) so you'd need to run a team capable of breaking all of these checks while still providing yourself an opportunity to win.
Personally, I think running Sun offence might be more effective, as Fire-type STAB is still very spammable in this metagame, and having Chlorophyll users to beat down Suicune and company make it an untapped threat.
Nah, tangrowth is terrible on sun offense. Even with a chlorophyll boost its still really damn slow. I'd go with stuff like chandelure, darmanitan, entei, etc. maybe a prankster weather setter like sableye (I've used it before, not even half bad)