Without further ado, here's the team for round 2! Credit to
Arifeen and
Kreme for creating it and Arifeen for the descriptions. Good luck everyone :)
Absol-Mega @ Absolite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
I wanted to build an offensive team based around Mega Absol, one of the lesser-used Megas in UU. The set is fairly standard. Absol forces switches quite easily, allowing it to boost up with Swords Dance. Knock Off and Sucker Punch are self-explanatory while Superpower hits the likes of Cobalion, Krookodile and Hydreigon hard.
Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Crash
I added Mamoswine for its sheer wallbreaking power. It has the ability to punch massive holes in the opposing team and in the process hopefully clear the way for Absol to sweep. Mamoswine's priority is also vitally important for checking fast threats like Alakazam, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile and Hydreigon, which can be troublesome to deal with. The moveset is standard, with two hard-hitting STAB moves in Icicle Crash and Earthquake and Knock Off to cripple common checks to Mamo such as Cresselia and Suicune.
Empoleon @ Chople Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 120 HP / 252 SpA / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Flash Cannon
- Stealth Rock
At this point I felt that I needed a solid counter to Fairies and Stealth Rock to wear down switch-ins for my sweepers. Empoleon was selected for its ability to reliably perform these tasks. Flash Cannon in conjunction with the Speed EVs allow it check Florges. Scald and Ice Beam in tandem provide excellent coverage against the majority of the metagame. I decided to use Chople Berry in order to lure and defeat Fighting-types like Mienshao, Infernape and Cobalion which could otherwise potentially cause problems for my team.
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Bounce
Gyarados was then added as a reliable check to Ground, Fighting and Fire-types like Mamoswine, Cobalion and Infernape, which I had severely lacked thus far. Gyarados also complemented Absol and Empoleon well by helping deal with Chesnaught and setting up on the bulky Waters that troubled them. Finally, Gyarados provides the team with a bulky setup sweeper and a secondary wincon, helping my other sweepers to break through more defensive teams.
Toxicroak @ Black Sludge
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch
I realised I had no reliable switch-ins to Scald, so Pokemon like Suicune and Alomomola could potentially give the team a really hard time. Toxicroak with its access to Dry Skin was therefore an ideal addition. It also gave me a way to reliably defeat Florges, which I had lacked so far, another priority user, and a Toxic Spikes absorber which is always useful. I went for a bulky EV spread over an offensive one in order to tank Moonblasts and Ice Beams more comfortably and in general make setting up against defensive teams much easier.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Defog
- Roost
Finally, Salamence was added to provide a method of hazard control and an additional check to Fire- and Fighting-types, especially Entei since Salamence was not as heavily crippled as burns by Gyarados. In conjunction with Gyarados, Salamence also formed a useful Intimidate core which would really help in dealing with physical attackers. The moveset is standard, with Draco Meter and Fire Blast providing excellent power and coverage and Roost granting Salamence longevity.
