Spice UUp Your Game 4

By GrilledClawitzer. Art by anundeadboy.
« Previous Article Home Next Article »

Introduction

Spice UUp your game

Hello and welcome to the last iteration of Spice UUp Your Game for ORAS. In the third episode, we took a look at uncommon special attackers. This time around, the focus will be on utility. We will be reviewing Pokémon that fulfill very specific roles on their teams and glue them together so they can succeed. Some of these picks may seem surprising, either due to the tier they reside in or because of the item they hold seeming strange at first glance, but I can assure you that they all work great and have been used effectively before. Now without further ado, let's get into it!

Tangela

Tangela

While technically being a PU Pokémon, Tangela has been able to carve a niche in the UU metagame ever since its evolution, Tangrowth, left. Sporting greater bulk than its big brother so long as it keeps its Eviolite, it still functions largely the same. The reason to use Tangela would be to check a few key threats to stall teams. Standard Life Orb Crawdaunt is a large threat for any slow team, running through them once it reaches +2. Tangela can take any hit from Crawdaunt—even without Eviolite, as Knock Off's damage does not change—and KO back with Giga Drain. Alongside Alomomola, Tangela forms a Regenerator core, which enables PP stalling Sableye through simply switching back and forth. Protect is imperative, as it blocks Gyarados's Bounce, letting Tangela beat it. Leech Seed gets some passive damage on both Snorlax and Suicune, forcing them into using Rest more often and making it a lot easier to wear them down. Knock Off gives more general utility and also helps with Suicune and Snorlax by ridding them of their Leftovers, whereas Hidden Power Fire lets Tangela take on Swords Dance Lucario and Cobalion one-on-one. Overall, while Tangela might not be a great Pokémon in UU, it is a rather viable option on stall teams, as it is able to keep many key threats in check.

Choice Band Infernape

Infernape

Known for being able to run many sets due to its movepool that includes many great set-up moves and coverage options, one can only wonder why anyone would give a Choice item to Infernape. The answer is a rather simple one, though. Its STAB combination hits everything in the tier bar Chandelure, Gyarados, Tentacruel, and the uncommon Jellicent at least neutrally. None of these particularly like switching in, either. Banded Infernape is usually paired with a Pursuit user such as Mega Aerodactyl, so Chandelure switching into a U-turn will have to deal with that. Gyarados usually tries to keep itself healthy so it can clean late-game, and if Stealth Rock is up, it takes far too much damage to make switching in worth it. Tentacruel is oftentimes already pressured in trying to fulfill a multitude of roles, since it wants to Rapid Spin, set up Toxic Spikes, and spread Scald burns. Any chip damage on it is appreciated, and the ability to U-turn out into something that threatens it is amazing. Lastly, Jellicent is so uncommon that it hardly needs to be accounted for, but it does not want to switch in until Infernape's set has been scouted anyway, as it gets KOed by a +2 Grass Knot from Nasty Plot Infernape. What this means is that Infernape is oftentimes free to U-turn around or even predict its potential switch-ins, either wearing down the opposing team in preparation for one of its partners' sweeps or just getting a KO. On top of all this, it sports great priority in an Iron Fist-boosted Mach Punch, giving it the ability to KO a lot of slightly weakened faster Pokémon. All in all, there is no completely safe way of playing around Infernape, allowing this set to shine.

Registeel

Registeel

Registeel saw a rise in viability when Sylveon dropped, yet it is still a rare pick for any team. That does not mean it is a bad one, though, as it is able to check a multitude of threats without fearing Pursuit like its main competition, Bronzong. The given EV spread allows Registeel to survive two of Mega Aerodactyl's Earthquakes after Stealth Rock, factoring in Leftovers recovery. Choice Specs Sylveon's Hyper Voice is, at best, a 5HKO, whereas its strongest coverage move, Hidden Power Fire, is only a 4HKO. This amazing bulk makes it possible for Registeel to set up Stealth Rock against a multitude of strong Pokémon. Toxic hits most of its common switch-ins. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple fast threats, whereas Protect helps with scouting popular Choice-locked switch-ins such as Entei and Krookodile while gaining some extra health back from Leftovers and potentially racking up some Toxic damage.

RestTalk Escavalier

Escavalier

Specially defensive Escavalier is a fearsome stallbreaker on offense teams, as well as a fearsome Pokémon on any semi-stall. Its ability to set up on Water-types running Scald, including CroCune, means it is incredibly hard to break, and many typical stall teams fall to Escavalier if it is the last remaining Pokémon, as their way of checking it is Roaring it out. Critical hits are not a problem, as its ability Shell Armor prevents them from occuring. Escavalier provides a lot of utility against offensive teams, too, as it comfortably switches into any of Choice Specs Kyurem's moves bar Focus Blast, switches into Mega Sceptile's Focus Blast, and counters fearsome Calm Mind users such as Reuniclus and Cresselia. Toxic can be used over Swords Dance to wear down common switch-ins such as Entei, Arcanine, and Chandelure while putting most defensive Pokémon on a timer. While not infallible, the longevity and power of even a defensive set makes Escavalier a great pick for any UU team struggling with special Dragons and bulky Psychics.

Calm Mind Slowking

Slowking

Despite facing competition in Reuniclus and Cresselia as a Calm Mind Psychic-type, there are several characteristics that set Slowking apart from them and make it a great choice for teams. The first and foremost of these is the ability to counter Choice Band Entei, one of the tier's most fearsome wallbreakers, without losing momentum thanks to its great ability in Regenerator. This ability also helps mitigate its weakness to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, something its fellow Psychic-types are immune to. There is still ample reason to run Slowking instead, as it is deceptively hard to switch into, with Scald deterring physical attackers from doing so and most walls being naught but setup fodder. A Colbur Berry can be used to take a Knock Off from Choice Band Krookodile and hit it with a powerful Scald in return. Alternatively, you can switch out on a Pursuit without fearing massive damage as it will barely chip at Slowking's health. Should you not feel the need for Psyshock and instead benefit more from luring and removing Celebi, a Pokémon that otherwise hard counters Slowking, Signal Beam is an option to consider as well. Slowking is a Pokémon that combines several great traits in a unique way and offers a good amount of role compression, allowing it to excel on many different kinds of teams.

What's next?

Sadly, nothing for me. This was the last issue of Spice UUp Your Game, at least for ORAS. I want to thank anto and Hikari for allowing me to take over this series. I had a lot of fun working on it. I also want to thank everyone who was involved in creating this article, be it the Quality Control team, the Grammar team, the HTMLers, the artists, or the staff who eventually published it. And lastly, I want to thank you, the reader, for sticking with me. As usual, do not be shy to try these sets. I am sure they will serve you well and help you live up to your true potential. I hope to see you all in Pokémon Sun and Moon and wish you the best of luck!

« Previous Article Home Next Article »