~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Intro and Building Process-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This suspect test I have tried to begin to come into my own as a player and team builder. I DID ladder with a stall team, but I had several alts and was constantly working on my offensive game as well as offensive combinations. Offense is tough for me, tbh. It just didn't work when I try it, but I was and am determined to be a flexible player and branch out. This team is fairly new, but is loosely based off an old team I used back when Shaymin and Crobat were suspects (both of which were on the team).
As far as reworking the team went, I knew I wanted a Fire/ Water/ Grass core combination. The core is meant to be bulky, while at the same time being able to 1) recover to counter act entry hazards and LO recoil and 2) deal massive damage from the special side since the tiers selection of sp. walls is fairly limited. I wanted them to, essentially, be Chansey bait. The original 3 pokes were:
Aside from what I wanted in a core I wanted to make sure I focused on two big problems presented by such a sp. atk. heavy base, Registeel and Chansey. My core can wear down the former easily enough thanks to the relative high damage output they generate, but I knew I needed a poke almost solely based on removing Chansey in order to allow my core to clean up the rest of my opponents team. So I added:
So, my team in my head looked like:
After those 4 were selected the other 2 kind of fell into place tbh. One was to be my obligatory SR user and my last poke was added because I wanted another way of beating Chansey. After the brain storm I came up with these pokes with no particular sets or ev's in mind and began to dabble:
I started playing around with this:
After about literally 3 matches I noticed Absol could go a long way to beating the team by himself... I needed a better answer for it than what I had. I went back to the drawing board... kinda. Slowking was meh and I wanted Haze and an answer to physical water types like Feraligatr. Plus the fact Slowking was pursuit bait wasn't helping me, Slowking had to go. I dropped it for:
That still didnt really help my absol problem, it just gave me one less thing for him to pursuit. I STILL needed a better answer to Absol than just a Jolly one while still retaining a nasty pursuit for Chansey. It was then I remebered the old team I used CB Drapion in. It did a great job of weakening the neckless pink tub AND was nuetral or better to every attack absol commonly carries. He was also faster than Absol and helped in beating some problem pokes like Roserade. This poke has proven to be mana from heaven for this team:
After noticing I was so weak to Torterra I could literally brag about it, I decided to drop Missy for:
That gave me the current product of:
There... The brief team building process and inspiration for the team is finished, now to the team itself
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-At A Glance-
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-In Depth-
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A NOTE: All pokemon that can be female are so as to avoid needless Rivalry boosts and such.
Moltres (no gender) @
Modest; 56 Hp/ 200 Spe./ 252 Sp. Atk.
Roost/ Hp Grass/ Air Slash/ Fire Blast
Why Moltres?
I had used a LO Moltress in the past on another offensive team that I had rated earlier in the testing period and really appreciated the raw power it had. Being just bulky enough to get roosts off in a pinch against certain pokemon and powerful enough to 2HKO or better the vast majority of UU. This was helped by the added bonus of it being the only fire type I could think of that got instant recovery. The MAIN reason I picked it was because so few pokemon are not 2HKO'd or better by this set. The best counter to this build in UU is Chansey, and its the only poke that can effectively wall her. Ss such, Moltress draws her out like a magnet which is exactly what I wanted. It works perfectly with Drapion in order to cripple her very early in the match. If this team has a sweeper, she is it. Thanks to the several options for paralysis support she can often find herself out speeding pokemon that she would not. I find that unless she is Modest, she is just slightly too slow. However, if she is Timid, she becomes a little too weak as the loss in power is noticeable. This team tries to blur the line between the two builds, and tries to give the benefits of both.
Why Those Moves?
Simple. I wanted the recovery move to fit the bulky offense theme so Roost was instantly added. It allows me to rid myself of weak neutral dmage or resisted hits, more important than that is that it helps to compensate for Moltres' horrendous weakness to SR. She can come in on something that she is immune to and force it out and roost to near full HP multiple times in a match if allowed. I went with its two strongest STAB options and Hp Grass for Regirock, Milotic, and Azumarill who all switch into it if the team lacks a Chansey and the player doens't want to sacrifice their lead. This set says, "please set up SR, it means I get at LEAST one free ko."
Why Those Ev's
LonelyNess' Moltres became the standard for the LO version and I wanted to at the least outspeed that variant to beat it to the 2HKO. It also outspeeds HeYsUp's original LO Roserade build which was an added perk. I'm happy with this build all in all. It could be bulkier or faster, but I have beaten many teams with Moltres alone using this spread and often the fact she is on the slower side fails to matter, so I have made peace with the mediocre speed this spread provides.
Roserade (F) @
Modest; 156 Hp/ 108 Spe./ 244 Sp. Atk.
Rest/ Sleep Powder/ Sludge Bomb/ Leaf Storm
Why Roserade?
Roserade was probably the first poke I had selected for the team in my mind. While Roserade is very common, I always try to make sure I use her in a different way than her overdone standard sets. Similar in power to Moltres, this thing is scary. Few things can take her LO boosted STAB moves repeatedly, and a vast number of UU pokes cant even take 1. She also draws out opposing Chansey very well which was something I wanted in my core pokes. A very good Registeel lure who is forced out by Moltress for a free LO boosted hit on the incoming poke (example of team synergy). She has the highest base sp. atk. for grass types (at least Im pretty sure she does) and can be a good sponge when ev'd that way; I'm try to do a little of both. Her set has yeilded very pleasing results in offering all the power of the standard LO Roserade build with enough extra bulk to help with switch in's.
Why Those Moves?
I swore I would focus on offense with this team so I opted for Leaf Storm + Powder Attack instead of Energy Ball + Spikes. Sludge Bomb is her secondary STAB move and gets acceptable coverage in UU. Rest plays off Natural Cure and allows me to recover substantial chunks of Hp should the opportunity arise; the trade off being I have to switch after I use the move. I recently added Sleep Powder to better results. Stun Spore doesn't affect the common switch ins to Roserade that much (namely Registeel), while Sleep Powder helps me against most everything.
Why Those Ev's?
These Ev's I pulled out of the air, but have worked pretty well. With the hp ev's I take a max of 76 percent from Modest max special atk. Roserade's Sludge Bomb while nearly guaranteeing a OHKO against it after SR and/ or LO recoil. I also wanted to outspeed the fast Blaziken build from the analysis on Smogon. I didn't quite have enough to outspeed Blaziken one my first attempt at an ev spread, so I shaved some ev's off of his sp. atk and hp. So far I haven't noticed losing any ko's and I REALLY like the spread. It has worked great thanks to the paralysis support on the team and she really doesn't mind being on the slower side of offensive Roserades. Note: This Roserade should beat the other common LO variants that invest heavily in speed provided both Roserades are at full health and switch into SR.
Milotic (F) @
Bold; 252 Hp/ 216 Def./ 40 Spe.
Recover/ Haze/ Hp Grass/ Surf
Why Milotic?
This pokemon helps to complete my bulky offensive core. Milotic did several things that my original bulky water did not. first and foremost she has Haze support. Secondly she CAN sponge status and it not be a total loss. Milo was more physically bulky than Slowking and more Specially bulky than Slowbro w/o inviting Absol in to Pursuit so I added her quickly after noticing the Absol problem I had. Chansey and Roserade are common switch ins to Milo and both are Drapion food thankfully because this Milotic is admittedly helpless against them. It also draws in opposing Milotic and Registeel nicely which I have solid switch in's against. Milo counters Sub punch Azu decently well, and beats Crotomb, Feraligatr, and SubCM Missy among other things. The weakest offensive presence of my core pokemon, but the strongest defensive presence at the same time. I love this Milotic and has proved to be an amazing tank. However, I sometimes wish she would hit just a little harder. Swapping in Milo for Slowking was one of the best improvements I've made to the team.
Why Those Moves?
Haze was my main reason for using Milo after her mono typing and base stats. Its very helpful in beating opposing stat up threats that could otherwise pose HUGE problems for this team (examples listed above). Surf is her STAB move and is reliable go to attack if I want to try to hit a switch in for any kind of noticeable damage. Hp Grass is there almost exclusively for Azumarill and Feraligatr, though it does usually offer a neutral hit against some of the pokes that like to switch into her which means very little thanks to Surf. Recover is pretty self explantory as its a mainstay on all Milo not running RestTalk and goes with the cores theme of emphasizing longevity.
Why Those Ev's?
The max Hp is easy to figure out as is the bold nature. I needed a tank that was able to counter physical water types. However, the speed is something that might look random. This allows me to out speed Marowak and Torterra before RP as well as the "slower" Blaziken build. The rest of its remaining ev's were placed in def. for obvious reasons.
Drapion (F) @
Jolly; 4 Hp/ 252 Atk./ 252 Spe.
Ability: Battle Armor
Brick Break/ Earthquake/ Poison Jab/ Pursuit
Why Drapion?
This guy was primarilly picked as a better way to deal with Absol while at the same time trapping Chansey and dealing healthy chunks of damage with Pursuit. Battle armor was chosen over sniper to remove worries of having to take multiple crits from Absol. I just figured I would run it to hose that specific threat, and sniper wasn't much of a draw since none of the moves I chose ran a heightened crit rate. This poke is the glue for this team and allows it to remove the main threats to the core easily.
-This is an example of threat removal that we should be focusing on in our development of UU.
This team had 2 pokes I HAD to have an answer for:
1) Chansey - Takes minor damage from SToss AND is immune to toxic which is something Absol wishes it had going for it. All the while, it does ~50% to Chansey with Pursuit, which means after SR, it can no longer wall Roserade or Moltress, and wont be able to come in on Milotic freely thanks to the threat of a Drapion trap.
2) Absol- Battle Armor + Brick Break and resistance to its STAB attacks = dead Absol. His seemingly "just okay" ability prevents Absol's haxyness from screwing over my counter to it. I think this Drapion may be one of the best counters to Absol I have ever used.
The fact that this thing learns Earthquake for finishing opposing Registeel if need be AND beats Taunt CM Missy and Sub CM Missy is simply icing on the cake. I can also come in on most Roserade and KO or nearly KO with Pursuit. The best change I made for the team, and she has brought me out of too many bad situations to count.
Why Those Moves?
This thing could literally learn Pursuit and Brick Break and serve its purpose for the team. Banded Pursuit cripples Chansey and Brick Break beats Absol. Earthquake is extra damage on Registeel and Regirock as well as hits Blaziken SE for a not- so- surprising OHKO. Poison Jab I'm not sure about... I just wanted to mention this in the OP. Brick Break was mentioned as not really helpful, however I wanted to provide some other reasons for me packing the move. Brick Break breaks screens, specifically Light Screen which is a big hinder to this team. Also, should a Chansey come in on Roserade or Moltress after a ko, it could potentially get off a recovery in a nightmare situation. Not only that, but I am relying on moves that do not have 100% accuracy, which means I'm not guaranteed to even hit Chansey. If Drapion was to come in a second time against Chansey, she could simply stay in and take about 30 percent from banded Pursuit and eventually Toss me to death. To remedy this, I can Brick Break her and put it in that dangerous percent again w/o needing it to switch out. So far this has not been an issue, but I find its best to over prepare.
Why Those Ev's?
Simple Max/ Max spread. I ran a jolly nature to out speed base 90s like Roserade. Max attack allows for maximum damage, and Choice Band doesn't drain hp like LO so investment in my defenses are a pretty poor waste considering his already fairly bulky base stat distribution.
Registeel (no gender) @
Careful; 252 Hp/ 24 Spe./ 232 Sp. Def.
Stealth Rock/ Thunder Wave/ Explosion/ Iron Head
Why Registeel?
This is probably the best answer to special attackers out there after Chansey. However, unlike Chansey, this thing isn't free set up for physical sweepers AND he isn't pursuit bait. He walls things like Scyther and Swelllow long enough even w/o defensive investment. I needed a poke with good resistances that I could use as a pivot or as a general purpose sponge. It works surprisingly well with the Milotic build I run resembling Slowbro & Registeel.
Why Those Moves?
The standard moveset for Registeel. Stealth Rock is obligatory. Thunderwave is amazingly helpful support for this team while at the same time allowing for paraflinch opportunities. Iron Head = STAB. Explosion is for that last move slot filler. I kind of would have liked Rest on this set, but I feel that it would be too much of a set up oppotunity for opposing players so for now I am sticking with Explosion. Do you guys think Rest is an option w/o Sleep Talk? It would help against other teams trying to do something similar...
Why Those Ev's?
I wanted as much Sp. Def. as I could afford. So keeping that in mind I ran max Hp and just enough speed ev's to outrun LN's Regirock build which I have seen get use (it was an adamant hard hitting atk. sponge).
Anyway this speed allows me to almost always outrun the common builds of:
-Chansey- I can iron head to finish off a weakened one, or explode I guess if I should ever be so inclined
-Azumarill & Hariyama- Both I can explode or paralyze before they go behind a sub
-Regirock & Regice- If we both are paralyzed I can try to paraflinch him to weaken him, or finish it off if it is already weakened
-Tangrowth- Not THAT useful, but paraflinching opportunities are there with the spe. ev's and I know I will explode before they can respond.
-Donphan (future UU)- Ill be able to explode and ko it with confidence w/o fear of it Ko'ing me before hand.
-Other Registeel- I know Im faster should it come down to some epic 1 v 1 Registeel showdown
Rotom (no gender) @
Timid; 4 Hp/ 252 Sp. Atk./ 252 Spe.
Trick/ Hp Ice/ Discharge/ Shadowball
Why Rotom?
Well this used to be a Missy with a taunt CM set, and it was working very well for me. However, I was uncomfortably weak to Torterra sweeps. This set is my attempt to remedy that problem somewhat as people suggested Ice Punch on Registeel and I didn't see that helping really (plus I love me some Explosion on Registeel). Rotom, imo, is just the better choice user between it and Missy... and no matter how often I try Missy with a choice item I always end up using Rotom for this kind of a role thanks to its extra STAB and resists. After adding Drapion to the team, it has proven to be THE number one improvement to this team. He patches up holes in my defenses well. Since Drapion is made to beat Absol, I liked the idea of something that would draw him in. Rotom isn't the perfect choice for that particular job, but its doing the several other jobs I made it for very well, drawing out Absol is only a plus that I welcome.
Why Those Moves?
Rotom and Missy both can be faster than Torterra after a Rock Polish and have very similar chances to switch in. However, Rotom gains more resistances and no new weaknesses thanks to levitate, and I really like that. I used BoltBeam + Shadowball instead of Ghost/ Fighting almost solely for Torterra. That being said, the coverage still hits everything in UU not Magneton for neutral. Hp Ice does ~ 86% minimum to 4 Hp/ 0 Sp. Def. RP Torterra which means it only gets to attack once maximum if it came into SR, and should be OHKO'd almost all of the time anyway. Since they usually Wood Hammer Rotom if they live, they experience death by recoil. I chose Discharge over Thunderbolt thanks to it getting STAB on the move. Discharge from Rotom hits harder than Thunderbolt from Missy and I get additional paralysis support which this team loves to have. Shadowball offers a secondary STAB and hits harder than Discharge on things nuetral to both should I need a harder hit.
Why Those Ev's?
These Ev's are pretty simple and just effective enough to get the job done. Max/ Max for revenge killing purposes. Hp Ice is all but an insured OHKO against Torterra whom I outspeed even after a RP boost between SR or Life Orb recoil even with Rotom running a Timid nature. I also get to out speed Yanmega even after 1 speed boost should I ever need to do that. Doesn't lose horribly to Technitop or Swellow like Missy does, though Swellow can weaken it substantially. After the Scarf is Tricked away, Rotom still serves as a passable revenge killer.
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-Final Thoughts-
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Well that is the team... I set out to focus on a solid bulky core and found some incredibly powerful threats while still getting to maintain bulk AND re use them thanks to the recovery they are packing.
Against Offense teams my core will play more defensivly, trying to cause my opponent to switch as often as possible. Most offensive teams have Registeel, so once I get rid of it the hard part is mostly over. While against Stall teams, I can lure in their special wall (usually Chansey since Clefable just doesn't cut it) and break it and then threaten to overwhelm them with my offensive core. This is truly the most "balanced" team I have ever made and am proud of it, even though its not my best team. Its very fun to play and there are some unique move choices and spreads that allow me to catch an opponent off guard at times.
Um... I guess there isn't much more to say. I'm posting a threat list with the team. Thanks for any and all rates.
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-TEAM SYNERGIES AND COMBOS-
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This section is a cool one... I need it. I've never really highlighted combos and synergies in my team before... and though several are explained in the descriptions of the pokemon, I know it helps to break the team down on another level and helps newer players perhaps gain ideas by seeing some effective combos that work within this team.
The Main Core :
-Obviously this is the main focus of my team. I set out to find a bulky, durable, powerful core and these three pokemon are just about the best of their type at what they are doing. The idea is to play off one another' s weaknesses and resistances as opportunities to switch in and present a threat as well as causing switches for residual damage. At the same time this core has incredible coverage over the types being able to hit everything for neutral or better damage. Roserade and Moltress are some of the most dangerous special attackers in the tier, and Milotic is one of the best tanks. This core has one hang up: Chansey. I designed it this way to easily present the opportunity to utilize combo #2.
Bait & Switch
&
- I wanted to make a core that could only be walled by a very select group of pokemon. I wanted them to be so strong they forced her into a match often and early, and in that regard the first two pokemon in this combo draw out Chansey with the best of them. I remembered that everything in UU was threatened by LO Moltress except Chansey (not counting Umbreon who is leaving UU soon)While Drapion sends her away screaming, and therein lies the combo. Since Chansey is almost exclusively used on stall teams, I know that for the most part, as long as I can beat Chansey, the rest of the stall should be easier to break. Drapion serves as my way of effectively crippling Chansey the first time she comes into a match. If she switches into either of Roserdes attacks or one of Moltres' STAB's and I then bring in Drapion and use my CB Pursuit as she is switching, she will be at no higher then 40% and can no longer wall either of my LO attackers anymore unless she comes in on a KO in which case she finds herself in the same bad situation as before with Drapion. Roserade is often something else I find myself crippling/ ko'ing thanks to his resistance to her STABS and higher speed forcing her out making her Pursuit bait. Drapion also works very well with another team member, bringing me to combo #3
REVENGE!
- This group serves as a core aid and a backup core at the same time. They are my revenge killers as well as checks to various threats to my core. While they are doing this, they cover each other weaknesses perfectly. These two are almost as important as my core because their sets are tailored to beating the things that stand in their way. Also, should be noted, they are the two fastest pokemon on my team and therefore are my fall back plans should my core fail to be effective. Rotom will ditch his scarf and serve as a make shift sweeper and Drapion can come in working off of Rotom's weaknesses and fire off powerful physical hits (rotom draws absol which is helpful for Drapion). Well that addresses this combo, time for number #4
Tanking Pair
-This pair works in a very similar way to Slowbro & Registeel. While it is a generally inferior tanking core, it serves its purpose on this team. Milotic sponges hits from both sides better than either Slowbro or Slowking so she got the nod as the best "tank". Registeel is almost a given on teams like this. He doesn't scream "set up on me" like Chansey does, and it counters many threats to this team thanks to his typing and base defenses. One of the more lackluster synergies on the team, however it is there and is effective.
I believe that wraps up the main combos and synergies at work in this team. I kind of discovered that Drapion and Rotom work so well together after I added Rotom as an answer to one big threat against this team. I think that listing these helps this RMT be a bit more thorough, so I wanted to take the time to include it.
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-THREAT LIST-
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Understanding the Threat List:
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- Green Bold - Threat level low
- Blue Bold- Threat level moderate
- Red Bold- Threat level high
- Orange Bold- Public enemy
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-END-
-Intro and Building Process-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This suspect test I have tried to begin to come into my own as a player and team builder. I DID ladder with a stall team, but I had several alts and was constantly working on my offensive game as well as offensive combinations. Offense is tough for me, tbh. It just didn't work when I try it, but I was and am determined to be a flexible player and branch out. This team is fairly new, but is loosely based off an old team I used back when Shaymin and Crobat were suspects (both of which were on the team).
As far as reworking the team went, I knew I wanted a Fire/ Water/ Grass core combination. The core is meant to be bulky, while at the same time being able to 1) recover to counter act entry hazards and LO recoil and 2) deal massive damage from the special side since the tiers selection of sp. walls is fairly limited. I wanted them to, essentially, be Chansey bait. The original 3 pokes were:
Aside from what I wanted in a core I wanted to make sure I focused on two big problems presented by such a sp. atk. heavy base, Registeel and Chansey. My core can wear down the former easily enough thanks to the relative high damage output they generate, but I knew I needed a poke almost solely based on removing Chansey in order to allow my core to clean up the rest of my opponents team. So I added:
So, my team in my head looked like:
After those 4 were selected the other 2 kind of fell into place tbh. One was to be my obligatory SR user and my last poke was added because I wanted another way of beating Chansey. After the brain storm I came up with these pokes with no particular sets or ev's in mind and began to dabble:
I started playing around with this:
After about literally 3 matches I noticed Absol could go a long way to beating the team by himself... I needed a better answer for it than what I had. I went back to the drawing board... kinda. Slowking was meh and I wanted Haze and an answer to physical water types like Feraligatr. Plus the fact Slowking was pursuit bait wasn't helping me, Slowking had to go. I dropped it for:
That still didnt really help my absol problem, it just gave me one less thing for him to pursuit. I STILL needed a better answer to Absol than just a Jolly one while still retaining a nasty pursuit for Chansey. It was then I remebered the old team I used CB Drapion in. It did a great job of weakening the neckless pink tub AND was nuetral or better to every attack absol commonly carries. He was also faster than Absol and helped in beating some problem pokes like Roserade. This poke has proven to be mana from heaven for this team:
After noticing I was so weak to Torterra I could literally brag about it, I decided to drop Missy for:
That gave me the current product of:
There... The brief team building process and inspiration for the team is finished, now to the team itself
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~
-At A Glance-
~~~~~~~~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~
-In Depth-
~~~~~~
A NOTE: All pokemon that can be female are so as to avoid needless Rivalry boosts and such.
Moltres (no gender) @
Modest; 56 Hp/ 200 Spe./ 252 Sp. Atk.
Roost/ Hp Grass/ Air Slash/ Fire Blast
Why Moltres?
I had used a LO Moltress in the past on another offensive team that I had rated earlier in the testing period and really appreciated the raw power it had. Being just bulky enough to get roosts off in a pinch against certain pokemon and powerful enough to 2HKO or better the vast majority of UU. This was helped by the added bonus of it being the only fire type I could think of that got instant recovery. The MAIN reason I picked it was because so few pokemon are not 2HKO'd or better by this set. The best counter to this build in UU is Chansey, and its the only poke that can effectively wall her. Ss such, Moltress draws her out like a magnet which is exactly what I wanted. It works perfectly with Drapion in order to cripple her very early in the match. If this team has a sweeper, she is it. Thanks to the several options for paralysis support she can often find herself out speeding pokemon that she would not. I find that unless she is Modest, she is just slightly too slow. However, if she is Timid, she becomes a little too weak as the loss in power is noticeable. This team tries to blur the line between the two builds, and tries to give the benefits of both.
Why Those Moves?
Simple. I wanted the recovery move to fit the bulky offense theme so Roost was instantly added. It allows me to rid myself of weak neutral dmage or resisted hits, more important than that is that it helps to compensate for Moltres' horrendous weakness to SR. She can come in on something that she is immune to and force it out and roost to near full HP multiple times in a match if allowed. I went with its two strongest STAB options and Hp Grass for Regirock, Milotic, and Azumarill who all switch into it if the team lacks a Chansey and the player doens't want to sacrifice their lead. This set says, "please set up SR, it means I get at LEAST one free ko."
Why Those Ev's
LonelyNess' Moltres became the standard for the LO version and I wanted to at the least outspeed that variant to beat it to the 2HKO. It also outspeeds HeYsUp's original LO Roserade build which was an added perk. I'm happy with this build all in all. It could be bulkier or faster, but I have beaten many teams with Moltres alone using this spread and often the fact she is on the slower side fails to matter, so I have made peace with the mediocre speed this spread provides.
Roserade (F) @
Modest; 156 Hp/ 108 Spe./ 244 Sp. Atk.
Rest/ Sleep Powder/ Sludge Bomb/ Leaf Storm
Why Roserade?
Roserade was probably the first poke I had selected for the team in my mind. While Roserade is very common, I always try to make sure I use her in a different way than her overdone standard sets. Similar in power to Moltres, this thing is scary. Few things can take her LO boosted STAB moves repeatedly, and a vast number of UU pokes cant even take 1. She also draws out opposing Chansey very well which was something I wanted in my core pokes. A very good Registeel lure who is forced out by Moltress for a free LO boosted hit on the incoming poke (example of team synergy). She has the highest base sp. atk. for grass types (at least Im pretty sure she does) and can be a good sponge when ev'd that way; I'm try to do a little of both. Her set has yeilded very pleasing results in offering all the power of the standard LO Roserade build with enough extra bulk to help with switch in's.
Why Those Moves?
I swore I would focus on offense with this team so I opted for Leaf Storm + Powder Attack instead of Energy Ball + Spikes. Sludge Bomb is her secondary STAB move and gets acceptable coverage in UU. Rest plays off Natural Cure and allows me to recover substantial chunks of Hp should the opportunity arise; the trade off being I have to switch after I use the move. I recently added Sleep Powder to better results. Stun Spore doesn't affect the common switch ins to Roserade that much (namely Registeel), while Sleep Powder helps me against most everything.
Why Those Ev's?
These Ev's I pulled out of the air, but have worked pretty well. With the hp ev's I take a max of 76 percent from Modest max special atk. Roserade's Sludge Bomb while nearly guaranteeing a OHKO against it after SR and/ or LO recoil. I also wanted to outspeed the fast Blaziken build from the analysis on Smogon. I didn't quite have enough to outspeed Blaziken one my first attempt at an ev spread, so I shaved some ev's off of his sp. atk and hp. So far I haven't noticed losing any ko's and I REALLY like the spread. It has worked great thanks to the paralysis support on the team and she really doesn't mind being on the slower side of offensive Roserades. Note: This Roserade should beat the other common LO variants that invest heavily in speed provided both Roserades are at full health and switch into SR.
Milotic (F) @
Bold; 252 Hp/ 216 Def./ 40 Spe.
Recover/ Haze/ Hp Grass/ Surf
Why Milotic?
This pokemon helps to complete my bulky offensive core. Milotic did several things that my original bulky water did not. first and foremost she has Haze support. Secondly she CAN sponge status and it not be a total loss. Milo was more physically bulky than Slowking and more Specially bulky than Slowbro w/o inviting Absol in to Pursuit so I added her quickly after noticing the Absol problem I had. Chansey and Roserade are common switch ins to Milo and both are Drapion food thankfully because this Milotic is admittedly helpless against them. It also draws in opposing Milotic and Registeel nicely which I have solid switch in's against. Milo counters Sub punch Azu decently well, and beats Crotomb, Feraligatr, and SubCM Missy among other things. The weakest offensive presence of my core pokemon, but the strongest defensive presence at the same time. I love this Milotic and has proved to be an amazing tank. However, I sometimes wish she would hit just a little harder. Swapping in Milo for Slowking was one of the best improvements I've made to the team.
Why Those Moves?
Haze was my main reason for using Milo after her mono typing and base stats. Its very helpful in beating opposing stat up threats that could otherwise pose HUGE problems for this team (examples listed above). Surf is her STAB move and is reliable go to attack if I want to try to hit a switch in for any kind of noticeable damage. Hp Grass is there almost exclusively for Azumarill and Feraligatr, though it does usually offer a neutral hit against some of the pokes that like to switch into her which means very little thanks to Surf. Recover is pretty self explantory as its a mainstay on all Milo not running RestTalk and goes with the cores theme of emphasizing longevity.
Why Those Ev's?
The max Hp is easy to figure out as is the bold nature. I needed a tank that was able to counter physical water types. However, the speed is something that might look random. This allows me to out speed Marowak and Torterra before RP as well as the "slower" Blaziken build. The rest of its remaining ev's were placed in def. for obvious reasons.
Drapion (F) @
Jolly; 4 Hp/ 252 Atk./ 252 Spe.
Ability: Battle Armor
Brick Break/ Earthquake/ Poison Jab/ Pursuit
Why Drapion?
This guy was primarilly picked as a better way to deal with Absol while at the same time trapping Chansey and dealing healthy chunks of damage with Pursuit. Battle armor was chosen over sniper to remove worries of having to take multiple crits from Absol. I just figured I would run it to hose that specific threat, and sniper wasn't much of a draw since none of the moves I chose ran a heightened crit rate. This poke is the glue for this team and allows it to remove the main threats to the core easily.
-This is an example of threat removal that we should be focusing on in our development of UU.
This team had 2 pokes I HAD to have an answer for:
1) Chansey - Takes minor damage from SToss AND is immune to toxic which is something Absol wishes it had going for it. All the while, it does ~50% to Chansey with Pursuit, which means after SR, it can no longer wall Roserade or Moltress, and wont be able to come in on Milotic freely thanks to the threat of a Drapion trap.
2) Absol- Battle Armor + Brick Break and resistance to its STAB attacks = dead Absol. His seemingly "just okay" ability prevents Absol's haxyness from screwing over my counter to it. I think this Drapion may be one of the best counters to Absol I have ever used.
The fact that this thing learns Earthquake for finishing opposing Registeel if need be AND beats Taunt CM Missy and Sub CM Missy is simply icing on the cake. I can also come in on most Roserade and KO or nearly KO with Pursuit. The best change I made for the team, and she has brought me out of too many bad situations to count.
Why Those Moves?
This thing could literally learn Pursuit and Brick Break and serve its purpose for the team. Banded Pursuit cripples Chansey and Brick Break beats Absol. Earthquake is extra damage on Registeel and Regirock as well as hits Blaziken SE for a not- so- surprising OHKO. Poison Jab I'm not sure about... I just wanted to mention this in the OP. Brick Break was mentioned as not really helpful, however I wanted to provide some other reasons for me packing the move. Brick Break breaks screens, specifically Light Screen which is a big hinder to this team. Also, should a Chansey come in on Roserade or Moltress after a ko, it could potentially get off a recovery in a nightmare situation. Not only that, but I am relying on moves that do not have 100% accuracy, which means I'm not guaranteed to even hit Chansey. If Drapion was to come in a second time against Chansey, she could simply stay in and take about 30 percent from banded Pursuit and eventually Toss me to death. To remedy this, I can Brick Break her and put it in that dangerous percent again w/o needing it to switch out. So far this has not been an issue, but I find its best to over prepare.
Why Those Ev's?
Simple Max/ Max spread. I ran a jolly nature to out speed base 90s like Roserade. Max attack allows for maximum damage, and Choice Band doesn't drain hp like LO so investment in my defenses are a pretty poor waste considering his already fairly bulky base stat distribution.
Registeel (no gender) @
Careful; 252 Hp/ 24 Spe./ 232 Sp. Def.
Stealth Rock/ Thunder Wave/ Explosion/ Iron Head
Why Registeel?
This is probably the best answer to special attackers out there after Chansey. However, unlike Chansey, this thing isn't free set up for physical sweepers AND he isn't pursuit bait. He walls things like Scyther and Swelllow long enough even w/o defensive investment. I needed a poke with good resistances that I could use as a pivot or as a general purpose sponge. It works surprisingly well with the Milotic build I run resembling Slowbro & Registeel.
Why Those Moves?
The standard moveset for Registeel. Stealth Rock is obligatory. Thunderwave is amazingly helpful support for this team while at the same time allowing for paraflinch opportunities. Iron Head = STAB. Explosion is for that last move slot filler. I kind of would have liked Rest on this set, but I feel that it would be too much of a set up oppotunity for opposing players so for now I am sticking with Explosion. Do you guys think Rest is an option w/o Sleep Talk? It would help against other teams trying to do something similar...
Why Those Ev's?
I wanted as much Sp. Def. as I could afford. So keeping that in mind I ran max Hp and just enough speed ev's to outrun LN's Regirock build which I have seen get use (it was an adamant hard hitting atk. sponge).
Anyway this speed allows me to almost always outrun the common builds of:
-Chansey- I can iron head to finish off a weakened one, or explode I guess if I should ever be so inclined
-Azumarill & Hariyama- Both I can explode or paralyze before they go behind a sub
-Regirock & Regice- If we both are paralyzed I can try to paraflinch him to weaken him, or finish it off if it is already weakened
-Tangrowth- Not THAT useful, but paraflinching opportunities are there with the spe. ev's and I know I will explode before they can respond.
-Donphan (future UU)- Ill be able to explode and ko it with confidence w/o fear of it Ko'ing me before hand.
-Other Registeel- I know Im faster should it come down to some epic 1 v 1 Registeel showdown
Rotom (no gender) @
Timid; 4 Hp/ 252 Sp. Atk./ 252 Spe.
Trick/ Hp Ice/ Discharge/ Shadowball
Why Rotom?
Well this used to be a Missy with a taunt CM set, and it was working very well for me. However, I was uncomfortably weak to Torterra sweeps. This set is my attempt to remedy that problem somewhat as people suggested Ice Punch on Registeel and I didn't see that helping really (plus I love me some Explosion on Registeel). Rotom, imo, is just the better choice user between it and Missy... and no matter how often I try Missy with a choice item I always end up using Rotom for this kind of a role thanks to its extra STAB and resists. After adding Drapion to the team, it has proven to be THE number one improvement to this team. He patches up holes in my defenses well. Since Drapion is made to beat Absol, I liked the idea of something that would draw him in. Rotom isn't the perfect choice for that particular job, but its doing the several other jobs I made it for very well, drawing out Absol is only a plus that I welcome.
Why Those Moves?
Rotom and Missy both can be faster than Torterra after a Rock Polish and have very similar chances to switch in. However, Rotom gains more resistances and no new weaknesses thanks to levitate, and I really like that. I used BoltBeam + Shadowball instead of Ghost/ Fighting almost solely for Torterra. That being said, the coverage still hits everything in UU not Magneton for neutral. Hp Ice does ~ 86% minimum to 4 Hp/ 0 Sp. Def. RP Torterra which means it only gets to attack once maximum if it came into SR, and should be OHKO'd almost all of the time anyway. Since they usually Wood Hammer Rotom if they live, they experience death by recoil. I chose Discharge over Thunderbolt thanks to it getting STAB on the move. Discharge from Rotom hits harder than Thunderbolt from Missy and I get additional paralysis support which this team loves to have. Shadowball offers a secondary STAB and hits harder than Discharge on things nuetral to both should I need a harder hit.
Why Those Ev's?
These Ev's are pretty simple and just effective enough to get the job done. Max/ Max for revenge killing purposes. Hp Ice is all but an insured OHKO against Torterra whom I outspeed even after a RP boost between SR or Life Orb recoil even with Rotom running a Timid nature. I also get to out speed Yanmega even after 1 speed boost should I ever need to do that. Doesn't lose horribly to Technitop or Swellow like Missy does, though Swellow can weaken it substantially. After the Scarf is Tricked away, Rotom still serves as a passable revenge killer.
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-Final Thoughts-
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Well that is the team... I set out to focus on a solid bulky core and found some incredibly powerful threats while still getting to maintain bulk AND re use them thanks to the recovery they are packing.
Against Offense teams my core will play more defensivly, trying to cause my opponent to switch as often as possible. Most offensive teams have Registeel, so once I get rid of it the hard part is mostly over. While against Stall teams, I can lure in their special wall (usually Chansey since Clefable just doesn't cut it) and break it and then threaten to overwhelm them with my offensive core. This is truly the most "balanced" team I have ever made and am proud of it, even though its not my best team. Its very fun to play and there are some unique move choices and spreads that allow me to catch an opponent off guard at times.
Um... I guess there isn't much more to say. I'm posting a threat list with the team. Thanks for any and all rates.
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-TEAM SYNERGIES AND COMBOS-
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This section is a cool one... I need it. I've never really highlighted combos and synergies in my team before... and though several are explained in the descriptions of the pokemon, I know it helps to break the team down on another level and helps newer players perhaps gain ideas by seeing some effective combos that work within this team.
The Main Core :
-Obviously this is the main focus of my team. I set out to find a bulky, durable, powerful core and these three pokemon are just about the best of their type at what they are doing. The idea is to play off one another' s weaknesses and resistances as opportunities to switch in and present a threat as well as causing switches for residual damage. At the same time this core has incredible coverage over the types being able to hit everything for neutral or better damage. Roserade and Moltress are some of the most dangerous special attackers in the tier, and Milotic is one of the best tanks. This core has one hang up: Chansey. I designed it this way to easily present the opportunity to utilize combo #2.
Bait & Switch
& - I wanted to make a core that could only be walled by a very select group of pokemon. I wanted them to be so strong they forced her into a match often and early, and in that regard the first two pokemon in this combo draw out Chansey with the best of them. I remembered that everything in UU was threatened by LO Moltress except Chansey (not counting Umbreon who is leaving UU soon)While Drapion sends her away screaming, and therein lies the combo. Since Chansey is almost exclusively used on stall teams, I know that for the most part, as long as I can beat Chansey, the rest of the stall should be easier to break. Drapion serves as my way of effectively crippling Chansey the first time she comes into a match. If she switches into either of Roserdes attacks or one of Moltres' STAB's and I then bring in Drapion and use my CB Pursuit as she is switching, she will be at no higher then 40% and can no longer wall either of my LO attackers anymore unless she comes in on a KO in which case she finds herself in the same bad situation as before with Drapion. Roserade is often something else I find myself crippling/ ko'ing thanks to his resistance to her STABS and higher speed forcing her out making her Pursuit bait. Drapion also works very well with another team member, bringing me to combo #3
REVENGE!
- This group serves as a core aid and a backup core at the same time. They are my revenge killers as well as checks to various threats to my core. While they are doing this, they cover each other weaknesses perfectly. These two are almost as important as my core because their sets are tailored to beating the things that stand in their way. Also, should be noted, they are the two fastest pokemon on my team and therefore are my fall back plans should my core fail to be effective. Rotom will ditch his scarf and serve as a make shift sweeper and Drapion can come in working off of Rotom's weaknesses and fire off powerful physical hits (rotom draws absol which is helpful for Drapion). Well that addresses this combo, time for number #4
Tanking Pair
-This pair works in a very similar way to Slowbro & Registeel. While it is a generally inferior tanking core, it serves its purpose on this team. Milotic sponges hits from both sides better than either Slowbro or Slowking so she got the nod as the best "tank". Registeel is almost a given on teams like this. He doesn't scream "set up on me" like Chansey does, and it counters many threats to this team thanks to his typing and base defenses. One of the more lackluster synergies on the team, however it is there and is effective.
I believe that wraps up the main combos and synergies at work in this team. I kind of discovered that Drapion and Rotom work so well together after I added Rotom as an answer to one big threat against this team. I think that listing these helps this RMT be a bit more thorough, so I wanted to take the time to include it.
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-THREAT LIST-
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Understanding the Threat List:
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- Green Bold - Threat level low
- Blue Bold- Threat level moderate
- Red Bold- Threat level high
- Orange Bold- Public enemy
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Mismagius- Drapion kills it the first time it comes out
Blaziken- Milotic or Moltres are fairly safe switches. Roserade outspeeds and OHKO's
Roserade- My build beats almost all other variants 1 v. 1
Registeel- Moltres is generally my first switch, then Registeel
Milotic- My Milo handles variants w/o Toxic. Roserade can take an ice beam from LO Milo and OHKO back
Steelix- Not a threat to my core at all
Ambipom- Registeel walls it, Drapion can take its hits as well and KO
Hitmontop- Moltres handles most versions pretty well. Missy takes on spinner variants w/o Sucker Punch
Spiritomb- Moltres and Roserade hit it very hard, and can even beat Crotomb. Milo beats Crotomb w/o me risking anything.
Arcanine- Moltres and Roserade can cripple it, Milo beats them pretty well and Drapion out speeds and OHKO's
Clefable- Missy beats encore Clefable. Other versions are a pain, but
Drapion should at least put attack variants in ko range. I never label this a small threat because of all the set possibilities that are out there
Azumarill- Milotic
Claydol- Every core poke hits it for SE, Any of their STAB's will dent or OHKO it
Espeon- Registeel I guess... idk really
Regirock- My core wears it down nicely
Uxie- Usually a lead, Moltres 2HKO's, and my core hits it from its weaker side
Yanmega- Registeel, Milo does alright if its healthy
Slowbro- Every poke in my core cripples or KO's it
Chansey- Drapion pursuits it and hopefully it is then in KO range
Hariyama- few oppurtunities to switch in safely, if it DOES get behind a sub I will break the sub and make sure it only Ko's one thing
Feraligatr- Milo beats it
Toxicroak- Moltres or revenge kill w/ Drapion
Moltres- Go to Milo and pray I dont flinch w/ LO versions; scarf versions can be played around more easily
Ludicolo- Roserade or Registeel beat it in the rain, out of the rain its hard pressed to beat one of my pokes.
Kabutops- cant switch into any of my pokes safely. In the rain I could be in trouble if it gets an SD, but hopefully I can paralyze it before that happens
Absol- Drapion is my counter to Absol
Hitmonlee- Drapion outspeeds it, dangerous to this team if played right thanks to Limber
Venusaur- Moltres or Roserade are my favorite ways to handle it
Magmortar- Usually scarf'd, never really had problems with one. I just
predict its attack and hope for the best.
Sceptile- Registeel handles non seed sets; Roserade beats the subseeders
Swellow - Registeel walls it long enough for SR and status damage to build up
Nidoking- Drapion outspeeds and OHKO's and my core can handle non SE hits. (Note: all my pokes are female to avoid giving this thing the rivalry boost)
Torterra - Rotom should ko it if it tries to RP and it is Adamant. Jolly ones are more of a threat, but more rare as well. Registeel can take an EQ can blow up if I am at a decent percent, otherwise Im in a bit of trouble.
Rotom- Registeel doesn't mind a scarf. Try to lure a Trick or Shadow Ball and send in Drapion for Pursuit. Can be annoying so I cant call it "easy" to handle
Drapion- potentially a problem. Try to win the speed tie with my Drapion. If I won I would go to Rotom and finish it, if I lost I would go to Registeel and use Explosion
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blaziken- Milotic or Moltres are fairly safe switches. Roserade outspeeds and OHKO's
Roserade- My build beats almost all other variants 1 v. 1
Registeel- Moltres is generally my first switch, then Registeel
Milotic- My Milo handles variants w/o Toxic. Roserade can take an ice beam from LO Milo and OHKO back
Steelix- Not a threat to my core at all
Ambipom- Registeel walls it, Drapion can take its hits as well and KO
Hitmontop- Moltres handles most versions pretty well. Missy takes on spinner variants w/o Sucker Punch
Spiritomb- Moltres and Roserade hit it very hard, and can even beat Crotomb. Milo beats Crotomb w/o me risking anything.
Arcanine- Moltres and Roserade can cripple it, Milo beats them pretty well and Drapion out speeds and OHKO's
Clefable- Missy beats encore Clefable. Other versions are a pain, but
Drapion should at least put attack variants in ko range. I never label this a small threat because of all the set possibilities that are out there
Azumarill- Milotic
Claydol- Every core poke hits it for SE, Any of their STAB's will dent or OHKO it
Espeon- Registeel I guess... idk really
Regirock- My core wears it down nicely
Uxie- Usually a lead, Moltres 2HKO's, and my core hits it from its weaker side
Yanmega- Registeel, Milo does alright if its healthy
Slowbro- Every poke in my core cripples or KO's it
Chansey- Drapion pursuits it and hopefully it is then in KO range
Hariyama- few oppurtunities to switch in safely, if it DOES get behind a sub I will break the sub and make sure it only Ko's one thing
Feraligatr- Milo beats it
Toxicroak- Moltres or revenge kill w/ Drapion
Moltres- Go to Milo and pray I dont flinch w/ LO versions; scarf versions can be played around more easily
Ludicolo- Roserade or Registeel beat it in the rain, out of the rain its hard pressed to beat one of my pokes.
Kabutops- cant switch into any of my pokes safely. In the rain I could be in trouble if it gets an SD, but hopefully I can paralyze it before that happens
Absol- Drapion is my counter to Absol
Hitmonlee- Drapion outspeeds it, dangerous to this team if played right thanks to Limber
Venusaur- Moltres or Roserade are my favorite ways to handle it
Magmortar- Usually scarf'd, never really had problems with one. I just
predict its attack and hope for the best.
Sceptile- Registeel handles non seed sets; Roserade beats the subseeders
Swellow - Registeel walls it long enough for SR and status damage to build up
Nidoking- Drapion outspeeds and OHKO's and my core can handle non SE hits. (Note: all my pokes are female to avoid giving this thing the rivalry boost)
Torterra - Rotom should ko it if it tries to RP and it is Adamant. Jolly ones are more of a threat, but more rare as well. Registeel can take an EQ can blow up if I am at a decent percent, otherwise Im in a bit of trouble.
Rotom- Registeel doesn't mind a scarf. Try to lure a Trick or Shadow Ball and send in Drapion for Pursuit. Can be annoying so I cant call it "easy" to handle
Drapion- potentially a problem. Try to win the speed tie with my Drapion. If I won I would go to Rotom and finish it, if I lost I would go to Registeel and use Explosion
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