Balance RMT

[Myrrh]

UU RMT
Hello and welcome to my first UU RMT. I started playing competitive pokemon roughly a month ago and after realising that OU really wasn't my forte, I decided to take up UU. This is the first UU team I have made and is currently peaked at around 1500 and still going. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could give me some ideas on how to improve this team. So here is the team..

The Team

In Depth

Uxie @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/104 Def/152 Spe
Impish Nature (+Def,-Spatk)
- Trick
- Stealth rock
- U-turn/ Heal Bell
- Thunder wave

When I first made this team, I wanted something reasonably bulky that could support my team as well as mess up the opposing lead. Scarf Uxie does that and more. I usually trick my scarf straight off the bat off onto some unsuspecting lead, usually locking them into stealth rock, taunt or rain dance. From there I can either set up Stealth rock, U-turn out to a suitable counter or just thunder wave the switch-ins. Lategame Uxie acts as a glue to take random hits, paralyze speedy foes and just scout the opposing team.

Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel scale
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Calm Nature (+SpDef,-Atk)
- Surf
- Ice beam
- Toxic
- Recover

My dedicated special wall. With the given EVs, Milotic walls every single special attacker in the UU metagame and outstalls them with Toxic+ Recover. Rotom's STAB Thunderbolt does around ~43% and Super Effective hidden powers only do around 30%, effectively allowing me to stall them out. Surf is for STAB and Ice beam allows me to nail Venusaur switch-ins. Milotic has great synergy with Tangrowth as it can sponge the Fire and Ice type attacks aimed at Tangrowth and Tangrowth can in turn wall the physical attakers who plague Milotic.

Tangrowth @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
Impish Nature (+Def,-Spatk)
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis
- Power whip
- Earthquake

Tangrowth is my dedicated physical wall (100 Base HP, 125 Base Defense) and with the given EVs, walls the majority of the physical spectrum of UU, barring Scyther and Rhyperior, who 2HKO with aerial ace and megahorn respectively. A STAB Close Combat from Scarf Hitmonlee or a +2 Return from a SD Feraligatr only deal around ~35%, therefore allowing Tangrowth to easily kill them both with a combination of Power whip + Synthesis or just put them to sleep. Also, for a fact, Tangrowth boasts 10% more defense than the standard OU wall Skarmory.

Magmortar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA/4 Def/252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA,-Atk)
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power (Ice)

Magmortar is a very underrated pokemon, it boasts the second-highest special attack (tied with Moltres), in UU, a great movepool and with its decent speed (Base 83), it can turn into a very powerful revenge killer given a Choice Scarf. Overheat destroys Pokemon who don't resist it, netting the OHKO on trouble-some Pokemon such as Hitmontop and Spiritomb after two switch-ins with Stealth Rock in play. A -2 Overheat deals a Minimum of 72% to Dugtrio, so i'm not too worried about it switching in after a kill (Magmortar outruns it with a Scarf). With Thunderbolt, Magmortar can 2HKO Milotic switch-ins after SR damage, paving the way for Houndoom to sweep. Focus Blast and Hidden Power are mainly used for coverage.

Houndoom @ Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe,-Atk)
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power (Flying)

Houndoom is generally my late-game sweeper, ploughing through teams once his counters have been weakened or eliminated. When I first thought about getting a Nasty Plot sweeper, it was a toss-up between Houndoom and Mismagius, but the lack of power and decent STAB from the latter was disheartening and so I opted for Houndoom. I usually find it quite easy to set-up with Houndoom as it can usually scare away the likes of Venusaur, Uxie and Mesprit. After nabbing a Nasty Plot boost, few would survive Houndoom's STAB attacks and it can generally sweep an entire team by itself. Hidden Power Flying is generally there to take down fighting types like Blaziken and Hariyama who resist Houndoom's dual STAB.

Slaking @ Choice Band
Ability: Truant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk,-Spatk)
- Earthquake
- Fire punch
- Giga Impact-->Return
- Pursuit

Slaking is my wallbreaker and trapper. It's incredibly bulky due to its 150 Base HP and with a Choice Band + 160 Base Attack, it destroys everything with a little prediction. It is a fantastic team player and usually gets at least 1 KO. It generally serves to destroy walls and also acts as a secondary revenge killer with its decent 100 Base speed if Magmortar has been incapacitated. Earthquake and Fire punch are for the Steels and Rock types that resist Giga Impact. I use Giga Impact over Return because it nets me the key OHKOs on Pokemon such as Milotic and Slowbro who try to stall Slaking out with Recover and Slack Off respectively. Pursuit is there to trap weakened foes and eliminate them even if they don't switch. It's also a great move as it is glitched to attack twice if an opponent switches out. Say for example, the opponent has a Chansey and I switch in Slaking. Chansey would obviously protect first turn to negate Slaking's attack (because of Truant) while Slaking uses pursuit, Chansey would then proceed to switch out during the free turn. However, Slaking can still attack with pursuit on the second turn if Chansey switches out, thus allowing Slaking to deal roughly ~60% to a fleeing Chansey (so that it is within the KO range for Houndoom) despite Truant letting it only attack every other turn. Most of the time though, Slaking just hits and run, to work around its Truant ability.

__________________________

Well, thanks for reading and if you've got any comments, criticisms or suggestions, feel free to voice them out.

 

[GREEN00]

I've found that standard lead Uxie is fodder later in the match and that it rarely accomplishes anything beyond using SR or Trick+SR. This is a waste of Uxie's support versatility. Some support moves to consider (drop U-Turn for sure),

Heal Bell
Yawn
Toxic
Knock Off

Tangrowth-If this build works for you, great. Some other support moves to consider,

Leech Seed
Knock Off
Stun Spore (particularly useful in my experience)

Magmortar-Focus Blast is extremely unreliable, be warned. I personally refuse to use it without an accuracy booster.

Houndoom-Magmortar and Houndoom are redundant, drop one. HP Flying is suicidal against the likes of Hariyama and Poliwrath, it is too weak. Sucker Punch works great on Houndoom, I suggest you try to make room for it (and some atk EVs would help).

Slaking-Fire Punch is pretty much pointless. Giga Impact is likely overkill with a Choice Band build.

 

[Myrrh]

I've found that standard lead Uxie is fodder later in the match and that it rarely accomplishes anything beyond using SR or Trick+SR. This is a waste of Uxie's support versatility. Some support moves to consider (drop U-Turn for sure),

Heal Bell
Yawn
Toxic
Knock Off

Tangrowth-If this build works for you, great. Some other support moves to consider,

Leech Seed
Knock Off
Stun Spore (particularly useful in my experience)

Magmortar-Focus Blast is extremely unreliable, be warned. I personally refuse to use it without an accuracy booster.

Houndoom-Magmortar and Houndoom are redundant, drop one. HP Flying is suicidal against the likes of Hariyama and Poliwrath, it is too weak. Sucker Punch works great on Houndoom, I suggest you try to make room for it (and some atk EVs would help).

Slaking-Fire Punch is pretty much pointless. Giga Impact is likely overkill with a Choice Band build.

Thanks for posting, I will try out Heal bell over U-turn on Uxie but U turn is generally superior for scouting. Yawn and Toxic probably won't work with T-wave and I will consider knock off but then again, I don't think that'll work with Trick+Choice Scarf.

I generally refrain from using focus blast unless necessary with Magmortar (as said, it is for coverage, and accuracy boosters aren't all that good...). Houndoom is a pretty vital part of my team as it will OHKO clefable after a Nasty plot boost who I hate. Just to note +2 HP flying OHKOs most Hariyama, all Poliwrath and all Blaziken after SR damage and I just don't think Sucker punch would work with a Nasty plot variant Houndoom. I agree that Fire punch doesn't hit any notable pokemon, so what would you recommend over it? Also, you mentioned Giga impact overkill, but it does net me the clean OHKOs on ALL Milotic and ALL Slowbro (which return would only do around 60%) who'd try to stall Slaking out with Recover and Slack off.

 

[sharkz]

definitely drop giga impact on slaking. After using it, sure you might have koed something, but then something like mismagius or aggron or whatever can come in and set up on your face easily, since you cant switch out after using it. return gets you all the power you need and is much more reliable.

other than that its pretty solid, gl

 

[Myrrh]

definitely drop giga impact on slaking. After using it, sure you might have koed something, but then something like mismagius or aggron or whatever can come in and set up on your face easily, since you cant switch out after using it. return gets you all the power you need and is much more reliable.

other than that its pretty solid, gl

Thanks for the advice sharkz, I think I'll opt for return over giga impact as Mismagius and Aggron will probably run through my team given the chance to set up. Although Mismagius is usually OHKO'd with a STAB Overheat from Magmortar, and Tangrowth does wall Aggron quite effectively.

 

[Myrrh]

Bump. Um.. Any more constructive comments?

 

[Uncommon Madness]

This team is completely destroyed by entry hazard. You run two Choice pokés and this means you'll have to make a lot of switches.
No one on your team resists Sealth Rock and only Uxie is immune to Spikes, you don't have a Toxic Spikes absorber, Houndoom and Magmortar take 25% damage every time they swtich in and you have no Rapid Spinner.

I would replace Magmortar with Hitmontop. Not only Hitmontop acts as a Rapid Spinner but it can aslo check fast threats (like CS Magmortar) thanks to it's powerful priority moves. Here is the set I'm talking about:

Hitmontop @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/252 Att./4 Def
Nature: Adamant
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge/Fake Out/Sucker Punch/Bullet Punch

Close Combat is the powerful STAB while Mach Punch with Technician is for revenge killing. The last slot can be filled with one of those four moves, it depends against which pokés you have more troubles.

Good Luck

 

[Myrrh]

Wow, thanx for the post. Its been ages since the last comment I thought this thread was dead.

Anyway, you're right, I do have a lot of problem when facing stall and I certainly hate those nasty spikes and stealth rock. Usually when i'm facing stall, I have to play really offensively and make loads of predictions, so that I don't get worn down too much, and its really difficult to come out on top. The only problem with rapid spin is that I can't seem to find space for it, It's hard to replace a team member because each of these guys do play an important role.

I completely understand the hitmontop set and the potential it has for my team, so I will try it out. Although, once again magmortar does play a big role and trading it away for hitmontop does open up a few holes in my team. The lack of a scarfer will make it difficult to check certain threats. Like, i'm already having major trouble with venusaur even with 2 fire types. Usually houndoom takes the sleep powder, milotic takes the ensuing sludge bomb, then Magmortar to the leaf storm, followed by overheat, so I already have to play around it and hitmontop doesn't help with that. Also, it'll be hard to play around swellow as well, since none of my team members can handle it and only magmortar can revenge kill it, don't think mach punch KOs.

So I dunno.... anyway, ill give hitmontop a try, if it works well ill keep it and vice versa. And once again, thanks for the post!!

 

[Meru]

This team looks to me like Venusaur can come in on Milotic and Tangrowth with sleep clause in effect and systematically pick off your team one by one.

 

[Myrrh]

Okkayy... yeh..venusaur is a problem but that's why I have 2 fire types. With Tangrowth, I might get lucky and hit it with sleep powder on the switch, if sleep clause is activated, I'll probably as said switch to milotic for the sludge bomb (specs or scarfers are a bonus), then magmortar to take the leaf storm, hopefully OHKOing with overheat. With Milotic, if i've seen their venusaur I can usually predict a switch and use ice beam. If it only knocks off 30% then its usually a subseed variant, so I stay in and keep beaming it as an unEV'd leafstorm does less than 50%. If my ice beam knocks off 50%, then I switch to uxie(if its still alive) and sac it against the leaf storm, then I go to slaking after Uxie faints and pursuit off the remaining ~60%.

Anyway, venusaur won't be destroying my team if I play carefully. Slaking KOs with fire punch, magmortar with overheat and Houndoom with fire blast, so its not a huge threat although sleep powder does sometimes get a bit annoying.

 

[sharkz]

Why not try Beat Up on Houndoom if you have stall problems? With a decently healthy team Beat Up OHKOs Chansey.
Also that Hitmontop Uncommon Madness suggested looks nice, it can help with your hazard problem and also do your revenge killing duties perfectly fine if you run another priority move in the last slot. IMO 2 fire types is overkill and it gives you an additional SR weak.

 

[Myrrh]

Hmm.. Beat up seems to situational, usually by the time I bring out Houndoom, most of my guys aren't that healthy anymore... also Chansey is 2HKO'd by a +2 Fire Blast.

I will try out the Hitmontop set and see how it goes with the revenge killing and spikes/SR problem. 2 Fire types aren't really that bad, I would replace houndoom with Mismagius but the power difference is huge as well as the lack of decent STAB.