Team Ubermoth

[Coldarr0w]

How goes it, Smogon? A quick introduction: I'm Coldarr0w, and, like many of you, I've played Pokemon since I was a kid. However, I didn't discover the wonders of competitive battling until mid-2010, in the closing days of the 4th Gen metagame. The first battles I ever had were on Shoddy, and I began to fall in love with all the strategy and community that surrounded competitive play.
At this point, the history of this team begins. The dawn of a whole new gen left me pretty confused as a new battler, but nonetheless, I struggled to put together a team suited to the early days of testing. After gaining a basic sense for battling and the new meta as a whole, I set out to create a decent team, all built around one Pokemon I'd really fallen in love with during testing: Volcarona (or Urugamosu, back in the day). Since then, this team has been through countless iterations, many of which were results of a RMT I posted in April of last year, which really helped refine the team, especially given my inexperience with team building. I feel much better about this team than I ever have, but I figure that getting the opinions of battlers with more experience than I is never a bad thing.

Now, without further adieu, I present Team Ubermoth.

Team Breakdown:

Santiago (Dragonite) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake

Power. Lots of power. Be it revenge killing or blasting through threats, Dragonite has an immense ability to inflict maximal harm on the opponent. With so many DDnite sets being run by everyone and their brother, it's amazing how many people will predict a Dragon Dance, stay in, and get wrecked by any attack in Dragonite's arsenal. Outrage packs a huge punch, though it can't be used with impunity until steel types have been removed. Still, a STAB 120 BP attack coming off of a base 134 attack stat with a positive nature is hard for anything to shrug off, especially if it lacks defensive bulk or a steel typing. You all know enough about multiscale: it's awesome and makes a full health Dragonite almost impossible to KO barring CB Haxorus' outrage or a crit. Dragonite's resistance to types such as Water, Ground, Fire, and Grass gives him excellent synergy with the team.

Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Roar
- Reflect

Synergy. Lots of it. An earlier version of this team utilized Latios, in order to preserve an even greater capacity to hit hard on the Special Attack side of things. However, after the banning of Excadrill, I removed my former Defensive team player/Excadrill counter, Bronzong, in favor of this thing as the core of the team's strategy. While the other members of the team center around removing key threats to make way for Volcarona to sweep, Latias is the one who takes hits and keeps the offensive momentum going. This is made possible by Latias' amazing defensive bulk and the remarkable amount of type synergy present between Latias and the other members of the team. Most important, perhaps, is the interaction between Latias and Volcarona. Latias lures in a number of things that Volcarona enjoys setting up on, such as Scizor and Ferrothorn. If I get a reflect up on the opponent's switch, and follow it up with a switch to Volcarona afterwards, the only way an opposing Scizor can keep me from seeting up is U-turning on the switch (Which means that, if they try to Pursuit trap, I get to put them in a very bad spot).

Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin

I originally used a scarfed Starmie, but realized via some great suggestions that, by reshuffling the team, I could Switch to LO Starmie for much greater power and more convenient Rapid Spinning. Beyond being the team's solution for entry hazards (Since any team with a Volcarona really needs a spinner), Starmie is a sort of safety net, as it checks dozens of threats to my team, such as Terrakion, Heatran, Gyarados, Dragonite, and even Jellicent (to an extent). The coverage afforded by BoltBeam is stellar, and Starmie's access to Hydro Pump just means it has a great STAB option. The coverage afforded by Starmie's moveset is augmented by Life Orb, which gives it serious power. Also, its ability makes it an excellent scout for status moves as well as a general status absorber. Starmie's sheer utility against so many threats makes it an ace revenge killer and an amazing addition to the team.

Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 236 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Hammer Arm
- Stealth Rock

Stealth Rocks are a must-have for this team. Without them, Volcarona misses out on some real important KOs, such as on Bulky Gyarados and Dragonite sets using HP Rock. Originally, Bronzong had this job, but the banning of Excadrill meant Bronzong could be replaced with something with similar durability, but greater potential for hitting hard. Metagross fit the bill nicely, with amazing bulk and an attack stat that makes anything not named Gliscor weigh the pros and cons of using Taunt. The sheer survivability of this monster of a pokemon is underestimated, too. It has lulz at non-STAB Earthquakes, especially if it's sitting behind a Reflect from Latios. Even funnier is when people think they'll actually get somewhere using Fire Fang on it. Meteor Mash dents many, many things, and the 20% chance of an attack boost adds to the level of awesome. Bullet Punch is an amazing move that's saved me entire games on more than one occasion. Hammer Arm hurts things like Magnezone and Heatran on the switch. All in all, Metagross is a completely underestimated Pokemon in current times, and it's amazing to see how often it tears through an unsuspecting opponent's ranks.

Terrakion @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor
- Earthquake

Scarfed Terrakion is a perfectly delicious mix of speed, attacking power, and awesome. Between STAB Close Combat and STAB Stone Edge, nothing is a truly safe switch-in, as even without a Choice Band, Terrakion still hits like a truck. A little prediction, and you can catch a Tentacruel or a Jellicent on the switch with Stone Edge. Once they're out of the way, Close Combat hurts everything that doesn't resist it. A stellar base 108 speed stat means it revenge kills just about everything not covered by Starmie and an Extremespeed from Dragonite. Terrakion's job changes depending on the opponent's team. If the opposing team has a Jellicent, it's Terrakion's job to hit it with SE on the switch, getting it to a level where Volcarona can pick it off with a HP Rock in a sweep (should it even bother switching out). No matter the case, Terrakion is an excellent Pokemon for paving the way for Volcarona's sweep, while also keeping my team from being swept by Dragonite, Salamence, Gyarados, and opposing Volcarona.

Ubermoth (Volcarona) (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Quiver Dance
- Hidden Power [Rock]

In my opinion, this is the single most fun setup sweeper to use. Treat it well by keeping the field free from Stealth Rocks and wearing down its counters, and it'll find its opportunity. When it does, it'll either win the game for you, or leave the opponent's team in shambles, putting you in a good place to win. The satisfaction of watching this thing bulldoze right through entire teams of six is immense (Believe it or not, some people expect that all they need to successfully wall Volcarona is a Dragonite. Definitely not true).
This Volcarona has a distinct advantage: it can set up on any and all Ferrothorn sets. Switch in as they set up a layer of entry hazards or do something else relatively useless, Quiver Dance, and continue to destroy everything. Jirachi is a similar story, though a bit riskier, given Jirachi's variety. Essentially, the Lum berry keeps Volcarona from being miserably crippled by status. Paralysis is particularly annoying, and being able to set up right in the face of so many T-wave users is an excellent feeling. Volcarona misses the Life Orb, but people love to burn or toxic Volcarona, and between common Sandstorm damage, damage from status afflictions, and LO recoil, Volcarona often had trouble with longevity. Fiery dance is picked over Fire Blast mostly for accuracy reasons, but also because a 2/3 chance of getting a Special Attack boost is an amazing prospect, especially when setting up on things like Ferrothorn and Scizor.


Closing Comments:

Ultimately, the things that really stand in this team's way are things that can stop a Volcarona sweep cold. Heatran and Terrakion are the two most worth noting, though Jellicent is also very worthwhile to mention, as I don't have any simple go-to solution for taking care of it other than catching it on the obvious switch. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.


A Final Look:

 

[Penance]

I don't really like the idea of Multiscale Life Orb Dragonite without Roost on the moveset, it kind of defeats the purpose of even using Multiscale, you might as well just use Inner Focus and throw on Superpower over Earthquake.

Earthquake is redundant with Fighting coverage on Terrakion, replace it with Quick Attack so you can quickly end something without risking a speed tie or some nonsense. I'd try Ice Punch on Metagross because at +1 it does around 90% to standard Dragonite and kills it with Bullet Punch the following turn, it's just preference though.

Rapid Spin and a Choice Scarf on Starmie is kind of meh, it defeats the purpose of Starmie's ability to easily kill off spin blockers. If you Rapid Spin and they switch in a Ghost you have to kill momentum and switch out and if it's a Gengar they just get a free Sub and can destroy your team. I'd suggest running the standard Life Orb Set. If you do I would run a bulky Dragonite.

Good luck to the team in the future.

 

[LighTz911]

I'd say replace your Choice Band Terrakion to a Choice Scarf variant. Your team has troubles with opposing Volcarona, Dragonite, Scrafty, etc. and a Choice Scarf would remedy that. You also have the added bonus of having another answer to Latios and such, besides Metagross, who would otherwise tear your team apart.

Mixed Attacking Dragonite isn't really that great without Roost or Rain seeing how leads are non-existent in BW OU. Therefore I recommend you use a Choice Band Dragonite. CBNite gives you a very powerful priority user which is extremely helpful is many situations and gives you a very solid Sun counter. It's also a great late game sweeper with Outrage, which is also helpful.

Next, I suggest you use Life Orb Starmie. Because you have Choice Scarf Terrakion, you no longer need a Choice Scarf on Starmie meaning you can Rapid Spin with greater ease. You really weren't doing a whole lot with it so you don't lose out on a lot. Also, Starmie helps with Tornadus, who could potentially KO even Metagross.

Replacing your Latias with a Choice Specs Latios is my next suggestions. Latios keeps up your offensive momentum and weakens specials walls such as Gastrodon and Blissey which hinders your Volcarona sweep. It also blow holes in your opponent's team with a nearly unstoppable Draco Meteor; decimating anything that isn't a Steel type or Blissey.

I think Heatran is more common than Terrakion (forgot their places in usage stats) so Hidden Power Ground is more helpful. Dragonite is also defeated by Stealth Rock and Metagross / Terrakion in general, further increasing your needs for Hidden Power Ground. And unlike HP Rock, HP Ground is also useful for other things. Terrakion is one example; capable of walling your sweep, it'd be more beneficial to you if you used HP Ground.

Well, these are all I could really say about this team right now and good luck with your team! Hope these helped!

 

[Coldarr0w]

I don't really like the idea of Multiscale Life Orb Dragonite without Roost on the moveset, it kind of defeats the purpose of even using Multiscale, you might as well just use Inner Focus and throw on Superpower over Earthquake.

Earthquake is redundant with Fighting coverage on Terrakion, replace it with Quick Attack so you can quickly end something without risking a speed tie or some nonsense. I'd try Ice Punch on Metagross because at +1 it does around 90% to standard Dragonite and kills it with Bullet Punch the following turn, it's just preference though.

Rapid Spin and a Choice Scarf on Starmie is kind of meh, it defeats the purpose of Starmie's ability to easily kill off spin blockers. If you Rapid Spin and they switch in a Ghost you have to kill momentum and switch out and if it's a Gengar they just get a free Sub and can destroy your team. I'd suggest running the standard Life Orb Set. If you do I would run a bulky Dragonite.

Good luck to the team in the future.

Admittedly, breaking your own Multiscale isn't too cool, but the ability still has its uses. If SR isn't up, I can essentially save my Dragonite for any big threat that I need out of the way, bring it in, and have no worries about the opponent KO'ing barring a crit.
Also, I ran Quick Attack on Terrakion until recently, when I realized that Tentacruel was giving the team some trouble. Having two things running Earthquake helps dispose of Tentacruel quickly.
I like the idea of using LO Starmie, especially given LighTz' suggestion of changing my Terrakion to a Scarf user. I could then use a more physically based Dragonite, maybe even a banded set (Another good call for LighTz). I really enjoyed the mixed attacking side of Dragonite, but it might have more potential as a hard-hitting physical threat

Replacing your Latias with a Choice Specs Latios is my next suggestions. Latios keeps up your offensive momentum and weakens specials walls such as Gastrodon and Blissey which hinders your Volcarona sweep. It also blow holes in your opponent's team with a nearly unstoppable Draco Meteor; decimating anything that isn't a Steel type or Blissey.

I think Heatran is more common than Terrakion (forgot their places in usage stats) so Hidden Power Ground is more helpful. Dragonite is also defeated by Stealth Rock and Metagross / Terrakion in general, further increasing your needs for Hidden Power Ground. And unlike HP Rock, HP Ground is also useful for other things. Terrakion is one example; capable of walling your sweep, it'd be more beneficial to you if you used HP Ground.

I might consider testing these, but I've ran with Specs Latios before, and I decided something with more survivability was necessary. Still, might be worth trying it out again, since it does give the team another way to wreck things. As for HP Ground, it leaves me completely vulnerable to Dragonite, Salamence, and Gyarados. Sure, all of them take chunks from SR, but all three can set up right in Volcarona's face (Or just KO outright, given all three have the physical power to lay serious hurt on a non-bulky Volcarona). Plus, with Heatran (and Terrakion, on occasion) running Air Balloon quite often, the value is hard to judge.

 

[Coldarr0w]

Been busy over the last couple of days, but I finally got around to making some changes to the team based on comments. Aforementioned changes are reflected in the team analysis. Rates are more than welcome.

 

[Coldarr0w]

Shameless 24-hour bump.

Oh, and just so this post is semi-informative, LighTz recommended Specs Latios (in place of Latias), and I've been testing it out. The results are pretty awesome, as the team as a whole really loves the addition of another offensive threat that still preserves the nice type synergy.