Hi there! As I'm sure you can tell by the title, this is my first foray into RU. I am fairly new to competitive Pokemon and what I have played has mostly been in UU, so any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. So without further ado, here is the team!
Flick (Durant) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Crunch
- Superpower
- X-Scissor
Durant was the first member of this team. Between choice band, his base 109 attack, and Hustle, there are very few Pokes in the tier who appreciate a hit from him. Iron Head and X-scissor are there for STAB, while Crunch and Superpower help him to hit Pokemon like Doublade, Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Registeel, and Cobalion that would otherwise take little damage from him. The EVs are fairly standard to hit as hard and fast as possible. I have thought about running Hone Claws on him, but the banded set has better synergy with my team as it already has two other setup sweepers.
Stutter (Druddigon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Glare
- Dragon Tail
- Stealth Rock
(Thanks to Molk and galbia for the set changes)
I needed a Pokemon that could take fire attacks for Durant and set up stealth rocks to allow Durant to more easily net KOs. Druddigon fit the bill, and in addition Durant can take an ice, fairy, or dragon type move for Druddigon in a pinch. Dragon Tail is his main STAB and hits fairly hard. It also allows Druddigon to act as a shuffler to rack up SR and Spikes damage on the opponent. Gunk Shot is there to deal solid damage to incoming fairies like Aromatisse and Whimsicott. Fire Punch gives Druddigon coverage against steel types like Bronzong and Escavalier. Max HP and a lot of Defense investment allow Druddigon to be a solid tank, taking physical hits and dishing out damage with his naturally high attack stat, even without investment. 20 speed EVs allow him to get the jump on uninvested base 50 speed Pokemon. Rough Skin is there to further punish physical attackers.
Tango (Roselia) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Giga Drain
-Toxic Spikes
- Synthesis
(Thanks to Bouffalant and galbia for the set changes)
Roselia is my team's special wall. With Eviolite, Roselia essentially reaches an immense 426 special defense stat. Due to Natural Cure, Roselia also acts as a status absorber to take burns and paralysis for the rest of my team. Roselia's special bulk forces lots of switches, giving it ample opportunities to set up Spikes to aid the team in netting KOs. Toxic Spikes wears down opposing walls and damages opponents while CroTomb sets up. Synthesis allows Roselia to heal itself throughout the match without having to switch out. Giga Drain is there to provide Roselia with some offensive presence, as it does a solid chunk of damage to most opposing walls coming off of Roselia's surprising base 100 special attack, even without any investment and brings Roselia a little extra HP. The EVs maximize Roselia's special bulk and give it more chances to set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
Legion (Spiritomb) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dark Pulse
My team's first setup sweeper. I first decided to use Spiritomb as a spinblocker due to my team's reliance on entry hazards, and upon looking at sets to run on him, I decided CroTomb would be fun to use, but I wasn't sure how effective he would be. The verdict: CroTomb is an absolute monster. He can come in after the death of a team member and set up in the face of most physical attackers as they vainly attempt to break through his great physical bulk or switch directly into some physical attacks. After a couple Calm Minds, he has almost nothing to fear from most special or physical attackers (barring Granbull or Pokes with moves that force switches such as Roar or Dragon Tail). Rest allows him to bring himself up to full health when he is near death, and Sleep Talk prevents him from being dead weight while asleep. Dark Pulse is the move of choice as it has great coverage and nothing is immune to it. The EVs maximize Spiritomb's ability to take physical hits, as Calm Mind will sufficiently buff his special attack and special defense. I typically try to set up with him mid-game if phazers are gone, as he can either flat-out set up and sweep teams from there, or at the very least put a severe dent in the opponent's team so that Hitmonlee can clean up after him.
Footlocker
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Mach Punch
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
(Thanks to Bouffalant for the set changes)
Reckless Hitmonlee is powerful. There are very few Pokemon in the tier who appreciate a Reckless boosted High Jump Kick unless they are immune to it. Knock Off is there to hit those pesky ghost types that are immune to High Jump Kick. Rapid Spin is there for much-needed hazard removal. Mach Punch is great for priority, as even with a Jolly nature, Hitmonlee isn't that fast. It also allows him to function as a revenge killer and pick off weakened threats. Hitmonlee is great for the team because of his Rapid Spin utility and raw power.
Brainwash (Slowking) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
-Dragon Tail
-Scald
-Psyshock
-Fire Blast
As per the suggestions of Bouffalant and Molk, I have switched back to AV shuffler Slowing instead of Clawitzer. Dragon Tail allows him to shuffle and rack up hazard damage if Druddigon goes down. His bulk and Assault Vest allow him to stomach ice attacks for Roselia and Druddigon. Scald and Psyshock are his STABs, allowing him to hit targets pretty hard and potentially get a burn with Scald to cripple physical attackers. Fire Blast is there for extra coverage against grass and steel types. The EVs give him great bulk and offensive presence.
One major weakness I have noticed on my team is Knock Off, as every member is crippled by it (Slowking and Roselia especially), though I am not sure how to counteract this outside of running Virizion or Cobalion with Justified. I also have no way of discouraging Defog outside of keeping up pressure on the opponent, but once again I don't know how to stop Defog without resorting to using something with Defiant which I would rather not do.
So there you have it, my first RU team. I am currently laddered somewhere around 1300 but have yet to peak. As I said before, any and all criticisms are greatly appreciated!
Flick (Durant) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Crunch
- Superpower
- X-Scissor
Durant was the first member of this team. Between choice band, his base 109 attack, and Hustle, there are very few Pokes in the tier who appreciate a hit from him. Iron Head and X-scissor are there for STAB, while Crunch and Superpower help him to hit Pokemon like Doublade, Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Registeel, and Cobalion that would otherwise take little damage from him. The EVs are fairly standard to hit as hard and fast as possible. I have thought about running Hone Claws on him, but the banded set has better synergy with my team as it already has two other setup sweepers.
Stutter (Druddigon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Glare
- Dragon Tail
- Stealth Rock
(Thanks to Molk and galbia for the set changes)
I needed a Pokemon that could take fire attacks for Durant and set up stealth rocks to allow Durant to more easily net KOs. Druddigon fit the bill, and in addition Durant can take an ice, fairy, or dragon type move for Druddigon in a pinch. Dragon Tail is his main STAB and hits fairly hard. It also allows Druddigon to act as a shuffler to rack up SR and Spikes damage on the opponent. Gunk Shot is there to deal solid damage to incoming fairies like Aromatisse and Whimsicott. Fire Punch gives Druddigon coverage against steel types like Bronzong and Escavalier. Max HP and a lot of Defense investment allow Druddigon to be a solid tank, taking physical hits and dishing out damage with his naturally high attack stat, even without investment. 20 speed EVs allow him to get the jump on uninvested base 50 speed Pokemon. Rough Skin is there to further punish physical attackers.
Tango (Roselia) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Giga Drain
-Toxic Spikes
- Synthesis
(Thanks to Bouffalant and galbia for the set changes)
Roselia is my team's special wall. With Eviolite, Roselia essentially reaches an immense 426 special defense stat. Due to Natural Cure, Roselia also acts as a status absorber to take burns and paralysis for the rest of my team. Roselia's special bulk forces lots of switches, giving it ample opportunities to set up Spikes to aid the team in netting KOs. Toxic Spikes wears down opposing walls and damages opponents while CroTomb sets up. Synthesis allows Roselia to heal itself throughout the match without having to switch out. Giga Drain is there to provide Roselia with some offensive presence, as it does a solid chunk of damage to most opposing walls coming off of Roselia's surprising base 100 special attack, even without any investment and brings Roselia a little extra HP. The EVs maximize Roselia's special bulk and give it more chances to set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
Legion (Spiritomb) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dark Pulse
My team's first setup sweeper. I first decided to use Spiritomb as a spinblocker due to my team's reliance on entry hazards, and upon looking at sets to run on him, I decided CroTomb would be fun to use, but I wasn't sure how effective he would be. The verdict: CroTomb is an absolute monster. He can come in after the death of a team member and set up in the face of most physical attackers as they vainly attempt to break through his great physical bulk or switch directly into some physical attacks. After a couple Calm Minds, he has almost nothing to fear from most special or physical attackers (barring Granbull or Pokes with moves that force switches such as Roar or Dragon Tail). Rest allows him to bring himself up to full health when he is near death, and Sleep Talk prevents him from being dead weight while asleep. Dark Pulse is the move of choice as it has great coverage and nothing is immune to it. The EVs maximize Spiritomb's ability to take physical hits, as Calm Mind will sufficiently buff his special attack and special defense. I typically try to set up with him mid-game if phazers are gone, as he can either flat-out set up and sweep teams from there, or at the very least put a severe dent in the opponent's team so that Hitmonlee can clean up after him.
Footlocker
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Mach Punch
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
(Thanks to Bouffalant for the set changes)
Reckless Hitmonlee is powerful. There are very few Pokemon in the tier who appreciate a Reckless boosted High Jump Kick unless they are immune to it. Knock Off is there to hit those pesky ghost types that are immune to High Jump Kick. Rapid Spin is there for much-needed hazard removal. Mach Punch is great for priority, as even with a Jolly nature, Hitmonlee isn't that fast. It also allows him to function as a revenge killer and pick off weakened threats. Hitmonlee is great for the team because of his Rapid Spin utility and raw power.
Brainwash (Slowking) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
-Dragon Tail
-Scald
-Psyshock
-Fire Blast
As per the suggestions of Bouffalant and Molk, I have switched back to AV shuffler Slowing instead of Clawitzer. Dragon Tail allows him to shuffle and rack up hazard damage if Druddigon goes down. His bulk and Assault Vest allow him to stomach ice attacks for Roselia and Druddigon. Scald and Psyshock are his STABs, allowing him to hit targets pretty hard and potentially get a burn with Scald to cripple physical attackers. Fire Blast is there for extra coverage against grass and steel types. The EVs give him great bulk and offensive presence.
One major weakness I have noticed on my team is Knock Off, as every member is crippled by it (Slowking and Roselia especially), though I am not sure how to counteract this outside of running Virizion or Cobalion with Justified. I also have no way of discouraging Defog outside of keeping up pressure on the opponent, but once again I don't know how to stop Defog without resorting to using something with Defiant which I would rather not do.
So there you have it, my first RU team. I am currently laddered somewhere around 1300 but have yet to peak. As I said before, any and all criticisms are greatly appreciated!
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