Across The Universe [UU Balance]
Image by Fossil
Image by Fossil
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Introduction
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Across the Universe [UU Balance] is a team I have been using to great success since early December. With it, I have gotten three accounts to the leaderboard (Maci12., ACTU, and UU.Offense.) in two metagames, each reaching #3 respectively with a CRE peaking at 1684. It was my first team that I made in UU, and because of this team, I have discovered a tier where I can excel. This team is without a doubt the most successful, and by far my favorite team I've ever made, and it has beaten some of the best players in the tier. I would never have gotten as far with this team had it not been for my tutor, Huntofthelion. I had originally signed up for OU tutoring, as that was the tier I had always played in, and I'd never experimented with any other tier. Hunt gave me a team and guided me for a few battles, and then when I started picking it up, he would critique my battles afterwords. Because of him, I learned this tier, and went on to make this team which got me to the leaderboard within a day of its creation.
The team is called Across The Universe because all of the pokemon on the team are named after Beatles songs.
This team is an Offensive Spike Stack team that sets up the best conditions for a late game Swellow cleanup. It is very balanced; I have hard-hitting but extremely bulky walls, as well as some of the most powerful sweepers in UU. Spikes is at the center of everything, with Froslass setting it up. She is, without question, the best Spiker in UU, and she has many different ways to set them up. Most of Swellows counters are pokemon susceptible to Spikes, as they are mainly bulky Rock types. Spikes also make it much harder to switch in to any pokemon, even on a predicted resisted hit, as they will still take a huge beating of it, worse if I get Stealth Rock up as well.
The team utilizes the different cores and combinations to make accomplishing its goal easier:
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Team Building
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Team Base: Main Sweeper
I used Swellow as my team base because that it has two insanely powerful STABs, it is the fastest pokemon in the tier, and it is easy to support. Swellow has problems with anything that is Rock or Steel, both of which have very common weaknesses, and many of which are grounded pokemon.
Support #1 - Suicide Spiker
Swellow loves Spikes, and Froslass is the best (ab)user of Spikes in the metagame, so naturally they are a good combination. If you look at Swellow's biggest counters (Rhyperior, Registeel, Regirock, Aggron are the ones I see commonly), then you'll notice that almost all of them are susceptible to Spikes, and so if they switch in enough they either wear out so much that Swellow can take them out, or another pokemon will be able to do this. The majority of the tier is affected by Spikes, meaning that by the end of the match when Swellow shows its face, it gets a nice, clean sweep.
Support #2 - Support Sweeper
As I have mentioned, Swellow's problems stem mostly from Rock and Steel types, both of which Morning Glory Arcanine can deal with efficiently. Arcanine directly counters Steel types such as Registeel, threatening an OHKO with Flare Blitz. Arcanine tends to lure in Rock types who think they can deal with him directly, but after having switched into Spikes and Stealth Rock to counter Swellow a few times, Hidden Power [Grass] can take them out easily. Arcanine and Swellow both share an unfortunate Rock weakness, which means two things; making direct switches from Swellow to Arcanine when the opposing pokemon is Rock type is not happening, and also that I needed Rapid Spin support.
Support #3 - Spinner
And Donphan comes to the rescue! Donphan is the perfect spinner; he's bulky, has a nice attack stat to 2HKO a lot of pokemon, can set up SR, and also has access to Assurance to damage Spin Blockers. Above all that, he gives my team its sole Rock resistance, making him is my first switch in to something like Rhyperior if he comes in to threaten Swellow. His setting up Stealth Rock is great for a team that abuses hazards like mine.
Support #4 - Offensive SpinBlocker
My team needs a second spin blocker. I had decided going against ProLass as my lead, and SuicideLass obviously does not make a fantastic SpinBlocker, as it will often have very little health after setting up Spikes. Looking at my team, it is very offensively based, so I should keep up the momentum with something that can force switches and block Spin effectively at the same time, and that's SubCharge Rotom. On top of that, Rotom also sets up on Registeel, which is one of Swellow's chief counters.
Support #5 - Bulky Water
Milotic is the final addition to the team, and is my glue. The amount of things Milotic walls and counter is ridiculous, and my team already has ways to deal with most of its Electric and Grass counters. Milotic also takes care of otherwise dangerous setup sweepers like Feraligator (both variations), and DD Altaria.
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A Closer Look
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Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash ***** Come Together
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Shard
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Why This Pokemon: My team depends on racking up hazard damage to accomplish its goals, so I utilize the best Spiker in UU. Froslass serves as an amazing lead for just about any team, able to set up two layers of spikes in almost every situation. The reason I like Suicide Froslass so much is that I don't have to play too conservatively early on in the game like ProLass does, because I have another Blocker. Suicide Froslass also has creative ways of beating opposing leads that "counter it". By using it and Rotom, they can easily take down Foresight Hitmontop, because both have enough Offensive power to do serious damage if Hitmontop makes one bad move.
Why This Moveset: This moveset is one that Huntofthelion showed to me, and one I have never faced. It makes for an amazing lead. Spikes is obligatory on any Froslass, and Suicide Lass is almost guarenteed two layers thanks to how it matches up against most leads. Shadow Ball is a nice STAB that will either 2HKO ProLass while they taunt me, or the combination of it and Ice Shard will take out opposing Froslass leads. Thunderbolt is the move that allows Froslass to OHKO Cloyster leads that set out to counter it. I chose Naive over Timid because it ensures the kill on opposing Suicide Froslass' because Ice Shard deals considerably more damage, and 4 Atk EVs instead of HP so that Froslass can switch into SR four times. The rest of the EVs are standard.
How Froslass Handles Top 15 Leads of December 2009
- Spikes Turn One. Ambipom leads will do one of two things; use Taunt or use Pursuit. If they use Taunt, then I switch to Swellow to activate Guts on Ambipom's U-Turn, and then U-Turn out to scout their counter. If they use Pursuit, then I use Ice Shard just to get some damage onto it. Rather annoying, but extremely predictable.
- There are two variants of Uxie leads; Bulky, and Scarf. Scarf variants will always use Trick on Turn One, so I always use Spikes to scout for this. Bulky will usually use Stealth Rock then U-Turn to break Focus Sash, but occasionally some will use Rain Dance. There isn't much they can do to prevent me from getting 3 layers up, and anything they accomplish Stealth Rock wise can be RS away.
- Shadow Ball turn one. The damage roll on Shadow Ball tells me what variant of Froslass they are. If they are ProLass, SB will do ~75% damage, and they will usually Taunt on Turn One. They will always switch out after that; they have nothing to attack Froslass with, and are outsped, so I switch to Swellow for Guts activation on their switch, and U-Turn out to scout for my counter. I can later come in and get Spikes down. When facing Suicide Lass, I go Shadow Ball + Ice Shard for the kill. Whatever they send in next will likely be faster or a Scarfer, so I switch out and will later come in and get Spikes down.
- Spikes Turn One. Moltres leads are either Life Orb or Scarfed. If they are Scarfed, I switch to Milotic to absorb Fire Blast and double switch back to Froslass for more Spikes. If they are Life Orb, I'll get two layers of Spikes down, die, and switch to Milotic; messing around with a LO Moltres isn't a good idea.
- I get 2 layers guaranteed here. They will Flare Blitz, and then Toxic to avoid Destiny Bond which I don't have. Froslass dies in the process, but 2 layers is all I need.
- Shadow Ball + Ice Shard KO Alakazam, and I can come in later to get Spikes down their switch in is faster/I suspect it to be Scarfed. Otherwise, I'll just get 1 layer down vs. whatever comes in.
- Always a Rain Dance lead. They Taunt on the first turn, so I Shadow Ball, and Shadow Ball again as they Rain Dance. They will get it down without fail, but my Sash will be in tact so I can come and get Spikes down later to waste turns of rain.
- I can get 2-3 layers of Spikes off of Steelix. Usually it goes Gyro Ball-SR-Gyro Ball, because they fear D-Bond, and scout for it with SR. Either way, I get an acceptable amount of Spikes down, and Donphan comes in immediately after to RS their SR away.
- I will almost always get three layers of Spikes here, and sometimes survive to damage Snover because of Snow Veil. I don't especially like Hail teams, but hail teams don't especially like 3 layers of Spikes + SR.
- Mostly they are Choice Band leads. I use Spikes to scout their first move. If it is Pursuit then I will get a guaranteed two layers, and if it is Shadow Sneak for a 2HKO, then I switch to Swellow, who can proceed to U-Turn back to Froslass for more layers. Surprisingly dangerous leads, but not especially hard to deal with.
- I assume they are trying to Rock Blast Froslass, and switch to Donphan to setup Stealth Rock. After SR is setup, I will Earthquake him until he dies.
- Basically the same thing as Snover; I will most likely get three layers of Spikes and some additional damage because this sand hippo is an even worse lead than Snover.
- Thunderbolt Turn One. They usually go for either Spikes or Stealth Rock, and by Thunderbolting, I 2HKO them, preserving my Sash and guaranteeing they only get one hazard down. I can then go on to setup more.
- I use Spikes on Turn One as they Stone Edge me, then go to Donphan on Turn 2 as they repeat Stone Edge. After that, I use Rapid Spin as they setup Stealth Rock, and then switch back into Froslass as they either setup Stealth Rock again, or explode. A complicated, but fairly safe process that guarantees two layers of Spikes.
- Thunderbolt for the surprise OHKO against this lead that supposedly counters Froslass.
Froslass is named after the Beatles' song, Come Together, are the foundation of the team, and the team requires them to get specific kills.
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Donphan (F) @ Leftovers ***** Don't Let Me Down
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/240 Def/20 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Assurance
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Why This Pokemon: Donphan is one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. I chose him over the other viable options for mainly three reasons. First off, I needed a Rock resist, because I needed to have something to directly switch into Stone Edges from Rhyperior or Head Smashes from Aggron. Secondly, I needed Stealth Rock support to help rack up the hazards. This left me with Claydol and Donphan. Between these two, Donphan stood out to me because he has Assurance which is a nice tool to deal with Spinners. Also, Rhyperiors with Mega Horn wouldn't screw it over the way the do with Claydol. Donphan is a Spinner with all the options a spinner could want; Priority, Powerful Dark Attacks, Great STAB, Good Defensive and Offensive Stats, so you can essentially craft him to do what you need for your team.
Why This Moveset: I made myself a Defensive Spinning set for Donphan because I needed him to accomplish several jobs; RS, setting up SR, and damaging the frail Levitating Spin Blockers. The heavy investment in defense allows him to take hits from pokemon like Rhyperior and Aggron who I need him to take out/force out who otherwise threaten my main sweeper. Earthquake is the obligatory STAB move that comes off of his great attack stat. I needed Stealth Rock, so I gave it to Donphan as well. Rapid Spin is essential to my team, as three of my pokemon are weak to it. Finally Assurance is a move that I chose because it can take out the offensive Spin Blockers that Levitate easily and survive with a lot HP left. I have gone back and forth between Ice Shard to counter Swellow better, but my team already has enough Swellow checks. The other option was Roar to take out rack up hazards, which is very useful because I have a heavily defensive spread. Ultimately, I needed a Spinner more than a Phazer, so Assurance got the job.
Other Tested Spinner
- I outlined why I didn't choose Claydol for the most part above. While resistance to Fighting and Rock, and immunity to Ground are all extremely useful, it came at the price of a Dark, Bug, and Ghost weakness, which many Spin Blockers and SR Pokemon have. Additionally, Claydol was less physically bulky than Donphan, and did not have access to a Phazing ability like Roar.
Donphan is named after the Beatles' song, Don't Let Me Down, because he reliably spins away Rapid Spin, sets up Stealth Rock, and Phazes. I need him to accomplish so many jobs that few pokemon can do all at once.
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Milotic (F) @ Leftovers ***** Across The Universe
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP/248 HP/8 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Haze
- Recover
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Why This Pokemon: Milotic is the glue of my team. It is my main switch in to huge threats like Kabutops, Omastar, Gorebyss, Feraligator, Azumarill, Altaria, Moltres, Houndoom, and more. The amount of things Milotic walls is crazy. Milotic was the last addition to my team, and proved to be an important one. By the time I had gotten to adding her, most of her counters could be dealt with by my team, so she could accomplish her job of walling and stalling more effectively. I originally tested RaikouLover's Bulky LO set, but found that while it made for a powerful pokemon, I needed Milotic to deal with threats defensively. There were two other Bulky Waters tested, Azumarill and Slowbro, but with the way my team was built, I needed the support that Milotic had to offer more than a Bulky Offensive pokemon.
Why This Moveset: This is a fairly standard Milotic EV Spread; focusing first on the Defense, pouring 252 EVs + a Bold nature into it. Then I added 248 HP EVs in and poured 8 EVs into Speed to outspeed other Milotics and defensive Base 80s. Surf is Milotic's reliable and potent STAB move. Hidden Power [Grass] enables her to deal with the majority of Rain teams, and when used in tandem with Recover, she becomes one of the most reliable counters to Azumarill, Feraligator, Moltres, and Houndoom. I debated between Haze and Toxic for spots on the moveset, but I believe I made the right choice with Haze. Because of Haze, I can deal with otherwise major threats like DD and SD Feraligator, Curse Umbreon, Curse Regirock/Registeel, all of which would be huge pains in my teams ass otherwise.
Other Tested Bulky Waters
- I used the SubPunch set with Ice Punch over Waterfall. I liked Azumarill a lot; it could set up on things like Registeel and Chansey, its bulky and really hard to switch into, and could also lure in Bulky Grass types that take a beating from Ice Punch. However, I felt I was too weak to setup sweepers like DD Feraligator, and so went for Milotic.
- Slowbro was really not a successful test. He was not a good fit for the team, and I'm of the opinion that this offensive metagame is too fast paced for him. I used the Calm Mind set for testing, and it couldn't set up fast enough, and because of its terrible speed, its counters shit all over it once in. Again, it does nothing to compensate my weakness to setup sweepers to Milotic was the better choice.
Milotic is named after the John Lennon's "Across The Universe" because it is my favorite song done by any of the Beatles, and Milotic is my favorite pokemon onf the team.
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Arcanine (F) @ Life Orb ***** Sun King
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Flare Blitz
- Extremespeed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Morning Sun
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Why This Pokemon: When I added Arcanine to my team, I needed something that could deal with Rock and Steel types, and I saw the Morning Glory Arcanine set in C&C. Arcanine lures in the Rock types that Swellow hates, and can deal heavy damage to them with Hidden Power [Grass] + Spikes & SR. Steel types are quickly dealt with by Arcanine's STAB Flare Blitz. I love Arcanine's priority, because it also helps me lure in and eliminate Dugtrio, and kill weakened Ludicolo's in Rain so that Milotic can wall the rest of their team. Arcanine is a great counter to many pokemon, with great stats on all sides backing it up, and Intimidate helping him to switch in. With Spikes and Stealth Rock on the ground, there is really nothing that can stop Morning Glory Arcanine and Swellow together; they will have had to switch in and take considerable damage too many times to take hits from either.
Why This Moveset: To me, this moveset accomplished everything I needed it to. With Arcanine's 95 Base Speed, I can put 252 Speed EVs in and outspeed 252+ Base 80s without needing a +Speed Nature myself. This means I can pour 252 Atk EVs and an +Attack Nature into Arcanine, giving him a lot more potency. I chose a Naughty nature over an Adamant nature because it ensures a kill on Rhyperior if Rhyperior switched into 1 layer of Spikes + SR or 2 Layers of spikes, something I valued as when using him as a lure. Flare Blitz is Arcanine's extremely powerful physical STAB move, and is what keeps Steel pokemon at bay. Extreme Speed is the most powerful priority move, and is a move I rely on to revenge threats like Swellow, Raikou (if he's not behind a sub), Dugtrio, and Houndoom. Hidden Power [Grass] is used on a predicted switch in as a Rock pokemon comes in so that they take heavy damage from SR + Spikes + Hidden Power [Grass]. This will usually put them in a kill range for Arcanine. Morning Sun is something that I rarely get a chance to use, but when I have the opportunity against something like a -1 Venusaur, it is useful to heal 50% that has been lost by either switching into SR (if I haven't gotten it off yet) or from LO + FB recoil.
Other Tested Support Sweeper
- I tested SubCM Raikou with HP [Grass] as well with this team, and it worked great. Spikes + SR really compliment Raikou as they wear down most of his counters. Also, for Grass pokemon counters like Venusaur, I had Swellow waiting in the wings who can come in on a predicted Earthquake and bring havoc. However, Arcanine destroys Sunny Day teams, which, while rare, are worth countering. He also is a great answer to the ever annoying Hail teams. In addition to that, when I originally made this team, Gallade and Honchkrow were everywhere, and Arcanine was among the best checks to both of them. Arcanine's Extreme Speed is alluring, because it is one of my chief ways to kill off Rain Ludicolo. Once Ludicolo is gone, Milotic can rape rain teams for the most part.
Arcanine is named after the Beatles' song, Sun King, because he is a really powerful fire type sweeper. Also, he is my chief answer to Sunny Day teams.
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Rotom @ Leftovers ***** Let It Be
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP/192 SAtk/252 Spd
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Charge Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
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Why This Pokemon: Rotom is an excellent pokemon, and is one of the best spin blockers in UU. With the great 91 Base Speed, it outspeeds much of UU, most importantly Moltres, as well as most Base 95 Pokemon who EV only to outspeed Base 90 pokemon. I tested two other Spin Blockers; Mismagius and Dusclops, and Registeel, but found both to be less useful than Rotom. Rotom can setup on pokemon that give Swellow trouble, especially Registeel. Not only that, but it sets up on Spin Blockers like Donphan, who, if he lacks Assurance, cannot break Substitutes in one hit with Ice Shard. Rotom also works well with Froslass as one of the two Spin Blockers when I need to avoid Foresight Hitmontop, as both have decent enough Special Attack stats to bring him down. I also like Rotom because of its ability to force switches. Its unique Speed forces pokemon like Moltres to either leave and take SR damage on reentry, or die and force another pokemon to take hazards.
Why This Moveset: When I told Huntofthelion about my choice to use SubCharge Rotom, he disagreed, saying that Scarf Rotom would be a better choice. While Scarf Rotom is useful for killing of Swellows, Registeel would wall it, and I needed something that could lure in and beat Registeel consistently. Also, Scarf Rotom doesn't force switches the way that SubCharge does; when people see that Rotom is at +1, the tend to switch around a lot more than when they see a really fast one. 64 HP EVs allows Rotom to use Substitute 5 times, and maximizes Leftover recovery. 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are important to outspeed Rotom's that use Hidden Power [Fighting] and base 90s. The rest of the EVs go to Special Attack. Many of its counters are frail Dark pokemon (see Houndoom), so that in breaking the sub, they will take a lot of damage from Thunderbolt. Substitute and Charge Beam are given on the set. Shadow Ball is a reliable STAB move that deals super effective damage to many Rapid Spinners. I chose to use Thunderbolt over Hidden Power [Fighting]; that one speed point is important to me should I ever need to go one on one with another Rotom. Also, the power of Thunderbolt is greatly preferable to that of Charge Beam, and allows it to deal with Milotic, Blastoise, and other Bulky Waters much quicker. Electric + Ghost also have great coverage, and the few things that resist it in the tier have fairly low Special Defense (see Steelix and Magneton).
Other Tested Spin Blockers
- I tested the Nasty Plot Mismagius as a Spin Blocker. Mismagius falls into a similar category as Rotom as an offensive Spin Blocker, with the added bonus of greater speed and power, with a faster and more reliable boost. However, Mismagius doesn't benefit from dual STABs like Rotom does (and he gets them with no additional weaknesses). More importantly, Mismagius herself is countered by Registeel, and I wanted something that could lure and kill Registeel as opposed to being hard countered by it. That was the deciding factor in Mismagius vs. Rotom.
- Dusclops is hard to kill, but that is really all he is. He doesn't have a nice Attack stat like his big brother Dusknoir and most of the UU Spinners are physical walls. I found that Dusclops slowed down the pace of my team and did nothing to force switches. On top of that, he, like Mismagius, did nothing to compensate for a Registeel weakness.
Rotom is named after the Beatles' song, Let it Be, because it blocks Rapid Spinners and shuts down many pokemon, making sure that the hazards stay as they are.
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Swellow (M) @ Toxic Orb ***** Free As A Bird
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack
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Why This Pokemon: Swellow is the pokemon the whole team is based around. Every pokemon on the team is here to ensure that Swellow has an easy sweep when it comes to the end of the game; Froslass sets up Spikes so that Swellow's counters are weakened, Donphan spins away Stealth Rock and sets up SR, Arcanine lures in Rock counters and destroys Steel counters, and Rotom sets up on Registeel and ensures that the Spikes and SR stay on the field. With all these ideal conditions, Swellow can sweep easily for a number of reasons. Swellow is the fastest pokemon in the tier with that great 125 base speed. Initially, Swellow starts off with what isn't a great attack stat (85), but Guts is easily activated, increasing Swellow's attack to huge heights, as well as doubling Facade's Base Power, giving Swellow a 140 BP STAB attack and a 120 BP STAB attack. Swellow's problems as a pokemon are very easy to fix with good support, and by the end of the match it can sweep. Swellow has a great movepool for this set; it can scout its counters with U-Turn, and use Quick Attack on any frail pokemon trying to Sucker Punch it (see Dugtrio or Houndoom). Now that Honchkrow is gone, Swellow really shines as the best Physical bird pokemon in the tier.
Why This Moveset: This is the moveset for Swellow. It is more reliable than Choice Band, and with guaranteed 140 BP STAB, it is more powerful. The freedom to switch attacks and be at +1 with Guts activated is more useful than not taking Toxic Orb Damage. Facade is Swellow's most powerful attack, and with Guts activated it is a force to be reckoned with that 2HKOs UUs most devoted walls. By the time Swellow comes around to make a sweep, Rock and Steel types are either weakened to a point where Swellow can kill them, or completely eliminated. Brave Bird is Swellow's 120 Base Power STAB move which rips through Ghost Pokemon that try to come in Swellow, OHKOing all but Duskclops (who can't do anything to Swellow) and Rotom (who is 2HKOd despite resistance). U-Turn helps to scout for counters early in the game, and is useful for breaking Substitutes when necessary. Finally I chose Quick Attack over Protect because activating Guts is never a problem for Swellow; even without Guts activated it can OHKO Sceptile, do ~80% to Venusaur (OHKO after 2 Layers of Spikes + SR), or it can switch into a Ghost or Ground attack aimed at another pokemon. Quick Attack easily picks off pokemon like Dugtrio and Houndoom who try and Sucker Punch for a kill.
Swellow is named after the Beatles's song Free As A Bird, firstly because he is a bird and also once all the conditions are ready and his counters are removed, he can sweep as free as a bird.
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Conclusion
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This team needed the help of a few people for it to have been as successful as it has been, so I'd like to mention them here.
Huntofthelion: I can't thank Hunt enough for being such an amazing tutor. He taught me an entire tier in a few days, and not even the tier I had signed up for. Hunt always had something to say to help me make the team better, suggesting a moveset like in Froslass or giving me a broader prospective on potential options like with Rotom. To this day, I believe I have only beaten him in UU once because he always wins the damn opening Froslass speed tie. Thanks, Hunt!
Bluewind: I faced Bluewind many times with this team, and I believe we are tied 4-4 match wise. He always challenged me to be a better UU player and forced me to think harder than I had to in other matches. He's been fun to play against, and he's ridiculously good at UU.
Please suggest any fixes to the team if you see it, or to use it yourself if you please =]. It has brought me great success and I want to share it. I've had a lot of fun with this team, and it has taught me how to play UU. Thanks for reading about my team; it's the best competitive team I have ever made.
Art Credits
Fossil: Opening Picture of the whole team. Here is a link to his art thread: Art of Fossil.
Aragornbird: I used his images from his Arkeis Pokemon Factory. Here is a link to his art thread: Aragornbird's Art Gallery.
Introduction
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Across the Universe [UU Balance] is a team I have been using to great success since early December. With it, I have gotten three accounts to the leaderboard (Maci12., ACTU, and UU.Offense.) in two metagames, each reaching #3 respectively with a CRE peaking at 1684. It was my first team that I made in UU, and because of this team, I have discovered a tier where I can excel. This team is without a doubt the most successful, and by far my favorite team I've ever made, and it has beaten some of the best players in the tier. I would never have gotten as far with this team had it not been for my tutor, Huntofthelion. I had originally signed up for OU tutoring, as that was the tier I had always played in, and I'd never experimented with any other tier. Hunt gave me a team and guided me for a few battles, and then when I started picking it up, he would critique my battles afterwords. Because of him, I learned this tier, and went on to make this team which got me to the leaderboard within a day of its creation.
The team is called Across The Universe because all of the pokemon on the team are named after Beatles songs.
This team is an Offensive Spike Stack team that sets up the best conditions for a late game Swellow cleanup. It is very balanced; I have hard-hitting but extremely bulky walls, as well as some of the most powerful sweepers in UU. Spikes is at the center of everything, with Froslass setting it up. She is, without question, the best Spiker in UU, and she has many different ways to set them up. Most of Swellows counters are pokemon susceptible to Spikes, as they are mainly bulky Rock types. Spikes also make it much harder to switch in to any pokemon, even on a predicted resisted hit, as they will still take a huge beating of it, worse if I get Stealth Rock up as well.
The team utilizes the different cores and combinations to make accomplishing its goal easier:
- Dual Ghost: This makes life annoying for Foresight Spinners like Hitmontop, because Foresight only works on one Ghost at a time. If I play conservatively with Froslass early on (which I tend to do), I can usually outpredict these spinners and wear them down.
- Water/Fire: Originally, I had Water/Fire/Grass, with Venusaur on the team as opposed to Swellow (this was changed within three battles), and I reasoned that Milotic and Arcanine were much more useful to the team. Between them them, they can deal with many threats by careful switching and playing with resistances.
- Froslass/Swellow: Swellow is the fastest pokemon in the tier, and has access to a ridiculous 140 BP STAB move with Guts activated. Most of his counters are grounded pokemon that take a huge hit from repeatedly switching into Swellow, and so Froslass makes an excellent partner to it.
- Arcanine/Swellow: Arcanine is an amazing partner for Swellow because it lures pokemon such as Rhyperior in that take a huge hit from Hidden Power [Grass] (OHKO'd after Spikes in Rhyperior's case).
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Team Building
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Team Base: Main Sweeper
I used Swellow as my team base because that it has two insanely powerful STABs, it is the fastest pokemon in the tier, and it is easy to support. Swellow has problems with anything that is Rock or Steel, both of which have very common weaknesses, and many of which are grounded pokemon.
Support #1 - Suicide Spiker
Swellow loves Spikes, and Froslass is the best (ab)user of Spikes in the metagame, so naturally they are a good combination. If you look at Swellow's biggest counters (Rhyperior, Registeel, Regirock, Aggron are the ones I see commonly), then you'll notice that almost all of them are susceptible to Spikes, and so if they switch in enough they either wear out so much that Swellow can take them out, or another pokemon will be able to do this. The majority of the tier is affected by Spikes, meaning that by the end of the match when Swellow shows its face, it gets a nice, clean sweep.
Support #2 - Support Sweeper
As I have mentioned, Swellow's problems stem mostly from Rock and Steel types, both of which Morning Glory Arcanine can deal with efficiently. Arcanine directly counters Steel types such as Registeel, threatening an OHKO with Flare Blitz. Arcanine tends to lure in Rock types who think they can deal with him directly, but after having switched into Spikes and Stealth Rock to counter Swellow a few times, Hidden Power [Grass] can take them out easily. Arcanine and Swellow both share an unfortunate Rock weakness, which means two things; making direct switches from Swellow to Arcanine when the opposing pokemon is Rock type is not happening, and also that I needed Rapid Spin support.
Support #3 - Spinner
And Donphan comes to the rescue! Donphan is the perfect spinner; he's bulky, has a nice attack stat to 2HKO a lot of pokemon, can set up SR, and also has access to Assurance to damage Spin Blockers. Above all that, he gives my team its sole Rock resistance, making him is my first switch in to something like Rhyperior if he comes in to threaten Swellow. His setting up Stealth Rock is great for a team that abuses hazards like mine.
Support #4 - Offensive SpinBlocker
My team needs a second spin blocker. I had decided going against ProLass as my lead, and SuicideLass obviously does not make a fantastic SpinBlocker, as it will often have very little health after setting up Spikes. Looking at my team, it is very offensively based, so I should keep up the momentum with something that can force switches and block Spin effectively at the same time, and that's SubCharge Rotom. On top of that, Rotom also sets up on Registeel, which is one of Swellow's chief counters.
Support #5 - Bulky Water
Milotic is the final addition to the team, and is my glue. The amount of things Milotic walls and counter is ridiculous, and my team already has ways to deal with most of its Electric and Grass counters. Milotic also takes care of otherwise dangerous setup sweepers like Feraligator (both variations), and DD Altaria.
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A Closer Look
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Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash ***** Come Together
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Shard
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Why This Pokemon: My team depends on racking up hazard damage to accomplish its goals, so I utilize the best Spiker in UU. Froslass serves as an amazing lead for just about any team, able to set up two layers of spikes in almost every situation. The reason I like Suicide Froslass so much is that I don't have to play too conservatively early on in the game like ProLass does, because I have another Blocker. Suicide Froslass also has creative ways of beating opposing leads that "counter it". By using it and Rotom, they can easily take down Foresight Hitmontop, because both have enough Offensive power to do serious damage if Hitmontop makes one bad move.
Why This Moveset: This moveset is one that Huntofthelion showed to me, and one I have never faced. It makes for an amazing lead. Spikes is obligatory on any Froslass, and Suicide Lass is almost guarenteed two layers thanks to how it matches up against most leads. Shadow Ball is a nice STAB that will either 2HKO ProLass while they taunt me, or the combination of it and Ice Shard will take out opposing Froslass leads. Thunderbolt is the move that allows Froslass to OHKO Cloyster leads that set out to counter it. I chose Naive over Timid because it ensures the kill on opposing Suicide Froslass' because Ice Shard deals considerably more damage, and 4 Atk EVs instead of HP so that Froslass can switch into SR four times. The rest of the EVs are standard.
How Froslass Handles Top 15 Leads of December 2009
Froslass is named after the Beatles' song, Come Together, are the foundation of the team, and the team requires them to get specific kills.
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Donphan (F) @ Leftovers ***** Don't Let Me Down
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/240 Def/20 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Assurance
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Why This Pokemon: Donphan is one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. I chose him over the other viable options for mainly three reasons. First off, I needed a Rock resist, because I needed to have something to directly switch into Stone Edges from Rhyperior or Head Smashes from Aggron. Secondly, I needed Stealth Rock support to help rack up the hazards. This left me with Claydol and Donphan. Between these two, Donphan stood out to me because he has Assurance which is a nice tool to deal with Spinners. Also, Rhyperiors with Mega Horn wouldn't screw it over the way the do with Claydol. Donphan is a Spinner with all the options a spinner could want; Priority, Powerful Dark Attacks, Great STAB, Good Defensive and Offensive Stats, so you can essentially craft him to do what you need for your team.
Why This Moveset: I made myself a Defensive Spinning set for Donphan because I needed him to accomplish several jobs; RS, setting up SR, and damaging the frail Levitating Spin Blockers. The heavy investment in defense allows him to take hits from pokemon like Rhyperior and Aggron who I need him to take out/force out who otherwise threaten my main sweeper. Earthquake is the obligatory STAB move that comes off of his great attack stat. I needed Stealth Rock, so I gave it to Donphan as well. Rapid Spin is essential to my team, as three of my pokemon are weak to it. Finally Assurance is a move that I chose because it can take out the offensive Spin Blockers that Levitate easily and survive with a lot HP left. I have gone back and forth between Ice Shard to counter Swellow better, but my team already has enough Swellow checks. The other option was Roar to take out rack up hazards, which is very useful because I have a heavily defensive spread. Ultimately, I needed a Spinner more than a Phazer, so Assurance got the job.
Other Tested Spinner
Donphan is named after the Beatles' song, Don't Let Me Down, because he reliably spins away Rapid Spin, sets up Stealth Rock, and Phazes. I need him to accomplish so many jobs that few pokemon can do all at once.
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Milotic (F) @ Leftovers ***** Across The Universe
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP/248 HP/8 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Haze
- Recover
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Why This Pokemon: Milotic is the glue of my team. It is my main switch in to huge threats like Kabutops, Omastar, Gorebyss, Feraligator, Azumarill, Altaria, Moltres, Houndoom, and more. The amount of things Milotic walls is crazy. Milotic was the last addition to my team, and proved to be an important one. By the time I had gotten to adding her, most of her counters could be dealt with by my team, so she could accomplish her job of walling and stalling more effectively. I originally tested RaikouLover's Bulky LO set, but found that while it made for a powerful pokemon, I needed Milotic to deal with threats defensively. There were two other Bulky Waters tested, Azumarill and Slowbro, but with the way my team was built, I needed the support that Milotic had to offer more than a Bulky Offensive pokemon.
Why This Moveset: This is a fairly standard Milotic EV Spread; focusing first on the Defense, pouring 252 EVs + a Bold nature into it. Then I added 248 HP EVs in and poured 8 EVs into Speed to outspeed other Milotics and defensive Base 80s. Surf is Milotic's reliable and potent STAB move. Hidden Power [Grass] enables her to deal with the majority of Rain teams, and when used in tandem with Recover, she becomes one of the most reliable counters to Azumarill, Feraligator, Moltres, and Houndoom. I debated between Haze and Toxic for spots on the moveset, but I believe I made the right choice with Haze. Because of Haze, I can deal with otherwise major threats like DD and SD Feraligator, Curse Umbreon, Curse Regirock/Registeel, all of which would be huge pains in my teams ass otherwise.
Other Tested Bulky Waters
Milotic is named after the John Lennon's "Across The Universe" because it is my favorite song done by any of the Beatles, and Milotic is my favorite pokemon onf the team.
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Arcanine (F) @ Life Orb ***** Sun King
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Flare Blitz
- Extremespeed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Morning Sun
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Why This Pokemon: When I added Arcanine to my team, I needed something that could deal with Rock and Steel types, and I saw the Morning Glory Arcanine set in C&C. Arcanine lures in the Rock types that Swellow hates, and can deal heavy damage to them with Hidden Power [Grass] + Spikes & SR. Steel types are quickly dealt with by Arcanine's STAB Flare Blitz. I love Arcanine's priority, because it also helps me lure in and eliminate Dugtrio, and kill weakened Ludicolo's in Rain so that Milotic can wall the rest of their team. Arcanine is a great counter to many pokemon, with great stats on all sides backing it up, and Intimidate helping him to switch in. With Spikes and Stealth Rock on the ground, there is really nothing that can stop Morning Glory Arcanine and Swellow together; they will have had to switch in and take considerable damage too many times to take hits from either.
Why This Moveset: To me, this moveset accomplished everything I needed it to. With Arcanine's 95 Base Speed, I can put 252 Speed EVs in and outspeed 252+ Base 80s without needing a +Speed Nature myself. This means I can pour 252 Atk EVs and an +Attack Nature into Arcanine, giving him a lot more potency. I chose a Naughty nature over an Adamant nature because it ensures a kill on Rhyperior if Rhyperior switched into 1 layer of Spikes + SR or 2 Layers of spikes, something I valued as when using him as a lure. Flare Blitz is Arcanine's extremely powerful physical STAB move, and is what keeps Steel pokemon at bay. Extreme Speed is the most powerful priority move, and is a move I rely on to revenge threats like Swellow, Raikou (if he's not behind a sub), Dugtrio, and Houndoom. Hidden Power [Grass] is used on a predicted switch in as a Rock pokemon comes in so that they take heavy damage from SR + Spikes + Hidden Power [Grass]. This will usually put them in a kill range for Arcanine. Morning Sun is something that I rarely get a chance to use, but when I have the opportunity against something like a -1 Venusaur, it is useful to heal 50% that has been lost by either switching into SR (if I haven't gotten it off yet) or from LO + FB recoil.
Other Tested Support Sweeper
Arcanine is named after the Beatles' song, Sun King, because he is a really powerful fire type sweeper. Also, he is my chief answer to Sunny Day teams.
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Rotom @ Leftovers ***** Let It Be
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP/192 SAtk/252 Spd
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Charge Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
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Why This Pokemon: Rotom is an excellent pokemon, and is one of the best spin blockers in UU. With the great 91 Base Speed, it outspeeds much of UU, most importantly Moltres, as well as most Base 95 Pokemon who EV only to outspeed Base 90 pokemon. I tested two other Spin Blockers; Mismagius and Dusclops, and Registeel, but found both to be less useful than Rotom. Rotom can setup on pokemon that give Swellow trouble, especially Registeel. Not only that, but it sets up on Spin Blockers like Donphan, who, if he lacks Assurance, cannot break Substitutes in one hit with Ice Shard. Rotom also works well with Froslass as one of the two Spin Blockers when I need to avoid Foresight Hitmontop, as both have decent enough Special Attack stats to bring him down. I also like Rotom because of its ability to force switches. Its unique Speed forces pokemon like Moltres to either leave and take SR damage on reentry, or die and force another pokemon to take hazards.
Why This Moveset: When I told Huntofthelion about my choice to use SubCharge Rotom, he disagreed, saying that Scarf Rotom would be a better choice. While Scarf Rotom is useful for killing of Swellows, Registeel would wall it, and I needed something that could lure in and beat Registeel consistently. Also, Scarf Rotom doesn't force switches the way that SubCharge does; when people see that Rotom is at +1, the tend to switch around a lot more than when they see a really fast one. 64 HP EVs allows Rotom to use Substitute 5 times, and maximizes Leftover recovery. 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are important to outspeed Rotom's that use Hidden Power [Fighting] and base 90s. The rest of the EVs go to Special Attack. Many of its counters are frail Dark pokemon (see Houndoom), so that in breaking the sub, they will take a lot of damage from Thunderbolt. Substitute and Charge Beam are given on the set. Shadow Ball is a reliable STAB move that deals super effective damage to many Rapid Spinners. I chose to use Thunderbolt over Hidden Power [Fighting]; that one speed point is important to me should I ever need to go one on one with another Rotom. Also, the power of Thunderbolt is greatly preferable to that of Charge Beam, and allows it to deal with Milotic, Blastoise, and other Bulky Waters much quicker. Electric + Ghost also have great coverage, and the few things that resist it in the tier have fairly low Special Defense (see Steelix and Magneton).
Other Tested Spin Blockers
Rotom is named after the Beatles' song, Let it Be, because it blocks Rapid Spinners and shuts down many pokemon, making sure that the hazards stay as they are.
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Swellow (M) @ Toxic Orb ***** Free As A Bird
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack
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Why This Pokemon: Swellow is the pokemon the whole team is based around. Every pokemon on the team is here to ensure that Swellow has an easy sweep when it comes to the end of the game; Froslass sets up Spikes so that Swellow's counters are weakened, Donphan spins away Stealth Rock and sets up SR, Arcanine lures in Rock counters and destroys Steel counters, and Rotom sets up on Registeel and ensures that the Spikes and SR stay on the field. With all these ideal conditions, Swellow can sweep easily for a number of reasons. Swellow is the fastest pokemon in the tier with that great 125 base speed. Initially, Swellow starts off with what isn't a great attack stat (85), but Guts is easily activated, increasing Swellow's attack to huge heights, as well as doubling Facade's Base Power, giving Swellow a 140 BP STAB attack and a 120 BP STAB attack. Swellow's problems as a pokemon are very easy to fix with good support, and by the end of the match it can sweep. Swellow has a great movepool for this set; it can scout its counters with U-Turn, and use Quick Attack on any frail pokemon trying to Sucker Punch it (see Dugtrio or Houndoom). Now that Honchkrow is gone, Swellow really shines as the best Physical bird pokemon in the tier.
Why This Moveset: This is the moveset for Swellow. It is more reliable than Choice Band, and with guaranteed 140 BP STAB, it is more powerful. The freedom to switch attacks and be at +1 with Guts activated is more useful than not taking Toxic Orb Damage. Facade is Swellow's most powerful attack, and with Guts activated it is a force to be reckoned with that 2HKOs UUs most devoted walls. By the time Swellow comes around to make a sweep, Rock and Steel types are either weakened to a point where Swellow can kill them, or completely eliminated. Brave Bird is Swellow's 120 Base Power STAB move which rips through Ghost Pokemon that try to come in Swellow, OHKOing all but Duskclops (who can't do anything to Swellow) and Rotom (who is 2HKOd despite resistance). U-Turn helps to scout for counters early in the game, and is useful for breaking Substitutes when necessary. Finally I chose Quick Attack over Protect because activating Guts is never a problem for Swellow; even without Guts activated it can OHKO Sceptile, do ~80% to Venusaur (OHKO after 2 Layers of Spikes + SR), or it can switch into a Ghost or Ground attack aimed at another pokemon. Quick Attack easily picks off pokemon like Dugtrio and Houndoom who try and Sucker Punch for a kill.
Swellow is named after the Beatles's song Free As A Bird, firstly because he is a bird and also once all the conditions are ready and his counters are removed, he can sweep as free as a bird.
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Conclusion
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This team needed the help of a few people for it to have been as successful as it has been, so I'd like to mention them here.
Huntofthelion: I can't thank Hunt enough for being such an amazing tutor. He taught me an entire tier in a few days, and not even the tier I had signed up for. Hunt always had something to say to help me make the team better, suggesting a moveset like in Froslass or giving me a broader prospective on potential options like with Rotom. To this day, I believe I have only beaten him in UU once because he always wins the damn opening Froslass speed tie. Thanks, Hunt!
Bluewind: I faced Bluewind many times with this team, and I believe we are tied 4-4 match wise. He always challenged me to be a better UU player and forced me to think harder than I had to in other matches. He's been fun to play against, and he's ridiculously good at UU.
Please suggest any fixes to the team if you see it, or to use it yourself if you please =]. It has brought me great success and I want to share it. I've had a lot of fun with this team, and it has taught me how to play UU. Thanks for reading about my team; it's the best competitive team I have ever made.
Art Credits
Fossil: Opening Picture of the whole team. Here is a link to his art thread: Art of Fossil.
Aragornbird: I used his images from his Arkeis Pokemon Factory. Here is a link to his art thread: Aragornbird's Art Gallery.
