Hi Smogon! After getting bored with OU (that must be cliche by now) I decided to delve into UU for some fun. I built this team around one of my favorite sets: Sheer Force Life Orb Nidoking. Anyway, here goes:
[size=+3]ALL HAIL THE KING![/size]
Team at a glance:
[pimg]483[/pimg][pimg]245[/pimg][pimg]260[/pimg][pimg]584[/pimg][pimg]49[/pimg][pimg]34[/pimg]
In Depth:
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Taunt
Obvious lead set here. Seeing as my team lacks a spinner, taunt is important to shut down opposing hazard leads. I'm losing track of how many times I taunt a Bronzong, take a gyro ball thanks to the sash whilst getting a layer of spikes up, and and finish it with a destiny bond. Ice Beam is there to at least do something to an opposing Sableye, who will go for the priority taunt 99% of the time. I have been considering switching to Thunderbolt though, as Blastoise is by far the most annoying spinner for this team. Froslass is everything I need from a dedicated lead, though the use of dedicated leads is diminishing thanks to team preview. While it does it's job most of the time, people who have plans to counter a lead Froslass can have me on the back foot as the battle begins. I'm open to suggestions for replacements here.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Scald
- Sleep Talk
Ahhh... Crocune. I said earlier I built this team around one of my favorite sets, but it wouldn't have been a lie to say I built it around 2. I love Crocune, and find that this set to be one of the best in all of UU. This team doesn't have a dedicated special wall, so Suicune fulfills that role, as well as a late game sweeper. This thing is a beast at stalling, capable of outlasting walls such as Slowbro, Swampert, as well as other Suicune that lack one of either rest or calm mind. Suicune is a monster, and once it gets going, there's almost nothing that can take it down barring the odd specs Roserade or Raikou.
Swampert @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Swampert is a fantastic utility 'mon for my team. He provides rocks, phazing, and the occasional scald burn, boons to pretty much any team. Swampert, with only a grass type weakness, makes for a great physical wall, taking a pittance from 'mons such as scarf Flygon and Darmanitan. His one weakness, grass, is rarely (if ever) seen on UU physical attackers. Ambipom does pack the odd seed bomb, though, so I always have to be wary there. Swampert is also great at handling Sub+CM Raikou, able to eat a +1 HP ice and roar it out, or just break subs with earthquake if it should try to set up. Swampert is plagued, however, by the ubiquity of Shaymin and Roserade. Both can comfortably OHKO with a grass move of their choice, so even with this big guy, you still need to be careful.
Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
Darmanitan: destroyer of worlds. Should I manage to pull off a successful destiny bond KO with Froslass, this is my go to guy for the switch in. His flare blitz hits like a truck, putting severe dents even into things that resist it. Rock slide makes for good coverage, nailing Arcanine and Chandelure expecting to switch into a band or scarf set. This thing is a gosh darn powerhouse. The only things that can safely take flare blitzes from this guy are defensive Swampert, Slowbro, Suicune, and thick far Snorlax, all of which are comfortably dealt with by my own Suicune. Darmanitan is designed to come in early, wreak havoc, and eventually get revenge killed to hopefully allow a safe switch in for...
Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Wonder Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Quiver Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
Venomoth has one absolutely vital role for this team: get in, quiver dance (maybe twice), put something to sleep, and pass those boosts onto Nidoking. Just because it was chosen for one role, however, doesn't mean it's all this bug can do. Venomoth has a couple of very handy 4x resistances: to grass and fighting. Grass is huge, as it would otherwise give my team hell to deal with powerful grass attacks. The only grass resist I have, Darmanitan, isn't exactly a bulky 'mon. Fighting is also a great resistance to have, as it allows me to get by life orb Mienshao, an otherwise very threatening threat. Venomoth can come in, take a high jump kick, and switch immediately out to Swampert, who soaks up the stone edge and can force Mienshao out. Venomoth is also useful for setting up on and taking out Umbreon, who otherwise would stop Nidoking from sweeping.
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
The teams MVP. Really not much to say here. Amazing coverage in his 4 moves, and good enough speed to revenge kill some slower 'mons. If he's passed +1/+1, he's lethal, and at +2/+2, it's game over. The only thing this guy fears is an aqua jet from Azumarill, as Blastoise and Empoleon lack the force to OHKO. Snorlax also needs to be dealt with, as he otherwise sponges even +2 earth powers. Other than that, though, Nidoking absolutely rips teams to shreds with a boost or two. All hail the king.
So, why the RMT?
Well, this team isn't perfect. Strong special attackers give me trouble, so getting a more dedicated special wall in there would be helpful. Also, I'm wondering if it might be useful to use a scarf Darmanitan rather than life orb? But hey, that's why I'm posting here!
Thank you for reading, I'm looking forward to your input!
Importable:
[size=+3]ALL HAIL THE KING![/size]
Team at a glance:
[pimg]483[/pimg][pimg]245[/pimg][pimg]260[/pimg][pimg]584[/pimg][pimg]49[/pimg][pimg]34[/pimg]
In Depth:
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Taunt
Obvious lead set here. Seeing as my team lacks a spinner, taunt is important to shut down opposing hazard leads. I'm losing track of how many times I taunt a Bronzong, take a gyro ball thanks to the sash whilst getting a layer of spikes up, and and finish it with a destiny bond. Ice Beam is there to at least do something to an opposing Sableye, who will go for the priority taunt 99% of the time. I have been considering switching to Thunderbolt though, as Blastoise is by far the most annoying spinner for this team. Froslass is everything I need from a dedicated lead, though the use of dedicated leads is diminishing thanks to team preview. While it does it's job most of the time, people who have plans to counter a lead Froslass can have me on the back foot as the battle begins. I'm open to suggestions for replacements here.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Scald
- Sleep Talk
Ahhh... Crocune. I said earlier I built this team around one of my favorite sets, but it wouldn't have been a lie to say I built it around 2. I love Crocune, and find that this set to be one of the best in all of UU. This team doesn't have a dedicated special wall, so Suicune fulfills that role, as well as a late game sweeper. This thing is a beast at stalling, capable of outlasting walls such as Slowbro, Swampert, as well as other Suicune that lack one of either rest or calm mind. Suicune is a monster, and once it gets going, there's almost nothing that can take it down barring the odd specs Roserade or Raikou.
Swampert @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Swampert is a fantastic utility 'mon for my team. He provides rocks, phazing, and the occasional scald burn, boons to pretty much any team. Swampert, with only a grass type weakness, makes for a great physical wall, taking a pittance from 'mons such as scarf Flygon and Darmanitan. His one weakness, grass, is rarely (if ever) seen on UU physical attackers. Ambipom does pack the odd seed bomb, though, so I always have to be wary there. Swampert is also great at handling Sub+CM Raikou, able to eat a +1 HP ice and roar it out, or just break subs with earthquake if it should try to set up. Swampert is plagued, however, by the ubiquity of Shaymin and Roserade. Both can comfortably OHKO with a grass move of their choice, so even with this big guy, you still need to be careful.
Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
Darmanitan: destroyer of worlds. Should I manage to pull off a successful destiny bond KO with Froslass, this is my go to guy for the switch in. His flare blitz hits like a truck, putting severe dents even into things that resist it. Rock slide makes for good coverage, nailing Arcanine and Chandelure expecting to switch into a band or scarf set. This thing is a gosh darn powerhouse. The only things that can safely take flare blitzes from this guy are defensive Swampert, Slowbro, Suicune, and thick far Snorlax, all of which are comfortably dealt with by my own Suicune. Darmanitan is designed to come in early, wreak havoc, and eventually get revenge killed to hopefully allow a safe switch in for...
Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Wonder Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Quiver Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
Venomoth has one absolutely vital role for this team: get in, quiver dance (maybe twice), put something to sleep, and pass those boosts onto Nidoking. Just because it was chosen for one role, however, doesn't mean it's all this bug can do. Venomoth has a couple of very handy 4x resistances: to grass and fighting. Grass is huge, as it would otherwise give my team hell to deal with powerful grass attacks. The only grass resist I have, Darmanitan, isn't exactly a bulky 'mon. Fighting is also a great resistance to have, as it allows me to get by life orb Mienshao, an otherwise very threatening threat. Venomoth can come in, take a high jump kick, and switch immediately out to Swampert, who soaks up the stone edge and can force Mienshao out. Venomoth is also useful for setting up on and taking out Umbreon, who otherwise would stop Nidoking from sweeping.
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
The teams MVP. Really not much to say here. Amazing coverage in his 4 moves, and good enough speed to revenge kill some slower 'mons. If he's passed +1/+1, he's lethal, and at +2/+2, it's game over. The only thing this guy fears is an aqua jet from Azumarill, as Blastoise and Empoleon lack the force to OHKO. Snorlax also needs to be dealt with, as he otherwise sponges even +2 earth powers. Other than that, though, Nidoking absolutely rips teams to shreds with a boost or two. All hail the king.
So, why the RMT?
Well, this team isn't perfect. Strong special attackers give me trouble, so getting a more dedicated special wall in there would be helpful. Also, I'm wondering if it might be useful to use a scarf Darmanitan rather than life orb? But hey, that's why I'm posting here!
Thank you for reading, I'm looking forward to your input!
Importable:
Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Wonder Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Quiver Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
Swampert @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Scald
- Sleep Talk
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Taunt
Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
Trait: Wonder Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Quiver Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
Swampert @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Scald
- Sleep Talk
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
- Taunt
Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
