In case you haven't been on the ladder recently, you probably have not battled me, but most people have, so this is basically just showing off the team. I originally designed this team to be able to easily take on the top 20, and it's worked pretty well. I also want to post this before the whole BL tier is moved down for testing, as it's a good example of an UU team.
At a glance:
Team:
Shiftry @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Chloryphyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Leaf Storm
- Dark Pulse
- Explosion
- Hidden Power Ice
Description: When I decided I wanted this team to be able to take on most of UU, I also meant the leads. So, looking at Doug’s statistics, I picked out a lead that can handle the top 5 leads quite nicely, Choice Scarf Shiftry. Ghost-type leads like Froslass and Rotom are handled with Dark Pulse, getting 2HKOed, and normally Froslass will try and set up Spikes because the opponent will think I’ll switch. Electrode leads are a hard thing to deal with. Because I’m running Naive, I just barely don’t OHKO with Leaf Storm, so if I’m facing a very competent opponent, I might Explode just so it can’t set up Rain. It normally thinks I’m slower, but with a boosting nature and a Choice Scarf, I outspeed it. Swellow leads are dealt with by Leaf Storm or Hidden Power Ice, which also comes in handy for revenge-killing DD Altaria. Persian can Fake Out, but it is then OHKOed by Leaf Storm before it can U-turn. If I run into Hitmontop, I simply switch out to Claydol to take anything it can throw at it.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 114 SpA
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- Ice Beam
- Reflect
Description: Claydol is my counter to the current most used UU Pokemon, Hitmontop, who Claydol can seriously hurt with Psychic. Claydol also helps with countering the Fighting-types of UU like Hitmonlee, as well as other physical sweepers like Altaria, who is OHKOed by Ice Beam. Claydol also sets up my Stealth Rock, destroying Focus Sash and Scyther and Altaria are no longer threats. Earth Power gets STAB and also is good for destroying Electric-types, Probopass, and Steelix. Steelix walls my primary physical sweeper, so Claydol is needed to get it out of the way. I’m currently testing Reflect over it to help with my set-up, so I’d like some opinions.
Clefable @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
- Thunder Wave
- Softboiled
- Fire Blast
- Seismic Toss
Description: Clefable helps me wall the special threats in the top 20, like Venusaur, Ninetales, Rotom, and Froslass. I chose this “UU Blissey” set to get the most out of that. Thunder Wave strikes down UU LO Sweepers like Ninetales before they can 2-3HKO me, letting me stall them out, killing them thanks to LO, with Softboiled. Fire Blast helps me a bit more than Ice Beam because I figured I already had enough Ice-type moves on the team, and it hits Ghost and Electric-types, which my team can’t really get around. Seismic Toss lets me handle stat-up Pokemon like CM Grumpig, and do some nice damage to most other things. Clefable also functions as a handy status absorber thanks to Toxic Orb.
Hitmontop @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Revenge
Description: Hitmontop is the last Pokemon in my defensive core, and it is here for one reason, Absol. Absol is way too much of a threat to let it go without a counter, and Hitmontop takes any set easily, and OHKOes back with Mach Punch. To make Hitmontop just a counter to Absol, I chose the Bulk Up set, to boost its Attack and Defenses and let it sweep. Mach Punch is the primary move on the set letting Hitmontop bypasses its mediocre Speed to hit faster opponents, and Stone Edge provides good coverage. Revenge is the last move, and it gets to 120 BP when you go last, effectively making it more useful then Close Combat.
Absol @ Life Orb
Ability: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
- Psycho Cut
Description: Absol is the absolute best phyiscal sweeper in UU, hands down. After a Sword Dance, Absol is able to OHKO practically every sweeper in the tier, as well as delivering quick OHKOes to Grumpig and Hypno, who wall the other two moves, while also hitting Rotom and Claydol. Superpower allows Absol to actually hit Dark-types, and 2HKOes Steelix and OHKOes Clefable, and the Attack drop isn't that bad considering I'm normally already up +2. Psycho Cut is the last move, and unlike others, I think it's absolutely needed. Whenever I begin my set-up, a bulky Poison-type come in to take me on, but is promptly OHKOed by Psycho Cut. Weezing, Venusaur, Muk, and Nidoqueen all fall to this beast. Absol is simply amazing.
Altaria @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Atk / 66 SpA / 190 Spe
Nature: Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Description: This is my twist on Mixed Altaria and DDAltaria. With the given EVs, I can easily 2HKO Steelix with Fire Blast, a feat that a normally DDAltaria can't do without a Dragon Dance. Anyways, I wanted to be able to actually counter Venusaur and other Altarias while also having another sweeper, so I came up with this. It takes Venusaur's Leaf Storms like nothing, and outspeeds other Altarias thanks to the 190 Speed EVs instead of the standard 184, so that it then OHKOs with Outrage no matter what. Rash helps my Special Attack, and I don't really need to be surviving Special hits anyways.
Threat List:
Hitmontop: Easily countered and 2HKOed by Claydol
Rotom: Clefable can easily switch in and paralyze and proceed to Fire Blast it
Absol: Hitmontop utterly walls it and OHKOes with Mach Punch
Ninetales: Clefable takes anything and Thunder Waves
Venusaur: Altaria takes anything except HP Ice, and sets up
Altaria: Claydol can stop it before it DDs with Ice Beam
Froslass: Easily walled and destroyed by Clefable
At a glance:
Team:
Shiftry @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Chloryphyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Leaf Storm
- Dark Pulse
- Explosion
- Hidden Power Ice
Description: When I decided I wanted this team to be able to take on most of UU, I also meant the leads. So, looking at Doug’s statistics, I picked out a lead that can handle the top 5 leads quite nicely, Choice Scarf Shiftry. Ghost-type leads like Froslass and Rotom are handled with Dark Pulse, getting 2HKOed, and normally Froslass will try and set up Spikes because the opponent will think I’ll switch. Electrode leads are a hard thing to deal with. Because I’m running Naive, I just barely don’t OHKO with Leaf Storm, so if I’m facing a very competent opponent, I might Explode just so it can’t set up Rain. It normally thinks I’m slower, but with a boosting nature and a Choice Scarf, I outspeed it. Swellow leads are dealt with by Leaf Storm or Hidden Power Ice, which also comes in handy for revenge-killing DD Altaria. Persian can Fake Out, but it is then OHKOed by Leaf Storm before it can U-turn. If I run into Hitmontop, I simply switch out to Claydol to take anything it can throw at it.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 114 SpA
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- Ice Beam
- Reflect
Description: Claydol is my counter to the current most used UU Pokemon, Hitmontop, who Claydol can seriously hurt with Psychic. Claydol also helps with countering the Fighting-types of UU like Hitmonlee, as well as other physical sweepers like Altaria, who is OHKOed by Ice Beam. Claydol also sets up my Stealth Rock, destroying Focus Sash and Scyther and Altaria are no longer threats. Earth Power gets STAB and also is good for destroying Electric-types, Probopass, and Steelix. Steelix walls my primary physical sweeper, so Claydol is needed to get it out of the way. I’m currently testing Reflect over it to help with my set-up, so I’d like some opinions.
Clefable @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
- Thunder Wave
- Softboiled
- Fire Blast
- Seismic Toss
Description: Clefable helps me wall the special threats in the top 20, like Venusaur, Ninetales, Rotom, and Froslass. I chose this “UU Blissey” set to get the most out of that. Thunder Wave strikes down UU LO Sweepers like Ninetales before they can 2-3HKO me, letting me stall them out, killing them thanks to LO, with Softboiled. Fire Blast helps me a bit more than Ice Beam because I figured I already had enough Ice-type moves on the team, and it hits Ghost and Electric-types, which my team can’t really get around. Seismic Toss lets me handle stat-up Pokemon like CM Grumpig, and do some nice damage to most other things. Clefable also functions as a handy status absorber thanks to Toxic Orb.
Hitmontop @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Revenge
Description: Hitmontop is the last Pokemon in my defensive core, and it is here for one reason, Absol. Absol is way too much of a threat to let it go without a counter, and Hitmontop takes any set easily, and OHKOes back with Mach Punch. To make Hitmontop just a counter to Absol, I chose the Bulk Up set, to boost its Attack and Defenses and let it sweep. Mach Punch is the primary move on the set letting Hitmontop bypasses its mediocre Speed to hit faster opponents, and Stone Edge provides good coverage. Revenge is the last move, and it gets to 120 BP when you go last, effectively making it more useful then Close Combat.
Absol @ Life Orb
Ability: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
- Psycho Cut
Description: Absol is the absolute best phyiscal sweeper in UU, hands down. After a Sword Dance, Absol is able to OHKO practically every sweeper in the tier, as well as delivering quick OHKOes to Grumpig and Hypno, who wall the other two moves, while also hitting Rotom and Claydol. Superpower allows Absol to actually hit Dark-types, and 2HKOes Steelix and OHKOes Clefable, and the Attack drop isn't that bad considering I'm normally already up +2. Psycho Cut is the last move, and unlike others, I think it's absolutely needed. Whenever I begin my set-up, a bulky Poison-type come in to take me on, but is promptly OHKOed by Psycho Cut. Weezing, Venusaur, Muk, and Nidoqueen all fall to this beast. Absol is simply amazing.
Altaria @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Atk / 66 SpA / 190 Spe
Nature: Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Description: This is my twist on Mixed Altaria and DDAltaria. With the given EVs, I can easily 2HKO Steelix with Fire Blast, a feat that a normally DDAltaria can't do without a Dragon Dance. Anyways, I wanted to be able to actually counter Venusaur and other Altarias while also having another sweeper, so I came up with this. It takes Venusaur's Leaf Storms like nothing, and outspeeds other Altarias thanks to the 190 Speed EVs instead of the standard 184, so that it then OHKOs with Outrage no matter what. Rash helps my Special Attack, and I don't really need to be surviving Special hits anyways.
Threat List:
Hitmontop: Easily countered and 2HKOed by Claydol
Rotom: Clefable can easily switch in and paralyze and proceed to Fire Blast it
Absol: Hitmontop utterly walls it and OHKOes with Mach Punch
Ninetales: Clefable takes anything and Thunder Waves
Venusaur: Altaria takes anything except HP Ice, and sets up
Altaria: Claydol can stop it before it DDs with Ice Beam
Froslass: Easily walled and destroyed by Clefable
