Hey guys.
I've only recently gotten interested in competitive battling and have quickly learned how good some players are here in the Smogon community. I'm concentrating on the UU metagame because I find it far more entertaining so I've assembled the following team. I've had moderate success with it and I'm quite comfortable with the Pokemon I have selected; but there is still room for improvement and I know I need to make adjustments to cater for some notable threats (Crobat and Registeel have proven troublesome) but I'm not quite sure what I should do yet. Feedback would be greatly appreciated if you have any. :]
Kabutops [Secondary Sweeper]
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 40 HP, 252 ATK, 216 SPE
Item: Choice Band
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- X-Scissor
The pokemon that I'm the least happy with. The original idea was to have Scyther switch into Kabutops when faced with Ice and Rock types and proceed to continue the sweep himself. I dislike the fact that he and Scyther both use Choice Bands though as it is quite limiting and renders Scyther even more vulnerable to Stealth Rock. Swords Dance is another way to go but rather then switching out the opposing rock Pokemon is likely to dish out an Earthquake instead. Registeel walls him completely but at least he can easily dispatch an incoming Grass with a Choice Banded X-Scissor.
Nidoking [Boltbeam Surprise]
Ability: Poison Point
Nature: Rash
EVs: 200 ATK, 56 SPE, 252 SATK
Item: Life Orb
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power (Grass)
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Scyther switches out on an incoming Electric or Rock attack and Nidoking proceeds to counter. If the opponent electric doesnt switch out and gets Earthquaked it is generally presumed to be a physical sweeper; and incoming counters are then Hidden Powered, Ice Beamed or Thunderbolted on the switch. Nidoking doesn't have the stamina to take a super effective hit so if he doesnt OHKO the incoming Earthquakers or Water pokemon then he switches out immediately. Rivalry is a possible option for him because he holds a Life Orb but I'd like some advice on whether that would be a good choice or not first.
Scyther [Core Sweeper]
Ability: Technician
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 112HP, 216 ATK, 180 SPD
Item: Choice Band
- Aerial Ace
- Pursuit
- Reversal
- X-Scissor
The core of my team. Scyther is my favourite Pokemon of all time and any adjustments made to this team will keep him in mind. He's staying no matter what! He has Reversal instead of Brick Break for the simple fact that Stealth Rock often renders him low on health quite quickly and there is currently no rapid spinner on the team. Two stealth rock switch-ins means he's ready to reversal until he is walled or killed. Still I think I'd rather have a rapid spinner on this time to remove the threat and let him Swords Dance to increase his damage output but that's something I'd like your opinion on.
Espeon [Crybaby]
Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Timid
EVs: 6 HP, 252 SATK, 252 SPE
Item: Leftovers
- Psychic
- Hidden Power (Fighting)
- Fake Tears
- Baton Pass
Her main purpose is to switch in at an opportune moment on a Pokemon with little offensive capability or into a status effect to sync it onto the user. This is followed (depending on the inflicted status) by Fake Tears to force a switch out. If they dont switch, their crippled Special Defense is blasted with Espeon's STAB Psychic or a Hidden Power Fighting. One problem is that Spiritomb completely walls her. Obviously she is not baton passing anything, she has it to switch out without threat from Pursuit. Espeon was a recent addition instead of Mesprit; I'm still not sure which of the two I prefer though.
Rotom [Annoy-Om]
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 6 HP, 252 SPE, 252 SATK
Item: Leftovers
- Will-o-wisp
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Confuse Ray
Rotom is there to annoy. He is there to cripple to physical sweepers with burn. He is there to paralyse the rest. He is there to make sure your next move is not always going to happen, regardless of what you are. He is pretty straight forward but he is effective. When Absol meets a Crobat lead he can switch in on its incoming U-Turn without too much harm and proceed to plague the opponent with status effects. In fact his typing and ability riddles him with resistances that allow him to switch in on several Pokemon and then do his thing.
I've only recently gotten interested in competitive battling and have quickly learned how good some players are here in the Smogon community. I'm concentrating on the UU metagame because I find it far more entertaining so I've assembled the following team. I've had moderate success with it and I'm quite comfortable with the Pokemon I have selected; but there is still room for improvement and I know I need to make adjustments to cater for some notable threats (Crobat and Registeel have proven troublesome) but I'm not quite sure what I should do yet. Feedback would be greatly appreciated if you have any. :]
The Team
Absol [Anti-Lead]
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Hasty
EVs: 4 HP, 252 ATK, 252 SPE
Item: Focus Sash
- Taunt
- Counter
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Wave
She's your typical Absol anti-lead except I've discarded an offensive attack like Night Slash or Psycho Cut for Thunder Wave. If the enemy lead is slow and is bound to try to set up (Uxie) then it's taunted and forced to either attack (won't happen) or usually switch to a physical sweeper (Fighting types commonly make the mistake). Thunder Wave on the incoming. If I think it will kill OHKO her she kills them off with counter, if they're a special sweeper they are either Sucker Punch'ed or taunted if I expect they'll try to Nasty Plot or Calm Mind. Crobat leads tend to immediately U-Turn (never OHKO's) so I switch to Rotom or Scyther to diffuse that.
Absol [Anti-Lead]
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Hasty
EVs: 4 HP, 252 ATK, 252 SPE
Item: Focus Sash
- Taunt
- Counter
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Wave
Kabutops [Secondary Sweeper]
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 40 HP, 252 ATK, 216 SPE
Item: Choice Band
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- X-Scissor
The pokemon that I'm the least happy with. The original idea was to have Scyther switch into Kabutops when faced with Ice and Rock types and proceed to continue the sweep himself. I dislike the fact that he and Scyther both use Choice Bands though as it is quite limiting and renders Scyther even more vulnerable to Stealth Rock. Swords Dance is another way to go but rather then switching out the opposing rock Pokemon is likely to dish out an Earthquake instead. Registeel walls him completely but at least he can easily dispatch an incoming Grass with a Choice Banded X-Scissor.
Nidoking [Boltbeam Surprise]
Ability: Poison Point
Nature: Rash
EVs: 200 ATK, 56 SPE, 252 SATK
Item: Life Orb
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power (Grass)
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Scyther switches out on an incoming Electric or Rock attack and Nidoking proceeds to counter. If the opponent electric doesnt switch out and gets Earthquaked it is generally presumed to be a physical sweeper; and incoming counters are then Hidden Powered, Ice Beamed or Thunderbolted on the switch. Nidoking doesn't have the stamina to take a super effective hit so if he doesnt OHKO the incoming Earthquakers or Water pokemon then he switches out immediately. Rivalry is a possible option for him because he holds a Life Orb but I'd like some advice on whether that would be a good choice or not first.
Scyther [Core Sweeper]
Ability: Technician
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 112HP, 216 ATK, 180 SPD
Item: Choice Band
- Aerial Ace
- Pursuit
- Reversal
- X-Scissor
The core of my team. Scyther is my favourite Pokemon of all time and any adjustments made to this team will keep him in mind. He's staying no matter what! He has Reversal instead of Brick Break for the simple fact that Stealth Rock often renders him low on health quite quickly and there is currently no rapid spinner on the team. Two stealth rock switch-ins means he's ready to reversal until he is walled or killed. Still I think I'd rather have a rapid spinner on this time to remove the threat and let him Swords Dance to increase his damage output but that's something I'd like your opinion on.
Espeon [Crybaby]
Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Timid
EVs: 6 HP, 252 SATK, 252 SPE
Item: Leftovers
- Psychic
- Hidden Power (Fighting)
- Fake Tears
- Baton Pass
Her main purpose is to switch in at an opportune moment on a Pokemon with little offensive capability or into a status effect to sync it onto the user. This is followed (depending on the inflicted status) by Fake Tears to force a switch out. If they dont switch, their crippled Special Defense is blasted with Espeon's STAB Psychic or a Hidden Power Fighting. One problem is that Spiritomb completely walls her. Obviously she is not baton passing anything, she has it to switch out without threat from Pursuit. Espeon was a recent addition instead of Mesprit; I'm still not sure which of the two I prefer though.
Rotom [Annoy-Om]
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 6 HP, 252 SPE, 252 SATK
Item: Leftovers
- Will-o-wisp
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Confuse Ray
Rotom is there to annoy. He is there to cripple to physical sweepers with burn. He is there to paralyse the rest. He is there to make sure your next move is not always going to happen, regardless of what you are. He is pretty straight forward but he is effective. When Absol meets a Crobat lead he can switch in on its incoming U-Turn without too much harm and proceed to plague the opponent with status effects. In fact his typing and ability riddles him with resistances that allow him to switch in on several Pokemon and then do his thing.
