Hey Smogon. It's been a long time since I posted a team, so I decided that I'd post the team I'm "laddering" with (I don't think you can see your score on the Lab yet) This team really has been doing well, and has peaked at #29 on the PO ladder. Theme of the team's obviously: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, since Heracross (Buffy) is basically the star of most teams nowadays.
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: ModestEVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Sleep powder
Leaf Storm
Sludge Bomb
HP Flying
Venusaur's my lead. To put it simply, with Venusaur 75% of the time the opposing lead doesn't get SR up, or do anything for that matter. Venusaur's bulk, speed and power are extremely crucial to this team's success. She acts as my revenge killer later on in the match, able to outrun things like Swellow and once DDd Feraligatr, which can make a huge difference. Other than a revenge killer, she can easily deal with opposing bulky waters and grasses like Milotic and Leafeon thanks to her STAB moves
Sleep Powder is seen on basically every Venusaur, since it's able to completely cripple another Pokemon. This is especially important in the lead position, since every team like not having to deal with entry hazards. Leaf Storm is the "powerhouse" move of choice, since it can kill things like full HP Rotom and Alakazam, and obviously things that are weak to it. Thanks to the Scarf, Venusaur can even outrun Rhperior after a Rock Polish, getting the OHKO. Sludge Bomb deals with other grass types like Sceptile and Leafeon, again getting a OHKO on both. I think Venusaur can even outrun Tangrowth in the sun, and I assume it's able to kill it as well. HP Flying is basically just for Heracross, which is on nearly every team, but has little utility outside of that. It'd be great if someone could suggest a more productive move in the last slot.
Anya is/was a vengeance demon in Buffy. Her job was to punish (mutilate and kill) men who mistreated women. I thought it fitting that Venusaur be called Anya, since she's also a revenge killer, and frankly, looks like a demon.
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Substitute
Pain Split
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
I guess you could say that Willow's the special sweeper on the team. High speed, high special attack, excellent coverage only using STAB moves, what's not to like? Having used SubSplit Gengar to great success in OU, I simply KNOW how to use this set. Her power really isn't to be underestimated, since she can 2HKO a large part of the metagame, like Rhyperior, who often invests in bulk. The horrible cycle of SubSplit lets her be a nuisance as well as a threat.
Substitute is obviously the crux of the set. Throw one up on something Rotom can scare out, like Moltres, and proceed from there. Substitute blocks status, Trick and the like, and obviously helps Rotom replenish more health with Pain Split. Pain Split, normally an unreliable healing move, works wonders with Substitute. I don't think I really need to explain how it works, but just for those who don't: the lower my HP than the opponents, the more health I recover and the more they lose. Thunderbolt is her most powerful attack, and can rip though things like Heracross and Blaziken. Just because it isn't super effective, doesn't mean it doesn't hit hard. Shadow Ball is the secondary STAB, doing big damage to bulky Grounds and Grasses who resist Thunderbolt. A combination of the two lets me hit all of UU for neutral damage except Steelix and Magneton.
Willow's possibly the most powerful member of the Scooby gang. She's a witch, who once became evil and then good again. Rotom fits right into the spirit world, being a ghost and all.
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Guts
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
Rest
Sleep Talk
Close Combat
Megahorn
Heracross, the new champ of UU. Gone from Zero to Hero, as some people say. Anyway, this, IMHO, is the most effective set she can run, along with the Scarf set. She's able to hit like a complete truck, only using STABs again, like Rotom, and heal herself up. When awake, she hit's a little less hard than when she's asleep, but can obviously choose the right moves. When asleep, with Guts activated, it's obviously viceversa.
Rest lets Heracross recover all her health in a single turn. As you all know, Heracross can be worn down very quickly through entry hazards, burn/poison, Substitute and LO. This set turns it upside down, letting her keep on coming and coming. People normally consider Heracross a one shot deal, but this moveset can last the whole match. Sleep Talk lets her deal catastrophic damage with her STAB 120 BP attack with LO and Guts. Close Combat is the most reliable attack, but not the one I open out with (ghosts suck). It easily kills even physical walls like Donphan and Milotic. Megahorn is the other STAB. When asleep, it can OHKO stuff like Mismagius, who resists it. We're talking some serious firepower here.
Buffy's the Slayer. So is Heracross. Also, look at the heart-shaped horn. isn't that just awesome? Ironically, the only Vampire in UU is Golbat, who completely walls Buffy.
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Adamant
EVs; 28 HP / 252 Att / 228 Spe
Dragon Dance
Waterfall
Ice Punch
Earthquake
Coming from the OU to the UU metagame, I wanted to use sets I'm familiar with like Rotom for Gengar and in this case, Gyarados for Feraligatr. Really, they play basically identically. Endgame powerful, bulky sweeper that sets up with DD and excellent water STAB. I have to say though, I'm loving the lack of a SR weakness. He's also really bulky with Leftovers, able to survive +2 HP Grass from Entei. After a DD, he outruns the base 120s and OHKOs them all. Not eager to change this guy, 'cause he's such a reliable sweeper.
Dragon Dance, the best boosting move in the game. We all know how this move works. With the boost, he can kill many Pokemon. With two, it's GG. Waterfall is his STAB move with a handy flinch fate. It smacks around things like Rhyperior and Arcanine, and is generally the most used move. With Torrent activated, very little can stand up to Waterfall. Ice Punch is for the Grass types that will obviously come in on him. Earthquake completes the set, letting him hit Water Pokemon. Also gets the super effective hit on incoming electrics.
I'm afraid I didn't know who to call Xander, so I just slapped it on Feraligatr. He's the only guy without any special powers, so I guess you can link it to the fact he only has one STAB lol. Spike would fit, but he's much better off on Houndoom.
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Att / 216 SpD
Stealth Rock
Thunder Wave
Seismic Toss
Iron Head
Registeel just fits onto so many UU teams as a Special wall and tank. His bulk and resistances easily let him come in, set up rocks, paralyze incoming sweepers and attack when neccessary. Not replacing Registeel, since he can check so many things and let me gain momentum.
Stealth Rock is the most used move in the game for good reason. I'm not gonna bother explaining this. Thunder Wave cripples sweepers, and is the only status Heracross doesn't enjoy, so that's staying. Seismic Toss lets Registeel deal consistent damage to anything that isn't a ghost type, while Iron Head lets me use a nice para-flinch tactic, and is generally a reliable move.
Giles is Buffy's Watcher (look at those eyes). He supports them through his wisdom and, lol, life experience. Since Registeel's the support unit, he fits in perfectly.
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Hasty
EVs: 100 Att / 182 SpA / 228 Spe
Pursuit
Sucker Punch
Fire Blast
HP Water
Houndoom rounds off the team, also completing the infamous FWG core. He kills ghosts for Heracross, and is generally a powerful ally to have, much like Spike himself. Immunities to Heracross' weaknesses help him switch in, and he appreciates the lack of entry hazard on my side Venusaur provides. I don't see the reason for max attack on the MixDoom set, so I gave him 100 EVs, which allows him to OHKO Dugtrio after SR. He still gets all the KOs on the Ghosts and Psychics as well. The speed EVs let him outrun maxed out Rotom, and the rest are dumped into SpA in order to hit things like Spiritomb harder off of Houndooms naturally higher SpA stat.
Pursuit and Sucker Punch are to play mindgames with my opponents. Sucker Punch also helps as a powerful STAB priority attack to kill fast things like Sceptile. Fire Blast is his strongest move, and deals great damage to Spiritomb, who he walls. HP Water is for other Fire types and Rhyperior, who gets OHKOd 100% of the time.
Spike is the most easily my favourite character in the Buffy series. He's a punkish, rebellious Vamp who sometimes helps out the Scoobies, but at heart he's a true villain (until he gets his soul that is).
So that's my team. I'll update Regi and Doom later, cause I have to go now. Thanks in advance!
