My first foray into the Ubers tier was a Drown All-eqsue team that changed and changed like the tides until it eventually turned into this. It's been a solid team with no glaring weaknesses, and very reliable: it got me to #5 on the PO Ubers ladder, where I usually play since Smogon's ladder is often empty. Then someone evidently registered an account with my alt's name and I can't use the account anymore ... but in any case the people who were above me had crazy ratings (over 1900, really?) and there was no way I could catch them.
This team peaked around #5 on the PO ladder at around ~1600 rating. It hit the top ten on the Smogon ladder as well I believe, but I don't often play there.
PS: I may lie about the EV spreads ... (lol)
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Water Spout
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Thunder
I chose Kyogre mainly because I'd read a lot about how strong Kyogre was, so I wanted to see for myself. I've never been disappointed. Kyogre is on my team not because I wanted it to be a rain team, but because it's simply got so much independent merit. The damage output is huge even when I can't use Water Spout, and Kyogre has been a remarkably reliable Scarfer. As a result the rest of my team has evolved to battle in constant rain.
This is a very standard Kyogre moveset, so nothing much to say here. I originally had 64 HP EVs Drown All style, but after losing a few speed ties I simply went for maximum speed. Timid is still a possibility to beat out Deoxys-A, but I've been loathe to sacrifice the power.
Zekrom @ Leftovers
Trait: Terravolt
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Substitute
- Hone Claws
- Bolt Strike
- Outrage
As Jibaku once commented, rain vs. rain often became Ferrothorn wars. I needed something that could punish Ferrothorn and isn't too hampered by the rain. shrang suggested Zekrom, and Zekrom has stayed. Aside from setting up on Ferrothorn, it provides an important 4x Electric resist and like all the bulky Uber Pokemon out there it can take a stray hit (say from unboosted EK Arceus) and hit back.
Again this is a standard Sub Claws Zekrom set. I chose Jolly to speed creep some more (it's all the tier's fault for being so centralized around base 90 ...), and have Outrage because Dragon Claw just doesn't hit Groudon hard enough. Admittedly, +1 Outrage still doesn't hurt Groudon hard enough, but it does hit for tremendous damage and may well win me the weather war.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
Thank Arceus for Skarmory, for it is one of the most solid counters to EK Arceus out there. I'm using the physically defensive spread to further counter Arceus. Specially defensive is OK, but it does mean Skarmory can be worn down easier, viz. by a Stone Edge crit from LO Groudon. Skarmory is generally not meant to take special hits anyway. The movepool is really cramped, and Skarmory is complete Taunt bait. I wish I could put Stealth Rock elsewhere, but there just hasn't been enough room, so here we are.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
- Body Slam
- U-turn
- Wish
- Healing Wish
I really like Jirachi - in the rain it a superb counter to Mewtwo and Deoxys-A, not to mention many other special attackers. This is why Skarmory doesn't need the SpD EVs: Jirachi will take any Draco Meteors that come its way with no fear. Only problem is Jirachi has a really cramped movepool. Paralysis pwns no matter who it ends up on, and with Serene Grace Body Slam is quite good at spreading paralysis. U-turn buys me momentum and can get Wish to an important teammate. One nice thing here is that SubClaws Zekrom cannot set up on Jirachi, because Body Slam will fail to take out the Substitute, but U-turn will remove it. With Jirachi slower than Zekrom (usually) as well, I get to bring in a counter without taking a hit. Wish is good for generic healing, but with no space for Protect Jirachi often does not get to heal itself. Too bad. Finally Healing Wish is the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. I love the move: it can bring Kyogre back to full health, or remove Zekrom's status if it's unfortunate enough to switch into Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave or Toxic. I've even used Healing Wish to save myself from EK Arceus, rejuvenating Skarmory after my opponent had taken it to red health with no chance to heal up. The amount of versatility Healing Wish gives is stupendous.
I love my Jirachi, it's a shame it doesn't get more use.
Arceus @ Draco Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Spe / 144 SpD
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Judgment
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
Dragon Arceus is without a doubt the strangest member of my team. Frankly I'm using it simply because I needed a strong Water resist - courtesy of Kyogre, every Ubers team needs to have one. Until Latias gets Soul Dew, the various Arceus formes are really the only Pokemon in the game (Gastrodon and Quagsire don't count) that can switch into Kyogre and still have instant recovery. The EVs point the same way: enough speed to outpace Garchomp, conveniently also enough to outspeed all non-Scarf Kyogre, and then as much special bulk as possible because it's Surfs and Water Spouts that Arceus will be tanking.
I chose Dragon typing because it also boasted resistances to Fire and Electric. I'm considering Grass Arceus instead, because Dragon Arceus is no solid counter to Specs Kyogre, but that would be three Fire-weak Pokemon on the team. Offensively the team would suffer as well: Pokemon such as Reshiram can be dropped by Dragon Arceus (who survives a hit in return) but not by Grass Arceus. The Ice and Dragon weaknesses aren't too bad. Jirachi can take Ice Beams and Draco Meteors no problem, while Skarmory has no trouble with Outrage. Arceus can survive an unboosted hit as well if it has to, and retaliate with its own super effective Judgment.
I've a Calm Mind mono-attacking Dragon Arceus for, to be honest, no reason in particular. I vaguely remember choosing Calm Mind just so I can Calm Mind alongside Kyogre, or take Scarf Water Spout and Calm Mind to reduce the damage from the next Water Spout. Recover is obvious on a defensive set and so is Judgment for STAB. I don't remember why I have Refresh, but it's nice to be able to remove the pink blobs' status moves, not to mention random stuff like Toxic Spikes and Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave.
Darkrai @ Leftovers
Trait: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dark Void
- Substitute
- Focus Blast
- Dark Pulse
The final slot in my team is essentially free. I've used Deoxys-A here before, so really any other sweeper works. After testing however Darkrai simply worked the best for me. It could be just me, but it seems to me that Darkrai is the best standalone sweeper in the tier, beating out even Mewtwo.
I'm using Substitute instead of Nasty Plot because it's very unlikely Darkrai will take out an entire team by himself. Certainly I've never been swept completely by a Darkrai, with this team or many others. Substitute on the other hand provides valuable scouting power without giving up on coverage. Darkrai's 135 base SpA goes a long way towards hitting hard even without Life Orb and Nasty Plot, too.
Short threat list
The team has no glaring weaknesses, that much my playtesting has told me. It has trouble with some Pokemon more than others, but all the most major threats are well covered, and it has no glaring weaknesses. Nonetheless, there are definitely some Pokemon that, with certain movesets, can give me trouble.
Arceus - every team must have an answer to Arceus. Mine is Skarmory. Arceus cannot touch it, ever. It cannot touch it even if it gets help from Pokemon such as Garchomp; Skarmory will simply Roost off, put down hazards, and Whirlwind Arceus away. There's some trouble if Arceus is the last Pokemon. If that happens I try mightily not to let it set up and then defeat it with Kyogre and Darkrai. Jirachi can take a hit if need be and pray for the paralysis (although Extremespeed bypasses ...), so can Zekrom.
Darkrai - there are very few teams without a Darkrai weakness, and mine is no exception. A lot depends on which Pokemon I have out at the time; I will sacrifice whichever feels like the most useless Pokemon at the time to sleep. As long as Kyogre stays alive, Darkrai cannot sweep me. My own Darkrai can also speed tie, Jirachi can take a hit if necessary to paralyze / break Sub / bring in a counter unscathed. After Darkrai goes down, I can use Healing Wish to bring my slept Pokemon back into play.
Deoxys-A - everything in the game is 2HKOed by Deoxys-A, but in SpD Jirachi I have as much of a counter as imaginable. Even if Deoxys-A has HP Fire or Fire Punch, I do have the rain, and I've never seen Deoxys-A with HP Ground.
Dialga - Dialga sucks because it's so versatile. Bulk Up sets are countered by Skarmory, while Jirachi can take Draco Meteors and Fire Blasts in the rain, but it barely does anything back. Kyogre can slam it hard and survive a hit, but it might have Thunder Wave or Thunder ... thankfully Dialga has no reliable recovery so I can wear it down. If given the choice, Dialga is one of my primary targets for Darkrai's Dark Void. Dragon Arceus can live Draco Meteor and Recover off the damage, but that really is a last-ditch option.
Kyogre - Specs Kyogre is a problem because it will 2HKO my Arceus. I outspeed, but unboosted Judgment doesn't do enough to save Arceus. It's not very common at the moment, but if it happens then I take the knowledge that Kyogre is Specs and play accordingly. Zekrom can OHKO with Bolt Strike if it comes to it, and Darkrai + my own Kyogre outspeeds as well. The other Kyogre variants are no problem.
Manaphy - Zekrom is my primary answer to Manaphy. Kyogre can also Thunder it if necessary.
Mewtwo - Jirachi in the rain is one of the very few Mewtwo walls, and hey, I have one =)
Rayquaza - walled by Skarmory, usually, who can take a Draco Meteor and live too. Unfortunately Overheat will kill Skarmory (up to Sturdy, anyway), when I must rely on my revenge killers. Not very common at the moment, and it's weak to hazards + is usually Life Orbed, so it dies fast.
Shaymin-S - Dragon Arceus does a great job, if it doesn't get flinched to death at least. If it does, I still have Kyogre to revenge it.
Zekrom - that's when speed creep is so useful lol. If I can get Dragon Arceus in safely Judgment does a whole heap, while if necessary my own Zekrom is likely to outspeed. Kyogre can Ice Beam it if it comes to it, although it doesn't OHKO.
Deoxys-S - bad. Chances are it gets up at least two layers unless Jirachi paralyzes it. Ouch!
Dugtrio - I've got a Scarf Kyogre, I have to be wary of SubClaws Dugtrio. It's easy to say "don't use Scarf Thunder if you see Dugtrio", but the real question is, "can you avoid using Scarf Thunder?" So far, I've been able to, but I can see a Manaphy defended by Dugtrio sweeping my team (although it's yet to happen to me). Skarmory can take a +6 Stone Edge, but if Dugtrio takes out Kyogre it opens up a lot of weaknesses.
Forretress - I have no spin blocker, so if I see Forretress I tend to avoid putting down too much hazards unless my opponent lets me (say Garchomp locked into Outrage vs. Skarmory). If it comes in later I trade its spin for me setting up with something (Darkrai, Zekrom, etc).
Ferrothorn - it's like all my Ubers playtime I've been looking for an answer to Ferrothorn, that's how much this guy is a problem. Zekrom sets up on it, but if my opponent isn't stupid he'll go immediately to a Zekrom counter, and it still gets up a layer. It sucks as well if it Leech Seeds Zekrom on the switch. Darkrai can Focus Blast it for the 2HKO, but of course it's 50/50 chance, and it can Leech Seed + Protect. I can Sub to dodge Leech Seed, but it gets to put up hazards then. This is another one of those public enemy numero uno that I target with Darkrai's Dark Void. In the worst case scenario Dragon Arceus can set up on it, but it's not at all easy to sweep if you're losing health to Leech Seed every turn with no Leftovers recovery to compensate.
Tentacruel - **** Toxic Spikes. Bleagh. Even Healing Wish does not escape from it. It's not immediately critical, but it adds up fast. At least I have Refresh on Dragon Arceus ...
Gyarados - I really don't see why nobody else has problems with Gyarados, because I definitely fear it. It's not that it's a strong Pokemon or what: it means trickroom is playing. Oh my God. Best be on the top of my game then!
And that's it! Rate please :)
This team peaked around #5 on the PO ladder at around ~1600 rating. It hit the top ten on the Smogon ladder as well I believe, but I don't often play there.
PS: I may lie about the EV spreads ... (lol)
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Water Spout
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Thunder
I chose Kyogre mainly because I'd read a lot about how strong Kyogre was, so I wanted to see for myself. I've never been disappointed. Kyogre is on my team not because I wanted it to be a rain team, but because it's simply got so much independent merit. The damage output is huge even when I can't use Water Spout, and Kyogre has been a remarkably reliable Scarfer. As a result the rest of my team has evolved to battle in constant rain.
This is a very standard Kyogre moveset, so nothing much to say here. I originally had 64 HP EVs Drown All style, but after losing a few speed ties I simply went for maximum speed. Timid is still a possibility to beat out Deoxys-A, but I've been loathe to sacrifice the power.
Zekrom @ Leftovers
Trait: Terravolt
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Substitute
- Hone Claws
- Bolt Strike
- Outrage
As Jibaku once commented, rain vs. rain often became Ferrothorn wars. I needed something that could punish Ferrothorn and isn't too hampered by the rain. shrang suggested Zekrom, and Zekrom has stayed. Aside from setting up on Ferrothorn, it provides an important 4x Electric resist and like all the bulky Uber Pokemon out there it can take a stray hit (say from unboosted EK Arceus) and hit back.
Again this is a standard Sub Claws Zekrom set. I chose Jolly to speed creep some more (it's all the tier's fault for being so centralized around base 90 ...), and have Outrage because Dragon Claw just doesn't hit Groudon hard enough. Admittedly, +1 Outrage still doesn't hurt Groudon hard enough, but it does hit for tremendous damage and may well win me the weather war.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
Thank Arceus for Skarmory, for it is one of the most solid counters to EK Arceus out there. I'm using the physically defensive spread to further counter Arceus. Specially defensive is OK, but it does mean Skarmory can be worn down easier, viz. by a Stone Edge crit from LO Groudon. Skarmory is generally not meant to take special hits anyway. The movepool is really cramped, and Skarmory is complete Taunt bait. I wish I could put Stealth Rock elsewhere, but there just hasn't been enough room, so here we are.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
- Body Slam
- U-turn
- Wish
- Healing Wish
I really like Jirachi - in the rain it a superb counter to Mewtwo and Deoxys-A, not to mention many other special attackers. This is why Skarmory doesn't need the SpD EVs: Jirachi will take any Draco Meteors that come its way with no fear. Only problem is Jirachi has a really cramped movepool. Paralysis pwns no matter who it ends up on, and with Serene Grace Body Slam is quite good at spreading paralysis. U-turn buys me momentum and can get Wish to an important teammate. One nice thing here is that SubClaws Zekrom cannot set up on Jirachi, because Body Slam will fail to take out the Substitute, but U-turn will remove it. With Jirachi slower than Zekrom (usually) as well, I get to bring in a counter without taking a hit. Wish is good for generic healing, but with no space for Protect Jirachi often does not get to heal itself. Too bad. Finally Healing Wish is the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. I love the move: it can bring Kyogre back to full health, or remove Zekrom's status if it's unfortunate enough to switch into Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave or Toxic. I've even used Healing Wish to save myself from EK Arceus, rejuvenating Skarmory after my opponent had taken it to red health with no chance to heal up. The amount of versatility Healing Wish gives is stupendous.
I love my Jirachi, it's a shame it doesn't get more use.
Arceus @ Draco Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Spe / 144 SpD
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Judgment
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
Dragon Arceus is without a doubt the strangest member of my team. Frankly I'm using it simply because I needed a strong Water resist - courtesy of Kyogre, every Ubers team needs to have one. Until Latias gets Soul Dew, the various Arceus formes are really the only Pokemon in the game (Gastrodon and Quagsire don't count) that can switch into Kyogre and still have instant recovery. The EVs point the same way: enough speed to outpace Garchomp, conveniently also enough to outspeed all non-Scarf Kyogre, and then as much special bulk as possible because it's Surfs and Water Spouts that Arceus will be tanking.
I chose Dragon typing because it also boasted resistances to Fire and Electric. I'm considering Grass Arceus instead, because Dragon Arceus is no solid counter to Specs Kyogre, but that would be three Fire-weak Pokemon on the team. Offensively the team would suffer as well: Pokemon such as Reshiram can be dropped by Dragon Arceus (who survives a hit in return) but not by Grass Arceus. The Ice and Dragon weaknesses aren't too bad. Jirachi can take Ice Beams and Draco Meteors no problem, while Skarmory has no trouble with Outrage. Arceus can survive an unboosted hit as well if it has to, and retaliate with its own super effective Judgment.
I've a Calm Mind mono-attacking Dragon Arceus for, to be honest, no reason in particular. I vaguely remember choosing Calm Mind just so I can Calm Mind alongside Kyogre, or take Scarf Water Spout and Calm Mind to reduce the damage from the next Water Spout. Recover is obvious on a defensive set and so is Judgment for STAB. I don't remember why I have Refresh, but it's nice to be able to remove the pink blobs' status moves, not to mention random stuff like Toxic Spikes and Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave.
Darkrai @ Leftovers
Trait: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Dark Void
- Substitute
- Focus Blast
- Dark Pulse
The final slot in my team is essentially free. I've used Deoxys-A here before, so really any other sweeper works. After testing however Darkrai simply worked the best for me. It could be just me, but it seems to me that Darkrai is the best standalone sweeper in the tier, beating out even Mewtwo.
I'm using Substitute instead of Nasty Plot because it's very unlikely Darkrai will take out an entire team by himself. Certainly I've never been swept completely by a Darkrai, with this team or many others. Substitute on the other hand provides valuable scouting power without giving up on coverage. Darkrai's 135 base SpA goes a long way towards hitting hard even without Life Orb and Nasty Plot, too.
Short threat list
The team has no glaring weaknesses, that much my playtesting has told me. It has trouble with some Pokemon more than others, but all the most major threats are well covered, and it has no glaring weaknesses. Nonetheless, there are definitely some Pokemon that, with certain movesets, can give me trouble.
And that's it! Rate please :)
