Hi, welcome to my first RMT.
I generally go by the alias of pokemaster_09 these days, but originally went by cheap_uber_battler as, until gen 4 at least, ubers was widely considered cheap.
This team has proved pretty successful for me, peaking 1st on the standard ubers ladder. I also take some credit, as the title suggests, for what many found to be a surprising usage stat in the ubers tier. In December, Dialga dethroned Kyogre, the so called 'king of ubers', in the 1337 ubers stats. I have two active teams currently that I use, and both of them share only one common pokemon- Dialga. When I get time, I’ll probably get around to doing a RMT for my other team.
Aswell as giving an overall description of each Pokemon, I’ll list optional changes and do a ‘pro tips’ section to try and give readers a deeper insight to how the pokemon should be played.
At a glance:
Team Overview:
In the current Ubers metagame, many of the most reliable laddering teams are stall, and this one is no different. In fact, I have come across quite a few teams that use the ‘core of four’ as I like to dub it. This team, utilises brilliant synergy alongside entry hazards to slowly whittle opponents down, while taking brutal attacks with superb defensive stats. As with all stall teams it must be played carefully, as one wrong move can leave a gaping hole in its defences.
In Depth:
Dialga @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 SAtk / 200 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Dragon Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Stealth Rock
Ah Dialga, such a reliable user of Stealth Rock. As I’m sure most of you are aware Dialga has very good defensive typing, with 11 resistances, and 1 immunity. Furthermore, in a hazard infested metagame, it resists Stealth Rock and is immune to Toxic Spikes. It’s also the only dragon type pokemon to take neutral damage from dragon moves itself, allowing it to stomach hits from the likes of Palkia and KO in return with Dragon Pulse.
I quite often lead with Dialga and get rocks down early. Dragon Pulse is the STAB of choice as this team is Stall oriented and prefers reliability over large damage output. Thunder hits Kyogre, Manaphy and Ho-Oh hard. It also gets a good hit on Forretress and Tentacruel to help take down the two most common spinners in ubers. I opted for Aura Sphere over Fire Blast to hit Dialga, Tyranitar and Heatran, although I do occasionally rue missing out on the 0HKO on Ferrothorn in non rainy weather.
Optional Changes:
Dragon Tail/Roar can give extra phasing/shuffling support. As mentioned, Fire Blast can be used over Aura Sphere or even Thunder. Draco Meteor can be used over Dragon Pulse if you want to hit hard.
Pro tips:
In a lead scenario vs Kyogre, always use Thunder turn 1 in case it is specs. Too many times have I used Stealth rock, only to find myself getting run over by Water Spout. One of the beauties of Dialga is that, with the given EV spread, it can take a full power water spout for ~ 80% and hit back hard with thunder. Also, consider hitting Tyranitar, Dialga or Ferrothorn users with Aura Sphere turn 1, then you can opt whether or not to set up Stealth rock turn 2 if you think they may switch/protect. Against leads that are especially weak to toxic spikes, lead with Tentacruel to get them up early.
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
- Roost
The first half of the legendary skarmbliss combo keeps its place in the tandem. Skarmory makes for a brilliant physical wall, dragon resist, entry hazard user and phaser all in one. It is a purely amazing counter to non Overheat extremekiller Arceus, and should be considered on any ubers team for that reason alone. It also makes a great switchin for those choiced dragon attacks. It laughs in Ferrothorns face with taunt, taking next to no damage from Power Whip or Gyro Ball while setting up spikes. I have recently put a ton of speed creep on Skarmory, as winning taunt wars vs other Skarmory can be vital with most other top ubers players opting to use stall teams. Other than that, I opted for a physical spread to take those boosted Extremespeeds and Outrages more easily, and I have Chansey as a dedicated special wall.
Optional changes:
Not many really, obviously you can drop some speed EV’s. You can also go the specially defensive route to take special Dragon type attacks more readily. Toxic can be used, but Skarmory has 4 moveslot syndrome. Brave Bird can be used to avoid being complete taunt fodder but won’t be hitting much hard.
Pro Tips:
Against other stall teams, try to Spikes stack as early as possible in the game. These types of encounters involve lots of switches, shuffling and reliable spin blockers, and 2/3 layers of spikes can really give you the edge. Unlike Toxic Spikes, they cannot be absorbed. Against offensive teams, play Skarmory safe, especially when you see an Arceus in Team Preview. The majority of the time it will be normal extremekiller, unless you an apparent need for a spinblocker in the oppositions team, in which case it is probably Ghostceus.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Wish
- Softboiled
- Heal Bell
After living in the shadows of its evolved forme, Chansey surges into the limelight as the premier special wall in generation 5 thanks to Eviolite. It simply laughs at almost all special attacks. Wish supports the team, notably Tentacruel and Dialga, who lack reliable recover. Heal Bell provides status support. Toxic can hit Giratina-O and Lugia, assuming they aren’t behind a sub and also helps in situations where Toxic Spikes aren’t in play. Softboiled provides immediate recovery.
Optional Changes:
The most obvious is that Blissey could be selected instead. However, Chansey takes the most powerful special attacks better than Blissey ever could. Seismic Toss can be used over Toxic to hit Dialga and other Toxic immune Pokemon for consistent damage. Protect can be used over Softboiled but Chansey really doesn’t want to be forced to take two turns recovering. This would allow Ferrothorn/Forretress to switchin and set up a hazard while Chansey waits that extra turn recovering.
Pro tips:
Watch out for Trick users, especially Darkrai. This is easier said than done, but without eviolite Chansey really loses its ability to take hits. Be careful not to switch a weakened Chansey into too many hazards, putting it into the 2HKO range of its opponent. If you find yourself in a tough spot, and you know your opponent has lots of special attackers remaining that Chansey can come back and wall, sacrifice another pokemon to allow Chansey a free switchin if necessary.
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Protect
Tentacruel fits onto the team as the essential rapid spinner. It faces stiff competition from Forretress for this role, but provides better overall synergy and also absorbs Toxic Spikes on the switchin. Aswell as absorbing the opponents, Tentacruel also sets up its own Toxic Spikes, which can be devastating to opposition offensive and defensive teams alike. Scald provides a nice STAB move with notorious burn hax that can infuriate opposition physical attackers on the switch such as Zekrom and Giratina-O. While Kyogre fails to find its home on this team, 50% of the teams you will face in ubers feature the leviathan and the rain it brings to the battle field. Therefore, rain dish and protect is still quite viable. Even without rain dish active, protect can still prove very useful for scouting, especially against choice users.
Optional Changes:
Ice Beam can be used to hit the Giratina forms super effectively, but doesn’t really do enough damage without investment to warrant a spot. Surf/Hydro Pump can be used over Scald, but you generally won’t be hitting much and you miss out on the burn chance. Black Sludge may seem tempting at a glance, but any trick users can trick it to themselves, and then cripple another member of your team.
Pro Tips:
Against teams that are especially Toxic Spikes weak, try and find spots to lay them early in the match. This will really help you as the match progresses. Also, be very wary of leaving 1 layer of toxic spikes on the field, as bulky Calm Mind users such as Arceus can grant themselves Toxic immunity as they switchin on 1 layer and proceed to set up. Against other stall teams, try to keep Tentacruel at good health as long as possible to keep the threat of getting a spin.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Giratina provides the necessary role of spinblocking for the team. With all 3 hazard types on the the team, Giratina prevents my opponent getting an easy spin and undoing all my hard work. Will-O-Wisp cripples any physical threats not switched into Toxic Spikes such as Groudon and Excadrill. It also helps nicely against Steel and Poison types such as Tentacruel, Forretress and Ferrothorn. Roar is the phase move of choice here. I have tested Dragon Tail, as it provides a nice Base 90 hit while phasing and prevents me being taunt fodder. However, Ho-Oh is a large threat to the rest of this team and Dragon Tail would fail to penetrate the substitutes that so many set up. Rest and Sleep Talk provide Giratina with staying power, while also allowing it to phase without negative priority.
Optional Changes:
As alluded to, Dragon Tail is the obvious change. It could also be used over Will-O-Wisp to phase through both Taunt and Substitute, but then physical attackers would be more threatening. Shadow Sneak can be used to take down Deoxys-A aswell as other severely weakened pokemon, but won’t be hitting for much damage. On that note, Giratina-O can be considered as a more offensive spin blocker, but this team really enjoys the extra staying power of its Altered forme.
Pro Tips:
Very obvious, but if you see a spinner on the oppositions team, keep Giratina at good health. Likewise if you see any other physical threats, especially Ho-Oh, Excadrill and the rare Lucario. One minor thing is that, if you are able to hit incoming Dialga with Will-O-Wisp, Chansey can then wall it as the burn slowly takes it down.
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Payback
- Ice Beam
- Perish Song
- Recover
My pride and joy, Support Dark Arceus. No, your eyes do not deceive you. I’d been wanting to try this out ever since seeing Theorymons onsite analysis, and it hasn’t disappointed me. The main role that Support Dark Arceus performs is providing an excellent Mewtwo check. As stated onsite, ‘A Calm Mind-boosted Aura Sphere from Life Orb Timid Mewtwo only does 63.5% - 75.2% to a specially defensive Arceus, while a Payback will always KO Mewtwo back after Stealth Rock damage.’ This means that Arceus-Dark can switch into Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes and still almost always live to tell the tale. The utility by no means stops there either. With the given EV’s Arceus-Dark can provide an excellent Rayquaza check, being capable of taking a +1 Life Orb Jolly Outrage, and KOing in return with Ice Beam. Ice Beam also puts a nice hit on Zekrom, who can be threatening to this team and hits slower Giratina-O harder than Payback. Perish Song is vital for this team as it prevents bulky boosting pokemon running rampant and puts a nice timer on any pokemon attempting to set up. Recover provides reliable healing to keep Arceus healthy.
Optional Changes:
Flamethrower can be used to hit steel types such as Forretress and Ferrothorn hard. However, these pokemon are often seen on rain teams which hampers Flamethrowers damage output. Roar can be used for extra phasing. Will-O-Wisp or Reflect can be used to weaken any physical attacks. Note that Payback, Perish Song and Recover are all staples and the only move that should be considered replacing is Ice Beam.
Pro Tips:
Try to avoid switching Arceus-Dark directly into a Mewtwo Aura Sphere. In a Dialga vs Mewtwo situation, consider going to Giratina and then to Arceus to play around the threat. Keep Arceus-Dark back until necessary as team preview doesn’t show your opponent what type of Arceus you have. Likewise, keep Ice Beam hidden until required as your opponent won’t be expecting it. Dark Arceus can handle Deoxys-A nicely, taking about 66% from focus sash users Superpower and can recover off the damage while Deoxys lowers its attack. Obviously, if you see any bulky boosting pokemon, keep Arceus back at good health so you can Perish Song when they are the last pokemon remaining.
Conclusion:
Well that about wraps it up. Please keep any feedback constructive. I hope you enjoyed my first RMT. Feel free to test it out for yourselves.
I generally go by the alias of pokemaster_09 these days, but originally went by cheap_uber_battler as, until gen 4 at least, ubers was widely considered cheap.
This team has proved pretty successful for me, peaking 1st on the standard ubers ladder. I also take some credit, as the title suggests, for what many found to be a surprising usage stat in the ubers tier. In December, Dialga dethroned Kyogre, the so called 'king of ubers', in the 1337 ubers stats. I have two active teams currently that I use, and both of them share only one common pokemon- Dialga. When I get time, I’ll probably get around to doing a RMT for my other team.
Aswell as giving an overall description of each Pokemon, I’ll list optional changes and do a ‘pro tips’ section to try and give readers a deeper insight to how the pokemon should be played.
At a glance:
Team Overview:
In the current Ubers metagame, many of the most reliable laddering teams are stall, and this one is no different. In fact, I have come across quite a few teams that use the ‘core of four’ as I like to dub it. This team, utilises brilliant synergy alongside entry hazards to slowly whittle opponents down, while taking brutal attacks with superb defensive stats. As with all stall teams it must be played carefully, as one wrong move can leave a gaping hole in its defences.
In Depth:
Dialga @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 SAtk / 200 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Dragon Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Stealth Rock
Ah Dialga, such a reliable user of Stealth Rock. As I’m sure most of you are aware Dialga has very good defensive typing, with 11 resistances, and 1 immunity. Furthermore, in a hazard infested metagame, it resists Stealth Rock and is immune to Toxic Spikes. It’s also the only dragon type pokemon to take neutral damage from dragon moves itself, allowing it to stomach hits from the likes of Palkia and KO in return with Dragon Pulse.
I quite often lead with Dialga and get rocks down early. Dragon Pulse is the STAB of choice as this team is Stall oriented and prefers reliability over large damage output. Thunder hits Kyogre, Manaphy and Ho-Oh hard. It also gets a good hit on Forretress and Tentacruel to help take down the two most common spinners in ubers. I opted for Aura Sphere over Fire Blast to hit Dialga, Tyranitar and Heatran, although I do occasionally rue missing out on the 0HKO on Ferrothorn in non rainy weather.
Optional Changes:
Dragon Tail/Roar can give extra phasing/shuffling support. As mentioned, Fire Blast can be used over Aura Sphere or even Thunder. Draco Meteor can be used over Dragon Pulse if you want to hit hard.
Pro tips:
In a lead scenario vs Kyogre, always use Thunder turn 1 in case it is specs. Too many times have I used Stealth rock, only to find myself getting run over by Water Spout. One of the beauties of Dialga is that, with the given EV spread, it can take a full power water spout for ~ 80% and hit back hard with thunder. Also, consider hitting Tyranitar, Dialga or Ferrothorn users with Aura Sphere turn 1, then you can opt whether or not to set up Stealth rock turn 2 if you think they may switch/protect. Against leads that are especially weak to toxic spikes, lead with Tentacruel to get them up early.
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
- Roost
The first half of the legendary skarmbliss combo keeps its place in the tandem. Skarmory makes for a brilliant physical wall, dragon resist, entry hazard user and phaser all in one. It is a purely amazing counter to non Overheat extremekiller Arceus, and should be considered on any ubers team for that reason alone. It also makes a great switchin for those choiced dragon attacks. It laughs in Ferrothorns face with taunt, taking next to no damage from Power Whip or Gyro Ball while setting up spikes. I have recently put a ton of speed creep on Skarmory, as winning taunt wars vs other Skarmory can be vital with most other top ubers players opting to use stall teams. Other than that, I opted for a physical spread to take those boosted Extremespeeds and Outrages more easily, and I have Chansey as a dedicated special wall.
Optional changes:
Not many really, obviously you can drop some speed EV’s. You can also go the specially defensive route to take special Dragon type attacks more readily. Toxic can be used, but Skarmory has 4 moveslot syndrome. Brave Bird can be used to avoid being complete taunt fodder but won’t be hitting much hard.
Pro Tips:
Against other stall teams, try to Spikes stack as early as possible in the game. These types of encounters involve lots of switches, shuffling and reliable spin blockers, and 2/3 layers of spikes can really give you the edge. Unlike Toxic Spikes, they cannot be absorbed. Against offensive teams, play Skarmory safe, especially when you see an Arceus in Team Preview. The majority of the time it will be normal extremekiller, unless you an apparent need for a spinblocker in the oppositions team, in which case it is probably Ghostceus.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Wish
- Softboiled
- Heal Bell
After living in the shadows of its evolved forme, Chansey surges into the limelight as the premier special wall in generation 5 thanks to Eviolite. It simply laughs at almost all special attacks. Wish supports the team, notably Tentacruel and Dialga, who lack reliable recover. Heal Bell provides status support. Toxic can hit Giratina-O and Lugia, assuming they aren’t behind a sub and also helps in situations where Toxic Spikes aren’t in play. Softboiled provides immediate recovery.
Optional Changes:
The most obvious is that Blissey could be selected instead. However, Chansey takes the most powerful special attacks better than Blissey ever could. Seismic Toss can be used over Toxic to hit Dialga and other Toxic immune Pokemon for consistent damage. Protect can be used over Softboiled but Chansey really doesn’t want to be forced to take two turns recovering. This would allow Ferrothorn/Forretress to switchin and set up a hazard while Chansey waits that extra turn recovering.
Pro tips:
Watch out for Trick users, especially Darkrai. This is easier said than done, but without eviolite Chansey really loses its ability to take hits. Be careful not to switch a weakened Chansey into too many hazards, putting it into the 2HKO range of its opponent. If you find yourself in a tough spot, and you know your opponent has lots of special attackers remaining that Chansey can come back and wall, sacrifice another pokemon to allow Chansey a free switchin if necessary.
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Protect
Tentacruel fits onto the team as the essential rapid spinner. It faces stiff competition from Forretress for this role, but provides better overall synergy and also absorbs Toxic Spikes on the switchin. Aswell as absorbing the opponents, Tentacruel also sets up its own Toxic Spikes, which can be devastating to opposition offensive and defensive teams alike. Scald provides a nice STAB move with notorious burn hax that can infuriate opposition physical attackers on the switch such as Zekrom and Giratina-O. While Kyogre fails to find its home on this team, 50% of the teams you will face in ubers feature the leviathan and the rain it brings to the battle field. Therefore, rain dish and protect is still quite viable. Even without rain dish active, protect can still prove very useful for scouting, especially against choice users.
Optional Changes:
Ice Beam can be used to hit the Giratina forms super effectively, but doesn’t really do enough damage without investment to warrant a spot. Surf/Hydro Pump can be used over Scald, but you generally won’t be hitting much and you miss out on the burn chance. Black Sludge may seem tempting at a glance, but any trick users can trick it to themselves, and then cripple another member of your team.
Pro Tips:
Against teams that are especially Toxic Spikes weak, try and find spots to lay them early in the match. This will really help you as the match progresses. Also, be very wary of leaving 1 layer of toxic spikes on the field, as bulky Calm Mind users such as Arceus can grant themselves Toxic immunity as they switchin on 1 layer and proceed to set up. Against other stall teams, try to keep Tentacruel at good health as long as possible to keep the threat of getting a spin.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Giratina provides the necessary role of spinblocking for the team. With all 3 hazard types on the the team, Giratina prevents my opponent getting an easy spin and undoing all my hard work. Will-O-Wisp cripples any physical threats not switched into Toxic Spikes such as Groudon and Excadrill. It also helps nicely against Steel and Poison types such as Tentacruel, Forretress and Ferrothorn. Roar is the phase move of choice here. I have tested Dragon Tail, as it provides a nice Base 90 hit while phasing and prevents me being taunt fodder. However, Ho-Oh is a large threat to the rest of this team and Dragon Tail would fail to penetrate the substitutes that so many set up. Rest and Sleep Talk provide Giratina with staying power, while also allowing it to phase without negative priority.
Optional Changes:
As alluded to, Dragon Tail is the obvious change. It could also be used over Will-O-Wisp to phase through both Taunt and Substitute, but then physical attackers would be more threatening. Shadow Sneak can be used to take down Deoxys-A aswell as other severely weakened pokemon, but won’t be hitting for much damage. On that note, Giratina-O can be considered as a more offensive spin blocker, but this team really enjoys the extra staying power of its Altered forme.
Pro Tips:
Very obvious, but if you see a spinner on the oppositions team, keep Giratina at good health. Likewise if you see any other physical threats, especially Ho-Oh, Excadrill and the rare Lucario. One minor thing is that, if you are able to hit incoming Dialga with Will-O-Wisp, Chansey can then wall it as the burn slowly takes it down.
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Trait: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Payback
- Ice Beam
- Perish Song
- Recover
My pride and joy, Support Dark Arceus. No, your eyes do not deceive you. I’d been wanting to try this out ever since seeing Theorymons onsite analysis, and it hasn’t disappointed me. The main role that Support Dark Arceus performs is providing an excellent Mewtwo check. As stated onsite, ‘A Calm Mind-boosted Aura Sphere from Life Orb Timid Mewtwo only does 63.5% - 75.2% to a specially defensive Arceus, while a Payback will always KO Mewtwo back after Stealth Rock damage.’ This means that Arceus-Dark can switch into Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes and still almost always live to tell the tale. The utility by no means stops there either. With the given EV’s Arceus-Dark can provide an excellent Rayquaza check, being capable of taking a +1 Life Orb Jolly Outrage, and KOing in return with Ice Beam. Ice Beam also puts a nice hit on Zekrom, who can be threatening to this team and hits slower Giratina-O harder than Payback. Perish Song is vital for this team as it prevents bulky boosting pokemon running rampant and puts a nice timer on any pokemon attempting to set up. Recover provides reliable healing to keep Arceus healthy.
Optional Changes:
Flamethrower can be used to hit steel types such as Forretress and Ferrothorn hard. However, these pokemon are often seen on rain teams which hampers Flamethrowers damage output. Roar can be used for extra phasing. Will-O-Wisp or Reflect can be used to weaken any physical attacks. Note that Payback, Perish Song and Recover are all staples and the only move that should be considered replacing is Ice Beam.
Pro Tips:
Try to avoid switching Arceus-Dark directly into a Mewtwo Aura Sphere. In a Dialga vs Mewtwo situation, consider going to Giratina and then to Arceus to play around the threat. Keep Arceus-Dark back until necessary as team preview doesn’t show your opponent what type of Arceus you have. Likewise, keep Ice Beam hidden until required as your opponent won’t be expecting it. Dark Arceus can handle Deoxys-A nicely, taking about 66% from focus sash users Superpower and can recover off the damage while Deoxys lowers its attack. Obviously, if you see any bulky boosting pokemon, keep Arceus back at good health so you can Perish Song when they are the last pokemon remaining.
Conclusion:
Well that about wraps it up. Please keep any feedback constructive. I hope you enjoyed my first RMT. Feel free to test it out for yourselves.
