First Actual UU Team

[Thetwiggy13]

Hi, this is my first team in the UU tier! I'm more of a defensive team user rather than hyper-powered offense. Once I left OU due to its brokenness, I looked for a tier where offensive Pokemon had checks and counters. Eventually I came to the Underused tier, and then learned of the main threats: fire- and fighting- types, similar to OU. However, many bulky Pokemon thrive in UU as well. Therefore I've attempted to put together a team with decent offense and efficient defense. So, here we go:

Roserade @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Rest

Roserade is my typical lead, and an excellent one at that. While usually defensive, (Toxic) Spikes Roserade here relies on Sleep Powder. Once the Pokemon is asleep, I'm able to put up TS and usually end boosting Pokemon, like DD Kingdra, from sweeping too much. Leaf Storm is incredibly powerful and is used to crush leads such as Rhyperior, Swampert, Froslass, and many other frail leads in the tier. Sludge Bomb provides another strong STAB for coverage, often damaging Shaymin, Tangrowth, or weakened Pokemon. Roserade is excellent for soaking up status and attacks from those pesky bulky waters, and can stand an Ice Beam or two without investment as well. Once changing from a lead, Roserade has been able to decimate both Swampert and Rhyperior, who like to switch into Darmanitan. Rest provides reliable recovery, and Natural Cure gives Roserade practically a Full Restore on the switch out.

Slowbro @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 244 Def / 248 HP / 16 SAtk
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Psyshock

Upon suggestion, I changed from Blastoise to Slowbro to convert from a somewhat defensive team so an offensively-oriented one with decent immunities and synergy. Slowbro is an amazing counter to Darmanitan, and can take any hazard barring TS and use Regenerator to gain the HP back. 0 Attack IVs is for Foul Play to do minimum damage. Calm Mind is for when those Choice-locked Darmanitan or Heracross switch, I can just set up and become dangerous. Psyshock OHKO's 252/0 Roserade on the switch, and Scald is excellent for the chance to burn. Slack Off is reliable recovery, and even more recovery upon the switch. Slowbro is literally a powerhouse; and Trick Room is a compliment to this slow Pokemon.

Snorlax @ Choice Band
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 52 Def / 252 Atk / 200 SDef / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch

Yes, yes, yes. Snorlax is in fact a giant fat bear(?) who eats everything. This could be taken literally. Snorlax literally eats everything. Return is such a strong STAB (probably because it loves me so much :D) that literally 2HKO's anything not resisting it. Earthquake kills many choice-locked Pokemon, and especially Raikou / Zapdos, who can otherwise wall/counter this team (especially the latter with Roost and immunity to Toxic Spikes). Fire Punch is for Ferroseed, Bronzong, and other steel-types resisting/neutral to Earthquake. Pursuit is a godsend; it allows me to kill Shadow Ball / Fire Blast locked Chandelure trying to escape.This Pokemon always frees me from my fear of fire-types. Thick Fat also allows a resistance to Ice-type attacks, along with Fire. This Pokemon can tank any special hit and hit back just as hard (or harder). Not only this, but Snorlax works perfectly with the Cofagrigus I have below. Not sure whether or not to use another set, but CB Snorlax is a menace to switch-ins not named Cofagrigus.

Nidoqueen (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 100 HP / 156 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock

Previously saved for Umbreon, Nidoqueen ends the sweeps for many Pokemon. With its ground-typing, The Queen is able to resist Stealth Rock, and with its poison-typing, it can remove Toxic Spikes. Nidoqueen is also able to outrun most Togekiss variants, and can switch into Thunder Wave with ease and begin sweeping. Stealth Rock is for passive damage to weaken powerhouses Victini and Darmanitan, while Earth Power provides a reasonable STAB to destroy said Pokemon. Fire Blast and Ice Beam are for coverage, and Nidoqueen is able to effectively have a double Life Orb boost with Sheer Force as well; creating a defensive powerhouse that fits my team perfectly

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Trait: Mummy
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 2 Spd / 11 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

This is my standard Heracross / Mienshao counter, and it works wonders. Cofagrigus' Mummy lets Heracross lose Moxie, Darmanitan lose Sheer Force, and Mienshao begin missing Reckless. With a minimum investment in Attack and Speed, Cofagrigus is able to take minimum damage from Foul Play and able to set up a Trick Room. This allows me, if I get a chance, to destroy many of the checks against my team. Weavile is OHKO'd from HP Fighting, Raikou can't survive a Nasty Plot Shadow Ball too many times, and Cobalion is surprised to be easily defeated in few turns. Cofagrigus is more than just a physical wall; this Pokemon often saves me from hard counters.

Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
- Superpower

This is my late-game sweeper. With Stealth Rock and other hazards out of the way, Darmanitan can come in and revenge kill like there's no tomorrow. Flare Blitz destroys everything, especially if its target has been weakened. U-turn keeps momentum and Rock Slides is for coverage. Superpower is for Rhyperior. Darmanitan cleans up and does work in the end, usually winning me the game.

Synergy is a key in this team; the offensive coverage of the infamous grass/fire/water core, coupled with the defensive bulk of a dark/ghost blend, create an immediate annoyance to most. This stall team, while also somewhat physical, can be used in several ways, and the approach usually determines the outcome of the battle.

Now that you've seen my team, I'll let you know about my counters. Scrafty and can get through this team easily, and Choice Scarf Flygon has no worries if Slowbro's gone. Kingdra and other boosters can setup and destroy me. However, Cofagrigus has proven to be able to KO all of these once Trick Room is set up. The biggest threat to this team is Hail. None of my team members want to lose health, and the Blizzard STAB really hurts after residual damage.

After getting used to this team, I've been able to score major victories and definitely do better than I was in OU. Any help would be incredible, and I'd be willing to change anything in order to create a better team. Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and I hope you enjoy UU as much as I am!

 

[PTJon7]

This looks like a solid team, good job with it.

I'd recommend trying Fire Punch over Crunch on Snorlax. This helps you beat Bronzong, Abomasnow, and some other stuff too and Crunch isn't really necessary since you have Pursuit.

 

[Moose V]

Couple quick suggestions:
-Give Cof 11 IVs in speed to give you a base 70 hp.
-Even tho blastoise has rapid spin, 0 IVs in atk are useful
-Since umbreon doesn't actually use its atk with foul play, the 4 atk IVs you gave it kinda just go down the drain. I'd actually give this guy 0 stk IVs and move the 4 EVs into def or speed. Also make him a -atk nature
-I voted for a spikes set in the poll thing but I realized your team has no stealth rocker so regular spikes seem kinda unimportant if its the only form of hazard. I wouldn't use toxic spikes either; however, instead I'd use:
@Life orb
-Leaf Storm
-Sleep Powder
-Rest
-Sludge Bomb

Hoped this helped and good luck with this team.

 

[Thetwiggy13]

Oh I'm sorry, I have 0 IV's in attack on Blastoise, I guess it erased. And thanks for the sets, I'll try out the new Roserade set and try Fire Punch on Snorlax! I'll also move around the EVs on Umbreon and IVs on Cofagrigus as well.

 

[Patrick1088]

Team looks good just a few points...
1. Sleep powder/leaf storm/sludgebomb/rest. A sleep powder shuts down pokes harder than t spikes esp when nidos are everywhere...
2. Snorlax/cof core is good esp since snorlax is slow as mud : )
3. Good revenge killer in darmanitan to absotb the wow from sableye and obliterate special walls for cof.
4. My main gripe is blastoise and umbreon. You have a great offensively based team that is built upon status, immunities and pivot then you put blastoise and umbreon that kill your momentum 100%. I think that you can get rid of both if these pokes. I think that calm mind slowbro would be better than blastoise that has access to slack off and regeneerator. Slowbro/lax/cof form a great core. For umbreon, i would recommend bulky nidoqueen with sr. Sr will give you hazards and a solid check to non earthquake heracross and mienshao. Nidoqueen can absorb the thunder waves amd toxic status while darm handles the wow. Plus even if nidoqueen gets burned its a special attacker so who cares?

One of the lessons that i learned from switching to uu is that if you have a stronger offensive core you can break stall and not allow your opponents to throw down hazards. No rapid spin is needed since yours onlysr weak poke is darm who will be suicidal with flare blitz. I know you said youre more of a defensive player, but judging by your poke choices, you chose the heavy hitters of the tier...

 

[Thetwiggy13]

@Patrick1088 I will definitely try Slowbro over Blastoise. Blastoise doesn't seem to impress me that much, I just figured that Rapid Spin would help Darmanitan live longer. Although Umbreon has done a great job with my team and all, I guess I could give Nidoqueen a shot. Umbreon provided me with Heal Bell and Wish as well, but I do see how Nidoqueen won't let Togekiss set up so easily. Thanks for your suggestions, I'll try them out!

 

[Patrick1088]

Actually darmanitan has a 62.5% chance to ohko uu paraflinch togekiss with flare blitz after stealth rock so i wouldnt worry about togekiss so much : ) if togekiss goes to ko darmanitan, then lax can come in and ohko with return when togekiss goes to roost. Or nidoqueen can ice beam/earth power on the roost. You have a lot of options to handle togekiss.

Now with slowbro,nidoqueen, and lax core you can check almost every strong threat in the metagame bar choice specs porygon-z which is checked by darmanitan and cof. Also its a good thing to note that a super advantage of slowbro over blastoise is that slowbro ohko 252/0 def roserade after stealth rock with an invested psyshock : )

 

[Thetwiggy13]

Well with Umbreon on my team, Togekiss was able to set up Nasty Plot. I had just changed into Darmanitan before making this thread, so Togekiss had swept this team until I brought Darmanitan onto it. However Nidoqueen can't be paralyzed and is able to outspeed with the standard set. Also, I learned of Slowbro's power on a Roserade; on my first battle it surprise-killed the Pokemon! I'll be making edits within a few hours.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

 

[Moose V]

Sorry I gave you some bad advice its supposed to be 2 IVs in speed and 11 in atk on cofagrigus not the other way around

 

[Thetwiggy13]

That's okay, thanks for your suggestion! Every bit of information helps.