UU Full Stall
After getting re-accustomed to the metagame for a few weeks by playing some OU, I finally decided to venture down into UU. The first thing I wanted to try out was full stall, as full stall was difficult and even arguably non-viable in OU... which is unfortunate as it is one of my favorite play styles. While I will admit I have not fully grasped the UU metagame in its entirety quite yet, I will say that full stall certainly feels more viable... at least to the point where I feel it worthy to formulate a team for review.The team at a glance:
Up Close and Personal:
Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Trait: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SDef
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Recover
Well, when one makes a stall team you need a supremely bulky pokemon. When I think of supremely bulky pokemon in UU, I think of Eviolite Porygon2. However, what truly made me pick Porygon2 over all the other choices I could have used was the sheer utility provided by the awesome Trace ability. Trace turns Porygon2 into a safe switch-in to most variants of Chandelure and Houndoom, while allowing me to troll certain defensive threats such as Xatu. Porygon2 can also switch into Sableye on anything but taunt and toxic it before it gets taunt off. As you can see, the possibilities are endless and it has the bulk to pull it off.
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SDef / 252 Def
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin
- Roar
This pokemon is a bit out of order compared to my other choices, and thats because he used to be Xatu. That said, he was rapidly replaced when I realized Xatu couldn't bounce rocks back from, say, Aerodactyl, and that I needed a bulky water type to eat V-Create from Victini and Flare Blitz from Darminitan. Blastoise is able to do all that while also keeping hazards off the field through his access to the ever useful Rapid Spin. Scald scares off these Fire types while threatening switch-ins with an annoying burn.
Nidoqueen (F) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower
- Toxic Spikes
- Dragon Tail
Nidoqueen is Nidoking's much bulkier relative, and serves as my primary counter to most Heracross and some other forms of fighting types. Her poison typing also gives her the utility useage of automatic toxic spikes clearing, where she can then lay toxic spikes of her own to slap the enemy team with an expiration date. Earth Power and Flamethrower provide good powerful coverage while Dragon Tail phazes out boosting threats such as Calm Mind Cobalion.
Umbreon @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Payback
- Heal Bell
- Wish
- Protect
Umbreon is the team's premiere special wall and cleric, clearing annoying status such as poison and passing wish around to Nidoqueen, Blastoise, and Ferroseed. Payback prevents it from being taunt bait while allowing it to smack frail ghost types with a supereffective STAB hit. Protect lets it scout out choice band attacks and turns Wish into a reliable self heal. Then there is always synchronize, which is great for status'ing normally unstatusable threats such as opposing Sableye and Xatu.
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 208 SDef / 48 Def
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Protect
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
Ferroseed is around for two reasons. One: he has access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes and has the bulk to put down both of them. Two: he laughs at Kingdra without substitute, who only 3HKO him at +1 Life Orb with Outrage. Ferroseed can simply toss Leech Seed onto them and stall them out with Protect. He also chuckles at Choice varieties of Azumarill, scouting for Superpower with Protect and then switching to Sableye if it is Superpower or staying in if its anything else.
Sableye @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 136 SDef / 4 Spd
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
Sableye is the obligatory spin blocker, but he also does so much more. Taunt prevents the enemy team from setting up, and allows Sableye to serve as a lead if I feel that they will have a setup or physical attacker lead. He hard counters the common Ambipom lead, who is crippled for the remainder of the match with priority Will-O-Wisp. As a matter of fact, no physical attackers who aren't fire type are safe switch-ins to Sableye, as he can simply burn them then stall them to death while preventing any form of setup. Foul Play allows Sableye to smack Victini, Darminitan, and Chandelure on the switch, who often come in on an expected Will-O-Wisp only to be wrecked by their own sky high attack or typing, and keeps him from being completely useless if somehow taunted. The extra 4 speed EV's are simply speed creep, as part of an effort to always outspeed other Sableye.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my team, let me know of any improvements I could partake in!