ORAS UU Hazard Stackers, featuring Dragalge!

[Punxsutawney Phil]

Hello, America. High society's favorite groundhog is here, and he's got a furious, uncontrollable team of vengeful 'mons to show to you. Based on a core made by infamous serial Suicune enthusiast dodmen, this gang of savages is focused on getting hazards up and keeping hazards up, although a secondary purpose is defeating the opposing team. It only goes to show that there's Toxic Spikes, regular Spikes, and Stealth Rocks on this team, as well as various ways of keeping them up. But don't let me delay this any further, butterscotch; let's get onto the team!


We'll start with the lead. Oh, wait, there's no real lead. Let's start with whoever is unfortunate enough to get picked first. KROOK!

Snouty "Crocs With Socks" McKrookodile

Krookodile @ Dread Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
​

Before I start I must say I absolutely despise Krookodile. I was scared of it as a kid (I actually had nightmares about it), and to this day I hate its design and how much it dismantles my other teams. But now that I'm using it myself, I still hate it. I just really hate this stupid Pokemon. That's not to deny the usefulness of Krook, though. As the main physical offensive presence, it puts in a great deal of work. Knock Off is obviously the most important physical move Krook has, and its inclusion is self-explanatory. Earthquake is also self explanatory move, nabbing mons that try to wall Dragalge like Steel types. Pursuit, finally, is great for catching any mon on the switch, not just those that are weak to Dark type moves. And who could forget Stealth Rock? The most important move in the metagame, bar none. Overall, Crocs With Socks is sickeningly useful and I detest it.


Now that we've established who wears the rocks-setting pants in this family, we can move on to who wears the spiky pants. Roserade, yes, it's your turn.

Roserade T. "Red, White, and Blue" Reagan

Roserade @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Sleep Powder​

This thing is a true patriot and a trooper. Originally a Froslass, I settled on a Pokemon that has more usefulness beyond setting up like 1 layer of Spikes and then dying from a gust of a wind. Beyond the hazards, Reagan has great utility in terms of tearing down walls. Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain are both very powerful moves, boosted by Life Orb to even more respectable levels of power. Naturally, Roserade does damage to everything it outspeeds except Blissey, but it also has further utility in Sleep Powder, a curious move in which Roserade blindfolds itself and throws powder in some random direction hoping it will hit the enemy. Assuming the move hits, it can disable a spooky 'mon temporarily and let the team gain great momentum. Overall, Roserade is very useful, even if it is very frail (more than Froslass, I found out).


And now for the star of the show. The start of the core. The illest of them all. Dragalge, people.

Dragalge "Algae Al" Capone

Dragalge @ Draco Plate
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 188 HP / 252 SpA / 68 Spe
Modest Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Toxic Spikes​

Yes, it's the original gangster. I've always loved Dragalge. It was on the first UU team I've made and many UU teams since. Even without Choice Specs, it hits harder than almost every single UU mon that exists. Draco Meteor kicks everything that doesn't resist it/isn't Blissey all the way to the moon. Sludge Wave, chosen over Sludge Bomb due to the fact that it reminds me of my warm, caring mother instead of my cruel, alcoholic father (just kidding it's because it hits Chesnaught), mows down Florges for days and hits other stuff hard without incurring a drop. Given that this team is, of course, a hazard stack team, this Dragalge can lay down some Toxic Spikes. It also gives this team utility in Dragon Tail, which can be used to stop setup and even faze here and there. It's always fun to see something set up a Dragon Dance or a Calm Mind and then get forced out, sending in another opponent to take entry hazard damage.

The need for a cleric and a special wall yada yada it's Florges people you know the résumé.

Florges "Solo, Great, even Swell" Peters

Florges @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy​

Obscure organist jokes aside. This is Florges. It's Florges. It's Florges. It's not an unconventional Florges set, it's the just the regular Florges set. It's Florges. It's just Florges. It has the typical Florges moves. It's has the typical Florges spread. I needed Fairy STAB Florges and Florges provided Moonblast and I needed Wish Florges support and Florges helped heal Pokemon Florges without Florges reliable recovery Florges. Protect Florges is so Florges can Florges heal Florges Aromatherapy Florges helps get Florges rid Florges Florges of status Florges which Florges helps the team Florges Florges Florges help me Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges Florges


In every team there needs to be a 'mon of great annoyance, and our next 'mon fits the bill. Sableye, that means you.

Sableye "Anne of Green Sables" O'Cableguy

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Knock Off​

There's no culture so cruel, no nation so nasty, no creed so crazy, no Pokemon so pernicious, that Sableye would not be able to out-cruel, out-nasty, out-crazy, or out-pernicious it. Ah, my Rapid Spin blocker. This is also my way of dealing with physical attackers who are not Fire types. Furthrmore, it's also my way of dealing with stally mons such as Umbreon, whom I can taunt, and then Knock Off the Leftovers of. It's a miracle of nature that Pokemon with worse base defenses than Froslass can be so effective a wall. Physical sweepers are stopped short by Will-O-Wisp. Setup sweepers are stopped short by Taunt. Many mons in general can be stopped by just Recover stalling. Lastly, as I said, Knock Off is the most important physical move in this meta, and in the hands of Sableye it is no exception. Ultimately, this Pokemon holds my team together and tears the opponent's team apart.


We've doled out hazards, but can we deal with them on our own. Our final 'mon answers that question with a resounding yes. Blastoise!

Blastoise "Protesters Beware" Blasterson

Blastoise-Mega @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam​

My last Pokemon contains the means of dealing with physical Fire types that Sableye can't burn, as well as everything it resists in general. This member of the team is basically a vessel for the move Rapid Spin, chosen over Forretress due to the latter's weakness to Fire and passivity. This Pokemon has surprisingly (read: not surprising) utility outside of spinning away hazards. Scald, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam provide perfect neutral coverage, and hit rather hard. This has probably been said before, but Mega Blastoise is effectively a tank with the ability to rapidly pirouette. It hits hard and takes hard hits. That's all there is to it. Scald was chosen over Water Pulse because the burn chance is too good to miss out on. Dark Pulse is pretty mandatory on Blastoise. I was consiering Aura Sphere in the last spot, but I chose Ice Beam instead due to it hitting Flying types.


And that, America, is my team. Your precious groundhog who gives no Pux has delivered something which, while not great, he believes is pretty good. So please, rate my gosh darn team.

Importable

Krookodile @ Dread Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Roserade @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Sleep Powder

Dragalge @ Draco Plate
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Toxic Spikes

Florges @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Knock Off

Blastoise-Mega @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam

 

[Manipulative]

Hey there! Cool team you've got going. Here are some adjustments that you can make to improve it.

• I noticed that Mega Beedrill is ridiculously threatening to this team. It looks like it could very easily break your team down between its two stabs (Poison Jab and U-Turn) and either of its coverage moves (Drill Run or Knock Off). I would suggest replacing Roserade with Forretress. The stacking of poison types here is pretty redundant and Forretress has a lot more to offer for your team. Not only does Forretress help your team against Mega Beedrill, but it gives your team a better match up against a number of threats, such as Gyarados, Mamoswine, and Mega Aerodactyl. Forretress contributes to the hazard stacking theme of the team and is overall much more efficient at getting up layers of spikes than Roserade. Forretress also carries Volt Switch, allowing it to pivot around and potentially keep momentum for the team, which is great in conjunction with hazards. Here's the set:

Forretress (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Gyro Ball​

• The team also seems very vulnerable to Entei, as it comes in for free on Florges and Sableye (and Forretress after the previous change), and neither Mega Blastoise nor Dragalge are switching into it more than once or twice. Additionally, removing Roserade makes it more difficult for the team to deal with Suicune. I suggest replacing Mega Blastoise with RoarTalk Suicune. Forretress provides the team with another spinner, even though it's not nearly as good as Mega Blastoise. However, Forretress has the right team support (Pursuit Krookodile, Florges) to be able to get its job done. This means that you no longer need Mega Blastoise as your spinner and can opt for a better fire check. Suicune outright counters Entei, and with some speed investment, can very much help your team against opposing Suicunes by roaring them out. I suggest an EV spread of 240 HP / 216 Def / 52 Spe. This spread allows you to outspeed and phaze out most other Suicunes while hitting a jump point in Defense. Suicune is also a much more reliable phazer than Dragalge and works very well on hazard stacking teams. Here's the set:

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 HP / 216 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
​

Other Options:

• The addition of Suicune leaves you with dual phazing. If you want to try out something else in Dragalge's Dragon Tail slot, you can opt for Focus Blast to be able to hit steel types really hard. You can also try out Haze to clear your your opponent's stat boosts or get rid of the -2 drop from using Draco Meteor.

I hope this helped, and good luck with the team!

 

[Punxsutawney Phil]

Thank you so much for these ideas. I've been struggling to make this team more resistant to things like Mega Beedrill and Entei especially, and I believe your suggestions will help me greatly. I look forward to trying them out.

I have made an adjustment on my own as well. I've changed Dragalge's set from a max HP max SpA to a Smogon recommended wallbreaker set EVs, which are EVs: 188 HP / 252 SpA / 68 Spe.

 

[Ramses]

Hi, so I agree with Manipulative's suggestion of Suicune > Mega Blastoise since it really helps you out with the Entei weakness you had and checks a bevy of other checks that this team had troubles with.

My own suggestion is you keep Roserade and run Toxic Spikes > Sleep Powder. Despite losing the nice utility of being able to put things to sleep, role compression is really key here as stacking Psychic weaknesses is really in the wrong direction with the amount that lurk throughout the tier and you become deathly weak to a ton of things without Roserade. A huge reason you should keep it, as it allows you to more easily deal with Suicune rather relying upon your own Suicune to Roar is out, which only delays the inevitable if it's a Calm Mind variant.

With this change you can drop Dragalge and replenish your Mega Slot. Mega Aerodactyl > Dragalge is a rather well change here as it alleviates your issues with faster mons that threaten your team and relives the pressure from Suicune to solely check them. Particularly, it helps out with your Gyarados, Salamence, and Mega Beedrill to a nice degree, which as I said relives the pressure off of Suicune. There are a ton of options you could run on it, but Stone Edge / Wing Attack / Earthquake are really necessities in today's metagame, so the last slot is up to what you'd like it to do. Hone Claws lets you transform it into a setup sweeper which you lack and it takes advantage of the hazard stack, Defog if you desire hazard removal, or Pursuit would to trap things like Scarf Chandlure or Alakazam.

Mega Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 216 Atk / 40 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Wing Attack
- Earthquake
- Hone Claws / Defog / Pursuit

 

[Punxsutawney Phil]

Hi, so I agree with Manipulative's suggestion of Suicune > Mega Blastoise since it really helps you out with the Entei weakness you had and checks a bevy of other checks that this team had troubles with.

My own suggestion is you keep Roserade and run Toxic Spikes > Sleep Powder. Despite losing the nice utility of being able to put things to sleep, role compression is really key here as stacking Psychic weaknesses is really in the wrong direction with the amount that lurk throughout the tier and you become deathly weak to a ton of things without Roserade. A huge reason you should keep it, as it allows you to more easily deal with Suicune rather relying upon your own Suicune to Roar is out, which only delays the inevitable if it's a Calm Mind variant.

With this change you can drop Dragalge and replenish your Mega Slot. Mega Aerodactyl > Dragalge is a rather well change here as it alleviates your issues with faster mons that threaten your team and relives the pressure from Suicune to solely check them. Particularly, it helps out with your Gyarados, Salamence, and Mega Beedrill to a nice degree, which as I said relives the pressure off of Suicune. There are a ton of options you could run on it, but Stone Edge / Wing Attack / Earthquake are really necessities in today's metagame, so the last slot is up to what you'd like it to do. Hone Claws lets you transform it into a setup sweeper which you lack and it takes advantage of the hazard stack, Defog if you desire hazard removal, or Pursuit would to trap things like Scarf Chandlure or Alakazam.

Mega Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 216 Atk / 40 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Wing Attack
- Earthquake
- Hone Claws / Defog / Pursuit

I'll try this stuff out too, thanks!

BTW I have a question? What do people here think of me replacing my Dragalge's Draco Plate with Black Sludge? Is it a good idea? I could honestly use the passive recovery.