Welcome to my 1K RMT!
The idea behind this team was Dragon Dance Altaria which I picked up from CrazyStevy. I've been using this a lot in ZU seasonals, plus I peaked ladder with it, so I figured I'd RMT it for my 1K posts since its a lot of fun to use. It's also incredibly aesthetically pleasing from my perspective and I hope you feel the same! Let's dive into the fun part now and take a look at the team
Peaked #1 on ZU Ladder
Click for Importable
Teambuilding Process
After going on an unsuccessful ladder grind with a team utilizing Stunfisk I had come across esteemed user CrazyStevy. Stevy used a Dragon Dance Altaria in our match and ended up beating me because of it. This was the inspiration behind the entire team. I figured I'd use Dragon Dance Altaria to take my Round 2 Opponent by surprise and win the match similar to how Stevy had with me on the ladder.
I knew I needed to patch up Altaria's biggest weakness, Ice-types. Vigoroth was my first choice due to its great Specially Defensive bulk and its access to Bulk Up and Slack off. However, I found that in practice, Vigoroth was just big Taunt bait and almost never performed its role successfully. RawMelon suggested I use Curse RestTalk Lickilicky. I was a bit skeptical at first but I made the change and ended up really liking how bulky it was. In addition, Lickilicky provided my team with a status absorber. Altaria doesn't absorb status as well despite Natural Cure due to its role being to sweep.
The next step was adding a physically defensive Pokemon that complimented both Altaria and Lickilicky. When it comes to Balance teams and picking a wall I'm pretty biased because Machoke is by far my favorite Pokemon in ZU. I chose Machoke to fill this role due to it being able to hold Eviolite as well as its versatility regarding defensive EVs. Moreover, Machoke is able to threaten Ice-types and wall Fighting-types that threaten both Altaria and Lickilicky.
Speed control tends to be one of the last steps while building but I knew that I didn't want to build myself into a corner like how I usually tend to do when making fun teams. I honestly just threw Electivire on the build because it's by far the best Choice Scarf user in ZU thanks to its great offensive stats, speed tier, ability, and access to coverage options. Electivire has successfully cemented itself on a majority of my teams in builder and this team is no different.
Hazards are a requirement in almost every tier and ZU is no exception. A Stealth Rock user was in-order for the team but I was a little shaky on who to include. My team struggled with Physical Swanna variants so I decided a Stealth Rock user that could successfully wall Physical Swanna was best for the team. I ended up settling on Mawile because of its access to Intimidate and its Steel-typing.
Removal was the last on the list of things my teams needed and I knew the answer was going to be Silvally. I noticed that Choice Specs Abomasnow tore through my team so I decided on Silvally-Water. Silvally-Water is also able to act as a Shiftry check which relieves some pressure off of both Machoke and Mawile. Both Electivire and Silvally-Water are able to pivot thanks to their access to Volt-Switch and U-turn.
F (Altaria) (M) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Fly
Earthquake
Roost
Dragon Dance
In ZU Altaria is more commonly known as a Physically or Specially Defensive wall. This stereotype provides Altaria with a handful of setup opportunities. Fly provides Altaria with Flying-type STAB, however, this should be used with caution due to it being a two-turn move. Earthquake is extremely useful as it allows Altaria to avoid being walled by Defensive Golem, Probopass, and Mawile. In addition, with a little prediction, you may be able to OHKO Electivire if it tries to switch-in on Altaria. However, Electivire doesn't threaten Altaria after Altaria has two boosts in Speed. Super Sonic Sky Strike allows Altaria to nuke whatever it wants. Surprisingly, Altaria is able to do 70% to Bronzor with it at +2.
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Fly
Earthquake
Roost
Dragon Dance
In ZU Altaria is more commonly known as a Physically or Specially Defensive wall. This stereotype provides Altaria with a handful of setup opportunities. Fly provides Altaria with Flying-type STAB, however, this should be used with caution due to it being a two-turn move. Earthquake is extremely useful as it allows Altaria to avoid being walled by Defensive Golem, Probopass, and Mawile. In addition, with a little prediction, you may be able to OHKO Electivire if it tries to switch-in on Altaria. However, Electivire doesn't threaten Altaria after Altaria has two boosts in Speed. Super Sonic Sky Strike allows Altaria to nuke whatever it wants. Surprisingly, Altaria is able to do 70% to Bronzor with it at +2.
Sloppy Top (Lickilicky) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
Return / Frustration
Curse
Rest
Sleep Talk
Lickilicky's primary role in ZU is to act as a cleric on bulkier builds. Its Curse set capitalizes on this and is best saved for late game when all those pesky Ghost-types are removed. Return is Lickilicky's best choice regarding STAB. Curse is how Lickilicky sets up allowing it to slowly but surely raise its Attack as well as its Defense turning it into a powerful wall capable of sweeping ill-prepared teams. Rest Talk is Lickilicky's choice in terms of recovery despite having access to Wish. This allows it to brush off any status conditions that would otherwise cripple it. Leftovers provide Lickilicky with some passive recovery so it doesn't have to keep clicking Rest. Regarding stat boosts, Lickilicky at +2 is nothing to laugh at. Return is able to threaten everything that isn't a Normal-type resist.
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
Return / Frustration
Curse
Rest
Sleep Talk
Lickilicky's primary role in ZU is to act as a cleric on bulkier builds. Its Curse set capitalizes on this and is best saved for late game when all those pesky Ghost-types are removed. Return is Lickilicky's best choice regarding STAB. Curse is how Lickilicky sets up allowing it to slowly but surely raise its Attack as well as its Defense turning it into a powerful wall capable of sweeping ill-prepared teams. Rest Talk is Lickilicky's choice in terms of recovery despite having access to Wish. This allows it to brush off any status conditions that would otherwise cripple it. Leftovers provide Lickilicky with some passive recovery so it doesn't have to keep clicking Rest. Regarding stat boosts, Lickilicky at +2 is nothing to laugh at. Return is able to threaten everything that isn't a Normal-type resist.
Daddy Choke (Machoke) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
Dynamic Punch
Knock Off
Rest
Sleep Talk
Machoke is one of the most flexible Pokemon in the tier when it comes to EVs. This is due to its fairly balanced base stat distribution and its ability to hold the Eviolite. On this team, Machoke acts as a physically defensive wall checking physical attackers that would threaten Altaria and Lickilicky such as Golem, Electivire, Shiftry, and physical Combusken. Dynamic Punch allows Machoke to chip and Confuse switch-ins. While RNG does play into its usefulness, the chip damage is still much appreciated. Knock Off allows Machoke to cripple other Eviolite users such as Bronzor, Mareanie, Dusclops, and other Machoke. Rest Talk allows Machoke to absorb status as well as maintain its longevity. If you wanted to, you could play around with Machokes EVs a bit. I would recommend 252 HP / 220 Def / and then the other 36 EVs in SpD or Attack.
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
Dynamic Punch
Knock Off
Rest
Sleep Talk
Machoke is one of the most flexible Pokemon in the tier when it comes to EVs. This is due to its fairly balanced base stat distribution and its ability to hold the Eviolite. On this team, Machoke acts as a physically defensive wall checking physical attackers that would threaten Altaria and Lickilicky such as Golem, Electivire, Shiftry, and physical Combusken. Dynamic Punch allows Machoke to chip and Confuse switch-ins. While RNG does play into its usefulness, the chip damage is still much appreciated. Knock Off allows Machoke to cripple other Eviolite users such as Bronzor, Mareanie, Dusclops, and other Machoke. Rest Talk allows Machoke to absorb status as well as maintain its longevity. If you wanted to, you could play around with Machokes EVs a bit. I would recommend 252 HP / 220 Def / and then the other 36 EVs in SpD or Attack.
PULL UP SKRRT (Electivire) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Motor Drive
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Volt Switch
Wild Charge
Ice Punch
Earthquake
Electivire is one of the meta defining Pokemon in ZU. It's Choice Scarf set is by far its best set and it has cemented itself as the best Choice Scarf user in the tier. Electivire is a terrific revenge killer for the team thanks to its great Speed tier as well as its access to Volt-Switch. In addition, Electivire has a handful of coverage options that it can run. My Electivire simply makes use of its STAB Wild Charge and Volt-Switch. Ice Punch comes in handy when faced with Altaria, Gabite, and Sandslash. It's also great middle ground when trying to predict what will switch-in on Electivire. Earthquake hits Golem, a common switch-in, super effectively. More importantly, though, Earthquake is able to OHKO other pesky Electivire that may try to switch in on an Electric-type move.
Ability: Motor Drive
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Volt Switch
Wild Charge
Ice Punch
Earthquake
Electivire is one of the meta defining Pokemon in ZU. It's Choice Scarf set is by far its best set and it has cemented itself as the best Choice Scarf user in the tier. Electivire is a terrific revenge killer for the team thanks to its great Speed tier as well as its access to Volt-Switch. In addition, Electivire has a handful of coverage options that it can run. My Electivire simply makes use of its STAB Wild Charge and Volt-Switch. Ice Punch comes in handy when faced with Altaria, Gabite, and Sandslash. It's also great middle ground when trying to predict what will switch-in on Electivire. Earthquake hits Golem, a common switch-in, super effectively. More importantly, though, Earthquake is able to OHKO other pesky Electivire that may try to switch in on an Electric-type move.
The Tooth Fairy (Mawile) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
Stealth Rock
Play Rough
Fire Blast / Super Fang
Toxic
With Golem and Crustle in the tier, Mawile is often overlooked as a Stealth Rock setter. However, it's able to carve out a niche as a Physical wall thanks to its unique typing and access to Intimidate. The main draw for using Mawile is its access to Stealth Rock as it's able to support the offensive portion with the team thanks to the chip it provides. Play Rough is Mawile's best choice of STAB as it allows it to bust up Fighting- and Dark-types such as Machoke, Silvally-Fighting, and Shiftry. Because Lickilicky doesn't appreciate Ghost-types and Gourgeist-XL is the most common one, Fire Blast is an easy pick. Alternatively, Mawile can make use of Super Fang and heavily chip switch-ins. Leftovers grant Mawile a form of recovery so that it may maintain its longevity.
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
Stealth Rock
Play Rough
Fire Blast / Super Fang
Toxic
With Golem and Crustle in the tier, Mawile is often overlooked as a Stealth Rock setter. However, it's able to carve out a niche as a Physical wall thanks to its unique typing and access to Intimidate. The main draw for using Mawile is its access to Stealth Rock as it's able to support the offensive portion with the team thanks to the chip it provides. Play Rough is Mawile's best choice of STAB as it allows it to bust up Fighting- and Dark-types such as Machoke, Silvally-Fighting, and Shiftry. Because Lickilicky doesn't appreciate Ghost-types and Gourgeist-XL is the most common one, Fire Blast is an easy pick. Alternatively, Mawile can make use of Super Fang and heavily chip switch-ins. Leftovers grant Mawile a form of recovery so that it may maintain its longevity.
Wave Check (Silvally-Water) @ Water Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpD / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
Surf
Flamethrower
Defog
U-turn
Silvally-Water is one of the more viable defensive Silvally formes in the tier. Silvally's best STAB move is Surf given that it works best as a Special Attacker. Flamethrower allows Silvally to OHKO Abomasnow and Mawile. U-turn allows Silvally to pivot as well as OHKO Shiftry. Regarding its EVs, a bulky spread of 252 HP / 80 SpD / and 176 Speed with a Timid nature allows Silvally to better check Abomasnow and Shiftry, two big threats the team faces.
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpD / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
Surf
Flamethrower
Defog
U-turn
Silvally-Water is one of the more viable defensive Silvally formes in the tier. Silvally's best STAB move is Surf given that it works best as a Special Attacker. Flamethrower allows Silvally to OHKO Abomasnow and Mawile. U-turn allows Silvally to pivot as well as OHKO Shiftry. Regarding its EVs, a bulky spread of 252 HP / 80 SpD / and 176 Speed with a Timid nature allows Silvally to better check Abomasnow and Shiftry, two big threats the team faces.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-894206953 (Beheeyem Busken Offense)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-894211445 (Shiftry Rapidash Swanna FWG Offense)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-887923995 (85Percent's Swanna Shiftry Bronzor Balance)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-886874670 (G3 of Seasonals R2)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-894211445 (Shiftry Rapidash Swanna FWG Offense)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-887923995 (85Percent's Swanna Shiftry Bronzor Balance)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7zu-886874670 (G3 of Seasonals R2)
I've been apart of smogon for almost 4 long years now and I've made my fair share of friends along the way. I started out on PS when I was in the 5th grade under random accounts. I stuck with a main account on Oct 10, 2014 and later changed that account to one I have now. I made my Smogon account shortly after and I've been growing and learning ever since. If I forget to tag you my apologies. There are so many people that have contributed to my experiences here on PS.
Stratos Welcome Back you goon
AM I remember back when I was brand new in the challenges room with you wild huh?
SpaceBass ur the most jacked man I've ever had the pleasure of moderating with
Paradise Suprise Mutha Fucka
thebagman I mean you run and your dedication to fitness is outstanding
kay You've been a great friend to me ever since we met in PU Beta
bobochan you've always remembered me even before I started playing Battle Spot which was like forever ago
chemcoop you tutored me the ways of the Battle Spot single and its because of you that I have advanced my metagame knowledge
Jmash324 You've been like one of the coolest dudes I've met on PS and I'm glad that we play ZU together even if you don't
dibs I fuck with your art and your Hail Storm team
don't lose I miss you m8
Snorlax in the way ur a goon
Frat Dude ur also a goon
snake_rattler Don't let CAP go into bad places okay snakey you've been a good friend
Electrolyte We go way back, tbh I forget how long I've known you.
PenQuin BRUH CHALLENGES SQUAD
Anty I always liked you. you Rated my first RMT
h_n_g_m_n I really really love your art and you're a dope dude as well
frysinger you'll be missed
Graceclaw you know why your here!
RawMelon Ur a really good player like 10/10 def worth 500K in ZUPL
Aaronboyer ZU GANG GANG
AM I remember back when I was brand new in the challenges room with you wild huh?
SpaceBass ur the most jacked man I've ever had the pleasure of moderating with
Paradise Suprise Mutha Fucka
thebagman I mean you run and your dedication to fitness is outstanding
kay You've been a great friend to me ever since we met in PU Beta
bobochan you've always remembered me even before I started playing Battle Spot which was like forever ago
chemcoop you tutored me the ways of the Battle Spot single and its because of you that I have advanced my metagame knowledge
Jmash324 You've been like one of the coolest dudes I've met on PS and I'm glad that we play ZU together even if you don't
dibs I fuck with your art and your Hail Storm team
don't lose I miss you m8
Snorlax in the way ur a goon
Frat Dude ur also a goon
snake_rattler Don't let CAP go into bad places okay snakey you've been a good friend
Electrolyte We go way back, tbh I forget how long I've known you.
PenQuin BRUH CHALLENGES SQUAD
Anty I always liked you. you Rated my first RMT
h_n_g_m_n I really really love your art and you're a dope dude as well
frysinger you'll be missed
Graceclaw you know why your here!
RawMelon Ur a really good player like 10/10 def worth 500K in ZUPL
Aaronboyer ZU GANG GANG
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