So as Hoopa-U is one of my favourite mons, I was happy to see it come back with the recent Home Update and have been trying to make a team with it and Roaring Moon work. I've playing Showdown a bit more recently and tried to find mons to complement this duo. Honestly, I'm a bit lost how to improve it more (being my first real foray into teambuilding), or if a core of these two mons even work, so I'm seeking any help to make this team better :)
Hoopa-Unbound @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
Trying to find a way to use Hoopa-U's incredible 170 base SpA, I settled on a Choice Scarf Timid Nature, allowing it to outspeed most non-Choice scarf/non-booster mons (except unburden sneasler) and still land powerful OHKO/2HKOs. I also found more success with a SpA set as most mons I met seemed to be defensively skewed. Usually, I keep this in the back to snipe unsuspecting opponents like Dragapult or Great Tusk who usually expect to outspeed it and stay in. Tera-boosted Psychic allow it to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Choice Band Zamazenta-H with no bulk investment. Thunderbolt is to target lead Pelippers in rain who usually expect to OHKO with U-turn, and also 2HKO Def Dondozo and Def Corviknight, while Focus Blast (if it lands), threatens Garg, Ting-Lu and other Dark types like Kingambit.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Mirror Armor
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Body Press
- Defog
- Roost
The team's Defogger and physical wall, it also helps to pivot into Hoopa-U/Roaring Moon for them to find an opening/set-up with U-turn. I was conflicted over the item and ability but chose Rocky Helmet over Leftovers for the chip damage, and Mirror Armor over Pressure to prevent Def drops. Some games I found it too passive since its only real attacking move is non-STAB Body Press, but it remains invaluable with its strong defensive typing complementing the rest of the team with its Ground Immunity and being resistant to Fairy, while also being being neutral to Fighting and Ice moves.
Roaring Moon @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Acrobatics
- Crunch
- Dragon Claw
The usual DD Acrobatics set, but with booster energy attack rather than speed. Usually, this is one of the mons I tera, because +1 DD Acrobatics puts a dent into most teams, if not outright sweeping them. Even without tera, with just booster energy attack, it is able to still threaten to OHKO other offensive threats and special walls, as it's supposed to be the team's physical attacker to complement Hoopa-u as the special attacker. I'm considering whether to include Earthquake to hit Kingambit/Heatran, or keep Dragon Claw to deal with other Dragons like Baxcalibur/Chomp/other Roaring Moons.
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
Wasn't sure about including another dark type on the team, but Kingambit brought good strength in Swords Dance+any of its Dark/Steel STABs and a form of speed control in Sucker Punch, and pulled a lot of games back from the brink with its Supreme Overlord closing out the endgame a few times, which is why it kept its place on the team. It's also quite bulky with resistances to 9 types (especially Ice to help Roaring Moon and Landorus out) and most of the time can surprisingly take at least one non-Fighting super effective hit.
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Salt Cure
- Iron Defense
- Recover
- Body Press
I used this as the team's special wall, but it tanks physical hits like a champ also, being extremely annoying with Leftovers plus Recover. With Salt Cure, it forces switches, hits steels/waters hard and prevents the wall of the team from being too passive. I often find myself tera-ing this quite often as well (second only to Roaring Moon) to tank Fighting-type moves, often when on the back foot. Garganacl has singlehandly won games by walling off teams and pressuring them with Salt Cure chip.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
Urshifu was originally the last spot on this team, but following its ban, I tried to find a pivot that had resistance to ground/fighting. I thus settled on Lando-T due to its ability to set hazards, and intimidate to tank against physical attackers with its defensive bulk. Its Ground STAB has been invaluable against Kingambit and Heatran, while Stone Edge gives it something to hit Flying types like Zapdos/Corv/Enamorus so it isn't completely walled off. It helps to keep momentum while swapping into Hoopa/Moon or into Corv/Garg to tank hits.
I think ground/fighting moves are definitely an area where this team struggles hard, and I often find myself struggling to answer threats like Booster Iron Valiant, Unburden Sneasler and in a recent game Chlorophyll H-Liligant x_x, aside from tera-ing. Perhaps it may be the lack of speed control? as Scarf Hoopa-U can't handle other scarfers/booster:speed or unburden mons, so I often default to Kingambit's sucker punch which backfires unless I tera against Iron Valiant/Sneasler. Any suggestions are welcome! As my first foray into actual teambuilding, I hope this team is somewhat up to scratch as I really want to make the combo of Roaring Moon and Hoopa-U work as they are my favourite mons!
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/4fcce440ab2cc326
Hoopa-Unbound @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
Trying to find a way to use Hoopa-U's incredible 170 base SpA, I settled on a Choice Scarf Timid Nature, allowing it to outspeed most non-Choice scarf/non-booster mons (except unburden sneasler) and still land powerful OHKO/2HKOs. I also found more success with a SpA set as most mons I met seemed to be defensively skewed. Usually, I keep this in the back to snipe unsuspecting opponents like Dragapult or Great Tusk who usually expect to outspeed it and stay in. Tera-boosted Psychic allow it to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Choice Band Zamazenta-H with no bulk investment. Thunderbolt is to target lead Pelippers in rain who usually expect to OHKO with U-turn, and also 2HKO Def Dondozo and Def Corviknight, while Focus Blast (if it lands), threatens Garg, Ting-Lu and other Dark types like Kingambit.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Mirror Armor
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Body Press
- Defog
- Roost
The team's Defogger and physical wall, it also helps to pivot into Hoopa-U/Roaring Moon for them to find an opening/set-up with U-turn. I was conflicted over the item and ability but chose Rocky Helmet over Leftovers for the chip damage, and Mirror Armor over Pressure to prevent Def drops. Some games I found it too passive since its only real attacking move is non-STAB Body Press, but it remains invaluable with its strong defensive typing complementing the rest of the team with its Ground Immunity and being resistant to Fairy, while also being being neutral to Fighting and Ice moves.
Roaring Moon @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Acrobatics
- Crunch
- Dragon Claw
The usual DD Acrobatics set, but with booster energy attack rather than speed. Usually, this is one of the mons I tera, because +1 DD Acrobatics puts a dent into most teams, if not outright sweeping them. Even without tera, with just booster energy attack, it is able to still threaten to OHKO other offensive threats and special walls, as it's supposed to be the team's physical attacker to complement Hoopa-u as the special attacker. I'm considering whether to include Earthquake to hit Kingambit/Heatran, or keep Dragon Claw to deal with other Dragons like Baxcalibur/Chomp/other Roaring Moons.
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
Wasn't sure about including another dark type on the team, but Kingambit brought good strength in Swords Dance+any of its Dark/Steel STABs and a form of speed control in Sucker Punch, and pulled a lot of games back from the brink with its Supreme Overlord closing out the endgame a few times, which is why it kept its place on the team. It's also quite bulky with resistances to 9 types (especially Ice to help Roaring Moon and Landorus out) and most of the time can surprisingly take at least one non-Fighting super effective hit.
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Salt Cure
- Iron Defense
- Recover
- Body Press
I used this as the team's special wall, but it tanks physical hits like a champ also, being extremely annoying with Leftovers plus Recover. With Salt Cure, it forces switches, hits steels/waters hard and prevents the wall of the team from being too passive. I often find myself tera-ing this quite often as well (second only to Roaring Moon) to tank Fighting-type moves, often when on the back foot. Garganacl has singlehandly won games by walling off teams and pressuring them with Salt Cure chip.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
Urshifu was originally the last spot on this team, but following its ban, I tried to find a pivot that had resistance to ground/fighting. I thus settled on Lando-T due to its ability to set hazards, and intimidate to tank against physical attackers with its defensive bulk. Its Ground STAB has been invaluable against Kingambit and Heatran, while Stone Edge gives it something to hit Flying types like Zapdos/Corv/Enamorus so it isn't completely walled off. It helps to keep momentum while swapping into Hoopa/Moon or into Corv/Garg to tank hits.
I think ground/fighting moves are definitely an area where this team struggles hard, and I often find myself struggling to answer threats like Booster Iron Valiant, Unburden Sneasler and in a recent game Chlorophyll H-Liligant x_x, aside from tera-ing. Perhaps it may be the lack of speed control? as Scarf Hoopa-U can't handle other scarfers/booster:speed or unburden mons, so I often default to Kingambit's sucker punch which backfires unless I tera against Iron Valiant/Sneasler. Any suggestions are welcome! As my first foray into actual teambuilding, I hope this team is somewhat up to scratch as I really want to make the combo of Roaring Moon and Hoopa-U work as they are my favourite mons!
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/4fcce440ab2cc326
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