It's Time to Use the NeverUsed!

[CBshuckle]

After reading a warstory some time back about somebody's NU team, specifically his awesome kecleon set, I started to develop an interest in NU and eventually have decided to create a team for myself. I have not tested this team very much, but so far in UU it's 3-2. It is more of a balanced team, in the beginning prioritizing entry hazards and later on focusing on deadly sweepers that usually have little to no trouble sweeping late-game.

Here's my team at a glance:

In-Depth:

Nidoqueen @ Lum Berry
Poison Point
252 HP / 200 Def / 44 Sp. Def / 12 Speed
Bold
-Stealth Rock
-Taunt
-Ice Beam
-Earth Power

Nidoqueen is my lead whose main goal is to set up toxic spikes. Taunt + Lum Berry deals with sleepers like Venusaur, while Ice Beam and Earth Power are there to provide coverage and deal some damage. The 44 Speed EVs allow Nidoqueen to outspeed 4 Speed EV Venusaur. 200 Defense EVs ensures that Nidoqueen will never be 2HKOed by Primeape's Earthquake (assuming Adamant nature, 252 Attack EVs), and the 12 Special Defense EVs ensure Nidoqueen will always avoid a 2HKO from Venusaur's Leaf Storm (assuming Timid Nature, 252 Special Attack EVs). Nidoqueen plays a crucial role as a set-up pokemon and a check for many dangerous offensive threats. Also, she resists rock which my team is weak to.

Articuno @ Leftovers
Pressure
252 HP / 40 Sp. Att / 216 Speed
Timid
-Toxic
-Roost
-Ice Beam
-Substitute

Another member of my defensive core, Articuno can stall many potent threats, plus she is my only team member who can heal herself aside from leftovers. Timid and 216 speed ev's allow articuno to outrun many opposing pokemon who may block toxic with their own substitute. Although weak to the omnipresent Stealth Rock, hopefully Nidoqueen can prevent its activation and if it is used, cloyster can spin it away.

Leafeon @ Life Orb
Leaf Guard
252 Att / 252 Speed / 4 Def
Jolly
-Swords Dance
-Return
-Leaf Blade
-Synthesis

Leafeon is the newest member of my team. He's a welcome addition due to his high speed and very capable sweeping potential. So far I haven't had much time to test him out as I'm not sure which move to use in the last slot. My team as a whole lacks recovery other than articuno, so synthesis is needed to keep leafeon healthy.

Kecleon @ Leftovers
Color Change
240 HP / 16 Att / 252 Sp. Def
Careful
-Substitute
-Thunder Wave
-Focus Punch
-Sucker Punch

Chances are, you've never seen this beastly set. From the moment I looked at it, I took a liking to it. Eh, I'm probably overstating it's power, but Kecleon is a very good special defensive pokemon and can easily become quite the nuisance. I switch him into a pure special attacking pokemon who can't utilize color change as an advantage, and from there I Thunder Wave the switch-in. After I set up substitute, the mind games can begin with focus punch punishing the opponent for not attacking, while sucker punch does damage to attacking opponents. Spreading around paralysis is helpful since my team isn't very fast. Unfortunately, he can be pretty hit-or-miss, since a wrong prediction can prove costly. However, kecleon is very fun and is often pivotal in gaining advantage in the match.

Cloyster @ Leftovers
Shell Armor
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Sp. Def
Sassy
-Spikes
-Rapid Spin
-Ice Shard
-Payback

A VERY crucial part of this team, cloyster provides some much-needed rapid spin support so that two of my team members aren't useless. I am still undecided as to which moves to use in the last moveslots: Ice Shard is nice priority stab, Payback hurts spin blockers. While Explosion is an excellent move, I need cloyster to stick around in case the opponent tries to re-set up his/her entry hazards.. Even though cloyster's special defense is disappointing, he can still take a few hits and deal some damage along the way. Spikes are for when I get the chance and help my team all-around. Yes, he is weak to rock, notably stealth rock, but he is still tough to take down and does his job well.

Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Epic Guard
255 Att / 255 Speed
Lonely
-Swords Dance
-X-Scizzor
-Shadow Sneak
-Toxic

My late game finisher, Shedinja can make opponents cry once they're left with pokemon that can't harm him. No, he isn't only good in ubers - there are many pokemon in UU who can't touch Shedinja and once the ones who can are gone, it's game over. Swords Dance or Toxic on the switch, and then depending on who goes in I can either attack or retreat. No registeel doesn't wall this set because his standard set can't do anything except paralyze it while shedinja sets up +6 attack and 3HKO's with X-Scizzor.

Shortly after making this team, I remembered that Slaking was NU and, obviously, he can be quite dominant. Recommendations on who to take out for Slaking are greatly appreciated.

 

[pachy]

That's a very well rounded team! Just make sure that articuno has an odd amount
of HP in case cloyster is fainted so it won't be 2HKOed by an opposing stealth rock.
I think you should replace camerupt with poliwrath because cloyster can already defeat flying types
with ice shard, articuno also beats almost all of NU Flying type pokemon with toxic and ice beam,
poliwrath is faster than camerupt, and it can take down, like you stated above, rhyperior.

 

[Ich777ich]

I think it is a pretty good team, especially what you did with kecleon. And also, I would consider a different sweeper altogether (Is your camerupt a sweeper?). Poliwrath is okay, but has no way of boosting his speed, and your team is lacking a large amount of speed. I would recommend running a SD Leafeon, with Leaf Blade, X-Scissor, Quick Attack, and of course Swords Dance. Leafeon actually fit's in really well on this team, it's kinda fast, cloyster covers it's flying weakness pretty well, as well taking the new scarfed Honchkrow Brave Birds. Adamant Life Orbed Poliwrath's Waterfall will never OHKO Rhyperior, while a Life Orbed Jolly Leafeon's leaf blade KO's it, and that's before a swords dance. However, i would recommend running Stealth Rock on one of your team members to help with give assistance with Leafeon, as it will limit the number of times bird pokemon can come in. I recommend running it on your nidoqueen over Toxic spikes, because you already have toxic on articuno, and flying pokemon that would avoid toxic spikes are dealt with the wall that is cloyster and are hit by his STAB ice shard. I also want to note that a Life Orb SD Quick Attack does 50-58.7% to Honchhrow, and 58.47-68.96, which means after a couple switch-in's to SR will bring the end of them if they go against a SD leafeon. Hope that helps!

 

[CBshuckle]

thanks for the replies everyone.

Pachy, while having an even number is bad for SR, getting max hp of 384 allows articuno to recover an extra HP every turn with leftovers and dropping my hp just one point would lower the amount that leftovers heals every turn.

ich777ich, I never thought about leafeon, I'll give it a shot over camerupt. Also, which would you recommend to go with SD, return, and leaf blade: quick attack, synthesis, or x-scizzor? I replaced TS with SR in nidoqueen.

woooshooo, I considered slaking as I mentioned it in the last line of my first post, but I don't know who I should take out for him, as I only remembered him after I made this team.

 

[A.P.]

Go with Payback/Ice Shard on Cloyster - two of your Pokémon are severely hurt or killed with SR up, and you don't want to Explode too early, lest you risk that they come back in and set up more hazards after you die.

I would suggest running SD/Double-Edge/Leaf Blade/Synthesis on Leafeon - it hits like a truck, and has the defenses to keep up the healing. Not too many of the faster Pokémon in NU can really do much to him.

Incidentally, why do you mention UU Pokémon several times here? Is this an NU team meant to be used in UU? Because if so, then you open yourself up to a much wider range of threats. I suggest you run this team in NU, if you want to gauge a better value of this team's success rate.

 

[Xaqwais]

If you ever plan to use this team in actual NU, then you'll definitely need some changes. Magmortar and Charizard are running rampant and not only do they beat majority of your team by themselves, but some players use them on the same team.

A good way to stop Magmortar would be Flareon, which would either replace Articuno or Shedinja.

Charizard is another beast entirely. Once he sets up, very little ever stops him. You could switch your lead to Floatzel, to not only help against Charizard, but also taunt SR leads like Nidoqueen and Cloyster.

But that's if you ever plan on using this in NU. UU is alien territory for me.

 

[Bloo]

13. You are only permitted to have one active RMT thread open at any given time. Don't post a new team every 2 weeks, wait some time before posting another RMT.

You posted an RMT thread 8 days ago; you're supposed to wait at least 2 weeks before re-posting another RMT thread. Therefore, I'll have to lock your thread as you're in violation of rule #13. Once 2 weeks have passed, feel free to PM me and I'll unlock your thread.