MAN TEAM

[spuds4ever]

MAN TEAM
Art by Anonomous artist of Unknown Talent​

Introduction:
Hey there Smogon. I'm gonna keep this brief because I never read your intros so I wouldn't read mine either if it was more than 4 lines. MANLY team is MANLY and also a bit succesful (hit 5th on PS! at one point) which I think is pretty good seeing as I can't battle for peanuts.​

Playstyle:
Survive a 2HKO from something thanks to MANLY bulk and then destroy whatever switches in with MANLY STAB (Super Tanky And Boss-like) moves. MANLY Choice Bands help as well as a MANLY choice of Pokemon.​

ZEUS (Empoleon) (M) @ Air Balloon​

Trait: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Aqua Jet
- Stealth Rock

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
Look at this boss. It has enough class alone to completely flatten teams, but seeing as that would make most games boring, this guy uses his time on the field to pose and set up hazards and stop them from coming up. He is also my only special attacker and so he is the MANLY hipster of the team. He was one of the last members picked and helps his bros by stopping fools from spamming flying and water moves by tanking them like a boss.

How is this Set MANLY?:
I like to call this set original and while it gives up some handy traits like being able to beat kingdra or to sweep, he makes up for it with others. This guy is such a good anti-lead in this metagame where leads are quite prominent. Hydro Pump + A-jet means stops azelf and frosslass cold, even from getting one layer up if they choose to taunt which will give me a big advantage in that game as not having hazards on the field is a huge perk for a choice team. Hydro Pump, much as I hate its accuracy, is extremely MANLY and its power is necessary to 2HKO Bronzong (don't even get me started on how MANLY this move is in torrent range) and knock offensive frossie into a-jet range. Grass knot lols at swampert and helps me wear down bulky waters which is better. Ice beam is un-necessary as this guy's easily cool enough already (pun intended) and rosie and shaymin are man-handled by cro. Air balloon is definitely the best option as not only does it show his complete class superiority over his opponents, but also lols at smart-ass flygon leads and lets me switch into swampert and (especially) gligar for free.

SnorLAD (Snorlax) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 176 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Return

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
Snorlax just doesn't give a damn about anything. He sits there, switches into any special attacker he pleases, and tears them in half without breaking a sweat. What a boss. As many of you know, CBlax is considered one of the best sets in the tier atm and it really is. I don't think I need to explain more. Oh yes, he also eats chandelure (yes, eats, he is a MANLY fire-eater) which lets heracross and scrafty spam HJK and CC.

How is this Set MANLY?:
CB automatically makes this set MANLY so not much needs to be said. Normal STAB is really good in UU generally so spamming it is always good, especially seeing as bronzong is nearly always dead by turn 2 thanks to Zeus (which is also why I don't run fire punch) and that chandelure has to be very MANLY to try to switch into Snorlax. EQ for rhyp and regi. 8 Spe EVs for speed creep to beat other lax and bro. Nuff said.

BRObat (Crobat) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Aerial Ace
- Sleep Talk

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
I love Crobat. Like. So much (in a MANLY kind of way). Flying is the best attacking type in the tier by far and CB Crobat is such a menace to offensive teams. This guy is the most important guy on the team as he is the only guy with a speed stat and my switch in to bug, fighting, and grass types (all of which he MANLY(ly?) 4x resists) and, perhaps more importantly, is responsible for revenge-killing nearly everything without a choice scarf. Basically, if you use this team, don't let your bro die ever against offensive teams.

How is this Set MANLY?:
CB is CB. Sleep talk lets you destroy smart-ass sleep powder users, aerial ace>cross poison as well for venomoth when sleep talking. U-turn is very handy, getting you out of rhyp's face. Not really much else to say really. Infiltrator is nice because reflect pisses me off and ambipom and f-out mienshao aren't used by good players anyway.

SGRRRafty (Scrafty) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Hi Jump Kick
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
What do you get if you cross a (almost) fully defensive hitmontop with the STAB coverage and power of CB flygon? CB scrafty. This is literally the best physical pivot in the tier. I think this is already evident in the fact that it beats EVERY physical pokemon bar LOed/CBed flying/fighting types in the tier (ok, except Machamp but who uses that). This guy is my counter to rhyperior, weavile, DD kingdra, krookodile, non aura-sphere or will-o-wisp mew, and more. Credit to FlareBlitz who (I believe?) made this set. So MANLY. The underdog of the tier, definition of taking hits and dishing them back. Couple this with the fact that he has intimidate for his ability and not to mention that he's a GHETTO LIZARD. Ya, he's MANLY.

How is this Set MANLY?:
HJK is my spamming move that sends opposing mons to not-so-gangsta-paradise once ghosts are removed. Drain punch lets him stick around and does respectable damage itself. Crunch covers everything else and Zenbutt smacks Cro and Hera for a lot. The EV spread lets me outspeed base 60's like pert and blastoise and HP and attack is where everything else goes.

SMANpert (Swampert) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 208 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 44 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Roar
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
Everyone knows Swampert is MANLY ever since he was released, being one of the best counters to the best pokemon in the tier in ADV (t-tar) and so on. Now he has the opportunity to wreck faces in UU. Water-Ground coverage is so good in UU and kills literally everything in the tier. The ammount of people who have just gone "LOL, pert, LOL, roserade. WTH, I dyud in one hit? Rage etc." is unbelievable. Also, one of the best things about pert is that he has only one weakness and is very tough to KO with neutral attacks which means I'll often lead with him if I think my opponent might kick off with something like darm. He will pretty much always get a kill if I need him to. He also stops me from being swept by stuff like scarfed darm and such.

How is this Set MANLY?:
As I said earlier, this guy destroys pretty much everything with his CBed STABs. He is also very important as he is the only physcial attacker in the tier who can get through gligar. Anyway, the set is self-explanatory. STABs are STABs and ice punch turns the hedgehog into frozen road-kill. Roar because superpower is pointless as I handle scrafty well and it gives me a last ditch effort against baton passers if Cro fails to do his work.

HeraBOSS (Heracross) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

How is this Pokemon MANLY?:
Here we have him. The destroyer of worlds himself. This guy is so hard, he makes nails look soft. Everyone knows that there are two reasons you would wear a scarf. 1: you're a pansie or female, 2: you're not manly enough to face the cold. Heracross is neither so he wears a MANLY choice band. This guy is really important as he is my sableye counter who has a bad habit of screwing with mono-physical teams and also punishes abusers of the most stupid move in the game, scald (serves those noobs right). This guy is worth his weight in Gold against stall. While I could have gone the SD route, the CB had much more utility against offensive teams (and which MANLY men eat while in battle?) He was also very MANLY as he checks the mob-boss known as honchkrow who I was weak to before hand and gives me a secondary fighting check.

How is this Set MANLY?:
Base 125 Atk, CB, Guts, and 2 120BP STAB moves is nuff said tbh, but I should probably explain one or two things about the spread and set. EQ over night slash because qwilfish and defensive Nidos are much more of a pain than coFAGrigus. The EV spread gives me notably more bulk (and thus chest hair) and the rest of the speed isn't missed much as I have enough to out-speed adamant honchkrow.

Conclusion:

I hope you enjoyed, feel inspired, give me luvdisc, etc. etc.. But yeah, this team was a lot of fun, while it probably won't be nearly as effective as it was now it's been posted up, feel free to steal and get the MANLY feeling of using 5 CBs legitimately. Peace out my manly brothers, Spuds.

Stealable:

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SnorLAD (Snorlax) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 176 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Return
BRObat (Crobat) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Aerial Ace
- Sleep Talk
SGRRRafty (Scrafty) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Hi Jump Kick
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt
ZEUS (Empoleon) (M) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Aqua Jet
- Stealth Rock
SMANpert (Swampert) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 208 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 44 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Roar
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
HeraBOSS (Heracross) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

 

[PTJon7]

Interesting team, I guess the strategy of overloading opposing teams with powerful physical attackers could work. I do think the team has one major weakness in Mienshao. The Scarf variant can revenge kill literally every single one of your pokemon except maybe Swampert if it was at high health. Life Orb Mienshao with Aerial Ace would only face opposition from Crobat, but once Crobat is down it could easily sweep your team. There is one pokemon that I think could perfectly fix this problem as well as stay with the theme you've got going on:

Golurk @ Choice Band
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe (or 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4Sdef)
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Punch
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Drain Punch

Golurk's attack reaches a massive 572 with a Choice Band, and 3 of his moves get boosts from Iron Fist. Golurk can freely switch into any of Meinshao's attacks and them proceed to deal serious damage.

I like the Empoleon set, I've used one similar to that but with a Sash instead of a Balloon. I really think this work better, as it enables Empoleon to tank any hit and then hit back with a combo of Hydro Pump and Aqua Jet, or enable it to set up Stealth Rocks and then attack.

 

[HUARGH]

Heracross should run Sleep Talk over Earthquake. There's nothing you're going to Earthquake that you can't Close Combat/Megahorn and Sleep Talk abuses his guts + gives you a potent sleep absorber.

 

[patrick11756]

I think I played against this team... that sleep talk crobat screwed up my spore shellsmash smerrgle. Just a few points.
1. Empoleon is good with either focus sash/air balloon, although air balloon could give a free switch in.
2. I do see a large bronzong weakness tbh. even heracross who is choice banded is a 3hko on 252/252 +def zong. Perhaps you could try ffitting life orb darmnitan who can demolish zong. Also, he can come in wow fro sableye aimed at scrafty, crobat, swapert, and snorlax. Lo darm will demolish pokes without the need for choice band, so is manlier than manly.
3. Why roar on swampert? Its locked into a move. I second ptjons suggestion of golurk :D

 

[atomicllamas]

For Empoleon, you should have 31 EVs in attack, this allows hydropump/aqua jet to 2hko defensive Froslass (248 HP/8SpDef) sometimes, instead of almost never. It also makes a 2HKO possible against (252 HP/4 SpDef) Azelf, which is a spread given on smogon for more supportish Azelfs. Its not like Foul Play is hurting Empoleon anyways and confusion is pretty rare.

 

[Axelotl]

Heracross should run Sleep Talk over Earthquake. There's nothing you're going to Earthquake that you can't Close Combat/Megahorn and Sleep Talk abuses his guts + gives you a potent sleep absorber.

Nidoqueen. Also, Crobat already absorbs sleep.

A lot of solid suggestions have already been made, I agree with PTJon7 on Golurk. It could work quite nicely on your team, and it doesn't ruin the theme - Golurk can use CB as well, and it's pretty manly for being a genderless Pokémon.

I was also thinking that you may want to use Super Fang on Crobat over Aerial Ace. It could help by severely denting Bronzong. Not gonna kill it anytime soon but you can soften it up so some other bro can come in and finish the job.

Pretty cool team, I like the unique twist you gave it :)

 

[spuds4ever]

Thanks for the rates all. Empoleon's balloon for this team is much more important than a focus sash as without it, gligar becomes much tougher to take out. While it would be nice for mienshao leads, so many are running crappy fake out sets now anyway.

Honestly, I've had literally no problems with mienshao at all with this team. I think it mostly comes down to that it literally switches in on nothing on the whole team and crobat immediately gets me back offensive pressure against it.

I'll give golurk a shot, but I don't know who I'd replace, if I get rid of swampert, I become immensly weak to physical fire types with LO or CB which are already this team's largest weakness.

Good hitch on Empoleon, cheers.

At those thinking bronzong is a weakness:
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Bronzong: 204-240 (60.35 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Scrafty Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Bronzong: 160-190 (47.33 - 56.21%) -- 86.72% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Empoleon Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Bronzong: 169-201 (50 - 59.46%) -- 78.52% chance to 2HKO

As I said earlier, Heracross needs to be able to kill fish and queen easily and crobat is already my sleep absorber. On the note of crobat, super-fang isn't a bad idea, but I dislike being choice locked into it. Usually a switch to bronzong or rhyp is predictable which is where u-turn comes in. And I believe I mentioned why roar is on Swampert, just as a filler really against baton pass teams which are more threatening than scrafty to this team.

Cheers guys :)

 

[PTJon7]

Funnily enough, while looking at the UU ladder I noticed the name MANLY MAN GUY, which turned out to be you when I looked up the account's replays. This game (http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-14750182) is pretty significant proof that this team needs a Fighting check, with Crobat out of the way a Heracross can pretty easily sweep this team.