ORAS UU My First UU Team (Heracross + Nidoqueen core) ELO 1414+

[toenails_sauce]

After taking a break from OU, I wanted to see how well I did with UU. The team is a bulky offense/balance team based around Heracross and Nidoqueen (I believe they make a great wall breaking core). I just want to know how I can improve this team, because I had no prior UU experience before.

Btw, I use the account fingernails_sauce for my UU team (toenails_sauce00 is for OU).

Teambuilding Process

I paired Banded Heracross and Offensive Nidoqueen, because together they make a great wallbreaking core and break nearly every wall in the tier. Nidoqueen can take care of Fairy-types and most physical walls for Heracross, and Heracross can take care of special walls like Blissey.

Weakness: Psychic and strong Special attackers --->

AV Escavalier (this guy covers up the core's common Psychic weakness. Also, with Assault Vest, it can also check most strong special attackers without a Fire-type coverage move.)

Weakness: Fire and strong Physical attackers --->

CM Physically Defensive Suicune (great wincon too)

Weakness: Bulky Water-Types and Substitute+DD Gyarados --->

Defog Zapdos (it's not much of an offensive or defensive threat, but it is still effective)

Weakness: HP Fire Roserade --->

Mega Aerodactyl (also needed a Mega slot and an effective cleaner/sweeper)

Heracross @ Choice Band
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge

• Choice Band is the reason why I chose this badass; it makes him do a ton of damage.
• With Guts, Heracross can switch in to status with impunity, because the status would strengthen him. (well, don't switch into Sleep Powder!)
• Given EVs and Nature maximize offensive capabilities, especially power.
• Close Combat and Megahorn are strong STAB moves.
• Knock Off cripples some of his switch-ins and hits Psychic-types more reliably.
• Stone Edge hits Flying-types on the switch.

Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave

• Life Orb makes Nidoqueen even stronger.
• Given EVs maximize her power, while still being able to outspeed uninvested/defensive Suicune and tank a few hits.
• Modest Nature is better than Timid, because Nidoqueen doesn't need a lot of speed.
• Earth Power is important for Steel-types, like Mega Aggron and Doublade.
• Ice Beam hits Crobat, Zapdos, Hydreigon, and Salamence.
• Stealth Rock is a good entry hazard.
• Sludge Wave kills Fairies.

Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Drill Run

• Assault Vest makes Escavalier tank neutral special attacks with relative ease.
• EVs and Adamant Nature make Escavalier bulkier and stronger and able to outspeed base 30s.
• Megahorn dents most Pokemon who don't resist it, especially Psychic-types and Dark-types.
• Iron Head is a reliable, accurate STAB that has decent neutral coverage.
• Pursuit traps frail attackers who want to switch out.
• Drill Run takes care of Steel-types like Cobalion and Fire-types like Infernape.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Rest
- Ice Beam

• Leftovers give Suicune passive recovery.
• EVs and Bold Nature enhances Suicune's physical bulk, making him a catch-all check to physical attackers.
• Calm Mind turns Suicune into a wincon.
• Scald is a reliable STAB that can spread burns.
• Rest is his only form of recovery.
• Ice Beam kills Salamence and dents Dragon-types.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]

• Leftovers are good for passive recovery, even though Zapdos already has Roost.
• EVs and Bold Nature enhance Zapdos's physical bulk; this way Zapdos can switch into Fighting-type moves and take care of Gyarados more reliably. 248 HP lessens the damage Zapdos takes from Stealth Rock.
• Thunderbolt kills Gyarados.
• Roost recovers half of Zapdos's health.
• Defog removes hazards.
• Hidden Power [Ice] hits Ground-types (you can use Heat Wave too).

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Wing Attack
- Aqua Tail
- Roost

• EVs and nature make Aerodactyl stronger and faster.
• Stone Edge is a strong STAB.
• Wing Attack takes down Grass-types, especially Roserade, whom Aerodactyl is meant to check.
• Aqua Tail hits Ground-types harder.
• Roost recovers its HP.

Replay:
Note: In the replay, there is Rotom-Mow instead of Zapdos, but I guess it's fine.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-345877705


Thanks for reading! And feel free to use my team!

-------toenails_sauce

 

[toenails_sauce]

Bump
Bruh, I can really use some help here.

 

[Manipulative]

Heya, toenails_sauce. This is pretty cool team you have coming along :). Here are some suggestions that I think could really help.

• Suicune can do wonders for your team, but I feel that your current set just doesn't fit. Without Sleep Talk, Suicune is a sitting duck for two whole turns after clicking rest and is fairly easy to take advantage of. Suicune is also your most reliable check to fire types, so it really does need Sleep Talk. I would suggest a moveset of Scald / Roar / Rest / Sleep Talk. This change enables you to most likely be able to do something while Suicune is asleep, and also gives you a phazer, which your team currently lacks. You become a much better check to almost everything and can now prevent threats such as Feraligatr from getting out of hand. I would also give it a good amount of speed investment so that you could roar out opposing Suicunes, in case those get out of hand as well. Here's the set:

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

• I noticed that your team really struggles with dark types and dragons. Hydreigon, Special Salamence, Mega Sharpedo, Mega Absol and Sableye all seem like they could really dent your team. I would recommend replacing Escavalier with CM Florges. Not only does this check all of the above, but even helps you against other things that seem annoying (Heliolisk and Chesnaught among other things). Florges is checking more things than Escavalier as a special wall overall, and offers you a nice win condition since Suicune would no longer have CM. Although Escavalier was there for more security against Psychic types, your team is already able to handle them pretty well. Suicune can switch into and roar out Reuniclus, Slowking and Cresselia to give Heracross a chance to come in. And between Florges, Suicune, Zapdos and MAero, you should definitely be able to handle Gardevoir and Alakazam. I would suggest a Calm Nature in order to better check special threats, as you already have two full physical walls in Suicune and Zapdos. Here's the set:

Florges (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 24 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Synthesis
- Aromatherapy​

• You already have Suicune to deal with ground types quite well, and with Escavalier gone, your team would very much appreciate Pursuit over Aqua Tail on MAero. This would help you trap threats such as Alakazam and MBee, as well as a very threatening Chandelure.

• Heracross should definitely have a Jolly nature so that it can outspeed some important threats. It hits ridiculously hard as is, and that 85 speed tier is crucial.

• Since your main answer to Lucario is Zapdos, I feel like it would be better to have Heat Wave over HP Ice. This also helps with things like Mega Abomasnow, which looks like it could be pretty threatening if you run into it. Though, this comes at the cost of being a better check to things like DD Mence even though you have Suicune to roar it out. It's pretty much a pick and choose, but I personally think it's worth running Heat Wave.

Other Options:

• You can consider running Earthquake over Roost on MAero to be able to hit more threats such as Cobalion, Lucario, the Nidos, and even Dragalge which becomes a bigger threat with Escavalier gone. It comes at the cost of being able to maintain longevity though, so think about it.

• You could also try running Facade over Stone Edge on Heracross since the team already checks the flying types that you would want to hit with Stone Edge. Once Heracross gets a status, Facade could do some favorable things such as extremely denting or even OHKOing opposing Florges. You wouldn't have to deal with accuracy issues either hehe.

Additional Note:
With Escavalier gone, you have one less check to Slurpuff if it manages to get a Belly Drum up. So if you see one, you should probably play conservatively with Suicune so that you're able to roar it out if anything.


I hope you consider my suggestions, and good luck with the team!

 

[Cynde]

hey toenail_Sauce!!!! =) this is a pretty cool team i've used the same core several times over and i'm a big fan of heracross! =)

• i think you should use whimsicott > escavalier because it gives you a check a better check to water types as zapdos isn't sufficient in this regard especially since it's a defensive variant and it provides utility in checking set up sweepers which is something your team really appreciates and its fairy typing still provides you with a sponge for dragon type attacks. the set i would run is giga drain / encore / moonblast / u-turn and an ev spread distribution of 4 def / 252 spa / 252 spe and a timid nature. the item that should be run is either leftovers pixie plate.

• you would also be needing pursuit aerodactyl because pokemon such as mega beedrill, alakazam and chandelure are fairly big issues and having pursuit would help remove them. i would also run 40 def on aerodactyl so that you can eat jolly mamo ice shard after stealth rocks. the utility this provides is far more useful than the marginal increase in attack. the net loss in attack is only around 1% of damage anyway so you aren't losing out on much.

• i'd run a swords dance set on heracross so you can punish fatter teams a lot more easily. the moveset i would run is swords dance / close combat / knock off / megahorn.

• the suicune spread should be optimised to 240 hp / 216 def / 52 speed. this lets you hit a leftovers number and a jump point in defence. run a spread of 248 hp / 220 def / 40 speed on zapdos.

Arifeen

 

[toenails_sauce]

Thanks, guys! I might go with Manipulative's advice about replacing Escavalier, but I'll consider both of your suggestions! They sound great and will definitely help me go up the UU ladder.