My first UU team

[Fiskebollen]

Hey everyone. After discovering the UU ladder on the Smogon Shoddy server, I decided to give it a try. I'm by no means a seasoned battler, but I hoped the UU environment could provide a fun and different challenge (as opposed to running into land sharks all the time...).

After playing a bit around yesterday evening, I ended up with this team:

Nidoqueen @ Leftovers
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252HP, 252Def, 4 SDef (heh... like if it makes much of a difference)
Nature: Leftovers
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic Spikes
- Roar


My starter. Sets up SR and TS. Roar helps rack up residual damage, while earthquake provides reliable stab and also threatens those pesky poisons that wants to absorb my spikes. Unfortunately, the strategy isn't working flawlessly, as with there being so very many poisons running rampart, those toxic spikes more often than not end being taken out of action regardless. They also make Poison Point kindae pointless. I'm considering dropping them...

Aggron @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252HP, 252Atk, 4Def
Nature: Adamant
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Stone Edge
- Avalanche

Standard subpuncher. Focus Punch and Stone Edge hurts... a lot. Avalanche provides provides some extra strength against those grounds that are otherwise unimpressed by this monster (cool looking monster, I must add).

Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252HP, 165Atk, 92Def
Nature: Relaxed
- Hypnosis
- Brick Break
- Ice Punch
- Hydro Pump

In comes Poliwrath instead of Hitmontop, to better handle threats like Kabutops and Aerodactyl. Since I don't have any sleep inducer, hypnosis fits in fine too. Brick Break destroys most Kabutops in two hits, while both Ice Punch (100% accuracy > Rock Slide... not going to use that flinch chance much anyway, considering the tadpole's speed) and Hydro Pump scares Aero away. Hydro Pump also puts a dent in Weezing (though only 3HKO with this spread), which the rest of my team struggles to do. Being able to switch into most ice attacks (and scare the icy pokemon with a mean face and white gloves) is of course another quality my team sorely needs.

Leafeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 132HP, 160Atk, 216Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Baton Pass
- Leaf Blade
- Roar
- Sword Dance

The core of my team. Leafeon is a simply brilliant pokemon. It can take a bit of abuse, at least from the physical side (it won't mind the earthquakes nido and aggron tend to attract at all), while being able to hit back with a strong Leaf Blade straight of. Most people realise that and their grounds and waters flee from him like the plague, giving him the chance to get a free SD up. He can then proceed to try to sweep on his own, though only one attack limits the ability to do so. Not to despair though. He can roar away those he cannot hurt (especially funny if the opponent tries to phaze away the SD - it also helps rack up residual damage), or BP if that is too risky. Most of my team benefit greatly from the attack boost.

Altaria @ Leftovers (yes, I like leftovers, I'm a munchy person...)
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252HP, 200Def, 56SDef
Nature: Careful
- Roost
- Heal Bell
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake

The reason my team doesn't fear status much. Altaria is quite bulky (sure, not as bulky as a Dragonite can be, but still quite respectable) and has plenty of resistances to come in on. It can then roost of any damage and heal bell any annoying status. Dragon Claw and Earthquake is there so that she can actually hurt something... though not really. The fluffy bird isn't really going to threaten anything with this set. That's not what Altaria is there for in the first place though, so I'm fine with it. If I do opt for removing TS from Nidoqueen, Altaria needs some change to though. Adding toxic is an obvious choice, though I quite like the thought of abusing Dragonbreath's paralyse chance (like I tend to opt for Force Palm on Hariyama). That would of course also work well with giving Aggron Rock Slide... However, with Dragonbreath (60 base power) Altaria isn't even going to threaten Caterpie.

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 200Atk, 252SAtk, 56Spe
Nature: Rash
- Earthquake
- HP Grass
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam

I added Nidoking mostly as an afterthought. With my complete lack of special attackers, he's a most welcome addition, and with a SD from Leafeon, his Earthquake becomes terrifyingly powerful.


So, that's my team. I'm completely new to UU, so I don't expect it to be close to perfect (indeed, if it was, I would be busy winning matches instead of posting here). It is terribly weak to ice attacks (3 weak, 1 quad-weak, Aggron resists ice, though most of the time I find him a shaky switch-in against things sporting ice).
I've run into some problems with it, but many of them - I think - is more due to my own inexperience and general ignorance of what certain pokemons are capable of.

Previous team members:

Hitmontop @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252HP, 252Atk, 4Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Mach Punch
- Pursuit
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge

 

[Rag]

Your team fare very bad again Weezing. Nidoking isn't even close to rack up some serious damage, and is your best bet as it is the only Pokémon with special attacks. With that said, I believe you would be better off with Earth Power then Earthquake. With Earth Power you could invest more in speed, and you would hit Steelix and Aggron a lot better. You got some good coverage on Quagsire and Gastrodon already, so personally I would rather go with HP Psychic > Grass.

You got some serious problems with LO Aerodactyl and Kabutops, so I suggest trying out a bulky Poliwrath in favor of Hitmontop. It would provide much of the same offensive coverage, but some better defensive. Poliwrath would also help you a lot with those pesky users of Ice Beam.

 

[Fiskebollen]

Thanks for the input. So you suggest this:

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 4HP, 252SAtk, 252Spe
Nature: Modest
- Earth Power
- HP Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam

Hm, well, I really liked the ability to boost his earthquakes and as far as I can see, this set can't touch the likes of Hypno. The speed is most welcome though.



Looking into Poliwrath too. I guess Ice Punch and Brick Break to aero and kaputops? Too bad the tadpole doesn't learn Thunderpunch

 

[Lemmiwinks MkII]

HP Psychic seems like an awful waste of a moveslot on Nidoking just to 2HKO Weezing, as is going all special IMO. You can still achieve a guaranteed 2HKO by using Thunder over Thunderbolt, although the accuracy is offputting. I'd personally just keep Boltbeam and replace HP Psychic with Megahorn.

Both Thunderbolt and Ice Beam still do up to 52% to 252 HP/ 0 Sp Def Weezing, which is more than a 50% chance to 2HKO with Stealth Rock down, but without Megahorn you are completely walled by Hypno and Grumpig, and both can KO back. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Rag]

The rest of your team consist of physical attackers, so you should be good against Hypno. Also, Megahorn would really be preferable if you wanted to handle Hypno. :p
However I don't feel Nidoking fits in your team. You could always change it for another special attacker who don't have to resort to HP Psychic.

I run Brick Break, Hydro Pump, Rock Slide and Hypnosis on my Poliwrath. However Poliwrath is very versatile and is easy to modify for your teams needs. Like Hydro Pump is an awesome option here as it will do a lot to Steelix and Weezing who'll cause a lot of trouble considering your team is very physical oriented. It will also handle Aerodactyl, obviously. Brick Break is a definite 'must' considering you need it to handle Kabutops.

 

[Fiskebollen]

Hm... still thinking about what to do about Nido.

I've added Poliwrath in Hitmontop's place, as suggested. I pretty much copy/pasted the defensive tadpole of of smogon, though I was pondering about putting EVs into special attack to up that hydro pump.

I was thinking along the lines of 252HP, 52Def, 204SAtk (probably not optimised fully...). Unless I'm mistaken, it will 2HKO Weezing (and just OHKO most Aerodactyls, all goes down with Stealth Rock in the air, of course). Unfortunately the lack of physical attack means Kabutops won't be handled as easily, and Poliwrath will generally be less dangerous.

Thoughs? Is it worth it?

 

[Fiskebollen]

*cough*

*whistles innocently*