Hi everyone! I've been playing on smogon for about a year, and I've never managed to make a really good team. I gave up on OU about two weeks ago, and i've fallen in love with UU. After a few mostly unsuccessful BP teams, I thought I could satisfy my love of gimmick teams with one that used sandstorm. So, without further ado, here is my team. (Changes are in bold)
Hippopotas @ Focus Sash
EVs: 100 Atk/252 HP/152 Def
Relaxed nature
- Stealth Rock
- Yawn
- Protect
- Earthquake
Comments: This guys #1 objective is to get the sandstorm going. I love using the yawn/protect combo on U-turners, set up stealth rock on anything else, and hopefully switch out to keep this guy alive, in the event that someone unkindly gets rid of my sandstorm. As per ChernobylOverseer's suggestion, I'm now running EQ, and yawn causes just as many switches as roar ever did. Even though he's usually dead by the mid to late stages of the game, it's very nice to be able to cause some damage with him. Also, it's nice to EQ those annoying taunt leads that I seem to keep running into.
Shuckle @ Leftovers
EVs: 208 Def/252 HP/48 SDef
Impish nature
- Encore
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Toxic
Comments: Shuckle is great at taking hits. With the SDef boost he gets from sandstorm, Shuckle is my wall, for everything that doesn't hit him for super effective damage (and some things that do). I love using Knock Off when my opponent switches in their status absorber, expecting me to toxic. Knock off is helpful for getting rid of all sorts of things, especially leftovers (letting the sandstorm damage accumulate), and choice items that would normally make it harder for Shuckle to wall. In addition, encore has got to be one of the greatest moves in the game. Combined with Shuckle's awesome defenses, I can encore just about anything, and switch to something that resists it (if I have something that resists it on my team), or use Knock Off/Toxic if I think they'll switch. When I run up against a team I just can't beat, Shuckle is usually my last pokemon standing, and provided they don't have any Toxic immunes or anything that hits Shuckle really hard, he can usually go outwith a pretty good bang.
Cacturne @ Brightpowder
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/ 252 Speed ?
Adamant nature
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
Comments: I used to have 252 in Atk, but I found that I would usually be dead before I could take anything out. My prediction skills aren't good enough to make use of the Focus Punch/Sucker Punch combo, so I opted for Seed Bomb as a more consistent attack. With the extra bulk from the HP EVs, I can also be a little less worried about getting KO'd for choosing Seed Bomb when I should have picked Sucker Punch. I'm sure that Cacturne has caused a lot of premature hair loss/graying, given his high evasiveness. I usually opt for Swords Dance over substitute unless I'm up against something that can status Cacturne, since with the extra HP EVs, he can take a little more, and Swords Dance makes up for the lower attacking power I start out with. One game, I swept 5 pokemon with Cacturne, who had 1% HP left. I felt like a genius, I made every decision right. Sucker Punching, Seed Bombing, even a few extra Swords Dances for good measure. Of course, the next time I tried it, I Sucker Punched a Dragon Dance, Swords Danced a Waterfall, and got swept by Feraligator. Cacturne can take apart my opponent, or allow them to set up on me while I make bad decisions trying to second guess that next stat up move, or predict an attack that isn't coming.
Cloyster @ Leftovers
EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/8SAtk
Modest nature
Trait: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Payback
- Rapid Spin
Comments: I got rid of Sceptile, (Thanks again, Chernobyl) and I really don't miss him. The spikes that Cloyster lays down alone are worth it, not to mention his ability to rapid spin, to use Payback on spin blockers, and Surf away my problems with Aggron/Steelix. He's been a big help to my team, especially since Cradily hates toxic spikes (Well, everyone hates Toxic Spikes, but Cradily does especially), and laying down spikes in addition to Sandstorm and Stealth Rock really racks up the residual damage, making Cacturne's life a lot easier, given his more defensive EV spread. I just want to say again how great payback is, I love KOing ghosts that come in to block the spin. I know, sadistic of me.
Cradily @ Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/216 Def/40 SDef
Ability: Suction Cups
Careful nature
- Seed Bomb
- Swords Dance
- Stockpile
- Recover
Comments: At first I was weary about using Cradily. Then I tried him, and he consistently gets the most kills out of anything on this team. With the free turn to set up that he usually gets from Shuckle, I usually opt to start with the defensive boosts, since even with just one stockpile he seems to absorb hits pretty well. If my opponent is stubborn, and insists on trying to take Cradily down, recovering and stockpiling will keep him alive, allowing him to Swords Dance and hopefully sweep. Stockpile turns him into a tank, Swords Dance makes him an absolute beast, and Recover lets him take a licking and keep on ticking. The thing that absolutely kills him is toxic/burn, haze, and super bulky pokemon that resist grass. I tried using a more defensive set (curse,rest,sleeptalk,seedbomb), but the only real benefit I found was the ability to recover from status. Also, he kept using rest in his sleep, consistently allowing his opponents to either recover health, get a free switch, or boost their stats. At this point, I'm still using the offensive set. Maybe it's been so good for me because people expect it to be a defensive version, and have less attacking power, so the swords dancing catches them off guard, and by that point, it's too late (insert evil chuckle here).
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
EVs: 208 HP/184 Atk/116 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Will-o-wisp
- Taunt
- Pain Split
Comments: CB Spiritomb, for some reason or another, just stopped doing it for me. Maybe I faced a run of smart opponents, but I found that his effectiveness just wasn't at the same level. At this point I'm rethinking Spiritomb all together, and the only thing stopping me from switching to Rotom is the extra bulk that Spiritomb brings. On the plus side, Pain Split is very helpful on this set, since with the sandstorm going, Spiritomb usually has pretty low health. Taunt also goes a long way to help stop opposing stat uppers, or to stop SR from being layed down again once Cloyster has gotten rid of it.
Thanks for looking at my team, and thanks in advance for any advice or comments :)
Hippopotas @ Focus Sash
EVs: 100 Atk/252 HP/152 Def
Relaxed nature
- Stealth Rock
- Yawn
- Protect
- Earthquake
Comments: This guys #1 objective is to get the sandstorm going. I love using the yawn/protect combo on U-turners, set up stealth rock on anything else, and hopefully switch out to keep this guy alive, in the event that someone unkindly gets rid of my sandstorm. As per ChernobylOverseer's suggestion, I'm now running EQ, and yawn causes just as many switches as roar ever did. Even though he's usually dead by the mid to late stages of the game, it's very nice to be able to cause some damage with him. Also, it's nice to EQ those annoying taunt leads that I seem to keep running into.
Shuckle @ Leftovers
EVs: 208 Def/252 HP/48 SDef
Impish nature
- Encore
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Toxic
Comments: Shuckle is great at taking hits. With the SDef boost he gets from sandstorm, Shuckle is my wall, for everything that doesn't hit him for super effective damage (and some things that do). I love using Knock Off when my opponent switches in their status absorber, expecting me to toxic. Knock off is helpful for getting rid of all sorts of things, especially leftovers (letting the sandstorm damage accumulate), and choice items that would normally make it harder for Shuckle to wall. In addition, encore has got to be one of the greatest moves in the game. Combined with Shuckle's awesome defenses, I can encore just about anything, and switch to something that resists it (if I have something that resists it on my team), or use Knock Off/Toxic if I think they'll switch. When I run up against a team I just can't beat, Shuckle is usually my last pokemon standing, and provided they don't have any Toxic immunes or anything that hits Shuckle really hard, he can usually go outwith a pretty good bang.
Cacturne @ Brightpowder
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/ 252 Speed ?
Adamant nature
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
Comments: I used to have 252 in Atk, but I found that I would usually be dead before I could take anything out. My prediction skills aren't good enough to make use of the Focus Punch/Sucker Punch combo, so I opted for Seed Bomb as a more consistent attack. With the extra bulk from the HP EVs, I can also be a little less worried about getting KO'd for choosing Seed Bomb when I should have picked Sucker Punch. I'm sure that Cacturne has caused a lot of premature hair loss/graying, given his high evasiveness. I usually opt for Swords Dance over substitute unless I'm up against something that can status Cacturne, since with the extra HP EVs, he can take a little more, and Swords Dance makes up for the lower attacking power I start out with. One game, I swept 5 pokemon with Cacturne, who had 1% HP left. I felt like a genius, I made every decision right. Sucker Punching, Seed Bombing, even a few extra Swords Dances for good measure. Of course, the next time I tried it, I Sucker Punched a Dragon Dance, Swords Danced a Waterfall, and got swept by Feraligator. Cacturne can take apart my opponent, or allow them to set up on me while I make bad decisions trying to second guess that next stat up move, or predict an attack that isn't coming.
Cloyster @ Leftovers
EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/8SAtk
Modest nature
Trait: Shell Armor
- Spikes
- Surf
- Payback
- Rapid Spin
Comments: I got rid of Sceptile, (Thanks again, Chernobyl) and I really don't miss him. The spikes that Cloyster lays down alone are worth it, not to mention his ability to rapid spin, to use Payback on spin blockers, and Surf away my problems with Aggron/Steelix. He's been a big help to my team, especially since Cradily hates toxic spikes (Well, everyone hates Toxic Spikes, but Cradily does especially), and laying down spikes in addition to Sandstorm and Stealth Rock really racks up the residual damage, making Cacturne's life a lot easier, given his more defensive EV spread. I just want to say again how great payback is, I love KOing ghosts that come in to block the spin. I know, sadistic of me.
Cradily @ Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/216 Def/40 SDef
Ability: Suction Cups
Careful nature
- Seed Bomb
- Swords Dance
- Stockpile
- Recover
Comments: At first I was weary about using Cradily. Then I tried him, and he consistently gets the most kills out of anything on this team. With the free turn to set up that he usually gets from Shuckle, I usually opt to start with the defensive boosts, since even with just one stockpile he seems to absorb hits pretty well. If my opponent is stubborn, and insists on trying to take Cradily down, recovering and stockpiling will keep him alive, allowing him to Swords Dance and hopefully sweep. Stockpile turns him into a tank, Swords Dance makes him an absolute beast, and Recover lets him take a licking and keep on ticking. The thing that absolutely kills him is toxic/burn, haze, and super bulky pokemon that resist grass. I tried using a more defensive set (curse,rest,sleeptalk,seedbomb), but the only real benefit I found was the ability to recover from status. Also, he kept using rest in his sleep, consistently allowing his opponents to either recover health, get a free switch, or boost their stats. At this point, I'm still using the offensive set. Maybe it's been so good for me because people expect it to be a defensive version, and have less attacking power, so the swords dancing catches them off guard, and by that point, it's too late (insert evil chuckle here).
Spiritomb @ Leftovers
EVs: 208 HP/184 Atk/116 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Will-o-wisp
- Taunt
- Pain Split
Comments: CB Spiritomb, for some reason or another, just stopped doing it for me. Maybe I faced a run of smart opponents, but I found that his effectiveness just wasn't at the same level. At this point I'm rethinking Spiritomb all together, and the only thing stopping me from switching to Rotom is the extra bulk that Spiritomb brings. On the plus side, Pain Split is very helpful on this set, since with the sandstorm going, Spiritomb usually has pretty low health. Taunt also goes a long way to help stop opposing stat uppers, or to stop SR from being layed down again once Cloyster has gotten rid of it.
Thanks for looking at my team, and thanks in advance for any advice or comments :)
