Project National Dex UU Victim of the Week - Week 24: Scolipede

approved by Avery and Niadev
OP stolen from this thread which so happens to be stolen from
this thread


(Art will come soon)

Metagames are constantly changing, and Nat Dex UU is no exception. Each generation, we are beheld to tier staples, absolute top threats, and the like.
As per usual, the concept of this project is to find suitable countermeasures to said threats in the current metagame. Each week, I will submit a victim for you so that you can submit checks or counters to the pokemon. Then, after submissions are placed in, others will vote which ones are the most effective in their eyes.

Standard rules I expect you to follow:
1. No one-liners.
2. When selecting a Pokemon, be sure to categorise it as either the following.
Pokémon A checks Pokémon B if, when Pokémon A is given a free switch into Pokémon B, Pokémon A can win every time, even under the worst case scenario, without factoring in hax.
Pokémon A counters Pokémon B if Pokémon A can manually switch into Pokémon B and still win every time, even under the worst case scenario, without factoring in hax.
3. Only post Pokemon sets that are viable and actually used. Try to stick to the mons currently on the Viability Rankings thread.
4. Reservations are allowed, however if you don't complete your post within 24 hours someone else is free to take your Pokemon.
5. You may correct people, but obviously be nice while doing so.
6. Calcs are incredibly helpful in demonstrating effectiveness, but not necessary.
7. Give reasonable explanations. Not a thesis or anything, but more than one sentence should be fine.
8. Voting after submitting is permitted, but you will not be allowed to vote for your own Pokemon.
 
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Hall of Fame Archive:

Week 1: Celesteela

:zeraora: Won by NVK (Check) :tentacruel: Won by N_Mareanie (Counter)

Week 2: Mega Altaria

:melmetal: Won by 3MoreMinutes (Check) :moltres: Won by Nezloe (Counter)

Week 3: Rotom-Heat

:zygarde-10%: Won by R1C3M4N (Check) :deoxys-defense: Won by N_Mareanie (Counter)

Week 4: Bisharp

:cobalion: Won by Ryuji-Sempai (Check) :urshifu: Won by N_Mareanie (Counter)

Week 5: Slowbro-Galar

:moltres-galar: Won by Ryuji-Sempai
Week 6: Rhyperior

:tapu bulu: Won by R1C3M4N (Check) :tangrowth: Won by HydreigonTheChild (Counter)

Week 7: Nihilego

:gligar: Won by R1C3M4N

Week 8: Volcanion

:altaria-mega: Won by N_Mareanie

Week 9: Moltres-Galar

:diancie:Won by N_Mareanie

Week 10: Scizor

:skarmory: Won by Pubo (Counter)
Week 11: Zarude

:buzzwole: Won by Pubo (Counter)

Week 12: Melmetal
:ss/melmetal:
:rotom-heat: Won by GiyuForPresident

Week 13: Salamence
:ss/Salamence:
:altaria-mega: Won by HydreigonTheChild

Week 14: Aegislash

:celesteela: Won by R1C3M4N

Week 15: Slowking

:aegislash: Won by Kyanno (Check):zarude: Won by TheShowdownHoedown (Counter)
Week 16: Dragonite

:mamoswine: Won by Kyanno (Check) :weezing-galar: Won by Ryuji-Sempai (Counter)

Week 17: Mega Sharpedo

:cobalion:Won by Kyanno

Week 18: Mienshao

:weezing-galar: Won by 3MoreMinutes

Week 19: Arctozolt

:rotom-heat: Won by 3MoreMinutes (Counter)

Week 20: Suicune

:azumarill: Won by GiyuForPresident
Week 21: Azelf

:hippowdon: by WM2N

Week 22: Tentacruel

:reuniclus: by Bluecliqse

Week 23: Noivern

:diancie: by Runoisch

Week 24: Scolipede



(Submissions to be added soon)
 
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To start things off, we'll be covering our Celestial friend, and savior of the more Specially-oriented meta. Celesteela!



Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Protect
- Flamethrower

Once laughed at as a worse, easy to wear down Skarmory whose viability rested on the shoulders of Autosteela, SpDef Celesteela returns with a vengeance to save the meta from dangerous threats like Alakazam (especially Alakazam) and deal with the threats that Skarmory misses out on.
description shamelessly copied from our last vr update

How will you deal with the Iron Giant?
edit: fuck I forgot to mention the deadline earlier but it's on February 5th 11am GMT +8
 
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R8

Leads Natdex Other Tiers, not rly doing ndou stuff
is a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a member of the Battle Simulator Staffis a Top Contributor Alumnus
National Dex Leader
:alakazam:
Alakazam @ Electrium Z
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Zap Cannon
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
u click z super effective move and it celesteela dies
edit: fuck i thought this was how2lure but i guess it still works
 
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:urshifu-rapid-strike:
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet
- U-turn

Urshifu comes in freely and breaks protect with its ability and does a lot with Surging Strikes
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela on a critical hit: 273-324 (68.5 - 81.4%) -- approx. 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 

Pubo

bom dia
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Forum Moderatoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
reserving cm reuniclus as a check

:bw/reuniclus:

Reuniclus @ Electrium Z
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Recover
- Psyshock

Reuniclus can take any hit from Celesteela and its immune to Leech Seed since it has Magic Guard. EVs to maximize Defense and outspeed uninvested Melmetal. Electrium Z so you always OHKO Celesteela at +2, but be careful with Protect.

+2 0 SpA Reuniclus Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Celesteela: 458-540 (115 - 135.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Celesteela Heavy Slam (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Reuniclus: 117-138 (27.5 - 32.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
0 SpA Celesteela Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Reuniclus: 79-93 (18.6 - 21.9%) -- possible 5HKO
+2 0 SpA Reuniclus Thunder vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Celesteela: 272-322 (68.3 - 80.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 
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:bw/tentacruel:
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off / Haze
- Rapid Spin
- Sludge Bomb

Submitting this as a counter

Tentacruel acts as a pretty fun check to Celesteela, as Leech Seed + Flame + Heavy Slam can be quite challenging to constantly pivot into. Liquid Ooze makes it so Celesteela actually now gets hurt when Leech Seed is active on Tentacruel, which is obviously great. The given EV spread allows Tentacruel to take Heavy Slams as often as possible, while also outrunning 252 Speed Neutral Nature Mega Altaria (nice check vs the Special Attacking variants), while also avoiding the 2HKO from CB Urshifu-RS and still checking Pokemon like Specs Keldeo and such.

Scald can fish for burns. Knock is nice to have, but Haze is also good vs setup Celesteela obviously. Rapid Spin for utility and Sludge Bomb is for Mega Altaria and Poison fishes.
 
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Blaziken @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Thunder Punch

252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela: 468-554 (117.5 - 139.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Flare blitz go brrrr, this is a check as blaziken is a frail as your wine glass and that it shatters upon impact. It ohko's steela when it gains a free switch and can set up on it if it knows its gonna switch
 
:SS/Slowking:

Slowking @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 52 Def / 204 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Thunder Wave / Future Sight
- Slack Off
- Teleport

Slowking is able to easily take any move from Celesteela and threaten it with a Scald burn or Thunder Wave. It can also Teleport to deny Leech Seed recovery and freely preserve momentum. Slowking is a counter (like half of the checks here).
 
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Keem

formerly Nezloe
This took longer than it should have

:ss/Tornadus:
Tornadus (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Weather Ball/Taun
- Focus Blast
- Psychic

252 SpA Choice Specs Tornadus Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Celesteela: 216-256 (54.2 - 64.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 
:ss/Rotom-Heat:
Rotom-Heat @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Nasty Plot/Pain Split
- Thunderbolt/Discharge/HP Grass

Pretty self explanatory counter. Rotom-Heat easily switches in on attacking moves and can even volt out from leech seeds and plot on protects.
 
With 3 Votes on both Zeraora and Tentacruel for check and counter, congrats to NVK and N_Mareanie for winning this week's round! Your submissions will be added to the Hall of Fame shortly.

With that, let's move onto the next one. This week's Victim will be none other than Mega Altaria.



Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Frustration
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake

Dragon Dance Mega Altaria takes to the skies! The forces of its boosted attacks and access to near perfect coverage combine once more to tear up the newly vulnerable metagame something fierce.

What flavors can you bring to the table in order to combat this threat?
Deadline is February 12th 10pm GMT +8, Good luck.​
 

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