New UU Team - featuring Kingler!

[joshua]

This is a new UU Team I have made.

At a Glance:

Kingler @ Choice Scarf
Adamant
32 HP/252 Atk/224 Spe
Crabhammer
Return
X-Scissor
Rock Slide

Kingler is a beast. It has 130 base attack, and with choice scarf outspeeds most non-scarfed Pokemon. He can also take some physical hits, thanks to his high base defense, making him a physical sweeper who isn't completely walled by Steelix. I use him to get a lot of damage done early on.

Drifblim @ Leftovers
Calm
80 HP/252 SpD/176 Spe
Substitute
Baton Pass
Hypnosis
Shadow Ball

Drifblim helps my team as it can give large substitutes to its teammates, mainly the sweepers. It also helps by giving three immunities to my team - two of which Steelix is weak too. I am considering Stockpile over Hypnosis, so that it is more of an asset to my team than just giving subs.

Clefable @ Life Orb
Bold
252 HP/152 Def/104 SpA
Calm Mind
Thunderbolt
Ice Beam
Softboiled

My Special Sweeper. Magic Guard is fun. I try to get her to switch into a Will-o-wisp or toxic to give her protection to other status. Drifblim's substitutes help her to set up. She give my team ghost immunity.

Steelix @ Leftovers
Impish
252 HP/136 SpD/120 Atk
Earthquake
Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Explosion

Steelix provides an electric and poison immunity to my team, as well as various resists. He also sets up Stealth Rock, and walls most physical attacks - ones that he doesn't are a free switch in for Drifblim (and sometimes Kingler can manage to come in on a water attack.

Hypno @ Leftovers
Calm
252 HP/56 Def/200 SpD
Seismic Toss
Thunderwave
Wish
Protect

My Special Wall. Take most special attacks; ghost attacks can be taken by Clefable and Dark by Hitmontop (to an extent). Protect helps Hypno to by getting Leftovers recovery and receiving Wish more easily.

Hitmontop @ Life Orb
Technician
Adamant
252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spe
Fake Out
Mach Punch
Close Combat
Stone Edge

My Late game sweeper. Clears up at the end using priority Technician moves and powerful attacks. Gives needed dark and fighting resists to my team.

Some issues I've had:
-lack of a fast special sweeper, and in fact any special sweeper when Clefable dies. Maybe Trickspecs Rotom over Drifblim could work.

-Hitmontop hasn't been particularly useful to me in actual battles. Is there anything else that would be much better here?

-Not entirely sure on Hypno's moveset really. I think screen support could be better, or another offensive attack or something.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Khyl]

Yay Kingler!

You don't need Protect on Hypno, you could use just another attack, perhaps Shadow Ball to hit ghosts. I dunno, I use Grumpig. >__>

I don't know much else about UU. = /

 

[joshua]

Grumpig might be better over Hypno, now that you mention it. It would provide a fire and ice resist that I need (only Kingler resists Fire and Ice at the moment).

 

[Lightsabre]

Hitmontop doesn't resist Fight type moves. Maybe you could use Swello? I don't play UU so I don't know the best moveset but I've faced one before and it's realy annoying (and devastating). I can't say much else. Looks good

 

[Chinese Dood]

Toxicroak is the only pokemon that resists both Dark and Fighting in UU. It does have higher attack stat than special attack, but 86 base special attack isn't too bad for UU, and it does have access to Nasty Plot and Vaccuum Wave (you don't have any priority moves other than Hitmontop, which you weren't sure about), so you can take that into consideration.

EDIT: O yeah, that was in address to not having a special sweeper. ... Of course, using Toxicroak just for the dark/fighting resist while attacking on the physical is fine too, if you want to address your special sweeper issue with another pokemon.

 

[LonelyNess]

I really like this team, it's better than the majority of teams I rate; however, I can see a few problems with it.

One is Aerodactyl, yes you have Hitmontop who can switch into Stone Edges (although not repeatedly and you DO have Life Orb which kind of hinders that ability) but after 2 or 3 times in he will go down and from then on out it's only a matter of time. This is especially true because even with that fancy scarf, your Kingler fails to outspeed unless he uses a Jolly Nature (I know, I've used Scarf Kingler before).

You also have a problem with Rain teams. I doubt your abilities to take a Kabutops sweep attempt and then even if you do manage to stop it (more than likely with one hit from Kingler and then a Mach Punch from Hitmontop) you will still have to deal with the inevitable Omastar sweep attempt, which will more than likely be your downfall.

You've already mentioned how your Hitmontop has been next to useless, and I agree, it really isn't the right fit for this team. Instead I suggest the following Pokemon.

Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Relaxed Nature
EV's: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Atk

Substitute
Focus Punch
Ice Punch
Hydro Pump

This helps the Aerodactyl problem as it's not even 4HKO'd by Life Orb Stone Edge. (it is however 3HKO'd by Earthquake) Set up a Substitute or fire a Hydro Pump his way. Hydro Pump will deal heavy damage even without any EV's just because of STAB and 2X weakness. It also helps completely eliminate your Kabutops problem because of Water Absorb and Rock resist. You can easily come in and set up a subsitute and then just begin to destroy things with that lovely 150 Focus Punch and STAB. Not even Weezing or Claydol can come into this set with impunity because Hydro Pump is a 3HKO on Weezing and a 2HKO on the primarily physically bulky Claydol. All in all, I think it's a much better addition to your team than Hitmontop.

----

I think that you should put Reflect over Protect on your Hypno. Protect is nice when used in conjunction with Toxic or Toxic Spikes, which your team has neither. Sure the pseudo-instant heal with Protect is nice, but it's easily predicted around and you might allow something to get a set up move on you if you Protect and they use a non attack. Also, reflect helps with a small Hitmonlee problem you have. Hitmonlee can't really switch IN to any of your pokemon with ease so it will have to come in on a revenge kill, however with Hypno packing Reflect, so long as you keep it running, its revenge killing abilities will be almost completely neutered. Reflect is definately the more usefull of the two when considering Reflect/Protect ... atleast for this team.

----

I have a problem with your Drifblim. It is a great Substitute passer to be sure, but what on your team can really utilize it with much efficacy? None of them really. I don't think that changing the Pokemon is the solution though, as your Drifblim fills a few specific roles that are vital to this team (fighting/normal/ground immune) however, I do recommend changing the set to something more conducive to the team overall. Drifblim likes to attract physical attackers with fairly high special defense and a super effective move. Those that fit the bill? The Hitmons. So rather than helplessly losing 25% of your health for what is essentiall just a free switch in to another pokemon (assuming you substitute on the switch and pass the next turn) Why not stick it to them with a supporter set that helps your team more?

Drifblim @ Leftovers
Calm Nature
EV's : 80 HP / 252 SpD / 176 Spe
Ability: Aftermath

Hypnosis
Will-O-Wisp
Shadow Ball
Destiny Bond

This set is incredibly effective and yet so few people run it that it can be used to surprise your opponent too (which is almost as good as being effective... not that this set isn't effective, the surprise is just an added bonus!) This set has the potential to destroy 3 Pokemon before it meets his maker. Sleep one, burn the next switch-in, and hopefully Dbond on your opponent's special wall as this goes down. Also, this is not that hard to pull off considering it has access to a whole slew of switch-in opportunities. It WILL destroy teams and it will be more effective than the current Drifblim you're using.

-----

I can't really think of anything else that needs changing. Like I said, I really like this team and it is right on the cusp of greatness. Make these changes and I feel it will pass that barrier.

 

[Black Buddha]

Many people switch out from tecnitop so I usually keep Pursuit over CC. May seem daft but late game most pokes will be weakened

 

[Rinsting]

Use Calm Mind Grumpig over Hypno, and for sure run Trickspecs Rotom over Clefable, and go with Lonelyness' advice about Poliwrath. This can get a lot of things in UU.