Hello there
I'm a long-time UU player/lurker. I got back into UU somewhat recently and have been enjoying the metagame quite a bit. I think it's much healthier without auto-weather. But personal opinions on the weather ban aside, this team would not have been possible without the ban, since weather teams eat it for lunch. But without hail and sand running around, I've reached #2 on the PS UU ladder with this team (under the nick Dork. My apologies if I have played you and not responded to your chat, it's a personal policy of mine). The team is titled the way it is because it combines the classic RegiBro combo from generations past with some new threats like Mienshao, Krookodile, and Zapdos (New to UU). The team is fairly offensive, but with the addition of RegiBro to serve as nice pivots. I'm about to retire this team, and thought I'd get the community's thoughts on it.
Primary Issues:
1. This team can't handle Volt-Turn. At all. Granted, Volt-Turn is less common in UU, but a Flygon-Rotom pair can run rings around this team if my opponent's prediction is good.
2. This team struggles with pure stall or pure heavy offense. Extraordinarily aggressive teams or extraordinarily defensive teams give my team a lot of trouble. I think the reason is I don't have any strong setup sweepers to handle stall, and I don't have enough priority/fast pokes to pick apart heavy offense. The top 10% of the most offensive or stallish teams are very hard matchups. That being said, this team excels at the middle 80%: taking apart any team that isn't completely committed to one or the other.
The Team:
Onwards!
Dos Equis
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Hidden Power (Grass)
Zapdos is a big flippin' cannon, no question. He 2HKOs most of UU and blows holes in everything not named Snorlax or Porygon2 (I'm sure there are others, but those are the only two I see with any frequency). Hidden Power Grass gets a clean OHKO on offensive Rhyperior, Swampert, and physically defensive Quagsire, with a 50/50 chance of OHKOing tank versions. I tend to play pretty aggressively with Zapdos. His purpose is not to sweep, but to leave big holes in opposing walls. He also serves as a Fighting/Bug resist in a pinch, but isn't really EV'ed to check strong Fighting or Bug types like Mienshao or Heracross. The Stealth Rock weakness can be quite a pain. I have with toyed with the idea of replacing him with Raikou. But the Ground immunity is very useful, the power drop is noticeable, and Heat Wave offers better coverage than Aura Sphere.
Brohemoth
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpA
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Psychic
- Slack Off
- Toxic
The physically defensive half of the storied "RegiBro." Slowbro is definitely the glue to this team. Wonderful physical walling capabilities combined with Regenerator allow Slowbro to come in on physical attackers all day, laugh at them, and then switch out, ready to do it all over again. Toxic is for the bulky waters that love to switch in. Psychic knocks off about 50-60% from Roserade and Heracross. Psyshock would do slightly more, but I find it's not worth the power drop against most other enemies. Slowbro is just amazing in the metagame right now, with most players I've come across opting for setup sweepers or Scarfers rather than brute force CB wallbreakers. Slowbro struggles against obscenely strong CBers like Rhyperior and Honchkrow (ok fine, CB Krow is pretty bad), but is simply a full stop to some of the most common pokes like Cobalion, Mienshao, Bisharp, Machamp, and Darmanitan.
Trashcat
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP, 252 SpD, 3 Def
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Seismic Toss
- Earthquake
The other half of RegiBro. A special tank like none other. The only special attack strong enough to OHKO this thing is a Specs Overheat from Chandy. He tosses rocks, T-Waves everything, and gets in for consistent damage with S-Toss. Earthquake is to punish Nidoking and Chandy for switching in, and to beat Raikou. It does leave me completely defenseless against Balloon Chandy and Mismagius, but that's what Krookodile is for. He is my go to guy to check a lot of vicious special sweepers like Yanmega, Shaymin, and Raikou.
RuPaul
Mienshao @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpA
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Fake Out
- Hi Jump Kick
- U-Turn
- Hidden Power (Ice)
Mienshao is the second wallbreaker in my lineup. Fake Out is my only priority, and helps in picking off severely weakened 'mons. Hi Jump Kick is brutally powerful, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist it (and many pokes that do resist it). U-Turn is for momentum. Hidden Power Ice has been somewhat lackluster. I pretty much never see Gligar, and nearly every Flygon runs a scarf (HJK also OHKOs if it switches in). Sure, it lets me hit flying types...but so would Stone Edge. That being said, I really hate Fail Edge/Stone Miss so I've stuck with HP Ice for now. Am definitely open to finding a better move for that fourth slot.
Baby Eater
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpD
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
My cleaner. Krookodile has a really nice mix of speed and attack for a scarfer. QuakeEdge coverage combined with STAB Crunch allows him to hit most pokes for a nice chunk of damage. His Electric immunity is very useful, especially to halt Volt Switch shenanigans. He serves as a very important Ghost-type check and all around revenge killer. If Krookodile goes down early, I am sure to have some serious problems. Adamant gives some much needed bite to his attacks, and I haven't regretted forgoing Jolly yet...seems like most people choose Adamant instead of Jolly on their Scarf Heracrosses. Speaking of Heracross, that is the one and only reason I run Aerial Ace in the last slot. Aerial Ace is a clean OHKO on Heracross, who loves to switch in expecting an Earthquake or Crunch. Aerial Ace has zero use otherwise, as a SE Aerial Ace only does as much damage as a neutral Crunch. After Slowbro, Krookodile is probably the second most important member of my team.
BOSS MOTH
Venomoth @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
I really love Venomoth. I don't think he gets nearly enough attention. Sure, his stats may be...poor...and his movepool is...sparse...but he has just enough to make him an absolute BOSS if underestimated. 1. Sleep Powder/Spore should be on every team. Sleep is just that good. 2. Since UU doesn't get the godliness that is Volcarona, we're left with Venomoth as a Quiver Dance sweeper. Venomoth really doesn't have the stats to sweep (you need three Quiver Dances to OHKO most things, good luck getting that), but Quiver Dance is a terrific move regardless. 3. Tinted Lens makes Bug Buzz a pretty terrific mono-attacking move. Chandelure, Crobat, and Cobalion are the only commonly used pokes who resist it. 4. Toxic Spikes are absolutely devastating against some teams. With the commonality of Roserade and Nidoking, Toxic Spikes aren't as good as they used to be. Many games, I'll never use them. But every once in a while, I come across a team that is just horribly wrecked by Toxic Spikes and I'm always glad I had them. Walls, tanky setup sweepers, and BPers all hate Toxic Spikes. Venomoth's typing can be quite useful too. The SR weakness is annoying, but Venomoth can tank Heracross' moves in a pinch and sponge up grass attacks like there's no tomorrow. I am open to replacing Toxic Spikes with a different move; in many matches, it's a wasted slot. Unfortunately, Venomoth doesn't really have much in the way of coverage options. Sludge Bomb is a powerful option to smack Chandy and Crobat, but otherwise offers no coverage beyond what Tinted Lens Bug Buzz already gets. It also doesn't help with Cobalion. Hidden Power Rock covers Chandy and Crobat to an extent, but won't OHKO after 1 Quiver Dance. Hidden Power Ground covers Chandy and Cobalion, but also won't OHKO after a QD. Psychic offers a neutral or better hit on all of them...but is otherwise a pretty terrible move, especially unstabbed.
Threat List:
1. Chandelure
As long as the player is competent, Chandy dismantles my team. Chandy gets an easy OHKO on Slowbro, a 2HKO on Registeel (OHKO with Specs), laughs at anything Mienshao can do, and slaughters Venomoth after waking up from sleep. My strategy for dealing with Chandelure usually revolves around 1) hoping the opponent is dumb enough to switch it into a Scald from Slowbro 2) paralyzing it on the switch with Registeel, then proceeding to 2HKO it with Earthquake 3) T-Bolting it with Zapdos (which either results in a 1-1 tradeoff or a severely weakened Chandy) 4) revenge killing with Krookodile. The first two can be easily played around, and the second two methods can be defeated simply by switching. If my opponent manages to keep Stealth Rock off the field, he can just dance his Chandy in and out of play all day, constantly threatening a KO. The prevalence of Chandy is the number one reason why I'm seriously considering swapping HP Ice for Stone Edge on Mienshao.
2. Sableye
Notice a pattern? Yep, ghosts are tough for this team. Sableye takes next to nothing from Registeel and Slowbro, laughs at Mienshao, Will O' Wisp's Krookodile before he can get off an Earthquake, and runs away from Zapdos whenever he sees it. Yes, Zapdos is my only poke that can threaten a 2HKO (such that Sableye can't just recover off the damage). The only reason Sableye isn't ranked as the #1 threat is because it can't do much except spread around some status and sit there derpily.
3. Calm Mind Mismagius
Not very common these days, but deadly when faced. My Registeel can't do anything to it, so I generally have to resort to breaking its sub with Zapdos and revenging with Krookodile. Otherwise, it will run through my team. If I manage to predict well and switch in Venomoth at the same time Mismagius is switched in, I can Quiver Dance right alongside it and come out on top.
4. Honchkrow
LO Krow can 2HKO Slowbro with a couple of good damage rolls. That is very dangerous. Also, if he gets a Moxie boost, I have to be very careful about trying to revenge with Krookodile because +1 LO Sucker Punch deals >50% to Krookodile. Fortunately, once I figure out Krow's set, it becomes much more manageable. Moxie Krow can be slept by Venomoth or stalled by Registeel (since it can't have Superpower), a Krow without sub can be revenged by Mienshao or Krookodile, or Toxic'ed by Slowbro.
5. Heracross
Heracross is listed here because my team should be weak to it in theory, but it hasn't turned out that way in practice. Heracross is one of the few pokes that can singlehandedly dismantle the RegiBro core. It also threatens easy OHKOs on the rest of my team if it carries Stone Edge. If an opponent managed to BP +1 speed to a Jolly LO Heracross, it could sweep my whole team. But, most Heracross these days are Choiced. Without the freedom to switch between moves, prediction can ease the difficulty of dealing with Heracross. Krookodile's Aerial Ace has also slaughtered many an unsuspecting little fighting bug.
How The Team Works:
Zapdos and Mienshao are used liberally in the beginning to knock big gaping holes in opposing walls. I also switch in Slowbro and Registeel liberally, to tank hits and spread status. Once opposing walls start to show signs of wear, I usually try for a Venomoth sweep. Venomoth usually manages to knock out a few pokes or blow some more holes. It's rare for Venomoth to actually pull off a sleep. Lategame, Krookodile cleans up nicely. I'd say 50% of games end in a Krookodile sweep; the other 50% end with an opposing physical attacker like Flygon struggling futilely to break through Slowbro while getting Scalded to death. Against more stallish teams, I try to bring in Venomoth earlier to lay Toxic Spikes.
This is not a team that can survive without smart double-switching. The primary walls (Slowbro and Registeel) have little offensive presence so prediction is key to punishing switches and regaining momentum.
Conclusion:
I've had a lot of fun playing with this team over the past couple of weeks. It showcases an old defensive core paired with some newfangled Gen 5 pokes that are a lot of fun. It also makes use of BOSS MOTH which makes me very happy. I'm going to move on to something different soon, but I thought I'd share it with the community and get some feed back on how to patch up some of its weaknesses. Cheers!
I'm a long-time UU player/lurker. I got back into UU somewhat recently and have been enjoying the metagame quite a bit. I think it's much healthier without auto-weather. But personal opinions on the weather ban aside, this team would not have been possible without the ban, since weather teams eat it for lunch. But without hail and sand running around, I've reached #2 on the PS UU ladder with this team (under the nick Dork. My apologies if I have played you and not responded to your chat, it's a personal policy of mine). The team is titled the way it is because it combines the classic RegiBro combo from generations past with some new threats like Mienshao, Krookodile, and Zapdos (New to UU). The team is fairly offensive, but with the addition of RegiBro to serve as nice pivots. I'm about to retire this team, and thought I'd get the community's thoughts on it.
Primary Issues:
1. This team can't handle Volt-Turn. At all. Granted, Volt-Turn is less common in UU, but a Flygon-Rotom pair can run rings around this team if my opponent's prediction is good.
2. This team struggles with pure stall or pure heavy offense. Extraordinarily aggressive teams or extraordinarily defensive teams give my team a lot of trouble. I think the reason is I don't have any strong setup sweepers to handle stall, and I don't have enough priority/fast pokes to pick apart heavy offense. The top 10% of the most offensive or stallish teams are very hard matchups. That being said, this team excels at the middle 80%: taking apart any team that isn't completely committed to one or the other.
The Team:
Onwards!
Dos Equis
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Hidden Power (Grass)
Zapdos is a big flippin' cannon, no question. He 2HKOs most of UU and blows holes in everything not named Snorlax or Porygon2 (I'm sure there are others, but those are the only two I see with any frequency). Hidden Power Grass gets a clean OHKO on offensive Rhyperior, Swampert, and physically defensive Quagsire, with a 50/50 chance of OHKOing tank versions. I tend to play pretty aggressively with Zapdos. His purpose is not to sweep, but to leave big holes in opposing walls. He also serves as a Fighting/Bug resist in a pinch, but isn't really EV'ed to check strong Fighting or Bug types like Mienshao or Heracross. The Stealth Rock weakness can be quite a pain. I have with toyed with the idea of replacing him with Raikou. But the Ground immunity is very useful, the power drop is noticeable, and Heat Wave offers better coverage than Aura Sphere.
Brohemoth
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpA
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Psychic
- Slack Off
- Toxic
The physically defensive half of the storied "RegiBro." Slowbro is definitely the glue to this team. Wonderful physical walling capabilities combined with Regenerator allow Slowbro to come in on physical attackers all day, laugh at them, and then switch out, ready to do it all over again. Toxic is for the bulky waters that love to switch in. Psychic knocks off about 50-60% from Roserade and Heracross. Psyshock would do slightly more, but I find it's not worth the power drop against most other enemies. Slowbro is just amazing in the metagame right now, with most players I've come across opting for setup sweepers or Scarfers rather than brute force CB wallbreakers. Slowbro struggles against obscenely strong CBers like Rhyperior and Honchkrow (ok fine, CB Krow is pretty bad), but is simply a full stop to some of the most common pokes like Cobalion, Mienshao, Bisharp, Machamp, and Darmanitan.
Trashcat
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP, 252 SpD, 3 Def
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Seismic Toss
- Earthquake
The other half of RegiBro. A special tank like none other. The only special attack strong enough to OHKO this thing is a Specs Overheat from Chandy. He tosses rocks, T-Waves everything, and gets in for consistent damage with S-Toss. Earthquake is to punish Nidoking and Chandy for switching in, and to beat Raikou. It does leave me completely defenseless against Balloon Chandy and Mismagius, but that's what Krookodile is for. He is my go to guy to check a lot of vicious special sweepers like Yanmega, Shaymin, and Raikou.
RuPaul
Mienshao @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpA
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
- Fake Out
- Hi Jump Kick
- U-Turn
- Hidden Power (Ice)
Mienshao is the second wallbreaker in my lineup. Fake Out is my only priority, and helps in picking off severely weakened 'mons. Hi Jump Kick is brutally powerful, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist it (and many pokes that do resist it). U-Turn is for momentum. Hidden Power Ice has been somewhat lackluster. I pretty much never see Gligar, and nearly every Flygon runs a scarf (HJK also OHKOs if it switches in). Sure, it lets me hit flying types...but so would Stone Edge. That being said, I really hate Fail Edge/Stone Miss so I've stuck with HP Ice for now. Am definitely open to finding a better move for that fourth slot.
Baby Eater
Krookodile @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpD
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
My cleaner. Krookodile has a really nice mix of speed and attack for a scarfer. QuakeEdge coverage combined with STAB Crunch allows him to hit most pokes for a nice chunk of damage. His Electric immunity is very useful, especially to halt Volt Switch shenanigans. He serves as a very important Ghost-type check and all around revenge killer. If Krookodile goes down early, I am sure to have some serious problems. Adamant gives some much needed bite to his attacks, and I haven't regretted forgoing Jolly yet...seems like most people choose Adamant instead of Jolly on their Scarf Heracrosses. Speaking of Heracross, that is the one and only reason I run Aerial Ace in the last slot. Aerial Ace is a clean OHKO on Heracross, who loves to switch in expecting an Earthquake or Crunch. Aerial Ace has zero use otherwise, as a SE Aerial Ace only does as much damage as a neutral Crunch. After Slowbro, Krookodile is probably the second most important member of my team.
BOSS MOTH
Venomoth @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
I really love Venomoth. I don't think he gets nearly enough attention. Sure, his stats may be...poor...and his movepool is...sparse...but he has just enough to make him an absolute BOSS if underestimated. 1. Sleep Powder/Spore should be on every team. Sleep is just that good. 2. Since UU doesn't get the godliness that is Volcarona, we're left with Venomoth as a Quiver Dance sweeper. Venomoth really doesn't have the stats to sweep (you need three Quiver Dances to OHKO most things, good luck getting that), but Quiver Dance is a terrific move regardless. 3. Tinted Lens makes Bug Buzz a pretty terrific mono-attacking move. Chandelure, Crobat, and Cobalion are the only commonly used pokes who resist it. 4. Toxic Spikes are absolutely devastating against some teams. With the commonality of Roserade and Nidoking, Toxic Spikes aren't as good as they used to be. Many games, I'll never use them. But every once in a while, I come across a team that is just horribly wrecked by Toxic Spikes and I'm always glad I had them. Walls, tanky setup sweepers, and BPers all hate Toxic Spikes. Venomoth's typing can be quite useful too. The SR weakness is annoying, but Venomoth can tank Heracross' moves in a pinch and sponge up grass attacks like there's no tomorrow. I am open to replacing Toxic Spikes with a different move; in many matches, it's a wasted slot. Unfortunately, Venomoth doesn't really have much in the way of coverage options. Sludge Bomb is a powerful option to smack Chandy and Crobat, but otherwise offers no coverage beyond what Tinted Lens Bug Buzz already gets. It also doesn't help with Cobalion. Hidden Power Rock covers Chandy and Crobat to an extent, but won't OHKO after 1 Quiver Dance. Hidden Power Ground covers Chandy and Cobalion, but also won't OHKO after a QD. Psychic offers a neutral or better hit on all of them...but is otherwise a pretty terrible move, especially unstabbed.
Threat List:
1. Chandelure
As long as the player is competent, Chandy dismantles my team. Chandy gets an easy OHKO on Slowbro, a 2HKO on Registeel (OHKO with Specs), laughs at anything Mienshao can do, and slaughters Venomoth after waking up from sleep. My strategy for dealing with Chandelure usually revolves around 1) hoping the opponent is dumb enough to switch it into a Scald from Slowbro 2) paralyzing it on the switch with Registeel, then proceeding to 2HKO it with Earthquake 3) T-Bolting it with Zapdos (which either results in a 1-1 tradeoff or a severely weakened Chandy) 4) revenge killing with Krookodile. The first two can be easily played around, and the second two methods can be defeated simply by switching. If my opponent manages to keep Stealth Rock off the field, he can just dance his Chandy in and out of play all day, constantly threatening a KO. The prevalence of Chandy is the number one reason why I'm seriously considering swapping HP Ice for Stone Edge on Mienshao.
2. Sableye
Notice a pattern? Yep, ghosts are tough for this team. Sableye takes next to nothing from Registeel and Slowbro, laughs at Mienshao, Will O' Wisp's Krookodile before he can get off an Earthquake, and runs away from Zapdos whenever he sees it. Yes, Zapdos is my only poke that can threaten a 2HKO (such that Sableye can't just recover off the damage). The only reason Sableye isn't ranked as the #1 threat is because it can't do much except spread around some status and sit there derpily.
3. Calm Mind Mismagius
Not very common these days, but deadly when faced. My Registeel can't do anything to it, so I generally have to resort to breaking its sub with Zapdos and revenging with Krookodile. Otherwise, it will run through my team. If I manage to predict well and switch in Venomoth at the same time Mismagius is switched in, I can Quiver Dance right alongside it and come out on top.
4. Honchkrow
LO Krow can 2HKO Slowbro with a couple of good damage rolls. That is very dangerous. Also, if he gets a Moxie boost, I have to be very careful about trying to revenge with Krookodile because +1 LO Sucker Punch deals >50% to Krookodile. Fortunately, once I figure out Krow's set, it becomes much more manageable. Moxie Krow can be slept by Venomoth or stalled by Registeel (since it can't have Superpower), a Krow without sub can be revenged by Mienshao or Krookodile, or Toxic'ed by Slowbro.
5. Heracross
Heracross is listed here because my team should be weak to it in theory, but it hasn't turned out that way in practice. Heracross is one of the few pokes that can singlehandedly dismantle the RegiBro core. It also threatens easy OHKOs on the rest of my team if it carries Stone Edge. If an opponent managed to BP +1 speed to a Jolly LO Heracross, it could sweep my whole team. But, most Heracross these days are Choiced. Without the freedom to switch between moves, prediction can ease the difficulty of dealing with Heracross. Krookodile's Aerial Ace has also slaughtered many an unsuspecting little fighting bug.
How The Team Works:
Zapdos and Mienshao are used liberally in the beginning to knock big gaping holes in opposing walls. I also switch in Slowbro and Registeel liberally, to tank hits and spread status. Once opposing walls start to show signs of wear, I usually try for a Venomoth sweep. Venomoth usually manages to knock out a few pokes or blow some more holes. It's rare for Venomoth to actually pull off a sleep. Lategame, Krookodile cleans up nicely. I'd say 50% of games end in a Krookodile sweep; the other 50% end with an opposing physical attacker like Flygon struggling futilely to break through Slowbro while getting Scalded to death. Against more stallish teams, I try to bring in Venomoth earlier to lay Toxic Spikes.
This is not a team that can survive without smart double-switching. The primary walls (Slowbro and Registeel) have little offensive presence so prediction is key to punishing switches and regaining momentum.
Conclusion:
I've had a lot of fun playing with this team over the past couple of weeks. It showcases an old defensive core paired with some newfangled Gen 5 pokes that are a lot of fun. It also makes use of BOSS MOTH which makes me very happy. I'm going to move on to something different soon, but I thought I'd share it with the community and get some feed back on how to patch up some of its weaknesses. Cheers!
