SS UU Pandamonium (Peaked No1, 1742)

CBU

Banned deucer.
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Hello there. It has been a minute since my last attempt to farm likes by trying to disguise a mediocre team with solid plays provide a team I feel has provided good enough showings to be put out there for constructive criticism. SS has been a weird metagame for me. I have heard by many that offense cannot hang, that the inability to switch into fat spammed walls makes it by definition a handicap etc. However, I have used this team enough and against pretty much every playstyle to stand here and say it has the tools to survive in the current meta.
As my terrible pun game suggests, the focal point of the team is to make cb Pangoro work. Two generations in, we pretty much know what the panda can and cannot do. Hit hard, with a wide spectrum of coverage moves, maybe tank some hits here and there. The amount of work this think will put it is directly linked to the amount of safe switchins you can provide it with throughout the course of a game. What made me believe there was great viability potential in UU for an RU mon was basically the fact that no fairy in this tier can reliably switch into Pangoro without risking getting smashed (s/o Alcreamie). Also pandas are adorable ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. So basically what this team is attempting to do consistently is either:
  • Use Pangoro as a main source of damage output to break down teams for a sweeper in the back or
  • Use the rest of the team to generate momentum for Pangoro to reliably switch into non-threatening mons and start breaking


In Depth Analysis:

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bloodshot eyes (Pangoro) @ Choice Band
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Darkest Lariat
- Earthquake
- Bullet Punch​

This is the exact Pangoro set I attempted to build around from the beginning. Essentially choice band + adamant nature maximizes the amount of damage output it provides, given the right prediction. Since Pangoro is designed to switch into basically defense oriented pokemon, the speed spread is designed to help it outspeed 0 speed invested Milotics,hence not having to take a scald before either destroying it or forcing it out. Stabs and priority I feel are mandatory and need no actual explanation but the 4th slot goes hand in hand with an ''interesting'' ability choice. In my eyes, a good breaker has to adapt to its counter to remain efficient. 90% of teams in current UU will use Weezing-Galar as a dedicated panda switchin and honestly who can blame them. Ressists both stabs, threatens with wisp, defog, toxic (spikes) or even a raw 1shot. That is exactly why the faster Weezing-G dies, the faster Pangoro is freed up to spam it's stabs for huge amounts of damage. This is the main point that fuels my decision to forego Scrappy Iron Head for Mold Breaker Earthquake. What I am trying to illustrate is that fully physically defensive Weezings-G can switch into 2 CCs/DLs after getting snipped with Iron Head, but not Earthquake(after rocks). Quite honestly, if your end goal is to mindlessly click CCs and see things drop, Sirfetch'd is probably better than Pangoro at fulfilling that role. Useful calcs:
  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Pangoro Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Weezing-Galar: 220-260 (65.8 - 77.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Pangoro Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Weezing-Galar: 178-210 (53.2 - 62.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Pangoro Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Weezing-Galar: 49-58 (14.6 - 17.3%) -- possible 6HKO

  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Pangoro Darkest Lariat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Weezing-Galar: 70-83 (20.9 - 24.8%) -- guaranteed 5HKO


Στιγμιότυπο 2020-02-12, 23.58.03.png


After hopefully Pangoro has claimed a kill, it turns into a momentum vacuum by providing a free switchin to a slow choice locked and not that bulky pokemon. I tried to compile a list of the meta-relevant threats that do take advantage of a free switchin into panda and after that used my 5 other slots to work around them.

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pour and soak (Noivern) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Defog​

If any pokemon in this tier is deserving of the s-rank, it is Noivern. Great speed tier, massive utility, solid movepool and surprisingly good defensive typing. Noivern provides this team with a great speed tier, resistance to very threatening priority moves (First Impression, Vacuum Wave, Aqua Jet?) and sound breaking capabilities from the special side. MUwise, it alleviates the pressure that special Lucario, defensive Arcanine, Golisopod and to an extent Durant apply, while acting as an emergency hazard control solution. From my experience the team can function properly with exchanged rocks on the field, so this is more so for spike/t-spike stacking teams. I wouldn't normally be against running Heavy Duty Boots over Choice Specs, but the difference in damage output helps a lot more to break faster through fat cores that lack either a fairy or a steel:

  • +1 252 SpA Noivern Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Bronzong: 158-186 (46.7 - 55%) -- 10.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

  • +1 252 SpA Noivern Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 240+ SpD Rhyperior: 271-321 (62.4 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

After this initial core was formed I started getting paranoid about opposing Noivern and Gardevoir (mainly Scarf variants since Specs while being much stronger can be outsped and forced out by the majority of the team members). The team needed to maintain its Hyper Offense orientation, while at the same time add some pretty much mandatory bulk.

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let it die (Doublade) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak
- Iron Head​

Doublade being considered a ''Top3'' UU pokemon, for me, is not a matter of viability but rather necessity. Almost every team I encountered was perfectly ready to avoid getting swept by this pokemon. Yet, nobody doubts how many boxes its mere presence on a team checks. On this team in particular it is extremely needed to switch into Scarf Gardevoir at least once, completely nullify Swords Dance Lucario's offensive presence and deny Polteageist an easy sweep of the team at +2. The speed stat allows it to creep no speed Rhyperior, but one could also throw a couple of extra speed EVs to reach Hippowdon's speed tier, while also usually win Shadow Sneak wars with opposing Doublades(massive s/o to the dude that cooked my umbreon on ladder with max speed jolly Doublade). Given the support the team provides Doublade with, CC helps a lot while sweeping through Umbreons(it will make sense later). I'd like to end doublade's contributions to this team by providing calcs of strong attacks that can stomach and ohko back huge threats to this (and pretty much any) offense team:

  • 252 Atk Choice Band Huge Power Diggersby Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Doublade: 270-320 (87.3 - 103.5%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO (ok fine kinda stomach)

  • +2 252 Atk Weavile Throat Chop vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Doublade: 234-276 (75.7 - 89.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

I do not really know how obvious it becomes at first glance but by that point i felt the team struggled horribly against screens. Oddly specific thing to prep for, but I felt I at least needed a countermeasure that both provided offensive pressure and also wasn't uhm...Defog choice locked Noivern.




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one more fight (Weavile) @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brick Break
- Throat Chop Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Swords Dance​

Now superficially...I'm an idiot. But, looking passed the fact my Weavile is incapable of touching both Hippowdon and Weezing-Galar even at +3000(maybe less now with the release of knock off but still) this spread is needed. Violently forces out Noivern, can switch into most Weaviles and ohko them back should they stay in, completely destroy screens and most importantly help bypass Pangoro's biggest breaking problem: P R O T E C T. Yes, in theory Pangoro will destroy those Umbreon + Weezing-G + bulky water cores; IF it predicts correctly. But there is no prediction to be made, when Umbreon clicks Protect. Now, from my experience, Umbreon does feel safe to stay in and Wish once on Weavile, but as soon as the SD goes up they are hesitant to switch into their Weezing-G since a)They are unaware that the set does not pack Icicle Crash and b)They recognize that as soon as Weezing-G gets weakened, panda answers seize to exist. Unorthodox but much needed would be my tldr version of this pick all and all.

In my eyes, a team that relies solely on typing and not inflated defense stats to do as ''walling'' as possible needs speed control outside of just big base speed stats. Aka we need a scarfer bros.

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don't break down (Gardevoir) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Trick
- Mystical Fire/Grass Knot​

Gardevoir's offensive presence is second to none in my eyes in the current meta. Psychic+Fairy+Fire is pretty much unresistable. Much needed dragon immunity, semi-acceptable speed control at 426, greatly appreciated x4 fighting resistance and finally a second out for crippling walls and allowing Pangoro to break easier. Honestly, only thing I might change would be Grass Knot over Mystical Fire since I very rarely click it on non Specs variants. Honestly if you predict the steel coming in, double to panda will give you more mileage most of the times. Essentially you trade your ability to 2shot spDef Escavalier, for the change to nuke Hippowdon and spDef Rhyperior.
  • 252 SpA Gardevoir Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 240+ SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 399-471 (91.9 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Leftovers recovery

  • 252 SpA Gardevoir Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 144 SpD Hippowdon: 278-328 (66.1 - 78%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

  • 252 SpA Gardevoir Mystical Fire vs. 252 HP / 204 SpD Escavalier: 256-304 (74.4 - 88.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

For the last slot i was tormented. Yeah obviously Stealth Rocks were needed, but was that really the only thing I could get out of my 6th pokemon. Well, needing a rocker and a glue at the same time is difficult but not impossible.


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force fed lies (Duraludon) @ Focus Sash/Shuca Berry
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Flash Cannon
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt​

At the beginning of the meta I was a huge fan of Shuca Berry since it destroyed the ever popular Sash lead Mamoswine. But since that set's frequency dived from a cliff, i felt the need to change to Focus Sash. That provides guaranteed Stealth Rock and 90% a crippled by T-Wave threat to the team, that will most likely lead off and start breaking. I don't believe Duraludon really belongs in UU at all, but for what I needed to do, it is surprisingly solid. I assume Draco Meteor and Thunderbolt are interchangeable but I found it extremely useful to a)Smash any Mantine that attempts to Defog and b)Force guaranteed damage on Milotic for Pangoro to threaten the kill afterwards. Lastly, Thunder Wave besides being the move we all love to hate, provides great assistance to Doublade to bypass Umbreons at +2, without getting sent to the next game by a +2 Foul Play.


Threatlist:
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:Mostly the Scarf variants. Specs/SubCM do get ohkoes but also are forced out much easier. Ideally either keep theSash in tact on Duraludon to exchange it for a Thunder Wave or get the necessary chip for Doublade's Shadow Sneak.

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: Especially the SD set that can bypass Doublade in 1 hit. Honestly, either keep Gardevoir Scarfed and healthy, get the chip for CB Bullet Punch from Pangoro, catch it with Brick Break from your own and most importantly do your best to not allow the SD to go up.

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: My ressist is a 0 bulk invested Noivern and a base 68/65 offensive fairy type. Allow minimal switchins, or things will start dropping...fast.

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: Another case similar to Sirfetch'd. No ground type to punish VS is rough but you are assisted by its pitiful bulk and your speed tier on Noivern, Weavile and Gardevoir. Again, allowing minimal switchins is key.





All and all my firm belief is that this team combines a good amount of innovative, fun and effective sets. Throughout many tests, I have never been faced with an ''impossible matchup'' and almost always had outs to dire situations. Hopefully you will have fun using it, as much as I had building and testing it. Thanks for your time!
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Last edited:

CBU

Banned deucer.
Mygrein said:
Very cool rmt, i rate it 5/7 with 5 being the maximum score. Do you prefer hitting umbreon over Avalugg? Yes ok i agree
Click to expand...
I'm assuming you are refering to Low Kick>Brick Break. It is just a matter,honestly, of how more punishable table is from the team as a whole in contrast to umbreon.
 
Kickassin666

Kickassin666

Banned deucer.
In my honest opinion, the teams not good. It requires an awful lot of overprediction to win, and in this common meta of bulky mons mixed with heavy attackers, running three choiced mons and a team with no recovery is awfully hard, as your only form of defog removal is noivern which is choice locked, and has no recovery as well. You also have no t spikes absorber, and if the opponent has even a little brains can maximise that t spikes effectiveness and destroy your team.
I dont see this team lasting a 70+ turn game, and the only way you win is finishing off games quick. Its impressive that you topped the ladder with this, which probably means that you must make god plays in order to win throughout, and that your a fkin brilliant player. So yeah, in the hands of a good player this team could be brilliant, but for most players, it would be a struggle.
 
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