ORAS UU Purple Haze - "The New Face Of UU Balance"

[nv]

PURPLE HAZE
The New Face Of UU Balance: Poste Majaspic du Contraire
(courtesy of ajemison)

Hi guys, it is I, the player formerly known as Nightmare Vampire, or NV. I haven't done an RMT in awhile as I felt UU hasn't been able to be stable enough for my teams to keep up with the metagame. However, this team, with some minor changes, has been able to adjust to the metagame and keep up despite having new threats in Heracross and Salamence coming back to UU or the recently tested (soon to be banned I assume) Serperior. Anyways, let's get on with my most successful team to date (and I would have a peak if I was a big ladderer but I am not lol).

Teambuilding Process

Tornadus is a pretty cool Pokemon in UU, usually being paired with Mega Swampert thanks to its access to Prankster Rain Dance; however, I decided I wanted to use one of its more underrated sets: Bulk Up.

Next up was Machamp, who was able to break down the Steel-types that troubled Tornadus while also being a great check to bulky Waters that plague the tier.

Next up was Mega Aggron, who checks Mega Aerodactyl, a big threat to the other two Pokemons, and is a great physical wall even with little investment.

Next was Vaporeon, as the team lacked a reliable way to recover and Vaporeon is arguably the best Wish Passer in the tier thanks to its access to a slow Baton Pass.

I added Crobat as I needed a surefire way to get rid of hazards and a secondary Mega Bee check in case Mega Aggron was too weak to take it on.

Granbull was added as I needed a Dragon check and a Heal Bell user and Granbull not only did both, but also provided Thunder Wave support meaning I could potentially overpower faster Pokemon.

I realized that while Crobat did decently enough for the team, I was super weak to VoltTurn teams, a common team archetype for Mega Beedrill. So while Gligar didn't appreciate Knock Off, it replaced Crobat as it was a reliable Defogger still and gave me an immunity to Volt Switch and kept the resistance to U-turn, meaning I can stop the momentum gained from VoltTurn strategies.

Heracross came back to its home, UU, in February and it fulfills the same role as Machamp while also giving me a great win condition due to its access to Swords Dance.

MEET THE TEAM
**CHANGES IN ORANGE**

Robin Williams (Tornadus)
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD 248 HP / 92 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Bulk Up
- Acrobatics

Tornadus is an incredible Pokemon in UU, boasting a nice base 111 Speed and base 115 Attack stats. I decided I wanted to capitalize on Tornadus' amazing ability in Prankster alongside the fact it gets a decent set up move: Bulk Up. I also opted for a bulky spread as I have Thunder Wave support and I like Tornadus having a bit of bulk to have an easier time setting up. I can also bypass the lack of Speed investment as Sleep Talk gives me a 1 in 3 chance to use Acrobatics and it gains priority thanks to Sleep Talk being a status move. RestTalk is also an amazing thing on Tornadus as it gains priority recovery, which can only be boasted by Fletchinder in UU. Itemless is obvious as otherwise Acrobatics' power gets cut in half. Also even without the Speed investment, Tornadus can still threaten most of the Grass-types thanks to it resisting their STAB and Acrobatics can OHKO all of them unboosted. EVs are provided by DMT to allow Tornadus to outspeed Toxicroak and Heracross and proceed to hit them hard while also speed creeping up to Adamant base 100s i.e. Entei.

Dem Calcs

92+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Chesnaught: 400-472 (105.2 - 124.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

92+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Roserade: 452-534 (139.5 - 164.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

92+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Shaymin: 320-378 (93.8 - 110.8%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

92+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 288-338 (66.6 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

Winnie (Heracross) (F) @

Ability: Guts
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Knock Off

Heracross graced us with its presence back in UU after a stint in OU thanks to its Mega (and the way Smogon handles Mega Stones which sucks in my opinion but whatever lol). Now that it is back and it is one of the premier wallbreakers as it doesn't fear Scald from bulky Waters or Will-O-Wisp thanks to its Guts ability. Swords Dance can be easily set up to allow Heracross to power through stall teams. It favors its Fighting STAB over its Bug STAB thanks to Close Combat hitting harder and having better accuracy while giving way to the fact that Heracross tends to switch out a lot negating the Close Combat defensive drops. Facade gets great neutral coverage and hits super hard after a Guts boost, OHKOing bulky Crobat after Stealth Rock. Knock Off allows Heracross to hit hard and cripple the opponent as they lose their item so even if Heracross is switching out afterwards, the opponent's Pokemon is now without an item which wears them down a lot quicker.

Brick House (Aggron-Mega) (F) @

Ability: Filter
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

Mega Aggron is probably the second best Mega in the tier, checking a plethora of physical attackers, such as Mega Beedrill and Mega Aerodactyl, even ones with supereffective hits such as Mega Swampert, Heracross and Darmanitan. The EV spread is a bit different from standard (although I feel this should be the standard spread) as it hits a jump point in Defense while also maxing out Mega Aggron's special bulk allowing it to take special hits better. The set is pretty standard as well since I needed Stealth Rock support and a way to phaze set up sweepers and Mega Aggron fulfilled both roles. Mega Aggron is an amazing addition to any semi-stall team as it takes on a lot of threats from offense, which can overpower semi-stall and stall teams alike.

So Vapid (Vaporeon) (F) @

Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Def / 56 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Baton Pass

Vaporeon has been an amazing teammate, being able to provide fat Wishes while also proving some offensive presence thanks to its base 110 Special Attack stat. Baton Pass is also a great move as Vaporeon can take a lot of neutral and resisted hits thanks to its gigantic base 130 HP stat and proceed to safely pass a Wish to a teammate. This thing has also been a decent Fire check as Fire spam overpowers the other three Pokemon. Vaporeon has saved me from a few losses thanks to it passing off a "dying" Wish, giving Pokemon like Heracross or Tornadus a second chance.

Sting (Gligar) (M) @

Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog

Gligar has made its mark as a great wall for this team, still being able to check most of the things Crobat checked while being able to still Roost and Defog effectively. It also checks threats that Crobat couldn't dare check such as Mega Ampharos, Hydreigon, and other special attackers thanks to Eviolite coupled with the investment into its special bulk. The fact that I have Stealth Rock on Mega Aggron means I can run U-turn effectively allowing Gligar to keep up momentum and to go in to the appropriate wall. The EVs do the same thing as Mega Aggron's spread, hitting the jump point in Defense while investing the rest in special bulk and it allows Gligar to completely avoid the 2HKO from Mega Ampharo's Dragon Pulse and Life Orb Hydreigon's Draco Meteor.

Pacifist (Granbull) (M) @

Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Thunder Wave
- Heal Bell

This slot was very tough to fill. I really needed a Fairy that could take on Salamence and provide cleric support so I opted for Granbull. It also has a nice base 120 Attack stat meaning it isn't going to sit on the sidelines and let Salamence and a few other sweepers set up in its face. Thunder Wave also gives Granbull a way to support its teammates allowing Tornadus and Heracross to set up and break down the opposing team. Heal Bell, although a bit redundant with Heracross wanting status, allows my other Pokemon to keep healthy and not be worn down by other stallish teams.

And here it is: PURPLE HAZE. One of my favorite and most successful teams in ORAS so far.

Importable

Robin Williams (Tornadus)
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Bulk Up
- Acrobatics

Winnie (Heracross) (F) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Knock Off

Brick House (Aggron-Mega) (F) @ Aggronite
Ability: Filter
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

So Vapid (Vaporeon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Def / 56 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Baton Pass

Sting (Gligar) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog

Pacifist (Granbull) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Thunder Wave
- Heal Bell

 

[nv]

Reserved for threatlist (if I get around to it).

 

[DMT]

Hey buddy :^]
Pretty solid team, and not really knowing how to play semi-stall, I can only recommend so much. One small change I'd maybe suggest is changing Torn's spread. With things like Heracross/Nidoking/Toxicroak all at base 85 (and most all running timid/jolly), being able to hit that speed tier is really nice. Changing the 248HP/252ATT+ spread to 248HP/104+ATT/156SPE, allowing you to outspeed/ohko Heracross/Toxicroak, and being able to get off a nice 70% on Nidoking.

Hide

104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Nidoking: 199-235 (65.6 - 77.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Heracross: 816-960 (271 - 318.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Toxicroak: 458-540 (149.1 - 175.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Anyway, other than that it looks pretty solid. I do like the core of Vap/Glig/Gran, though. And the mono-purple is pretty cool too.

Edit: if you bump up the speed even a little higher, you'll be able to outpace adamant base 100s (Entei) :^]

 

[nv]

Hey buddy :^]
Pretty solid team, and not really knowing how to play semi-stall, I can only recommend so much. One small change I'd maybe suggest is changing Torn's spread. With things like Heracross/Nidoking/Toxicroak all at base 85 (and most all running timid/jolly), being able to hit that speed tier is really nice. Changing the 248HP/252ATT+ spread to 248HP/104+ATT/156SPE, allowing you to outspeed/ohko Heracross/Toxicroak, and being able to get off a nice 70% on Nidoking.

Hide

104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Nidoking: 199-235 (65.6 - 77.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Heracross: 816-960 (271 - 318.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
104+ Atk Tornadus Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Toxicroak: 458-540 (149.1 - 175.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Anyway, other than that it looks pretty solid. I do like the core of Vap/Glig/Gran, though. And the mono-purple is pretty cool too.

Edit: if you bump up the speed even a little higher, you'll be able to outpace adamant base 100s (Entei) :^]

I will definitely try out this spread as I feel the lack of initial power is not that big of a deal since it still 2HKOes Amoonguss and OHKOes the other Grass-types while outspeeding threats such as Heracross and Toxicroak and weakening Nidoking (which has been pointed out as a huge threat to my team). Thanks fren, :)

 

[ajemisOn]

"The New Face Of UU Balance: Poste Majaspic du Contraire "

 

[nv]

"The New Face Of UU Balance: Poste Majaspic du Contraire "

New tagline y/y

 

[artimis_fowl]

flame orb over toxic orb, because guts negates burn's attack drop

 

[BenzMafia]

I was messing with RestTalk BU Tornadus recently too but was using much bulkier spread.

Tornadus
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 212 SpD / 48 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Bulk Up
- Sleep Talk
- Rest

Enough speed for Jolly Hera, rest in bulk. Grass types are set up fodder anyway. This set was actually the winner of the next best thing submitted by kokoloko. Just throwing some ideas.

Also may i ask why it is named Robin Williams? I saw it on the analysis too, really curious.

Regarding to flame/toxic orb it really does not matter if you don't stay in longer than 3 turns.

 

[Ryan432]

I have been using this team with nice success and have found only one minor flaw. The lack of special attacks is awful. The only special attack on the whole team is vaporeons scald. Other then that I really like this team, Good Job!

 

[nv]

flame orb over toxic orb, because guts negates burn's attack drop

Tbh Toxic Orb is better if I stay in less than three turns, which I tend to do as Heracross's goal on the team is to provide Knock Off support and hard hitting power overall.

I was messing with RestTalk BU Tornadus recently too but was using much bulkier spread.

Tornadus
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 212 SpD / 48 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Bulk Up
- Sleep Talk
- Rest

Enough speed for Jolly Hera, rest in bulk. Grass types are set up fodder anyway. This set was actually the winner of the next best thing submitted by kokoloko. Just throwing some ideas.

Also may i ask why it is named Robin Williams? I saw it on the analysis too, really curious.

Regarding to flame/toxic orb it really does not matter if you don't stay in longer than 3 turns.

I like the bulky spread since bulk means Tornadus can get more set up opportunities so I will definitely try this spread along with DMT's and see which one fares better.

Also the Robin Williams thing has always been what I nicknamed most of the time when I used Tornadus and it stuck imo, lol. Plus it pays homage to one of my most favorite comedians, so yea :P

I have been using this team with nice success and have found only one minor flaw. The lack of special attacks is awful. The only special attack on the whole team is vaporeons scald. Other then that I really like this team, Good Job!

Yea the special attacking side of things is p lackluster, although the team does provide a nice amount of pressure physically, I do sometimes feel the lack of special attacking threats. Maybe there is some suggestions you have? :) Or I guess I can pose the question lol.

QUESTION: What should be replaced / tweaked to figure in some special attacking Pokemon onto the team?

 

[HT]

QUESTION: What should be replaced / tweaked to figure in some special attacking Pokemon onto the team?

First of all, congrats on the team, it looks very solid overall. Secondly, if you want an extra special attacking presence on the team you could try out Aromatisse over Granbull since it's a cleric as well and they check similar things due to their Fairy typing and good physical bulk. Aroma also gives you another wish passer in case Vaporeon goes down early.

 

[RowDog]

Just wondering if you have tried Chesto Berry on Tornadus, as it can be handy to instant heal the first time and make sure you don't get dud turns until a little while later, though that depends on how much you end up using Rest. I you are using it a lot it may be worthwhile.

 

[nv]

First of all, congrats on the team, it looks very solid overall. Secondly, if you want an extra special attacking presence on the team you could try out Aromatisse over Granbull since it's a cleric as well and they check similar things due to their Fairy typing and good physical bulk. Aroma also gives you another wish passer in case Vaporeon goes down early.

Thanks! That sounds solid as Aroma is a p cool mon thanks to guaranteed Wish because its ability negates Taunt and Encore, which can be a pain, :P however I would miss the T-Wave support and the neutral coverage Granbull gets in STAB + EQ. I'll look into this for sure.

Just wondering if you have tried Chesto Berry on Tornadus, as it can be handy to instant heal the first time and make sure you don't get dud turns until a little while later, though that depends on how much you end up using Rest. I you are using it a lot it may be worthwhile.

I never considered that really since most of the time Torn sets up then just sweeps, but I can see the use for a "one-time" wake up call so that I don't have to worry about pulling Rest from Sleep Talk 1/3 of time. Definitely something I am willing to try out, thanks! :)

 

[nv]

Ok update time...

I decided to go with the EV spread DMT provided as it has gotten me out of some semi-unfavorable situations such as Nidos and SD Hera sweeps. I am still trying to find special attackers but from the team itself...it provides enough pressure in the matches I play that I don't see the special attacking side lacking. I mean while physical walls like Forretress and Donphan appear, they end up getting overpowered thanks to SD Guts Hera. And lastly, I decided Chesto Berry was too situational as while it did provide the one turn heal while not having to rely on rolls, it also made Tornadus's main STAB move have half the Base Power it does with no item, which in a pinch, could become a major problem. I say this because my Tornadus tends to force the switches out and set up on said switch then continue to set up if they are a physical attacker/wall or proceed to attack if a special attacking wall like Vaporeon or Suicune. All in all, I love the suggestions and if you have anymore post them and I will look into it, :)