RMT this UU team that somehow does well...

sharkshocker

sharkshocker

Hi there, I've gone back to playing UU after my laptop got fixed, and I was testing the teams I have made, as to see which does well in the current UU metagame. I found this team and tweaked it a bit (added Venomoth lead) and somehow made it to the top 50 of the UU ladder! Accomplishment aside, I feel that this team can still use some improvement, though, so I'm going to put it up here...

Venomoth (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Ground]

I placed Venomoth as a lead, because it doesn't require set-up to start hurting the other team, and most UU leads I've fought do set-up of some sort, letting me get a free hit. Bug Buzz + Choice Specs is awesome, but this is just the Choice Specs moveset listed on the site. I have never used Sludge Bomb so that can be changed.

EDIT: Replaced Sludge Bomb with Sleep Powder, helped put counters or Clefable to sleep :D
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Clefable (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP/122 Atk/136 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
- Facade
- Knock Off

Replaced Ninetails with this, and Clefable lets me do some passive damage and Wish passing helps too. Knock Off for annoyance, and STAB Facade. I really hate Jumpluff and this guy lets me take him on, once I let Kanga absorb Sleep.
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Bibarel (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Return
- Waterfall
- Thunder Wave

Absol has been running amok in UU lately, thanks to the Platinum updates. Bibarel seemed like a fun "counter" to SD Absol, although I have not gotten a chance to use it vs Absol yet. This team really needs an SD Absol counter, and this is what I've come up with so far, scarfed to give Absol a blast from Superpower, Waterfall and Return for STAB...really now Absol just became like Garchomp, all he needs is that Berry that lowers Fighting damage XD
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Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/6 Atk/252 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin
- Sucker Punch
- Toxic

I love this pokemon! Hitmontop has helped me in the end-game so many times, my team would just fall apart without him. It's the standard LO Hitmontop, helps me get rid of those priority users, or scarfed pokemon.

EDIT: Turned Hitmontop into a Spinner, not sure about the nature/EV's, i gave him more SpDef EV's for survivability, Sucker Punch now lets me hit Ghosts with more power, Toxic for status...
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Kangaskhan (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/6 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Double-edge
- Earthquake

My status-absorber. STAB Double-Edge hurts anything that doesn't resist it, and Scrappy gets those Ghosts switching in. Earthquake to get those Steels, and I Rest to get rid of any unsightly status that Kanga got hit with.
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Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt

I've been running a Rotom of some sort on my teams, and I've grown to favor this Choice Scarf version. It surpises those other scarfers (Swellow >:D), or could give status with Thunder Wave. I run HP Water just so it's not entirely walled by Steelix/Camerupt. Once I find what the enemy's team is made of, I usually manage to get rid of some of them with this guy, or just rain paralysis on them letting some of mine set up. (currently trying out HP Grass)

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I guess my biggest trouble with this team is that it doesn't have any support, and residual damage adds up, as I have fragile pokemon that need as much HP as they can have on the switch.

I have trouble with defensive pokemon (Articuno, Shuckle, etc.) so maybe if I had my own residual damage guy or a spinner, it'd help. Thank you for any suggestions. :D
 
The team is solid, but could honestly use a bit of help to "break" its barrier.

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Hypnosis on Ninetales is honestly all but obsolete. Hypnosis never allows it to beat its potential counters (Altaria / Mantine / Grumpig / Flareon). All of these absorb the Hypnosis and just wait it out with their insane Special Defense... wait for when they awake and destroy Ninetales with either Earthquake, Surf, Toxic (or Psychic), and Toxic respectively. Anything that you would want to use Hypnosis on is a faster switch-in (and then you have to Nasty Plot on the first turn of sleep, and hope they don't wake up for the second... and that's assuming that 60% move hits). Everything else either dies to the unboosted moves, switches out, or fails to OHKO you while you boost again (read: Lanturn and Claydol).

Because of this, you should never use Hypnosis. Your last move should be a coverage move. I recommend Hidden Power [Rock]. Not only does it help against 3/4 best Ninetales counters, but it helps against opposing Ninetales. Dark Pulse could be used, but it's even more situational than HP Rock considering the only thing it hits harder is Grumpig (Hypno and other Psychics lack the Fire resist that Grumpig possesses, and Solrock / Lunatone are beaten by Energy Ball.)

tl;dr... use HP Rock over Hypnosis.

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Poliwrath makes a really horrible Bulk Upper. It lacks the raw Special defense that one needs in order to excel at it. It also lacks the type neutrality. Simply put, too many things hit it for Super Effective damage and break its Substitute and with a Bulk Upper who has no recovery, Substitute survival is paramount to its success.

However, I don't advocate taking Poliwrath out of the team. Without it you could have troubles with Relicanth. Rotom can revenge, but can't really risk switching in.

I'd like to see Poliwrath go hyper defensive. The following set should be employed.

Poliwrath (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Hydro Pump
- Focus Punch
- Ice Punch
- Substitute

It may seem that it would lack power, but it actually hits everything that your Poliwrath (and a lot of other Poliwraths I see) hits just as hard, as well as may other Pokemon far harder. Hydro Pump is an oddity, yes, but it helps agianst that Shuckle problem (it's a 2HKO), as well it 2HKOs Rotom / Weezing / Claydol who otherwise would destroy your current Poliwrath.

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Not wanting to be walled by Steelix and Camerupt is a pretty poor reason to run HP Water on your Rotom. Trick would be a better option considering it takes care of both of those two (by forcing them to own an item they don't want) as well as a myriad of other Pokemon (Like Absol, who currently gives your team troubles)

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You expressed some concern about passive damage, and never considered putting Rapid Spin on your Hitmontop? Without Close Combat, it hardly makes a difference to what it can and can't beat, and it makes a handy spinner. If you're looking for a spinner, switching Close Combat for Rapid Spin is the easiest / most effective way to encorporate one into your team.

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Hope that helps.
 
Definitely take out Sludge Bomb on Venomoth since Bug Buzz covers everything Sludge Bomb covers and more. In its place, sleep powder can put a counter to sleep or U-turn for scouting purposes, whichever one you like more.

If you still want to use Bulk Up on Poliwrath, Waterfall/Return has better coverage, so unless there are specific threats you are trying to counter.

In general, your team is well-balanced, just watch out for specific threats such as HP Flying Mantine, Swellow, and Scyther that can sweep most of your team once Rotom is dead.
 
I've been testing out the team, and indeed I have a major problem with Mantine, it's too bulky to be taken down by Rotom, and the rest of my team can't put a dent on it before it heals with Rest. Any ideas for a Mantine counter?

@ LonelyNess: If I replace Close Combat with Rapid Spin, would Intimidate + Leftovers be a better option since Hitmontop is going to play a less offensive role?
 
You can pack Rock Slide on Poliwrath, and replace either Substitute or Bulk Up, probably Substitute since Poliwrath IS not the best Bulk Upper but can get the job done. Quagsire seems to be a problem as well, so I would suggest either Trick or Hidden Power Grass over Hidden Power Water on Rotom, which Rotom will benefit better from
 
Bumparoni. An update on the team, it's doing well so far, but I've had trouble with Curse Steelix, somehow ran into 2 of those in the past 5 battles...

EDIT: Sorry, did I bump too soon? I apologize in advance if I did.
 
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