Ghost might be my best team in Mono UU, but Lower Tier Monotype is a whole different beast. For a while, this particular team has put in some exceptional work, but lately, I've found that they've been struggling against certain foes. Of course, what can you expect from a ragtag group of ne'er-do-wells gathered by a mad sociopathic Beedrill who was put into the care of the dumbest trainer imaginable?
Yeah, there's a story behind this team. Maybe I should go to one of those writer's workshops Smogon seems to promote every now and then. Anyway, I digress. Presenting for your delectation:
Rogue Rocket
"Pikachu" (Beedrill-Mega) (M) @ Beedrillite
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- Protect
- U-turn
Yep, Rusty's mad Beedrill is out for blood. And he managed to find himself a Mega Bracelet and some Beedrillite, making him that much more deadly. His strategy usually is to protect against incoming attacks, thus allowing him to outmaneuver his opponent next turn. If things seem dicey, he'll U-Turn out to give the rest of the team momentum, and his Drill Run grants him coverage against his usual weaknesses to Fire and Rock.
Adachi (Gengar) (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hex
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sludge Wave
- Substitute
Adachi is not your typical Gengar, at least in the sense of being an all-out attacker. He'll hide behind a substitute and cast his flames forth, crippling physical attackers and sapping his foe of stamina. From the safety of his substitute, he can then cast hexes until the opponent is knocked out, at which point he'll Will-O-Wisp once more and start the whole thing over again. And with Sludge Wave as a coverage move, he can hit anything safely, except for a Normal/Steel type with Water Veil, but that concept is too ridiculous to exist.
But what about Fire types who don't get burned, I hear you ask? Well, we'll get to that shortly.
Butz (Skuntank) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Taunt
When something smells, you know that it's the Butz. This fellow is all about playing mind games with his opponent. A Taunt forces his opponent to attack or flee, and they'll have to face a Sucker Punch or a Pursuit as a result. Thanks to his Air Balloon, he won't be threatened by entry hazards or his sole weakness. Though sometimes, he'll just forgo the mind games and just use his Poison Jab, though this is quite rare.
Capo (Amoonguss) (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
Capo is the standby wall ready to tank hits if need be. Those who haven't been burned or poisoned will be lulled to sleep by her Spore, and she has Sludge Bomb to deal with Grass types who don't want to go to bed. Her main strategy is to stall out the opponent once certain setups have been put into place, but we'll get to those in a moment.
Donna (Tentacruel) (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
While the team has nothing to fear from Toxic Spikes, other entry hazards might be a problem. That's where Donna comes in. Her Clear Body means she has nothing to fear from Sticky Web, and even without major investment, she can tank at least one hit before spinning hazards away or retaliating with her Scald, Ice Beam, or Sludge Wave. Though she has been considering switching the latter out for Acid Spray, which would reduce the enemy's special defense and allow her to hit that much harder.
Madison (Garbodor) (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
Last but certainly not least is clumsy Madison. She's often out first, dropping her Spikes and Toxic Spikes everywhere. Of course, while she makes it look like an accident, she does this on purpose. She can usually take at least one hit before setting some hazard out, and should she need to recover, her Drain Punch can come in handy. With Toxic Spikes on the field, Adachi doesn't need to burn his foes before hexing them into submission. And Steel types will still have to contend with the extra damage from Spikes. The only ones that really counter this strategy are Heatran (who falls quickly to Beedrill's Drill Run) Flying types (who may have to answer to Donna's Ice Beam or the Butz) and Saladint (who isn't out yet).
Again, there have been early successes with this team, but it's been prone to struggling lately. Any advice would be appreciated.
Oh, and here's a replay of them taking out a Steel team:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-442333528
Yeah, there's a story behind this team. Maybe I should go to one of those writer's workshops Smogon seems to promote every now and then. Anyway, I digress. Presenting for your delectation:
Rogue Rocket
"Pikachu" (Beedrill-Mega) (M) @ Beedrillite
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- Protect
- U-turn
Yep, Rusty's mad Beedrill is out for blood. And he managed to find himself a Mega Bracelet and some Beedrillite, making him that much more deadly. His strategy usually is to protect against incoming attacks, thus allowing him to outmaneuver his opponent next turn. If things seem dicey, he'll U-Turn out to give the rest of the team momentum, and his Drill Run grants him coverage against his usual weaknesses to Fire and Rock.
Adachi (Gengar) (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hex
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sludge Wave
- Substitute
Adachi is not your typical Gengar, at least in the sense of being an all-out attacker. He'll hide behind a substitute and cast his flames forth, crippling physical attackers and sapping his foe of stamina. From the safety of his substitute, he can then cast hexes until the opponent is knocked out, at which point he'll Will-O-Wisp once more and start the whole thing over again. And with Sludge Wave as a coverage move, he can hit anything safely, except for a Normal/Steel type with Water Veil, but that concept is too ridiculous to exist.
But what about Fire types who don't get burned, I hear you ask? Well, we'll get to that shortly.
Butz (Skuntank) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Taunt
When something smells, you know that it's the Butz. This fellow is all about playing mind games with his opponent. A Taunt forces his opponent to attack or flee, and they'll have to face a Sucker Punch or a Pursuit as a result. Thanks to his Air Balloon, he won't be threatened by entry hazards or his sole weakness. Though sometimes, he'll just forgo the mind games and just use his Poison Jab, though this is quite rare.
Capo (Amoonguss) (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
Capo is the standby wall ready to tank hits if need be. Those who haven't been burned or poisoned will be lulled to sleep by her Spore, and she has Sludge Bomb to deal with Grass types who don't want to go to bed. Her main strategy is to stall out the opponent once certain setups have been put into place, but we'll get to those in a moment.
Donna (Tentacruel) (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
While the team has nothing to fear from Toxic Spikes, other entry hazards might be a problem. That's where Donna comes in. Her Clear Body means she has nothing to fear from Sticky Web, and even without major investment, she can tank at least one hit before spinning hazards away or retaliating with her Scald, Ice Beam, or Sludge Wave. Though she has been considering switching the latter out for Acid Spray, which would reduce the enemy's special defense and allow her to hit that much harder.
Madison (Garbodor) (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
Last but certainly not least is clumsy Madison. She's often out first, dropping her Spikes and Toxic Spikes everywhere. Of course, while she makes it look like an accident, she does this on purpose. She can usually take at least one hit before setting some hazard out, and should she need to recover, her Drain Punch can come in handy. With Toxic Spikes on the field, Adachi doesn't need to burn his foes before hexing them into submission. And Steel types will still have to contend with the extra damage from Spikes. The only ones that really counter this strategy are Heatran (who falls quickly to Beedrill's Drill Run) Flying types (who may have to answer to Donna's Ice Beam or the Butz) and Saladint (who isn't out yet).
Again, there have been early successes with this team, but it's been prone to struggling lately. Any advice would be appreciated.
Oh, and here's a replay of them taking out a Steel team:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-442333528
