Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Surf
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
Escavalier (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Sleep Talk / Return
Slowking and Escavalier make a great offensive core, covering each other's flaws quite well and demolishing teams under Trick Room. Escavalier and Slowking share excellent offensive synergy, being able to eliminate each other's checks and counters with ease. They have great defensive synergy as well, as Slowking resists Escavalier's sole weakness while Escavalier can take the Dark-, Ghost-, Grass-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Slowking thanks to its solid defenses and good typing. Specifically, Slowking can switch in on Escavalier's common counters: Steelix, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Emboar; in turn, Escavalier can switch in on Sceptile, Lilligant, Drapion, and Spiritomb for Slowking. Together, Escavalier and Slowking are also very good at combating hail teams, as both of them possess a resistance to Ice-type attacks and have the bulk required to take multiple Blizzards from threats such as Jynx, Glaceon, and Rotom-F. Whats more, both of them are capable of 2HKOing common hail team members in return at the very least.
The key to this core succeeding is to get Trick Room up as soon as possible. This is, of course, due to the core consisting of two of the slowest Pokemon in RU. Setting up Trick Room will give them maximum sweeping potential. Because Slowking is so bulky and has Regenerator for longevity, it will have no trouble setting up Trick Room multiple times throughout the match. Escavalier can then get in safely and wreak havoc.
Of course, this core can't always win the game on its own; it needs some support from its teammates to function to its full potential. An additional Trick Room user is always welcome, as it will take the pressure off of Slowking to set up the move and give Escavalier more opportunities to put dents in the opponent's team. Mesprit is the perfect fit for the job, as it can set up Trick Room rather easily thanks to its great 80 / 105 / 105 bulk and can further support the team with Healing Wish, allowing the user to fully heal either Escavalier or Slowking for a late-game win condition in a pinch. Hazards are also greatly appreciated for this core, as Slowking and Escavalier appreciate the additional damage wearing the opponent's Pokemon as they force switches and fire off strong attacks. Smeargle is the perfect candidate for this role, as it can set up both Trick Room and Stealth Rock / Spikes. It can also put an opponent to sleep, pressuring the opposing team even more. Because this core struggles against the many Electric-types in RU, it's a good idea to pair it with a way to deal with them. Nidoqueen does an excellent job at this, being completely immune to Electric-type moves, while being neutral to the common coverage moves used by the Electric-types at worst and doing heavy damage in return with STAB Earth Power and many coverage moves. Druddigon also covers the core's weaknesses quite well, greatly benefits from Trick Room itself, and can break walls for Escavalier and Slowking.
While Escavalier and Slowking can fight off most of the RU tier together, there are some Pokemon that break through the core with little difficulty. Absol is capable of OHKOing both Slowking and Escavalier using its mixed set with Fire Blast, and even has Sucker Punch to pick off Slowking under Trick Room; however, it has trouble switching in on both Slowking and Escavalier because of its frail defenses. Strong Electric-types such as Manectric, Galvantula, and Rotom-C also give this core trouble, doing major damage to Slowking with their STAB moves while eliminating Escavalier from the match with a well timed Fire-type move. Sadly, these Pokemon struggle to get in safely against the core as well, being 2HKOed at worst by Slowking and Escavalier's STAB moves.
By Molk and DittoCrow