Scolipede Squad

saxtonhale · Jul 8, 2013

Howdy folks! I've wanted to post this really fun-to-use team for a while but had to wait due to the recent server downage. Anyways, this team is fairly offensive in nature, and has several powerful pokes with great coverage. This team certainly has its problems with powerful switch-ins and (relatively rarely) hazards, so any help there would certainly be considered. However, I often dislike having a dedicated spinner, as usually they're either bad offensively or pitifully frail. And I just don't like Hitmontop :/ But here we go.

Team building process:

I built this team around one of my favorite pokes, none other than the under-appreciated Scolipede, who can wreak havoc upon setting up SD, and also serve as a powerful revenger thanks to very high base Speed. His Stealth Rock weakness is unfortunate, but if I see any potential SR setters, I will usually lead with him to avoid SR. His obnoxious Megahorn destroys all but Sashed variants of Uxie and Azelf, two solid SR setters.

As the purpose of this team was to build a squad that dealt major damage while covering Scolipede's weaknesses, my first idea was to pick a solid special attacker with a nice Fire resistance. Who better than Slowbro? With Specs equipped, Slowbro can repeatedly switch in (big shoutout to Regenerator) and dole out the pain with his fantastic coverage and great bulk.

With two great Fighting resists, I next picked a solid sweeper with great coverage who could succeed where Scolipede might fail. Scrafty was the pick for this spot. Thanks to DD and great coverage, Scrafty could either cleave through parts of the opponent's team that Scolipede couldn't breach yet or sweep after 'pede had died. Plus, he's a 4x Dark resist, something you'll see that this team needs.

I found myself really jonesing for immediate Speed and special attacking power (as Slowbro is - well, you know - and Scolipede has trouble breaching physical walls on occasion,) so I went for a Scarfed Rotom-Mow. With a gift in Volt Switch and a monstrous Leaf Storm, Rotom handled my speed problem just fine. If needed, he can also switch in on weakened Gligar or destroy walls with Trick. He's also got a nifty ability in Levitate, which isn't super needed here, but is nice to have regardless.

Next, I realized that having a highly offensive team without some sort of Dragon representation would be unwise. Going with my love of coverage, I really had a choice between Flygon and Druddigon. As Flygon simply had a lack of damage output at times, I eventually chose Druddigon, as he has nearly as good coverage as Flygon, but with much higher attack and better natural bulk.

Lastly, I really wanted a powerful Ghost type to give my team some more special attackers, while also wanting a good Will-o-Wisp user. Chandelure, duh. Behind a Sub, Chandy is protected from Pursuit while also getting to freely spread WOW or use his overpowered STAB attacks.

In-depth look:

Note: Changes being considered will be in grey type.

"SolidSnake"

Scolipede @ Life Orb

EVs: 252 Atk | 4 Def | 252 Speed

Trait: Swarm

Nature: Jolly (+Speed,-SpAtk)/Adamant (+Atk,-Spe)

Moveset: Swords Dance | Megahorn | Earthquake/Taunt | Rock Slide

Scolipede, following setup, is more or less unstoppable. Thanks to the coverage achieved by the three given moves, Scolipede is left walled by very little. After an SD or two, Scolipede will quickly jet through more offensive teams, and scores OHKO's on almost every Psychic and Dark type in the tier. Rock Slide destroys any rival Bugs, and hits Flying types hard too. EQ is just a great move, and can nail Fire, Poison and Steel types. However, Taunt is being considered, as it would prevent any opponent who Scolipede cannot OHKO from setting up, allowing for a breezy 2HKO. Life Orb and Swarm go hand in hand, allowing Scolipede's last few Megahorns to deal even more damage.

"BigBrother"

Slowbro @ Choice Specs

EVs: 252 HP | 4 Def | 252 SpAtk

Trait: Regenerator

Nature: Modest (+SpAtk,-Atk)

Moveset: Surf | Ice Beam | Grass Knot | Fire Blast

Slowbro is great because he can deal great damage while maintaining his bulky presence. Combine this with Regenerator and Choice Specs, and you've got quite a formidable foe. Slowbro's downfall is his weakness to Bug and Dark, so he must tread very lightly around Heracross and Dark types. However, his strengths are far greater than that, as he maintains beautiful coverage between his four moves. Surf is great for Fire types, as well as Rhyperior and other Ground or Rock types. Ice Beam fucks Gligar over, as well as Flygon. Grass Knot demolishes any Water type that hopes to switch in. Fire Blast rounds out the coverage, destroying Steel, Grass and Bug types.

"Kenshiro"

Scrafty @ Lum Berry

EVs: 252 Atk | 4 SpDef | 252 Speed

Trait: Moxie

Nature: Jolly (+Speed,-SpAtk)

Moveset: Dragon Dance | Hi Jump Kick | Crunch | Ice Punch

Scrafty is just plain great. Although he is held back by the ubiquity of Heracross, his best counter, this does not mean he is bad. As my other setup sweeper, Scrafty has a few jobs to do: Take Dark type hits aimed at Chandy and Slowbro, and set up quickly. He usually is the backup for Scolipede, but sometimes I prefer to use Scrafty first. Dragon Dance boosts his average Speed to threatening levels, while the three moves given allow him to hit everything in the tier for SE damage bar Heracross.

"Cut Man"

Rotom-C @ Choice Scarf

EVs: 252 SpAtk | 4 SpDef | 252 Speed

Trait: Levitate

Nature: Timid (+Speed,-Atk)

Moveset: Hidden Power Ice | Volt Switch | Leaf Storm | Trick

Rotom-C has just the right amount of coverage to work well. Choice Scarf allows him to outspeed a majority of the metagame while maintaining a good attacking prowess, making him a great revenge killer. HP Ice hits Dragons and Ground types for good damage, but is only useful on weakened opponents due to its lack of high Base Power. However, a one-two punch with Trick and Hidden Power is great to use on Gligar. Volt Switch allows Rotom-C to switch out while dealing solid damage. Leaf Storm hits very hard due to high BP and a good SpAtk stat, destroying every Water type and also hitting things like Rhyperior hard (Rhyperior in general is very ineffective against this team.) Trick is an obvious choice, crippling Eviolite users as well as switch-ins like Snorlax. Rotom-C forms a neat partnership with Chandelure, as Chandy's lack of Energy Ball is no longer a problem. Chandy's enemies, notably Swampert and Rhyperior, will be Will-O-Wisped, and Rotom can switch in on either EQ or Waterfall, both of which he takes fine, OHKOing back with Leaf Storm!

"Dreadigon"

Druddigon @ Choice Band

EVs: 252 HP | 252 Atk | 4 SpDef

Trait: Mold Breaker

Nature: Adamant (+Atk,-SpAtk)

Moveset: Outrage | Earthquake | Superpower | Sucker Punch/Fire Punch

I feel that Druddigon deserves more love. He's got great natural bulk, and access to high powered moves and a great Attack stat. He also bears no 4x weaknesses like the other Dragons of the tier. The choice between Rough Skin and Mold Breaker was tough, as Rough Skin helped wear down physical attackers, but Mold Breaker proved more useful, giving Drudd's EQ no safe switch- ins. Outrage is Drudd's best STAB choice, hitting for fantastic neutral damage. The other three moves are mostly for Outrage resistors. EQ hits for great neutral damage as well. Superpower breaks through Drudd's Steel type nemeses, and Sucker Punch gives Drudd the ability to strike first on weakened foes. However, Fire Punch is being considered, as CB Sucker Punch can be a problem with messed-up prediction.

"Lumiere"

Chandelure @ Leftovers

EVs: 68 HP | 252 SpAtk | 4 SpDef | 184 Speed

Trait: Flame Body

Nature: Modest (+SpAtk,-Atk)

Moveset: Will-O-Wisp | Substitute | Shadow Ball | Fire Blast

Chandy is one of the top threats of UU for a reason. Even without a boosting item, Chandy's SpAtk is over 400. This allows him to constantly force switches, giving an easy opportunity to set up Substitute. Behind a Sub, Chandy's Pursuit weakness is alleviated, and it also protects from pesky status as he fires off STAB moves with impunity. The two STAB moves are obvious, giving Chandy fantastic damage output and good coverage. Without Energy Ball, Chandy can run WOW, allowing him to give a huge boost to my team by halving foes' Attack and dealing residual damage. Rotom-C takes care of the Water and Ground weaknesses as well.

Edit: Threat list.

Arcanine - I bluff Flash Fire on Chandy for him. Pretty easy to play around, he is handled swimmingly by Rhyperior or Kingdra, and Scolipede can easily revenge kill him.
Azelf - Pisses me off still, but Scolipede OHKOs with Megahorn, as does Rhyperior.
Azumarill - Not a threat to anyone but Chandy and Rhyperior.
Bisharp - Clever users can get the drop on me with him, but he is handled by Scolipede and Chandy once Subbed.
Darmanitan - Being a former worshipper of this poke, I know its power well. Rhyperior easily handles Choice variants, but otherwise it can tear through my team. Kingdra and Scolipede can stop LO variants too.
Empoleon - Easily handled by Scolipede unless it's physically bulky, but also destroyed by Scrafty and Rotom.
Flygon - Scolipede destroys it, Rhyperior destroys it, Scrafty does too. Not a problem.
Heracross - The king of UU gives me trouble. Choiced variants can be countered, but Scolipede must be wary of Stone Edge.
Honchkrow - Not a big problem. Can't touch Rhyperior, and Scolipede outspeeds and rapes with Megahorn.
Kingdra - Nothing that can't be handled through smart playing. Scolipede can outspeed unboosted ones and hit hard, Rotom can fuck with boosters using Trick, and Scrafty can usually set up next to it.
Machamp - God I hate this thing. Chandy handles it fine, but I still hate it.
Medicham - Can play mindgames with me, but once I know its item I can beat it just fine.
Milotic - Annoying as hell. Easily falls to repeated attacks, but it doesn't make it any less irritating.
Nidoking - Actually deadly in a good player's hands. I must tread lightly whenever I see it. Scolipede outspeeds and wrecks with EQ, and Kingdra does a number on it too.
Porygon2 - Surprisingly easy to beat. Kingdra breaks it down, and Scoli/Rhy/Scrafty can wreck it too.
Porygon-Z - Scarfed variants can get the drop on me. Easy to beat all others.
Raikou - I think this thing is OP as hell personally. Rhyperior can handle Choice variants, while others must be revenged using Scolipede.
Registeel - Rhyperior laughs in its face (dots?) with EQ, and Scrafty does too.
Rhyperior - This team laughs at rival Rhyperior. Rotom kills it, Scrafty kills it...Everything kills it.
Roserade - Can be tough to take down, but it never does much damage to my team, so I usually just kill it before hazards get set.
Rotom-H - Can do a number on me when used by better players.
Sableye - This thing can die. I hate it so much. Rotom can OHKO some with Leaf Storm, and I can kill it just fine, but it's still dumb.
Sceptile - Never done a thing to me. Chandy wrecks it, and Rotom can screw it over.
Sharpedo - Can be irritating once sped up, but it usually can't break Scolipede in one hit. Rotom can outspeed it with one boost too.
Shaymin - Should be OU imo. I hate this thing, because Seed Flare spam is so tactical, right? Easily handled by Scolipede and Chandy.
Sigilyph - Once it gets set up, I usually contemplate either quitting the game or going rage mode. I can screw it with Trick though.
Slowbro - Scolipede breaks it pretty quickly. Scrafty handles it well, and Kingdra can trash it if needed.
Snorlax - Never met a competent user of poor Snorlax. Scrafty wrecks it, and Scolipede can too if set up.
Suicune - Too damn bulky for me. I have to hit it with Trick shenanigans or boost next to it in order to kill the damn thing.
Tangrowth - I love this poke to death, it's on almost half of my teams. However, it is easily killed once in on Kingdra or Chandy; Scolipede can nail it in a pinch.
Togekiss - Even with Rhyperior around, I have little to stop Togekiss (especially Parahax and NP variants) from plowing this team. It can be revenge killed but I usually have to sack a poke.
Victini - Outsped by Scolipede, and Choiced variants can be killed by Rhyperior and Kingdra with no problems.
Weavile - Irritating. It outruns Scolipede, so I'll usually just tank a hit with Rhyperior and smash it.
Xatu - This thing is irritating as shit even in a noob's hands, but it can be easily killed.
Yanmega - Not a huge problem. Scolipede beats Tinted Lens, and it can be dealt with anyways.
Zapdos - It's never bothered me that much. Scolipede hits it hard with Rock Slide, Rhyperior laughs at it, Scrafty can usually beat it too.
Zoroark - HAHAHHAHAHHAA this thing is only dangerous in a genius' hands. Scolipede kills it, as does everything else.

Hope you enjoyed this RMT, please leave your rate and any ideas you may have to help!
Thanks folks,
-saxton

GenXXZ · Jul 8, 2013

You're definitely right about Scolipede being awesome; I honestly have no idea why it dropped to NU. It's got access to both versions of Spikes, Swords Dance and a good speed that can mess up Pokemon like Frosslass. With that said, this is a good team that covers Scolipede's weaknesses pretty well, except for one... Flying. Doesn't seem like that big of a deal at first, but I can see Gligar or Zapdos walling this team pretty good, and I can also see Honchkrow, Tornadus, and Crobat doing a number on it too. It might be something you'll want to get checked. Maybe adding Rhyperior as a team member could help. It pretty well counters everything above bar Gligar and it's just a good Pokemon in general.

It's also slightly concerning that you have half your team choiced locked and nothing to spin rocks away. This team doesn't have room for a spinner, so I recommend just sacking some of the choice items to solve this problem. In fact, here's what I propose.

I think you should combine the presence of Druddigon and Slowbro and use Kingdra. Kingdra has no 4x weaknesses and an ice neutrality and I honestly have no idea why you skipped over him. You'll have a slot open after doing this that I recommend you fill with Rhyperior. Rain Dance Kingdra has the most powerful Hydro Pump in the tier and I think it will aid you well. Or if you're feeling creative, you could run the Dragon Dance set and have a "DD offensive core" with Kingdra and Scrafty having good coverage with each other.

I understand that I'm changing this team a lot, in fact I usually don't have this many ideas for a team. You don't have to follow my advice exactly of course, I just think these changes could be beneficial. With that said, best of luck to you and I hope you succeed!

PTJon7 · Jul 8, 2013

Interesting team, I always enjoy seeing people use low tier things in UU.

I'd say you should really run Taunt on Scolipede, hazards cause your team pretty big problems, especially Spikes. Scolipede actually outspeeds Froslass, the best Spiker in UU, so you could really use that to your advantage.

I really recommend replacing Grass Knot or Flamethrower with Trick on Slowbro, its extremely useful for crippling special walls that may want to switch in on Slowbro's attacks. If Icebeam is literally just for Gligar then you're wasting a move slot; Surf already OHKOs Gligar. Psyshock in it's place would be really useful for hitting Snorlax, Roserade, and Fighting types harder.

Scrafty really should have Drain Punch instead of Hi Jump Kick, HJK can really screw you over and Scrafty can't afford to miss when it starts sweeping. Drain Punch is really useful as without it Scrafty has no way to recover health.

saxtonhale · Jul 8, 2013

Thank you for your help!

These are all very good suggestions, especially Kingdra. The Flying weakness hasn't proven a huge problem yet, but it's definitely something that I needed attention brought to. Ice Beam is gone on Slowbro, good suggestion there.

If I replace Druddigon and Slowbro, should Rhyperior be Banded? I've had great experiences with CB Rhyperior.
Again, thank you.
-saxton

Edit: apparently Scolipede doesn't get Taunt, I must have misread somewhere. EQ it is.

saxtonhale · Jul 8, 2013

Slowbro and Druddigon have been replaced by DD Kingdra and CB Rhyperior, respectively, for now.

Lovelace · Jul 9, 2013

Damn I love this team. Scolipede is a Pokemon I've been with experimenting with lately and it's surprisingly really good. +2 Swarm Megahorn hits so deliciously hard. Your set looks good but I'd suggest giving Sub Salac a try. Megahorn and Aqual Tail have surprisingly awesome coverage and allow you to absolutely smash stuff like Gligar and Rhyperior. Substitute gives you status and revenge kill protection as well as a way to control Swarm more easily.

Specs Slowbro is another recent favourite of mine. I second PTJohn's suggestion of Ice Beam -> Trick or something. Scald might be a good choice over Surf. It's only 10 less BP and you get the ridiculously strong burn chance. It also allows you to somewhat pass as defensive against less scrutinous opponents while still OHKOing Gligar,

Rhyperior over Druddigon is an excellent decision for so many reasons.

Again, great team and I wish you great success on the ladder.

saxtonhale · Jul 9, 2013

Current crew as it stands:

"Leviathan"
Kingdra @ Lum Berry has replaced Slowbro. He is running an offensive DD set, forming a powerful DD core with Scrafty.
252 Atk | 4 SpAtk | 252 Speed
Swift Swim
Lonely (+Atk,-Def)
Dragon Dance | Waterfall | Outrage | Draco Meteor

Replays:

http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-38745690

http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-38747707

GenXXZ · Jul 9, 2013

Seems like the team is performing well judging by the replays. Nicely done.