Hello, all!
I have arrived at my 300th post on Smogon, and as such, I wanted to do something special. I have not created an RMT yet, and I thought what better place to start than with perhaps my favorite tier and one of the very best of all time in DPP UU.
What draws people to particular tiers? Is it a well-balanced metagame? Recommendations from friends? Favorite Pokémon that are also viable in the tier? Most of these and more apply for me in DPP UU. It's not terribly often, I find, that a tier comes along where your favorite Pokémon are viable and among the better options, but for me, DPP UU has such a metagame. Miltank, Claydol, Blastoise, Hariyama, Milotic, and more--they're all solid options. As I discovered this and fell in love with the tier and its metagame, I began building one of my favorite teams as of yet. A stall team that managed to incorporate my favorite Pokémon while also being solid to whatever threats it might encounter. And so, I present...
Soothing like Myst
To start, why this title? As I considered titles for my team, one thing in particular stood out: whenever I load this up for a battle, I feel a sense of calm. I know that I have my checks, and I have my opportunities for counterplay. And this feeling wasn't unique to just this team. When I began getting into competitive Pokémon more on PS, I was particularly drawn to stall. I love the solidity of these teams where your checks handle major metagame threats and it is patient and careful play that wins battles. Getting back to the title, there is a song I've become particularly fond of, particularly during stressful and trying moments, and it's "Myst" by Legowelt, who is a little-known Dutch electronic music maker. It evokes a soothing, "pick yourself up and dust yourself off" kind of feeling in me, and I hope as you read over my RMT, you understand the same feeling generated by both my team and this song.
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The Team
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Miltank
Miltank (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Heal Bell
- Milk Drink
This team simply would not be complete without the joy-bringing cow herself--Miltank! Her defensive prowess is near unmatched, and it always amazes me how speedy she is for having such a defensive movepool. I opted for an attack-less set, which is not the most standard, but each of these four moves is crucial on my team. Spreading Toxic is essential for Miltank so that she can stall out opposing Pokémon with Milk Drink and/or switch to better checks if necessary. It's a great move as well to put major opposing threats on a clock. I like running Miltank as a lead a lot to generate pressure on the opposing team right off. Getting up Stealth Rock quickly can make a big difference over the course of a battle, and, if your opponent also has a Rock setter as their lead, you can quickly switch to Claydol afterwards if you are able to clear your field of hazards. Many Miltank sets opt for a bit more Special Defense EVs, but I wanted max HP and Def on mine to fend off the stronger physical attackers. Heal Bell is critical considering the other Pokémon on the team that either Rest or don't want statuses inflicted on them. Lastly, since I'm not running Body Slam on this set, I can afford to run Thick Fat on Miltank, allowing for a makeshift Moltres check if needed.
Hariyama
Hariyama @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 12 HP / 244 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Force Palm
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Whirlwind
As I got into building this team, a thought occurred to me. What am I weak to? Hmm...Houndoom! Nasty Plot Houndoom is among the most terrifying offensive sweepers in DPP UU. It's fast and very powerful. And what a difficult combination of types to resist; Steel-types do resist Dark-type moves in DPP, but then the Fire-type moves threaten significantly. It is hard for me to think of a better check than Hariyama. Between its Fighting type and its ability in Thick Fat, Hariyama hard walls Houndoom. But, it also does more! One of my favorite uses of Hariyama is as a phazer, which has a ton of uses. Assessing your opponent's team is really valuable; is it an offensive build? Stall? Where are the threats? In a no-team-preview tier like DPP UU, scouting your opponent's team via Whirlwind is quite handy. Phazing by a Pokémon as bulky and with as enormous an HP stat as Hariyama is also tremendously helpful to prevent sweepers from causing significant damage. Lastly--and this is probably what I use Hariyama's phazing for most--phazing opposing Pokémon around to rack up hazard damage on them is super helpful. Other than phazing with Whirlwind, Knock Off is an amazingly useful move. It's of course helpful to remove offensive items like a Choice Band or Life Orb, but I find it even more helpful in wearing down opposing stall teams. Knocking Off a Leftovers can make a huge difference in very long battles, as you might force your opponent to expend more PP on recovery. Lastly, Force Palm provides a bit of offense to take advantage of Hariyama's formidable Atk stat, and spreading Paralysis can be helpful to combat offense while providing a status to inflict on Poison-types like Nidoqueen.
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Crunch
- Whirlwind
- Rest
Drapion is quite possibly the MVP of this team. I have been saying for a while now that it is among the most underrated Pokémon in DPP UU. It's the best check to Mismagius in the metagame, which is crucial for any team to have given how intimidating the Pokémon is. It also serves as an excellent check to Venusaur (the only exception being the Swords Dance variant, but I find that's somewhat rare). Even with a Leech Seed more defensive Venusaur set, Drapion has Rest and can fish for Def drops with Crunch. In addition to checking these near ubiquitous Pokémon in the metagame, Drapion also is a very effective offensive phazer. Since it sets up Toxic Spikes well, using Whirlwind can help spread Poison on the opposing team, which, if it's really offensive, can already start putting each Pokémon's offensive potency on a clock. Drapion's typing combination really is a phenomenal asset; its Poison typing allows it to absorb and remove Toxic Spikes if set up on your side of the field, which is quite helpful as Miltank and Gastrodon in particular don't love being Poisoned. And its Dark type providing an immunity to Psychic-type moves and a resistance to Ghost-type moves is just as useful. Overall, I cannot overstate the value Drapion has on this team and in the metagame.
Claydol
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Protect
- Earth Power
Claydol is last up on my team, but its role is quite important. It is the Rapid Spinner of the team, in case Stealth Rock, Spikes, and/or Toxic Spikes need to be removed. Claydol is an excellent hazards remover, as Levitate allows it to avoid Spikes and Toxic Spikes damage, and its Ground typing allows it to resist Stealth Rock damage. Protect I think is a really underrated move, since with the amount of Toxic/Poison spreading that happens on the team, it enables Claydol to have another turn of protection, HP recovery, and to wear the opposing Pokémon down. The usual last slot on this kind of Claydol set is Psychic or Earth Power for a bit of STAB offense; I had Psychic initially, but I changed it to Earth Power to threaten Rhyperior more. Claydol is a great check to Rhyperior, but Megahorn does still threaten Claydol a lot, so having some offense at its disposal is helpful.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4uu-1164430201
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4uu-518201
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4uu-1203604494 (a bonus fun one vs. Hogg that went over 500 turns!)
I have arrived at my 300th post on Smogon, and as such, I wanted to do something special. I have not created an RMT yet, and I thought what better place to start than with perhaps my favorite tier and one of the very best of all time in DPP UU.
What draws people to particular tiers? Is it a well-balanced metagame? Recommendations from friends? Favorite Pokémon that are also viable in the tier? Most of these and more apply for me in DPP UU. It's not terribly often, I find, that a tier comes along where your favorite Pokémon are viable and among the better options, but for me, DPP UU has such a metagame. Miltank, Claydol, Blastoise, Hariyama, Milotic, and more--they're all solid options. As I discovered this and fell in love with the tier and its metagame, I began building one of my favorite teams as of yet. A stall team that managed to incorporate my favorite Pokémon while also being solid to whatever threats it might encounter. And so, I present...
Soothing like Myst
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Team
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Miltank
Miltank (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Heal Bell
- Milk Drink
This team simply would not be complete without the joy-bringing cow herself--Miltank! Her defensive prowess is near unmatched, and it always amazes me how speedy she is for having such a defensive movepool. I opted for an attack-less set, which is not the most standard, but each of these four moves is crucial on my team. Spreading Toxic is essential for Miltank so that she can stall out opposing Pokémon with Milk Drink and/or switch to better checks if necessary. It's a great move as well to put major opposing threats on a clock. I like running Miltank as a lead a lot to generate pressure on the opposing team right off. Getting up Stealth Rock quickly can make a big difference over the course of a battle, and, if your opponent also has a Rock setter as their lead, you can quickly switch to Claydol afterwards if you are able to clear your field of hazards. Many Miltank sets opt for a bit more Special Defense EVs, but I wanted max HP and Def on mine to fend off the stronger physical attackers. Heal Bell is critical considering the other Pokémon on the team that either Rest or don't want statuses inflicted on them. Lastly, since I'm not running Body Slam on this set, I can afford to run Thick Fat on Miltank, allowing for a makeshift Moltres check if needed.
Clefable
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Soft-Boiled
Clefable has certainly been the topic of discussion recently in both DPP UU and OU, and for good reason. It's a very solid Pokémon on modern DPP stall teams with Magic Guard to prevent opposing status from wearing you down over time. There are two primary Clefable sets in DPP UU: there's a pure stall one, if you will, which revolves around Seismic Toss, Knock Off, Soft Boiled, sometimes Encore, sometimes Heal Bell, and maybe Ice Beam on some sets; and the other is this set--defensive Calm Mind sweeper Clefable. This is the sweeper of the team. If you are able to take down particularly the opposing team's most frightening physical attackers (Rhyperior, Swellow, Primeape, etc.), Clef can likely come in and finish the rest off. I've found that Clefable generally functions best when it can come into games and have an impact towards the end of them. Just as a last note, standard EVs for this kind of a Clef set usually run more Def investment, but I wanted the max for SpD to help against major Special Attack threats like Moltres.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Soft-Boiled
Clefable has certainly been the topic of discussion recently in both DPP UU and OU, and for good reason. It's a very solid Pokémon on modern DPP stall teams with Magic Guard to prevent opposing status from wearing you down over time. There are two primary Clefable sets in DPP UU: there's a pure stall one, if you will, which revolves around Seismic Toss, Knock Off, Soft Boiled, sometimes Encore, sometimes Heal Bell, and maybe Ice Beam on some sets; and the other is this set--defensive Calm Mind sweeper Clefable. This is the sweeper of the team. If you are able to take down particularly the opposing team's most frightening physical attackers (Rhyperior, Swellow, Primeape, etc.), Clef can likely come in and finish the rest off. I've found that Clefable generally functions best when it can come into games and have an impact towards the end of them. Just as a last note, standard EVs for this kind of a Clef set usually run more Def investment, but I wanted the max for SpD to help against major Special Attack threats like Moltres.
Hariyama
Hariyama @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 12 HP / 244 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Force Palm
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Whirlwind
As I got into building this team, a thought occurred to me. What am I weak to? Hmm...Houndoom! Nasty Plot Houndoom is among the most terrifying offensive sweepers in DPP UU. It's fast and very powerful. And what a difficult combination of types to resist; Steel-types do resist Dark-type moves in DPP, but then the Fire-type moves threaten significantly. It is hard for me to think of a better check than Hariyama. Between its Fighting type and its ability in Thick Fat, Hariyama hard walls Houndoom. But, it also does more! One of my favorite uses of Hariyama is as a phazer, which has a ton of uses. Assessing your opponent's team is really valuable; is it an offensive build? Stall? Where are the threats? In a no-team-preview tier like DPP UU, scouting your opponent's team via Whirlwind is quite handy. Phazing by a Pokémon as bulky and with as enormous an HP stat as Hariyama is also tremendously helpful to prevent sweepers from causing significant damage. Lastly--and this is probably what I use Hariyama's phazing for most--phazing opposing Pokémon around to rack up hazard damage on them is super helpful. Other than phazing with Whirlwind, Knock Off is an amazingly useful move. It's of course helpful to remove offensive items like a Choice Band or Life Orb, but I find it even more helpful in wearing down opposing stall teams. Knocking Off a Leftovers can make a huge difference in very long battles, as you might force your opponent to expend more PP on recovery. Lastly, Force Palm provides a bit of offense to take advantage of Hariyama's formidable Atk stat, and spreading Paralysis can be helpful to combat offense while providing a status to inflict on Poison-types like Nidoqueen.
Gastrodon
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Toxic
Gastrodon is known to many as the god slug for a reason. Its HP stat is formidable, which in tandem with its defensive stats makes for a hard-to-break wall. Specifically on this team, Gastrodon is able to absorb many physical attacks and recover HP/punish with Surf or Ice Beam. Milotic is anther Pokémon that's able to serve these functions, but what separated the two for me on this team was Sticky Hold as Gastrodon's ability. This means that Gastrodon won't lose its Leftovers in the course of a battle, making it ideal to thwart Knock Off Clefable if it comes up against another stall team. One of the most relevant functions Gastrodon serves consistently on my team is to check Curse Registeel. Even at max Atk, Iron Head will still do negligible damage to Gastrodon that it can easily shrug off with Recover.
Drapion Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Toxic
Gastrodon is known to many as the god slug for a reason. Its HP stat is formidable, which in tandem with its defensive stats makes for a hard-to-break wall. Specifically on this team, Gastrodon is able to absorb many physical attacks and recover HP/punish with Surf or Ice Beam. Milotic is anther Pokémon that's able to serve these functions, but what separated the two for me on this team was Sticky Hold as Gastrodon's ability. This means that Gastrodon won't lose its Leftovers in the course of a battle, making it ideal to thwart Knock Off Clefable if it comes up against another stall team. One of the most relevant functions Gastrodon serves consistently on my team is to check Curse Registeel. Even at max Atk, Iron Head will still do negligible damage to Gastrodon that it can easily shrug off with Recover.
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Crunch
- Whirlwind
- Rest
Drapion is quite possibly the MVP of this team. I have been saying for a while now that it is among the most underrated Pokémon in DPP UU. It's the best check to Mismagius in the metagame, which is crucial for any team to have given how intimidating the Pokémon is. It also serves as an excellent check to Venusaur (the only exception being the Swords Dance variant, but I find that's somewhat rare). Even with a Leech Seed more defensive Venusaur set, Drapion has Rest and can fish for Def drops with Crunch. In addition to checking these near ubiquitous Pokémon in the metagame, Drapion also is a very effective offensive phazer. Since it sets up Toxic Spikes well, using Whirlwind can help spread Poison on the opposing team, which, if it's really offensive, can already start putting each Pokémon's offensive potency on a clock. Drapion's typing combination really is a phenomenal asset; its Poison typing allows it to absorb and remove Toxic Spikes if set up on your side of the field, which is quite helpful as Miltank and Gastrodon in particular don't love being Poisoned. And its Dark type providing an immunity to Psychic-type moves and a resistance to Ghost-type moves is just as useful. Overall, I cannot overstate the value Drapion has on this team and in the metagame.
Claydol
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Protect
- Earth Power
Claydol is last up on my team, but its role is quite important. It is the Rapid Spinner of the team, in case Stealth Rock, Spikes, and/or Toxic Spikes need to be removed. Claydol is an excellent hazards remover, as Levitate allows it to avoid Spikes and Toxic Spikes damage, and its Ground typing allows it to resist Stealth Rock damage. Protect I think is a really underrated move, since with the amount of Toxic/Poison spreading that happens on the team, it enables Claydol to have another turn of protection, HP recovery, and to wear the opposing Pokémon down. The usual last slot on this kind of Claydol set is Psychic or Earth Power for a bit of STAB offense; I had Psychic initially, but I changed it to Earth Power to threaten Rhyperior more. Claydol is a great check to Rhyperior, but Megahorn does still threaten Claydol a lot, so having some offense at its disposal is helpful.
And here is my team! I won't write a lot more about it, as I already have covered it extensively above, but I hope you all enjoyed reading this! And perhaps this team or my RMT will inspire you to be nearly as enthusiastic about this wonderful metagame as I am. :) I'll leave you with a PokePaste and a few replays of me playing my team.
PokePaste: https://pokepast.es/23bd3b7650632323
Replays:PokePaste: https://pokepast.es/23bd3b7650632323
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4uu-1164430201
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4uu-518201
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4uu-1203604494 (a bonus fun one vs. Hogg that went over 500 turns!)
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