Stall Away

[HiImGrey]

So this is a team I made up after my interest in stall had been rejuvenated by a certain UU thread. I have always loved to play stall, using it in gen 4 OU and UU.

I've reached about 1250 before having my ladder score reset a few days ago, but I have no idea how far I can go have it not been reset.

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Trait: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Recover

So I needed a Chandelure counter for sure or Specs Chandelure would just sweep me alone, so I needed either Porygon2 or Snorlax. I chose Porygon2 over Snorlax because Porygon2 has decent physical bulk even with no defense investment and so is able to take some hits if necessary. It also is affected by Pain Split less than Snorlax, and can strike bad decently hard without setting up with BoltBeam coverage, sometimes getting a key paralysis against a switch-in like Heracross.

Also, it may be able to grab Prankster from Sableye, paralyze it with Discharge and then outspeed it's priority Taunt with priority recover to force it out.

Blastoise (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Roar

Basic spinning set, really not much to add. Roar over Dragon Tail to beat Substitute.

Gligar (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Roost

Ability to wall pretty much every physical attacker in the tier. Most of the set is quite standard, and Knock Off over Toxic because Porygon2 already runs Toxic. Nothing is immune to Knock Off and nothing likes having their item lost, so it's great no matter what. Also, once I have knocked off something, the opponent is likely to switch in the same Pokemon next time in fear of Knock Off, which allows me to predict and double switch favourably.

Roserade (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 136 SDef / 8 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Giga Drain
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Rest

The best Spiker in UU, access to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes means Roserade is crucial to the team, with the only other option being Qwilfish, with is prone to status and lacks recovery.

Even 1 layer of Toxic Spikes is quite good so I go for it when they have no grounded Poisons, even though that is quite rare. However, much of the time, their best switch-in to Roserade is their grounded poison e.g. their own Roserade, so if I use Toxic Spikes on the switch, it will still allow me to poison something or be forced to switch out into a Toxic Spikes immune Pokemon.

This Roserade is completely walled by opposing Roserade, but it's a necessary evil.

Cofagrigus (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball

This is my spin blocker and Heracross counter, which is why it is chosen over Sableye. It counters all forms for Heracross due to burn and Mummy, except for Sword Dance variants that Sword Dances on my switch-in. Luckily Sword Dance Heracross is not particularly common. It walls pretty much every physical attacker, allowing it to set-up a sub and then proceed to burn something or set-up if they lack a normal type.

A couple of Calm Minds mean it's sub is essentially unbreakable, and even though phazing still works against the sub, a +2 Shadow Ball still inflicts significant damage before they can do so. I have actually swept with Cofagrigus so it's offensive capabilities should not be underestimated, and this offensive presence differentiates it from other spin blockers.

It is quite weak to Toxic on the switch-in so Heal Bell support is necessary. Wish support is also preferred due to lack of self-recovery but I think all the Wish passers in UU have crucial flaws that make them undesirable.

Togekiss (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 176 HP / 80 SAtk / 252 Spd (speed)
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Air Slash
- Nasty Plot
- Roost
- Heal Bell

I had Umbreon in this position for Wish passing, but the problem with Umbreon is that it lacks offensive presence so anything can start setting up on it, twice, because 2 turns are needed to Wish pass, and even the best stall team will have difficulty against +2 boosts.

Togekiss can also use Wish, but then it still falls to the same problem due to Wish, Protect and Heal Bell taking up too many slots for Togekiss to have offensive presence. So, I just went with a Nasty Plot set to destroy opposing stall teams while still having the ability to heal team status. This Togekiss has worked quite well as it has single-handedly won be many games, and is one of the only way for me to kill Snorlax by getting up to +6 to 2HKO Snorlax, or +4 to KO it with flinch hax.

Togekiss is also my switch-in to specially defensive Roserade, as without Sleep Powder, Togekiss can come in, grab a Nasty Plot and inflict damage.



So the greatest 2 threats to my team are Snorlax, set-up sweepers, notably Heracross and Mew. The only way for me to kill Snorlax is to force it to Rest having inflicting damage, then having it never wake up against by forcing it out with the threat of Togekiss setting up. Sword Dance Heracross can just bulldoze through my team while Mew's unpredictability can inflict major damage to my team until I can deal with it. Opposing Roserades can also set-up layers of Spikes with me unable to do anything.

Past members:

Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Roar
- Calm Mind

Claydol @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Toxic

 

[pokemonisfun]

Yay for stall teams <3<3<3

The first thing I noticed a bit wacky was Cofagrigus which is using a questionable set that doesn't really serve the purposes of stalling. You have absolutely no way to recover outside of Leftovers because you choose not to use a Wish passer. Since you seem to rely heavily on Cofagrigus to tank physical moves from things like Heracross you really want to use a different set.

Cofagrigus@leftovers
Bold: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
~Shadow Ball
~Will-o-Wisp
~Haze
~Rest
and not Pain Split!
This is a good set. A very good set if I may say so myself actually and I think you should be using this one. Give up on a Cofagrigus sweep, with Speed that makes Hippopotas look like Sonic you aren't going to go very far because no decent player will let you set up enough to get a sweeping position. Sleep is almost a non-problem because of your lovely cleric Togekiss so by end game you can halt stat up boosters reliaably with Haze, pseudo hazing won't do for those last Pokemon boosters that so threaten stall. Shadow ball is obviously good STAB.

Prygon2 looks slightly redundant alongside Togekiss. To get a whole new slot, essentially an extra Pokemon compared to what you are using currently I recommend two more changes.

First make Togekiss more defensive EV wise but keep its move set which is great. Your set gives you an extremly significant advantage over opposing stall teams which is great - a single Poke can almost obliterate a playstyle which should get you a couple wins at least. However since you will be generally boosting to +6 you need no special attack EVs to beat opposing stall so those 80 EVs would do well to go in HP to give offensive teams a harder time. I believe your EVs are maxing out special defense (because Spd can stand for speed or special defense) which is not such a great idea since most special attackers carry an Ice or Electric move which will still obliterate you. Or they just power right through you with Choice Specs or Life Orb as long as they can keep Stealth Rock up, Togekiss is not much of a wall. Thus I highly recommend you to invest more in speed instead of special defense, perhaps bumping it all the way to 172 speed EVs with the rest in special defense with a Calm nature. This lets you beat base 100s with no speed while giving you the most special defense possible still, as much as specially defensive Milotic almost.

Weavile@Choice Band
Jolly: 252 Att, 252 Spe, 4 SpD
~Ice Punch
~Night Slash
~Pursuit
~Low Kick

Here comes the Weavile. This should replace your Porygon2 because it gives you a great way to deal with Xatu and can revenge kill many things that do not boost speed, like Cobalion. It makes sure your opponent has to really work for a win condition. It also keeps many special attackers in check so you aren't losing to what Porygon2 used to wall, like Chandelure. It does even better than Porygon2 against Sub CM Raikou. This thing works really brilliantly for stall teams, and it gives you a good advantage against sand teams which cannot absorb all your Ice moves usually.

 

[Arterial]

I think most of the team works fine~
I'm not a fan of stalling, and I've never really tried a fullout stall team, but....
Do you think you should change your Suicune set?
Since you're focusing on stalling, I think your Suicune needs more recovery.
Change the moveset to Scald, Ice Beam, Rest+Talk or Scald, Rest+Talk, Roar.
Ice Beam can be useful to nail the omnipresent Flygon, but I think a phasing move is more important.

 

[destinyunknown]

You may want to replace Porygon2 with Snorlax, or at least try Psych Up over Toxic (and Tri Attack>Ice Beam) on Porygon2. Without that, Calm Mind Suicune/Raikou can simply obliterate your team without any kind of issue, as Porygon2 becomes set up fodder for them instead of being a counter.

You look horribly weak to Xatu too, especially if it's run along opposing hazard settlers or stuff like Kingdra or Shaymin. I would try Ice Beam on Claydol or Sludge Bomb on Roserade to handle it a bit better.

@hilarious: that would be a great set, but Cofagrigus does not get Pain Split. He might try Rest (considering Togekiss can heal him), but Heal Bell low pp can make that unreliable though.

 

[HiImGrey]

Yeah I was just about to post that Cofagrigus can not learn Pain Split. Actually, since I have posted the RMT, I have replaced some team members and it has performed a bit better.

Instead of Claydol and Suicune, I now use (and I will change OP soon):

Blastoise@Leftovers
Bold: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
~Scald
~Rapid Spin
~Roar
~Rest

Gligar@Evolite
Bold: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Knock Off
~Roost

I will try replacing Porygon with Weavile to see how it works since it would trap Chandelure and Xatu, but I am not liking it's SR weakness. The only thing I don't like about the given Weavile set is that it's still too slow to revenge Scarf Flygon with the absence of Ice Shard.