Standard team I guess

Hello everybody.

This is my first time posting (and I just signed up for this). This is more of a "help me get this right" than it is a "look what what I did"-thread. I have a tendency of completely scrapping a team if I feel like I'm losing too much with it instead of just rebuilding it, so here goes, my brand new UU team!

crobat.jpg

Madman @Black Sludge
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 176 HP / 192 Atk / 4 SpD / 136 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Brave Bird
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Roost

Being relatively extremely fast and with taunt, my Crobat acts as a standard counter-lead, while still having the ability to mess with common switch-ins like Rhyperior or non-rest Milotic by using Toxic. Brave Bird in synergy with Roost allows me to nab a kill once in a while, though that's not at all what she's about. The EVs are pretty standard. It allows this beauty to outspeed max+115 Base Speed pokemon like Azelf and take out common setup sweepers on the setup turn.



rhyperior.jpg

Downer @Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Nature: Adamant
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail

Though 207 Special Defense isn't a lot, it takes the all-too-common Raikou along with other Special cannons 3 hits to destroy Rhyperior with HP Grass. Stealth Rock is the only hazard on the team, and the hard-hitting Downer with 7 tonnes of HP is great at setting them up. He is capable of destroying switch-ins with Rapid Spin in the blink of an eye using either Earthquake or Rock Blast (which scored me a kill on a very pesky Sceptile even) or phaze them out again with Dragon Tail if I predict them.



blastoise.jpg

Pink Blob @Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Nature: Bold
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Roar
- Toxic

No setup-sweeper is safe with this team. Even behind a substitute. Roar is probably the move I have used the most with this bad-boy. Scald is only there to have some sort of attacking move, while Rapid Spin is... well... what it is. Toxic is another good move on The Blob, as he is stopped cold by any other middling Special Defense stat (or a resist).



magneton.jpg

Detective @Eviolite
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 212 HP / 120 SpA / 176 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power (Fire)
- Flash Cannon

Magnet Pull and HP Fire is probably any Steel type's biggest nightmare, and since my former OU Magnezone did such a good job at tearing Scizor after Scizor apart, why wouldn't Magneton work? Well for one he doesn't recover HP, which is a grand shame. Secondly there is the whole Coballion-thing, and he doesn't fare too well against Fighting-moves. The very common Earthquake also stops him dead, but if he can pull off a Substitute and then chip away at the opponent's trapped Steels (possibly Choiced into uselessness), the combination of Substitute and 3 attacking moves will pretty much ensure of me of a second kill (or at least a giant dent in the opponent's team).

sharpedo.jpg

Bullet @Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk, 4 SpD, 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Protect
- Crunch
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

My primary physical sweeper, but also the one I've been contemplating giving the boot the longest time. The second a priority move is thrown out there, Bullet is no longer with us and is as such very useless against... well a lot of the threats. If, however, no priority moves exist on the opposing side, a 372 Attack stat will most definitely wear down an opponent. Combine that with infinitely high speed and I'll be pretty well covered.



porygon-z.jpg

Wat @Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability (hehe ability)
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
- Nasty Plot
- Tri Attack
- Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power (Fighting)

Imagine 368 Special Attack right off the bat. Now imagine doubling that number. Add in an 80 Base Power move with x2 STAB bonus and 10% chance of inflicting a status. Combined with a usable speed of little over 300. This is the daily life of a my Porygon-Z. Switching into a Choice-locked Chandelure has proved quite useful to this tactic, at least, since it gave me a free turn of setup and then the only real special tank on the team was gone in 2 moves.



Overall: There is a synergy to some extent in this team, but I can't help but feel a little liberated when one of them is down. It's like there's only one counter to each type (and several weaknesses). Sceptile is a real threat to my team, as Crobat is probably not going to live for very long. I could always switch into Magneton, but it seems they always carry counter-moves (who would have thought?). Bringing down the Crobat means a free passage for any Fighting-type Pokemon, and that's also not very optimal. The problem is finding a Ghost-type with Physical sweeping potential.
 
At first glance you have a real bad weakness to fighting. If 2/3 of your team can all get hit super effectively by a move then you have a problem.

I'd firstly replace Magneton, as I frankly don't think it is very good. Pretty much the only Steel type you will find in UU is Bronzong, who is neutral to all your attacks and often has Earthquake, which will obviously be an OHKO. Cobalion is the second most common one, and it has STAB Close Combat, which will probably OHKO. Since you need something else to combat fighting types I would go with Nidoqueen, resists Fighting and Rock types attacks that most Fighting types will have, has good bulk, and fantastic coverage moves boosted by Sheer Force. I think the Offensive set in the UU Analysis for Nidoqueen would great for your team.

Also looking at your team I really don't think a rapid spinner is necessary, since only Crobat is weak to Stealth Rocks. Blastoise is still a viable wall even when it doesn't need Rapid Spin, but I think a superior physical wall for you team would be Cofagrigus, as it can more reliably spead burns, it can spin block, it walls Heracross (and pretty much every other fighting type), and has access to Haze which can also stop set up sweepers.

This is just a thought but you may want to replace Earthquake on Sharpedo with Zen Headbutt, as it lets you hit more things that resist your stabs. But really it just comes down to personal preference.

Hope this is helpful, and good luck out there!
 
At first glance you have a real bad weakness to fighting. If 2/3 of your team can all get hit super effectively by a move then you have a problem.

I'd firstly replace Magneton, as I frankly don't think it is very good. Pretty much the only Steel type you will find in UU is Bronzong, who is neutral to all your attacks and often has Earthquake, which will obviously be an OHKO. Cobalion is the second most common one, and it has STAB Close Combat, which will probably OHKO. Since you need something else to combat fighting types I would go with Nidoqueen, resists Fighting and Rock types attacks that most Fighting types will have, has good bulk, and fantastic coverage moves boosted by Sheer Force. I think the Offensive set in the UU Analysis for Nidoqueen would great for your team.

Also looking at your team I really don't think a rapid spinner is necessary, since only Crobat is weak to Stealth Rocks. Blastoise is still a viable wall even when it doesn't need Rapid Spin, but I think a superior physical wall for you team would be Cofagrigus, as it can more reliably spead burns, it can spin block, it walls Heracross (and pretty much every other fighting type), and has access to Haze which can also stop set up sweepers.

This is just a thought but you may want to replace Earthquake on Sharpedo with Zen Headbutt, as it lets you hit more things that resist your stabs. But really it just comes down to personal preference.

Hope this is helpful, and good luck out there!

This is really helpful. I've been wondering what to replace, and Nidoqueen and Cofagrigus seem to cut it. You don't by chance have an idea about a new physical sweeper, do you?

EDIT: Wow, that was quite a difference. I cannot thank you enough.
 
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