Teach a Man How to Fish so He Can Help Himself

[rau]

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Yo, RMT. This is my first post on this section of Smogon, so idk if this will go smoothly. The team in display wil be RU as it is my go-to and only tier I manage to play with decency, and the fact that RU really needs more spotlight as it is atm. The concept is pretty simple: a Sticky Web Hyper Offensive team, not much else to say here. Seeing as this also takes in some of the metagame's most threatening mons, I also want to bring into light how you could honestly just grab this team and spam it on ladder, thinking 'Oh, this team has some cool mons I could easily just bring in to dismantle unwary teams'. I just hope you at least take some time to read this over and at least understand how to dismantle said unwary teams.

No ladder peak bc new year's dinner preps, aside from other business but have this battle and this battle instead.​

Teambuilding Process

Since I wanted to do a Sticky Web team, what better way to start than with Smeargle! Then again, Smeargle's the best you got since you're essentially only left with Leavanny and Kricketune, which aren't that great considering the ever-so-useful role compression our little beagle provides.

As Flygon is a general pain to Sticky Web pretty much a grand majority of the time, Mega Glalie was chosen as a way to the deter it from coming in. It also provides Spikes and a cool skull button in Refrigerate Explosion.

Now that I had the hazard stack core covered, I decided to go for some offensive mons as icing on the cake. Since we got it back from the clutches of UU from a while ago, Sharpedo seemed like the best pick. Honestly, Sharpedo is just a pretty great mon just because of how splashable it is on offensive teams.

The world isn't shaded pink: I really coulnd't guarantee webs to be set up forever, which meant I needed a more instant method of speed. I decided to go Scarf Emboar seeing as it is generally a really great Scarfed Pokemon, aside from the fact that it's just another wallbreaker to fit into the team :P

Taking over a quick stop to see how the team was doing, I saw Fletchinder pounded this whole team, so I decided to throw Emboar in the traaaash and replace it with Tyrantrum. Not only is it faster, but T-Rex here provided me with an answer to Fletchinder and a greater threat to offensive teams due to how spammable can Head Smash be against them

Fighting-types arose as a threat, and I really didn't have any idea on how to deal with them. Looking over that, I also really need something to deal with Alomomola and Defensive Poliwrath. Luckily, Sigilyph fufillled the role of Stallbreaker and Fighting-type check rather well for me. It also provided a Will-o-Wisp sponge and is a terrific mon in general.

Lastly, I decided to bring in Hitmonlee to the fray. It's got some pretty cool stuff like being a powerful hitter with HJK, being able to revenge kill Sharpedo, being able to catch Psychic-types off guard with Sucker Punch, etc.

In Depth

Sticky Web | Stealth Rock | Dark Void / Glare | Explosion
Own Tempo
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

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You can't go Sticky Web without Smeargle in RU. It's just a pretty solid Pokemon due to the role compression it provides. Sticky Web and Stealth Rock paint the canvas for themselves. Dark Void was chosen over Spore as being able to put Grass-types to sleep paid off over the accuracy loss. Ok, now before you bash me, I kinda liked using Glare bc paralyzing stuff is pretty fun, plus you get to nab Flygon, alleviating a big worry off the whole team. Explosion is pretty much a momentum generator, aside from dealing OK amounts of damage.

Double-Edge | Ice Shard | Spikes | Explosion
Ability: Refrigerate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
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Now here's something I've been meaning to try out. I used to dismiss Spikes Glalie a lot just because it seemed kind of mediocre for me. Seeing in action how well it can pair with Smeargle, I was quite pleased, however. The ability to not only deter Flygon from ever switching in, but to set up Spikes at that is pretty freaking cool imo. Double Edge allows Glalie to get its own HP down rather easily aside from being more powerful than return, Ice Shard is a cool priority move to pick off Flygon and the like, Spikes is just so painful when paired with rocks, and Explosion is here to for even more momentum generating, aside from being such a frickin powerful skull button.

Hydro Pump | Crunch | Ice Beam | Aqua Jet
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Rash Nature​

Oh, Sharpedo, such a great mon that's so easy to splash into any sort offensive team. Seeing as Sticky Web allow me to bypass some Speed issues against many offensive threats, I honestly felt as if Protect wasn't necessary, so Aqua Jet was chosen. Aqua Jet pretty much allows me to not get picked off by Fletchinder and Hitmonlee as easily. The remaining moves are pretty simple, with Hydro Pump and Crunch being powerful STABs, and Ice Beam providing good coverage.

Head Smash | Outrage | Dragon Claw | Earthquake
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature​

A prevalent force in the RU metagame and the most immediately fast Pokemon on the team, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum is a great 'mon which pressures offensive teams right off the bat with its recoil-less STAb Head Smash. While Outrage is strong and all, Dragon Claw is also there to not get revenge killed so easily early-game. Now I know I'm going to get some flack for using Earthquake over say, Superpower, but I honestly feel as if the defensive and offensive stat drop Superpower gives a choice locked Pokemon is just assinine.

Air Slash | Heat Wave | Energy Ball / Calm Mind | Roost
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature​

Sigilyph was pretty much a life-saver for this team, giving me a slot which can sponge Fighting-type attacks and reliably deal with stall. Flying STAB is pretty powerful, while Heat Wave and Energy Ball covers Steel- and Rock-types respectively. Calm Mind can be a pretty nifty option over Energy Ball, making Sigilyph even more threatening to stall teams. Roost keeps Sigi up and running, helping it deal with defensive teams much better.

High Jump Kick | Knock Off | Mach Punch | Sucker Punch
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature​

Hitmonlee is quite the powerful attacker thanks to its solid base 120 Attack, Reckless boosted High Jump Kick, and a few other nifty tools to boot. The moves are pretty simple here too. High Jump Kick just deals a ton of damage to Pokemon that don't resist it, Knock Off is just a great overall utility tool, and while Rapid Spin might seem like a better choice than Sucker Punch, Lee isn't really gonna find any good time to use it imo, since it's pretty much a matter of 'to kill or be killed'. Besides, dual priority is quite useful as it gives you an easy way to pick off faster Psychics, and can let you hold your own against fletch who might just wanna spam acro aimlessly. Another good option I've enjoyed is Double-Edge, which can allow you to fend off against bulky Fairy-types like Aromatisse and Granbull much better.

Threatlist

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Nothing in this team would really like to switch into any of Swords Dance Virizion's STAB moves, and Sigilyph gets heavily damaged by Stone Edge. Without webs up. the only way to deal with it would be to pick it off with Hitmonlee and Glalie's respective priority, or Tyrantrum's Outrage once it has been weakened, otherwise, Viriz just has a field day on the team.
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Ah, Fighting-types. Even with Sigilyph, these can still find a way through either with Knock Off for Lee and Gurdurr, or Ice with Medicham. Almost everyone in the team fears getting picked off by a Mach Punch, and webs are pretty much mandatory to deal with Scarf Medicham, as Sharpedo lacks Protect.
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importable

Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Dark Void
- Explosion

Glalie-Mega @ Glalitite
Ability: Refrigerate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Ice Shard
- Spikes
- Explosion

Sharpedo @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Hydro Pump
- Crunch
- Ice Beam

Tyrantrum @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Head Smash
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw

Sigilyph @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Heat Wave
- Energy Ball
- Roost

Hitmonlee @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
- Sucker Punch

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Welp, that's it for the RMT! Hope I can do another one of these ones I get something else good going.

 

[rau]

Ok, so apparently there's something about music and shoutouts and I feel too tired to edit the OP as it is midnight, so here goes:

Shout-outs to people I can remember at mightnight

Ping_Pong_Along
Dude, you're essentially my best friend on this site. Between encouraging me to finish the Rotom analysis, talking about how Spirit makes us do weird-ass slashes on the sets, and just general chitchat, you're just a cool guy I can go talk to in PS. All in all, I just hope I can see you a bit more often in the RU chat.

DKFirelord
Ah, you're an amazing guy too. Good battler and builder imo. I feel like we should be talking a bit more than we actually do, since I honestly think we'd get along even better if we knew each other more. You also helped me test the team, so bonus point there!

Lord Death Man
Great battler, pretty knowledgable in RU, cool dude in general. I swear Rotom-N is good in RU.

MrAldo
One of the best presences in the RU forums and RU PS room in general imo. I honestly want my posting quality to be as good as yours someday.

Kableye
Another good battler, builder, and overall top-quality memer.

thecrystalonix
Gotcha covered.

Diogo
Cool guy. I beg you please stop with the ballsack mechanic and turd hen pardon nicknames.

Scythe.
Based UU Open Champion; gave me teams <3

LilOu
Patriot fam; please come back you used to call me on my cellphone.

atomicllamas
Thanks for teaching me RU; I'm sorry I turned out like this.

Christo The Gr8
Thanks for teaching me UU; we should talk sometime again

brightobject
Chill guy. You need to come here so we can have lucuma smoothies, dude.

Aurora
Vileplume Slayer

if I tag you here I guess I think you're ok:
aoemica Ojoni tibbz Schaff Killintime Meteordash Fineonbae TyrantrumIsBroken Joshz tehy slurmz Megazard

also including 49 and Arifeen since I see them rate a lot. (maybe fran17 can rise back to rate too)!