Team Lifesavers!! (Peaked Around #40)

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Intro

I had some time on my hands, and decided to finally get into fifth gen (for those who don't know me, DPP OU was my tier and I never really got into fifth gen pokes). I picked UU becuase the new OU didn't really capture my attention, and BW UU uses quite a few pokes that I was familiar with in DPP. I was reading the chat one day when someone mentioned that Bulk Up Scrafty worked well in the new UU, so I just took that and went off. I'm really surprised how successful this team was, especially given my inexperience with BW mechanics. Now that the PS ladder is freaking out, I thought it would be a good idea to evaluate my team with an RMT and get some advice from the people who really know what the hell in going on in BW.

The style of the team is balanced offense, something that suits my prediction abilities and my playstyle. A couple walls provide support and bulk, slow pokemon pack a punch, and the faster dudes trip up the opponents. None are SR weak and three have Levitate, so switching is a potent tool that my team uses to out-think my foes. There is quite a bit of speed creep with the EVs, though I'm not sure how much of that is necessary and what is just me being overly cautious. Speaking of EVs, they are in general inefficient on a few pokemon, so any help in that area would be greatly appreciated.

The team name comes from the ability of each Pokemon to act as a complete lifesaver in different games depending on the team. Each Pokemon can bail out the others, open up win conditions, and go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest players in BW UU. Also, who the fuck doesnt like lifesavers?

Team Building

As I said, Scrafty was the first member after someone mentioned it in the chat on #genvuu. It looked cool, had awesome STABs, and was brand new to the UU metagame.
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The biggest issue with Scrafty, in contrast to many sweepers of DPP OU, was not one of bulk (Scrafty can sponge almost any UU special attack with a base 115 spd, espcially with Leftovers) but one of weaknesses. Looking through the list of UU pokes, Slowbro caught my eye becuase it handles a lot of fighters really well and works wonders as a pivot with regenerator and a damper of bulky dudes with toxic.
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My next dude had to cover up some stray weaknesses, and I wanted a walling partner for Slowbro. Registeel looked great for a ton of reasons, including a good typing for the team-to-be and the vital Stealth Rocks (at least, it was vital in DPP OU). Resisting the remaining weaknesses of both Scrafty AND Slowbro was icing on the cake.
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Three pokemon in, a few flaws began to form. None of those dudes are really good at getting momentum, none of them are too powerful, they all have some obnoxious hard-counters, and struggle in various degrees with Bulky Waters (who are surprisingly less potent in BWUU than in DPP). A Rotom form, another DPP OU pokemon with new BW toys, caught my eye for Volt Switch and raw power of STABs. I went with the Lawn mower form over Rotom-H becuase I didn't care for the SR weakness, and the water resist seemed more important than the fire.
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Four deep, I needed some speed. I also wanted a Ghost for rapid spin protection. And an additional check to fighters would be nice. Mismagius had all these aspects and also helped a ton with general utility.
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The last pokemon is always a tricky choice. Things on my mind included an extra Fire resist, good speed, elemental coverage, U-turn or Volt switch, handy resists, hazards, and the ability to sweep. After prioritizing, I decided that a Sweeper with good speed was most important to help with offensive momentum, so I felt my options were limited to Darmanitan, Flygon, Mienshao, and Azelf. I went with Azelf above the rest for the best speed and power combo, and also becuase I knew how to work with it from DPP.

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Unwrapping the Package

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Rotom-Mow @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Trick
- Thunderbolt

Overview: Rotom-C is a neglected rotom forme, though I really can't see why. In fact, in just about every game I've played in, I'm happy that I've had Rotom-C over Rotom-H. This is a standard Specs set, providing a powerful punch without being too slow. Volt switch is a wonderful Gen 5 move that really boosts Rotom's usefulness, and one that also hits decently hard with Specs. Leaf storm is crazy powerful with STAB, and the side effect isn't too big a deal with smart switching. An interesting thing to note is that, at least in my experience, many UU teams have no or few Grass resists (in stark contrast to DPP OU); even those are often SR weak or can't take more than two Leaf Storms. This makes Leaf Storm an easily spam-able move that mows down (get it?) a ton of offensive teams. Trick is an incredible move that cripples annoying walls, get my other pokemon free switches, and just plain fucks up common switches such as Bronzong and Snorlax. It also lets Rotom use its powerful coverage to the fullest. Thunderbolt provides a better sweeping move than Volt Switch, nothing too special. Standard EVs are also Standard.

Synergy: Team Synergy is really where Rotom shine for me. Becuase of the Volt Switch and raw power, it often leads against slower teams (pretty much any team without a Mienshao, Darmanitan, Victini or Weavile) and starts the match off nicely with a slow-but powerful Volt Switch. The resists Rotom brings to the table, including Grass, a second Water, and a quad Electric, let me use Rotom throughout the match as both a Pivot and wallbreaker. The neutrality to SR and the immunity to Spikes really helps keep Rotom alive throughout a match. As I mentioned before, Trick really helps with annoying defensive pokemon and often opens up an opportunity to set up with Scrafty or get Registeel in for Rocks. Also, Rotom likes having Leftovers, Life Orb, and Choice Scarf almost as much a Specs, so Trick allows Rotom to be versatile and thus more deadly. The typing also makes Rotom a main Raikou switch-in, so it is very important to the overall protection of my team. The speed/power/bulk/utility combination that Rotom packs just shores up so many weaknesses for my team and gives everyone else, including my prediction skills, a little wiggle room. It truly holds the team together, the glue and metaphorical "wrapper" of everyone else.

Worries: Sometimes I just wish I had more bulk, but the Speed can't be moved and the power just works so well with repeated attacks. Maybe some EV advice? Furthermore, I often find that Thunderbolt isn't too useful, so maybe a replacement? Other times though, I just need the raw electric power and sweeping ability. A note about a potential replacement, though: I like Thunderbolt becuase it breaks Raikou's Substitute, and Rotom is my main switch in to unboosted Raikou. Tough decisions overall.

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Slowbro @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Psychic
- Scald
- Slack Off

Overview: Every team needs a bulky water (or at least it did), so here is UU's finest. Just like every kid likes an apple flavored lifesaver. Everything is standard but effective. STABs, status, three forms of recovery and wonderful bulk make Slowbro such an effective Pokemon. From the fighters and fires of UU to the bulky pokes vulnerable to Toxic, Slowbro does it all and does it for the entire match. The speed helps with the Slowbro-Slowbro match-up while 248 HP allow for max Regen recovery.

Synergy: Slowbro has three main functions: it acts as the primary defensive pivot of the team, blocks dangerous offensive Pokemon, and makes match-up more advantageous for teammates later in the match. First, the pivotal abilities of Slowbro are nothing short of astounding. Leftovers and Regenerator allow Slowbro to continually switch in and out of battle, sponging powerful hits and allowing for double switches to get others in unscathed. A particular neat note about Slowbro in my team is how well it works with Rotom and Azelf, who have VoltTurn moves, in getting my entire team to work in the field. When not needing to pivot switch, Slowbro secondly acts as a reliable stop to powerful hitters in UU while having the power to force them out. Specifically, the three main Fire types (Arcanine, Darmanitan, and Victini) all struggle to do over 50% to Slowbro, allowing it to stall them out and fire off Scalds to win the match up. This reliability against the Fires is valuable given their raw power and the fact that Slowbro is this team's only fire resist. Slowbro also cockblocks Machamp and Mienshao while posing an offensive threat to Scarf Heracross, so it is a great stop to Fighters in conjunction with with rest of the team (and really, the entirety of the team helps with the constant battle with fighters, everyone in their own way). Lastly, Slowbro uses it bulk to continually work towards a sweep with one of my Pokemon. Psychic and Scald provide nice chip damage throughout the match, while Scald burns dangerous switch-ins and Toxic hampers Walls and special attackers, preventing the latter from walling indefinitely. Slowbro also holds his own in last-Pokemon match-ups thanks to status wearing down enemies and Psychic allowing hax to eventually overcome bulky walls such as last-pokemon Milotic and RestTalk Snorlax. Quite the team player, to put it lightly.

Worries: None, really. Sometimes the power isn't quite what I wish it was, but then again Slowbro in primarily a wall. Maybe a few additional EV spreads would be nice to try out in order to see what works best in terms of power and bulk.

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Registeel @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 248 SDef / 8 Spd
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Earthquake

Overview: Even though the power of UU Dragons pales in comparison to that of DPP OU and BW OU, a Steel is never a bad thing to have around. Like oranges on a pirate shpi, I suppose, and just as sweet. Registeel works becuase he does a bit of everything while not feeling stretched thin. Thunder Wave is great status that helps my slower team offensively combat threats. It's also really cool when I survive crap like Azelf Fire Blast, paralyze the attacker, switch to Scrafty/Rotom/Azelf and continue to wreck havoc. Rocks is Rocks, and works great on any team. Mine especially appreciates them becuase of the slight weakness to flying and fire types and becuase of how many switches my pokemon can force. Registeel is about as reliable as SR-ers come in UU, almost never failing to get them up if I need them. Seismic Toss is awesome for constant damage regardless of type. I works wonders with Paralysis against bulky foes that can't badly hurt Registeel becuase Seismic Toss whittles them down, forcing a recovery move and giving me a turn to switch freely. EQ provides coverage against Electric and steel Pokemon. It is vital in the fight against Raikou and Fire types, as a side note.

Synergy: Handles any special attacker that my others can not and gives great support, so Registeel is really invaluable. Porygon-Z, Raikou, Zapdos, the list goes on and on about what Registeel blocks. Thunder Wave and my attack moves, just like Slowbro, really helps my other four Pokemon sweep in the match and continue to apply pressure to the foes. Speaking of Slowbro, Registeel forms an awesome two-Pokemon defensive core with it, resisting most every type and providing my team with a backbone against the rampant offensive beasts of UU. I could say more, but I'm sure you all know about Registeel, and nothing else it provides to my team is too unique.

Worries: Absolutely none; Registeel is prefect for my team and perfectly consistent.

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Mismagius @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Pain Split
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Substitute

Overview: Missy is a mixed bag. Sweet and sour, like those disgusting lemon lifesaver. On one hand, the Ghost typing really helps against Rapid Spinners becuase my team loves its Rocks so much. Speed is awesome for picking off slower attackers. WoW is great support for damage and mitigating physical attackers. Sub blocks status, Pain Split heals and damages simultaneously. On the other hand, Missy is Pursuit bait, weak overall, and often times underwhelming. Four moveslot-syndrome is really a problem for Missy. Overall, Missy still remains on the team becuase no other UU can fill the role (I want Gengar for the SO badly, but oh well), and the support and speed balance my slower pokes nicely.

Synergy: Missy works both alone, as a potent SubSplit attacker, and as a team, with great support options. Everyone likes how WoW stops physical attackers from fatally injuring them, while Pain Split weakens walls unsuspectingly if used on switch-ins. I love Missy's 105 speed becuase it can revenge weakened (very weakened) attackers with Shadow Ball. Missy is also a great 1- or 2-time switch into Fighters, who are currently UU's biggest threat. Although Heracross 3HKO's with Megahorn, Missy can still Burn or Pain Split, weakening Hera and letting someone else score the KO. With prediction, it also works against Machamp and Mienshao a few times, relieving pressure on Scrafty (wait until we get there) and Slowbro. It also is vital for hitting fast attackers before they can KO me, similar to Azelf. However, Missy is still useful despite its similarity to Azelf becuase Missy can take a hit from Raikou (for example) and then hit, until Azelf. Both form a little 2-pokemon team to guard from fast attackers like Mienshao and Darmanitan.

Worries: Weak. And 4MSS. And not bulky. Alright, so Missy has a ton of problems. But nothing else can take over, so unless if you guys have something better, I'm stuck. As usual, other EV spreads with different Speed/Bulk/Power distributions are welcome. And for the last moveslot, what other options do you think could work? I had Thunderbolt for a while, but it was too weak even against Waters. Taunt I never used. I suppose I could try anything from Protect and Heal Bell to HP Fighting and Perish Song, but Substitute works decently. Your opinions on Missy especially are greatly appreciated.

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Azelf @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 Atk / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Psychic
- Fire Blast
- Thunderbolt

Overview: Azelf is my one true fast Pokemon, the only one with true power to continually break walls and punch holes. The set may seem a bit weird, but by capitalizing on Azelf's coverage, it becomes a deadly surprise to many Pokemon in the early-game and a wonderful cleaner at the end. U-Turn preserves momentum and hits strong against Psychics like Claydol (and obviously kicks ass with Rotom in a VoltTurn core). Psychic is STAB that works against almost anything neutral, my strongest move, and a deadly weapon against fighters. Fire Blast is nice for a 2HKO on Bronzong and Registeel, and surprises opponents who expect a standard SR-Taunt lead with little power. Thunderbolt is a big surprise of the set, hitting random things really hard that the rest of my team struggles with. For example, Xatu is a common switch in to Azelf, but dies to a Psychic+LO Thunderbolt. It also hits waters like Blastoise much harder than expected and has landed me a ton of nice KOes. Life Orb is nice power at the expense of useless hit points, EVs are simple and effective. Exotic and delicious, like a pineapple.

Synergy: Due to Azelf's fragility, it doesn't provide a whole lot of non-offensive support. However, U-Turn is great for shuffling around my Pokemon. The surprise KOes and random hits help Rotom and Scrafty lategame. Similar to Mismagius, Azelf is handy for stopping fast and frail sweepers with a quick Psychic before they can land a hit on one of my walls. Levitate actually gives Azelf an opportunity to get in the game, but usually I rely on prediction and double switching to get my little wrecking ball in unscathed. It also tends to finish off whatever Slowbro and Registeel started and weakened, like paralyzed Zapdos and burned Machamp. Finally, Azelf is usually my lead if I deem Rotom is in too much danger becuase Azelf is faster and can still score surprise KOs or U-turn away.

Worries: Not too many, Azelf is powerful, versatile and generally effective. Maybe you guys have some suggestions to try instead of Thunderbolt for different coverage? Would something else like Raikou or Mienshao work better here? I also tend to die quickly becuase of Life Orb and Stealth Rocks, so what do you think about Expert Belt?

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Scrafty @ Leftovers
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Atk / 32 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Bulk Up

Overview: Scrafty, the star of the team, the most important member, my most potent win condition, my favorite Cherry lifesaver. Although it might not pack the speed of DD Scrafty, the haxing ability of Machamp or the raw power of Heracross, but the bulk more than makes up for all that combined. Scrafty can live almost any hit in UU that's not SE (even some that are, like Yanmega LO Air Slash!), giving it time to heal with Drain punch or set up. Bulk Up boosts both power and survivability, and after a couple (which are not hard to get becuase many underestimate Scrafty's bulk and the power of attack boosts), Scrafty can even beat Heracross and Mienshao one-on-one and go on to sweep. Crunch is STAB, and the effect is nice with forcing switches when hax strikes. Drain punch, although not powerful, is more reliable than HJK and recovers HP. Protect is an oddball move, but it is probably the key to making Scrafty work. Protect provides for crucial, OHKO-preventing leftovers recovery, allowing for even more boosts and opportunities to Punch back HP. It scouts the many Choice users of UU, particularly Heracross and Mienshao (more later), and stall for turns of Toxic/Burn damage. A wonderful, multi-purpose move that really excels on BU Scrafty. Shed Skin usually works vs. Status, making for a fully self-supporting sweeper. EVs are a bit unorthodox for BU Scrafty, but they work with Protect better than max Special Defense. 252 Atk is for the power needed to make Drain Punch effective and threaten pokes, 32 Speed beats Base 60-ers and other BU Scrafty (actually a good thing after I have a Bulk Up), and the rest go into HP for the bulk needed to take hits. What a boss.

Synergy: Scrafty both provides for the rest of my team with Protect and benefits from their support. Protect is awesome for scouting, and works wonders against Hera and Mienshao. With Choice Heracross, who loves to switch in on my resisted STABs, Protect blocks the hit unsuspectingly and lets me switch to Missy, Slowbro or Registeel while incurring minimum harm. Same for Choice Mienshao, though even better because HJK is forced to miss and causes it to lose 50% damage. This is one of the best ways imo, other than carrying a Golurk or Cofag, to effectively block fighting types in UU. Scrafty also benefits from the team it was designed around becuase it benefits from the Status and damage spread by the rest of the team. Utility and power, what more do you want from a sweeper?

Worries: Nah, Scrafty is pretty perfect. Maybe you have a suggestion for EVs for better bulk?

Threat List

-Kingdra
Really unpredictable, one of the most dangerous pokemon in UU atm. Against ChestoRest DD, the most dangerous to my team, I have to kill it with Rotom or Azelf before it can set up or lure it into Outrage on Slowbro and and try to KO from there. Specs isn't too bad once it gets statused, and everyone can do something to a specs version.
-Weavile
Every Ice resist is hit SE by Fighting or Dark, so Weavile hurts a lot if LO (banded is easily walled with the help of Scrafty and RegiBro). Just predict around it, give it a status condition, use SR and force it out if possible.
-Chandelure
Very strong in general, can KO any pokemon except Scrafty. Thankfully, Scrafty scouts choice versions, can live a hit and KO with crunch. Everyone else needs smart switching and the help of Stealth Rocks.
-Houndoom
Life Chandy, Fire STAB hurts my team. Same game plan, except Slowbro can be used to live a Dark Pulse and Azelf can T-Bolt weakened ones (though sucker punch sometimes prevents that).
-Heracross
Who isn't this a threat to? Smart plays are needed, and pokemon must be preserved until Heracross dies.
-Suicune
Really bulky, which isn't normally a problem, but Scrafty can not beat this thing. Rotom often dies early, so Suicune can then come and clean up if Azelf is down and it has Rest. Need to plan my sacrifices better, I suppose.

Outro

In conclusion, this team is a ton of fun to play with becuase it has a chance against almost any team. Just play smart and keep alive the Pokemon that you need. Use your momentum to threaten your opponent and get vital kills on key threats at any reasonable cost. Thanks for reading (and sorry the writing is so clunky, I'm really jet lagged!), and if you have any questions about the team before you can rate it, please go ahead and ask. Here's the import if you want to play with it.

Scrafty @ Leftovers
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Atk / 32 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Bulk Up

Slowbro @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Psychic
- Scald
- Slack Off

Registeel @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 248 SDef / 8 Spd
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Earthquake

Azelf @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 Atk / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Psychic
- Fire Blast
- Thunderbolt

Mismagius @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Pain Split
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp

Rotom-Mow @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 228 Def / 24 SDef / 8 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Toxic
- Psyshock

Rotom-Mow @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Thunderbolt
- Trick

Registeel @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 248 SDef / 8 Spd
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Earthquake

Scrafty @ Leftovers
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 24 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Bulk Up

Azelf @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 Atk
Naive Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- U-turn
- Psychic
- Fire Blast
- Thunderbolt

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Trait: Mummy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 30 Spd / 3 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Trait: Trace
EVs: 248 SAtk / 8 Spd / 252 HP
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Psychic

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Trait: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SAtk / 8 Spd / 100 Def
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magic Coat
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Roserade @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Spd / 200 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Spikes
- Synthesis
- Giga Drain

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Roost
- Discharge
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Roar

Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
- Roar
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic

Registeel @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Spd / 248 SDef
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Seismic Toss
Terrakion @ Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor
- Quick Attack

Jolteon @ Leftovers
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Baton Pass
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Tornadus-Therian @ Life Orb
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Hasty Nature
- Focus Blast
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Protect

Politoed @ Choice Specs
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Latios @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Draco Meteor
- Recover
- Surf
- Psyshock

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 232 Def / 252 HP / 24 Spd
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind

Oops, posted this too soon by accident. I'll finish it up within a half hour with pics and colors and such, my bad.
 
I like the team, nice job!

As for Mismagius, there are 4 ghost-types in the UU tier, including Mismagius.
It is for spinblocking and utility, Dusclops isn't much good at, so there are three options.
Froslass has spikes, confuse ray, disable, embargo, substitute, swagger, taunt, telekinesis, thunder wave, and toxic, plus shadow ball and ice beam so it isn't taunt bait.
Sableye has PRANKSTER, confuse ray, embargo, recover, substitute, swagger, taunt, toxic, and trick, in addition to foul play and shadow claw so it isn't taunt bait.
Then there's mismagius, who you've said you don't like.
Overall, sableye is probably better because of prankster.

I'd make it like this:
252 Def/252 SpD/4 HP
Prankster
Life Orb
SpD+, Att- Nature
Taunt
Swagger
Foul Play
Recover

This set boosts the opponents' Attack, effectively doubling the power of foul play, while confusing them, which makes most people rage. Priority taunt shuts down most taunters, unless THEY have prankster. Recover is a priority healing move that heals off LO damage, what's not to love?

You could run a more defensive set, like this:
252 Def/252 SpD/4 HP
Prankster
Leftovers
SpD+, Att- Nature
Recover
Will-O-Wisp
Taunt
Night Shade

This is a standard Sableye set. Nothing much to see here.

Or, if you REALLY want spikes, go with Froslass.
252 HP/128 Def/128 SpD
Cursed Body
Leftovers
Taunt
Spikes
Ice Beam
Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave/Pain Split

Fairly standard Froslass, I changed to EVs a bit and put other options besides Pain Split for the last slot.
 
Testing.

This team looks nice. Utilizing a uncommon Azelf set, and Rotom C over Rotom H. As I am an inexperienced UU player, I can't give much of a rate so don't really trust my rates. I will however, give this a team a go and see what's the problems with it to the best of my ability.

I'll tweak a few sets here and there, and I'll see. Time to go on the UU ladder! (Not PS ofc.)


Alright, I've done a bit of battling on the ladder I'm starting to really like this team. Slowbro/Registeel work really well together to take hits. I love spreading status around, so Rotom-C can finish up. Specs Rotom C hits like a truck, and is great at revenge killing/cleaning things up. Although what I've noticed is that, Rotom C might need more power to finish up the job. I'm currently switching up the nature to a modest nature for more power.

The weakest link in the team is Scrafty. It isn't much of a threat even after a few bulk ups. It's just too slow, and it takes too much damage in order to do anything effectively. Scrafty was the sitting duck in my team, and it didn't do much except absorb status because of it's Shed Skin. I'm currently swapping Scrafty and testing out other fighting types such as SD Heracross, Sub Dynamic Machamp, etc. I've also seen that Mismagius doesn't do much, and it's quite unreliable for my tastes. So I switched over to Support Froslass, like the other user suggested. Setting spikes is great and all, but I don't think it fits this team well. The team doesn't really care about hazards that much. On Azelf, I've seen that it's the endgame cleaner, and just destroys everything after softening the team. By realizing this, I switched over to a nasty plot set I've been winning a quite a few battles, so I'm climbing up the UU PO ladder.

I took out u-turn, because I didn't use it much throughout my battles. I'm currently testing this team more, as it's quite wonderful and interesting to use. :p
 
Hey,

You have a cool team, but I have some ideas that may help you to improve it when dealing with some of the biggest threats to your team. As you have probably noticed, you're very weak to Special Fire-type attackers, and Special attackers that Registeel can't beat in general like Calm Mind Suicune. A decent way to fix this would be using Offensive Snorlax over Registeel. Snorlax can tank hits from every special attacker in the tier, and it can beat pokemon like Chandelure, Houndoom or Raikou and KO them back. Here's the set:

Snorlax@Leftovers | Thick Fat
Adamant Nature | 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Def
Body Slam / Earthquake / Crunch / Pursuit


While you are losing your Stealth Rock settler when replacing Registeel, you could simply use Stealth Rock over U-turn on Azelf, as U-turn isn't that necessary on Azelf since very few pokemon can take hits from it, and now you can take advantage of the switches it forces with Stealth Rock.

Finally, something you could change to fix your weakness to Dragon Dance Kingdra and Moxie Heracross, would be using Nasty Plot Cofagrigus over Mismagius. Even with an Offensive spread, Cofagrigus is much bulkier than Mismagius and it's a extremely solid check to Heracross, while it can simply use Trick Room along it's high defense to prevent Kingdra from sweeping your team. Trick Room also acts as a ''failsafe button'' in case you can't deal with a fast pokemon of the opposite team. Cofagrigus can act as a sweeper as well, as thanks to its good typing and defenses, it can set up against most teams and attempt a sweep with Trick Room and Nasty Plot.

Cofagrigus@Leftovers | Mummy
Quiet Nature | 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Nasty Plot / Shadow Ball / Hidden Power Fighting / Trick Room


Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the ideas guys, I really appreciate them!

I'll try running two different versions of the team and compare them to the original. On the first, I'll swap Missy for Froslass and give Azelf Nasty plot. Sorry, but Scrafty is sticking on the team. I hate to say this, but I feel that you did not play him correctly. Scrafty should not be relied on to take hits, except when he needs to get in in order to sweep. If you mainly switch Scrafty in on walls and frequently use Protect and Drain punch, it should be capable of taking another hit in no time.

On the other, I'll use Cofag and Snorlax. However, I am concerned with Snorlax over Registeel. The only real advantage it has is not being weak to fire moves and the ability to hit Suicune better. However, Snorlax fails to land the 3HKO on 252 HP Suicune on average without Choice Band, and Snorlax is too weak and too slow to justify the band. I think Nasty Plot Azelf might go a long way in hurting Suicune, at least more than 252 adamant snorlax Return can. In general, I'll tinker with new EV spreads and just play with some moves.

Thanks again for all the help, and please keep the rates coming!

EDIT: Some more thoughts, though I haven't been able to test these out on PS yet. I like Cofag a ton as a ghost replacement to Missy, but could Cofag run a different set potentially? I'm thinking Pain Split, Shadow Ball, and some combo of Haze, Will-o-Wisp, Protect, and Trick Room with 252 HP/252 SpD. What do you think? Also, could Azelf run Expert Belt over LO on the team? It really gets worn down by SR and LO U-Turns over the course of the match, and considering it usually wants to take one weak attack from a wall to switch in, maybe Expert Belt could give it more opportunities to switch in. It would also let me fake a Choice item, which is always fun. I also really want a Phazer, but the team synergy is too delicate imo to mess up. My only option at this point is Dragon Tail Scrafty, but that won't happen given how useful Protect is. Could Suicune fit in over Slowbro to get a Roar on the team? But that brings more problems: Suicune is forced to RestTalk, while Slowbro gets both insta-recovery, toxic and coverage/second STAB. If I went with this, would it work best on the Cofag team, the Froslass team, or the original? Ugh, sooo many options.
 
If you're really in need of a phazer you could always put Whirlwind on Snorlax, or use Haze on the bulky Cofag you were thinking about using. Personally I think you should take the advice to use Snorlax, but put Whirlwind on it's set over Pursuit or Crunch. A NP Houndoom can KO 4 of your Pokemon pretty easily right now, and Snorlax is a pretty much guaranteed way to stop it.

To give yourself SR I agree that it should be put on Azelf, but not over U-turn as has been suggested. I vote you put it on over Fire Blast, since after using a Bulk Up Scrafty myself for a while (I used Sub over Protect, something you might want to try out) Bronzong is complete set up fodder for it and you don't need Azelf to KO it for you.
 
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