Introduction:
Hello Raters,
In the last few weeks I didn't really find the motivation to ladder regularly as my CRE rating had dropped by about 100 points on all three ladders after a period of inactivity. Therefore I've signed up on Smogon in January and have recently been concentrating on rating other peoples' teams. In the meanwhile I really started to like the RMT forums, where more experienced battlers can help less experienced battlers by either rating their teams or posting their own team. I now have decided to post this quite successful UU team which I used towards the end of last year. Together with another team it got me up to a CRE of about 1480 before I stopped playing for a while. I'm pretty sure I could have reached over 1500, maybe the leaderboard with it as I still had a range of almost 200.
Anyway, now to the team:
I chose the name 'United We Stand' because the team really relies on each single team member in order to be successful, covering other members' weaknesses and together checking most threats of UU. Maybe I should also add that this team is a (what you would call it today) Semi-Stall team.
I didn't imply a team building process because I did not build the team around one particular member, I just wanted to cover as many of UU's threats as possible. The only thing I was sure about was that I wanted to lead with Bulky Froslass.
The team at a glance:
Now a deeper look:
Froslass@Leftovers
Snow Cloak
Timid - 252Spe, 252HP, 4Def
-Ice Beam/Destiny Bond
-Taunt
-Spikes
-Pain Split
This Froslass is just a great lead. I knew I would need a Spiker and this set was the first that came to my mind. I decided I would lead with this guy because its ability to Taunt and set up spikes early in the game are just so good. It also provides me with a Rapid Spin blocker, something all stallish teams want to have. Taunt and Spikes with max speed Timid are the usual stuff. I decided to go with the bulky set as I wanted it to stay alive and spin block more reliably, therefore the HP and Def investment. Pain Split is also useful for recovery. I really considered dropping Ice Beam for Destiny Bond because I usually didn't use Ice Beam at all and even with Pain Split on the same set, a 350 speed Destiny Bond in the rather slow UU environment is very appealing and indeed my best bet against Moltres and Blaziken. Froslass’ Ghost type is also useful to nullify damage by UU’s many fighting attacks. Speaking of Fighting attacks …
Hitmontop@Leftovers
Technician
Adamant - 252Atk, 252HP, 4Def
-Close Combat
-Mach Punch
-Fake Out
-Bullet Punch
The long living Leftovers version of TechniTop. As I didn't want to use a Scarfed revenge killer, I came up with this to revenge stuff. It was my best check for things like Honchkrow (who was UU at that time), Absol and the fossil Rain Dance Duo Kabutops and Omastar. EVs and nature are the standard stuff, not much to explain; Hit hard and be bulky. The first three moves are self explanatory and I chose Bullet Punch over Stone Edge because I wanted to get better coverage of Priority moves only and would switch out against Flying types anyway in such a defensive team. With its STAB Close Combat Hitmontop was also a good answer to many of UU's common walls such as Chansey or Registeel and to nearly everything slow. Speaking of slow …
Slowbro@Leftovers
Own Tempo
Bold - 252HP, 252Def, 4SpDef
-Surf
-Psychic
-Thunder Wave
-Slack Off
Well, each Semi-Stall team in UU needs a bulky water. I chose this guy over Milotic and Azumarill mainly because of Thunder Wave and its better physical bulk. I already had Registeel and Venusaur to take special hits. Also Slowbro's fighting resist allowed it to form a very good defensive duo with Registeel, because they complement each other very nicely. Again nothing special about EVs and nature and Surf, Thunder Wave and Slack Off are a given. In the 4th slot I chose Psychic over Ice Beam because it was my only way to hit Fighting types super effectively and Froslass already had a stronger Ice Beam. However if I used Destiny Bond on Froslass I would probably go with Ice Beam on Slowbro. That would also hit Grass switch ins harder (bar Venusaur) and provide me with a reliable DD Altaria check. Slowbro is my main answer to fighting and Fire types, like Hitmonlee, Blaziken and Arcanine. Speaking of Fire types …
Arcanine@Leftovers
Intimidate
Impish - 252HP, 252Def, 4Atk
-Flare Blitz
-Extremespeed
-Toxic
-Morning Sun
When I built this team Arcanine had just got his new HGSS toy, Morning Sun. I wanted to try it out on a physically bulky set with Intimidate and it really worked wonders. EVs, ability and nature ensure it is physically as bulky as possible, thus being able to switch in against most physical threats with impunity. Flare Blitz is for the punch while ExtremeSpeed finishes off weakened foes. Morning Sun keeps it healthy and Toxic hits water switch ins and is generally a good addition for a Semi-Stall team without toxic spikes. Nowadays I would consider Roar over ExtremeSpeed because my team lacks a phazer, which can really hurt. This Arcanine was my best check for the more and more used Venusaur, although the later introduced SD set really gave me trouble. Arcanine also deals with Steel and Grass types in general so it was my best switch in for Sceptile, Tangrowth, Leafeon and co. Arcanine also has good synergy with Venusaur, forming a second defensive duo for my team. Speaking of Venusaur …
Venusaur@Black Sludge
Overgrow
Calm - 252HP, 252SpDef, 4 Def
-Sleep Powder
-Energy Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-Leech Seed
With the given EV spread Venusaur is a great switch in for all kinds of Water and Grass types. It is also my backup check for SD Venusaur in case Arcanine fails. EVs and nature provide great bulk and make it very difficult to take the big plant down. Black Sludge is chosen over Leftovers as it provides the same effect for me but will damage the opponent if he tricks me. Therefore Venusaur will often take Tricks for my team even though it will be crippled afterwards. Fortunately there are not as many trick users around in UU as in OU. Energy Ball and Sludge Bomb are standard STAB, while Sleep powder is obviously very useful for incapacitating a switch in and forcing switches. Leech Seed over Synthesis because Leech seed also damages the foe while healing me, it is also a great option against Stall and because it forces even more switches, letting entry hazards take their toll. Speaking of entry hazards …
Registeel@Leftovers
Clear Body
Careful - 252HP, 100Atk, 156SpDef
-Iron Head
-Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
-Rest/Explosion
Pretty standard UU Tank set for Registeel. This thing finds its way into many defensively oriented teams in UU, and that for good reason. Its typing and Stats make it incredibly bulky on both ends of the spectrum and it works as a check to many of UU's most dangerous threats, that being Mismagius, Raikou, Sceptile, Swellow and many more. For my team it has the very important role of my Stealth Rocker and Registeel does it perfectly. I use Leftovers over Shed Shell because I think Magneton is really rarely seen and if so, only a Magnet Rise set will really cause me problems. EVs are standard for special walling and doing some damage with Iron Head and Earthquake. Iron Head is for STAB, while Earthquake hits many switch ins, especially fire types and Magneton hard. In the last slot I used to run Rest as I was usually able to play around the two turns of sleep somehow. However nowadays with PorygonZ and Cresselia being UU I would probably opt for Explosion.
Now that was the main thing about my team. Steal it, test it and use it if you want, I wouldn't post it here if disliked that. Also I will probably not use it much in the future and if so, I would probably have to make a few alterations first.
I could have included a threat list but as I already said this team was made and mostly used when Cresselia and PorygonZ didn't walk around in UU and since then the tier has actually changed significantly. Lead Hariyama, Moltres (both weren't used that much before) and CM Cresselia will probably give this team trouble now and also a Phazer would probably be needed. This team can also have slight problems with stall because it doesn’t have a Rapid Spin user and Froslass is not the most reliable spin blocker out there. Nevertheless I think it’s still usable and a solid team even in today’s metagame.
I hope you liked this thread. I'm open for any comments and suggestions.
Hello Raters,
In the last few weeks I didn't really find the motivation to ladder regularly as my CRE rating had dropped by about 100 points on all three ladders after a period of inactivity. Therefore I've signed up on Smogon in January and have recently been concentrating on rating other peoples' teams. In the meanwhile I really started to like the RMT forums, where more experienced battlers can help less experienced battlers by either rating their teams or posting their own team. I now have decided to post this quite successful UU team which I used towards the end of last year. Together with another team it got me up to a CRE of about 1480 before I stopped playing for a while. I'm pretty sure I could have reached over 1500, maybe the leaderboard with it as I still had a range of almost 200.
Anyway, now to the team:
I chose the name 'United We Stand' because the team really relies on each single team member in order to be successful, covering other members' weaknesses and together checking most threats of UU. Maybe I should also add that this team is a (what you would call it today) Semi-Stall team.
I didn't imply a team building process because I did not build the team around one particular member, I just wanted to cover as many of UU's threats as possible. The only thing I was sure about was that I wanted to lead with Bulky Froslass.
The team at a glance:
Now a deeper look:
Froslass@Leftovers
Snow Cloak
Timid - 252Spe, 252HP, 4Def
-Ice Beam/Destiny Bond
-Taunt
-Spikes
-Pain Split
This Froslass is just a great lead. I knew I would need a Spiker and this set was the first that came to my mind. I decided I would lead with this guy because its ability to Taunt and set up spikes early in the game are just so good. It also provides me with a Rapid Spin blocker, something all stallish teams want to have. Taunt and Spikes with max speed Timid are the usual stuff. I decided to go with the bulky set as I wanted it to stay alive and spin block more reliably, therefore the HP and Def investment. Pain Split is also useful for recovery. I really considered dropping Ice Beam for Destiny Bond because I usually didn't use Ice Beam at all and even with Pain Split on the same set, a 350 speed Destiny Bond in the rather slow UU environment is very appealing and indeed my best bet against Moltres and Blaziken. Froslass’ Ghost type is also useful to nullify damage by UU’s many fighting attacks. Speaking of Fighting attacks …
Hitmontop@Leftovers
Technician
Adamant - 252Atk, 252HP, 4Def
-Close Combat
-Mach Punch
-Fake Out
-Bullet Punch
The long living Leftovers version of TechniTop. As I didn't want to use a Scarfed revenge killer, I came up with this to revenge stuff. It was my best check for things like Honchkrow (who was UU at that time), Absol and the fossil Rain Dance Duo Kabutops and Omastar. EVs and nature are the standard stuff, not much to explain; Hit hard and be bulky. The first three moves are self explanatory and I chose Bullet Punch over Stone Edge because I wanted to get better coverage of Priority moves only and would switch out against Flying types anyway in such a defensive team. With its STAB Close Combat Hitmontop was also a good answer to many of UU's common walls such as Chansey or Registeel and to nearly everything slow. Speaking of slow …
Slowbro@Leftovers
Own Tempo
Bold - 252HP, 252Def, 4SpDef
-Surf
-Psychic
-Thunder Wave
-Slack Off
Well, each Semi-Stall team in UU needs a bulky water. I chose this guy over Milotic and Azumarill mainly because of Thunder Wave and its better physical bulk. I already had Registeel and Venusaur to take special hits. Also Slowbro's fighting resist allowed it to form a very good defensive duo with Registeel, because they complement each other very nicely. Again nothing special about EVs and nature and Surf, Thunder Wave and Slack Off are a given. In the 4th slot I chose Psychic over Ice Beam because it was my only way to hit Fighting types super effectively and Froslass already had a stronger Ice Beam. However if I used Destiny Bond on Froslass I would probably go with Ice Beam on Slowbro. That would also hit Grass switch ins harder (bar Venusaur) and provide me with a reliable DD Altaria check. Slowbro is my main answer to fighting and Fire types, like Hitmonlee, Blaziken and Arcanine. Speaking of Fire types …
Arcanine@Leftovers
Intimidate
Impish - 252HP, 252Def, 4Atk
-Flare Blitz
-Extremespeed
-Toxic
-Morning Sun
When I built this team Arcanine had just got his new HGSS toy, Morning Sun. I wanted to try it out on a physically bulky set with Intimidate and it really worked wonders. EVs, ability and nature ensure it is physically as bulky as possible, thus being able to switch in against most physical threats with impunity. Flare Blitz is for the punch while ExtremeSpeed finishes off weakened foes. Morning Sun keeps it healthy and Toxic hits water switch ins and is generally a good addition for a Semi-Stall team without toxic spikes. Nowadays I would consider Roar over ExtremeSpeed because my team lacks a phazer, which can really hurt. This Arcanine was my best check for the more and more used Venusaur, although the later introduced SD set really gave me trouble. Arcanine also deals with Steel and Grass types in general so it was my best switch in for Sceptile, Tangrowth, Leafeon and co. Arcanine also has good synergy with Venusaur, forming a second defensive duo for my team. Speaking of Venusaur …
Venusaur@Black Sludge
Overgrow
Calm - 252HP, 252SpDef, 4 Def
-Sleep Powder
-Energy Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-Leech Seed
With the given EV spread Venusaur is a great switch in for all kinds of Water and Grass types. It is also my backup check for SD Venusaur in case Arcanine fails. EVs and nature provide great bulk and make it very difficult to take the big plant down. Black Sludge is chosen over Leftovers as it provides the same effect for me but will damage the opponent if he tricks me. Therefore Venusaur will often take Tricks for my team even though it will be crippled afterwards. Fortunately there are not as many trick users around in UU as in OU. Energy Ball and Sludge Bomb are standard STAB, while Sleep powder is obviously very useful for incapacitating a switch in and forcing switches. Leech Seed over Synthesis because Leech seed also damages the foe while healing me, it is also a great option against Stall and because it forces even more switches, letting entry hazards take their toll. Speaking of entry hazards …
Registeel@Leftovers
Clear Body
Careful - 252HP, 100Atk, 156SpDef
-Iron Head
-Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
-Rest/Explosion
Pretty standard UU Tank set for Registeel. This thing finds its way into many defensively oriented teams in UU, and that for good reason. Its typing and Stats make it incredibly bulky on both ends of the spectrum and it works as a check to many of UU's most dangerous threats, that being Mismagius, Raikou, Sceptile, Swellow and many more. For my team it has the very important role of my Stealth Rocker and Registeel does it perfectly. I use Leftovers over Shed Shell because I think Magneton is really rarely seen and if so, only a Magnet Rise set will really cause me problems. EVs are standard for special walling and doing some damage with Iron Head and Earthquake. Iron Head is for STAB, while Earthquake hits many switch ins, especially fire types and Magneton hard. In the last slot I used to run Rest as I was usually able to play around the two turns of sleep somehow. However nowadays with PorygonZ and Cresselia being UU I would probably opt for Explosion.
Now that was the main thing about my team. Steal it, test it and use it if you want, I wouldn't post it here if disliked that. Also I will probably not use it much in the future and if so, I would probably have to make a few alterations first.
I could have included a threat list but as I already said this team was made and mostly used when Cresselia and PorygonZ didn't walk around in UU and since then the tier has actually changed significantly. Lead Hariyama, Moltres (both weren't used that much before) and CM Cresselia will probably give this team trouble now and also a Phazer would probably be needed. This team can also have slight problems with stall because it doesn’t have a Rapid Spin user and Froslass is not the most reliable spin blocker out there. Nevertheless I think it’s still usable and a solid team even in today’s metagame.
I hope you liked this thread. I'm open for any comments and suggestions.
