Hi there guys, I can't say I'm "new" per se, but I haven't been battling competitively for very long. Anyways, RU is the tier I've been warming up to more and more recently (mostly an NU player), so I decided to take a shot at some Pokemon I haven't thought of using before and mixed them with familiar Pokemon. This team is called "The Bug" because it centers around a very underrated threat in RU: Scolipede. Some of you may have seen me on the ladder with this team, and Scolipede is my main man in the battle. I've had mixed results because I think I'm missing out on something and I hope you can help me out. Anyways without further discussion, my team.
Process:
I started with Primeape because I wanted a scouter. I know it's not as imprtant, but I wanted to lead the team off with something that could U-turn ina tough situation.
I originally planned to use a spiker, so I added Scolipede to the mix to see how he fares. Obviously my thoughts changed as I looked more into him.
Now, I needed a wallbreaker because Primeape i easily walled and I knew that my team in total would need something reliably strong, so I welcomed in Druddi.
Now I know I needed a reliable special tank and Clefable is probably the most reliable tank that can also dish out some hurt and take care of my team. She's a crucial part of this team's success with her access to heal bell.
I added Beheeyem because I felt bad it was getting no love. I decided that I needed a special attacker and so I added Beheeyem with the intention of using a trick room set. My mind set was that it would also help out Druddi who gets a Brave Nature.
Finally I add Quagsire to help ease physical problems. I give him curse so he can turn into a nasty bulky attacker.
I replaced quagsire because it was kind of dissappointing to see it be walled easily witht hat curse set by the likes of Slowking among other things. Steelix's curse/gyro ball access is so much more reliable and it has superb defense so you can invest some special defense in there.
I replaced Beheeyem because, as much as I love it, Gardevoir is so much better at dealing with certain Pokemon, and doesn't waste a slot setting up TR which is kind of a pain when the opponent is sending out their counter.
Process:
I started with Primeape because I wanted a scouter. I know it's not as imprtant, but I wanted to lead the team off with something that could U-turn ina tough situation.
I originally planned to use a spiker, so I added Scolipede to the mix to see how he fares. Obviously my thoughts changed as I looked more into him.
Now, I needed a wallbreaker because Primeape i easily walled and I knew that my team in total would need something reliably strong, so I welcomed in Druddi.
Now I know I needed a reliable special tank and Clefable is probably the most reliable tank that can also dish out some hurt and take care of my team. She's a crucial part of this team's success with her access to heal bell.
I added Beheeyem because I felt bad it was getting no love. I decided that I needed a special attacker and so I added Beheeyem with the intention of using a trick room set. My mind set was that it would also help out Druddi who gets a Brave Nature.
Finally I add Quagsire to help ease physical problems. I give him curse so he can turn into a nasty bulky attacker.
I replaced quagsire because it was kind of dissappointing to see it be walled easily witht hat curse set by the likes of Slowking among other things. Steelix's curse/gyro ball access is so much more reliable and it has superb defense so you can invest some special defense in there.
I replaced Beheeyem because, as much as I love it, Gardevoir is so much better at dealing with certain Pokemon, and doesn't waste a slot setting up TR which is kind of a pain when the opponent is sending out their counter.
Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
Jolly Nature
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Punishment
Primeape's main purpose is to trick my opponent. Okay, not literally (with the move) but when they see Scolipede, they scream to themselves "SPIKES!" so getting Primeape in there is my way of saying no and scouting their next planned move. I then tuck him away as either a revenge killer or sometimes cleaning up. Punishment comes in handy when common boosters like Gallade try to set up. I can shut them down easily.
Scolipede @ Life Orb
Ability: Quick Feet
Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Scoli is my main man here. He comes in and scares off many Pokemon, such as weakened Slowking, with STAB bug moves and sets up SD. In case someone tries to status him, quick feet comes into play and makes him almost unstoppable. He gets incredible coverage with these moves and at +2 can take down most anything. I think Steelix is 2HKO'd by EQ and Ferroseed is 2HKO'd by Megahorn. Tangrowth is OHKO'd by Megahorn at +2. Unfortunately, Megahorn sees its fair share of misses ):
Druddigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Brave Nature
248 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 8 SpA
- Outrage
- Thunderpunch
- Flamethrower
- Crunch
Let me just start this by saying Druddigon is awesome. Druddigon with a Life Orb and Sheer Force is hugely intimidating. Since Druddi has so many options, many teams don't know what to do about him. Druddi takes out Steelix and Tangrowth with a 2HKO in Flamethrower and tears through Slowking and Moltres who are very common as of late, on the ladder at least. Druddi comes in easily on resisted attacks and retaliates.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Calm Nature
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Softboiled
- Heal Bell
Here's where I start to see problems. Don't get me wrong, Clefable has saved my ass in so many battles, so that's not what I'm worried about. What I'm worried is that I can't provide everything with Clefable because Heal Bell is so important to me with Druddi and Primeape's burn chances. I've been able to take control of games with stored power. Softboiled is the thing that I'm unsure of. It helps Clefable try to sweep by itself, but at the same time, it's not providing any synergy with the rest of my team like Heal Bell does. My problem with wish is that it's often too predictable.
Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Trace
Timid Nature
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
I know it's iffy to run two scarves on one team, but some teams who can dispose of Primeape easily need to be revenged, so Gardevoir comes in and takes advantage of them. Gardy has had mixed results with me because most people probably assume it's scarfed, but it's risky to run other things and i like to play it safe for my team's sake. If I could change something, I think this would be first.
Steelix @ leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Impish nature
252 HP / 4 Atk / 52 Def / 220 SpD
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Gyro Ball
- Payback
Uh, this is also really a weird set. I like Steelix defensively, but I really want it to be able to do some damage. With Curse it becomes really bulky and can attack well, so Gyro Ball is preferred, but Payback is for Slowking and other water types. I definitely think this is where I need help as I've switched it around a couple times, using Quagsire and Aggron, but found Steelix to be my best option.
All help is appreciated!