Hi Smogoners, this is my first RMT. I am quite a fan of anything that isn't mainstream, and this team is very much built around that. And just saying, NU has so many underrated Pokemon with so much potential.
Currently sitting at 1701, greater heights to come.
At a glance
This team's strategy is simple: Punch holes in the beginning with Muk, status as much as possible with Misdreavus and Probopass, and let the others clean up. Presenting to you...
The Dark Horses of NU
The Frontline
Muk @ Black Sludge
Trait: Sticky Hold / Stench
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 SDef
IVs: 30 Spe
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
~Substitute
~Ice Punch
~Focus Punch
~Shadow Sneak
Talk about unorthodox. Muk is my usual lead, and despite his look and typing, he is actually capable of beating most leads in NU bar Garbodor and the occansional Alomomola. He is just so unpredictable, and so uncommon that many people don't know what to expect, and even this set isn't the most common Muk set. Muk's low speed is somewhat useful; it allows him to set up a substitute without the fear of it getting broken (although most of the time, the opposing leads usually set up rocks giving me a free sub). Afterwards, he is free to spam Focus Punch until his sub is broken. His decent attack set allows me to plough through teams and he is able to punch holes in the opponent's team for the rest of my team to clean up. Substitute and Focus Punch are obvious, and they give huge power and surprise value. Ice Punch is to keep Golurk, Drifblim and other Flying-types from walling me. Shadow Sneak is a useful priority move allowing me to nab the KO where the other moves didn't, and also provides a way to hit opponents before Muk goes down. The Fight + Ice combo in NU is only resisted by the rare Lampent, the rarer Frillish, and the non-existent Slowpoke and Tentacool, and even they get smacked by Shadow Sneak (except Tentacool, but who cares about him?).
This is how Muk fairs against other common leads in NU:
252+ Atk Muk Focus Punch vs. 212 HP / 0 Def Golem: 248-292 (70.05 - 82.48%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Muk Focus Punch vs. 252 HP / 4+ Def Bastiodon: 360-424 (111.11 - 130.86%) -- guaranteed OHKO (2HKO after Sturdy)
252+ Atk Muk Ice Punch vs. 176 HP / 0 Def Golurk: 186-220 (51.23 - 60.6%) -- 90.63% chance to 2HKO
As you can see, so long as Muk gets a sub up, most leads and subsequent switch-ins will be left in a sticky situation (see what I did there?).
The EV spreads allow Muk to make 101 HP Substitutes which cannot be broken by Seismic Toss and Night Shade. The remaining EVs maximise attack and the rest are thrown into SDef. The 30 Speed IVs ensure that all opposing Piloswine will outspeed Muk, allowing Muk to sub up safely thanks to its great bulk.
I'm currently testing out a tank Zweilous in place of Muk.
The Supporters
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk / 40 Spe
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
~Shadow Ball
~Will-O-Wisp
~Heal Bell
~Pain Split
Misdreavus' role is to neuter as many threats as possible with Thunder Wave + Will-O-Wisp, while chipping away at their health with Shadow Ball. Shadow Ball is mainly to provide a form of offense, but seriously it still hits quite hard despite minimal SAtk investment. Thunder Wave is the move I use most often, since it works wonders at crippling so many of NU's top threats such as Sawk, Braviary (a common switch-in to Shadow Ball), Gorebyss, weather sweepers, etc. Will-O-Wisp is there to cripple physical attackers, especially the bulky ones, and very especially Golurk, who somehow always switches into a predicted Thunder Wave. The last move slot is reserved for Pain Split / Heal Bell. Pain Split is the move I usually use as it is my only form of recovery, but Heal Bell has been tested with decent results as well, since lots of things Toxic me as I Paralyse / Burn them.
And seriously, Misdreavus absorbs hits so well, it sometimes surprises me.
Thunder Wave has been replaced by Heal Bell; while I lose the ability to cripple fast sweepers, I now have a solution to opponents who try to Toxic me, or opponents with Sleep moves. The 40 speed EVs allow me to outrun all Rampardos and Torterra, burning them before they can hit me. Defense is maximised to increase Missy's tankiness, while the remaining EVs are a feeble attempt to split them into HP and SAtk. I might need help in this one, lol.
Probopass @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Nature: Calm (+SDef, -Atk)
~Stealth Rock
~Thunder Wave
~Volt Switch
~Power Gem
Probopass is my second supporter, and he is awesome. I mean, that hat and moustache. And his usefulness in the team. Together with Misdreavus, he helps spread paralysis and poison for the rest of the team. Thunder Wave all the fast sweepers, Toxic the bulky ones. Power Gem is to provide offense, and my word, it has surprised me numerous times by breaking the subs of the opponents. Stealth Rock is non-negotiable as it helps wear down the opponents as they switch in. The reason why I choose Probopass over other rockers? Firstly, Thunder Wave. Secondly, its stat spread. Probo's stats are well-balanced, providing mixed bulk and still decent offenses unlike Bastiodon. Probopass' typing is awesome as well. With Swellow and Braviary everywhere, a 4x resist to Normal and Flying is actually great. Due to his Steel-typing, any Natu or Musharna with Synchronize will not mean anything to him if I try to Toxic them. The synergy between Missy and Probo is great: Probo absorbs Ghost- and Dark-type attacks aimed at Missy, while Missy absorbs Fighting- and Ground-type moves often aimed at Probo. And did I mention Sturdy allows me to definitely status something dangerous as long as I have full HP?
Toxic was changed to Volt Switch, allowing Probopass to perform a secondary role as a pivot.
The Assassin
Rotom-Fan @ Choice Scarf / Air Balloon
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
~Air Slash
~Thunderbolt
~Volt Switch
~Hidden Power [Water]
Of course I am joking about Air Balloon although a triple immunity to Earthquake is always good. And though Rotom-Fan is far from uncommon, he is still an important member of the team. I am such a big fan of his abilities (see what I did there?). He just revenges everything that dares to kill someone on my team. With a Choice Scarf equipped, he is able to outspeed and KO +2 Timid Gorebyss, Scarf Sawk, and fast threats like Swellow. And with an Air Balloon equipped, he becomes more untouchable than he already is. I don't think the moves need much explanation; Thunderbolt is obligatory STAB that is a guaranteed OHKO on Gorebyss, Samurott and Swellow, OHKOs Braviary after Stealth Rock, and 2HKOs Cinccino. Air Slash KOs everything that Thunderbolt can't, 2HKO-ing Sawk and Ludicolo. Hidden Power Grass decimates Golem and Carracosta, and Trick gives me an option to cripple other Pokemon, although I only use it when I'm sure I don't need the scarf anymore. But I never trick away balloons. Balloons are awesome.
Here's how Rotom-Fan fairs against other Pokemon:
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Cinccino: 204-240 (69.86 - 82.19%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Gorebyss: 338-402 (134.12 - 159.52%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Carracosta: 285-337 (98.61 - 116.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Braviary: 338-402 (93.62 - 111.35%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Swellow: 464-548 (177.77 - 209.96%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Samurott: 360-426 (108.76 - 128.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
As I usually weaken stuff first before sending in Rotom-Fan to revenge, this means I can OHKO most of the dangerous-but-frail Pokemon that threaten my team.
I've replaced HP Grass with HP Water to take care of Camerupt, while still hitting Golem, since Thunderbolt outdamages HP Grass on Carracosta. I also replaced Trick with Volt Switch to help me grab momentum against sure-fire KOs, because Volt Switch still gets a guaranteed OHKO on Swellow and Gorebyss.
The Cleaners
Kadabra @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -SAtk)
~Substitute
~Disable
~Signal Beam
~Psychic
My word, this guy is a beast. I might have lots of explanation to do. Firstly, the infamous SubDisable combo. Lots of people I faced start to rage that Haunter is better for SubDisable, I shouldn't use Disable on Kadabra, etc. They aren't wrong, but they aren't right either, in a way. I use Kadabra over Haunter as a SubDisabler for several reasons:
1) Magic Guard allows me to switch into hazards infinitely
2) Kadabra sports better SAtk and Speed stats than Haunter. Isn't that good enough?
3) Unpredictablility
The strategy is simple. Switch in after another Pokemon of mine is killed, set up a sub, and Disable when the opponent attacks. This allows me to cripple choiced Pokemon further, as well as forcing out those with only one way of harming me. Psychic is obligatory STAB, and boosted by Life Orb, STAB and coming off a base 120 SAtk stat, will dent anything that doesn't resist / isn't incredibly bulky.
As for the last moveslot, I choose Signal Beam over more conventional moves like Shadow Ball and HP Fighting. This is because I find Dark- and Psychic-types more of a trouble to my team, and while Shadow Ball hits the Psychics and HP Fighting hits the Darks, Signal Beam hits both, while having only 5 less base power than Shadow Ball. The only notable coverage I lose is against Steel-types, but how often do you see Steels in NU? The only notable Steels in NU are:
1) Bronzor and Metang, who are hit neutrally by Signal Beam
2) Mawile, who is 2HKO-ed by Psychic 89.06% of the time
3) Bastiodon who would have been killed by Muk already, and even then, will get Metal Burst disabled
4) Probopass (see above)
So yeah. And it feels awesome to have a Skuntank switch in thinking it can Pursuit me to death, while I disable it and laugh my way out / kill it. Life Orb nabs me some KOs that I wouldn't otherwise have, but I am considering a Focus Sash and Protect ahead of sub for survivability.
I'm currently testing out Hidden Power Ground and Encore over Substitute and Disable.
Ursaring @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Quick Feet
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
~Facade
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat
~Crunch
This guy. He has on numerous occasions cleaned up and destroyed entire teams on his own. Even without a Guts or Swords Dance boost, his attack stat is already 120, which is amazing considering that most of the time I spam a 210 BP move factoring in STAB. I chose Quick Feet over Guts because it allows me to outspeed base-80s and most base 90-speed Pokemon and beat them one-on-one, even with an Adamant nature, most notably Zangoose, Gardevoir, and other Ursaring, while I OHKO them first. It has saved me so many times and nabbed so many important KOs, and essentially works as a scarf with the ability to switch moves, at the cost of some HP.
I don't think I need to explain the set much. Facade is a powerful 210 BP move factoring STAB and will put a huge, huge dent in almost anything. Close Combat allows me to nab the Steel- and Rock-types that resist Facade, while Crunch is reserved for Ghosts since a super-effective Crunch is still outdamaged by a neutral Facade. And if the opponent is foolish enough to let me set up Swords Dance, bear-ly anything can stand up to Ursaring's power (see what I did there, again?). Ursaring's bulk is also good enough to be only 2HKO-ed by the standard Swellow, while I OHKO back.
Rounding Up
Thanks for taking the time to read and rate, your efforts are appreciated. Thank you again, have a nice day, and remember to never underestimate the Dark Horses of NU.
Credits to ium, WhiteDMist and Raseri for helping me rethink my team! (more to come, perhaps?)
Currently sitting at 1701, greater heights to come.
At a glance
This team's strategy is simple: Punch holes in the beginning with Muk, status as much as possible with Misdreavus and Probopass, and let the others clean up. Presenting to you...
The Dark Horses of NU
The Frontline
Muk @ Black Sludge
Trait: Sticky Hold / Stench
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 SDef
IVs: 30 Spe
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
~Substitute
~Ice Punch
~Focus Punch
~Shadow Sneak
Talk about unorthodox. Muk is my usual lead, and despite his look and typing, he is actually capable of beating most leads in NU bar Garbodor and the occansional Alomomola. He is just so unpredictable, and so uncommon that many people don't know what to expect, and even this set isn't the most common Muk set. Muk's low speed is somewhat useful; it allows him to set up a substitute without the fear of it getting broken (although most of the time, the opposing leads usually set up rocks giving me a free sub). Afterwards, he is free to spam Focus Punch until his sub is broken. His decent attack set allows me to plough through teams and he is able to punch holes in the opponent's team for the rest of my team to clean up. Substitute and Focus Punch are obvious, and they give huge power and surprise value. Ice Punch is to keep Golurk, Drifblim and other Flying-types from walling me. Shadow Sneak is a useful priority move allowing me to nab the KO where the other moves didn't, and also provides a way to hit opponents before Muk goes down. The Fight + Ice combo in NU is only resisted by the rare Lampent, the rarer Frillish, and the non-existent Slowpoke and Tentacool, and even they get smacked by Shadow Sneak (except Tentacool, but who cares about him?).
This is how Muk fairs against other common leads in NU:
252+ Atk Muk Focus Punch vs. 212 HP / 0 Def Golem: 248-292 (70.05 - 82.48%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Muk Focus Punch vs. 252 HP / 4+ Def Bastiodon: 360-424 (111.11 - 130.86%) -- guaranteed OHKO (2HKO after Sturdy)
252+ Atk Muk Ice Punch vs. 176 HP / 0 Def Golurk: 186-220 (51.23 - 60.6%) -- 90.63% chance to 2HKO
As you can see, so long as Muk gets a sub up, most leads and subsequent switch-ins will be left in a sticky situation (see what I did there?).
The EV spreads allow Muk to make 101 HP Substitutes which cannot be broken by Seismic Toss and Night Shade. The remaining EVs maximise attack and the rest are thrown into SDef. The 30 Speed IVs ensure that all opposing Piloswine will outspeed Muk, allowing Muk to sub up safely thanks to its great bulk.
I'm currently testing out a tank Zweilous in place of Muk.
The Supporters
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk / 40 Spe
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
~Shadow Ball
~Will-O-Wisp
~Heal Bell
~Pain Split
Misdreavus' role is to neuter as many threats as possible with Thunder Wave + Will-O-Wisp, while chipping away at their health with Shadow Ball. Shadow Ball is mainly to provide a form of offense, but seriously it still hits quite hard despite minimal SAtk investment. Thunder Wave is the move I use most often, since it works wonders at crippling so many of NU's top threats such as Sawk, Braviary (a common switch-in to Shadow Ball), Gorebyss, weather sweepers, etc. Will-O-Wisp is there to cripple physical attackers, especially the bulky ones, and very especially Golurk, who somehow always switches into a predicted Thunder Wave. The last move slot is reserved for Pain Split / Heal Bell. Pain Split is the move I usually use as it is my only form of recovery, but Heal Bell has been tested with decent results as well, since lots of things Toxic me as I Paralyse / Burn them.
And seriously, Misdreavus absorbs hits so well, it sometimes surprises me.
Thunder Wave has been replaced by Heal Bell; while I lose the ability to cripple fast sweepers, I now have a solution to opponents who try to Toxic me, or opponents with Sleep moves. The 40 speed EVs allow me to outrun all Rampardos and Torterra, burning them before they can hit me. Defense is maximised to increase Missy's tankiness, while the remaining EVs are a feeble attempt to split them into HP and SAtk. I might need help in this one, lol.
Probopass @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Nature: Calm (+SDef, -Atk)
~Stealth Rock
~Thunder Wave
~Volt Switch
~Power Gem
Probopass is my second supporter, and he is awesome. I mean, that hat and moustache. And his usefulness in the team. Together with Misdreavus, he helps spread paralysis and poison for the rest of the team. Thunder Wave all the fast sweepers, Toxic the bulky ones. Power Gem is to provide offense, and my word, it has surprised me numerous times by breaking the subs of the opponents. Stealth Rock is non-negotiable as it helps wear down the opponents as they switch in. The reason why I choose Probopass over other rockers? Firstly, Thunder Wave. Secondly, its stat spread. Probo's stats are well-balanced, providing mixed bulk and still decent offenses unlike Bastiodon. Probopass' typing is awesome as well. With Swellow and Braviary everywhere, a 4x resist to Normal and Flying is actually great. Due to his Steel-typing, any Natu or Musharna with Synchronize will not mean anything to him if I try to Toxic them. The synergy between Missy and Probo is great: Probo absorbs Ghost- and Dark-type attacks aimed at Missy, while Missy absorbs Fighting- and Ground-type moves often aimed at Probo. And did I mention Sturdy allows me to definitely status something dangerous as long as I have full HP?
Toxic was changed to Volt Switch, allowing Probopass to perform a secondary role as a pivot.
The Assassin
Rotom-Fan @ Choice Scarf / Air Balloon
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
~Air Slash
~Thunderbolt
~Volt Switch
~Hidden Power [Water]
Of course I am joking about Air Balloon although a triple immunity to Earthquake is always good. And though Rotom-Fan is far from uncommon, he is still an important member of the team. I am such a big fan of his abilities (see what I did there?). He just revenges everything that dares to kill someone on my team. With a Choice Scarf equipped, he is able to outspeed and KO +2 Timid Gorebyss, Scarf Sawk, and fast threats like Swellow. And with an Air Balloon equipped, he becomes more untouchable than he already is. I don't think the moves need much explanation; Thunderbolt is obligatory STAB that is a guaranteed OHKO on Gorebyss, Samurott and Swellow, OHKOs Braviary after Stealth Rock, and 2HKOs Cinccino. Air Slash KOs everything that Thunderbolt can't, 2HKO-ing Sawk and Ludicolo. Hidden Power Grass decimates Golem and Carracosta, and Trick gives me an option to cripple other Pokemon, although I only use it when I'm sure I don't need the scarf anymore. But I never trick away balloons. Balloons are awesome.
Here's how Rotom-Fan fairs against other Pokemon:
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Cinccino: 204-240 (69.86 - 82.19%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Gorebyss: 338-402 (134.12 - 159.52%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Carracosta: 285-337 (98.61 - 116.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Braviary: 338-402 (93.62 - 111.35%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Swellow: 464-548 (177.77 - 209.96%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Rotom-S Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Samurott: 360-426 (108.76 - 128.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
As I usually weaken stuff first before sending in Rotom-Fan to revenge, this means I can OHKO most of the dangerous-but-frail Pokemon that threaten my team.
I've replaced HP Grass with HP Water to take care of Camerupt, while still hitting Golem, since Thunderbolt outdamages HP Grass on Carracosta. I also replaced Trick with Volt Switch to help me grab momentum against sure-fire KOs, because Volt Switch still gets a guaranteed OHKO on Swellow and Gorebyss.
The Cleaners
Kadabra @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -SAtk)
~Substitute
~Disable
~Signal Beam
~Psychic
My word, this guy is a beast. I might have lots of explanation to do. Firstly, the infamous SubDisable combo. Lots of people I faced start to rage that Haunter is better for SubDisable, I shouldn't use Disable on Kadabra, etc. They aren't wrong, but they aren't right either, in a way. I use Kadabra over Haunter as a SubDisabler for several reasons:
1) Magic Guard allows me to switch into hazards infinitely
2) Kadabra sports better SAtk and Speed stats than Haunter. Isn't that good enough?
3) Unpredictablility
The strategy is simple. Switch in after another Pokemon of mine is killed, set up a sub, and Disable when the opponent attacks. This allows me to cripple choiced Pokemon further, as well as forcing out those with only one way of harming me. Psychic is obligatory STAB, and boosted by Life Orb, STAB and coming off a base 120 SAtk stat, will dent anything that doesn't resist / isn't incredibly bulky.
As for the last moveslot, I choose Signal Beam over more conventional moves like Shadow Ball and HP Fighting. This is because I find Dark- and Psychic-types more of a trouble to my team, and while Shadow Ball hits the Psychics and HP Fighting hits the Darks, Signal Beam hits both, while having only 5 less base power than Shadow Ball. The only notable coverage I lose is against Steel-types, but how often do you see Steels in NU? The only notable Steels in NU are:
1) Bronzor and Metang, who are hit neutrally by Signal Beam
2) Mawile, who is 2HKO-ed by Psychic 89.06% of the time
3) Bastiodon who would have been killed by Muk already, and even then, will get Metal Burst disabled
4) Probopass (see above)
So yeah. And it feels awesome to have a Skuntank switch in thinking it can Pursuit me to death, while I disable it and laugh my way out / kill it. Life Orb nabs me some KOs that I wouldn't otherwise have, but I am considering a Focus Sash and Protect ahead of sub for survivability.
I'm currently testing out Hidden Power Ground and Encore over Substitute and Disable.
Ursaring @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Quick Feet
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
~Facade
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat
~Crunch
This guy. He has on numerous occasions cleaned up and destroyed entire teams on his own. Even without a Guts or Swords Dance boost, his attack stat is already 120, which is amazing considering that most of the time I spam a 210 BP move factoring in STAB. I chose Quick Feet over Guts because it allows me to outspeed base-80s and most base 90-speed Pokemon and beat them one-on-one, even with an Adamant nature, most notably Zangoose, Gardevoir, and other Ursaring, while I OHKO them first. It has saved me so many times and nabbed so many important KOs, and essentially works as a scarf with the ability to switch moves, at the cost of some HP.
I don't think I need to explain the set much. Facade is a powerful 210 BP move factoring STAB and will put a huge, huge dent in almost anything. Close Combat allows me to nab the Steel- and Rock-types that resist Facade, while Crunch is reserved for Ghosts since a super-effective Crunch is still outdamaged by a neutral Facade. And if the opponent is foolish enough to let me set up Swords Dance, bear-ly anything can stand up to Ursaring's power (see what I did there, again?). Ursaring's bulk is also good enough to be only 2HKO-ed by the standard Swellow, while I OHKO back.
Rounding Up
Thanks for taking the time to read and rate, your efforts are appreciated. Thank you again, have a nice day, and remember to never underestimate the Dark Horses of NU.
Credits to ium, WhiteDMist and Raseri for helping me rethink my team! (more to come, perhaps?)
