The Elements: My NU RMT

[TheMantyke]

Hola cherry colas.

With an NU tier finally released, I decided to take it up and try my best at it. With NU being the first alternate metagame I’d played sense July, I was worried about how well I would perform. However, after 2 mediocre teams, I’ve been absolutely astonished with this one. This team has me on the biggest winning streak I’ve ever had. With this team, I have a record of 20-2. Considering I think of myself as a mediocre battler who usually has a 50:50 win-loose record, that is insane. I’ve come to you people today to help me solidify any cracks in my teams. Please help me get this team in prime shape!

For the record, this team is called “The Elements” because I’ve named all of my pokemon after elements I think represent them well. Enjoy them.

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“Hydrargyrum” Bibarel
Leftovers
Unawarwe
Careful
252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpDef
-Taunt
-Super Fang
-Stealth Rock
-Waterfall

Bibarel makes for an amazing lead and can usually set down Stealth Rocks with ease. To complement that, he shuts down stat boosting and Entry hazard leads with Taunt. Super Fang can cripple sturdier leads and can help set up Bibarel’s team mates later in the game. Waterfall is my obligatory STAB move for the ideal coverage with Super Fang.

Bibarel is named Hydrargyrum due to their natural similarities. There both weird-ass liquid things that defy what you expect.

“Xenon” Venomoth
Choice Specs
Tinted Lens
Timid
252 SpAtk / 252 Speed / 6 HP
-Bug Buzz
-Sludge Bomb
-Psychic
-Toxic Spikes

Venomoth’s sweeping abilities are so fantastic that I can honestly never recall using any other move beyond Bug Buzz. Venomoth provides my team with an emergency fighting resistance and a strong Special Attacker who can hit hard right off the bat. He also doubles as an odd Revenge Killer thanks to his speed (he is the second fastest member of my team after all). I really don’t think I need to explain the other move here; Tinted lens is so amazing that Bug Buzz is all I really need. However, Sleep Powder has been tossed out for Toxic Spikes since Tangrowth is already sleeping things and Tspikes can absolutely RUIN whole teams in NU.

Venomoth is named Xenon since they can both Daze, Confuse, and Kill you.

“Ferrum” Rhydon
Choice Band
Rock Head
Adamant
252 Atk / 112 Speed / 146 HP
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Megahorn
-Ice Punch

Rhydon is my team’s hard hitting physical mad man and has never disappointed me. Unlike Golem, Rhydon has Megahorn to work with and a Higher Attack score to allow me to deal out deadly hits when I need them. Speed EVs on Rhydon may seem odd, but they’re vital to Rhydons success. With them, I can outspeed base 50 pokemon that would normally force me to switch. Noticeable pokemon in this category include Slowking and Tangrowth. Ice Punch is an odd option considering most everything in NU is hit harder by one of my other moves, but it's the only thing I can hit flyers with while maintaining 100% accuracy (It also helps Vs Gligar but I've seen very few of them so far).

Rhydon is name Ferrum due to his natural toughness and awesomeness. The sheer might of earth itself dwells within both of them.

“Oxygen” Regice
Leftovers
Clear Body
Bold
252 HP / 252 Def / 6 SpDef
-Ice Beam
-Charge Beam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk

Here it is. Regice. The NU equivilant of Blissey. However, unlike blissey, Regice can actually be useful at times. Charge beam and the RestTalk combo allow Regice to be an impectable tank which can actually end up sweeping teams. Beyond that though, Regice seems like the weakest member of the team I have. He synthesizes with Tangrowth rather well, but beyond that, he just seems a bit out of place.

Regice is named Oxygen due to Oxygen being an Ingredient in normal Ice and Dry Ice. Feel free to suggest alternative names as well.

“Carbon” Tangrowth
Leftovers
Leaf Guard
Impish
252 HP / 228 Def / 28 Speed
-Power Whip
-Sleep Powder
-Synthesis
-Reflect

Oh, Tangrowth. You can actually support the team with your moves and make for an awesome tank. I know my set is odd, but everything has it’s explanation. Power Whip and Sleep Powder are standard Tangrowth walling tools so we’ll skip these. Synthesis is there due to the lack of weather so far in NU. I’ve seen a single Snover and a Single Hippopotas and that’s it Tangrowth’s defense is sent to the moon with Reflect and it provides useful support for my final and most crucial member of my team…

Tangrowth is name Carbon due to what both create. Carbon forms the building blocks of life and Tangrowth forms the backbone of my support.


And now, the grand poo-bah and center piece of my team

“Plumbum” Entei
Leftovers
Pressure
Timid
132 HP / 126 SpAtk / 252 Speed
-Substitute
-Calm Mind
-Flamethrower
-Hidden Power Grass

Forget Choice Specs. Screw Choice Scarf Eruption. Throw out Mixed attacking. This is NU-Entei at his finest. This Entei acts just like Raikou does. Simply Set up your substitute, Calm Mind up, and sweep. Since I’m already boosting up with Calm Mind, Special Attack has been sacrificed for the boost in speed with Timid and 101 subs (This way I can beat out Hypno and Dusclops). It’s nice to finally see Entei get a chance to shine after he’s deserved it for almost 10 years.

Entei is named Plumbum because both are lethal in even small doses.

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Fire away as best you can. I’m open to any and all suggestions to perfect this team.

 

[mtr]

Thunder Wave over Thunderbolt on Regice. Paralysis helps a lot, no matter what tier you play in. Plus, is will help Regice synergize better with the rest of your team rather than working in isolation.

 

[Joatmon]

Consider Charge Beam on Regice, seeing as with ResTalk you may be staying in for a while, and having a boost to your Ice Beams is pretty useful.

Looks solid, mind if I try it out?

 

[TheMantyke]

Okay, I think I'll tamper with Regice a tad later today. mtr12: I'm really hesitant about using Thunder Wave as my lone stalling option. If I do, something that doesn't mind a speed drop can just start setting up on Regice (NP Slwking and BP Hypno in particular).

So, I'm going to try testing Charge Beam first on Regice and then Toxic in replace of Thunderbolt. Thanks for the advice from both of you.

Joatmon: Go ahead, I'd be flattered :)

 

[wildfire393]

It seems to me that your team might be Belly Drum Linoone Weak. A Linoone running Return + Seed Bomb seems like he can probably outspeed and OHKO every member of your team. Let me run the calcs real quick.

Adamant, 252 Attack, +6 Linoone's Return Versus:
6 HP/0 Def Venomoth - 260%-307%
252/252 Bold Regice - 97-113% - Guaranteed OHKO with Stealth Rock
252/228 Impish Tangrowth - 75-89% - Chance of OHKO with Steath Rock
136/0 Entei - 137-162% - Guaranteed OHKO

+6 Linoone's Seed Bomb versus 146/0 Rhydon - 225-265% - Guaranteed OHKO

+0 Linoone's Seed Bomb versus 252/160 Careful Bibarel - 40-46%

So Tangrowth has a chance of surviving one hit, and can hit back with a Power Whip on 4/0 Neutral Linoone for 60-70%, 85% of the time.
Bibarel can survive two hits, and his Waterfall does 35-40%, not enough to OHKO a 50% HP Linoone, often even with SR.

So basically, if any member of their team can bring Bibarel into 2HKO range (which only requires 20% damage with Rocks on the field) and they can do 12.5% to Tangrowth, or if they can set up 1 layer of Spikes + Stealth Rock, Linoone can sweep your entire team, hands down.

 

[Lemmiwinks MkII]

It seems to me that your team might be Belly Drum Linoone Weak. A Linoone running Return + Seed Bomb seems like he can probably outspeed and OHKO every member of your team. Let me run the calcs real quick.

Adamant, 252 Attack, +6 Linoone's Return Versus:
6 HP/0 Def Venomoth - 260%-307%
252/252 Bold Regice - 97-113% - Guaranteed OHKO with Stealth Rock
252/228 Impish Tangrowth - 75-89% - Chance of OHKO with Steath Rock
136/0 Entei - 137-162% - Guaranteed OHKO

+6 Linoone's Seed Bomb versus 146/0 Rhydon - 225-265% - Guaranteed OHKO

+0 Linoone's Seed Bomb versus 252/160 Careful Bibarel - 40-46%

So Tangrowth has a chance of surviving one hit, and can hit back with a Power Whip on 4/0 Neutral Linoone for 60-70%, 85% of the time.
Bibarel can survive two hits, and his Waterfall does 35-40%, not enough to OHKO a 50% HP Linoone, often even with SR.

So basically, if any member of their team can bring Bibarel into 2HKO range (which only requires 20% damage with Rocks on the field) and they can do 12.5% to Tangrowth, or if they can set up 1 layer of Spikes + Stealth Rock, Linoone can sweep your entire team, hands down.

What the hell? How can a team with Bibarel and Tangrowth be considered at all Linoone weak? In fact it's probably better than simply throwing in a Steel as this team isn't vulnerable to a Magneton + Screens / Memento Pokemon + Linoone strategy. Plus your argument is really grasping at straws. Linoone will almost never get an absolutely free turn to set up, so it will be taking some damage during Belly Drum. If the opponent manages to go through all the trouble of weakening Bibarel and Tangrowth enough for Linoone to OHKO AND allow it to set up Belly Drum safely, then a sweep is deserved. It is certainly not invited by this team in any shape or form however.

Anyway, this team looks rather solid 'Tyke, but I am a little concerned about the SR weak, with three Pokes weak to it. Bibarel isn't fast enough to prevent all SR users from laying tham down turn one, and there's still other opportunities later in the match. Hypno over Regice might actually be a good idea for both Wish support and the Fighting / Psychic resistances that can stop Medicham from tearing your team a new one. That and it would ease the SR weakness a little bit. Other than that I don't have much to add, but consider Ice Punch over Sleep Talk on Rhydon for a clean OHKO on Gligar, who otherwise walls you. STalk + Choice gives your opponent a free setup turn for anything if you kill something, and you may not be able to afford that.

 

[TheMantyke]

Okay, after a few test matches, I've settled that Regice should probably stay on the team with Charge Beam replacing Thunderbolt. Regice makes a much nicer addition to the team with it as he can now tank instead of just stalling.

About hypno... I don't see what hypno would exactly be doing better then Regice on my team. Regice has a much larger Special Attack stat and his over all defensive capablities are a lot higher. Hypno's BPing skills also seem out of place in this team since my center piece sweeper CM on his own time.

And now Linoone: About 100% of all Linoones I've seen use ExtremeSpeed over Return. With the miniscul ower drop, Tangrowth has (so far) been able to set up his crucial reflect and save the team from disaster. If Linoone however, is Adamant without Extremespeed, Entei can outspeed him and dispose of his remaining HP with a simple Flamethrower.

Lemmiwinks, you're pretty much spot on with the Stealth Rock problem. It's really crippled Entei and Venomoth at times. I might attempt using Sandslash for a few matches to resolve this since switching out Rhydon wouldn't hurt my team too much

So, updates to team:
-Charge Beam now on Regice
-Ice Punch or Rhydon (even though I haven't seen a gligar yet, sleep talk has actually been really useless)
-Tspikes > Sleep Powder on Venomoth

Edit: Whoops, forgot about wish. I might actually try a few matches with Hypno in that case xD

 

[mtr]

Okay, I think I'll tamper with Regice a tad later today. mtr12: I'm really hesitant about using Thunder Wave as my lone stalling option. If I do, something that does mind a speed drop can just start setting up on Regice (NP Slwking and BP Hypno in particular).

So, I'm going to try testing Charge Beam first on Regice and then Toxic in replace of Thunderbolt. Thanks for the advice from both of you.

Joatmon: Go ahead, I'd be flattered :)

The point is not to stall, but to cripple the enemy so you can go for a sweep. But then again, Charge Beam might work for that too.