The King Crab (NU RMT)

[Othesemo]

Hello smogon, and welcome to my second RMT on these boards! I don’t have much to say by way of introduction, to be honest, so let’s cut straight to the team.

~Team at a Glance~​

~In Depth~​

Electabuzz @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 74 Atk / 252 SAtk / 178 Spd
Nature: Timid (+Spd -Atk)

• Thunderbolt
• Volt Switch
• Hidden Power [Ice]
• Fire Punch

Electabuzz functions as the dedicated revenge killer of the team- the set is a bit weird, so bear with me. 178 speed EVs and a timid nature ensure that I’m able to outspeed base 95 speed scarfers (notably, Primeape and Jynx- Sawsbuck and Haunter too, I suppose). Now, you may be wondering why on earth I have EVs in attack, and a hindering nature. The answer is as follows- I hate Jynx. Almost without a doubt, it is the most frustrating mon in NU right now. And Electabuzz is my dedicated counter to her- he’s immune to Lovely Kiss, doesn’t care if he gets tricked a scarf, and can OHKO her with no prior damage ~60% of the time with Fire Punch. If there are any hazards at all on the field, it’s guaranteed. Given how many teams are using that annoying sleep lead Jynx right now, Buzz pulls his weight. Besides, Focus Blast is nigh useless, and being locked into a move with 70% accuracy is just asking for trouble.

Possible changes: One downside of losing those 74 EVs in speed is that I no longer outspeed +1 Charizard. It doesn’t come up terribly often, but given how monstrously powerful it is, I have been considering using the standard EV spread and just contenting myself with a 6% chance to OHKO Jynx without prior damage. I suppose I could also use Hasty or Naive, but I’m a bit concerned about subtracting from his already mediocre bulk.​

Kingler @ Life Orb
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 208 Spd / 252 Atk / 48 HP
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)

• Agility
• Swords Dance
• Crabhammer
• Return

Kingler is one of those mons that almost nobody uses, and you kinda wonder why. With an attack stat higher than Sawk’s and access to Agility to patch up its mediocre speed, it stands a good chance of sweeping most unprepared teams. It also boasts a superb defense stat, letting it set up on a fair number of physical attackers (Scolipede and Primeape are both outsped and KOed by Crabhammer after an agility, and generally can’t do more than ~60% to the crab as he sets up). His main use on this team is smashing through the Rock/Steel types which force out Swellow, clearing the way for a late game sweep. It’s not uncommon for him to just blast his way through a team on his own, though.

The EV spread is chosen to outspeed base 95 scarfers (so, most scarfers). Fortunately, I seem to be the only one who uses Scarf Electabuzz, so going faster than that is unnecessary- scarfed Zebstrika is pitifully weak, and generally can’t hope to do much more than postponing my sweep.

Possible changes: Given the number of frail offensive teams which flood the ladder right now, I almost never need to bother with a Swords Dance. I’m considering replacing it with X-Scissor for moderately better coverage, or just throwing on Toxic as a ‘fuck you’ to Tangela and Alomomola. Kingler’s got a fairly barren movepool, though, so I’m not sure if there’s much else to be done.​

Swellow @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Nature: Jolly (+Spe -SAtk)

• Brave Bird
• Facade
• U-turn
• Roost

I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never really liked Swellow. By disposition, I’m a stally kinda guy, so a mon thats weak to stealth rock and lives on a timer doesn’t usually appeal to me. This team’s a good bit more offensive than a lot of what I’ve done before, though, so I decided to give him a spin, and I am not looking back. STAB Guts Facade is notoriously powerful, and that ridiculous speed makes him a superb late game cleaner.

Perhaps most importantly, this guy has excellent synergy with Electabuzz. Buzz can take on the scarfed electrics (and electrode, I guess) which threaten to take out Swellow- meanwhile, Swellow boasts an immunity to the ground attacks which plague Electabuzz, and a timely Volt Switch can get Electabuzz out of a dangerous matchup, bring Swellow in for free, and activate his status orb. U-Turn completes the pseudo-VoltTurn core.

The only difference you’ll see between this and the main set is the use of Flame Orb and Roost over Toxic Orb and Protect. Swellow’s greatest weakness is how easy it is to wear down, as well as a vulnerability to priority- Roost lets me turn those copious turns of Protect and Sucker Punch into a greatly needed boost to Swellow’s longevity. Besides, Swellow’s so fast that losing Quick Attack doesn’t really matter, and since I usually switch in Swellow from Electabuzz’s Volt Switch, Protect wouldn’t be terribly useful.

Possible Changes: Swellow doesn’t really have that much else available, to be honest. This set does everything a Swellow should, with the added advantage of being able to mess with the most common strategy for dealing with him (protect spam).​

Piloswine @ Eviolite
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)

• Earthquake
• Ice Shard
• Stealth Rock
• Icicle Spear

I tried a few rock setters, and I always end up coming back to Piloswine. Bulky as hell, and a nice 100 Attack to ward off anybody who thinks they can lead with something silly like SS Carracosta and expect a clean sweep. Icicle spear also takes out Ninjask leads, which is always nice. Besides, having a ground type is useful for dealing with other VoltSwitchers, although I honestly haven’t seen too many running around on the ladder.

Possible Changes: Sadly, the snow pig does become a bit of a dead weight after the first few turns. I’m considering outright replacing it with something like Golem that can fulfill the same basic function of blocking electrics, setting up rocks and destroying Ninjask, while maintaining a bit of late game utility.​

Muk @ Black Sludge
Trait: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Nature: Careful (+SDef -SAtk)

• Brick Break
• Curse
• Poison Jab
• Shadow Sneak

People consistently underestimate what an excellent special wall Muk makes- it’s got better bulk than Lickilicky, and while it can’t support the team through Heal Bell and Wish, it makes up for it offensive presence. It’s also one of the best ways to handle Ludicolo, being perfectly capable of tanking a Rain Boosted Hydro Pump and retaliating with Poison Jab+Shadow Sneak, which has a solid chance of KOing at full health- if the Ludicolo has a Life Orb, it’s guaranteed.

Curse patches up its mediocre physical defense, and generally makes it a pain in the ass to take down. Also, fun fact- at full health, Muk actually has a decent chance of beating most Psychics 1 on 1- with rocks on the field, Jynx is almost always KOd by Shadow Sneak, and can only 3HKO with psychic (the mono attacking ones can forget about it), and Gardevoir can only 2HKO with a Life Orb boosted Psychic, being taken out by two shadow sneaks and a round of LO recoil.

Muk doesn’t really have much of a chance of sweeping, but it’s great at wearing down the opposing team, and Poison Touch+Poison Jab has a solid chance of poisoning whatever’s on the receiving end, which can seriously screw with most walls (and switch ins).

Possible Changes: A choice band set would be an option, making up for the lack of staying power with great offenses right off the bat. At +1, Muk can do a fair amount of damage to most of the special threats in the tier, and it would certainly improve his ability to function as a bulky revenge killer.​

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Trait: Early Bird
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SAtk / 200 Spd
Nature: Naive (+Spd -SDef

• Leaf Storm
• Dark Pulse
• Focus Blast
• Explosion

I originally had Lickilicky here, and I have no idea why. Serious momentum drain. Anyways, Shiftry synergizes wonderfully with Muk, always being on hand to take the Psychic and Ground attacks aimed at the blob-thing, and retaliate with its Dark and Grass STABs, respectively. His mere presence on the team also causes a few strange plays (Like a Gardevoir going for signal beam on Muk), which is always nice. A quadruple weakness to U-Turn does suck, especially with Primeape running rampant, but he does usually guarantee a KO when he comes in. In theory, Explosion is for nabbing surprise KOs- it doesn’t come up too often, though.

Possible Changes: No idea, to be honest. In a lot of matches, this guy doesn’t even make an appearance. I’m happy to try out pretty much any suggestion for a replacement, or change in moveset.
​

Notable Threats

Rain

Thank god rain is as rare on the ladder as it is- in particular, self-setting Seismitoad walks all over my team. If it doesn’t have Sludge Wave, I can just threaten it out with Shiftry, but if it does, I can’t do much of anything besides trying to stall out the rain with Muk.
​

Baton Pass

Even with Piloswine, full Baton Pass teams account for about half of my losses with this team. Since I don’t have anything that can phaze (or haze or taunt), Icicle Spear is pretty much my only hope for taking out Ninjask, and if the opponent is smart and manages to take out my piloswine, I’m pretty much sunk.​

Riolu

It’s worth mentioning that I’ve got no way of handling this guy once his chain starts going. Haven’t seen one yet, but it’s something to be aware of.​

Conclusion​

This has been one of my most successful teams yet, netting me a solid 4:1 win ratio. Starting to hang out around the NU subforum has been incredibly helpful, and I’d like to extend my thanks to all of the posters there. I hope you enjoyed my RMT, and feel free to post any comments you have.

Importable

Electabuzz @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 74 Atk / 252 SAtk / 178 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Fire Punch

Kingler @ Life Orb
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 208 Spd / 252 Atk / 48 HP
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Swords Dance
- Crabhammer
- Return

Swellow @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Facade
- U-turn
- Roost

Piloswine @ Eviolite
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
- Icicle Spear

Muk @ Black Sludge
Trait: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Careful Nature
- Brick Break
- Curse
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Trait: Early Bird
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SAtk / 200 Spd
Naive Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast
- Explosion

 

[ium]

i'd also say that fighting-types can be a little tricky since muk is your only resistant pokemon and may risk a 2HKO from a coverage move, such as earthquake. i don't really see the point of shiftry on this team, so maybe using misdreavus will help give you a reliable answer to primeape and sawk throughout most of a match until they are manageable. misdreavus is also nice in that it gives you a normal and ground immunity, two things that will make certain threats like zangoose, golurk, or torterra slightly easier to handle.

electabuzz's set is also a bit odd, so you may as well go max speed so that it helps outspeed the occasional choice scarf charizard. i also do not see why you absolutely need fire punch solely for jynx; between stealth rock, priority on muk (to a lesser extent, piloswine too), and a potential agility boost from kingler, jynx already struggles a bit against your team. it's also quite risky to switch electabuzz in on jynx, because not many of them necessarily need to go straight for the lovely kiss. just use focus blast instead, since it's really helpful to break through stuff piloswine with much more ease, and may help other members like swellow or muk as a result.

swellow should also use quick attack over roost. while roost seems good, swellow will most likely take a hard hit from anything given its frailty. it's very situational and pretty much only helps against audino, which you can hit hard or take advantage of with muk. quick attack provides more utility in being able to pick off choice scarf or boosted pokemon, or beating other priority users to the punch. this is very important given how your team is offensively oriented. quick attack will also help you disrupt riolu, since you claim that you have trouble facing them.

lastly, kingler may want to use x-scissor over return, unless you really hate altaria. x-scissor also gives superb coverage with crabhammer, and aside from tangela, it allows you to hit bulky psychic-types, like musharna and beheeyem, harder. kingler should also use a jolly nature with max speed because you want to be outspeeding timid ludicolo and seismitoad, which could otherwise threaten you with your current spread. optionally, kingler could use mystic water and substitute over one of the boosting moves if you want to ease prediction and avoid status from certain pokemon. keeping agility would be nice since the metagame is fairly fast-paced and frail, but swords dance will allow you to break through alomomola, so it's up to you.

misdreavus @ eviolite | levitate
bold nature | 232 hp / 252 def / 24 spe
foul play / will-o-wisp / pain split / taunt

 

[Punchshroom]

Electabuzz's spread is actually inefficient, there is no difference between 72 Atk / 74 Atk and 176 Spd / 178 Spd, meaning uou've only used up 504 EVs out of the 508 given.

I agree with ium's Electabuzz, since you have slightly less trouble with Jynx than most teams, seeing as you have Piloswine and Muk's Shadow Sneak to hold her back. One way to fix your Rain and Riolu weakness is to include Sucker Punch over Dark Pulse on Shiftry. This gives you a powerful against Rain sweepers and also disrupts Riolu's chain, at the cost of reliability against bulkier Psychics and Ghosts in Musharna, Misdreavus and support Gardevoir, though Swellow should be able to handle most Misdreavus easily. Good luck!

 

[Othesemo]

i'd also say that fighting-types can be a little tricky since muk is your only resistant pokemon and may risk a 2HKO from a coverage move, such as earthquake. i don't really see the point of shiftry on this team, so maybe using misdreavus will help give you a reliable answer to primeape and sawk throughout most of a match until they are manageable. misdreavus is also nice in that it gives you a normal and ground immunity, two things that will make certain threats like zangoose, golurk, or torterra slightly easier to handle.

Undecided on this one. It helps with Sawk and Golurk, who both give this team some trouble. On the other hand, it doesn't really do much else- spreading burns could be handy, I guess. I'll have to playtest this a bit more before I can really decide either way.

electabuzz's set is also a bit odd, so you may as well go max speed so that it helps outspeed the occasional choice scarf charizard. i also do not see why you absolutely need fire punch solely for jynx; between stealth rock, priority on muk (to a lesser extent, piloswine too), and a potential agility boost from kingler, jynx already struggles a bit against your team. it's also quite risky to switch electabuzz in on jynx, because not many of them necessarily need to go straight for the lovely kiss. just use focus blast instead, since it's really helpful to break through stuff piloswine with much more ease, and may help other members like swellow or muk as a result.

Doesn't make too much of a difference either way- sure. Also has the added advantage of KOing Probopass, who a lot of people like switching into Swellow.

swellow should also use quick attack over roost. while roost seems good, swellow will most likely take a hard hit from anything given its frailty. it's very situational and pretty much only helps against audino, which you can hit hard or take advantage of with muk. quick attack provides more utility in being able to pick off choice scarf or boosted pokemon, or beating other priority users to the punch. this is very important given how your team is offensively oriented. quick attack will also help you disrupt riolu, since you claim that you have trouble facing them.

Tried this out, and I'm not enthusiastic. Without roost, it becomes incredibly easy to stall Swellow out- pretty much anything that carries protect can stop its sweep. While quick attack does have some utility, I think I'm going to stick with Roost for the time being.

lastly, kingler may want to use x-scissor over return, unless you really hate altaria. x-scissor also gives superb coverage with crabhammer, and aside from tangela, it allows you to hit bulky psychic-types, like musharna and beheeyem, harder. kingler should also use a jolly nature with max speed because you want to be outspeeding timid ludicolo and seismitoad, which could otherwise threaten you with your current spread. optionally, kingler could use mystic water and substitute over one of the boosting moves if you want to ease prediction and avoid status from certain pokemon. keeping agility would be nice since the metagame is fairly fast-paced and frail, but swords dance will allow you to break through alomomola, so it's up to you.

Sounds good. The loss in power isn't too noticeable, and the guaranteed 1HKO on ludicolo is handy. Thanks for the rate!

Electabuzz's spread is actually inefficient, there is no difference between 72 Atk / 74 Atk and 176 Spd / 178 Spd, meaning uou've only used up 504 EVs out of the 508 given.

I agree with ium's Electabuzz, since you have slightly less trouble with Jynx than most teams, seeing as you have Piloswine and Muk's Shadow Sneak to hold her back. One way to fix your Rain and Riolu weakness is to include Sucker Punch over Dark Pulse on Shiftry. This gives you a powerful against Rain sweepers and also disrupts Riolu's chain, at the cost of reliability against bulkier Psychics and Ghosts in Musharna, Misdreavus and support Gardevoir, though Swellow should be able to handle most Misdreavus easily. Good luck!

Ah, whoops- dunno how I missed that, thanks. For the time being, I'll try out max speed and see how that goes.

And I'll take your advice on how to deal with Riolu- besides, sucker punch is generally useful, so I think I'll keep it. The inability to hit Grass/Poisons on the switch without killing myself is a bit unfortunate, though. In particular, Roselia is a bit of a pain to deal with. Anyways, thanks for the rate!