While never really being a big fan of standard, I quickly took a liking to the UU and NU tiers. I decided to post this team because it is essentially the closest I've gotten to a well balanced, effective team after a while of frustration due to team making. The team is based around an SD sceptile sweep. My support pokemon are supposed to cause as much damage to the opposing team as possible, eventually allowing Sceptile to sweep, and usually Blaziken to clean up. It does have its problems though, which is where you guys come in. I'd like any tips and suggestions on what to remove/add to make the team better.
Overview:
In Depth
Rhyperior@Leftovers
Nature:Adamant
Evs: 136 HP / 244 Atk / 128 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Earthquake
-Rock Blast
-Megahorn
I never liked Rhyperior, mostly because of its plethora of weaknesses and lack of speed coupled with terrible special defense. But I needed something to lead my team off, get up SR and cause as much damage as possible. Stealth Rock is a must on a team based on a Sceptile sweep, and the remaining moves are standard Rhyperior, because they hit hard. I chose rock blast over stone edge to deal with substituters that I might have to deal with later in the game if Rhyperior stays around that long. In short, this guy gets up SR and causes as much damage as possible. When up against obvious taunt leads like Froslass and Ambipom, i usually just Earthquake right off the bat for major damage.
Miltank@Leftovers
Nature:Impish
Ability:Thick Fat
Ev's:252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
-Thunder Wave
-Seismic Toss
-Heal Bell
-Milk Drink
Miltank. One of the most feared, and useful, physical walls in the UU metagame. I chose her for the paralysis support, heal bell and seismic toss which lets me do decent damage to anything, with nothing stopping her like defensive stat ups and resistances. I love having a heal beller on the team because its always a wonderful thing to remove those annoying status conditions. All in all,the paralysis placed on the enemy's sweepers and the status healing for mine make Miltank one of my favorite physically defensive walls.
Slowking@Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Ev's: 212 HP / 44 Def / 252 SpA
-Surf
-Psychic
-Toxic
-Slack off
It was at this point that i need a specially defensive wall. One to back up Miltank's fighting weakness, so I went with another favorite of mine, Slowking. Slowking makes a great switch into the hitmonlees, hitmontops, and other fighting types that threaten Miltank. Psychic 2hko's most fighting types, leaving one less thing for miltank to worry about. It also allows me to hit venusaur on the switch, doing about half before leftovers. Toxic also allows me to slowly weaken annoying walls like Cresselia, Slowbro, and Milotic.
Slowking@Choice Band
Nature:Adamant
Ev's:252 HP/252 Att/4 Def
-Sucker Punch
-Pursuit
-Trick
-Wil 'o Wisp
This is quite a rare Spiritomb set, taking a more offensive approach on a Pokemon widely used for its bulk. This guy is a very good revenge killer, with STAB CB Sucker punch, and a good trapper for Alakazam/Espeon. He also cripples walls with a CB Trick, making those with special moves quite useless for the remainder of the game. And once the band is gone and I can switch moves, its great to spread even more status around in the form of Wil 'O Wisp. The thing I cherish most about this set is the element of surprise, as most people do not see it coming. He, along with my two walls, help weaken the opposing team to set up for my two sweepers to come in.
Sceptile@Leftovers
Nature: Jolly
Ev's: 4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Leaf Blade
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
This is it, the center of this team. Everything that happens in the match leads up to this guy sweeping. All the status spreading, tricking and offensive withering done by my walls and Spiritomb help Sceptile come in and do it's job: Set up and SD and wreck whats left. The moves I chose make sure that I am not walled by Altaria and Arcanine, and provide great type coverage. What I like most about this Pokemon is its great speed, and ability to outrun most of UU/NU, this helps the sweep later game because theres not much you have to worry about being slower than. If I can rid of Swellow and assorted scarfed attackers, Sceptile is looking at an opening to sweep, with nothing remaining to outspeed it.
Blaziken@Life Orb
Nature: Rash
Ev's: 4 Att/252 Special Attack/252 Spe
-Superpower
-Fire Blast
-Hidden Power Grass
-Vacuum Wave
Blaziken's role varies each match, which is quite interesting. While it is mostly late game clean up if Sceptile is not able to pull of a full sweep, it frequently acts as a wall breaker. Able to defeat Clefable, Chansey, Venusaur, Tangrowth, Weezing, Quagsire, Gastrodon, Rhyperior and weakened Slowbro and Milotic with ease.
Closing:
Now that I take a closer look at this team for myself, I realize how much I like using the pokemon within it. But there are a few problems that need to be mentioned:
1.) Sceptile - The Specs set can 2HKO anything on my team with ease, so usually i have to let something take a hit, in order to revenge it after a sp. def drop.
2.)Raikou - If I let it set up a CM, it can defeat most of my team with ease behind a sub. Most of the time the only way to defeat is to send Sceptile in on the sub. This way, he either gets a CM up or uses HP Ice. I can break the sub at the very least but then there goes my physical sweeper.
I need any suggestions for what I can do to remedy these problems.
Overview:
In Depth
Rhyperior@Leftovers
Nature:Adamant
Evs: 136 HP / 244 Atk / 128 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Earthquake
-Rock Blast
-Megahorn
I never liked Rhyperior, mostly because of its plethora of weaknesses and lack of speed coupled with terrible special defense. But I needed something to lead my team off, get up SR and cause as much damage as possible. Stealth Rock is a must on a team based on a Sceptile sweep, and the remaining moves are standard Rhyperior, because they hit hard. I chose rock blast over stone edge to deal with substituters that I might have to deal with later in the game if Rhyperior stays around that long. In short, this guy gets up SR and causes as much damage as possible. When up against obvious taunt leads like Froslass and Ambipom, i usually just Earthquake right off the bat for major damage.
Miltank@Leftovers
Nature:Impish
Ability:Thick Fat
Ev's:252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
-Thunder Wave
-Seismic Toss
-Heal Bell
-Milk Drink
Miltank. One of the most feared, and useful, physical walls in the UU metagame. I chose her for the paralysis support, heal bell and seismic toss which lets me do decent damage to anything, with nothing stopping her like defensive stat ups and resistances. I love having a heal beller on the team because its always a wonderful thing to remove those annoying status conditions. All in all,the paralysis placed on the enemy's sweepers and the status healing for mine make Miltank one of my favorite physically defensive walls.
Slowking@Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Ev's: 212 HP / 44 Def / 252 SpA
-Surf
-Psychic
-Toxic
-Slack off
It was at this point that i need a specially defensive wall. One to back up Miltank's fighting weakness, so I went with another favorite of mine, Slowking. Slowking makes a great switch into the hitmonlees, hitmontops, and other fighting types that threaten Miltank. Psychic 2hko's most fighting types, leaving one less thing for miltank to worry about. It also allows me to hit venusaur on the switch, doing about half before leftovers. Toxic also allows me to slowly weaken annoying walls like Cresselia, Slowbro, and Milotic.
Slowking@Choice Band
Nature:Adamant
Ev's:252 HP/252 Att/4 Def
-Sucker Punch
-Pursuit
-Trick
-Wil 'o Wisp
This is quite a rare Spiritomb set, taking a more offensive approach on a Pokemon widely used for its bulk. This guy is a very good revenge killer, with STAB CB Sucker punch, and a good trapper for Alakazam/Espeon. He also cripples walls with a CB Trick, making those with special moves quite useless for the remainder of the game. And once the band is gone and I can switch moves, its great to spread even more status around in the form of Wil 'O Wisp. The thing I cherish most about this set is the element of surprise, as most people do not see it coming. He, along with my two walls, help weaken the opposing team to set up for my two sweepers to come in.
Sceptile@Leftovers
Nature: Jolly
Ev's: 4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Leaf Blade
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
This is it, the center of this team. Everything that happens in the match leads up to this guy sweeping. All the status spreading, tricking and offensive withering done by my walls and Spiritomb help Sceptile come in and do it's job: Set up and SD and wreck whats left. The moves I chose make sure that I am not walled by Altaria and Arcanine, and provide great type coverage. What I like most about this Pokemon is its great speed, and ability to outrun most of UU/NU, this helps the sweep later game because theres not much you have to worry about being slower than. If I can rid of Swellow and assorted scarfed attackers, Sceptile is looking at an opening to sweep, with nothing remaining to outspeed it.
Blaziken@Life Orb
Nature: Rash
Ev's: 4 Att/252 Special Attack/252 Spe
-Superpower
-Fire Blast
-Hidden Power Grass
-Vacuum Wave
Blaziken's role varies each match, which is quite interesting. While it is mostly late game clean up if Sceptile is not able to pull of a full sweep, it frequently acts as a wall breaker. Able to defeat Clefable, Chansey, Venusaur, Tangrowth, Weezing, Quagsire, Gastrodon, Rhyperior and weakened Slowbro and Milotic with ease.
Closing:
Now that I take a closer look at this team for myself, I realize how much I like using the pokemon within it. But there are a few problems that need to be mentioned:
1.) Sceptile - The Specs set can 2HKO anything on my team with ease, so usually i have to let something take a hit, in order to revenge it after a sp. def drop.
2.)Raikou - If I let it set up a CM, it can defeat most of my team with ease behind a sub. Most of the time the only way to defeat is to send Sceptile in on the sub. This way, he either gets a CM up or uses HP Ice. I can break the sub at the very least but then there goes my physical sweeper.
I need any suggestions for what I can do to remedy these problems.
