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Little Cup Leaderboard
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1. ICE-EYES (1,584.51)
This team was created to test and abuse sweepers which are more viable in the post-Misdreavus metagame, pokemon that were countered or simply outclassed by the sadistic little fiend. It's evolved to become the most successful Little Cup team I've used, reaching #1 on the ladder - to celebrate this, I'm (re)posting it in its latest incarnation.
With the '2 Ghosts, 1 Cup' metagame now ended, one of my favourite Little Cup sweepers has become viable again - Choice Scarf Machop. Ghosts are pretty much the only safe switch-ins to ScarfChop. Frail Gastly is now the only really common Ghost and many LC teams don't even carry any incorporeal DynamicPunch absorbers. It's relatively easy to set up for a Chop sweep in this environment, and that's what the team is built around doing.
So, without further ado, let's take a look:
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Snover @ Focus Sash
Snow Warning
Naïve (+Spe, -SpD)
36 HP/180 Atk/36 Def/180 SpA/36 SpD/36 Spe
Blizzard
Energy Ball
Ice Shard
Protect
Focus Sash Snover is one of the best and most reliable Little Cup leads I have used. Sash allows it to beat many common leads – things like Kabuto would usually expect to OHKO with super-effective STAB but instead they lose to Snover’s power plus Hail. The Hail damage is actually a benefit to this team – at worst, I’m hurt no more than they are, while at best the damage can help Machop bludgeon its way through its counters.
If Snover comes up against a lead that it forces out or doesn’t have to sacrifice itself in order to beat, it can return later. With its Sash intact, it can stop almost any sweep and even without it Ice Shard is a useful revenge-killing tool and helps take out Gligar. Protect helps against Fake Out leads. I would have liked to fit Hidden Power Fire or Ground somewhere, because I’m walled at present by Fire and Steel-types, but I think all the moves I have are necessary. I’ve also considered changing Energy Ball to Seed Bomb in order to hit Munchlax harder. Suggestions are welcome.
Gligar @ Oran Berry
Sand Veil
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
236 Atk/236 Spe
Earthquake
Aqua Tail / Stone Edge
Stealth Rock
Roost
Since I don’t have a lead that can set up Rocks, having another pokemon that can do so is paramount and Gligar fits the bill. However, the typical bulky Gligar doesn’t really suit me – I wanted a flying scorpion that could force switches and keep pace with the fastest Little Cup pokes. As such, this Gligar plays a little bit differently – it uses pace and power to force switches, rather than its bulk, and that gives it opportunities to Rock up or Roost. The second attack slot is a tough choice. Aqua Tail helps hit Phanpy, Hippopotas, other Gligar, but those are already dealt with nicely by Snover and AT doesn’t quite have the coverage of Stone Edge. Things like Mantine can easily set up and, under the right conditions, will race through my team. Thoughts?
Munchlax @ Oran Berry
Thick Fat
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
36 HP/236 Atk/236 SpD
Return
Earthquake
Fire Punch
Pursuit
Munchlax is similar to Gligar in that it’s a bulky pokemon with a very offensive set. Lax is very useful because it provides some special bulk to my team, switching into attacks my other pokes can’t take on. It also resists Gligar’s Ice weakness quite nicely. However, with Misdreavus gone, Munchlax serves another purpose extremely efficiently. There are no more double-Ghost strategies, so it is free to Pursuit all the Gastlies it wants – especially those Scarf ones that are everywhere at the moment because of Dragon Dance Dratini. With the opponent’s Ghost gone, things get a lot easier for the rest of my team.
The EVs provide Lax with maximum attack power as well as as much special bulk as possible. It can, for example, eat Life Orb Omanyte’s Rain-boosted STAB Hydro Pump and live to tell the tale. If Snover is down, I lack a Water resist and Munchlax is the best recourse in the face of something like Mantyke or Chinchou.
Gastly @ Life Orb
Levitate
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
36 Def/196 SpA/76 SpD/196 Spe
Shadow Ball
Sludge Bomb
Hypnosis
Substitute
I love this Gastly. I understand that Scarf Gastly is an excellent revenge-killer and sweeper, but this set plays a different role. With the number of Choiced Fighting-types around right now, Gastly can thrive – most players will dive straight for Munchlax or something, especially if they fear Scarf. Once that happens, Gastly is almost guaranteed a free kill. Hypnosis is incredibly good – while Sucker Punch is useful for revenge-killing opposing Ghosts, I find it helps Gastly’s rampage if it gets to incapacitate any Munchlax, Croagunk or Stunky that attempt to Sucker Punch Gastly’s Sub.
In addition to its great spead of immunities and resistances, Gastly helps support the team tactically. One potential revenge-killer is Scarf Gastly – once it's locked into Shadow Ball Munchlax gleefully comes in to Pursuit.
Mankey @ Choice Scarf
Vital Spirit
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
36 HP/236 Atk/236 Spe
Close Combat
U-Turn
Ice Punch
Punishment
Mankey is an excellent revenge killer. Outpacing most regular Choice Scarf users, it checks many important threats to cover. More than that, it’s a useful scout – U-Turning off incoming Gastly into Munchlax is a common play, and a devastating one. Mankey helps the team maintain momentum, and can even clean up a weakened team late-game with powerful Close Combats. Ice Punch hammers Gligar, while Punishment can let Mankey revenge-kill Ghosts if it’s really necessary.
Machop @ Choice Scarf
No Guard
Jolly (+Atk, -Spe)
36 HP/196 Atk/36 Def/236 Spe
DynamicPunch
Payback
Ice Punch
Bullet Punch
Choice Scarf Machop is my favourite Little Cup sweeper and it’s one of the most effective. It’s bulky as well as hitting hard and fast – it outspeeds all non-Scarfers and takes priority with ease. Banning Misdreavus, while entirely justified, has left the metagame without a bulky and versatile Ghost. Once the opponent’s Ghastly (or Duskull) is out of the way, Machop tears through almost anything. DynamicPunch’s confusion makes it incredibly difficult for anything slower to kill it. Payback even lets it eliminate those irritating Ghost-types itself, should Machop need to be brought out in the early game. Ice Punch can clear Gligar out. Bullet Punch is priority, that staple of Little Cup - allowing Machop to take down slower priority abusers and finish weakened Scarfers and Dratini. It’s especially important because the team as a whole lacks priority.
Little Cup Leaderboard
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1. ICE-EYES (1,584.51)
This team was created to test and abuse sweepers which are more viable in the post-Misdreavus metagame, pokemon that were countered or simply outclassed by the sadistic little fiend. It's evolved to become the most successful Little Cup team I've used, reaching #1 on the ladder - to celebrate this, I'm (re)posting it in its latest incarnation.
With the '2 Ghosts, 1 Cup' metagame now ended, one of my favourite Little Cup sweepers has become viable again - Choice Scarf Machop. Ghosts are pretty much the only safe switch-ins to ScarfChop. Frail Gastly is now the only really common Ghost and many LC teams don't even carry any incorporeal DynamicPunch absorbers. It's relatively easy to set up for a Chop sweep in this environment, and that's what the team is built around doing.
So, without further ado, let's take a look:
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snover @ Focus Sash
Snow Warning
Naïve (+Spe, -SpD)
36 HP/180 Atk/36 Def/180 SpA/36 SpD/36 Spe
Blizzard
Energy Ball
Ice Shard
Protect
Focus Sash Snover is one of the best and most reliable Little Cup leads I have used. Sash allows it to beat many common leads – things like Kabuto would usually expect to OHKO with super-effective STAB but instead they lose to Snover’s power plus Hail. The Hail damage is actually a benefit to this team – at worst, I’m hurt no more than they are, while at best the damage can help Machop bludgeon its way through its counters.
If Snover comes up against a lead that it forces out or doesn’t have to sacrifice itself in order to beat, it can return later. With its Sash intact, it can stop almost any sweep and even without it Ice Shard is a useful revenge-killing tool and helps take out Gligar. Protect helps against Fake Out leads. I would have liked to fit Hidden Power Fire or Ground somewhere, because I’m walled at present by Fire and Steel-types, but I think all the moves I have are necessary. I’ve also considered changing Energy Ball to Seed Bomb in order to hit Munchlax harder. Suggestions are welcome.
Gligar @ Oran Berry
Sand Veil
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
236 Atk/236 Spe
Earthquake
Aqua Tail / Stone Edge
Stealth Rock
Roost
Since I don’t have a lead that can set up Rocks, having another pokemon that can do so is paramount and Gligar fits the bill. However, the typical bulky Gligar doesn’t really suit me – I wanted a flying scorpion that could force switches and keep pace with the fastest Little Cup pokes. As such, this Gligar plays a little bit differently – it uses pace and power to force switches, rather than its bulk, and that gives it opportunities to Rock up or Roost. The second attack slot is a tough choice. Aqua Tail helps hit Phanpy, Hippopotas, other Gligar, but those are already dealt with nicely by Snover and AT doesn’t quite have the coverage of Stone Edge. Things like Mantine can easily set up and, under the right conditions, will race through my team. Thoughts?
Munchlax @ Oran Berry
Thick Fat
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
36 HP/236 Atk/236 SpD
Return
Earthquake
Fire Punch
Pursuit
Munchlax is similar to Gligar in that it’s a bulky pokemon with a very offensive set. Lax is very useful because it provides some special bulk to my team, switching into attacks my other pokes can’t take on. It also resists Gligar’s Ice weakness quite nicely. However, with Misdreavus gone, Munchlax serves another purpose extremely efficiently. There are no more double-Ghost strategies, so it is free to Pursuit all the Gastlies it wants – especially those Scarf ones that are everywhere at the moment because of Dragon Dance Dratini. With the opponent’s Ghost gone, things get a lot easier for the rest of my team.
The EVs provide Lax with maximum attack power as well as as much special bulk as possible. It can, for example, eat Life Orb Omanyte’s Rain-boosted STAB Hydro Pump and live to tell the tale. If Snover is down, I lack a Water resist and Munchlax is the best recourse in the face of something like Mantyke or Chinchou.
Gastly @ Life Orb
Levitate
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
36 Def/196 SpA/76 SpD/196 Spe
Shadow Ball
Sludge Bomb
Hypnosis
Substitute
I love this Gastly. I understand that Scarf Gastly is an excellent revenge-killer and sweeper, but this set plays a different role. With the number of Choiced Fighting-types around right now, Gastly can thrive – most players will dive straight for Munchlax or something, especially if they fear Scarf. Once that happens, Gastly is almost guaranteed a free kill. Hypnosis is incredibly good – while Sucker Punch is useful for revenge-killing opposing Ghosts, I find it helps Gastly’s rampage if it gets to incapacitate any Munchlax, Croagunk or Stunky that attempt to Sucker Punch Gastly’s Sub.
In addition to its great spead of immunities and resistances, Gastly helps support the team tactically. One potential revenge-killer is Scarf Gastly – once it's locked into Shadow Ball Munchlax gleefully comes in to Pursuit.
Mankey @ Choice Scarf
Vital Spirit
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
36 HP/236 Atk/236 Spe
Close Combat
U-Turn
Ice Punch
Punishment
Mankey is an excellent revenge killer. Outpacing most regular Choice Scarf users, it checks many important threats to cover. More than that, it’s a useful scout – U-Turning off incoming Gastly into Munchlax is a common play, and a devastating one. Mankey helps the team maintain momentum, and can even clean up a weakened team late-game with powerful Close Combats. Ice Punch hammers Gligar, while Punishment can let Mankey revenge-kill Ghosts if it’s really necessary.
Machop @ Choice Scarf
No Guard
Jolly (+Atk, -Spe)
36 HP/196 Atk/36 Def/236 Spe
DynamicPunch
Payback
Ice Punch
Bullet Punch
Choice Scarf Machop is my favourite Little Cup sweeper and it’s one of the most effective. It’s bulky as well as hitting hard and fast – it outspeeds all non-Scarfers and takes priority with ease. Banning Misdreavus, while entirely justified, has left the metagame without a bulky and versatile Ghost. Once the opponent’s Ghastly (or Duskull) is out of the way, Machop tears through almost anything. DynamicPunch’s confusion makes it incredibly difficult for anything slower to kill it. Payback even lets it eliminate those irritating Ghost-types itself, should Machop need to be brought out in the early game. Ice Punch can clear Gligar out. Bullet Punch is priority, that staple of Little Cup - allowing Machop to take down slower priority abusers and finish weakened Scarfers and Dratini. It’s especially important because the team as a whole lacks priority.
