Intro: So I'd been waiting for the Suspect ladder to come out, but I got bored of that. I still didn't feel like OU, so I decided to try my hand at an UU weather team. Obviously Sunny Day and Rain Dance are my options, and I decided to go for Sunny Day because A) Rain Dance has been done a million times before. B) Rain Dance teams are overpowered in UU, in my opinion at least. And C) I don't recall facing any really good Sunny Day teams. With my decision made, I set off to try and put together my team. Shortly after, my first problem revealed itself: I didn't know squat about what made a good Sunny Day team, or lead for that matter. My first thought was that Electrode would work fine, but unfortunately, I learned he doesn't get Sunny Day(what the heck). After brushing up on the basics of a Sunny Day team, I put together my first version of the team, and set out for my first battle. It failed miserably. Afterwards I made some changes, and things got better, but still inconsistency plagued my teams. After still more changes, I reached my current team:
Lead:
Muk@Heat Rock
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 52 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 216 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Sunny Day
- Taunt
- Payback
- Explosion
Bet you didn't see that coming. Yes, Muk is the lead of my SD team, and yes, those are his EVs. Muk is replacing Weezing, who did the exact same thing as Muk, except Muk has Sticky Hold and much better SDef, meaning I get off SD more often. The Speed hits 209, outspeeding Min Speed Articuno by 3 points. Taunt stops walls in their tracks, and keeps SR off the field. Payback 2HKOs all ghosts who might suspect an Explosion. Heat Rock gives me a wonderful 8 turns to wreak havoc, and Explosion is used right after SD, doing big damage as well as giving one of my sweepers a free switch.
Why Muk? He's sturdy, and he's unexpected. The speed catches a lot of leads off guard, especially leading Nidoqueen that think I'll be set up fodder. Many other leads are simply unable to 2HKO him, meaning I get a SD and Explosion of. Faster Lopunny get shut down by Taunt.
Why not other leads?
Persian: Tested him, and he was able to reliable set up the sun, but the problem was that he didn't do much damage, and his fast U-Turn made it hard to gift my frail sweepers with free switch-ins.
Jumpluff: Considered him, but he doesn't outspeed Persian, and when enemy Persian see him, the red flag goes up and he gets Taunted right away.
Sun Abusers:
Shiftry@Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 136 Atk / 120 Spe / 252 SAtk
Nature: Rash
- Solarbeam
- HP Fire
- Explosion
- Sunny Day
My first sweeper, Shiftry. EVs hit 450 Speed in the sun, outspeeding neutral natured Base 100 pokes holding Choice Scarf. Solarbeam, boosted by STAB and Life Orb, is massively powerful. HP Fire is boosted by the sun, and provides good coverage, nailing Grass and Steel types. Explosion is to take down the first poke I come across that I won't be able to kill otherwise. I opted for Sunny Day over Dark Pulse because Hypno and Grumpig are not OHKO'ed, and would just T-Wave me, ending my sweep. A fourth Sunny Day may not seem necessary, but it has proven extremely helpful to have a back up SD, not to mention that it keeps me from ever running out of SD'ers.
Victreebel@Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Leaf Blade
- Return
- Swords Dance
- Sleep Power
My second Chlorophyll sweeper, Victreebel. With Shiftry as a special sweeper, I opted to focus on Victreebel's Attack. Speed is 217, outspeeding neutral Base 95 pokes with Choice Scarf under the sun. I used to run Sucker Punch over Return and HP Fire over Swords Dance, however I decided to test the current set, and the results are simply fantastic. I had previously thought he didn't have time to SD up, but with Sleep Powder, I now have the free turn needed to grab my boost and sweep. Leaf Blade is a powerful STAB move, and paired with Return has wonderful coverage in UU. After a SD, he 2HKO's pretty much everything in UU.
Back up Sunny Day users:
Rapidash@Heat Rock
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SAtk
Nature: Timid
- Fire Blast
- Solarbeam
- HP Ice
- Sunny Day
Rapidash is a severely underrated poke, and has been finding itself on a number of my teams recently, for good reason. Rapidash's blistering pace allows it to not only get off a quick, 8 turn Sunny Day for me, but also lets it turn into a powerful Sweeper. Sun boosted Fire Blasts put the hurt on a number of pokes, and Solarbeam deals with Water types. HP Ice is for Altaria, who is a very large nuisance for my other two Sweepers. Flash Fire provides a much needed Fire resist, as otherwise Fire types attacks would be very hard for this team to deal with. A Flash Fired, Sunny Day boosted Fire Blast 2HKO's any Clefable. Rapidash's speed has proven to be very helpful, as my other two sweepers require Sun support to do much, but Rapidash is able to be a threat even without it.
Claydol@Heat Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 56 SDef
Nature: Impish
- Stealth Rock
- Sunny Day
- Explosion
- Ice Beam
Claydol is my final Sunny Day user, and like Weezing, often Explodes after using it to give my sweepers another round of fun in the sun. Stealth Rock is helpful but not a priority, so I only use if it I think I can SR, SD, and Explode because usually a single Explosion proves more helpful that a SR and SD. Ice Beam is for Altaria, who as already stated, gives my Sunny Day sweepers nightmares. Claydol also proves a good switch in to TechnoTop, who can otherwise pick away at my Sweepers.
Revenge Killer:
Primeape@Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Ice Punch
- U-Turn
I needed a fast revenge killer, specifically one that was faster than and could threaten common Swift Swim users, in case of any weather battles that I may come up against. I also wanted something that could threaten Clefable, because Clefable is Clefable and is always annoying. A Fighting type fit the bill, and who better than Primeape, the fastest Fighting type in UU(as well as a personal favorite of mine). Close Combat takes out tons of pokes, while Stone Edge and Ice Punch give good coverage. U-Turn is a great move, and allows me to keep the pressure on my opponent. Though only a revenge killer, Primeape's powerful Close Combat allows it to pull off lategame sweeps every not and then.
Overall:
As mentioned before, inconsistency is a problem that I think quite a few Sunny Day teams suffer from, however this team has proven to be very powerful, and as I get more used to Sunny Day, has actually become very consistent, and the few loses I come across now are never by large margins, unlike when I first started and either won handily or was totally destroyed. That said, I think this team can get even more powerful, hence why I posted this RMT looking for some suggestions.
Suggestions needed: There are a few areas where I could use opinions, but the biggest one is this: Should I include a third Chlorophyll sweeper, most likely Vileplume? One problem I come across every now and then is that if my opponent carries the right combination of pokemon, or if he has a well placed Sash, I can quickly find myself without Shiftry and Victreebel, a bad position to be in. Without them, my team feels a bit sluggish at times, not to mention having a 3rd Chlrorphyll sweeper would add tons more pressure on my opponent, as I could use two of them to break down my opponent's wall, and then have a clean sweep with my final sweeper. While I like the idea a lot, where do I put Vileplume????
Current record vs. RD teams: 3-0. Okay fine, that information means very little, but excuse me for taking some joy out of beating my arch enemy.
Threat List:
Altaria: Altaria is one annoying poke. It resists all 3 of my SD Sweepers' STAB moves, as well as HP Fire, and can stat up in my face and attempt to sweep. That said, I carry 3 Explosion users, and I do not hesitate to bring down the Dragon with myself. Rapidash and Hitmontop also outspeed it after a DD and hit with HP Ice and Ice Punch respectively, though only Primeape can OHKO it.
Clefable: Like Altaria, Clefable can be a very big annoyance. But like Altaria, I carry 3 Explosions users and will explode on sight. I also have Primeape who threatens a OHKO. Though it's only happened like once, the 2HKO that Rapidash can deliver if Flash Fire boosted and under the Sun is pretty cool.
Mantine: Mantine can wall Shiftry and Rapidash, however Victreebel and Primeape 2HKO it. Again, a well placed Explosion is often the best solution.
Swift Swim pokes: Primeape outspeeds most of them and threatens with Close Combat, however if he loses out I could be out of luck. In these matches, it's very important that I be the one with my weather condition, not my opponent.
Hitmontop: TechnoTop's priority shenanigans can be a big problem for my Sweepers, though less so for Victreebel who resists Mach Punch. This is one of the reasons for Claydol, who not only walls him to hell and back, but can conviently take the opportunity to get the Sun shining once more.
Ninetales: Ninetales can be troublesome at times. He walls Ninetales, and the only way for Shiftry to get around him is to explode. Using one of my two incredibly dangerous sweepers just for Ninetales is a bit... :/ Primeape outspeeds and KO's, and under the sun Victreebel can do the same, but still, Ninetales can cause problems.
Lead:
Muk@Heat Rock
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 52 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 216 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Sunny Day
- Taunt
- Payback
- Explosion
Bet you didn't see that coming. Yes, Muk is the lead of my SD team, and yes, those are his EVs. Muk is replacing Weezing, who did the exact same thing as Muk, except Muk has Sticky Hold and much better SDef, meaning I get off SD more often. The Speed hits 209, outspeeding Min Speed Articuno by 3 points. Taunt stops walls in their tracks, and keeps SR off the field. Payback 2HKOs all ghosts who might suspect an Explosion. Heat Rock gives me a wonderful 8 turns to wreak havoc, and Explosion is used right after SD, doing big damage as well as giving one of my sweepers a free switch.
Why Muk? He's sturdy, and he's unexpected. The speed catches a lot of leads off guard, especially leading Nidoqueen that think I'll be set up fodder. Many other leads are simply unable to 2HKO him, meaning I get a SD and Explosion of. Faster Lopunny get shut down by Taunt.
Why not other leads?
Persian: Tested him, and he was able to reliable set up the sun, but the problem was that he didn't do much damage, and his fast U-Turn made it hard to gift my frail sweepers with free switch-ins.
Jumpluff: Considered him, but he doesn't outspeed Persian, and when enemy Persian see him, the red flag goes up and he gets Taunted right away.
Sun Abusers:
Shiftry@Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 136 Atk / 120 Spe / 252 SAtk
Nature: Rash
- Solarbeam
- HP Fire
- Explosion
- Sunny Day
My first sweeper, Shiftry. EVs hit 450 Speed in the sun, outspeeding neutral natured Base 100 pokes holding Choice Scarf. Solarbeam, boosted by STAB and Life Orb, is massively powerful. HP Fire is boosted by the sun, and provides good coverage, nailing Grass and Steel types. Explosion is to take down the first poke I come across that I won't be able to kill otherwise. I opted for Sunny Day over Dark Pulse because Hypno and Grumpig are not OHKO'ed, and would just T-Wave me, ending my sweep. A fourth Sunny Day may not seem necessary, but it has proven extremely helpful to have a back up SD, not to mention that it keeps me from ever running out of SD'ers.
Victreebel@Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Leaf Blade
- Return
- Swords Dance
- Sleep Power
My second Chlorophyll sweeper, Victreebel. With Shiftry as a special sweeper, I opted to focus on Victreebel's Attack. Speed is 217, outspeeding neutral Base 95 pokes with Choice Scarf under the sun. I used to run Sucker Punch over Return and HP Fire over Swords Dance, however I decided to test the current set, and the results are simply fantastic. I had previously thought he didn't have time to SD up, but with Sleep Powder, I now have the free turn needed to grab my boost and sweep. Leaf Blade is a powerful STAB move, and paired with Return has wonderful coverage in UU. After a SD, he 2HKO's pretty much everything in UU.
Back up Sunny Day users:
Rapidash@Heat Rock
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SAtk
Nature: Timid
- Fire Blast
- Solarbeam
- HP Ice
- Sunny Day
Rapidash is a severely underrated poke, and has been finding itself on a number of my teams recently, for good reason. Rapidash's blistering pace allows it to not only get off a quick, 8 turn Sunny Day for me, but also lets it turn into a powerful Sweeper. Sun boosted Fire Blasts put the hurt on a number of pokes, and Solarbeam deals with Water types. HP Ice is for Altaria, who is a very large nuisance for my other two Sweepers. Flash Fire provides a much needed Fire resist, as otherwise Fire types attacks would be very hard for this team to deal with. A Flash Fired, Sunny Day boosted Fire Blast 2HKO's any Clefable. Rapidash's speed has proven to be very helpful, as my other two sweepers require Sun support to do much, but Rapidash is able to be a threat even without it.
Claydol@Heat Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 56 SDef
Nature: Impish
- Stealth Rock
- Sunny Day
- Explosion
- Ice Beam
Claydol is my final Sunny Day user, and like Weezing, often Explodes after using it to give my sweepers another round of fun in the sun. Stealth Rock is helpful but not a priority, so I only use if it I think I can SR, SD, and Explode because usually a single Explosion proves more helpful that a SR and SD. Ice Beam is for Altaria, who as already stated, gives my Sunny Day sweepers nightmares. Claydol also proves a good switch in to TechnoTop, who can otherwise pick away at my Sweepers.
Revenge Killer:
Primeape@Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Ice Punch
- U-Turn
I needed a fast revenge killer, specifically one that was faster than and could threaten common Swift Swim users, in case of any weather battles that I may come up against. I also wanted something that could threaten Clefable, because Clefable is Clefable and is always annoying. A Fighting type fit the bill, and who better than Primeape, the fastest Fighting type in UU(as well as a personal favorite of mine). Close Combat takes out tons of pokes, while Stone Edge and Ice Punch give good coverage. U-Turn is a great move, and allows me to keep the pressure on my opponent. Though only a revenge killer, Primeape's powerful Close Combat allows it to pull off lategame sweeps every not and then.
Overall:
As mentioned before, inconsistency is a problem that I think quite a few Sunny Day teams suffer from, however this team has proven to be very powerful, and as I get more used to Sunny Day, has actually become very consistent, and the few loses I come across now are never by large margins, unlike when I first started and either won handily or was totally destroyed. That said, I think this team can get even more powerful, hence why I posted this RMT looking for some suggestions.
Suggestions needed: There are a few areas where I could use opinions, but the biggest one is this: Should I include a third Chlorophyll sweeper, most likely Vileplume? One problem I come across every now and then is that if my opponent carries the right combination of pokemon, or if he has a well placed Sash, I can quickly find myself without Shiftry and Victreebel, a bad position to be in. Without them, my team feels a bit sluggish at times, not to mention having a 3rd Chlrorphyll sweeper would add tons more pressure on my opponent, as I could use two of them to break down my opponent's wall, and then have a clean sweep with my final sweeper. While I like the idea a lot, where do I put Vileplume????
Current record vs. RD teams: 3-0. Okay fine, that information means very little, but excuse me for taking some joy out of beating my arch enemy.
Threat List:
Altaria: Altaria is one annoying poke. It resists all 3 of my SD Sweepers' STAB moves, as well as HP Fire, and can stat up in my face and attempt to sweep. That said, I carry 3 Explosion users, and I do not hesitate to bring down the Dragon with myself. Rapidash and Hitmontop also outspeed it after a DD and hit with HP Ice and Ice Punch respectively, though only Primeape can OHKO it.
Clefable: Like Altaria, Clefable can be a very big annoyance. But like Altaria, I carry 3 Explosions users and will explode on sight. I also have Primeape who threatens a OHKO. Though it's only happened like once, the 2HKO that Rapidash can deliver if Flash Fire boosted and under the Sun is pretty cool.
Mantine: Mantine can wall Shiftry and Rapidash, however Victreebel and Primeape 2HKO it. Again, a well placed Explosion is often the best solution.
Swift Swim pokes: Primeape outspeeds most of them and threatens with Close Combat, however if he loses out I could be out of luck. In these matches, it's very important that I be the one with my weather condition, not my opponent.
Hitmontop: TechnoTop's priority shenanigans can be a big problem for my Sweepers, though less so for Victreebel who resists Mach Punch. This is one of the reasons for Claydol, who not only walls him to hell and back, but can conviently take the opportunity to get the Sun shining once more.
Ninetales: Ninetales can be troublesome at times. He walls Ninetales, and the only way for Shiftry to get around him is to explode. Using one of my two incredibly dangerous sweepers just for Ninetales is a bit... :/ Primeape outspeeds and KO's, and under the sun Victreebel can do the same, but still, Ninetales can cause problems.
