Hey.
This is the UU team I've been using to ladder recently. It has gone through a lot of testing and revising, and I think the finished product is a well balanced, powerful, yet easy to use team. It kept me at #4 on the UU ladder for a couple of days, and has recently kept me up in the top 20 on a regular basis (that is when I have the time to actually play =p). I find it is a fun team to use - not too slow or stallish, but not recklessly offensive and completely prediction based. I also am going to try and include as comprehensive a threatlist as I can with my experience of UU so far.
I'd appreciate any comments or pointers on the team, or any suggestions for replacements, etc. Here we go. (props to Giant Enemy Crab for the awesome format =])
At a glance
At a glance: 1 frail lead/revenge killer + 5 bulky tanks/sweepers. No Stealth Rock weak, 4 Toxic Spike weaks, but a grounded poison to soak them up. Covers every type in the game defensively, and can hit every type super effectively with a move somewhere. Basic game plan is to weaken the team with the defensive core of Milotic/Shaymin/Steelix, using their great type synergy to wear down opposing threats. The fact that each of them are respectable attackers in their own right means it speeds up the wearing down process greatly. Once the opponent's team is on its last legs, it is a perfect opportunity for one of my set up sweepers, Mismagius or Drapion, to proceed to wipe it out. Ambipom ties up any loose threads and deals with set up sweepers that get out of hand with its priority hits. It also serves as a great initial switch in when a pokemon dies as it will get free damage in.
In Depth
Ambipom [Bitchslap]
@ Silk Scarf
Technician
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Fake Out
~ Taunt
~ U-turn
~ Double Hit
Description: Ambipom is such a great pokemon, and makes an amazing lead. You can probably already tell that I am biased =P but in my opinion it is one of the best leading pokemon an offensive team in UU can have. It takes out the sashes of any opposing leads with its powerful Fake Out, which hits as an approximately 90 BP attack after taking STAB and Technician into account. Fake Out + Double Hit will KO the majority of opposing leads that are not Ghost, Rock or Steel type. Taunt is an excellent move on a lead, especially one as fast as Ambipom. It stops Froslass in its tracks, prevents opposing SR leads from getting the rocks up, and is an invaluable move late game against walls of all shape and description.
I like Ambipom to excel at what he does instead of trying to have him do everything. That is the reason I run Taunt and Double Hit over Brick Break and Payback. With Fake Out and Double Hit, it hits a lot of frail pokemon for neal fatal damage, allowing it to be the hit and run attacker it is. Brick Break does laughable damage to the majority of things I would use it against (Regirock, Registeel, Steelix), and in most of these cases it is better for me to switch out anyway. Payback would be a decent option for taking out opposing Froslass, but I already have Taunt to stop it getting up Spikes and U-turn to break its sash, so it really doesn't present too much of a problem to me.
What it does for the team: Ambipom gives my battles a fast paced beginning, and can cause big damage to the majority of opposing leads. It sets me up in an advantageous position from the start of the battle with U-turn, allowing me to start gaining momentum straight away. Ironically, Ambipom, my frailest pokemon, is the 'glue' that holds this team together. It is up to it to take out anything that threatens the team as a whole, and over the course of the battle, the damage it causes to the opposing team just with Fake Out + U-turn really begins to add up. It's not much of a defensive pokemon, but it can take the off Ghost-type attack directed at Mismagius.
---
Milotic [Remerudo]
@ Leftovers
Marvel Scale
Bold (+Def, -Atk)
128 HP / 252 Def / 128 SpD
~ Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Recover
~ Haze
Description: Milotic is the premier bulky water of UU. With excellent HP and SpD and a reliable recovery move, it combines to make it one difficult pokemon to take down. It is also surprisingly fast at base 81 speed, outrunning the majority of opposing walls and being able to hit them hard with a STAB Surf off base 100 SpA. Ice Beam provides decent coverage alongside Surf, and it hits Altaria and Shaymin, both quite big threats to my team, super effectively. Recover is obvious, and allows Milotic to tank hits for a very long time indeed. Finally, the move Haze is quite exclusive to Milotic, and is one of the primary reasons I choose to use it over Slowbro or another bulky water. UU is overrun with stat up sweepers, especially ones of the Calm Mind / Bulk Up variety. Haze is a very effective check to this. Things like CroTomb, Agility Blaziken and a variety of Swords Dancers can be brought back to earth with Milotic's Haze. The best thing about it is that it hits through Substitute, meaning that hiding behind the decoy won't keep the foe's stat boosts safe from Milotic. The EV spread looks a bit arbitrary, but it gives Milotic nice, well rounded defenses, while putting its HP at a Leftovers + 1 number.
What it does for the team: Decent Speed and Special Attack, good typing, excellent defenses, and a reliable recovery move, all come together to make Milotic an excellent tank in UU. It can take hard hits as well as dish them out, and is one of the central pieces in my defensive core. Its Haze is also a great answer to things like CM Mismagius and Spiritomb, who otherwise cause an offensive team such as this a lot of problems. Takes Fire and Ice attacks aimed at Shaymin and Fire and Water attacks aimed at Steelix.
---
Shaymin [Solar]
@ Life Orb
Natural Cure
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
~ Seed Flare
~ Earth Power
~ Air Slash
~ Rest
Description: Shaymin's land form is a formidable special sweeper in the lower tiers. With the absence of Skarmory and Bronzong, Grass/Flying/Ground gets perfect coverage in UU, and even if it is coming off base 100 SpA instead of base 120, Seed Flare still packs a ridiculous amount of power. Although 40% chance of a drop isn't tremendous, it's certainly not bad, and it allows Shaymin to take out special walls such as Clefable and Muk with relative ease. 100/100/100 defenses are really quite bulky, and even with no considerable investment, Shaymin takes neutral attacks well. Life Orb gives it a lot of extra power, and with Rest and Natural Cure, Shaymin becomes a real pest to the opposing team. It also serves as a status absorber of sorts, as it has the ability to simply Rest it off or just switch out. The Timid nature and Speed EVs allow it to outrun +ve natured base 95s such as Houndoom and Drapion.
What it does for the team: Shaymin is really the powerhouse attacker on this team. Although it is a part of my defensive core, it usually claims the most kills mid-game. It acts as my primary wallbreaker, powering past anything not named Registeel or Crobat with its high powered attacks. Takes Electric and Grass attacks aimed at Milotic and Ground-type attacks aimed at Steelix.
---
Steelix [Tectonix]
@ Leftovers
Sturdy
Relaxed (+Def, -Spe)
252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 SpD
~ Gyro Ball
~ Earthquake
~ Stealth Rock
~ Roar
Description: Arguably the best physical wall to be found in UU, Steelix is an absolute beast when it comes to taking physical hits. Very few things can OHKO it on the physical sprectrum, and it makes for one of the most reliable physical tanks around. It sets up Stealth Rock more reliably than any suicide lead can, and the only thing it really has to fear is Wynaut (who is being removed from UU, thank god =]). With STAB Gyro Ball and Earthquake and a bit of Attack investment, Steelix is no slouch offensively either. It outdamages both Regirock and Registeel 1-on-1, and can hold its own against the majority of physical pokemon that don't have STAB on Fighting or Ground. Roar is a great addition to Steelix's moveset as with its bulk, it can really last a while and scout the entire opposing team, spreading lots of residual damage along the way. It is also a great way to get rid of and stat uppers who think they can boost away against Steelix and go unpunished. With its monstrous base 200 Defense, after maxing HP the EVs are instead invested in its mediocre Attack and Special Defense stats. With this spread, Steelix hits a respectable 200 SpD, and the rest is placed into Atk to give its attacks some more bite.
What it does for the team: Provides a great full stop to any wary physical attacker, and sets up Stealth Rock for my team. Steelix Roars away any threat that is getting out of hand, and brings a great array of resistances and immunities to the table with its Steel-type. It takes Electric attacks aimed at Milotic; Flying, Bug and Poison attacks thrown at Shaymin; and Dark and Ghost attacks aimed Mismagius' way.
---
Mismagius [Chance]
@ Leftovers
Levitate
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
108 HP / 180 SpA / 220 Spe
~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Substitute
~ Calm Mind
Description: I believe Mismagius to be one of the most threatening special attackers in UU. It has many things that other, similar CMers such as Raikou lack: the ability to easily beat Chansey 1 on 1, perfect coverage with just 2 attacks, immunity to Toxic Spikes, and a great Speed, Special Attack and Special Defense stat to boot. Overall, it is a fast, strong threat that can take easily take out any team that is overly reliant on Chansey or Clefable for their special walling. Timid with 220 Spe EVs (and the HP Fighting 30 Spe IV) puts Mismagius' speed at 330, allowing to outspeed +speed base 100s. The rest of the EVs are split between HP and SpA to give give it a mixture of high special durability and a strong offensive stat to be boosted by Calm Minds.
What it does for the team: Mismagius is one of my two stat up sweepers, and generally doesn't see too much play until near the end of the game. If it can get 2 CMs up, it is pretty much game over for the opponent. Being immune to Mach Punch and Fake Out means that Ambipom and Hitmontop have a much harder time revenge killing it.
Mismagius brings some very appreciated immunities to Normal, Fighting and Ground to the team. Its typing is really a blessing, and covers many of the other weaknesses on my team. It can take Fighting attacks aimed at Ambipom; Fighting and Ground attacks for Steelix; and Ground attacks for Drapion.
---
Drapion [Venom]
@ Scope Lens
Sniper
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Night Slash
~ Earthquake
~ Cross Poison
~ Swords Dance
Description: Drapion is really undervalued as a sweeper; after a Swords Dance, very little gets in the way of its powerful STAB attacks. Dark/Ground/Poison gets perfect coverage in UU, being only resisted by Skarmory. It also lets me abuse both of Drapion's STAB attacks and their high critical hit ratios in conjunction with Sniper. With Scope Lens, both Night Slash and Cross Poison have a 25% chance to hit 3 times as hard as they normally would. The high critical hit rate also means that Drapion can take on things like Curse Registeel, and Curse Steelix in a pinch (both of which are KOed by a Sniper EQ). Drapion is also a lot faster than many people make it out to be - there have been several cases when people have switched their CB Staraptor into Drapion, only to be outsped and taken out by a Night Slash. Base 95 Speed is nothing to scoff at. Add to that Drapion's 110 Defense and its singular (albeit common) weakness to Ground and you have yourself a powerful, bulky, and dangerous, physical attacker.
What it does for the team: Drapion is really my last resort sweeper, as although his critical hits are unreliable, they can change the course of a doomed battle and bring me up from a defeat to a victory. Even without critically hitting, Drapion packs a massive punch after a Swords Dance, and is really my primary physical sweeper. It also has the very important task of soaking up Toxic Spikes, which it does very well thanks to its bulk. It can also take Ghost and Dark-type attacks for Mismagius, who pairs up very well with Drapion in taking out each other's counters as well as covering each other's weaknesses.
A Quick Reminder:
.......
Alright, thanks for reading everything so far. I'm going to post a ThreatList after this so that I can show you how I deal with opposing threats, and which ones I find particularly hard to handle. I'd also appreciate it if you have any advice about the following things I'm unsure of:
Thanks for reading so far.
This is the UU team I've been using to ladder recently. It has gone through a lot of testing and revising, and I think the finished product is a well balanced, powerful, yet easy to use team. It kept me at #4 on the UU ladder for a couple of days, and has recently kept me up in the top 20 on a regular basis (that is when I have the time to actually play =p). I find it is a fun team to use - not too slow or stallish, but not recklessly offensive and completely prediction based. I also am going to try and include as comprehensive a threatlist as I can with my experience of UU so far.
I'd appreciate any comments or pointers on the team, or any suggestions for replacements, etc. Here we go. (props to Giant Enemy Crab for the awesome format =])
.......
At a glance
At a glance: 1 frail lead/revenge killer + 5 bulky tanks/sweepers. No Stealth Rock weak, 4 Toxic Spike weaks, but a grounded poison to soak them up. Covers every type in the game defensively, and can hit every type super effectively with a move somewhere. Basic game plan is to weaken the team with the defensive core of Milotic/Shaymin/Steelix, using their great type synergy to wear down opposing threats. The fact that each of them are respectable attackers in their own right means it speeds up the wearing down process greatly. Once the opponent's team is on its last legs, it is a perfect opportunity for one of my set up sweepers, Mismagius or Drapion, to proceed to wipe it out. Ambipom ties up any loose threads and deals with set up sweepers that get out of hand with its priority hits. It also serves as a great initial switch in when a pokemon dies as it will get free damage in.
.......
In Depth
Ambipom [Bitchslap]
@ Silk Scarf
Technician
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Fake Out
~ Taunt
~ U-turn
~ Double Hit
Description: Ambipom is such a great pokemon, and makes an amazing lead. You can probably already tell that I am biased =P but in my opinion it is one of the best leading pokemon an offensive team in UU can have. It takes out the sashes of any opposing leads with its powerful Fake Out, which hits as an approximately 90 BP attack after taking STAB and Technician into account. Fake Out + Double Hit will KO the majority of opposing leads that are not Ghost, Rock or Steel type. Taunt is an excellent move on a lead, especially one as fast as Ambipom. It stops Froslass in its tracks, prevents opposing SR leads from getting the rocks up, and is an invaluable move late game against walls of all shape and description.
I like Ambipom to excel at what he does instead of trying to have him do everything. That is the reason I run Taunt and Double Hit over Brick Break and Payback. With Fake Out and Double Hit, it hits a lot of frail pokemon for neal fatal damage, allowing it to be the hit and run attacker it is. Brick Break does laughable damage to the majority of things I would use it against (Regirock, Registeel, Steelix), and in most of these cases it is better for me to switch out anyway. Payback would be a decent option for taking out opposing Froslass, but I already have Taunt to stop it getting up Spikes and U-turn to break its sash, so it really doesn't present too much of a problem to me.
What it does for the team: Ambipom gives my battles a fast paced beginning, and can cause big damage to the majority of opposing leads. It sets me up in an advantageous position from the start of the battle with U-turn, allowing me to start gaining momentum straight away. Ironically, Ambipom, my frailest pokemon, is the 'glue' that holds this team together. It is up to it to take out anything that threatens the team as a whole, and over the course of the battle, the damage it causes to the opposing team just with Fake Out + U-turn really begins to add up. It's not much of a defensive pokemon, but it can take the off Ghost-type attack directed at Mismagius.
---
Milotic [Remerudo]
@ Leftovers
Marvel Scale
Bold (+Def, -Atk)
128 HP / 252 Def / 128 SpD
~ Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Recover
~ Haze
Description: Milotic is the premier bulky water of UU. With excellent HP and SpD and a reliable recovery move, it combines to make it one difficult pokemon to take down. It is also surprisingly fast at base 81 speed, outrunning the majority of opposing walls and being able to hit them hard with a STAB Surf off base 100 SpA. Ice Beam provides decent coverage alongside Surf, and it hits Altaria and Shaymin, both quite big threats to my team, super effectively. Recover is obvious, and allows Milotic to tank hits for a very long time indeed. Finally, the move Haze is quite exclusive to Milotic, and is one of the primary reasons I choose to use it over Slowbro or another bulky water. UU is overrun with stat up sweepers, especially ones of the Calm Mind / Bulk Up variety. Haze is a very effective check to this. Things like CroTomb, Agility Blaziken and a variety of Swords Dancers can be brought back to earth with Milotic's Haze. The best thing about it is that it hits through Substitute, meaning that hiding behind the decoy won't keep the foe's stat boosts safe from Milotic. The EV spread looks a bit arbitrary, but it gives Milotic nice, well rounded defenses, while putting its HP at a Leftovers + 1 number.
What it does for the team: Decent Speed and Special Attack, good typing, excellent defenses, and a reliable recovery move, all come together to make Milotic an excellent tank in UU. It can take hard hits as well as dish them out, and is one of the central pieces in my defensive core. Its Haze is also a great answer to things like CM Mismagius and Spiritomb, who otherwise cause an offensive team such as this a lot of problems. Takes Fire and Ice attacks aimed at Shaymin and Fire and Water attacks aimed at Steelix.
---
Shaymin [Solar]
@ Life Orb
Natural Cure
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
~ Seed Flare
~ Earth Power
~ Air Slash
~ Rest
Description: Shaymin's land form is a formidable special sweeper in the lower tiers. With the absence of Skarmory and Bronzong, Grass/Flying/Ground gets perfect coverage in UU, and even if it is coming off base 100 SpA instead of base 120, Seed Flare still packs a ridiculous amount of power. Although 40% chance of a drop isn't tremendous, it's certainly not bad, and it allows Shaymin to take out special walls such as Clefable and Muk with relative ease. 100/100/100 defenses are really quite bulky, and even with no considerable investment, Shaymin takes neutral attacks well. Life Orb gives it a lot of extra power, and with Rest and Natural Cure, Shaymin becomes a real pest to the opposing team. It also serves as a status absorber of sorts, as it has the ability to simply Rest it off or just switch out. The Timid nature and Speed EVs allow it to outrun +ve natured base 95s such as Houndoom and Drapion.
What it does for the team: Shaymin is really the powerhouse attacker on this team. Although it is a part of my defensive core, it usually claims the most kills mid-game. It acts as my primary wallbreaker, powering past anything not named Registeel or Crobat with its high powered attacks. Takes Electric and Grass attacks aimed at Milotic and Ground-type attacks aimed at Steelix.
---
Steelix [Tectonix]
@ Leftovers
Sturdy
Relaxed (+Def, -Spe)
252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 SpD
~ Gyro Ball
~ Earthquake
~ Stealth Rock
~ Roar
Description: Arguably the best physical wall to be found in UU, Steelix is an absolute beast when it comes to taking physical hits. Very few things can OHKO it on the physical sprectrum, and it makes for one of the most reliable physical tanks around. It sets up Stealth Rock more reliably than any suicide lead can, and the only thing it really has to fear is Wynaut (who is being removed from UU, thank god =]). With STAB Gyro Ball and Earthquake and a bit of Attack investment, Steelix is no slouch offensively either. It outdamages both Regirock and Registeel 1-on-1, and can hold its own against the majority of physical pokemon that don't have STAB on Fighting or Ground. Roar is a great addition to Steelix's moveset as with its bulk, it can really last a while and scout the entire opposing team, spreading lots of residual damage along the way. It is also a great way to get rid of and stat uppers who think they can boost away against Steelix and go unpunished. With its monstrous base 200 Defense, after maxing HP the EVs are instead invested in its mediocre Attack and Special Defense stats. With this spread, Steelix hits a respectable 200 SpD, and the rest is placed into Atk to give its attacks some more bite.
What it does for the team: Provides a great full stop to any wary physical attacker, and sets up Stealth Rock for my team. Steelix Roars away any threat that is getting out of hand, and brings a great array of resistances and immunities to the table with its Steel-type. It takes Electric attacks aimed at Milotic; Flying, Bug and Poison attacks thrown at Shaymin; and Dark and Ghost attacks aimed Mismagius' way.
---
Mismagius [Chance]
@ Leftovers
Levitate
Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
108 HP / 180 SpA / 220 Spe
~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Substitute
~ Calm Mind
Description: I believe Mismagius to be one of the most threatening special attackers in UU. It has many things that other, similar CMers such as Raikou lack: the ability to easily beat Chansey 1 on 1, perfect coverage with just 2 attacks, immunity to Toxic Spikes, and a great Speed, Special Attack and Special Defense stat to boot. Overall, it is a fast, strong threat that can take easily take out any team that is overly reliant on Chansey or Clefable for their special walling. Timid with 220 Spe EVs (and the HP Fighting 30 Spe IV) puts Mismagius' speed at 330, allowing to outspeed +speed base 100s. The rest of the EVs are split between HP and SpA to give give it a mixture of high special durability and a strong offensive stat to be boosted by Calm Minds.
What it does for the team: Mismagius is one of my two stat up sweepers, and generally doesn't see too much play until near the end of the game. If it can get 2 CMs up, it is pretty much game over for the opponent. Being immune to Mach Punch and Fake Out means that Ambipom and Hitmontop have a much harder time revenge killing it.
Mismagius brings some very appreciated immunities to Normal, Fighting and Ground to the team. Its typing is really a blessing, and covers many of the other weaknesses on my team. It can take Fighting attacks aimed at Ambipom; Fighting and Ground attacks for Steelix; and Ground attacks for Drapion.
---
Drapion [Venom]
@ Scope Lens
Sniper
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Night Slash
~ Earthquake
~ Cross Poison
~ Swords Dance
Description: Drapion is really undervalued as a sweeper; after a Swords Dance, very little gets in the way of its powerful STAB attacks. Dark/Ground/Poison gets perfect coverage in UU, being only resisted by Skarmory. It also lets me abuse both of Drapion's STAB attacks and their high critical hit ratios in conjunction with Sniper. With Scope Lens, both Night Slash and Cross Poison have a 25% chance to hit 3 times as hard as they normally would. The high critical hit rate also means that Drapion can take on things like Curse Registeel, and Curse Steelix in a pinch (both of which are KOed by a Sniper EQ). Drapion is also a lot faster than many people make it out to be - there have been several cases when people have switched their CB Staraptor into Drapion, only to be outsped and taken out by a Night Slash. Base 95 Speed is nothing to scoff at. Add to that Drapion's 110 Defense and its singular (albeit common) weakness to Ground and you have yourself a powerful, bulky, and dangerous, physical attacker.
What it does for the team: Drapion is really my last resort sweeper, as although his critical hits are unreliable, they can change the course of a doomed battle and bring me up from a defeat to a victory. Even without critically hitting, Drapion packs a massive punch after a Swords Dance, and is really my primary physical sweeper. It also has the very important task of soaking up Toxic Spikes, which it does very well thanks to its bulk. It can also take Ghost and Dark-type attacks for Mismagius, who pairs up very well with Drapion in taking out each other's counters as well as covering each other's weaknesses.
.......
A Quick Reminder:
.......
Alright, thanks for reading everything so far. I'm going to post a ThreatList after this so that I can show you how I deal with opposing threats, and which ones I find particularly hard to handle. I'd also appreciate it if you have any advice about the following things I'm unsure of:
- Milotic's EV spread - it does give a nice balance of defenses, but is there a better spread?
- Mismagius' EV spread - it has served me well so far, but the 108 HP EVs are designed to survive Blissey Ice Beams and Flamethrowers, so I would love suggestions for a spread better tailored for UU.
- Drapion's Item - Scope Lens gives me a welcome boost to its critical hit rate, but would Life Orb or another boosting item be a better choice? I'm a bit reluctant on Life Orb as it compromises Drapion's bulk, but I am open to suggestions.
Thanks for reading so far.
.......
