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Project UU Next Best Thing Crown Tundra Edition: Week 52: Slowking | Voting Phase

Zarude @ Grip Claw
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bind
- Payback
- Synthesis
- Snarl

This set traps pokemon such as hattrene, Kommo-o, amoonguss, and azelf, and uses snarl to weaken them to the point it can easily recover to the point of stalling them out, bind + Grip claw forces the opponent to take more damage than needed . Payback makes sure the opponent will take a lot of damage while trapped such as azelf or hattrene who mainly use attacking moves.

(pretend crunch = boosted payback)
4 Atk Zarude Crunch vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Hatterene: 99-117 (31.1 - 36.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
-1 0 SpA Hatterene Draining Kiss vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 102-120 (24.6 - 28.9%) -- 99.2% chance to 4HKO

You easily live two sludge bombs and you can snarl amoonguss twice in the process to weaken it to the point you can recover with jungle healing and stall
4 Atk Zarude Crunch vs. 252 HP / 220+ Def Amoonguss: 118-139 (27.3 - 32.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leech Seed damage
-2 0 SpA Amoonguss Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 90-108 (21.7 - 26%) -- 2% chance to 4HKO

4 Atk Zarude Crunch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aegislash-Blade: 440-518 (135.8 - 159.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
4 Atk Zarude Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Reuniclus: 218-260 (51.4 - 61.3%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 
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Eject Pack Zarude

Zarude @ Eject Pack
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Close Combat
- U-turn/Acrobatics


General idea: AoA set that keeps the momentum
Here we have a momentum-keeper Zarude with Eject Pack to use Close Combat as a "U-turn" to keep the momentum (one of the most important things in competitive pkmn battles) while getting rid of the drawback upon switching. Eject Pack is also useful for repositioning towards Intimidate users.
Power Whip + Darkest Lariast is the dual-STAB combo with the former move picked due to the high base power despite the middling accuracy.
Close Combat is the perfect coverage move towards many targets resistant to the first two moves.
The 4th slot leaves you with a choice: U-turn to have a move to keep the momentum manually or Acrobatics to have even more coverage. They are pretty interchangeable in the sense that you use U-turn (such as Acrobatics) towards targets that resists to the other three moves.
U-turn makes this strategy more consistent, while Acrobatics makes Zarude much more threatening on the offensive side because it hits many targets neutrally of super effectively; also, it is unexpected.
  • I think that U-turn is generally better for consistency and it allows to use Zarude many times and not once due to the 7 glaring weaknesses it has.
The EVs spread is a standard offensive one with a Jolly nature to outspeed as many threats as possible.


Team(mates) support
This Zarude needs teammates to work with because it offers them a momentum-engine with a good offensive presence.
Hazards removal is mandatory because Zarude is affected by them all.
Sun or cleric support is highly appreciated to get rid of annoying status, mainly burn and paralysis.
 
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Fast Support
:ss/zarude:
Zarude @ Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Synthesis / Jungle Healing
- U-turn
- Power Whip

With decent speed and bulk, Zarude has all the tools to be an effective pivot in UU. Most notably, it outruns base 100s and below such as Mew, Jirachi, and suicide lead Krook, allowing it to also act as an effective anti-lead. While Grass/Dark burdens monke with weaknesses to Fairy, Fighting and Fire, amongst other thing, it also gives Zarude resistances to Ground and Ghost, which makes RU monke a nice check to threats such as the aforementioned Krook and Aegislash.
 
bulk up & 3 attacks + salac berry attacker

:ss/Zarude:
Zarude @ Salac Berry
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Close Combat​

this set can work behind dual screens given by grimmsnarl, klefki, or alolan ninetales with bulk up as its setup move and 3 attacks to hit basically every pokemon in the metagame, with power whip hitting water- and ground-types and darkest lariat hitting ghost- and psychic-types, moreover close combat gives zarude a great coverage in general. this set works as follows: setup behind dual screens and prog your salac berry at low health to give zarude a +1 in speed. adamant nature is given to help zarude with more damage output, because after salac berry got activated it is able to outrun nearly the entire metagame with the natural great speed tier it possesses.
 
King's Rock Zarude

Zarude @ King's Rock
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Seed
- U-turn / Power Whip / Bulk Up
- Jungle Healing / Power Whip / Bulk Up
- Darkest Lariat

Zarude has access to the multi-hit move of Bullet Seed, and whilst its not as powerful as Power Whip and will deal less damage what it does do is provide more flinch opportunities for the King's Rock. Zarude has a good speed tier, so will be faster than most things thus is able to inflict flinches. You also have a 10% chance to flinch a slower target with U-turn, which gets your switch-in for free.
 
The Plotting Zarude
:ss/zarude-dada:
Zarude-Dada @ Life Orb
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 16 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Energy Ball
- Jungle Healing

Well I tried, the plan is very simple. You click the Nasty Plot button then you break with powerful Dark Pulses and Energy Balls, Zarude's special coverage sucks so by using Jungle Healing we can offset the LO recoil and efficently counter SubTox Aegislash.
Nasty Plot actually does more damage to physically defensive foes like Salamence and Buzzwole, its definetively funny.
 
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:ss/Zarude:

Zarude @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Brick Break
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat

Have you ever wanted a true Screens "counter"? Well, WP + Taunt Zarude will probably do it for you! you go vs Grimmsnarl, taunt it, then brick break to break the Reflect, and when they Spirit Break you, you will get +2 Attack and pray that they didn't bring a Kommo-o.
 
stealing banded zarude since it hasn't been finished yet
:ss/Zarude-Dada:
Zarude @ Choice Band
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Rock Slide
- U-turn

Band monke is pretty pog, it has a nice attack stat allowing it to hit very hard. Its a great offensive check to tons of mons like Nidoqueen, Unboosted gyara, moltres, nihilego, and primarina. Def an underrated set that should get a lot more usage

If you dont use dada zarude you are unviable
 
I dont know if Bulk Up 2 attacks is banned but if not i post the set:

:ss/zarude:
Embrace Monke @ Leftovers / Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing

This set is a great cleaner in the late game when his check are put in range of +1 STABs. I prefer lefties over HDB bc the set is more of a late game cleaner than a pivot, but HDB work with every pokemon if you want to pivot early game
 
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Now that the voting phase has ended, its time to announce our winner! Week 24's winner is TR71 by KM! Congratulations and thank you all for participating! Your submission will be added to the Hall of Fame shortly!​
This week's Next Best Thing is...


Week 25: Azumarill

:ss/Azumarill:

Due to its ability Huge Power Azumarill has become a scary wallbreaker/late game cleaner in UU. However due to its lacklustre Speed, it falls to foes that are able to outspeed it and withstand its Aqua Jet such as Zarude and Tapu Bulu. Apart from its Belly Drum set , Azumarill can also run a Choice Band set that allows it to tear apart teams with Aqua Jet multiple times during a battle. How will you innovate with Azumarill?

Banned Sets
:Choice-Band: :Sitrus-Berry:
(click me)​

You have until June 24th to submit your set!
 
:ss/Azumarill:
Azumarill @ Leftovers
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Whirlpool
- Perish Song
- Protect
- Rest

Perishtrap azumatill aims to lure tangrowth lacking sludge bomb, which is surprisingly more common than one would think. Normally tang wants to switch in to stop banded variants since even uninvested it is a good way to scout what moved azu is locked in. However, tang gets a nasty surprise when trying to switch into azumarill, being trapped by whirlpool. Earthquake is only a 5HKO, and by doing protect and perish song cycles you can effectively remove tangrowth, allowing pokemon it checks like primarina or thundurus to go ham with it gone.
 
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