• Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!

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

Now that the voting phase has ended, its time to announce our winner! Week 34's winner is Endure + Petaya Berry and Taunt by SimonBoi and Low-Key! Congratulations, and I'll add your submissions to the Hall of Fame soon!​
This week's Next Best Thing is...


Week 35: Nihilego

:ss/Nihilego:

Nihilego has cemented itself as a great Utility Pokémon with access to Stealth Rock and Knock Off coupled with its high special bulk. It can also run a setup set using Meteor Beam while utilizing its wide movepool to deal with would-be checks such as Rhyperior. It also has a good STAB combination, striking foes such as Thundurus, Tangrowth, and Primarina. Nihilego also has a lot of unused utility moves such as Pain Split, Substitute, and Thunder Wave.

Banned Sets
:Black Sludge: :Power-Herb:
(click me)​

You have until Wednesday, September 1st at 11:59 pm EDT (GMT -4) to submit your set!
 
Choice Specs!


nihi!.gif

Nihilego @ Choice Specs
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 24 HP / 160 SpA / 68 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 28 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Knock Off
- Thunderbolt / Grass Knot / Hex

This is the funniest EV spread you've ever seen because the only purpose it has is to get the Speed boost from Beast Boost and to make all the stats end in either 0 or 5, but Specs Nihilego can pose a legitimate threat to prior checks like RestTalk Primarina (kinda) and Aegislash if you opt for the right coverage, it's a pretty customisable mon that makes itself a fearsome cleaner!
 
Last edited:
:ss/nihilego:
Nihilego @ Throat Spray
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Echoed Voice
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot

This set is simple: Use Echoed Voice and then activate your Throat Spray, then go nuts or something. Echoed Voice provides its increased power when used on consecutive turns, and that's a sound move so you can use it to activate your Throat Spray as an alternative Beast Boost. It also runs the basic 3 attacks: Sludge Wave, Thunderbolt, and Grass Knot. (Hey at least the moveset probably isn't banned :P)
 
Last edited:
Nihilego @ Black Sludge
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- Thunder Wave
- Hex
- Sludge Bomb

This set is a cool aegislash lure, you can status it with thunder wave and nail it with a hard hitting hex.
 
Last edited:
Toxic Spikes Nihilego
:ss/nihilego:
Nihilego @ Black Sludge
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Knock Off

On teams with another Stealth Rock setter, Nihilego can alternatively run Toxic Spikes thanks to its ability to pressure many common forms of hazard removal in the tier. Toxic Spikes are very effective at supporting bulkier Pokemon and setup sweepers that have limited coverage. This set needs support against Steel-types, however.
 
Last edited:
:ss/nihilego:
Nihilego @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt / Grass Knot / whatever
- Thunder Wave​

Focus Sash Nihilego is used as an emergency check to dangerous set up sweepers such as Autotomize Necrozma, Dragon Dance Salamence, Dragon Dance Gyarados, and Nasty Plot Azelf. Focus Sash is also good for surviving hits from faster Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave such as Thundurus and Choice Scarf Krookodile. Teammates such as Keldeo appreciates all of those Pokemon being gone for it to use its already high Speed tier to break through teams better.
 
Last edited:
Nihilego @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 80 HP / 176 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Grass Knot
- Stealth Rock

Nihilego greatly appreciates the extra power given by LO as it can turn 2hko's into ohko's such as using grass knot on rhyperior, krookodile, and the ability to clean teams with the LO boost and the speed boost after every ohko as with the extra power it can run some more bulk.
 
Last edited:
Assault Vest Nihilego

Nihilego @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 80 HP / 176 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Grass Knot


Thanks to its natural good special bulk, Nihilego can use very well Assault Vest despite the lack of a damagin recovery move (such as Giga Drain) and act as an emergency offensive check to some threat gone out of control.
Despite not being able to use status moves anymore due to the item, Nihilego can run two more coverage options in the form of Thunderbolt
+ Grass Knot.
The EVs spread is meant to boost the Spe after a kill and not the SpA.
With AV you can see that Nihilego can stomach some supereffective hits! Look at some miscellaneous defensive calcs:
+6 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Fiery Wrath vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 283-334 (74.6 - 88.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Volcanion Steam Eruption vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 312-368 (82.3 - 97%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Mantine Scald vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 78-92 (20.5 - 24.2%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
+5 252 SpA Raikou Scald vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 294-348 (77.5 - 91.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Tentacruel Scald vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 78-92 (20.5 - 24.2%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
+5 0 SpA Suicune Scald vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 290-344 (76.5 - 90.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 80 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Nihilego: 260-308 (68.6 - 81.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
Last edited:
Congratulations to Magnum for winning the week with Choice Specs Nihilego! I'll add your submission to the Hall of Fame shortly! In other news, Next Best Thing will be taking a break from Sunday, September 5th to Saturday, September 11th due to school starting for me, and so I can brainstorm a few new Pokémon for us to work with! Don't worry, the schedule will return to normal on Sunday, September 12th, so keep your eyes out for that!
 
This week's Next Best Thing is...


Week 36: Conkeldurr

:ss/Conkeldurr:

Despite being unable to hold a camera, Conkeldurr has proven itself to be one of the tier's most devastating wallbreakers, obliterating cores like Chansey and Quagsire while also threatening many faster, frailer Pokémon with Mach Punch. However, Conkeldurr has recently decided that it doesn't want to keep getting burned each battle, and has hired you to find them a set to achieve that!

Banned Sets
:Flame Orb:
(click me)​

You have until Wednesday, September 15th at 11:59 pm EDT (GMT -4) to submit your set!
 
Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Yes. Conk is the best hazard removal no debate, beats krook, trades with nihi, beats Rhyp, defog conk is broken
 
Last edited:
:bw/conkeldurr:
Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch​

Conkeldurr pumps many EVs into Special Defense to be a good Special tank, checking threats such as Nihilego and being able to switch into weak Scalds from Tentacruel. Drain Punch is used over Close Combat to provide Conkeldurr some form of recovery. Ice Punch is used over Facade as it is rare that it gets the Guts boost without Flame Orb. It also has a good shot to OHKO Salamence even after Intimidate. The Speed EVs are to outrun Chansey. You would want to have this set on a balance team with Wish support from Umbreon so it doesn’t get worn down quickly.
 
Last edited:
:ss/conkeldurr:
Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Standard BU Conk, with a few adjustments made to fit the UU metagame. Annoys fatter teams that rely on passive mons like Resttalk Prim & Tang as their Conk checks, while posing as a threat towards Offense with priority. 136 Speed EVs creep Celesteela, and the rest is dumped into Attack and HP.
 
Last edited:
Conkeldurr @ Choice Band
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Choice band allows it to absolutely nuke threats when it gets guts boost from a will-o-wisp rotom, flame body moltres, and the occasional toxic from pokemon to absolutely nuke them. Would be counters can no longer counter is as it absolutely blows them away with a equivelent 2.25x damage boost making its attack through the roof

252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Conkeldurr Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 132 Def Primarina: 277-327 (76 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Conkeldurr Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 204-241 (61.6 - 72.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Conkeldurr Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 168+ Def Amoonguss: 252-297 (58.3 - 68.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
 
Last edited:
toxtect conk

:ss/Conkeldurr:

Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Protect
- Toxic

Now Conkeldurr can cripple would be checks in Moltres and Salamence and pretty much anything that flies with Protect + Toxic!, thanks to this you can easily get free chip on those and get even more chip thanks to Knock Off. Drain Punch and Leftovers are there just to bring more longevity so that it can spam Protect even more.
 
534-0.png
234.png

Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 216 HP / 156 SpD / 136 Spe
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Bulk Up
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Guts was chosen over Iron Fist for the larger boost while asleep and Drain Punch is used as the attacking move to provide more recovery options with the STAB boost. At first glance, you might question the lack of ways to hit Ghosts, but except for Aegislash and Chandelure, Ghosts are pretty rare to come by. Standard Spe EVs are used, though if you want you can opt for 0 Spe to go for the Drain Punch recovery by moving second which has its own merits. 216 HP puts your HP at a Leftovers number +1 the rest is put into SpD for maximum survivability in the long run. If preferred you can just go all in on Def instead. This set also acts as a decent switch in on Spore/Sleep Powder since you can take advantage of Sleep Talk/Guts.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top