Whatever Floats Your Goat (Peaked at #93)
Peak:
Peak:
Magical Magmortar's comments are in orange
Astral Spirit's comments will be in blue
Ok so this team is built around Banded Cobalion which is super underrated! The team managed to peak at #93 so here is Whatever Floats Your Goat! (lol bad pun) Also this is my 100th post! ~yay~
At A Glance:
The Team!
Cobalion @ Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Close Combat
- Iron Head
-Stone Edge
-Volt Switch
Cobalion, the Pokemon we built the original team around. This thing is really fun to use and it went past my expectations more than I thought. The Choice Band brings a surprise factor when using Cobalion, as it can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Close Combat is a great STAB in today's meta game and the recent banning of Froslass made it even better. Iron Head hits the Psychics that try to switch in. Stone Edge hits Chandelure and Xatu which makes predicts a lot easier. Volt Switch grabs momentum and forms a Volturn core with Azelf and Raikou. Justified is a great ability for switching in on Foul Plays and the occasional Ambipom Beat Up. (Seriously, that is SO fun.) The EVs are simple: 252 in Attack and Speed for maximum attack and speed.
The star of the team. This entire team was based around Banded Cobalion, a surprisingly powerful and underrated threat in the UU tier. It is a good counter to some threats in UU such as Bisharp, Snorlax, Umbreon, and the occasional hail team which will get demolished by its dual stab. It has fairly good synergy with the team, its Ground weakness being covered by Azelf and Shaymin, having Blastoise and Snorlax to take care of its fire weakness, and having Azelf to try and check the fighting types of the tier (although Blastoise is usually better for that thanks to its great physical bulk). Close Combat and Iron Head are two great dual stab moves, Close Combat having more power, and Iron head having a nice flinching chance. Stone Edge helps to cover the likes of Zapdos and Victini, which would resist both its stab attacks. Volt Switch allows for momentum, as well as a way to quickly and safely escape from any Slowbro that tries switching in on Cobalion, attempting to counter it.Astral Spirit's comments will be in blue
Ok so this team is built around Banded Cobalion which is super underrated! The team managed to peak at #93 so here is Whatever Floats Your Goat! (lol bad pun) Also this is my 100th post! ~yay~
At A Glance:
The Team!
Cobalion @ Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Close Combat
- Iron Head
-Stone Edge
-Volt Switch
Cobalion, the Pokemon we built the original team around. This thing is really fun to use and it went past my expectations more than I thought. The Choice Band brings a surprise factor when using Cobalion, as it can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Close Combat is a great STAB in today's meta game and the recent banning of Froslass made it even better. Iron Head hits the Psychics that try to switch in. Stone Edge hits Chandelure and Xatu which makes predicts a lot easier. Volt Switch grabs momentum and forms a Volturn core with Azelf and Raikou. Justified is a great ability for switching in on Foul Plays and the occasional Ambipom Beat Up. (Seriously, that is SO fun.) The EVs are simple: 252 in Attack and Speed for maximum attack and speed.
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- U-Turn
- Explosion
Azelf is a great Pokemon for the team. It sets up the essential Stealth Rocks which are very useful. Azelf sits at a great 115 speed, allowing it to outspeed most SR setters and Taunt before they can set up. U-Turn lets you switch out to a better counter once SR is set up. Explosion is a final 'good bye' and lets you go out in style. I often use Explosion to stop opposing setup sweepers and put them into a range where Raikou can land the final blow. EVs are for max speed and good Explosion power. Focus Sash lets you live a hit so you can explode.
Azelf: Now taking "suicide lead" to a new level! Why just let the opponent kill you off when you can go out in style?! This team really appreciates the Stealth Rock support, especially Shaymin, which depends on SR to get many if it's most important OHKO's. Taunt is helpful for opposing leads, and Explosion really packs a punch, allowing Azelf to take many opponents down with it once rocks are up. U-turn allows it to do something once it's set up Rocks and Taunted any ghost types, and allows it to save itself for later in the match so it can explode on something. It is quite possibly the best feeling ever to finish off an opponent's final Pokemon with Explosion and win the battle.
Raikou @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power Ice
- Extrasensory
Raikou, our scarfer. Raikou leads the team in both speed and fashion which allows it to pick off weakened threats like Mienshao or Crobat. Thunderbolt is a great STAB which is useful against all the water types in UU. Volt Switch again, grabs momentum. Hidden Power Ice wrecks Gligar and completes the 'BoltBeam' coverage. The fourth slot is kind of iffy, as I don't find myself using it very often. Again the EVs are simple for max power and speed.
Scarf Raikou is a wonderful addition to the team for speed and momentum. This spot had originally been filled by Scarf Chandelure (and Sub-Split Chandelure at the very beginning), but it was replaced with Raikou for its ability to help counter bulky waters, something this team never seemed like it could do in its earlier stages. With Raikou on the team, it is finally safe to say that bulky waters are no longer an issue, but it has a few other aspects to help it that Chandelure didn't, such as more speed, and Volt Switch for momentum. Raikou can also outspeed pretty much any other scarfer in the tier, which Chandelure couldn't, not to mention it gives a good option as a lead besides Azelf. Thunderbolt and Volt Switch are two good Stab options, and Hidden Power Ice gives nice coverage alongside it. Extrasensory is used over Aura Sphere, as it benefits the team more. Cobalion's Close Combat takes care of the need for fighting type attacks, and Extrasensory allows for a Timid nature over a Rash nature.
Shaymin @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 64 HP / 228 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, - Atk)
- Synthesis
-Seed Flare
-Earth Power
-Hidden Power Ice
Shaymin is a great addition to the team, as it provides some power (and cuteness).Natural Cure is great, as you can switch and cure status. Seed Flare is awesome as you can get a -2 Special Defense forcing lots of switches. Earth Power is for Chandelure that try to switch in. HP Ice is cool for hitting Flying types and Gligar. I actually used Psychic for a while, because it hit Crobat and Roserade harder than HP Ice. Synthesis heals you and is great recovery and helps with longetivity.
As cute and harmless-looking as Shaymin may be, this little guy sure is powerful. This EV spread has been designed to outspeed positive nature base 95 Pokemon with max Speed investment, as well as having enough SAtk to still get many of the important OHKO's it would get with max SAtk investment, with the rest in HP to allow it to take hits and use synthesis to recover the damage. Here's some damage calcs to show that this EV Spread helps counter some UU Pokemon such as bulky waters, and doesn't miss out on any of these OHKO's it would get with maximum SAtk:
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Seed Flare vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 346-408 (87.81 - 103.55%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Seed Flare vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blastoise: 398-471 (109.94 - 130.11%) -- guaranteed OHKO
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Gligar: 312-369 (93.41 - 110.47%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Arcanine: 252-299 (78.5 - 93.14%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
The most notable of these is that it can OHKO offensive Arcanine after Stealth Rocks with an Earth Power, and thanks to the EV spread, it outspeeds offensive Arcanine so it can get that OHKO. Overall, Shaymin works well, whether it's getting important OHKO's, weakening the opponent's team for other sweepers, or simply going for a late-game sweep itself.
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Toxic
- Roar
Blastoise is our spinner. Blastoise is the Pokemon that sponges all the hits. Rapid Spin is extremely useful for a team that switches often, like ours. Scald is to not be complete Taunt bait, and the Burn chance is useful and rage-inducing. Toxic stops set up sweepers and is for special attackers because burns don't really matter. Roar is also for set-up sweepers, taking away their boosts.
Sometimes standard is the best way to go. Admittedly, there's nothing all that special about this Blastoise - it's the standard physically defensive set, used for Rapid Spin support. A close look at this team even shows that Stealth Rocks aren't its biggest enemy. However, through all the changes this team went through, Blastoise never got left behind. Why? Because it's synergy with the team is wonderful, and it can still function as a good physical wall and phaser, not to mention it is a great counter to Heracross. The fact that it can Rapid Spin is an extremely nice bonus, and does help against those teams that like to hazard-stack.
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, - SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Crunch
Snorlax is the boosting special wall, taking hits all day with its great ability. Snorlax is a full stop to Chandelure and Victini who would otherwise sweep the team. Curse makes it even more powerful and bulky and can pave the way for one of the sweepers to come in and finish off the opponent's team. Body Slam has that great paralyzing chance. Crunch and Earthquake are coverage moves. I usually use Earthquake if a Chandelure is switching in because it is more powerful and there could be a Cobalion or Virizion.
Out of all the speical walls in UU, Snorlax is definitely one of the strongest. It can take special hits all day, and after just 1 curse, it becomes a great physical wall too, even being able to take many stab Fighting attacks from full. For such a slow Pokemon, it can become a surpisingly dangerous sweeper, something most special walls can't do. Also, thanks to the great ability Thick Fat, Snorlax can take V-Creates better than pretty much any Pokemon out there. Snorlax is great all around - both offensively and defensively.
Threat List:
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- U-Turn
- Explosion
Azelf is a great Pokemon for the team. It sets up the essential Stealth Rocks which are very useful. Azelf sits at a great 115 speed, allowing it to outspeed most SR setters and Taunt before they can set up. U-Turn lets you switch out to a better counter once SR is set up. Explosion is a final 'good bye' and lets you go out in style. I often use Explosion to stop opposing setup sweepers and put them into a range where Raikou can land the final blow. EVs are for max speed and good Explosion power. Focus Sash lets you live a hit so you can explode.
Azelf: Now taking "suicide lead" to a new level! Why just let the opponent kill you off when you can go out in style?! This team really appreciates the Stealth Rock support, especially Shaymin, which depends on SR to get many if it's most important OHKO's. Taunt is helpful for opposing leads, and Explosion really packs a punch, allowing Azelf to take many opponents down with it once rocks are up. U-turn allows it to do something once it's set up Rocks and Taunted any ghost types, and allows it to save itself for later in the match so it can explode on something. It is quite possibly the best feeling ever to finish off an opponent's final Pokemon with Explosion and win the battle.
Raikou @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power Ice
- Extrasensory
Raikou, our scarfer. Raikou leads the team in both speed and fashion which allows it to pick off weakened threats like Mienshao or Crobat. Thunderbolt is a great STAB which is useful against all the water types in UU. Volt Switch again, grabs momentum. Hidden Power Ice wrecks Gligar and completes the 'BoltBeam' coverage. The fourth slot is kind of iffy, as I don't find myself using it very often. Again the EVs are simple for max power and speed.
Scarf Raikou is a wonderful addition to the team for speed and momentum. This spot had originally been filled by Scarf Chandelure (and Sub-Split Chandelure at the very beginning), but it was replaced with Raikou for its ability to help counter bulky waters, something this team never seemed like it could do in its earlier stages. With Raikou on the team, it is finally safe to say that bulky waters are no longer an issue, but it has a few other aspects to help it that Chandelure didn't, such as more speed, and Volt Switch for momentum. Raikou can also outspeed pretty much any other scarfer in the tier, which Chandelure couldn't, not to mention it gives a good option as a lead besides Azelf. Thunderbolt and Volt Switch are two good Stab options, and Hidden Power Ice gives nice coverage alongside it. Extrasensory is used over Aura Sphere, as it benefits the team more. Cobalion's Close Combat takes care of the need for fighting type attacks, and Extrasensory allows for a Timid nature over a Rash nature.
Shaymin @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 64 HP / 228 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, - Atk)
- Synthesis
-Seed Flare
-Earth Power
-Hidden Power Ice
Shaymin is a great addition to the team, as it provides some power (and cuteness).Natural Cure is great, as you can switch and cure status. Seed Flare is awesome as you can get a -2 Special Defense forcing lots of switches. Earth Power is for Chandelure that try to switch in. HP Ice is cool for hitting Flying types and Gligar. I actually used Psychic for a while, because it hit Crobat and Roserade harder than HP Ice. Synthesis heals you and is great recovery and helps with longetivity.
As cute and harmless-looking as Shaymin may be, this little guy sure is powerful. This EV spread has been designed to outspeed positive nature base 95 Pokemon with max Speed investment, as well as having enough SAtk to still get many of the important OHKO's it would get with max SAtk investment, with the rest in HP to allow it to take hits and use synthesis to recover the damage. Here's some damage calcs to show that this EV Spread helps counter some UU Pokemon such as bulky waters, and doesn't miss out on any of these OHKO's it would get with maximum SAtk:
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Seed Flare vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 346-408 (87.81 - 103.55%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Seed Flare vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blastoise: 398-471 (109.94 - 130.11%) -- guaranteed OHKO
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Gligar: 312-369 (93.41 - 110.47%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
228 SpA Life Orb Shaymin Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Arcanine: 252-299 (78.5 - 93.14%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
The most notable of these is that it can OHKO offensive Arcanine after Stealth Rocks with an Earth Power, and thanks to the EV spread, it outspeeds offensive Arcanine so it can get that OHKO. Overall, Shaymin works well, whether it's getting important OHKO's, weakening the opponent's team for other sweepers, or simply going for a late-game sweep itself.
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Toxic
- Roar
Blastoise is our spinner. Blastoise is the Pokemon that sponges all the hits. Rapid Spin is extremely useful for a team that switches often, like ours. Scald is to not be complete Taunt bait, and the Burn chance is useful and rage-inducing. Toxic stops set up sweepers and is for special attackers because burns don't really matter. Roar is also for set-up sweepers, taking away their boosts.
Sometimes standard is the best way to go. Admittedly, there's nothing all that special about this Blastoise - it's the standard physically defensive set, used for Rapid Spin support. A close look at this team even shows that Stealth Rocks aren't its biggest enemy. However, through all the changes this team went through, Blastoise never got left behind. Why? Because it's synergy with the team is wonderful, and it can still function as a good physical wall and phaser, not to mention it is a great counter to Heracross. The fact that it can Rapid Spin is an extremely nice bonus, and does help against those teams that like to hazard-stack.
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, - SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Crunch
Snorlax is the boosting special wall, taking hits all day with its great ability. Snorlax is a full stop to Chandelure and Victini who would otherwise sweep the team. Curse makes it even more powerful and bulky and can pave the way for one of the sweepers to come in and finish off the opponent's team. Body Slam has that great paralyzing chance. Crunch and Earthquake are coverage moves. I usually use Earthquake if a Chandelure is switching in because it is more powerful and there could be a Cobalion or Virizion.
Out of all the speical walls in UU, Snorlax is definitely one of the strongest. It can take special hits all day, and after just 1 curse, it becomes a great physical wall too, even being able to take many stab Fighting attacks from full. For such a slow Pokemon, it can become a surpisingly dangerous sweeper, something most special walls can't do. Also, thanks to the great ability Thick Fat, Snorlax can take V-Creates better than pretty much any Pokemon out there. Snorlax is great all around - both offensively and defensively.
Threat List:
Conclusion
This was a really fun team to make and to test and I thank Astral Spirit for bearing with me all those times I was inactive, lol. There will probably be more RMTs in the future!
This team was a lot of fun to build and use! Being my first joint RMT, it was certainly a new experience and it took some work, but in the end, it was very enjoyable. Being my first team to sucessfully get me to the UU top 100, I really enjoyed playing with this team, and got to know it so well. Special thanks to Magical Magmortar for helping me build one of my favorite teams I've ever used and to Cobalion for being a complete boss!
And here's the import!This was a really fun team to make and to test and I thank Astral Spirit for bearing with me all those times I was inactive, lol. There will probably be more RMTs in the future!
This team was a lot of fun to build and use! Being my first joint RMT, it was certainly a new experience and it took some work, but in the end, it was very enjoyable. Being my first team to sucessfully get me to the UU top 100, I really enjoyed playing with this team, and got to know it so well. Special thanks to Magical Magmortar for helping me build one of my favorite teams I've ever used and to Cobalion for being a complete boss!
Code:
Cobalion @ Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Close Combat
- Iron Head
-Stone Edge
-Volt Switch
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- U-Turn
- Explosion
Raikou @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power Ice
- Extrasensory
Shaymin @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 64 HP / 228 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, - Atk)
- Synthesis
-Seed Flare
-Earth Power
-Hidden Power Ice
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Toxic
- Roar
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, - SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Crunch
