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Introduction
The team was built to support Virizion's wallbreaking capabilities while keeping its checks in mind, by generating momentum with pivots, with hazard support helping in achieving this goal as well. Playing carefully, giving no free turns to the opponent and laying a hazard or two is the key to piloting this team well.
I started with this core, which I actually showcased here. Basically Rotom Wash deals with Skarmory while Jirachi works as a lure agaisnt it, pretty simple.
Next, I wanted hazard support, so Tentacruel was a no brainer as it provides both tspikes and spin. Mamoswine forced switches with it's wallbreaking potential, making for a good offensive rocker .Incineroar was slapped on to deal with scary ghost types and bringing in Virizion and Jirachi safely, which it formed a Dark Fighting Pschic type core with.
(change in moveset) I desperately needed a scarfer, so Incineroar, who wasn't lifting his weight enough, was replaced with Chandelure with it's revenge killing capabilities. Plus it could deal with skarmbliss and doublade, thanks to its stab and trick. Wanting a ghost resist with Incineroar gone I swapped out Mamoswine for Krookodile, who was a faster offensive rocker that had taunt to boot. After I asked the UU chatroom for suggestions, user Can'tFight provided a better alternative to aurasphere, which was shadow ball.
Virizion @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat
- Synthesis
Enter the star of the show, green bambi. Jokes aside, Virizion posses unique qualities that makes it worth a slot, which includes a stellar speed stat, an oddly useful defensive typing to soft check Crawdaunt and Krookodile, and most importantly mixed offenses that preys on common defensive mons such as Slowking and Palossand, something most fighting types can only threaten with a stray toxic or are taken advantage by the target's teamates once they are choice locked into a coverage move.
Due to it being a mixed attacker, Virizion forgoes choice items for life orb, allowing it to switch up moves while not being too bothered by its recoil, as it has synthesis providing reliable recovery. It's thanks to this very move that allows Virizion to wallbreak easily midgame, leaving holes in the opponents teams, only to heal back up and sweep late game once faster threats and scarfers are gone. However, certain mons prevent it doing so, specificly Skarmory and Doublade, which is why it is paired with teamates that handles or lures them.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- U-turn
- Psyshock
Jirachi is known to have dozens of viable sets it can pull of, but its best to bluff scarf with u turn and not switch in when hazards are present, as it reveals that leftovers is held. Doing so lures in the likes of Skarmory and Doublade, who are natural counters to its physical sets only to be blown back by its calm mind boosted attacks.
U turn has other uses, of course, as it allows it to pivot out agaisnt dark types it cannot touch, bringing in Virizion who handles them, while shadow ball is to nail Palossand and Slowking and psyshock is for STAB. Leftovers is to give it more staying power throughout the match. Overall it makes a great partner for Virizion, as they can handle each others answers well.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Toxic
- Protect
The once OU staple washing machine provides a great defensive mon to fall back on, checking scary wallbreakers like Mamoswine while not being too overly passive, as its stabs alone scare out most of the common hazard setters in the tier, while packing a trick or two to handle the ones it dosen't.
Toxic is neat to poison Seismitoad or other mons such as Rotom Mow and Druddigon that like to switch in expecting its stabs. Concerning its lawn mower brother, protect is used to scout choice locked moves and trick, while also providing an extra turn of leftovers or poison. Finally, hydro pump is for dealing with ground types and volt switch completes a volt turn core with Jirachi, which can be brought in to handle mons that this set can't touch, such as Dragalge.
Chandelure @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick
- Flamethrower
Chandelure has seen a bit of a resurgance due to the once omniprescent Incineroar being less favoured in this meta, which it appreciates as its moves can hit the entire the tier (excluding the tiger) for at least neutral damage, resulting in it being less preditction reliant, as its base 145 SPA state is at least chipping resists. However, there are mons that will sponge its hits no matter what, such as Blissey.
Luckily, Chandelure has a trick (haha get it?) up its sleeve, which is to force defensive mons to hold its choice item, rendering them useless. It's rather risky if the opponent expects it, as the moment their offensive team member is gifted the scarf, it's pretty much GG. Energy ball was added to somewhat deal with Gastrodon, Seismitoad and Tyranitar outside of sand.
It is of course rather prediction reliant and sits at a rather awkward position for a scarfer (is outsped by the Rotom forms and Mienshao acting as scarfers, and is weak to common priority in ss and accelorock) but if played correctly can dismantle slower teams effectively.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
Words cannot describe how appreciated Tentacruel's arrival was to UU, the amount of roles it can compress relieves a huge strain in team building, saving slots for potential teamates. These consist of a fighting type resist, toxic spike absorber, hazard support and removal.
The moves chosen accomplish the jobs it's assigned to. Scald is for stab with the potential to spread burns, crippling physical attackers, toxic spikes is hazards that force the opponent to switch in a poison type to absorb them, providing jirachi a chance to come in and rapid spin removes hazards while turning it suprisingly speedy, which synergizes well with knock off threatening spin blockers or removing leftovers and boots. With the emphasis on its naturally fast speed, the investment is to outpace Mamoswine and other fully invested base 85 speed mons. The rest of the EVs were dumped to defense along with HP, accompanied with black sludge to maximise its physical bulk. (Thanks Panther-T for the spread)
Krookodile @ Chople Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
Another familiar face from last gen UU shows up, and is back and better than ever. Krookodile acts as the glue holding my team together, as an offensive rocker that can stomach a strong hit or two thanks to intimidate, before releasing one of its own. Its Dark type allows it to act resist attacks from ghost types, which would otherwise eat the team up.
Taunt fits well with the rest of the team, as it can deter defogs, teleport and even wish, preventing bulkier teams from stalling too much. It especially annoys Skarmory, as once it's taunted Chandelure is granted a free switch in (provided hazards are not up on the teams side) to knock it out (since most Skarms carry body press as their only attacking move), forcing the opponent to play mind games. The utility taunt provides allow stealth rocks to be up more reliable, while knock off prevents mons carrying boots from recieving chip damage. Chople berry was chosen to live a hit from the many unboosted mons Krookodile can check at full carrying fighting coverage, such as Cobalion, Doublade and Lycanroc - Dusk.
THREATS
1.
I'm not joking when I say this. On paper my team should deal with it pretty well, I have lures for it in Rotom Wash having toxic and Virizion has Leaf Storm. In reality, it's not only Quag I have to deal with, due to the its passive nature it finds its way on stall teams, paired with very annoying partners providing cleric support and Skarmory.I was considering listing the entire playstyle, but after watching some replays I've noticed that it was the anchor supporting the opponent's team. It hardwalls Jirachi, which would usually dismantle stall and spreads toxics to my switch ins. Thankfully it's not too common, but if you're forced to face it smart plays and predictions are your only hope to discard its teamates making Quagsire unkillable.
2.
Starmie has perfect coverage to nail all the members of the team for SE damage, (other than rotom, which can't eat hits too well due to the lack of spedef investment) while outspeeding Virizion. My revenge killer can't switch in as well. Counterplay does exist, chipping it with hazards throughout the match quickly wears it down and it can't switch in safely to any of the team members,so keep it offensively checked.3.
Everyone knows what murder dog does. It comes in after its teamate faints, applying heavy pressure on the team, resulting in the user awkwardly dancing around, riskly switching in resists on predicted moves only for it to click swords dance. Plus it has priority that kills my scarfer. Keeping Rotom wash healthy is the only form of counterplay.4.
The lack of special walls becomes even more apparent facing this behemoth, and thanks to it's acces to freeze dry I truly have no safe switch ins. While its easy to scout moves if its choice locked, sub roost is problematic as mons that could break the sub hate taking one of Kyurem's attacks.5.
It's a mon that seems unstopable on paper, as it is a ghost type that can bypass Krookodile, but is more that managable. It's only really threatening with spikes up, but once they are it can get out of control so it's worth the small mention.CONCLUSION
I know 5 threats seem like a lot, but the last three are somewhat handled by not giving them the oppurtunity to switch in and set up for free (pls ban teleport), Starmie can be worned down and Quagsire can be dealt with by going to church every Sunday so God could bless you with the fortune of never running into it in ladder. Hopefully this RMT shows that Virizion has its place in UU. (people in the roomchat were asking me why I was running it lol) Also, I would just like to take the time to express the amount of fun I've been having in UU, the community plays a huge role in this. I've seen various posts discovering neat tricks that keeps the metagame from going stale. I'll leave a few shoutouts, which are those who contributed in creating this RMT. I hope you all have a great day enjoying the metagame, as well as wishing participants good luck for the upcoming UUWC. (PM me for
)S/os to Estarossa for originally coming up with idea of using Virizion in UU, the UU chatroom generally filled with helpful people and Lilburr helping me branch out in the community. (I'll find time for discord once my school life settles down a bit.)
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