Goodbye - Zebraiken     
IntroductionThis is my first RMT that I've posted at Smogon and I hold high expectations to myself for it, so everyone else should too. I intend to make this RMT similar to Kevin Garrett's Solum's Core, since that explained his team incredibly thoroughly and also served as a learning point to the BW metagame. Hopefully (as if anyone looks at the Other Teams subforum anyway >____>) I can catch some positive attention for NU as well as prove that this tier isn't just for people wanting to spam Beautifly/Whiscash/Pikachu, and maybe even inspire other people to take a shot at it; honestly, talk to anyone who's played NU. It's by far the most fun tier to play in right now. Anyway, a little bit about myself (and I guess some NU history too) to begin with. Despite my fairly recent join date, I've been battling for a long time. I stumbled on competitive battling right around the inception of Platinum, like September 2009. I was pretty much terrible at competitive Pokemon altogether. I just couldn't keep up with the level of play, even at lower ends of the ladder, so I convinced myself that I should be playing UU rather than OU (since that's what all the best players played and I wasn't good enough!). I played UU for the remainder of DPP, then messed around with BW OU for quite some time but never really getting much better. When NU came about, I decided "fuck OU" and went to scrounge about in the lower tiers. It was stupidly easy to play on the ladder then, especially since there were about five good players and the rest were scrubs using Life Orb Castform and other garbage with minimal actual usability. From then, guys like SuperPascal rejuvenated competitive value in NU, using great mons like CB Sawk, Gorebyss, Substitute Klinklang, and Mesprit. SP's RMT is a fine example of those Pokemon in action and is a team that functions well even now. More competitively competent (heh repetition) people like Ice-eyes showed up, and NU gradually earned itself a tier in DST, C&C analyses, and other cool shit. Goodbye was primarily created to test the effectiveness of a hazard-setting Smeargle. Until the point this team was created, people used BP Smeargle mostly, if it was even seen at all. It was hugely successful and I still deem it the best hazards abuser in the tier. Beyond that, hazards abuse was the basis of this team, and through some guesswork I stumbled upon a really solid defensive core and two really effective sweepers (...that's really how I build all of my teams). I peaked #1 several times under the alt names of "Salutrian", "lightspeed", and "Zebraiken", though I think the highest rank I got was ~1450. This is perhaps the best team I've ever made for any tier, and I honestly haven't made any changes to it whatsoever for about a month now and it's still very solid. With the end of this pristine metagame coming in a few days, as well as half of the team likely to move onto bigger and better things, I've decided it's time to retire Goodbye and post a RMT. Hopefully you enjoy the team and perhaps give NU a go! :) The Team
Smeargle @ Focus Sash Smeargle is the shit and there's no better hazard user in the tier. You can try to convince me but I'll prove you wrong. I've had a lot of trouble figuring out the best set for Smeargle but I think that this one is by far the best, as it handles what people think deal with Smeargle (Substitute set-uppers, Taunters) really well. Spore is an almost guaranteed removal of a Pokemon on the opposing team, though I must admit it's a lot less useful now that people are starting to pack more and more Spore-resistant Pokemon like Vital Spirit Magmortar. Most matches, Smeargle can put something to sleep and set up a layer of Spikes, if not more. Magic Coat is really cute when facing an opposing Smeargle or something that obviously Taunts like Electrode or Persian (though Persian will break your sash with Fake Out so go to Klinklang first). Whirlwind, imo, is the magic that makes this set golden. I don't know how many people have set up SubCM Mesprit on me while I just go lalalala and stack my hazards, then Whirlwind their sub and all their boosts away. Plus, the incoming Pokemon is forced to take Spikes damage and if you haven't used up your Spore yet, feel free to do that and rack up even more hazard damage with Whirlwind spam and a likely unbroken Focus Sash. Whirlwind patches one of old-age Smeargle's weaknesses (being weak to set-uppers) and actually gives it a method to abuse its own hazards which is amazing. I don't run Stealth Rock because Camerupt makes an arguably better user and I don't want to stack all of my hazards on Smeargle alone. I mean, what happens if you somehow fuck up with Smeargle and lose it due to a misclick or someone's CB Dual Chop Fraxure (yeah, that happened once)? Rapid Spin is probably the only other move I'd even consider being on this set, and I wouldn't ever use it because Smeargle is obnoxiously frail and I usually start every match with it dying in the first couple of turns after setting hazards. People have started to figure out more ways to deal with Smeargle though so it isn't really as good as it used to be; if you're gonna use it, watch out for Pokemon like Magmortar. More often than not, when someone spies a Smeargle on your team, they'll lead with Magmortar/Banette/Electabuzz or whatever has a Sleep-immune ability or whatever can take a Spore. You can use that to your advantage in almost every battle - so try leading with something else that handles those Pokemon really well, like Camerupt or Lanturn for example.
Klinklang @ Leftovers Klinklang is definitely one of my favorite Pokemon to use in NU. It's really only challenged by Gorebyss as the best set-upper imo, and even then Klinklang has the bonuses of superb typing, more bulk, and the fact that it doesn't have to lower defenses to boost and isn't priority weak. My EVs are really really weird, but that's okay because there's a reason for that. 32 Speed allows Klinklang to just barely outrun base 86 Scarfers (aka Rotom-S/F), which are more or less the fastest ones you'll ever see in NU. Jynx is the only common Scarf user outside of that range, although Jynx flat-out loses to Klinklang anyway. 252 HP / 40 SDef allow my Sub to never ever be broken by either Wartortle's or Alomomola's Scald; this is particularly useful because often they are the opponent's only answer to Klinklang. I also had one particularly bad match where Wartortle broke every one of Klinklang's subs when there was only a small chance to do so and I only needed one boost to win the game. The rest of the EVs are dropped into Attack. I'm not really sure if that's the most 'efficient' spread or not, but it's the one I've used for the longest time. Plus, I don't think I've ever missed the slight drop in attacking power at all. Klinklang is particularly excellent for this team because it shares several common counters with Swellow that can be broken through with Spikes damage. Magneton is an example of one of these shared counters. Klinklang will ALWAYS lure in the opposing team's Magneton, when it's easy enough to just double switch to either Camerupt or Lanturn afterwards and force it to leave again after taking hazards damage. Even in matches where Klinklang doesn't get the opportunity to set up and sweep, it still pulls its weight by luring and wearing down Swellow counters. Also, Frustration > Return because I always forget to put in the happiness value. :(
Misdreavus @ Eviolite Even with all the hype that Ice-eyes has been giving ol' SubCM Mesprit lately, I really, really don't miss Mesprit at all. Misdreavus is just so incredibly bulky it's not even funny. Jolly Choice Banded Sawk's Stone Edge does 37% max. And if it catches you on the switch-in with Toxic? Well, that's what you have Heal Bell for. 28 Speed allows Missy to outrun Adamant Torterra and all of those other things that aim to outrun that (because yes, I am that speed creep guy). The rest is dumped into physical bulk because Missy makes a much better physical wall than a special one, with those immunities and all that. I've debated Will-o-Wisp vs Toxic for quite some time now, and I think I strongly believe that Toxic is the best option for Misdreavus. Without it, Missy gets fucked by so many more things like Magmortar and Cryogonal (yeah, Missy's the best spinblocker in NU, but she also can't do jack to Cryogonal...). Will-o-Wisp could be an option and helps against Armaldo and the like but I prefer the reliability of Toxic more especially since people have been using Cryogonal more and more. Heal Bell is an amazing move and helps Misdreavus do so much more for the team, though it kinda ruins Swellow's Toxic Orb so I have to be careful sometimes. More often than not though it really doesn't matter. I wish Misdreavus got Recover. Pain Split is better than Rest, but still so unreliable... Misdreavus is also my main pivot and I use her to switch into almost everything, from Quagsire to Scolipede (though Scolipede usually gets in several layers :/). Taunt is also an option in that last slot, but no one actually uses Foresight Wartortle and I really don't know why. I've actually considered giving Lanturn Heal Bell and dropping it on Misdreavus for something else like maybe Perish Song, but I really think Misdreavus makes the better Heal Bell user and Toxic is too important on Lanturn to give up. The only other change I've really considered here is dropping Misdreavus for Frillish - Frillish has some really cool resistances and Water Absorb which would be awesome for the influx of Rain Dance teams, but Missy is my most sound check to Ground-types which this team struggles with most. I'd rather be able to firmly handle Earthquakes than have a Water immunity.
Swellow @ Toxic Orb Anyone who says Braviary is better than Swellow is crazy. Braviary just doesn't have the absolute POWER that comes with Swellow and its Facade. Oh, and Swellow can switch moves, meaning I don't have to let my momentum go to shits when I mispredict and Facade an incoming Rhydon. Swellow is hands-down the best cleaner in NU, and it's absolutely godly with hazards. Quagsire is OHKOd after switching into a full set of layers, and even max HP Klinklang takes a good 40% from Facade. Swellow is the equivalent of a flying semi-truck on steriods. All you even have to do is click U-turn early game and Facade lategame. Brave Bird is really only useful against Ghost-types; otherwise, you're almost always better off spamming Facade. I run Protect over Quick Attack because it gives oodles more utility. When you're trying to stall out a Rain Dance timer or Trick Room or just scouting to see what's going to happen next... I just strongly prefer Protect than some weak-ass priority when you're already fast as shit. It also lets me handle Smeargle better, as without Protect I'd have some ballsy Smeargle user try to Spore me before Toxic Orb gets activated. Swellow is a stud and there's nothing more to say.
Camerupt @ Leftovers Camerupt is the glue that holds this team together. And with no recovery, I have to play it carefully so I don't lose it before I need it most. Almost by virtue of typing alone, Camerupt is the best counter for Klinklang, Weezing, and Magneton, who all have little trouble with the rest of the team. Lava Plume doesn't ever burn for me, but I keep it on there hoping that someday it will actually fulfill its 30% chance of burning. Earth Power provides other STAB and is Camerupt's strongest move; it's actually kinda fun to catch stuff like Lanturn on the switch with Earth Power (I think it does ~40% to most Lanturn). Camerupt is also my Stealth Rock setter. When Snover and hail teams were absurdly popular, I actually almost always led with Camerupt as opposed to Smeargle because I could get up SR, KO Snover, and tank a Blizzard before heavily damaging something else. SubSplit Rotom-F was also almost never a problem because Camerupt could just Roar it out after it Subbed and make it take SR damage coming back in. Camerupt was also the team's best option against silly Baton Pass teams, especially midgame. I'd lead with Smeargle and use Spikes while Ninjask/Volbeat obviously Substitute up, and I'd get another layer in while they SD or Encore me. From that point, it was easy enough to either click Whirlwind or switch to Camerupt and Roar. Phazing was really underrated for a long time in NU and I think now people are starting to understand that it's important to run a phazer or else you lose to Ninjask/Volbeat from the get-go. I've often had to play a guessing game with Camerupt when Gorebyss comes in. Either I switch to Lanturn and risk taking a ton of damage from +2 HP Grass, or I go ballsy and stay in with Camerupt to Roar it out and hopefully waste its White Herb and force it to take more hazards damage. It's a gamble, but usually I stick it out with Camerupt and then go to Lanturn on the return of Gorebyss. Specially defensive Camerupt is the only consideration I've really had with him nowadays, and that's mostly because everyone and their mother is running Magmortar.
Lanturn @ Leftovers I had a little bit of trouble figuring out Lanturn's set for the longest time. I had played with a 252/252+ SpD set, a RestTalk set with Heal Bell (which was actually kinda neat btw), an offensive Specs set with Volt Switch... but I finally settled on this set and I haven't changed it much. I don't remember exactly what my EVs were/are for but I know that 32 Speed is to outspeed non-invested base 70s, and I maxed out Special Attack and threw the rest of it in bulk. The coverage that Lanturn gives is the most important thing it does for me, imo; Thunderbolt wrecks Gorebyss, Surf covers Magmortar and other Fire-, Rock, and Ground-types, and Ice Beam is more or less my only option against Altaria. I've considered using Volt Switch, but I think I eliminated it when I was using a weaker variant as it struggled to harm Wish/Protect Alomomola who could tank a VS and Wish off the damage. It might be more useful now that I have legitimate investment. Toxic, to me, is incredibly important on this set. Without it, I really struggle to harm opposing Lanturn in general. It also helps me catch Quagsire, which is another Pokemon I can't deal with very well (fuck Quagsire really). Lanturn is my primary switch for all sorts of Pokemon but mostly bulky Waters; it can take status from them (actually catching a Scald burn is usually for the best) and Toxic them back, while I can get rid of that status with Misdreavus later. Lanturn is also my most reliable check to Magmortar and Gorebyss, and I have to be super careful with Lanturn around any team that utilizes both. Importable |