Adaptability Close Combat Please (Peaked #1!)

[jim995]

Adaptability Close Combat, Please
(Mega-Lucario in Ubers)
(Peaked #1!!!)

Introduction

I’ve been playing competitive Pokemon since Gen IV, and Ubers has always been my best and favorite tier. I was curious about the changes brought upon by Gen VI, and when I investigated, I found a pleasant surprise: Lucario received a buff! It might actually be viable in Ubers! I immediately set out to create such a team, to great (and very surprising!) success: a variation of the team won the inaugural Ubers Weekend Tournament and it peaked #1 on the Ubers ladder shortly after the release of Pokebank.

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Proof

Note: If the images fail, simply check the ladder and /rank on PS. The stats are current as of 12-29-13.
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The team’s premise involves getting either Mega-Luke or Kyogre to sweep after sufficiently wearing the enemy down with Yveltal along the ride to eliminate common enemies such as the Giratinas. It utilizes U-Turn to get the two in safely, and it incorporates the necessary support defense for any non-hyper offensive team.

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Teambuilding Process

Of course I have to start with Mega Lucario, my main sweeper.

Luke has troubles with Lugia and Giratina, among others, making Darkrai a natural offensive partner for it.

Clearly, I need some defensive coherence to my team as well as a pivot if possible to get the two frail pokes switch in opportunities. In particular, I need checks and counters to Kyogre, E-Killer, and Geo-Xern. After awhile of deliberation and some small amounts of experimentation, I end up with Groudon, Giratina-A, and Sp. Def. Scizor for these roles.

Finally, I needed a revenge-killer. I immediately settle upon Scarfogre due to its power and its reasonable synergy with the other members of my team, especially Luke.

After playing with the team for awhile, I realized how weak the team was to several special attackers, particularly Palkia and Yveltal, as Giratina holds too many weaknesses and Scizor isn’t particularly bulky outside of its resists. I therefore replace Darkrai with AV Yveltal to maintain offensive presence against walls like Lugia and Giratina while simultaneously checking said special attackers.

And now we’re done!
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In Depth

Lucario-Mega @ Lucarionite
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Iron Tail
- Stone Edge
- Bullet Punch

The star of the show! Even unboosted, Adaptability Close Combat maims most Pokemon that don’t resist it, and things like Groudon don’t enjoy being worn down, either. Iron Tail is the other STAB move, for despite its shaky accuracy, it hits Lugia and the Tinas harder than Crunch and easily OHKOs Xern. The other two moves aren’t used as frequently, although Stone Edge is useful for luring in overconfident Ho-oh and Bullet Punch helps Scizor check opposing Xern Swords Dance was an option, but it proved difficult to set up and sweep and was overkill late game. Despite its lack of boosts, it can still late game sweep as it’s generally still strong enough with its counters eliminated and has decent speed combined with resistances to E-Speed, Sucker Punch, and BP.

Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Water Spout
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunder

My revenge killer and primary late game cleaner. Nothing special here; just usual Scarfogre junk. It synergizes reasonably well with Mega-Luke, seeing that Luke, once Mega evolved, OHKOs uninvested Palkia after Rocks, and gets free switch in opportunities on some of the more defensive Kyogre switch-ins (Chansey w/out T-Wave being the most notable). Hydro Pump>Surf as, from my experience, you miss out on a tiny bit too much power with the more consistent move.

Yveltal @ Assault Vest
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SAtk / 10 SDef
Quiet Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Oblivion Wing
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn

Lugia, the Tinas, and Grassceus still mess with the previous two Pokemon, which is where this thing comes in. AV is used over the other sets due to its ability to check Palkia, Mewtwos that aren’t X, Deoxys-A, and opposing Yveltal. Dark Pulse and Oblivion Wing are given, especially since OW is the Y-God’s only form of recovery. Sucker Punch is there to 2HKO uninvested Palkia after a small bit of background damage from rocks and Kyogre before it can Hydro Pump you to death and is therefore irreplaceable. Finally, U-Turn is a neat way of providing either Scarfogre or Lucario a safe switch in. The speed isn’t really a problem, but feel free to alter the nature to Mild if the slightly lesser bulk doesn’t bother you.

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Defog

Thus begins the list of defensive Pokes. Scizor serves as a reasonably bulky Pivot and Defogger with reliable recovery and a nice Dragon resist. The 0 Spd EVs and Sassy nature make it so it can get a slower U-turn against the likes of Chansey. Most importantly, with some help from Lucario, it acts as my Xerneas check, avoiding a OHKO from a +2 X-God barring the uncommon HP Fire outside of rain. Dumping more EVs into attack is redundant as Luke exists and it’s hard to hit much harder without compromising your bulk.

Giratina @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SDef / 8 Def
Calm Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar

The specially defensive Great Wall joins the team as my Ogre switch in as well as a generally bulky beast with the added benefit of not being trapped by Mega-Gengar. It helps shoulder much of the burden that Scizor and Yveltal had, since Yveltal does not appreciate being worn down and Scizor is no pink blob. Aditionally, it serves to check non-Lum E-Killers and annoy physical attackers everywhere by spreading burns all over the place. Roar>Dragon Tail in this case almost always since the thing needs to phase through Substitutes and doesn’t do very much damage in either case.

Groudon @ Leftovers
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Tail
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

The team concludes with Groudon, the supreme physical wall, countering and checking the tier’s premier physical threats, most notably Arceus and Zekrom. The moves serve basic purposes: Rocks are obligatory, as is the STAB, and Stone Edge is required for Ho-oh. Unlike Giratina, Donner can actually threaten most Pokes’ subs, and thus D-Tail is preferred for the decent chip damage, especially on dragons.

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Notable Threats

Offensive:

Kyogre: As Giratina-A is my only real check to the big fat whale, it cannot die in most battles, which is often a difficult task if the variant is Specs. Lucario and Yveltal can hurt some variants but aren’t switching in. From experience, the ubiquity of Scarfogre, whom Tina easily takes on, makes this not nearly as threatening as it would seem, but still necessary to keep in mind.

Palkia: In the rain, AV Palkia can essentially 2HKO my entire team with its coverage. AV Yveltal is my main check, 2HKOing in return with Sucker Punch after Palkia has switched into Rocks and a Kyogre attack. However, it risks taking over 50% from a rain-boosted Hydro Pump, so it is unreliable. The only positive is that most people opt to keep their Palkia in for at least 1 Sucker Punch, meaning that it can no longer switch in Kyogre and Rocks another time.

Blaziken: This thing's level of danger is as simple as OHKOing my entire team if it is at +2 and has Knock Off and proper hazard support. Thus, I have to be very careful and deny it set-up opportunities, preventing Scizor from Defogging or Roosting unless it reveals Protect, in which case Giratina walls it (though it can’t strike back). If i don't allow to boost, I can take a hit and take it down.

Mewtwo: X sets aren’t particularly threatening, but only Yveltal can consistently switch in, taking about 40% from Ice Beam before returning fire with Sucker Punch.

Rayquaza: It’s not particularly common, but it does a good amount to Groudon, my only check, with a boosted attack or Meteors while dealing heavy damage to essentially everything else on my team.

Arceus: Calm Mind variants give me fits, because (as Haruno pointed out) things that can take a hit do little more than phase and those that can't... you know. Additionally, my main revenge killer, Kyogre, can no longer take them down due to the Special Defense boosts the Arceus accumulate.

Defensive:

Giratina-A: My primary two offensive Pokemon, Mega-Luke and Kyogre, both struggle to take this down, especially with the new Rest-Talk mechanics. It can then proceed to burn everything and start phasing. Giratina-O is less of a problem as it can be worn down. Yveltal does not appreciate being burned and taking Rock damage. Luckily, most top players don’t use it.

Lugia: See Giratina-A, except with more reliable recovery, different statuses (Toxic/Paralysis), and Kyogre can do more to it.

Arceus: Also in the same boat as Tina and especially Lugia. However, the most common forms are either Offensive or Rock, neither of which are that bad. Grass and Water tend to be the worst.

/

Chansey/Blissey: The pink blobs give me fits, for Luke is the only Pokemon on my team that can reliably take them out, and I can’t even consistently switch him in without scouting for T-Wave first. The problem is especially apparent when the fat sack is paired with a ghost type, such as the aforementioned Tina-A or Aegislash, as well as Lugia. If Lucario dies early, then it’s going to be a long struggle for me. Fortunately, as in the case of Tina, it is not the world’s most common thing in terms of usage.
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In Conclusion

Overall, I’ve had a great time with the team, and I’m planning on retiring it soon. Please rate, and feel free to use it. I hope you enjoy!
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Importable

Lucario-Mega @ Lucarionite
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Iron Tail

Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Water Spout
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunder

Yveltal @ Assault Vest
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SAtk / 8 SDef
Quiet Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Oblivion Wing
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Defog

Giratina @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 244 SDef / 16 Spd
Calm Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar

Groudon @ Leftovers
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spd
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Tail
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

 

[Jimmyftw]

Hello, nice team you have here. One thing I notice is that outside of Lucario, the two blobs known as Blissey and Chansey walls you entirely. This is made worst by the fact that Lucario cannot reliably switch into Blissey/Chansey without worrying about paralysis and unnecessary seismic toss damage which does a hefty amount given Lucario's low HP stat. Moreover, Lucario is often your win condition so you might be hesitant to switch it in often early on.

I see two solutions to circumvent this problem. Firstly, you can switch Groudon to an Offensive SR set which pressure the blob more heavily and still being able to take at least one +2 Extreme Speed from Extreme Killer. I recommend the following change:

Groudon @ Earth Plate
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
~ Stealth Rock
~ Earthquake
~ Stone Edge
~ Fire Punch

Alternatively, you can change AV Yveltal to a specially defensive set with Taunt.

Yveltal @ Leftover
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Quiet Nature
~ Taunt
~ Oblivion Wing
~ Sucker Punch
~ U-turn

You can experiment with the moveset to see what works best for you.

Lastly, I recommend putting some speed creep on Groudon to get an edge up over Dialga and the many neutral base 90's running around. Giratina can also use some speed creep and you can make them both the same speed to scout your opponent.

 

[ApplepieFTW]

Bullet Punch from neutral 252+ Scizor does ~80% to Xern (no bulk investment). An adaptability Bullet Punch should definitely ohko it. Scizor doesnt look like it is really doing much for the team. Maybe swap it with the ever so common, overcentralizing Xerneas? (Read: Do just that, Xern is a huge threat is destroys lives on a daily basis eats souls for breakfast walks to hell and back a multitude of times with no worries like no tommorow even happenin'.)

 

[jim995]

Hello, nice team you have here. One thing I notice is that outside of Lucario, the two blobs known as Blissey and Chansey walls you entirely. This is made worst by the fact that Lucario cannot reliably switch into Blissey/Chansey without worrying about paralysis and unnecessary seismic toss damage which does a hefty amount given Lucario's low HP stat. Moreover, Lucario is often your win condition so you might be hesitant to switch it in often early on.

I see two solutions to circumvent this problem. Firstly, you can switch Groudon to an Offensive SR set which pressure the blob more heavily and still being able to take at least one +2 Extreme Speed from Extreme Killer. I recommend the following change:

Alternatively, you can change AV Yveltal to a specially defensive set with Taunt.

Lastly, I recommend putting some speed creep on Groudon to get an edge up over Dialga and the many neutral base 90's running around. Giratina can also use some speed creep and you can make them both the same speed to scout your opponent.

Groudon is difficult to change since without the defensive set, my team is lacking in physical bulk, and too much stress is placed on Giratina, who needs the Specially Defensive spread for Kyogre.

Specially Defensive Taunt Yveltal was one of my earlier considerations and would easily work for Chansey and the other defensive threats (Scizor can scout for Toxic); I'm probably going to try it out. The main reason I was hesitant before was how an uninvested Oblivion Wing does not hit very hard and thus is often insufficient for healing and more importantly (Roost exists) opposing Yveltal and Grassceus.

I do speed creep... I just decided not to advertise how much I do so.

Bullet Punch from neutral 252+ Scizor does ~80% to Xern (no bulk investment). An adaptability Bullet Punch should definitely ohko it. Scizor doesnt look like it is really doing much for the team. Maybe swap it with the ever so common, overcentralizing Xerneas? (Read: Do just that, Xern is a huge threat is destroys lives on a daily basis eats souls for breakfast walks to hell and back a multitude of times with no worries like no tommorow even happenin'.)

I'm sorry, but you're misinformed: the calcs are way off; a Luke only does 50-60% to an uninvested Xerneas and can never switch in; I need the Defog support, and Xerneas makes little sense in terms of team synergy.

 

[Haruno]

How do you deal with cm eleceus? It potentially sets up on Zor/ogre/sleeping gira and after a cm it proceeds to wreck. Nothing being able to take a hit and the ones that can, don't threaten it in return

 

[jim995]

How do you deal with cm eleceus? It potentially sets up on Zor/ogre/sleeping gira and after a cm it proceeds to wreck. Nothing being able to take a hit and the ones that can, don't threaten it in return

Yea, CM-Arceus Electric (and other types too in fact) do heavily threaten this team; I really don't have anything for them once they set-up. In a worse case scenario, when they do get such a boost and Giratina is sleeping or weakened, I can usually sack Groudon (who barely survives a +1 Ice Beam even from Modest 252 Arceus-Electric), Yveltal, or Scizor to either get some chip damage (or phase with Groudon); subsequently Kyogre can usually take the Arceus down. I do admit this is a hardly a solution (if at all); I simply haven't faced many CM Arceus (I should probably add them to the threat list as well.)

However, please note that an important part of the team is keeping momentum and pressure up with Scizor and Yveltal's respective U-Turns (which aslo tend to keep SPout at high power); the switch-ins to the two, most notably Ho-oh, are easily dealt with by either Luke or Kyogre. Also, I am aware of how Kyogre can become set-up bait when it's using its coverage moves; I do take that into consideration when I'm battling, and I usually opt to use the Water STAB 9/10 times, even when there is an obvious resist (provided one of Scizor, Giratina, or Yveltal can safely switch in).

 

[Donkey]

Hello. It seems your team is lacking a Palkia check. Unfortunately Yveltal is 2HKOd by Hydro Pump after taking Stealth Rock damage -- meaning that it cannot check Palkia thoroughly. A bad player on the ladder may try to Thunder you in neutral weather several times when you switch in Yveltal, and instead end up sacrificing their Palkia rather than switch out to a mon that checks Yveltal. This probably gave you the illusion that you had Palkia covered.
Anyways - I didn't think I was going to have to say it, but your team is incredibly Palkia Weak

Changing this weakness would require shuffling of several mons so I'd rather not post anything, but if you are not satisfied with being Palkia weak PM me and I can help you out.