Hey guys!
I've been a passive Smogonite and on-and-off battler on Showdown for a couple of years now but I've never plucked up the courage to post anything in the forums before. Well, that's about to change with an RMT of a UU team I put together. I'd never call myself a great teambuilder or battler, but this team seems to be the most successful one I've managed to come up with so far.
The team is based around Assault Vest, with Metagross and Tangrowth both making use of it. Scarf Victini, Mega Blastoise, specially defensive Florges and physically defensive Gligar round out the balanced / bulky offence team.
At a glance:
The team in detail:
http://www.deviantart.com/?offset=48&view_mode=2&order=9&q=Metagross
Metagross @ Assault Vest
Ability - Clear Body
EVs - 248 HP, 252 Atk, 8 SpD
Nature - Adamant
Moves - Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt
As suggested by Brawlfest, Metagross has replaced Gallade as the first assault vest user. It can tank some surprising special hits, living a life orb Nidoking's earth power, and has a lot of power. EVs are straightforward, with max attack and adamant nature to hit as hard as possible, and almost max HP for maximum bulk, and the 8 left over in SpD. Meteor mash, even though it was nerfed slightly, still hits like a truck and the chance to raise attack by 1 stage has turned a revenge kill into a sweep on more than one occasion. Bullet punch makes up for Metagross's speed and has helped secure a lot of KOs. Earthquake hits fire, electric and steel types that want to take a meteor mash, and zen headbutt provides a second STAB option to hit anything that resists the first two moves.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Tangrowth-chill-axin-404589214
Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability - Regenerator
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 SpD
Nature - Quiet
Moves - Giga Drain, Hidden Power Ice, Focus Blast, Knock Off
Tangrowth is the second assault vest user, and arguably performs better than Gallade thanks to its fantastic ability. Regenerator allows Tangrowth to come back from the brink of death purely by switching out of battle and has saved me on several occasions. EVs are straight forward once again, with 252 HP for mixed bulk, 252 SpA and quiet nature for maximum firepower and 4 in SpD to slightly buff Tangrowth's frankly pitiful special bulk. Giga drain is the equivalent of Gallade's drain punch, STAB and adds a lot of survivability. I'm not really a fan of hidden power this gen, but Hidden power ice has decent coverage alongside giga drain, hitting opposing grass and dragon types. Focus blast is there for steels like Aggron and Magnezone, and knock off removes any pesky items the opponent might be holding.
http://bouffalant.deviantart.com/art/000-Victini-World-Domination-196132448
Victini @ Choice Scarf
Ability - Victory Star
EVs - 252 Atk, 252 Spd, 4 SpD
Nature - Jolly
Moves - V-Create, U-Turn, Bolt Strike, Zen Headbutt
Ah, Victini. In my humble opinion, the best choice scarf user in UU. There isn't really too much to say about this set, I probably see it on one in every three or four teams I face, but for the sake of completeness I'll explain its use. EVs are there to maximise Victini's speed and power, with 4 in SpD to avoid Porygon-Z getting a download boost in SpA and to keep an odd HP number for stealth rocks. In 5th gen I'd normally choose an adamant nature, but in 6th gen everything and its mother is running a positive speed nature with a choice scarf, so jolly is required to keep up. V-Create is one of the most powerful moves in the game and, even without an adamant nature, can KO a large chunk of the UU tier. U-Turn is for obvious scouting purposes, nothing more to be said. Bolt strike hits any water type that doesn't have a secondary ground typing, which, admittedly, seems to be most of them in UU. Zen headbutt is there for secondary STAB and doesn't see much use. Darmanitan could be used in this slot, but I normally prefer Victini for its extra speed.
http://sa-dui.deviantart.com/art/Pokemon-Mega-Blastoise-398236694
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability - Rain Dish -> Mega Launcher
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 Spe
IVs - 0 Atk
Nature - Modest
Moves - Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Dark Pulse, Aura Sphere
Mega Blastoise, the only mega to get rapid spin. This makes him my go-to mega when building a team. Yes, defog now removes hazards too, but I prefer keeping the ones I've set up on the field. Rain dish is chosen as the pre-mega ability because there I've never encountered a situation in which torrent would have been triggered, but very occasionally a Kingdra will set up rain dance. EVs are standard, 252 HP for bulk, 252 SpA and modest nature for maximum power and 4 in Spe for speed creeping. 0 IVs in Atk to minimise the (admittedly infrequent) confusion and foul play damage. Rapid spin, as mentioned before, is for getting rid of hazards. Water pulse is the STAB move of choice because of the boost from mega launcher giving it equal base power to surf, with the added chance of inflicting confusion. Dark pulse and aura sphere give good coverage, as well as being boosted by mega launcher, although sometimes I regret not having ice beam to hit grass types such as Chesnaught that otherwise dominate this set.
http://dragoonforce2.deviantart.com/art/Florges-426918185
Florges @ Leftovers
Ability - Aroma Veil
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpD, 4 SpA
IVs - 0 Atk
Nature - Calm
Moves - Aromatherapy, Wish, Protect, Moonblast
My favourite special wall in 6th gen, Florges supports the rest of the team impeccably. It is almost impossible to out-stall thanks to aromatherapy, and the ability to pass 180 HP wishes is a life saver at times. The EVs, like all the other members on this team, are pretty straight forward, with maximum special bulk to tank almost any special hit that's thrown her way. Choice Specs Magnezone has a chance to OHKO with flash cannon after stealth rocks, but only if it gets the boost from analytic. Aromatherapy is there for cleric support, wish and protect are for recovery and moonblast is to avoid becoming taunt bait, and to take advantage of Florges' very respectable 112 SpA. As with any cleric Florges suffers from 4 move slot syndrome, with the lack of a status move often proving costly. Toxic would be a great option to have, but none of the current moves are really expendable.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Gligar-118560680
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability - Sand Veil
EVs - 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
Nature - Impish
Moves - Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Roost, Toxic
Last but certainly not least (Usually sent out second actually) we have the stealth rock setter and physical wall of the team, Gligar. Originally I had a Hippowdon in this slot but I found that the sandstorm more often hindered the rest of my ream than helping so I swapped in Gligar. Rather irritatingly roost is incompatible with immunity, meaning I had to settle for sand veil as the ability. It's never come into play yet, but on the odd occasion the opponent has a Hippowdon I'm sure it might one day. Standard physically defensive EV spread to tank as many hits as possible. Stealth rock (best move in the game, don't you know) for obvious residual damage, toxic and roost for stalling and finally earthquake as a STAB move to avoid becoming taunt bait
Summary
So there you have the very long-winded explanation of my team. I've peaked at nearly 1400 on the ladder, but I'm not sure whether it's a flaw in the team or my inexperience as a battler that's costing me. Any suggestions are welcome, whether it's tweaks to EV spreads or move sets, or completely changing a team member, but I'd rather keep the bulky offence theme, I feel like it's the style that suits me best.
Thanks for reading!
SmallFry25
I've been a passive Smogonite and on-and-off battler on Showdown for a couple of years now but I've never plucked up the courage to post anything in the forums before. Well, that's about to change with an RMT of a UU team I put together. I'd never call myself a great teambuilder or battler, but this team seems to be the most successful one I've managed to come up with so far.
The team is based around Assault Vest, with Metagross and Tangrowth both making use of it. Scarf Victini, Mega Blastoise, specially defensive Florges and physically defensive Gligar round out the balanced / bulky offence team.
At a glance:
The team in detail:
http://www.deviantart.com/?offset=48&view_mode=2&order=9&q=Metagross
Metagross @ Assault Vest
Ability - Clear Body
EVs - 248 HP, 252 Atk, 8 SpD
Nature - Adamant
Moves - Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt
As suggested by Brawlfest, Metagross has replaced Gallade as the first assault vest user. It can tank some surprising special hits, living a life orb Nidoking's earth power, and has a lot of power. EVs are straightforward, with max attack and adamant nature to hit as hard as possible, and almost max HP for maximum bulk, and the 8 left over in SpD. Meteor mash, even though it was nerfed slightly, still hits like a truck and the chance to raise attack by 1 stage has turned a revenge kill into a sweep on more than one occasion. Bullet punch makes up for Metagross's speed and has helped secure a lot of KOs. Earthquake hits fire, electric and steel types that want to take a meteor mash, and zen headbutt provides a second STAB option to hit anything that resists the first two moves.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Tangrowth-chill-axin-404589214
Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability - Regenerator
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 SpD
Nature - Quiet
Moves - Giga Drain, Hidden Power Ice, Focus Blast, Knock Off
Tangrowth is the second assault vest user, and arguably performs better than Gallade thanks to its fantastic ability. Regenerator allows Tangrowth to come back from the brink of death purely by switching out of battle and has saved me on several occasions. EVs are straight forward once again, with 252 HP for mixed bulk, 252 SpA and quiet nature for maximum firepower and 4 in SpD to slightly buff Tangrowth's frankly pitiful special bulk. Giga drain is the equivalent of Gallade's drain punch, STAB and adds a lot of survivability. I'm not really a fan of hidden power this gen, but Hidden power ice has decent coverage alongside giga drain, hitting opposing grass and dragon types. Focus blast is there for steels like Aggron and Magnezone, and knock off removes any pesky items the opponent might be holding.
http://bouffalant.deviantart.com/art/000-Victini-World-Domination-196132448
Victini @ Choice Scarf
Ability - Victory Star
EVs - 252 Atk, 252 Spd, 4 SpD
Nature - Jolly
Moves - V-Create, U-Turn, Bolt Strike, Zen Headbutt
Ah, Victini. In my humble opinion, the best choice scarf user in UU. There isn't really too much to say about this set, I probably see it on one in every three or four teams I face, but for the sake of completeness I'll explain its use. EVs are there to maximise Victini's speed and power, with 4 in SpD to avoid Porygon-Z getting a download boost in SpA and to keep an odd HP number for stealth rocks. In 5th gen I'd normally choose an adamant nature, but in 6th gen everything and its mother is running a positive speed nature with a choice scarf, so jolly is required to keep up. V-Create is one of the most powerful moves in the game and, even without an adamant nature, can KO a large chunk of the UU tier. U-Turn is for obvious scouting purposes, nothing more to be said. Bolt strike hits any water type that doesn't have a secondary ground typing, which, admittedly, seems to be most of them in UU. Zen headbutt is there for secondary STAB and doesn't see much use. Darmanitan could be used in this slot, but I normally prefer Victini for its extra speed.
http://sa-dui.deviantart.com/art/Pokemon-Mega-Blastoise-398236694
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability - Rain Dish -> Mega Launcher
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpA, 4 Spe
IVs - 0 Atk
Nature - Modest
Moves - Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Dark Pulse, Aura Sphere
Mega Blastoise, the only mega to get rapid spin. This makes him my go-to mega when building a team. Yes, defog now removes hazards too, but I prefer keeping the ones I've set up on the field. Rain dish is chosen as the pre-mega ability because there I've never encountered a situation in which torrent would have been triggered, but very occasionally a Kingdra will set up rain dance. EVs are standard, 252 HP for bulk, 252 SpA and modest nature for maximum power and 4 in Spe for speed creeping. 0 IVs in Atk to minimise the (admittedly infrequent) confusion and foul play damage. Rapid spin, as mentioned before, is for getting rid of hazards. Water pulse is the STAB move of choice because of the boost from mega launcher giving it equal base power to surf, with the added chance of inflicting confusion. Dark pulse and aura sphere give good coverage, as well as being boosted by mega launcher, although sometimes I regret not having ice beam to hit grass types such as Chesnaught that otherwise dominate this set.
http://dragoonforce2.deviantart.com/art/Florges-426918185
Florges @ Leftovers
Ability - Aroma Veil
EVs - 252 HP, 252 SpD, 4 SpA
IVs - 0 Atk
Nature - Calm
Moves - Aromatherapy, Wish, Protect, Moonblast
My favourite special wall in 6th gen, Florges supports the rest of the team impeccably. It is almost impossible to out-stall thanks to aromatherapy, and the ability to pass 180 HP wishes is a life saver at times. The EVs, like all the other members on this team, are pretty straight forward, with maximum special bulk to tank almost any special hit that's thrown her way. Choice Specs Magnezone has a chance to OHKO with flash cannon after stealth rocks, but only if it gets the boost from analytic. Aromatherapy is there for cleric support, wish and protect are for recovery and moonblast is to avoid becoming taunt bait, and to take advantage of Florges' very respectable 112 SpA. As with any cleric Florges suffers from 4 move slot syndrome, with the lack of a status move often proving costly. Toxic would be a great option to have, but none of the current moves are really expendable.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Gligar-118560680
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability - Sand Veil
EVs - 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
Nature - Impish
Moves - Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Roost, Toxic
Last but certainly not least (Usually sent out second actually) we have the stealth rock setter and physical wall of the team, Gligar. Originally I had a Hippowdon in this slot but I found that the sandstorm more often hindered the rest of my ream than helping so I swapped in Gligar. Rather irritatingly roost is incompatible with immunity, meaning I had to settle for sand veil as the ability. It's never come into play yet, but on the odd occasion the opponent has a Hippowdon I'm sure it might one day. Standard physically defensive EV spread to tank as many hits as possible. Stealth rock (best move in the game, don't you know) for obvious residual damage, toxic and roost for stalling and finally earthquake as a STAB move to avoid becoming taunt bait
Summary
So there you have the very long-winded explanation of my team. I've peaked at nearly 1400 on the ladder, but I'm not sure whether it's a flaw in the team or my inexperience as a battler that's costing me. Any suggestions are welcome, whether it's tweaks to EV spreads or move sets, or completely changing a team member, but I'd rather keep the bulky offence theme, I feel like it's the style that suits me best.
Thanks for reading!
SmallFry25
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