Hey, recently decided to get back into Pokemon and UU looked fun, so I put this team together pretty quickly. I pretty much just wanted to use Nihilego. I'm currently 9-0 (I know that's not a lot of battles but I haven't had much time lately) with this team and I'm an average battler at best so it must have some potential. If anyone has suggestions to make it better I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
Here's the team:
Nihilego @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Stealth Rock
Nihilego was one of my favorite Pokemon when Sun and Moon first came out, so I wanted to use it when I saw it was UU. It's basically a suicide lead and counter lead, but I sometimes save it if they have something like a Togekiss in the back. I don't always click stealth rock with it, as most people expect the rocks and stay in with something I can KO with one of it's attacks. A lot of people don't seem to expect thunderbolt in particular, and leave in Empoleons and such. After the beast boost, it can put out some serious damage. Just one of my favorite mons to use and the reason I made a UU team. Set is pretty basic, max speed and special attack is really all I think it needs but I was considering a more defensive set with it's good special defense, but too many things can just click earthquake. Gets stopped hard by rhyperior, but I have Crawdaunt to revenge kill so I usually just settle for rocks in that situation.
Volcanion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave
- Steam Eruption
This mon I added as soon as I saw it was allowed in UU, I went with Assault Vest so I would have a pokemon I can use as a special pivot, but tbh it doesn't really perform too well in that context. Earth power hits other Volcanions, if they outspeed I usually survive and do more damage to them because of max HP. Steam Eruption never seems to burn when I need it to, but it hits hard. This mon has been doing great, but it lost 1v1 to mega Venusaur in the battles where I've faced one. It also feels redundant with Chandelure. Open to swapping this mon out for something else that would fit better and make me less weak to rocks.
Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
- Knock Off
- Dragon Dance
Crawdaunt has been my boy since Pokebattle back in the day. I considered using a banded set for those powerful aqua jets, but my team has no one that sets up so I figured I should run D-Dance. Great revenge killer, puts out serious damage and KOs with knock off and liquidation. Have never succesfully set up more than one dragon dance with him, and never swept. I was thinking about running swords dance instead, but he's slow as dirt. Still don't really like choice band as switching up between moves has been crucial and I don't have any real pivots outside of tentacruel.
Beedrill-Mega @ Beedrillite
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Drill Run
- Poison Jab
- X-Scissor
- U-turn
I slept on this mon back in XY, but with the speed boost and not having to run protect, I now recognize it as a serious threat. This guy breaks through teams easily. I don't really see many changes I would make to this mon, it just works. It is weak to stealth rock like the other half of my team. I love how fast it is though, not many mons can come in without a scarf and kill it without taking some damage. It also switches in to fighting types like Mienshao, which I like because I don't like risking Chandelure to a knock off. Just overall working well for me.
Chandelure @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Clear Smog
Chandelure is another huge threat with a choice scarf. I'm lucky enough to hit fire blast consistently, and Psychic has actually been getting some use on Crobats, gengars, and fighting types. It also ohkoes specs Chandelure for free. I'm running infiltrator over flash fire because I remembered UU as being full of fat mons that run substitue but lower ladder has been all hyper offense and bulky offense for the most part. I also switch in to fire type moves pretty well with the team as it is. Clear Smog seems redundant now that I have a tentacruel with haze, but I like the idea of coming in with a scarf user and stopping a boosted sweep. Not sure how viable it is in practice though.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 8 SpA / 96 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Haze
- Toxic Spikes
This has been a few other mons before I put tentacruel on. I needed someone with rapid spin and some bulk. Unfortunately, Tentacruel is another ground weakness on a team with no flying type. Toxic spikes don't do too much for a team that mostly goes for an ohko or 2hko. I also just copied the set off of smogon, so I'm not really invested in or impressed by this mon just yet. Most replaceable imo, mostly posted this RMT for suggestions on this slot. Haze is also a bit redundant, as I said before.
Issues I have noticed:
Krookodile burns through this team easily. If Steam Eruption or Aqua Jet don't kill it, it can easily break my team. Mega Venusaur can also be a threat, especially if I lose volc or chandelure, as it usually takes both of them to kill it because it can 2hko volcanion. Beedrill can also hurt Mega Saur, but it can do some damage to my team. I haven't fought a mega aerodactyl yet, but I'm pretty sure that would be a loss for me. Hippowdon also loves my team. Mamo would be a threat if people didn't always lead with it and lose it to Power Gem. There's also not much I can do to Seismitoad or Suicune. Well played Mega Sharpedo would also be a threat, as chandelure can't touch it unless I swap clear smog for energy ball, and Nihilego needs its sash to kill it with tbolt.
I have a huge weakness to ground type moves. Literally everyone besides Crawdaunt. I've considered swapping Tentacruel for a lati or flying type with defog, but I like having up rocks with this team when I can get them. Also don't have like any good pivots, so I usually have to sack something when a threat comes out that beats my current mon.
All in all, I like my team and have fun with it, but realize it could use some improvement, hence this thread.
Here's the team:
Nihilego @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Stealth Rock
Nihilego was one of my favorite Pokemon when Sun and Moon first came out, so I wanted to use it when I saw it was UU. It's basically a suicide lead and counter lead, but I sometimes save it if they have something like a Togekiss in the back. I don't always click stealth rock with it, as most people expect the rocks and stay in with something I can KO with one of it's attacks. A lot of people don't seem to expect thunderbolt in particular, and leave in Empoleons and such. After the beast boost, it can put out some serious damage. Just one of my favorite mons to use and the reason I made a UU team. Set is pretty basic, max speed and special attack is really all I think it needs but I was considering a more defensive set with it's good special defense, but too many things can just click earthquake. Gets stopped hard by rhyperior, but I have Crawdaunt to revenge kill so I usually just settle for rocks in that situation.
Volcanion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave
- Steam Eruption
This mon I added as soon as I saw it was allowed in UU, I went with Assault Vest so I would have a pokemon I can use as a special pivot, but tbh it doesn't really perform too well in that context. Earth power hits other Volcanions, if they outspeed I usually survive and do more damage to them because of max HP. Steam Eruption never seems to burn when I need it to, but it hits hard. This mon has been doing great, but it lost 1v1 to mega Venusaur in the battles where I've faced one. It also feels redundant with Chandelure. Open to swapping this mon out for something else that would fit better and make me less weak to rocks.
Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
- Knock Off
- Dragon Dance
Crawdaunt has been my boy since Pokebattle back in the day. I considered using a banded set for those powerful aqua jets, but my team has no one that sets up so I figured I should run D-Dance. Great revenge killer, puts out serious damage and KOs with knock off and liquidation. Have never succesfully set up more than one dragon dance with him, and never swept. I was thinking about running swords dance instead, but he's slow as dirt. Still don't really like choice band as switching up between moves has been crucial and I don't have any real pivots outside of tentacruel.
Beedrill-Mega @ Beedrillite
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Drill Run
- Poison Jab
- X-Scissor
- U-turn
I slept on this mon back in XY, but with the speed boost and not having to run protect, I now recognize it as a serious threat. This guy breaks through teams easily. I don't really see many changes I would make to this mon, it just works. It is weak to stealth rock like the other half of my team. I love how fast it is though, not many mons can come in without a scarf and kill it without taking some damage. It also switches in to fighting types like Mienshao, which I like because I don't like risking Chandelure to a knock off. Just overall working well for me.
Chandelure @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Clear Smog
Chandelure is another huge threat with a choice scarf. I'm lucky enough to hit fire blast consistently, and Psychic has actually been getting some use on Crobats, gengars, and fighting types. It also ohkoes specs Chandelure for free. I'm running infiltrator over flash fire because I remembered UU as being full of fat mons that run substitue but lower ladder has been all hyper offense and bulky offense for the most part. I also switch in to fire type moves pretty well with the team as it is. Clear Smog seems redundant now that I have a tentacruel with haze, but I like the idea of coming in with a scarf user and stopping a boosted sweep. Not sure how viable it is in practice though.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 8 SpA / 96 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Haze
- Toxic Spikes
This has been a few other mons before I put tentacruel on. I needed someone with rapid spin and some bulk. Unfortunately, Tentacruel is another ground weakness on a team with no flying type. Toxic spikes don't do too much for a team that mostly goes for an ohko or 2hko. I also just copied the set off of smogon, so I'm not really invested in or impressed by this mon just yet. Most replaceable imo, mostly posted this RMT for suggestions on this slot. Haze is also a bit redundant, as I said before.
Issues I have noticed:
Krookodile burns through this team easily. If Steam Eruption or Aqua Jet don't kill it, it can easily break my team. Mega Venusaur can also be a threat, especially if I lose volc or chandelure, as it usually takes both of them to kill it because it can 2hko volcanion. Beedrill can also hurt Mega Saur, but it can do some damage to my team. I haven't fought a mega aerodactyl yet, but I'm pretty sure that would be a loss for me. Hippowdon also loves my team. Mamo would be a threat if people didn't always lead with it and lose it to Power Gem. There's also not much I can do to Seismitoad or Suicune. Well played Mega Sharpedo would also be a threat, as chandelure can't touch it unless I swap clear smog for energy ball, and Nihilego needs its sash to kill it with tbolt.
I have a huge weakness to ground type moves. Literally everyone besides Crawdaunt. I've considered swapping Tentacruel for a lati or flying type with defog, but I like having up rocks with this team when I can get them. Also don't have like any good pivots, so I usually have to sack something when a threat comes out that beats my current mon.
All in all, I like my team and have fun with it, but realize it could use some improvement, hence this thread.
