Introduction
Hello there! My name is Drew, and it has been awhile since I have made an RMT. Last time was August of 2019 in an entirely new generation. I played the beginning of Sword and Shield and then took a break and came back a month or so before the April tier shifts. The meta is still not quite stabile and as such there are many unique teams floating around. Ladder is a good example of this metas volatility. There is a lot of what some would define as cheese which makes games interesting. I am not proud of some of the teams I lost to but that's what happens on ladder. Nonetheless, I do not think this team was c-teamed very often. I rematched some opponents and defeated them the second time around. Ladder is not the most indicative measurement of a teams "goodness" but alas it is all I have to measure it. The performance of this team on ladder is not as high as previous RMT's but it won consistently especially on high ladder. I enjoyed using it.
The concept behind this team was something anti screens. Screens is ultra popular this generation and a lot of times you are placed in a position where you automatically lose to Gyarados or one of Kommo-o's sets late game. I wanted to give myself more opportunities to beat that while also building something that can outplay standard builds as well.
Building Process
I think Aegislash does a lot in this meta and is in general a very good Pokemon. Steel typing is almost essential on every team as it provides an easy resist to Scizor as well as almost a free switch in to the friendly Grasses: Amoonguss and Tangrowth. Aegislash on this team is designed simply to beat Gyarados. And Kommo-o is Sound Proof to beat special Kommo-o sets.
Next the team needed some speed and frankly Krookodile was the easiest to place on. I refuse to ever use a team with no Electric immunity because I do not like giving a Volt Switch free reign. With Kommo-o having Stealth Rock Krookodile is free to have Darkest Lariat as the last move for that extra damage once things have been knocked.
The team has the wonderful Steel Dragon core with speed and the next option was fat pivot. The options were Amoonguss and Tangrowth. Initially I had Assault Vest Amoonguss but Tangrowth provides a ground resist and with Power Whip does not lose to a Calm Minding Primarina or Keldeo. It was a much needed wall for the tiers big threats.
Next was a really basic choice because how many teams do you see with no Rotom? It is the easiest pivot, it has such simple defensive utility especially with boots. All variants check Scizor as well as Moltres which are not fun. Pain Split gives the team some more longevity.
Lastly I needed some sort of breaker/wincon and I went with Primarina. Primarina is one of the best Pokemon in the tier. Most of my games I won with Calm Mind behind a substitute. It is the perfect switch in to Keldeo after a Tangrowth scout and ties the team together nicely.
The Team
Aegislash acts as a way to mitigate most physical sweepers such as Gyarados with Toxic but also hits quite hard with Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon. Being a special attacker allows it to not care about burns from Mew or Scald users. Aegislash is great for soaking up U-Turns. King's Shield is a great way to force 50/50's, weaken physical breakers, and stall for more Leftovers; it is also perfect with Toxic. The Knock Off and Toxic support on this team allows Aegislash to also act as a breaker with its powerful attack stats. The defense EV's are just for Gyarados' Waterfall but you still need to be careful of flinches and if you King's Shield on another Dragon Dance. A note for Aegislash is that Flash Cannon can be changed to Close Combat with the nature changed to Quiet, Rash, or even a neutral nature as this team does lack physical breaking power.
Here might be the controversial decision on this team. For Kommo-o the ideal utility is with Safety Goggles and Bulletproof which entirely walls Amoonguss. Subsequent utility with just Bullet Proof or Overcoat. It truly does have the best list of abilities. I have opted instead for Soundproof for the sad fact that Special Kommo-o rips through teams like it is no one's business. The great thing about this team is for tournaments if you don't expect screens by all means edit the ability to Bullet Proof. It allows Kommo-o to hard wall Amoonguss especially if you have Safety Goggles or sleep fodder. But for the purposes of ladder and certain opponents Soundproof is viable. Usually special Kommo-o runs Clanging Scales and Boomburst meaning only Flamethrower can hit my Kommo-o dealing around 20%. Kommo-o if a fantastic switch in to the passive Pokemon of this tier. It gobbles Volt-Turn for breakfast and easily sets Stealth Rocks as well as Toxic'ing at the right moment. It used to be Draco Meteor but I switched to Body Press too amend issues with physical power and Chansey. Flame Thrower is essential on every special Kommo-o set. The speed EV's put Kommo-o at 252 speed which is above the 242 benchmark for all max 60 speed tier Pokemon. Outspeeds some Nidoqueen variants and other defensive Kommo-o spreads. This set is adapted from an Iron Defense + Body Press set with Toxic to wear down opposing threats.
Krookodile is the most straight forward pick and really doesn't require much of an explanation. Being a Ground and Dark type with Intimidate it has a ton of defensive utility. It exists to make everyone think a second before clicking Volt Switch. Knock Off is great pressure because it removes Heavy Duty Boots, Leftovers, and Rock Helmets from defensive walls. Intimidate pressures set up sweepers and makes Krookodile less prone to dying in many situations. It is much needed speed control on a slow team. Darkest Lariat, as I mentioned above, is extra damage when Pokemon have been knocked off and is nice against the occasional Curse Snorlax which is one of the creative things I have witnessed.
Tangrowth lives to absorb hits. Assault Vest is the best Tangrowth set by far with Primarina and Keldeo being spammed. Kommo-o switches out into either Aegislash or Tangrowth when threatened. It absorbs attacks no sweat and regains health easily with Regenerator. Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, and Knock Off are the staple moves giving Tangrowth the necessary coverage and ability to be a nuisance. Power Whip is there to slap the soul off of Keldeo, Primarina, and also Milotic sometimes. There will be no Calm Minding against me. Tangrowth also provided an essential ground resist which takes heat off of Rotom. Tangrowth is great on this team because with two Pokemon using Toxic it can pivot around absorbing damage and wearing down the opposing team.
From all of the games I play on ladder Rotom is one of the most commonly led Pokemon. And it makes sense because Rotom easily Volt Switches since it can punish most things with either its stab or Toxic. It is a very simple and useful pivot with stuff like Moltres, Scizor, Salamence, and Jirachi all being quite good. Pain Split gives it a lot of longevity with Toxic appearing on this team twice already. It is one of the most capable of Defoggers and provides consistent hazard removal.
Mermaid (Primarina) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 12 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Draining Kiss / Moon Blast
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Every team needs one of these. Primarina is just too good. Scald burns devastate walls like Tangrowth who struggle to tank hits with hazards + burn damage. Draining Kiss is fantastic recovery and an easy way to 1v1 Blissey behind a substitute. Max HP is essential on Primarina when it is used for defensive utility as well. 8 speed EVs gives it the basic edge on defensive Primarina's while the special defense is for less common hard hitters like Chandelure. Most of the time Primarina will be winning the game. It is so strong, has such a good typing, and has an excellent place in this current meta. Primarina also provides a secondary check to Keldeo which is really being used a lot currently. It has no issue setting up on special threats and is a great Pokemon to trade lives with Mamoswine and Nidoqueen which threaten most teams. Draining Kiss gives Primarina a longer life span and a chance to auto win in a few matchups. It is important to note that Moon Blast is probably a more viable option as it is more consistent and powerful; both will work.
Threats
What I have found when it comes to SS UU is there is a list of threats that most teams don't have consistent answers to and really just require good plays to get around. These Pokemon are excellent breakers that aren't very common on teams but when used are insanely threatening. Here's the list:This'll Be My Year (Aegislash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- King's Shield
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon / Close Combat
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- King's Shield
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon / Close Combat
Aegislash acts as a way to mitigate most physical sweepers such as Gyarados with Toxic but also hits quite hard with Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon. Being a special attacker allows it to not care about burns from Mew or Scald users. Aegislash is great for soaking up U-Turns. King's Shield is a great way to force 50/50's, weaken physical breakers, and stall for more Leftovers; it is also perfect with Toxic. The Knock Off and Toxic support on this team allows Aegislash to also act as a breaker with its powerful attack stats. The defense EV's are just for Gyarados' Waterfall but you still need to be careful of flinches and if you King's Shield on another Dragon Dance. A note for Aegislash is that Flash Cannon can be changed to Close Combat with the nature changed to Quiet, Rash, or even a neutral nature as this team does lack physical breaking power.
Drive By (Kommo-o) @ Leftovers
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 32 SpA / 184 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Body Press
- Toxic
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 32 SpA / 184 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Body Press
- Toxic
Here might be the controversial decision on this team. For Kommo-o the ideal utility is with Safety Goggles and Bulletproof which entirely walls Amoonguss. Subsequent utility with just Bullet Proof or Overcoat. It truly does have the best list of abilities. I have opted instead for Soundproof for the sad fact that Special Kommo-o rips through teams like it is no one's business. The great thing about this team is for tournaments if you don't expect screens by all means edit the ability to Bullet Proof. It allows Kommo-o to hard wall Amoonguss especially if you have Safety Goggles or sleep fodder. But for the purposes of ladder and certain opponents Soundproof is viable. Usually special Kommo-o runs Clanging Scales and Boomburst meaning only Flamethrower can hit my Kommo-o dealing around 20%. Kommo-o if a fantastic switch in to the passive Pokemon of this tier. It gobbles Volt-Turn for breakfast and easily sets Stealth Rocks as well as Toxic'ing at the right moment. It used to be Draco Meteor but I switched to Body Press too amend issues with physical power and Chansey. Flame Thrower is essential on every special Kommo-o set. The speed EV's put Kommo-o at 252 speed which is above the 242 benchmark for all max 60 speed tier Pokemon. Outspeeds some Nidoqueen variants and other defensive Kommo-o spreads. This set is adapted from an Iron Defense + Body Press set with Toxic to wear down opposing threats.
California 37 (Krookodile) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Darkest Lariat
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Darkest Lariat
Krookodile is the most straight forward pick and really doesn't require much of an explanation. Being a Ground and Dark type with Intimidate it has a ton of defensive utility. It exists to make everyone think a second before clicking Volt Switch. Knock Off is great pressure because it removes Heavy Duty Boots, Leftovers, and Rock Helmets from defensive walls. Intimidate pressures set up sweepers and makes Krookodile less prone to dying in many situations. It is much needed speed control on a slow team. Darkest Lariat, as I mentioned above, is extra damage when Pokemon have been knocked off and is nice against the occasional Curse Snorlax which is one of the creative things I have witnessed.
Bruises (Tangrowth) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 248 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
- Power Whip
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 248 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
- Power Whip
Tangrowth lives to absorb hits. Assault Vest is the best Tangrowth set by far with Primarina and Keldeo being spammed. Kommo-o switches out into either Aegislash or Tangrowth when threatened. It absorbs attacks no sweat and regains health easily with Regenerator. Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, and Knock Off are the staple moves giving Tangrowth the necessary coverage and ability to be a nuisance. Power Whip is there to slap the soul off of Keldeo, Primarina, and also Milotic sometimes. There will be no Calm Minding against me. Tangrowth also provided an essential ground resist which takes heat off of Rotom. Tangrowth is great on this team because with two Pokemon using Toxic it can pivot around absorbing damage and wearing down the opposing team.
Sing Together (Rotom-Heat) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Defog
- Pain Split
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Defog
- Pain Split
From all of the games I play on ladder Rotom is one of the most commonly led Pokemon. And it makes sense because Rotom easily Volt Switches since it can punish most things with either its stab or Toxic. It is a very simple and useful pivot with stuff like Moltres, Scizor, Salamence, and Jirachi all being quite good. Pain Split gives it a lot of longevity with Toxic appearing on this team twice already. It is one of the most capable of Defoggers and provides consistent hazard removal.
Mermaid (Primarina) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 12 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Draining Kiss / Moon Blast
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Every team needs one of these. Primarina is just too good. Scald burns devastate walls like Tangrowth who struggle to tank hits with hazards + burn damage. Draining Kiss is fantastic recovery and an easy way to 1v1 Blissey behind a substitute. Max HP is essential on Primarina when it is used for defensive utility as well. 8 speed EVs gives it the basic edge on defensive Primarina's while the special defense is for less common hard hitters like Chandelure. Most of the time Primarina will be winning the game. It is so strong, has such a good typing, and has an excellent place in this current meta. Primarina also provides a secondary check to Keldeo which is really being used a lot currently. It has no issue setting up on special threats and is a great Pokemon to trade lives with Mamoswine and Nidoqueen which threaten most teams. Draining Kiss gives Primarina a longer life span and a chance to auto win in a few matchups. It is important to note that Moon Blast is probably a more viable option as it is more consistent and powerful; both will work.
Threats
Very scary strong Pokemon here that are fun for no one. Mamoswine has phenomenal typing and strength but is frail and on a timer. Rotom-Heat and Primarina are there to kill it but it is still threatening. Nidoqueen has scary typing, great defensive stats, and still hits hard. Luckily the only thing it can OHKO is Aegislash so you can usually trade Primarina or play around it with Rotom-Heat and Krookodile. Chandelure and Conkeldurr can both switched into but it requires predictions and maneuvers. Chandelure can click Shadow Ball with Kommo-o not being Bulletproof although some might not click it fearing it is. Lycanroc depends on the set. It isn't always Crunch so Aegislash can handle it or Krookodile can switch in on anything other than Close Combat. Aegislash hard walls most Focus Sash Stealth Rock variants which is nice for ladder. Moltres-Galar is an issue for all teams with no Nihilego. Primarina can handle it just be careful about letting it set up for free.
Other threats:
Chansey is quite annoying for this team as it has no strong physical breaker. Aegislash walls Blissey and can force it out with Toxic so luckily there are no PP wars. With Aegislash having the possibility of using Close Combat and Kommo-o being changed to Body Press the matchup is more favorable. Although I have not run into stall, I do no think the matchup is favorable.
Good old Glowbro is getting more usage and is very annoying. Aegislash outspeeds and can do damage but in Blade-form Flamethrower kills. Krookodile is your friend in this matchup. It is hard to outplay the Calm Mind variant.
Mienshao pivoting is a little annoying. It has access to Knock Off and Poison Jab which make Aegislash and Primarina not always ideal to switch in. This team originally had Amoonguss but since Keldeo and Primarina are more prominent threats Tangrowth fits better.
Conclusion
Team building has never been my strong suit but I do enjoy learning and improving. Being in a new generation it was a little weird writing my first RMT. I have less metagame knowledge compared to SM UU and the meta is still young. This team met my standards for success and consistency and I think is solid enough to be carried by the player through a majority of matchups. I think it is a team where the lead is important and giving up momentum can be threatening but it has many ways to recover. As always I look for help and advice on my teams and I will shout out all those who gave some advice or test games throughout this teams lifetime. I hope this RMT was fun to read and everyone enjoys the team.
Paste
Team building has never been my strong suit but I do enjoy learning and improving. Being in a new generation it was a little weird writing my first RMT. I have less metagame knowledge compared to SM UU and the meta is still young. This team met my standards for success and consistency and I think is solid enough to be carried by the player through a majority of matchups. I think it is a team where the lead is important and giving up momentum can be threatening but it has many ways to recover. As always I look for help and advice on my teams and I will shout out all those who gave some advice or test games throughout this teams lifetime. I hope this RMT was fun to read and everyone enjoys the team.
Lads and Lasses (of UU and Otherwise):
PinkDragonTamer CBU
Accelgor hs faded love vivalospride A Hero's Destiny bb skarm Codename Magnum solonor24 TMM Cam BigFatMantis Estarossa Lilburr Aqua∞Ring Sickist 467 11 11p Bandkrook Kitten Milk JustFranco Yami Pannuracotta KarliTheFrenshie phoopes Mygrein explodingdaisies Moltracer pokemonisfun Killintime TSR Highways Euphonos LNumbers bom dia you're all cool people. Sorry if I forgot anyone this is a long list.
Special shouts:
Kink for always being by my side and helping me out
Sage for being my tutor and my friend. Miss you
Sei for being my boy since day one. Miss you too
Kitten Milk JustFranco Kink vivalospride BigFatMantis for tests and general help with team. Thanks!
PinkDragonTamer CBU
Accelgor hs faded love vivalospride A Hero's Destiny bb skarm Codename Magnum solonor24 TMM Cam BigFatMantis Estarossa Lilburr Aqua∞Ring Sickist 467 11 11p Bandkrook Kitten Milk JustFranco Yami Pannuracotta KarliTheFrenshie phoopes Mygrein explodingdaisies Moltracer pokemonisfun Killintime TSR Highways Euphonos LNumbers bom dia you're all cool people. Sorry if I forgot anyone this is a long list.
Special shouts:
Kink for always being by my side and helping me out
Sage for being my tutor and my friend. Miss you
Sei for being my boy since day one. Miss you too
Kitten Milk JustFranco Kink vivalospride BigFatMantis for tests and general help with team. Thanks!
Paste
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