Intro
Hey, I'm Dudeman and this is my first RMT. Ever since I got into competitive battling in BW I've loved the Underused tier, and I've been able to really develop my competitive skills since UU Beta. I'm still not by any means an amazing player but I'd like to consider myself above average. For what it's worth, I've been able to maintain roughly a top ten position on the PS! UU ladder since June and have peaked at #1 now and then briefly.
The team showcased here is my favorite I've built since the September tier shifts. I decided to post an RMT since ORAS is just around the corner.
Teambuilding Process
The premise of this team was to build around offensive SubCM Suicune, a pretty underrated threat at the time that I first made the team.
Offense is my favorite playstyle, and I wanted a solid offensive couple of 'mons that could deal some damage early game and clean up after Suicune if need be. Scarf Mienshao + Krookodile is a great duo: Krookodile can Pursuit Ghosts and Psychics and knock off items, leaving Mienshao free to spam Reckless High Jump Kicks against opposing teams. Krookodile also provides a nice Electric immunity for Suicune and can take advantage of many Electric 'mons.
Specs Chandelure is an absolute monster and is capable of dealing enormous damage to almost anything in front of it. It adds a nice special-attacking side to my team. Specs Chandy can do amazing things like 2HKO Hydreigon with Fire Blast, and 2HKO Vaporeon with Shadow Ball.
At this point I was looking disgustingly Hydreigon weak, as it could basically come in on two members of my team and fire off a Draco Meteor. In addition, bulky waters like opposing Suicune and Vaporeon looked really annoying to switch into. I decided to add Whimsicott, and I've been extremely happy with the amount of work this odd little cotton ball puts in.
Originally I had Stealth Rock on Krookodile but I just wanted a more reliable, longer lived Stealth Rocker so that I could use my turns with Krookodile to actually do some damage with its attacks. Also, Crobat looked like a major hassle for this team, and so did Jirachi seeing that I really didn't want a lot of damage on Suicune (or a para). After a bit of testing with other Pokemon, I decided to see how Mega Aggron did on this team, and to my surprise, it turned out to be a fantastic addition. It also helped with a major Shaymin/Roserade problem I was facing.
So that's the variation of the team I used for a while making small changes here and there. The number one threat/annoyance to this team was Toxic Spikes, since I had no absorber, spinner, or Defogger and T-Spikes completely stop any chance of Suicune sweeping. This was further enhanced when Zygarde dropped and replacing Krookodile with it. Even Spikes are severely damaging to this team. I tried fixing my hazard weakness by replacing things with Defoggers and Spinners, but nothing really worked out. After a LOT of testing, I decided to replace Krookodile with Nidoking, as it kept the useful Ground typing but also absorbed Toxic Spikes. I wasn't too worried about other hazards as I could generally apply enough pressure to prevent them from becoming too big of an issue, but I definitely needed a TSpike absorber.
So this is the final version of the team :]. I really miss Krookodile's powerful Knock Off and especially its ability to trap Chandelure, but I think I made the right choice with Nidoking.
In Depth Analyses
Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 152 SpD / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Mega Aggron is a fantastic Stealth Rocker and has a lot of opportunities to come in and set up. It counters things like Crobat, Jirachi, Aerodactyl, Alakazam without Focus Blast, Honchkrow, and so much more. The 88 Speed EVs are unconventional, but they allow me to outspeed base 60s without much of a cost to its bulk. This means I can get off big damage or straight up kill Empoleons before they Defog/burn me, and also allow me to outspeed most Mega Ampharos. I have an Adamant nature to be able to 2HKO these two Pokemon, as well as OHKO things like Chandelure and Entei on the switch if Rocks are up. Most people who play UU know how hard this thing is to take down, as its even able to easily live Scarf HJKs and Flare Blitzes from full HP. Roar doesn't really come into play too often so I sometimes use something like Toxic or T-wave over it, but it's definitely useful against sleeping Suicunes and stopping Vaporeon from receiving its own wishes.
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 8 Def / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Moonblast
- U-turn
- Encore
Whimsicott is what I usually switch into bulky waters, and it checks a huge variety of Pokemon like every bulky water, Mega Ampharos, Mega Absol, Honchkrow, Krookodile, and the list goes on. Though this team was created before the Zygarde retest, Whimsicott also turned out to be the most reliable answer to it that I could have asked for. I'm using an offensive spread with Leftovers, which may seem strange because most offensive versions run Life Orb or Specs. However, I wanted this thing to stay alive for as long as possible and have at least some recovery from Scald burns that it will undoubtedly catch. U-turn is essential and what I click 90% of the time because a free switch into Chandelure, Nido, or Darm is the last thing this team wants. Encore is also really useful since it lets me lock Suicune into Calm Mind, Haxorus intro Dragon Dance, and random Sub mons into that. Encore is just insane in the amount of utility it provides, but I have to play it carefully in case the opponent decides to switch out.
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick
With two Pokemon weak to Fire, Chandelure serves as an excellent deterrent for Fire spam. Chandelure is also capable of checking a lot of important threats such as Lucario and Infernape, and provides me with a handy Fighting immunity. It also has Trick which is nice if I want to stop things like CurseLax from setting up, or if I want to Trick Blissey and make it infinitely easier for Suicune to setup and sweep. I've considered Hidden Power Ice over Energy Ball to 2HKO Hydreigon and destroy Zygarde, but in the end doing like 80% to Suicune and Vaporeon is just too good to pass up. I usually run a Timid Nature to guarantee that I don't get killed by random Adamant Earthquake Lucarios but a Modest nature can also be used to 2HKO any bulky water with Shadow Ball and just do significantly more damage in general. This is also a nice answer to Forretress who could normally spin/set up hazards against a lot of my team.
Mienshao @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Poison Jab / Stone Edge
The standard.Scarfer. I love Scarf Mienshao because it outspeeds nearly every opposing Scarfer (ScarfApe is bad and not a threat) and still manages to hit like a truck. I can't count how many games I've just been able to sit back and watch weakened teams crumble in front of it. Reckless is used over Regenerator because of the power difference, and Regenerator is basically useless on a frail Scarf Pokemon that resists Stealth Rock anyway. It's a great revenge killer, momentum grabber, and late game cleaner and I can't really ask for more out of a Scarfer. Like I said, I'll really miss the great synergy it has with Krookodile, but it's still a fantastic Pokemon regardless.
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe OR 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naive Nature / Timid Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch / Sludge Wave
While I do miss Krook, this has been such a great addition to my team. It gives me another fighting resist in a pinch, but more importantly it absorbs and set up Toxic Spikes while are immensely helpful toward a Suicune sweep. Nidoking is a great user of Toxic Spikes as it's able to force a lot of switches and, unlike Roserade, threaten Defoggers like Crobat and Empoleon. It is also able to outspeed and beat most Poison types that want to absorb your Toxic Spikes, as Roserade is the only one it can't really beat. Toxic Spikes have proved to be a great gift to this team as it lets Suicune set up on Blissey and Vaporeon without Heal Bell and win. Sucker Punch is honestly amazing and fun, it's got a chance to OHKO Mega Alakazam with no prior damage, and always OHKOs after rocks. The EVs on this set let it outspeed Timid Chandelure and Adamant Lucario while still keeping its amazing wallbreaking power. But Sludge Wave can be used as well for a surefire way to kill fairies and just another easily spammable move.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 104 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Scald
- Ice Beam
With no more Slowbro to counter every set it can possibly run, Suicune is one of the most dominant bulky waters in UU. SubCM Suicune has turned into my favorite setup sweeper in the tier, and paired with Toxic Spikes, is amazingly effective. Even with minimal investment, it's got enormous bulk and the ability to scare out and set up on a plethora of mons. Scald is reallygay nice to catch some passive damage on switchins and generally makes physical attackers reluctant to stay in on you. And with max investment in Special Attack, Ice beam is able to deal over half to many switchins like Shaymin, Celebi, Mega Ampharos, Roserade, Trevenant, and Chesnaught (though it also just sets up on the latter two). Ice Beam also lets it defeat SubCoil Zygarde and Lum Haxorus who would normally use Crocune as an opportunity to set up. The EVs are set to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow and defensive base 100s such as SpDef Jirachi and Tentacruel so I can set up a sub on them. The 4 SpD EVs have actually come into play before, forcing Download Porygon2 to boost its Attack rather than Special Attack so I can set up on it too.
Conclusion
The biggest thing that must be realized while using this team is that momentum is everything. Seeing as offensive teams don't necessarily have a switchin for many Pokemon in the metagame, it's essential that you keep pressure up and don't give up free turns. This is why I stated earlier that Whimsicott should be clicking U-turn 90% of the time, as it's the Pokemon on this team with the most potential to give something a free switchin.
The other thing that's of paramount importance to succeeding with this team is the hazard game. There's no way to remove hazards once they're up, so I really need to pressure things like Forretress and Roserade before hazards get out of hand. Toxic Spikes are amazing so I try to maintain them throughout the course of the game.
Hey, I'm Dudeman and this is my first RMT. Ever since I got into competitive battling in BW I've loved the Underused tier, and I've been able to really develop my competitive skills since UU Beta. I'm still not by any means an amazing player but I'd like to consider myself above average. For what it's worth, I've been able to maintain roughly a top ten position on the PS! UU ladder since June and have peaked at #1 now and then briefly.
The team showcased here is my favorite I've built since the September tier shifts. I decided to post an RMT since ORAS is just around the corner.
Teambuilding Process
So that's the variation of the team I used for a while making small changes here and there. The number one threat/annoyance to this team was Toxic Spikes, since I had no absorber, spinner, or Defogger and T-Spikes completely stop any chance of Suicune sweeping. This was further enhanced when Zygarde dropped and replacing Krookodile with it. Even Spikes are severely damaging to this team. I tried fixing my hazard weakness by replacing things with Defoggers and Spinners, but nothing really worked out. After a LOT of testing, I decided to replace Krookodile with Nidoking, as it kept the useful Ground typing but also absorbed Toxic Spikes. I wasn't too worried about other hazards as I could generally apply enough pressure to prevent them from becoming too big of an issue, but I definitely needed a TSpike absorber.
In Depth Analyses
Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 152 SpD / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Mega Aggron is a fantastic Stealth Rocker and has a lot of opportunities to come in and set up. It counters things like Crobat, Jirachi, Aerodactyl, Alakazam without Focus Blast, Honchkrow, and so much more. The 88 Speed EVs are unconventional, but they allow me to outspeed base 60s without much of a cost to its bulk. This means I can get off big damage or straight up kill Empoleons before they Defog/burn me, and also allow me to outspeed most Mega Ampharos. I have an Adamant nature to be able to 2HKO these two Pokemon, as well as OHKO things like Chandelure and Entei on the switch if Rocks are up. Most people who play UU know how hard this thing is to take down, as its even able to easily live Scarf HJKs and Flare Blitzes from full HP. Roar doesn't really come into play too often so I sometimes use something like Toxic or T-wave over it, but it's definitely useful against sleeping Suicunes and stopping Vaporeon from receiving its own wishes.
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 8 Def / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Moonblast
- U-turn
- Encore
Whimsicott is what I usually switch into bulky waters, and it checks a huge variety of Pokemon like every bulky water, Mega Ampharos, Mega Absol, Honchkrow, Krookodile, and the list goes on. Though this team was created before the Zygarde retest, Whimsicott also turned out to be the most reliable answer to it that I could have asked for. I'm using an offensive spread with Leftovers, which may seem strange because most offensive versions run Life Orb or Specs. However, I wanted this thing to stay alive for as long as possible and have at least some recovery from Scald burns that it will undoubtedly catch. U-turn is essential and what I click 90% of the time because a free switch into Chandelure, Nido, or Darm is the last thing this team wants. Encore is also really useful since it lets me lock Suicune into Calm Mind, Haxorus intro Dragon Dance, and random Sub mons into that. Encore is just insane in the amount of utility it provides, but I have to play it carefully in case the opponent decides to switch out.
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick
With two Pokemon weak to Fire, Chandelure serves as an excellent deterrent for Fire spam. Chandelure is also capable of checking a lot of important threats such as Lucario and Infernape, and provides me with a handy Fighting immunity. It also has Trick which is nice if I want to stop things like CurseLax from setting up, or if I want to Trick Blissey and make it infinitely easier for Suicune to setup and sweep. I've considered Hidden Power Ice over Energy Ball to 2HKO Hydreigon and destroy Zygarde, but in the end doing like 80% to Suicune and Vaporeon is just too good to pass up. I usually run a Timid Nature to guarantee that I don't get killed by random Adamant Earthquake Lucarios but a Modest nature can also be used to 2HKO any bulky water with Shadow Ball and just do significantly more damage in general. This is also a nice answer to Forretress who could normally spin/set up hazards against a lot of my team.
Mienshao @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Poison Jab / Stone Edge
The standard.Scarfer. I love Scarf Mienshao because it outspeeds nearly every opposing Scarfer (ScarfApe is bad and not a threat) and still manages to hit like a truck. I can't count how many games I've just been able to sit back and watch weakened teams crumble in front of it. Reckless is used over Regenerator because of the power difference, and Regenerator is basically useless on a frail Scarf Pokemon that resists Stealth Rock anyway. It's a great revenge killer, momentum grabber, and late game cleaner and I can't really ask for more out of a Scarfer. Like I said, I'll really miss the great synergy it has with Krookodile, but it's still a fantastic Pokemon regardless.
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe OR 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naive Nature / Timid Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch / Sludge Wave
While I do miss Krook, this has been such a great addition to my team. It gives me another fighting resist in a pinch, but more importantly it absorbs and set up Toxic Spikes while are immensely helpful toward a Suicune sweep. Nidoking is a great user of Toxic Spikes as it's able to force a lot of switches and, unlike Roserade, threaten Defoggers like Crobat and Empoleon. It is also able to outspeed and beat most Poison types that want to absorb your Toxic Spikes, as Roserade is the only one it can't really beat. Toxic Spikes have proved to be a great gift to this team as it lets Suicune set up on Blissey and Vaporeon without Heal Bell and win. Sucker Punch is honestly amazing and fun, it's got a chance to OHKO Mega Alakazam with no prior damage, and always OHKOs after rocks. The EVs on this set let it outspeed Timid Chandelure and Adamant Lucario while still keeping its amazing wallbreaking power. But Sludge Wave can be used as well for a surefire way to kill fairies and just another easily spammable move.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 104 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Scald
- Ice Beam
With no more Slowbro to counter every set it can possibly run, Suicune is one of the most dominant bulky waters in UU. SubCM Suicune has turned into my favorite setup sweeper in the tier, and paired with Toxic Spikes, is amazingly effective. Even with minimal investment, it's got enormous bulk and the ability to scare out and set up on a plethora of mons. Scald is really
Conclusion
The biggest thing that must be realized while using this team is that momentum is everything. Seeing as offensive teams don't necessarily have a switchin for many Pokemon in the metagame, it's essential that you keep pressure up and don't give up free turns. This is why I stated earlier that Whimsicott should be clicking U-turn 90% of the time, as it's the Pokemon on this team with the most potential to give something a free switchin.
The other thing that's of paramount importance to succeeding with this team is the hazard game. There's no way to remove hazards once they're up, so I really need to pressure things like Forretress and Roserade before hazards get out of hand. Toxic Spikes are amazing so I try to maintain them throughout the course of the game.
Here's a few higher-level replays showing how this team works.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181478732
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181220908
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181204662
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181137754
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181045557
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-180651485
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-180238733
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181478732
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181220908
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181204662
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181137754
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-181045557
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-180651485
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-180238733
DatLatias for being a fren, helped me with this team more times than I can count but somehow manages to always lose :]
DMT, King UU and CoolStoryBrobat for being frens and great leaders
Bouffalant gave me the idea for Sucker Punch Nidoking and for being a friend too :}
DMT, King UU and CoolStoryBrobat for being frens and great leaders
Bouffalant gave me the idea for Sucker Punch Nidoking and for being a friend too :}
Mienshao @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Naive Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 8 Def / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Moonblast
- U-turn
- Encore
Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 152 SpD / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 104 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Scald
- Ice Beam
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Naive Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch
Chandelure @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 8 Def / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Moonblast
- U-turn
- Encore
Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 152 SpD / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 104 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Scald
- Ice Beam
