A comeback UnderUsed RMT by Mazz
Introduction
It seems like I've been here forever, and if you're willing to forgive my prolonged absences, five years is a fair bit of time. The majority of my time at Smogon (when I'm actually here and active) has been spent making something respectable out of the UnderUsed subforum whilst making an ass of myself in the UnderUsed PS! room. However last summer, almost to the year, I hit another massive inactivity spike; life was beyond shit and being here didn't help any of it. As my third year of university dragged on, my motivation and mental health began deteriorating, and I came back in order to get away from it all, and have since remained active with the intention of sticking around for another fair bit of time.
Handwritten is a balance team that I spent a lot longer on than most of my teams. I wanted this comeback to be better than those that preceded it, a team that would knock me back into my small spotlight as UU's blue-collar workhorse that found a way to succeed and get work done. In terms of laddering, Handwritten was able to only briefly break the 1600 ELO plateau with a near 5-1 win-loss ratio spanning over sixty matches, but went nearly undefeated in the UU PS! room tournaments (mind you against lesser competition). However, this team was built shortly after Alakazam's rise to relevancy, and has since struggled to adapt to the ever quickening UnderUsed metagame. Most possible changes without completely overhauling the team have been made and / or considered, and the team has been worked into a corner; most changes I attempt to make now only produce more problems. Because of that, I've decided to retire this team and build new ones in the stead of the UUPL. However, if you can see something that I've overlooked, feel free to suggest it! Maybe, much like its creator, this team can make a comeback...
Handwritten is a balance team that I spent a lot longer on than most of my teams. I wanted this comeback to be better than those that preceded it, a team that would knock me back into my small spotlight as UU's blue-collar workhorse that found a way to succeed and get work done. In terms of laddering, Handwritten was able to only briefly break the 1600 ELO plateau with a near 5-1 win-loss ratio spanning over sixty matches, but went nearly undefeated in the UU PS! room tournaments (mind you against lesser competition). However, this team was built shortly after Alakazam's rise to relevancy, and has since struggled to adapt to the ever quickening UnderUsed metagame. Most possible changes without completely overhauling the team have been made and / or considered, and the team has been worked into a corner; most changes I attempt to make now only produce more problems. Because of that, I've decided to retire this team and build new ones in the stead of the UUPL. However, if you can see something that I've overlooked, feel free to suggest it! Maybe, much like its creator, this team can make a comeback...
Teambuilding Process
Arguably the least surprising reveal upon returning, Dragon Dance Salamence was king shit of the UnderUsed threatlist. After a boost or two, this menace was unstoppable without resorting to Mamoswine, Mega Abomasnow, Donphan, or any other relevant Ice Shard user. The trick to this was making the field safe for Salamence to set up, and a lot of generally fast or Choice Scarf users threaten it before set up. Some walls, like Mega Aggron or Alomomola, would also need to be broken in order for Salamence to succeed.
Both Heracross and Slowking were then added. Choice Band Heracross is, and probably always will be, one of the scariest wallbreakers in the tier, and Guts allowed it to switch in on most Scald users with impunity. The issue regarding walls like Mega Aggron and Alomomola was essentially solved, I just had to be smart about switching in on specific attacks. Slowking was added as a defensive pivot to UnderUsed's seemingly endless list of physical threats, as it is more than capable of taking a solid 80% of them on. Initially I ran Thunder Wave on Slowking to help against most Choice Scarf users, but dropped it in favour of Toxic, as it helped Heracross break walls.
In order to truly survive the UnderUsed metagame, Florges and Stealth Rock Empoleon were also added to the team: the former serving as a cleric, while the latter was a reliable Stealth Rock user and phazer. Florges was chosen not just because of its prevalence as the premier cleric in the current metagame, but also as an infallible answer to Hydreigon, and a solid check to Alakazam. I don't specifically remember why I chose Empoleon initially, but I do remember its Steel-typing being a deciding factor in that decision. Probably access to Defog.
If I'm being quite honest, Nidoking was glued to the end of this team for reasons. It was one of those "Sure, why not?" moments. In time, it would prove to be very useful, as Nidoking was a great offensive check to Doublade, Florges, and a few other Pokemon that really threatened the team. I was also using it as a lure for Snorlax and Porygon2 in the event that Heracross were to prematurely fall and I was unable to get Salamence set up, as Superpower was a clean 2HKO on both, and would usually finish the job after switching in on Stealth Rocks and either Sludge Wave or Earth Power. However, this team struggled mightily against Mega Absol, Slurpuff, Mega Beedrill, and to an extent Alakazam, so some subtle changes needed to be made.
On the surface, the team has hardly changed - the only noticeable change was a simple swap between Empoleon and Mega Aggron. Initially, I wasn't a huge fan of the switch. But, as I played more with the team I forgave myself for ridding the team of Defog; the ability to beat Mega Beedrill and Slurpuff, while having a much better switch-in to Mega Absol really strengthened the team. Almost every team member saw a change in EVs and / or a change in moveset, moulding the team into what it is today.
In-Depth Analysis
Salamence | Lum Berry
Intimidate | Jolly
252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
Dragon Dance | Outrage | Iron Tail | Earthquake
To this day the coolest Pokemon to come out of Ruby and Sapphire, Salamence is one of the premier offensive threats in the UnderUsed metagame. The above Dragon Dance set is arguably what makes it so effective in today's metagame; once it has two boosts and any Ice Shard users have been removed (or were lacking to begin with), it's quite unstoppable. Personally, I don't think this thing is that good in today's metagame: there's way too many Mamoswine and Choice Scarf users that outspeed a +1 Salamence for it to be effective. The metagame has gotten a lot bulkier again, as Alakazam and Mamoswine really have this tier bent over a barrel, which means Salamence needs more boosts to be effective, and getting more than 2 is rare.
Lum Berry is the chosen item in order to murk Sableye switch-ins that click Will-O-Wisp and concede that the day is won, while Intimidate gives Salamence the ability to set up on weak physical attackers, as most can't touch it while they're -1. However, I'm finding that the number of such physical attackers is dwindling; a lot of them carry Roar now or have coverage moves that still really hurt even at -1 and have considered slapping Moxie on this thing. I haven't personally found myself thankful for having Intimidate, with the exception of one match I misplayed the hell out of (shocker) and had to pivot Salamence in on an offensive threat 2 or 3 times in order to contain it. EVs are standard, maximizing Attack and Speed while keeping Porygon2 and Porygon-Z from getting free SpA Download boosts
Dragon Dance is the crux of this set, and without it LO Hydreigon would probably be a better fit here. The ability to boost its Speed and Attack in such a fast and bulky tier highlights Salamence's prowess as one of 4 S-Rank Pokemon in the tier. Outrage is the optimal STAB and is only used once Florges and opposing Fairy-types have been removed from play. Once at +1 or +2, very few things comfortably switch into Outrage, and only a percentage of that group lives the second attack. Iron Tail is specifically for any cheeky Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, or Gardevoir that get wise and try to force me out immediately after boosting. Protip: this doesn't work. Stop it. Up until this morning I had Fire Blast in the last slot, as Forretress was super annoying in shutting down my sweeps. Akin to using Fairy-types to stop a DD Salamence, this was a bad idea, and I finally got wise and ran Earthquake. The lack of continued success with this team has limited how much of EQ I've gotten to see on Salamence, but it's there to beat Steel-types, as well as knock Fire- and Electric-types around without having to click Outrage.
Lum Berry is the chosen item in order to murk Sableye switch-ins that click Will-O-Wisp and concede that the day is won, while Intimidate gives Salamence the ability to set up on weak physical attackers, as most can't touch it while they're -1. However, I'm finding that the number of such physical attackers is dwindling; a lot of them carry Roar now or have coverage moves that still really hurt even at -1 and have considered slapping Moxie on this thing. I haven't personally found myself thankful for having Intimidate, with the exception of one match I misplayed the hell out of (shocker) and had to pivot Salamence in on an offensive threat 2 or 3 times in order to contain it. EVs are standard, maximizing Attack and Speed while keeping Porygon2 and Porygon-Z from getting free SpA Download boosts
Dragon Dance is the crux of this set, and without it LO Hydreigon would probably be a better fit here. The ability to boost its Speed and Attack in such a fast and bulky tier highlights Salamence's prowess as one of 4 S-Rank Pokemon in the tier. Outrage is the optimal STAB and is only used once Florges and opposing Fairy-types have been removed from play. Once at +1 or +2, very few things comfortably switch into Outrage, and only a percentage of that group lives the second attack. Iron Tail is specifically for any cheeky Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, or Gardevoir that get wise and try to force me out immediately after boosting. Protip: this doesn't work. Stop it. Up until this morning I had Fire Blast in the last slot, as Forretress was super annoying in shutting down my sweeps. Akin to using Fairy-types to stop a DD Salamence, this was a bad idea, and I finally got wise and ran Earthquake. The lack of continued success with this team has limited how much of EQ I've gotten to see on Salamence, but it's there to beat Steel-types, as well as knock Fire- and Electric-types around without having to click Outrage.
Heracross | Choice Band
Guts | Jolly
252 Atk | 4 SpD | 252 Spe
Close Combat | Megahorn | Knock Off | Facade
As I mentioned earlier, Heracross is an absurdly potent wallbreaker and fit perfectly on my team as a status sponge. Very few things can freely switch in on a burned or poisoned Heracross, as its convenient Speed tier and Guts-boosted sky-high attack turns the Singlehorn Pokemon into a living nightmare. As if bugs weren't scary enough, right? Once Heracross has busted up the opposing Salamence switch-ins, there's not a lot stopping this team from a victory.
Another really standard set, Choice Band and the given EVs make Heracross an offensive monster, 2HKOing a plethora of threats without status. Guts truly is what makes Heracross threatening, as it takes what should stop it and turns it into a weapon. All of a sudden, a lot of those 2HKOs are becoming OHKOs after Stealth Rock damage, and the opponent is left to decide which team member takes the L in order to safely navigate around Heracross. Originally, I ran a bulkier, Adamant Heracross which worked very well. However my glaring Mamoswine issue forced me into running max Speed Jolly. While not a perfect fix, I could at least force it into the weaker Ice Shard and thus remove it. I do often find myself missing the comfort of added bulk, but outspeeding Mamoswine is too important to pass up.
Close Combat and Megahorn, both of which are STAB, are Heracross' most spammable moves. Unless I'm in a situation to predict a Zapdos or Florges switch-in, odds are I'm clicking one of those two. The damage most of the tier takes from such powerful base 120 attacks is shocking. One or two of those is usually enough to remove any defensive threat to Salamence. Knock Off is an excellent coverage move, and thanks to its generation VI buff, is an equally spammable and annoying move, removing opposing Life Orbs and Leftovers and making the lives of all of Heracross' teammates easier. It's also a great move to nab stuff like Chandelure or Crobat that are anticipating a CC or Megahorn, as the loss of their item and the entry hazard damage effectively cripples them for a match or a couple turns at the least. Facade is a throwaway slot only because Stone Edge is so goddamn unreliable. There's been many a time where an opposing Zapdos or Crobat would find itself up Shit's Creek without a paddle had I been running it, but the accuracy sucks so much I opted for Facade instead. It's really only useful when Heracross is statused (which is often tbh), and is a really good option to murk Florges switch-ins, but that's about the extent of its usefulness. It doesn't miss, so I guess that's a plus.
Another really standard set, Choice Band and the given EVs make Heracross an offensive monster, 2HKOing a plethora of threats without status. Guts truly is what makes Heracross threatening, as it takes what should stop it and turns it into a weapon. All of a sudden, a lot of those 2HKOs are becoming OHKOs after Stealth Rock damage, and the opponent is left to decide which team member takes the L in order to safely navigate around Heracross. Originally, I ran a bulkier, Adamant Heracross which worked very well. However my glaring Mamoswine issue forced me into running max Speed Jolly. While not a perfect fix, I could at least force it into the weaker Ice Shard and thus remove it. I do often find myself missing the comfort of added bulk, but outspeeding Mamoswine is too important to pass up.
Close Combat and Megahorn, both of which are STAB, are Heracross' most spammable moves. Unless I'm in a situation to predict a Zapdos or Florges switch-in, odds are I'm clicking one of those two. The damage most of the tier takes from such powerful base 120 attacks is shocking. One or two of those is usually enough to remove any defensive threat to Salamence. Knock Off is an excellent coverage move, and thanks to its generation VI buff, is an equally spammable and annoying move, removing opposing Life Orbs and Leftovers and making the lives of all of Heracross' teammates easier. It's also a great move to nab stuff like Chandelure or Crobat that are anticipating a CC or Megahorn, as the loss of their item and the entry hazard damage effectively cripples them for a match or a couple turns at the least. Facade is a throwaway slot only because Stone Edge is so goddamn unreliable. There's been many a time where an opposing Zapdos or Crobat would find itself up Shit's Creek without a paddle had I been running it, but the accuracy sucks so much I opted for Facade instead. It's really only useful when Heracross is statused (which is often tbh), and is a really good option to murk Florges switch-ins, but that's about the extent of its usefulness. It doesn't miss, so I guess that's a plus.
Slowking | Leftovers
Regenerator | Calm
248 HP | 164 Def | 96 SpD
0 Atk IVs
Scald | Ice Beam / Psyshock | Slack Off | Toxic
Pejorative. Jokes aside, Slowking is one of the most useful pivots in the entire metagame. Why it's still stuck in RU is beyond me. It's fat, surprisingly hard to kill, and has such potential offensive upside. Arguably one of my favourite Pokemon, Slowking serves as a "glue Pokemon" for this team: it switches in on a lot of threats, specifically Entei and Cobalion, while supporting the team offensively by removing Salamence and Mamoswine. Slowking is also one of two last-effort checks to Alakazam on this team. I often find myself wishing it was better though; Mamoswine still bullies it around a lot and it can have trouble with certain Pokemon that bulky Water-types are known for switching in on (read: HC Mega Aerodactyl and Machamp). Still, could be worse.
Leftovers and Regenerator are pretty much a given on such a set, although I have considered going with no item in order to take on Mamoswine just a tad better (what was once a guaranteed 2HKO becomes a 73.4% chance to 2HKO). Obviously the lack of residual recovery is ass, but Regenerator and Slack Off make this a bit more forgiving. I have considered using a Colbur Berry too, which might be the better option. The EVs are kind of weird as well, but it ensures that LO Alakazam isn't always guaranteed a 2HKO with Shadow Ball. The idea there was that it guarantees that Sash Alakazam only 3HKOs with Shadow Ball and Slowking only has to handle LO Alakazam in a pinch. It's worked well so far, but definitely had a better payoff when I was running Thunder Wave over Toxic.
Scald is also a given on any defensive Water-type in Underused. While not necessarily broken, it's damn useful STAB and the 30% burn chance can take credit for pulling my ass out of a bad situation on more than one occasion. Ice Beam is used over Psyshock to mitigate my weakness to Salamence. In a few tournament matches though, I have ran Psyshock over Ice Beam in order to capitalize on some opponents that are known for running slower Fighting-types, Dragalge, and not running Salamence. Slack Off restores HP, but I rarely use it. It takes up a turn and I can get nearly the same effect by switching-out. When switching isn't optimal it does come in handy though. Toxic, as mentioned above, is here to help me break through walls. I have a bad habit of losing Heracross early, which makes stuff like Cresselia impossible to break without it. I used to run Thunder Wave there, which did excellently against offensive teams, but Toxic is more optimal against balance and defensive teams.
Leftovers and Regenerator are pretty much a given on such a set, although I have considered going with no item in order to take on Mamoswine just a tad better (what was once a guaranteed 2HKO becomes a 73.4% chance to 2HKO). Obviously the lack of residual recovery is ass, but Regenerator and Slack Off make this a bit more forgiving. I have considered using a Colbur Berry too, which might be the better option. The EVs are kind of weird as well, but it ensures that LO Alakazam isn't always guaranteed a 2HKO with Shadow Ball. The idea there was that it guarantees that Sash Alakazam only 3HKOs with Shadow Ball and Slowking only has to handle LO Alakazam in a pinch. It's worked well so far, but definitely had a better payoff when I was running Thunder Wave over Toxic.
Scald is also a given on any defensive Water-type in Underused. While not necessarily broken, it's damn useful STAB and the 30% burn chance can take credit for pulling my ass out of a bad situation on more than one occasion. Ice Beam is used over Psyshock to mitigate my weakness to Salamence. In a few tournament matches though, I have ran Psyshock over Ice Beam in order to capitalize on some opponents that are known for running slower Fighting-types, Dragalge, and not running Salamence. Slack Off restores HP, but I rarely use it. It takes up a turn and I can get nearly the same effect by switching-out. When switching isn't optimal it does come in handy though. Toxic, as mentioned above, is here to help me break through walls. I have a bad habit of losing Heracross early, which makes stuff like Cresselia impossible to break without it. I used to run Thunder Wave there, which did excellently against offensive teams, but Toxic is more optimal against balance and defensive teams.
Florges | Leftovers
Flower Veil | Calm
252 HP | 232 Def | 24 SpD
0 Atk IVs
Synthesis / Protect | Aromatherapy | Wish | Moonblast
I hate Florges. The noise it makes, the design, the ability, the type, the movepool, everything. I hate how often it's used. I hate how well it does its job. But here I am, making the most of its passive cleric set. It's also a damn good Hydreigon check, and helps me stop a lot of special attackers in the tier. Unfortunately, it still gets lit up (kek) by specific Nasty Plot users (looking at you Mega Houndoom and Infernape), and struggles against a lot of Calm Mind sweepers. Unfortunately, the only other option here would be something worse, like Blissey or Aromatisse (or forgoing a cleric altogether). Fun fact: neither of those options sound good. I have considered running a Calm Mind variant of my own, and probably should have to begin with, but it's definitely a change that could be made.
This is so standard it hurts. EVs max out its Defence while keeping its Special Defence above respectable levels. Leftovers do what Leftovers do, and Flower Veil does Doubles things. Fun. The only "innovation" here, and you may have noticed it on Slowking as well, is that anything I run that needn't rely on its Attack stat or a Hidden Power automatically gets 0 Attack IVs, just to dick around with Umbreon and Sableye. It's not like Foul Play was doing much to Florges to begin with, but it does even less this way, which is nice since Leftovers is enough to heal up any damage it causes.
Synthesis and Protect are used interchangeably depending on what battling environment I find myself in: Synthesis is for tournaments and >1500 ladder matches, while Protect is great for low to mid ladder. The former heals 50% of Florges' health when not in Rain/Hail/Sand while the latter scouts Choice-locked moves and stalls a turn for Florges to absorb Wish or Leftovers recovery. Aromatherapy is a big sell to this set, as it helps keep Mega Aggron, Slowking, and even Heracross healthy (especially if paralyzed). Wish typically passes HP to Mega Aggron; it's the only thing fat enough on the team to safely switch in a lot of attacks and get the HP, and Slowking doesn't need it. Had Heracross, Nidoking, and Salamence not been as frail, they would probably capitalize on it more often. Moonblast is the obligatory STAB move that keeps Florges from being Taunt-bait, while rocking opposing Hydreigon. It's got pretty good coverage for what I need it to do.
Note: If I were to run Calm Mind, I'd probably drop Wish for it since it's pretty hard to successfully pass to Heracross / Nidoking, and only Mega Aggron takes advantage of it every now and then. Synthesis is too clutch in certain 1v1 situations to pass up on, and Aromatherapy is the key to this set.
This is so standard it hurts. EVs max out its Defence while keeping its Special Defence above respectable levels. Leftovers do what Leftovers do, and Flower Veil does Doubles things. Fun. The only "innovation" here, and you may have noticed it on Slowking as well, is that anything I run that needn't rely on its Attack stat or a Hidden Power automatically gets 0 Attack IVs, just to dick around with Umbreon and Sableye. It's not like Foul Play was doing much to Florges to begin with, but it does even less this way, which is nice since Leftovers is enough to heal up any damage it causes.
Synthesis and Protect are used interchangeably depending on what battling environment I find myself in: Synthesis is for tournaments and >1500 ladder matches, while Protect is great for low to mid ladder. The former heals 50% of Florges' health when not in Rain/Hail/Sand while the latter scouts Choice-locked moves and stalls a turn for Florges to absorb Wish or Leftovers recovery. Aromatherapy is a big sell to this set, as it helps keep Mega Aggron, Slowking, and even Heracross healthy (especially if paralyzed). Wish typically passes HP to Mega Aggron; it's the only thing fat enough on the team to safely switch in a lot of attacks and get the HP, and Slowking doesn't need it. Had Heracross, Nidoking, and Salamence not been as frail, they would probably capitalize on it more often. Moonblast is the obligatory STAB move that keeps Florges from being Taunt-bait, while rocking opposing Hydreigon. It's got pretty good coverage for what I need it to do.
Note: If I were to run Calm Mind, I'd probably drop Wish for it since it's pretty hard to successfully pass to Heracross / Nidoking, and only Mega Aggron takes advantage of it every now and then. Synthesis is too clutch in certain 1v1 situations to pass up on, and Aromatherapy is the key to this set.
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Aggron-Mega | Aggronite
Sturdy / Filter | Impish
252 HP | 16 Def | 240 SpD
Stealth Rock | Roar | Heavy Slam | Earthquake
Originally an Empoleon, Mega Aggron was added to stomach blows from some of the most offensive Pokemon offered to Underused: Mega Beedrill, Slurpuff, and Mega Absol. Without it, this team folds to those threats (unless Salamence is set up). Mega Aggron is kind of like Slowking in the fact that it serves quite a few roles for the team, and tends to excel at them. It's a reliable switch-in to a lot of threats, provides entry hazards, and phazes most set up sweepers while providing some modest offensive utility. Because it can't heal and take care of itself besides RestTalk, and if I were to run CM Florges, I'd probably look into replacing Mega Aggron as well. I don't often pass it wishes, but it has happened and without the ability to do so when I needed to, Mega Aggron becomes a bit more of a liability than I'd like it to be. Just a thought.
More standard, as using anything other than a utility Mega Aggron wasn't exactly an option. The EVs and nature maximize HP and Special Defence while complimenting its gargantuan Defence stat. Sturdy is chosen as the base ability instead of Rock Head in case I find myself in a horrible situation and have to rely on it to get off a Roar or clutch Stealth Rock. Something I have considered is using Mega Steelix over Mega Aggron to make stuff like non-Surf Heliolisk less of a pain in my ass while maintaining that giant defensive Steel-type presence. Mega Steelix has better bulk, but slightly worse typing, and Filter is such a great ability for this kind of Pokemon. I don't know how much the team's dynamic would change if I made that swap, but it's a small redundancy that I have considered.
Stealth Rock, the Smogon Handshake, and the butt-end of a PS! April Fool's joke, is pretty standard for every team. Roar is huge in today's metagame since every third Pokemon is viably capable of running some form of set up, and with Mega Aggron being one of two semi-solid DD Gyarados checks on this team, it's really a necessity. It's also the one thing that keeps Curse Snorlax from completely shitting on me once Heracross goes down (but tbh just delays the inevitable unless I get lucky). Heavy Slam is a better, weirder Gyro Ball that does stupid damage to most of the metagame, but costs me dearly when matched up against Snorlax and other heavy Pokemon. Earthquake rounds out Mega Aggron's coverage, but I've been considering slapping Focus Punch here as well, since it would sufficiently smash Curse Snorlax trying to set up on me. I rarely click EQ anyways, usually on a predicted switch, which Focus Punch would do just as well.
More standard, as using anything other than a utility Mega Aggron wasn't exactly an option. The EVs and nature maximize HP and Special Defence while complimenting its gargantuan Defence stat. Sturdy is chosen as the base ability instead of Rock Head in case I find myself in a horrible situation and have to rely on it to get off a Roar or clutch Stealth Rock. Something I have considered is using Mega Steelix over Mega Aggron to make stuff like non-Surf Heliolisk less of a pain in my ass while maintaining that giant defensive Steel-type presence. Mega Steelix has better bulk, but slightly worse typing, and Filter is such a great ability for this kind of Pokemon. I don't know how much the team's dynamic would change if I made that swap, but it's a small redundancy that I have considered.
Stealth Rock, the Smogon Handshake, and the butt-end of a PS! April Fool's joke, is pretty standard for every team. Roar is huge in today's metagame since every third Pokemon is viably capable of running some form of set up, and with Mega Aggron being one of two semi-solid DD Gyarados checks on this team, it's really a necessity. It's also the one thing that keeps Curse Snorlax from completely shitting on me once Heracross goes down (but tbh just delays the inevitable unless I get lucky). Heavy Slam is a better, weirder Gyro Ball that does stupid damage to most of the metagame, but costs me dearly when matched up against Snorlax and other heavy Pokemon. Earthquake rounds out Mega Aggron's coverage, but I've been considering slapping Focus Punch here as well, since it would sufficiently smash Curse Snorlax trying to set up on me. I rarely click EQ anyways, usually on a predicted switch, which Focus Punch would do just as well.
Nidoking | Life Orb
Sheer Force | Hasty
4 Atk | 252 SpA | 252 Spe
Sludge Wave | Earth Power | Ice Beam | Sucker Punch
Every now and then, I make a complete ass out of myself. This is one of those moments, but it's worked too well so far to bother fixing the actual problem at hand. This is my LO Alakazam check. Which is shady as hell and one of the dumbest things I've gotten away with doing. For those keeping score at home, this team also lacks a Choice Scarf user, which nine times out of ten, is a really bad thing to be missing. I'd like to call Nidoking that one time out of ten, but there's still plenty of times I wished that this was a Choice Scarf something. Hydreigon, Mienshao, you name it. Just something capable of going fast. This team has no speed control now that Slowking doesn't run Thunder Wave anymore, and this goofy bastard has been a half-assed fix to that problem. And I've loved every minute of Nidoking on this team.
This is a pretty run-of-the-mill Nidoking, with the glaring exception being Sucker Punch and the EV distribution. Originally, this was a Superpower Nidoking, as it helped lure Porygon2 and make way for a Salamence sweep. However, the Alakazam problem started to get out of control and a lot of weakened Choice Scarf users were making hell of my team, so Sucker Punch became a thing. It gets some funny looks every now and then, but it works, and the W/L record doesn't ask how you pull off a win. A Hasty nature was chosen because of Porygon2, and to be quite frank, Nidoking wasn't living any priority attacks coming its way regardless, so the choice in dropping Defence just seemed natural.
Sludge Wave is a really cool move, as it just barely outdamages Sludge Bomb, bypasses Bulletproof, and gets a SF boost, making it a really potent STAB move that has great neutral coverage and just shits on Florges. Earth Power rounds out the STAB coverage, making quick work of pretty much every non-Levitating Steel-type (damn you Shuca Berry) and opposing Nidoqueen. Ice Beam was the chosen coverage move to nab stuff like Salamence, Hydreigon, and Zapdos on the switch or a predicted set up. Sometimes I wish it was Fire Blast, and other times I wish it was Superpower. The 4MSS with Nidoking is savage, especially considering I'm running the always fresh Sucker Punch. A lot of people forget that Nidoking gets it, and it's great for the aforementioned Alakazam, as well as picking off weakened opponents that would otherwise outspeed everything on my team and just win.
I was looking to replace this thing, preferably with a Choice Scarf user capable of beating stuff like opposing Mega Aggron, Alakazam, Zapdos, etc. I seem to remember there was a reason why Hydreigon isn't here (otherwise I'd just run that). It may have been because of how much pressure Mamoswine puts on this team.
This is a pretty run-of-the-mill Nidoking, with the glaring exception being Sucker Punch and the EV distribution. Originally, this was a Superpower Nidoking, as it helped lure Porygon2 and make way for a Salamence sweep. However, the Alakazam problem started to get out of control and a lot of weakened Choice Scarf users were making hell of my team, so Sucker Punch became a thing. It gets some funny looks every now and then, but it works, and the W/L record doesn't ask how you pull off a win. A Hasty nature was chosen because of Porygon2, and to be quite frank, Nidoking wasn't living any priority attacks coming its way regardless, so the choice in dropping Defence just seemed natural.
Sludge Wave is a really cool move, as it just barely outdamages Sludge Bomb, bypasses Bulletproof, and gets a SF boost, making it a really potent STAB move that has great neutral coverage and just shits on Florges. Earth Power rounds out the STAB coverage, making quick work of pretty much every non-Levitating Steel-type (damn you Shuca Berry) and opposing Nidoqueen. Ice Beam was the chosen coverage move to nab stuff like Salamence, Hydreigon, and Zapdos on the switch or a predicted set up. Sometimes I wish it was Fire Blast, and other times I wish it was Superpower. The 4MSS with Nidoking is savage, especially considering I'm running the always fresh Sucker Punch. A lot of people forget that Nidoking gets it, and it's great for the aforementioned Alakazam, as well as picking off weakened opponents that would otherwise outspeed everything on my team and just win.
I was looking to replace this thing, preferably with a Choice Scarf user capable of beating stuff like opposing Mega Aggron, Alakazam, Zapdos, etc. I seem to remember there was a reason why Hydreigon isn't here (otherwise I'd just run that). It may have been because of how much pressure Mamoswine puts on this team.
Conclusion
Thanks for the read! I really enjoyed building and using this team, and was rather proud of it being able to carry me to 1600 for free while being so flawed. I am intending on retiring this team, since I can't exactly fix teams without creating more problems. However, if some changes get dropped that make running this team worthwhile again, I'll gladly bring it back. It's served me well, and I hope that if you decide to use it, it serves you well too.
In terms of a threatlist, there's only like 5 or 6 things that really bully this team. Unfortunately, they're rather common, which is super unfortunate. Mamoswine, NP Houndoom and Infernape, Substitute Alakazam, Curse Snorlax, and Taunt DD Gyarados are just some of the things off the top of my head that I always hate having to play against with this team. I'm sure there's a few more things that I just fold to but forgot to mention.
In terms of a threatlist, there's only like 5 or 6 things that really bully this team. Unfortunately, they're rather common, which is super unfortunate. Mamoswine, NP Houndoom and Infernape, Substitute Alakazam, Curse Snorlax, and Taunt DD Gyarados are just some of the things off the top of my head that I always hate having to play against with this team. I'm sure there's a few more things that I just fold to but forgot to mention.
Shoutouts!
King UU one of my best buds here, even though 9/10 I'm giving you a hard time :]
Shiba stop getting badges and ur bad at randbats. Get swept by Beautifly smh :^
kokoloko am I still "fucking Canadian trash"? Regardless, find something to lead again. I miss being an assman :[
Ace Emerald we go way back man, wish you'd have stuck around or came back :/
Sam top tier smod and TL. Is the man, or so I've heard
Bouff best student :] I'm so proud to see how good you've become
Threw new student, don't goof up and make me look bad :]
RT (Nas was a bad name change), Psychotic, SJCrew, Detroitlolcat, FlareBlitz, PKGaming, and a bunch of the UU oldies deserve a lot of credit for helping me stumble my way through BW UU into modest relevancy
fatty you've been around since I was even more shit at Serebii, and you've kind of been the player I've tried to emulate and reach in terms of level. I still remember our 230+ turn match from back in the day. Hopefully one day I can do it :]
Raseri Vanilluxe is bad :[ come back to school you goof
PDC the one tutor I had that actually helped, damn shame we don't talk much anymore
unfixable Thanks for bringing me on board with MC! It's a lot of fun, lets get these analyses done :]
Arifeen best player to ever come out of a mud hut :^ too bad you play stinky RU now kek
IronBullet also falls under the good tutor category, I think I died on you though :/ really cool guy and really good at UU :]
There's a lot more names, these were just the more personal ones. Hogg, YABO, Christo., Ernesto and everyone I've bumped into and either had a great convo with, worked with, or pissed off in some manner deserves to have their name here. Thanks for making these 5 years fun!
Shiba stop getting badges and ur bad at randbats. Get swept by Beautifly smh :^
kokoloko am I still "fucking Canadian trash"? Regardless, find something to lead again. I miss being an assman :[
Ace Emerald we go way back man, wish you'd have stuck around or came back :/
Sam top tier smod and TL. Is the man, or so I've heard
Bouff best student :] I'm so proud to see how good you've become
Threw new student, don't goof up and make me look bad :]
RT (Nas was a bad name change), Psychotic, SJCrew, Detroitlolcat, FlareBlitz, PKGaming, and a bunch of the UU oldies deserve a lot of credit for helping me stumble my way through BW UU into modest relevancy
fatty you've been around since I was even more shit at Serebii, and you've kind of been the player I've tried to emulate and reach in terms of level. I still remember our 230+ turn match from back in the day. Hopefully one day I can do it :]
Raseri Vanilluxe is bad :[ come back to school you goof
PDC the one tutor I had that actually helped, damn shame we don't talk much anymore
unfixable Thanks for bringing me on board with MC! It's a lot of fun, lets get these analyses done :]
Arifeen best player to ever come out of a mud hut :^ too bad you play stinky RU now kek
IronBullet also falls under the good tutor category, I think I died on you though :/ really cool guy and really good at UU :]
There's a lot more names, these were just the more personal ones. Hogg, YABO, Christo., Ernesto and everyone I've bumped into and either had a great convo with, worked with, or pissed off in some manner deserves to have their name here. Thanks for making these 5 years fun!
Salamence @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Iron Tail
- Earthquake
Heracross @ Choice Band
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Facade
Florges @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Synthesis
- Aromatherapy
- Wish
- Moonblast
Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Slack Off
- Toxic
Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch
Aggron-Mega @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Iron Tail
- Earthquake
Heracross @ Choice Band
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Facade
Florges @ Leftovers
Ability: Flower Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Synthesis
- Aromatherapy
- Wish
- Moonblast
Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Slack Off
- Toxic
Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch
Aggron-Mega @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
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