~This Winter is Gonna be Long...~
Snorunt @ Salac Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 196 HP / 84 SpD / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Endure
Mightyena @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spe
- Heal Bell
- Roar
- Crunch
- Toxic
Dustox @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
- Moonlight
Spinda @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Encore
- Protect
Wartortle @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Def / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Refresh
- Protect
Shuppet @ Salac Berry
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Psychic
- Substitute
Ability: Inner Focus
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 196 HP / 84 SpD / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Endure
Mightyena @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spe
- Heal Bell
- Roar
- Crunch
- Toxic
Dustox @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
- Moonlight
Spinda @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Encore
- Protect
Wartortle @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Def / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Refresh
- Protect
Shuppet @ Salac Berry
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Psychic
- Substitute
Snorunt @ Salac Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 196 HP / 84 SpD / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Endure
Lead Snorunt is obviously the star of the show, being one of two Spike setters currently in ZU. Though it lacks the bulk and utility of Pineco, Snorunt is still a capable setter that greatly supports the rest of the team. Its EVs maximize its HP whilst allowing it to always survive a Water Spout from lead Wailmer (barring a crit), allowing it to get up two layers of Spikes in most situations. With its speed it can outpace every Pokemon in the tier besides Voltorb and Luvdisc at +1, which is easily achievable using Endure and Salac Berry. Snorunt's very average Special Attack means that Hidden Power coverage often isn't very impactful, so I'm running Toxic as a pinch option that can wear down threatening leads like Clamperl which the team would otherwise struggle with.
As aforementioned Snorunt can often get up at least two layers of Spikes before going down, though it does struggle against Voltorb which is very hard to predict around. Snorunt cannot outpace the orb even with max speed investment, and is in turn greatly threatened by Explosion. Trying to predict the boom with Endure can result in Voltorb getting a free Rain Dance if it is a supportive variant, and Shuppet cannot take a Thunderbolt from an offensive variant - Voltorb can also run Taunt to completely disable Snorunt without KOing itself. Lead Ponyta is similarly threatening, but is entirely walled out by Wartortle in most cases making it less problematic.
Wartortle @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Def / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Refresh
- Protect
Wartortle is a physically defensive wall that compliments Snorunt nicely, being able to take hits from and threaten the Rock and Fire types that threaten the Ice type. Though Corsola can provide a similar role with access to Recover, Wartortle's lack of the secondary Rock typing means it isn't threatened Ground types like Cubone or Rhyhorn nor Fighting type attacks like Yanma's Reversal or Aipom's Brick Break and it resists Water type attacks from the common mixed attacker Seaking. Running Surf over Seismic Toss allows it to eliminate the aforementioned Ground types, and it is EV'd to outspeed Adamant Cubone with a HP stat divisible by 16 +1 for maximum Leftovers recovery.
Common answers to Wartortle such as Chinchou, Elekid, and Porygon do not appreciate Toxic on the switch in and are completely walled out by the team's special wall Dustox. Protect allows Wartortle to stall for Leftovers recovery and Toxic damage on the opponent, and Refresh is obvious utility that can be used to win status wars against Heal Bell users such as Delcatty and Mightyena thanks to its high PP.
Dustox @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
- Moonlight
This standard Dustox set pairs well with Wartortle, taking the heat from super effective special attacks and phasing switch-ins with Whirlwind. With one of the highest SpDef stats in ZU, Dustox can stomach even Super Effective hits from the likes of Abra and sun boosted Hidden Power Fires from Weepinbell and Sunflora. It being so specially bulky invites in physical attackers, which are then forced out by Wartortle or Mightyena racking up more Spikes damage. Its EVs allow it to outpace Adamant Cubone whilst conveniently hitting magic numbers on its HP.
Dustox does struggle against physically defensive Poison types like Koffing and Gloom and can be overpowered by the likes of Clamperl, so I've tried to build the rest of the team with those Pokemon in mind.
Mightyena @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spe
- Heal Bell
- Roar
- Crunch
- Toxic
Another very standard set, Mightyena is one of very few Pokemon in ZU with access to Heal Bell which is invaluable on a team that intends to outlast the opponent. Intimidate is an amazing tool that can prevent a sweep from certain banded Pokemon such as Aipom and Doduo which may be able to overpower Wartortle, whilst working in tandem with Roar to prevent physical set up from the likes of Tropius and Anorith. Whilst its Attack is higher than its SpAtk, Crunch allows it to break through the physically defensive Koffing as well as opposing Mightyena - to this end running 30 IVs in Speed allows Mighyena to underspeed the mirror and waste their Heal Bell by immediately going for Toxic afterwards.
Mightyena is pivotal in preventing a late game Yanma sweep, which can occur if Wartortle is weakened. Because Yanma relies on Liechi Berry to raise its attack pivoting between Mightyena and another Pokemon to proc Intimidate multiple times completely puts the insect out of commission.
Spinda @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Encore
- Protect
With its odd stat distribution Spinda may seem like a joke choice, outclassed as a Wish passer by Delcatty. On a team like this, however, Spinda can excel thanks to its unique (well, almost unique. the only other ZU mon with it is illumise and that requires using illumise) access to Encore as well as Wish. Encore can completely shut down opposing defensive Pokemon, in particular those that can ignore Toxic such as defensive Gloom and Refresh Wartortle and Corsola, by locking them into a useless attack whilst Spinda gains a free turn to pass a Wish or whittles them down with Seismic Toss. Encoring a Pokemon in this way will often force them to switch, racking up more Spikes damage.
Spinda's defensive stats aren't the worst, and it can generally take a hit or two before going down. It can, for example, come in on +1 Calm Mind Abra, take a Psychic, and lock it into the attack for Mighyena to come in. Its Normal typing also dissuades Aipom from locking itself into Shadow Ball, which it can scout for using Protect. Some Speed could be run to outpace opposing Dustox, but taking away from Spinda's already mediocre bulk seems iffy.
Shuppet @ Salac Berry
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Psychic
- Substitute
Shuppet. the tier's only Ghost type, is not a bulky Pokemon. Because of its typing it can, however, prevent common Normal type Choice Banded sweepers such as Aipom and Doduo from utilising their strongest STAB and absorb Explosion from the likes of Voltorb, Koffing, and Wailmer. It can function as an effective stallbreaker in the late game with a workable Attack stat and entirely walls out annoying cleric Pokemon such as Delcatty and physically-oriented Mightyena. It can also potentially block Rapid Spin, if an opponent is utilising it for whatever reason.
The commonly used Thunder Wave or Will-o-Wisp don't gel well with the team's strategy of wearing opponents down with Toxic, so Shuppet's third moveslot is Psychic. Even with a -SpAtk nature, this attack will always 2HKO physically defensive Koffing - immediately removing a Toxic and Spikes immune mon that will often come in in an attempt to wall Shuppet's physical attacks. A Salac Berry can allow Shuppet to clean up in the late game, allowing it to outpace up to base 75s - though obviously that isn't enough to outpace many of the fasters threats in the tier because of Shuppet's poor Speed stat.
Notable Threats
- Clamperl is a threat to any team, but is particularly scary for a team with little offensive presence. Often defeating it requires a Pokemon to be sacked. I've tried running Knock Off and Destiny Bond on Shuppet, though because Shuppet cannot come in directly onto Clamperl this would still require a sack. - Faster Toxic immune Pokemon, like opposing Dustox, can prove an issue as Spinda cannot consistently wall them without considerable investment into Speed. Once again Shuppet generally can take on these Pokemon, but requires an opening to switch in because of its poor bulk.Other than that, and the occasional insanely bad RNG, the team has performed consistently. I never know how to end these things. Thank you for reading this far and,,, Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.
- While not the most popular pick, it is one to be worried about. Your common rain check in Wartortle
gets banned.
and Abra
once Sun is up. It does unfortunately get hit hard by Ice Beam though.
is banned now.