Hi! This is my first RMT, as well as my first new post on the Smogon forums. I found this team to be one of the more fun builds that I’ve made, as well as the first I’ve reached top 10 with this gen, so I figured that I would make one for it. I’ve found balance to be exceptionally boring right now, and with the very offensive nature of the post DLC meta, I wanted to build some HO to ladder with.
Build Process and Explanations:
The team started with one of my favorite mons, Porygon-Z. While it suffers from the loss of Z-moves, it still boasts a high special attack stat paired with decent speed and Adaptability Tri Attack, making it a viable option as a scarfer. Furthermore, it has access to Trick and Nasty Plot, allowing it to bait in, cripple, and break through common specially defensive mons such as Magearna, Chansey, and Clefable. Shadow Ball was chosen as a 4th move because it hits ghost types such as Aegislash, Alolawak, and Dragapult. This combination of traits makes it strong against offensive and defensive oriented teams alike.
A mon like Porygon-Z is begging to be paired with a sweeper that appreciates its ability to weaken common checks and counters, and Urshifu is the perfect fit. This thing is absolutely broken, at least 2HKOing almost every mon in the format at +1, and taking out faster offensive mons with Sucker Punch. I opted to go with a more bulky set with enough EVs to outspeed base 60s, as it can Bulk Up on almost anything and live attacks such as opposing Urshifu’s CC at +1 defense. Wicked Blow and CC are very strong STAB attacks that hit almost the whole metagame, and Sucker Punch KOs faster mons such as Cinderace, Volcarona, and Dragapult.
HO usually needs a good lead, and since PZ and Urshifu both appreciate Spikes support, I opted to add Accelgor to the team. Its ability to set Spikes when they are favorable as well as Final Gambit to open up a hole in the opponent’s team make it my favorite suicide lead, and as such, I have used it in many teams. Yawn allows it to force out common hazard removers, like Excadrill, and setup sweepers, like Volcarona, giving it free spikes and an opportunity to Gambit on whatever comes in. Similarly, Encore prevents opposing hazard setters from stacking multiple types of hazards and provides a free spike layer as they are forced out. Focus Sash + Unburden gives it 2 layers of Spikes against scarfers, but only one layer is guaranteed against priority users like CB Scizor.
Following up with another bug type, Volcarona was my next choice for two reasons. Firstly, it is hella broken, and secondly, PZ cripples Chansey making it even more hella broken. The set is as standard as you can get, with the only difference being the EV spread. Enough speed is given to outpace Jolly Rillaboom and Heracross while unboosted, and a Modest nature lets it easily break through walls with only minor chip damage. Fiery Dance is chosen over Fire Blast for its greater accuracy and chance to boost my special attack even further.
Looking at the team, it is fairly weak to both Urshifu forms, Cinderace (when it isn’t taken out by Final Gambit), and other less common Fighting and Fire types. Azumarill is able to fill these holes, provide extra priority, and do Belly Drum things. Aqua Jet, Play Rough, and Knock Off let it break most defensive walls and kill most offensive threats at +6, and max hp allows it to switch into attacks from Urshifu (barring banded Pjab) and Cinderace (barring Gunk Shot). Despite the apparent role as a Belly Drum sweeper, it is important to not limit it to that alone. Sometimes it is better used as a breaker that forces mons to stay in with the threat of Belly Drum, allowing it to pick up KOs that the opponent would have avoided if they had just switched out. Overall, it is a good mon that holds the team together and providing another win condition while not draining momentum.
Finally, Scolipede was chosen for the last slot. Originally I had sash Druddigon in order to set rocks, cripple fairies with EQ, and chip offensive threats with Sucker Punch. However, the team had a bad matchup against Tspikes and Druddigon commonly found itself walled by the likes of Hippowdon and Mandibuzz, who cleared and set hazards respectively. Sub Endeavor Scolipede was added to absorb Tspikes and switch into mons like Clefable to avoid risking a Twave on Volcarona, cripple physical walls to open up sweepers, and get valuable damage on offensive threats that may come in afterwards. Heavy Duty Boots were chosen after sash because it isn’t uncommon for rocks to be set against the team (which is fine, as rocks barely hurts any of these mons) and Scolipede benefits the team when used as a switch-in, so the sash is broken most of the time. I also lost to NP Togekiss under webs once so boots prevents that.
Threat List:
+
Rillaboom+Hawlucha can be very threatening if not handled properly. On paper, +2 Adamant Hawlucha runs through the team if rocks are up or Azumarill is chipped, but it must be considered that it needs Grassy Terrain to be active. Rillaboom will be taken down by either boosted Urshifu, boosted Volcarona, or PZ; all three of these mons don’t let it set up, so Azumarill can be used to revenge it. True, “sac a mon” isn’t always the best counterplay, but sometimes it’s the best HO can do. (If all else fails, just get the 30% Flame Body chance lol)
+
Pincurchin+Alolachu is kind of a meme pick, but I did lose to it once when Raichu predicted my Sucker Punch and clicked Substitute. Then it proceeded to run through my team with Rising Voltage. This can’t really be fixed unless I add an electric immunity, but if you happen to encounter Substitute Alolachu, I’d recommend scouting for it by going Azu, breaking it with Jet, then predicting when you go back to Urshifu. This is an incredibly specific bad matchup, but I thought I would include it.
+
Sun is mainly annoying because it forces the team to change the way that it plays the early game. Cinderace in sun is difficult to deal with, as Azu can no longer threaten it with Aqua Jet, so the main goal is to stall out sun turns and pressure with Volcarona or Urshifu before they can reset it (or if Torkoal was taken out by Final Gambit, it can be played out normally). Porygon-Z is great in this matchup because it does around 80% to Cinderace, either revenging it with minor chip or putting it in range of any attack, and Sun often has no switch-ins to it. Venusaur is difficult to deal with but only if it comes in on Azu or unboosted Scolipede; in this case, switching back and forth to stall out remaining sun turns is ideal.
Proof of peak:
Despite the low GXE, this team had a great win-loss ratio while laddering. This is my main account, so the GXE reflects times like when I tried to use Emolga in the 1800s (let‘s just say it didn’t end well). Laddering was done starting around 1600 because I didn’t feel like creating a fresh alt.
Replays:
Importable: https://pokepast.es/4e98401c13c4eeb7
Closing:
Thank you to everyone who’s read this far. I hope this RMT shines some new light on a mon that has been left behind so far post-DLC, and also may provide some feedback on how I could improve the team. If you use this, then make sure you smash stall for wasting everyone’s time.
Build Process and Explanations:
The team started with one of my favorite mons, Porygon-Z. While it suffers from the loss of Z-moves, it still boasts a high special attack stat paired with decent speed and Adaptability Tri Attack, making it a viable option as a scarfer. Furthermore, it has access to Trick and Nasty Plot, allowing it to bait in, cripple, and break through common specially defensive mons such as Magearna, Chansey, and Clefable. Shadow Ball was chosen as a 4th move because it hits ghost types such as Aegislash, Alolawak, and Dragapult. This combination of traits makes it strong against offensive and defensive oriented teams alike.
A mon like Porygon-Z is begging to be paired with a sweeper that appreciates its ability to weaken common checks and counters, and Urshifu is the perfect fit. This thing is absolutely broken, at least 2HKOing almost every mon in the format at +1, and taking out faster offensive mons with Sucker Punch. I opted to go with a more bulky set with enough EVs to outspeed base 60s, as it can Bulk Up on almost anything and live attacks such as opposing Urshifu’s CC at +1 defense. Wicked Blow and CC are very strong STAB attacks that hit almost the whole metagame, and Sucker Punch KOs faster mons such as Cinderace, Volcarona, and Dragapult.
HO usually needs a good lead, and since PZ and Urshifu both appreciate Spikes support, I opted to add Accelgor to the team. Its ability to set Spikes when they are favorable as well as Final Gambit to open up a hole in the opponent’s team make it my favorite suicide lead, and as such, I have used it in many teams. Yawn allows it to force out common hazard removers, like Excadrill, and setup sweepers, like Volcarona, giving it free spikes and an opportunity to Gambit on whatever comes in. Similarly, Encore prevents opposing hazard setters from stacking multiple types of hazards and provides a free spike layer as they are forced out. Focus Sash + Unburden gives it 2 layers of Spikes against scarfers, but only one layer is guaranteed against priority users like CB Scizor.
Following up with another bug type, Volcarona was my next choice for two reasons. Firstly, it is hella broken, and secondly, PZ cripples Chansey making it even more hella broken. The set is as standard as you can get, with the only difference being the EV spread. Enough speed is given to outpace Jolly Rillaboom and Heracross while unboosted, and a Modest nature lets it easily break through walls with only minor chip damage. Fiery Dance is chosen over Fire Blast for its greater accuracy and chance to boost my special attack even further.
Looking at the team, it is fairly weak to both Urshifu forms, Cinderace (when it isn’t taken out by Final Gambit), and other less common Fighting and Fire types. Azumarill is able to fill these holes, provide extra priority, and do Belly Drum things. Aqua Jet, Play Rough, and Knock Off let it break most defensive walls and kill most offensive threats at +6, and max hp allows it to switch into attacks from Urshifu (barring banded Pjab) and Cinderace (barring Gunk Shot). Despite the apparent role as a Belly Drum sweeper, it is important to not limit it to that alone. Sometimes it is better used as a breaker that forces mons to stay in with the threat of Belly Drum, allowing it to pick up KOs that the opponent would have avoided if they had just switched out. Overall, it is a good mon that holds the team together and providing another win condition while not draining momentum.
Finally, Scolipede was chosen for the last slot. Originally I had sash Druddigon in order to set rocks, cripple fairies with EQ, and chip offensive threats with Sucker Punch. However, the team had a bad matchup against Tspikes and Druddigon commonly found itself walled by the likes of Hippowdon and Mandibuzz, who cleared and set hazards respectively. Sub Endeavor Scolipede was added to absorb Tspikes and switch into mons like Clefable to avoid risking a Twave on Volcarona, cripple physical walls to open up sweepers, and get valuable damage on offensive threats that may come in afterwards. Heavy Duty Boots were chosen after sash because it isn’t uncommon for rocks to be set against the team (which is fine, as rocks barely hurts any of these mons) and Scolipede benefits the team when used as a switch-in, so the sash is broken most of the time. I also lost to NP Togekiss under webs once so boots prevents that.
Threat List:
Rillaboom+Hawlucha can be very threatening if not handled properly. On paper, +2 Adamant Hawlucha runs through the team if rocks are up or Azumarill is chipped, but it must be considered that it needs Grassy Terrain to be active. Rillaboom will be taken down by either boosted Urshifu, boosted Volcarona, or PZ; all three of these mons don’t let it set up, so Azumarill can be used to revenge it. True, “sac a mon” isn’t always the best counterplay, but sometimes it’s the best HO can do. (If all else fails, just get the 30% Flame Body chance lol)
Pincurchin+Alolachu is kind of a meme pick, but I did lose to it once when Raichu predicted my Sucker Punch and clicked Substitute. Then it proceeded to run through my team with Rising Voltage. This can’t really be fixed unless I add an electric immunity, but if you happen to encounter Substitute Alolachu, I’d recommend scouting for it by going Azu, breaking it with Jet, then predicting when you go back to Urshifu. This is an incredibly specific bad matchup, but I thought I would include it.
Sun is mainly annoying because it forces the team to change the way that it plays the early game. Cinderace in sun is difficult to deal with, as Azu can no longer threaten it with Aqua Jet, so the main goal is to stall out sun turns and pressure with Volcarona or Urshifu before they can reset it (or if Torkoal was taken out by Final Gambit, it can be played out normally). Porygon-Z is great in this matchup because it does around 80% to Cinderace, either revenging it with minor chip or putting it in range of any attack, and Sun often has no switch-ins to it. Venusaur is difficult to deal with but only if it comes in on Azu or unboosted Scolipede; in this case, switching back and forth to stall out remaining sun turns is ideal.
Proof of peak:
Despite the low GXE, this team had a great win-loss ratio while laddering. This is my main account, so the GXE reflects times like when I tried to use Emolga in the 1800s (let‘s just say it didn’t end well). Laddering was done starting around 1600 because I didn’t feel like creating a fresh alt.
Replays:
NOTE: These replays are from a version of the team that still has Druddigon over Scolipede. However, I feel like they show off the rest of the team pretty well.
Vs Sun: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1140150244
Beating stall in 21 turns: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1136727748
Vs Sun: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1140150244
Beating stall in 21 turns: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1136727748
Importable: https://pokepast.es/4e98401c13c4eeb7
Closing:
Thank you to everyone who’s read this far. I hope this RMT shines some new light on a mon that has been left behind so far post-DLC, and also may provide some feedback on how I could improve the team. If you use this, then make sure you smash stall for wasting everyone’s time.
