Hello UU community! Before I showcase my team, I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Levinn and I have played Pokemon since HGSS OU (just some casual battles between my real life friends) but didn’t touch BW/BW2. After witnessing the plethora of changes XY has brought to the metagame, such as the new fairy type and mega evolutions, I decided to give OU another shot. This didn’t last long. I then went to become an enthusiastic Random Battles player and have peaked no. 3 at around 2050 (sorry don’t have proof). After growing tired of the ladder, I decided to try my luck at UU and it quickly became my favourite tier. Well I think that’s enough chat, so lets get on with the team building process!!
The team I will be showcasing today is a hyper offence team I made for the Serperior suspect test. This team has been quite successful and peaked at 1528 (42W 10L), and got to around 2550 COIL in a breeze. Those 52 battles were ONLY with this team and I tweaked the team as I picked up flaws and improvements while climbing the ladder. To be honest some of the losses were me choking or over predicting, but still I think that I have retained a respectable win-loss ratio. At around the time I started playing UU, a lot of powerful threats dropped from OU (Salamence, Heracross, Terrakion, etc). However looking at these threats, they all have one weakness in common, Fairy types. With this in mind I decided to build a team around Slurpuff as I theorized that there would be a plethora of set-up opportunities for this monster.
Next I wanted a mon that could complement Slurpuff and that’s when I thought about Mega-Absol. Slurpuff and Absol complement each other very well as Slurpuff can set up on mons such as Florges and Chesnaught which Absol cannot break.
This however precipitated my weakness to steel types as both mons cannot break through physically defensive steel walls such as Forretress, Mega-Aggron and Doublade. I decided to put Lucario on my team to help alleviate this problem and also as a reliable priority user.
Next I added Porygon-Z as I was lacking any form of special attacks and I wanted to try something unconventional but practical. The set is double dance with Thunderbolt to help against Suicune and for overall type coverage across the board.
Now at this point I had noticed that the team had (in theory) a very potent offensive core with a very viable win condition, but also that most of these mons were very fragile and couldn't find many set up opportunities besides when the opponent switches out. This is where I decided to welcome a dual screens lead Azelf onto my team. Initially I thought that allocating hazards AND dual screens is a heavy burden for the tiny elf, but generally worked out in the end.
To finish the team I added a scarfed Salamence just to revenge kill any mons that happened to get a boost or any mons in general that are faster and cannot deal with with my priority. What I didn’t expect was the amount of pressure Salamence had on opposing steel types which helped my Absol and Slurpuff sweep late game. An adamant nature was picked as when I looked at the other scarfers in the tier (Mienshao, Salamence, Krookodile, etc) most lose to Slurpuff, so if an opposing scarfed Salamence revenges my own Salamence, I can come in with Slurpuff and Belly Drum sweep. An adamant nature also means that I can 3HKO Crocune which is an annoyance to any physical attacker.
Final Team!!
Now onto the sets!!!
Azelf
Azelf @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Explosion
Pretty standard dual screens lead Azelf here. Azelf has an amazing speed tier and coupled with its EV investment, can usually set up the appropriate screen (depending on the opposing lead), set up rocks and then depending on the situation, either set up the last screen or boom! The rest of the EVs’ are put into HP as Azelfs main role is to set up as much as possible and then explode to gain momentum. 4 Sp. Def EVs’ to make sure Porygons don’t get a Sp. Atk raise.
Slurpuff
Slurpuff (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
Happiness: 0
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Frustration
- Drain Punch
The MVP of this team most of the time and is a MONSTER against unprepared teams. With a Jolly nature and Unburden, Slurpuff out speeds the fastest scarfers in UU, namely Mienshao and base 108s’. Although its usable movepool is rather shallow, these 3 moves complement each other well and are often sufficient in sweeping teams. Play Rough is a given, a strong STAB move with a somewhat reliable accuracy. Frustration is used over Return for Dittos’ and hits Pokemon such as Tentacruel that would otherwise resist my STAB (for those who aren't familiar, the default happiness is set to 255, so a Ditto that copies my Slurpuff will have a max happiness Frustration). Frustration is also nice for its 100% accuracy, which alleviates any accuracy risks. Drain Punch is a very useful move, especially when screens are up as it significantly increases the longevity, and allows Slurpuff to not lose against priority spam. Banded Entei is probably the strongest priority user in the metagame at this current time, however, even after extremespeed-ing Slurpuff can KO and recover its lost health with drain punch.
Mega-Absol
Absol (F) @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
As stated previously, Mega-Absol is an excellent partner to Slurpuff and the duo is capable of dismantling the current metagame quite effectively. The first 3 moves (and the EV spread) are self explanatory, and is often the staple on most, if not all Absol sets in UU. Superpower is used to dent Mega Aggron [+2 252 Atk Mega Absol Superpower vs. 252 HP / 136+ Def Filter Mega Aggron: 177-208 (51.4 - 60.4%)] and other steel types to set up a Slurpuff sweep. More often than not, I use Absol to break walls early game to assist in Slurpuff sweeping late game. Again, 4 Sp. Def EVs' for Porygons.
Lucario
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
Lucario was a much needed addition to the team as it acts as a bulky steel breaker and also as an extremely reliable priority user. Lucario is capable of not only beating one of Slurpuffs most reliable counter, Forretress, but also setting up on it. Against Lucario, Forretress is a liability and not even UUs' physical defensive behemoth, Mega-Aggron, doesn't enjoy taking hits. Adamant nature for pure power and wall breaking potential and Earthquake for Doublade, which I have found to be quite a problem to this team. Earthquake also nets surprise KOs' on offensive Nidoqueens (after rocks). This Lucario is used in conjunction with Mega-Absol early/mid game to break holes in opposing teams and set up a Slurpuff sweep. And Again, 4 Sp. Def EVs' for Porygons.
Porygon-Z
Porygon-Z @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Agility
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
Porygon-Z is the only special attacker on this team and this mon hits like a TRUCK!!!. Opponents often underestimate this thing and send in their Blissey, Florges or Snorlax as I Nasty Plot, only to find that they are 2HKO'ed by Adaptability Tri Attack. Just to give you an idea... [+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Adaptability Porygon-Z Tri Attack vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 395-465 (55.3 - 65.1%)] I think that speaks for itself. Getting rid of, or severely denting Florges is extremely beneficial to Mega-Absol and Salamence and most of the time, I can net a kill at the very least with this beast (per game). With the speed EVs', I can outspeed neutral 252 Spd Kingdra in the rain after an agility. Thunderbolt is the coverage move of choice as it helps against Suicune and just generally adds type coverage. The Sp. Atk EVs' and a Modest nature are for maximum power, and the rest is dumped into HP to add some bulk.
Salamence
Salamence (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
The clean up sweeper for the team. I've played with several combination of moves but I found that the only moves I EVER clicked were the Dragon STABs' and Earthquake ONCE (quite literally). Basically the risk vs. reward is quite huge, as if I can Fire Blast an incoming Forretress or Iron Tail a Florges, I'd have a great advantage. However, if I fail to predict correctly, I lose a ton of momentum and to be honest, it helps the opponent stall out my screens and wasn't really worth it. Adamant, as mentioned previously is AMAZING for this team and the extra damage output, coupled with the fact that I'm purposefully exposing my Salamence makes wall breaking/sweeping much more efficient. The nature and the EV spread is, once again, very self explanatory. Sleep Talk is again, yet to be clicked :/
THREATS!!!
Forretress - Capable of stopping Slurpuff from sweeping if it's carrying Gyro Ball. Wear it down with Absol and Lucario.
Mega-Aggron - This is probably the biggest threat to my team. Capable of walling 4/6 of my team and completely shutting down my win conditions. The only way of playing around this is to lure Aggron in and chip away at it, which is quite difficult as you get higher up on the ladder. I play my Lucario very carefully and try to preserve it just to get at least 1 nuke off on Aggron before dying.
Scarfed Darmanitan - Right off the bat, I'm forced to lead with either Salamence or Absol (depending on whichever's less useful as this team relies on screens to set up. If I lead with Absol, I have to click Sucker Punch to get around 66~78% damage and regain momentum and watch my Absol die turn 1 (TT_TT).
Mega-Sharpedo - Honestly I have to keep my priority user and my Slurpuff alive or else this thing will decimate my entire team.
Doublade - This mon is capable of living any hit and retaliating back with a strong hit of its own. It can also stop Slurpuff and Salamence with relative ease. The way to beat Doublade is to Knock Off the Eviolite as early as possible and then surprise KO with Lucario Earthquake.
Well played balance teams - I found that a well constructed and played balance team handles this team very well as I struggle to break through their defensive cores (mainly steel, fairy cores).
.....And that's the team!!!
I hope you have as much fun using it as I did and please tell me your experiences with it and any improvements that can be made!!!
Thanks for reading my long post!
Importable
(sorry I didn't know how to make the hide tab (?) thing... Please tell me how in the comments)
Azelf @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Explosion
Absol (F) @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
Slurpuff (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
Happiness: 0
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Frustration
- Drain Punch
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
Porygon-Z @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Agility
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
Salamence (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
Changes I've been thinking about...
With all the trouble i have been facing against balanced teams, I have been thinking about making my Lucario a Nasty Plot set (breaks both fairies and steels) and replacing my Porygon-Z with a SD Infernape. I am yet to try this but tell me if this sounds like a good idea overall!!
The team I will be showcasing today is a hyper offence team I made for the Serperior suspect test. This team has been quite successful and peaked at 1528 (42W 10L), and got to around 2550 COIL in a breeze. Those 52 battles were ONLY with this team and I tweaked the team as I picked up flaws and improvements while climbing the ladder. To be honest some of the losses were me choking or over predicting, but still I think that I have retained a respectable win-loss ratio. At around the time I started playing UU, a lot of powerful threats dropped from OU (Salamence, Heracross, Terrakion, etc). However looking at these threats, they all have one weakness in common, Fairy types. With this in mind I decided to build a team around Slurpuff as I theorized that there would be a plethora of set-up opportunities for this monster.
Next I wanted a mon that could complement Slurpuff and that’s when I thought about Mega-Absol. Slurpuff and Absol complement each other very well as Slurpuff can set up on mons such as Florges and Chesnaught which Absol cannot break.
This however precipitated my weakness to steel types as both mons cannot break through physically defensive steel walls such as Forretress, Mega-Aggron and Doublade. I decided to put Lucario on my team to help alleviate this problem and also as a reliable priority user.
Next I added Porygon-Z as I was lacking any form of special attacks and I wanted to try something unconventional but practical. The set is double dance with Thunderbolt to help against Suicune and for overall type coverage across the board.
Now at this point I had noticed that the team had (in theory) a very potent offensive core with a very viable win condition, but also that most of these mons were very fragile and couldn't find many set up opportunities besides when the opponent switches out. This is where I decided to welcome a dual screens lead Azelf onto my team. Initially I thought that allocating hazards AND dual screens is a heavy burden for the tiny elf, but generally worked out in the end.
To finish the team I added a scarfed Salamence just to revenge kill any mons that happened to get a boost or any mons in general that are faster and cannot deal with with my priority. What I didn’t expect was the amount of pressure Salamence had on opposing steel types which helped my Absol and Slurpuff sweep late game. An adamant nature was picked as when I looked at the other scarfers in the tier (Mienshao, Salamence, Krookodile, etc) most lose to Slurpuff, so if an opposing scarfed Salamence revenges my own Salamence, I can come in with Slurpuff and Belly Drum sweep. An adamant nature also means that I can 3HKO Crocune which is an annoyance to any physical attacker.
Final Team!!
Now onto the sets!!!
Azelf
Azelf @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Explosion
Pretty standard dual screens lead Azelf here. Azelf has an amazing speed tier and coupled with its EV investment, can usually set up the appropriate screen (depending on the opposing lead), set up rocks and then depending on the situation, either set up the last screen or boom! The rest of the EVs’ are put into HP as Azelfs main role is to set up as much as possible and then explode to gain momentum. 4 Sp. Def EVs’ to make sure Porygons don’t get a Sp. Atk raise.
Slurpuff
Slurpuff (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
Happiness: 0
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Frustration
- Drain Punch
The MVP of this team most of the time and is a MONSTER against unprepared teams. With a Jolly nature and Unburden, Slurpuff out speeds the fastest scarfers in UU, namely Mienshao and base 108s’. Although its usable movepool is rather shallow, these 3 moves complement each other well and are often sufficient in sweeping teams. Play Rough is a given, a strong STAB move with a somewhat reliable accuracy. Frustration is used over Return for Dittos’ and hits Pokemon such as Tentacruel that would otherwise resist my STAB (for those who aren't familiar, the default happiness is set to 255, so a Ditto that copies my Slurpuff will have a max happiness Frustration). Frustration is also nice for its 100% accuracy, which alleviates any accuracy risks. Drain Punch is a very useful move, especially when screens are up as it significantly increases the longevity, and allows Slurpuff to not lose against priority spam. Banded Entei is probably the strongest priority user in the metagame at this current time, however, even after extremespeed-ing Slurpuff can KO and recover its lost health with drain punch.
Mega-Absol
Absol (F) @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
As stated previously, Mega-Absol is an excellent partner to Slurpuff and the duo is capable of dismantling the current metagame quite effectively. The first 3 moves (and the EV spread) are self explanatory, and is often the staple on most, if not all Absol sets in UU. Superpower is used to dent Mega Aggron [+2 252 Atk Mega Absol Superpower vs. 252 HP / 136+ Def Filter Mega Aggron: 177-208 (51.4 - 60.4%)] and other steel types to set up a Slurpuff sweep. More often than not, I use Absol to break walls early game to assist in Slurpuff sweeping late game. Again, 4 Sp. Def EVs' for Porygons.
Lucario
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
Lucario was a much needed addition to the team as it acts as a bulky steel breaker and also as an extremely reliable priority user. Lucario is capable of not only beating one of Slurpuffs most reliable counter, Forretress, but also setting up on it. Against Lucario, Forretress is a liability and not even UUs' physical defensive behemoth, Mega-Aggron, doesn't enjoy taking hits. Adamant nature for pure power and wall breaking potential and Earthquake for Doublade, which I have found to be quite a problem to this team. Earthquake also nets surprise KOs' on offensive Nidoqueens (after rocks). This Lucario is used in conjunction with Mega-Absol early/mid game to break holes in opposing teams and set up a Slurpuff sweep. And Again, 4 Sp. Def EVs' for Porygons.
Porygon-Z
Porygon-Z @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Agility
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
Porygon-Z is the only special attacker on this team and this mon hits like a TRUCK!!!. Opponents often underestimate this thing and send in their Blissey, Florges or Snorlax as I Nasty Plot, only to find that they are 2HKO'ed by Adaptability Tri Attack. Just to give you an idea... [+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Adaptability Porygon-Z Tri Attack vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 395-465 (55.3 - 65.1%)] I think that speaks for itself. Getting rid of, or severely denting Florges is extremely beneficial to Mega-Absol and Salamence and most of the time, I can net a kill at the very least with this beast (per game). With the speed EVs', I can outspeed neutral 252 Spd Kingdra in the rain after an agility. Thunderbolt is the coverage move of choice as it helps against Suicune and just generally adds type coverage. The Sp. Atk EVs' and a Modest nature are for maximum power, and the rest is dumped into HP to add some bulk.
Salamence
Salamence (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
The clean up sweeper for the team. I've played with several combination of moves but I found that the only moves I EVER clicked were the Dragon STABs' and Earthquake ONCE (quite literally). Basically the risk vs. reward is quite huge, as if I can Fire Blast an incoming Forretress or Iron Tail a Florges, I'd have a great advantage. However, if I fail to predict correctly, I lose a ton of momentum and to be honest, it helps the opponent stall out my screens and wasn't really worth it. Adamant, as mentioned previously is AMAZING for this team and the extra damage output, coupled with the fact that I'm purposefully exposing my Salamence makes wall breaking/sweeping much more efficient. The nature and the EV spread is, once again, very self explanatory. Sleep Talk is again, yet to be clicked :/
THREATS!!!
Forretress - Capable of stopping Slurpuff from sweeping if it's carrying Gyro Ball. Wear it down with Absol and Lucario.
Mega-Aggron - This is probably the biggest threat to my team. Capable of walling 4/6 of my team and completely shutting down my win conditions. The only way of playing around this is to lure Aggron in and chip away at it, which is quite difficult as you get higher up on the ladder. I play my Lucario very carefully and try to preserve it just to get at least 1 nuke off on Aggron before dying.
Scarfed Darmanitan - Right off the bat, I'm forced to lead with either Salamence or Absol (depending on whichever's less useful as this team relies on screens to set up. If I lead with Absol, I have to click Sucker Punch to get around 66~78% damage and regain momentum and watch my Absol die turn 1 (TT_TT).
Mega-Sharpedo - Honestly I have to keep my priority user and my Slurpuff alive or else this thing will decimate my entire team.
Doublade - This mon is capable of living any hit and retaliating back with a strong hit of its own. It can also stop Slurpuff and Salamence with relative ease. The way to beat Doublade is to Knock Off the Eviolite as early as possible and then surprise KO with Lucario Earthquake.
Well played balance teams - I found that a well constructed and played balance team handles this team very well as I struggle to break through their defensive cores (mainly steel, fairy cores).
.....And that's the team!!!
I hope you have as much fun using it as I did and please tell me your experiences with it and any improvements that can be made!!!
Thanks for reading my long post!
Importable
(sorry I didn't know how to make the hide tab (?) thing... Please tell me how in the comments)
Azelf @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Explosion
Absol (F) @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
Slurpuff (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
Happiness: 0
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Frustration
- Drain Punch
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
Porygon-Z @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Agility
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
Salamence (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk
Changes I've been thinking about...
With all the trouble i have been facing against balanced teams, I have been thinking about making my Lucario a Nasty Plot set (breaks both fairies and steels) and replacing my Porygon-Z with a SD Infernape. I am yet to try this but tell me if this sounds like a good idea overall!!
