Shuckle
Status: Skeleton done, any assistance or testing much appreciated
Shuckle is one of the best walls in the game. But with such raw power in Ubers, walling isn't really such a good idea, especially for a Pokemon that can't fight back, or really damage much at all.
But B/W changed all this with the Mold Pokemon: Sturdy now prevents OHKOs, which is very fortunate in the hard-hitting Uber metagame. This would be a harmless oddity, except for one small move. Its name is Power Share. In Ubers, this will cripple pretty much any hard hitter, as it allows Shuckle to share his incredibly low 10/10 Atk and Sp. Atk with any Pokemon that dares to stay it. It's a risky idea, but with prediction it could be pulled off.
[SET]
name: Sharing is Caring
move 1: Power Share
move 2: Wrap
move 3: Toxic/Rest
move 4: Encore/Stone Edge
item: Leftovers/Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
IVs: 0 Atk, 0 Sp. Atk, 0 Speed
EVs: 248 HP, 252 Def, 8 SpD
Set Comments
Trick Room is almost a necessity with this set. It allows Shuckle to go first essentially all the time, thus making sure it is not critically injured before it has a chance to set up. The EVs given keep Shuckle's walling status at a maximum, though feel free to shuffle around the Sp. Def. EVs. This isn't as necessary under Sandstorm, though, as Sandstorm raises its Special Defense by an extra 50%. The Speed IVs allow Shuckle to go first under Trick Room even better than it already does, and the offensive IVs allow it to Power Share better.
The aim of this set is to Wrap first. This keeps any Pokemon in while Shuckle sets up. The first move after this is either Power Share or Encore, depending on whether you predict a set up or an attack. If you do Encore first, then Toxic is a good idea, as well as Power Share, of course. It is at this point that Shuckle has fulfilled its purpose. However, if you do manage to stay alive, then Rest is good to keep Sturdy active, if you have it, as well as Stone Edge to make use of the offense you now hopefully have. Leftovers is good if Shuckle can stay alive, but Lum Berry is better to prevent status as well as recovering from Rest.
With all of this, Shuckle has the ability to cripple sweepers that cause your team particular harm, with Power Share and Wrap. With Sandstorm to boot, which both ups its already legendary Special Defense and causes more residual damage, Shuckle can be a threat to an opponent who isn't expecting it.
Additional Comments
This is a very gimmicky set, of course. It can be a real surprise to your opponent, but prediction can be a particular problem for Shuckle. This is just about what Shuckle is capable of, with its very shallow movepool. Knock Off can be good, but it is very situational, even for this set. Feel free to replace Stone Edge with Gyro Ball or Earthquake, but Stone Edge is best in Ubers for type coverage.
Team Options: Tyranitar or Hippowdon is needed to set up Sandstorm to boost Shuckle's Special Defense. Trick Room is also particularly good for this set, as it ensures both Wrap and Power Share can be set up. Bronzong is particularly good at setting this up and Exploding. Forretress can set up Toxic Spikes, which harmonises very well with Wrap, and it too is a good user of Trick Room.
Counters: Giratina blocks Wrap, which is a particular problem for Shuckle. However, Toxic is a big problem for it. Priority users can get rid of Sturdy's use, so Scizor is very effective. Abomasnow will counter Sturdy, of course, but is rare in Uber play. Finally, Kyogre can set up Rain, removing Sandstorm, and Water is super effective against Shuckle.
Dream World: Perversity has its uses, preventing stat drops and the like, but with such powerhouses in Ubers, Sturdy is a better option.
