Introduction
So almost two years ago I made an RMT for a Steel Monotype team during ORAS. I was pretty proud of myself for doing so, but it was still rather ironic that I never made an RMT for the type I used to main. Gen 7 came around and I dabbled with SM Monotype, but I could never fully get into it. The initial meta was very busted with so many new threats, and so I lost interest in Monotype after the team tour they created to kick off the beginning of the SM Monotype meta. I stayed relatively quiet in the scene until MPL III. After MPL III, they announced a Magearna suspect, and I really wanted to get reqs for it. Magearna was such a strong mon, and it was really restricting how I could teambuild which is one of the reasons I could not find success in Gen 7.
I decided I wanted to make a team with my old main Water. Water seemed very mediocre during the initial days of SM Monotype unless you played a rain team, and even then it was not amazing since that lacked Mega Swampert at the time. I personally do not like using Swift Swim Water teams, so I decided to try something else. I think that it is fitting that I chose to return to my roots as a Water main as I even recently acquired the name Sae on Smogon which is who I was known as on PS! when I was very active in Monotype.
Tapu Fini always seemed like an interesting Pokemon to use in Monotype. It lacks usage on Fairy teams because of the poor synergy it has with the other Fairy types. On water, it had high potential because of its Misty Terrain blocking status for other setup mons and weakening Dragon's ability to spam Dragon coverage, it was a Defogger that could Taunt with decent bulk and speed, and an amazing typing. Instead of the usual Defog variants, I decided to try using a Tapunium Z set that involved trapping the opponent with Whirlpool. I was inspired by seeing an OU Tapu Koko set that ran Mean Look and Tapunium Z, and I wanted to see if I could recreate something similar and be successful in Monotype.
Teambuilding Process
As I mentioned above, I really wanted to make a team with Tapu Fini that used its Z move. When I was thinking of Pokemon, for some reason I really wanted the core to revolve around Z Tapu Fini + Toxic Spikes Tentacruel. It may seem counter-intuitive since Misty Terrain will prevent the status from Toxic Spikes, but they seemed to synergize well together so I went with it. While not really Specially Defensive, they provide the team a switch-in to various special attacking moves.
Next I wanted to add Suicune since it has always been an ace on my teams. Since I am using Misty Terrain, I decided to use a Vincune spread as the terrain prevents the status that may be inflicted on Suicune before it can setup a Substitute. This is important since Suicune cannot use Rest in Misty Terrain, so it has to rely on Leftovers to recover its health which is compromised by burn/toxic status. It also provides a wincon.
I next put on Swampert as this team needs a dedicated Electric type immunity, SR setter, and a physical wall as Vincune is not the best answer to physical threats.
After this, I decided to use both Mega Sharpedo and Greninja. Mega Sharpedo provides a wallbreaker / sweeper that this team needs and Scarf Greninja provides a check to the plethora of Scarf Pokemon in the meta.
In-depth Look
Sharpedo-Mega @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Protect
This is the team's main wallbreaker. Originally the nature was Adamant as I wanted to deal as much damage as possible to threats of the team like Mantine, Mega Venusaur, and Celesteela. However, I later changed it to a Jolly nature as not being able to outrun Scarf Kyurem-B, Victini, and Volcarona at +1 was starting to become an issue. Kyurem-B especially was a notable issue since it outspeeds everything besides Greninja, and I need as much damage on Kyurum-B as possible to eventually revenge kill it with Greninja or vice-versa.
Protect, while being important for Speed Boosting pre-Mega, also acts as a way to scout moves and rack up damage from Toxic Spikes. Due to being a Dark type, the Prankster immunity also provides a way to safely switch it in on Klefki Thunder Wave or Sableye Will-o-Wisp in case Misty Terrain is not up yet. Be smart about when choosing to Mega Evolve, since if Sharpedo is Adamant, it cannot outrun certain Pokemon like Scarf Kyurem-B, Victini, or Volcarona after a Quiver Dance without first getting two speed boosts.
Tapu Fini @ Tapunium Z
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 20 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
The given EV Spread gives it enough speed to outpseed Timid Xurkitree and the rest goes into HP and SpDef so that it can tank Scalds better. Since the only relevant Pokemon to worry about at max speed are Toxicroak and Nidoking, I did not think it was necessary to go for max speed since this set cannot beat them 1v1.
This is the main reason I wanted to build the team. Whirlpool + Z Nature's Madness allows Tapu Fini to trap key threats like Toxapex, Chansey, opposing Suicune, etc. It's important to bait your opponent into going into their walls early in the game while safely bringing this Pokemon in. For example, if Toxapex wants to Scald burn Tentacruel, you can safely take the hit with Tapu Fini without having to worry about a Scald burn. Taunt the target before it can Recover up, and then proceed to use Alola Guardian. After that, it will only need two more Moonblasts to kill it due to the incremental Whirlpool damage that was being built up. This is why Whirlpool is the better option than Mean Look on this set.
It is not necessary to always trap the opponent. Sometimes it is better to just go straight for Z Nature's Madness on threats like Celesteela, Porygon2, and Ferrothorn to open the way for the rest of the team. Taunt is also useful for other situations, especially when you double from Tentacruel while your opponent tries to send in their Defogger or their SR setter after Tentacruel used Rapid Spin. It also allows you way to weaken Mantine which is a very big hindrance to winning with Suicune. One other use for Tapu Fini's item is that it provides a really good Knock Off switch-in due to being a Fairy type and carrying a Z-crystal.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
This is a standard Vincune spread which acts as the team's primary wincon. The 216 speed spread was chosen since the added bulk is more handy for this team. You can run 240 Spe to outspeed Xurkitree, but the SpDef investment allows Suicune to have a better chance at keeping its Substitute against a Modest Celesteela's Giga Drain after a CM. Also, Tapu Fini is already creeped to outspeed Xurkitree, so this team has four mons that already outspeed non scarf variants.
With Misty Terrain up, Suicune can safely get up a Substitute without worry of getting statused on a switch-in. Always play safely with this Pokemon by using Protect whenever possible to regain as much health back as it can. This also allows Suicune to scout moves from choice locked Pokemon, PP stall with Pressure, and rack up damage from Toxic Spikes. Do not risk losing Leftovers from a potential Knock Off. After a few Calm Mind boosts, this Pokemon threatens the majority of the meta late game.
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
This is the team's main wallbreaker. Originally the nature was Adamant as I wanted to deal as much damage as possible to threats of the team like Mantine, Mega Venusaur, and Celesteela. However, I later changed it to a Jolly nature as not being able to outrun Scarf Kyurem-B, Victini, and Volcarona at +1 was starting to become an issue. Kyurem-B especially was a notable issue since it outspeeds everything besides Greninja, and I need as much damage on Kyurum-B as possible to eventually revenge kill it with Greninja or vice-versa.
Protect, while being important for Speed Boosting pre-Mega, also acts as a way to scout moves and rack up damage from Toxic Spikes. Due to being a Dark type, the Prankster immunity also provides a way to safely switch it in on Klefki Thunder Wave or Sableye Will-o-Wisp in case Misty Terrain is not up yet. Be smart about when choosing to Mega Evolve, since if Sharpedo is Adamant, it cannot outrun certain Pokemon like Scarf Kyurem-B, Victini, or Volcarona after a Quiver Dance without first getting two speed boosts.
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 20 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
The given EV Spread gives it enough speed to outpseed Timid Xurkitree and the rest goes into HP and SpDef so that it can tank Scalds better. Since the only relevant Pokemon to worry about at max speed are Toxicroak and Nidoking, I did not think it was necessary to go for max speed since this set cannot beat them 1v1.
This is the main reason I wanted to build the team. Whirlpool + Z Nature's Madness allows Tapu Fini to trap key threats like Toxapex, Chansey, opposing Suicune, etc. It's important to bait your opponent into going into their walls early in the game while safely bringing this Pokemon in. For example, if Toxapex wants to Scald burn Tentacruel, you can safely take the hit with Tapu Fini without having to worry about a Scald burn. Taunt the target before it can Recover up, and then proceed to use Alola Guardian. After that, it will only need two more Moonblasts to kill it due to the incremental Whirlpool damage that was being built up. This is why Whirlpool is the better option than Mean Look on this set.
It is not necessary to always trap the opponent. Sometimes it is better to just go straight for Z Nature's Madness on threats like Celesteela, Porygon2, and Ferrothorn to open the way for the rest of the team. Taunt is also useful for other situations, especially when you double from Tentacruel while your opponent tries to send in their Defogger or their SR setter after Tentacruel used Rapid Spin. It also allows you way to weaken Mantine which is a very big hindrance to winning with Suicune. One other use for Tapu Fini's item is that it provides a really good Knock Off switch-in due to being a Fairy type and carrying a Z-crystal.
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
This is a standard Vincune spread which acts as the team's primary wincon. The 216 speed spread was chosen since the added bulk is more handy for this team. You can run 240 Spe to outspeed Xurkitree, but the SpDef investment allows Suicune to have a better chance at keeping its Substitute against a Modest Celesteela's Giga Drain after a CM. Also, Tapu Fini is already creeped to outspeed Xurkitree, so this team has four mons that already outspeed non scarf variants.
With Misty Terrain up, Suicune can safely get up a Substitute without worry of getting statused on a switch-in. Always play safely with this Pokemon by using Protect whenever possible to regain as much health back as it can. This also allows Suicune to scout moves from choice locked Pokemon, PP stall with Pressure, and rack up damage from Toxic Spikes. Do not risk losing Leftovers from a potential Knock Off. After a few Calm Mind boosts, this Pokemon threatens the majority of the meta late game.
- 252+ SpA Celesteela Giga Drain vs. +1 252 HP / 40 SpD Suicune: 90-108 (22.2 - 26.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recoveryPossible damage amounts: (90, 92, 92, 94, 96, 96, 98, 98, 100, 100, 102, 102, 104, 104, 106, 108) - 37.5% chance to break a substitute
- 252+ SpA Celesteela Giga Drain vs. +1 252 HP / 16 SpD Suicune: 92-110 (22.7 - 27.2%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recoveryPossible damage amounts: (92, 94, 94, 96, 96, 98, 100, 100, 102, 102, 104, 104, 106, 106, 108, 110) - 50% chance to break a substitute
This may not seem like a huge difference, but this 12.5% chance may be the difference of getting Suicune to sweep or not. If you have the higher speed, you are risking the percentage of a coin flip of whether or not you can keep your Substitute and keep boosting. I personally think that a 5/8 chance is significantly more beneficial especially since this team relies on landing a lot of Tapu Fini's moves that tend to miss.
Ability: Damp
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
Swampert provides the team with the necessary Electrical immunity, physical wall, and Stealth Rock setter. Originally, I ran Scald which helps in some MU's like Poison, Bug, and Steel against Pokemon such as Crobat, Armaldo, Forretress, and Celesteela. Being able to pressure them as they switch in with Scald is a big deal. Crobat cannot safely Roost between dealing with a Scald burn, Earthquake, and trying to Defog. The two Bug types take a lot of damage from Scald when trying to Rapid Spin.
However, I have found Toxic more important when dealing with Flying teams that carry Mantine, as that walls the majority of my team. Misty Terrain only works on grounded Pokemon, so the ability to poison Flyers and levitating Pokemon is really handy. For example, most Mantine will Defog SR immediately without fear of retaliation since its immune to Scald and EQ, so you can Toxic the same turn it tries to. Be very careful about how you switch Pokemon. Misty Terrain can backfire when using Toxic.
Side note: I have been starting to think based on current ladder trends that Scald might be better as Flying is not as common / good as it used to be. However, Toxic on Latios switch-ins among other things is still more ideal.
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 240 HP / 72 Def / 60 SpD / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Tentacruel is the team's hazard support and is using an offensive support set rather than the usual bulky ones.
(Edit: I changed it to 136 Speed Ev's to outspeed Nidoking since the only relevant Pokemon I would be outspeeding with 300 Spe is Entei. I moved the rest into SpD. Thanks to Smub for the recommendation.)
The speed is helpful in getting Toxic Spikes up as quickly as possible and being able to Rapid Spin more easily against most teams. For example, Nidoking might setup Stealth Rock on Tentacruel as most Tentacruel would switch out in fear of the incoming Earth Power and are usually slower than it. Instead, Tentacruel outruns it the same turn it uses SR and fires off a Scald. The next turn it can proceed to kill Nidoking or Rapid Spin if you think the opponent will switch. It also lets you confirm if certain Pokemon are using Choice Scarf (such as said Nidoking, Xurkitree, etc.). The lack of Magearna also helps Tentacruel hit the rest of the opposing Fairy team with Sludge Bomb. Since Klefki isn't an answer to Tentacruel by itself, Sludge Bomb is opened up more since there is not another Steel type it has to deal with that can use it for setup fodder. Likewise with Toxic on Swampert, be careful about how you switch. Misty Terrain will block the poison from Toxic Spikes.
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Last but not least is Scarf Greninja. This Pokemon is important as it provides a way to beat several threats that are dangerous at +1 Speed like Volcarona, Tapu Bulu, Latios, Mega Altaria, etc. Ice Beam is necessary for putting pressure on Flying and Dragon teams. Rock Slide is for Volcarona / Mega Charizard Y, and Gunk Shot is for Fairies and Grass types. Gunk Shot especialy is more reliable in a post Magearna meta to beat Fairy teams. Before, most Fairy teams had both Klefki and Magearna, which stopped Greninja from freely going for Gunk Shot. Hidden Power Fire was chosen as the other coverage move to damage other Steel type Pokemon more consistently (since this team doesn't fear Heatran).
Threat List / How to Play
*This list is quite extensive. It basically contains all my notes about the MU's I've played as I have progressed through the ladder and tours with this team. These aren't ordered by difficulty, just whatever came first. I did go through all 18 types, but I am not as well versed in how the MU goes towards the bottom of this list. If anything, this just shows me being pessimistic about the team and wanting to over analyze everything. However, this team does perform if played well, so if you're looking for a challenge then this team is worth trying.
Water teams vary in difficulty depending if its rain, balance, or stall. Pelipper is an annoyance as there is no safe way of removing it since it can always U-turn. Tapu Fini does a decent job at checking defensive variants, but nothing on this team appreciates a Specs Hurricane on the chance it is offensive. Manaphy is always a killer in any water mirror. Manaphy on rain teams, or if it uses Z-Rain Dance, is hard to deal with as it forces Sharpedo to Protect and then Mega Evolve which allows the opponent more freedom if they can force out Sharpedo. Tail Glow + Energy Ball kills everything on the team, and it is very bulky with its flat base 100 stats. Greninja is tricky due to never truly knowing its coverage, but Grass Knot and Extrasensory is especially annoying for this team specifically. Rotom-W is free to Volt Switch for the most part; the best way to deal with this is keeping Misty Terrain up and sending in Swampert as it can Toxic it since Rotom-W is levitating. Gyarados is tricky because of its bulk. Taunt / Sub variants have many opportunities to setup on this team, and Z-Bounce sets can dismantle this team fairly easily. Tapu Fini can Taunt DD sets before they setup and can do a lot of damage with (Z-) Nature's Madness. The main way of winning this MU is by getting everything into Sharpedo range.
Electric teams are hard to play around. Alolan Raichu especially is scary since it outruns Scarf Greninja if Electric Terrain is up, which is most likely since Fini doesn't have a safe way of removing terrain with its ability before it eventually gets reset back to Electric Terrain. Magnezone's Steel typing prevents Scarf Greninja from clicking Gunk Shot to clean up weakened Pokemon and more importantly hitting Tapu Koko. Play aggressively by getting damage on Magnezone as fast as possible, because the late game will again be down to Sharpedo most likely.
Grass types in general are hard to deal with. A full grass team usually involves Tapu Fini trapping or weakining a key threat, Mega Sharpedo weakening Mega Venusaur, and Scarf Greninja cleaning up. Ferrothorn can be an issue if it has Power Whip. If it does not, Tapu Fini can trap it. Do not go directly into Ferrothorn if they're going to Leech Seed. Instead, pivot into Tentacruel first on the Leech Seed to prevent it from gaining health. It's also setup fodder if you Pressure stall it with Suicune. Mega Venusaur can be dealt with by a combination of switches to Tentacruel on the Giga Drain to prevent it from healing. It is very important to remove Breloom as Mach Punch will ruin Sharpedo and Greninja from doing their jobs. Tentacruel has a good chance to OHKO Breloom with Sludge Bomb, and it can setup Toxic Spikes to prevent its Focus Sash from being a factor later. Tapu Fini provides a decent switch-in if you are expecting Spore and then hit it with Moonblast. Tapu Bulu can be annoying to hit thanks to the cores on both Grass and Fairy teams. Against Grass teams, it is important to remove Ferrothorn to open up Gunk Shot from Greninja. If the Bulu is banded instead of scarfed, Tentacruel can also OHKO it with Sludge Bomb.
Flying teams are very hard to deal with since the majority of Flying teams have a core that very solidly beats this Water team. These include threats such as Mega Charizard Y, Dragonite, Celesteela, Mantine, Thundurus (both formes), and Zapdos. With Toxic on Swampert, you can pressure switches from Mantine, Mega Charizard, and Zapdos. Setting up SR is mandatory to break Multiscale on Dragonite as well as putting things into range for Greninja. You'll most likely want to use the Z move on Celesteela and doubling when possible to prevent Mantine from clicking Roost/Defog.
Poison is an annoying MU as you have to be very smart and play aggressively with how you bait out the threats. The main goal is to get Alolan Muk and Mega Venusaur into Mega Sharpedo range. The main Pokemon to trap is Toxapex, but sometimes it is better to just get as much damage on Mega Venusaur with Alola Guardian. This is only worth it if Tapu Fini is low on health so that the Giga Drain recovery is lessened.
Dragons are scary to fight since most of them outspeed Tapu Fini. It is important to keep SR on the field. Since you will most likely lead Swampert, the opponent will choose either Garchomp to set their own SR or go to Kyu-B immediately. If you see a lead Kyurem-B, then it is most likely a Z Freeze Shock or LO. Most opponents leading this want as much damage on Swampert as possible to prevent SR, so switch into something that can take the hit. Tapu Fini is a good switch against the Z move since you can double back to Swampert and now Misty Terrain is up to weaken Outrage. Swampert can Toxic the Lati as it Defogs and keep setting SR after. Tapu Fini can deter choice locked Outrages/Dracos as well as setup Misty Terrain to weaken the hits for the rest of its teammates. The rest of the match is getting everything into either Mega Sharpedo or Greninja range. Scouting out movesets is very important for this MU in particular; in particular, you have to safely figure out Kyu-B's item. If it's LO, you have to make a lot of safer doubles and Pressure stall Fusion Bolt.
Sash Galvantula is one of the biggest issues if facing against Bug teams. This team does not have a strong lead that will be able to prevent it from getting Webs up for free. You could lead Tentacruel and always click Rapid Spin turn 1 to break the Sash and remove webs, but eventually they'll just click Thunder. I think the best lead is actually going into Greninja as Sash Galvantula cannot kill you if you attack immediately. The issue is that Greninja may die to SR if the opponent sets it up but at least webs are not up if they do decide to attack. Greninja will most likely have to click Rock Slide which is slightly annoying because you have to rely on not missing. It also invites Forretress, (Mega) Heracross, or (Mega) Scizor. The trade-off is that you get the chance to flinch, Energy Ball does not kill even if you become a Rock type, and you do not let Volcarona come in for free which is probably scarier than the two bug megas. Setting up SR is mandatory against Bug teams, but since Galvantula carry Energy Ball, Swampert needs to do so at a later time. Araquanid is a nuisance as it tanks Greninja's HP Fire easily and can pressure the team with its attacks as nothing on this team particularly wants to take the hit from any of its moves as that prevents them from doing their jobs against the rest of the team. If using Tapu Fini, be extremely careful about it using Mirror Coat on the Nature's Madness.
HO Psychic can be really hard to deal with. Dual Screens Deo-S is really annoying, but the best lead might honestly be going into Sharpedo straight away. Since they normally lack ways of beating you, you can always go for Psychic Fangs. Counter Sash Alakazam is a big threat as this team does not have a way to force it to remove its Sash safely. The other big threat is Z Mew because once it gets up a Rock Polish, this team does not have a way of killing it. Even if you get Mew to waste its Genesis Supernova by switching into Sharpedo / Greninja, you still have to rely on hax to dodge a Focus Blast. If they're running Dazzling Gleam, then you can't even bank on the miss. Also as a note, be wary of various Colbur Berry Pokemon such as Slowbro or Gothitelle.
Hard hitting Ground types do a lot of work against this team as this team lacks a Ground immunity/resistance. Choice Banded Pokemon like Excadrill or Mamoswine 2HKO Suicune and Swampert, so there is no safe switch. The same is true for Landorus-I. Removing Seismitoad is imperative so that Suicune can do its job. Tapu Fini will most likely use its Z move on this as it doesn't have recovery aside from Leftovers. Gastrodon is a non-issue unless you run into a Curse set, but even then Suicune can PP stall it for the most part.
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Dark teams do not have Pokemon that are individually too threatening, but a lot of them can be really annoying to face. Greninja is always scary to fight as they will almost always have Extrasensory and Grass Knot on Dark teams. Krookodile by itself does not really beat this team. However, this team lacks a way to prevent it from setting up SR. If it has Taunt, it can also shutdown Swampert trying to go for SR. Since Suicune does not want to risk getting hit by Knock Off, Swampert or Tapu Fini is going to have to deal with it. Both are not ideal situations as this leads to the Poison/Dark Pokemon to put in more work. Alolan Muk is preferably dealt with by Swampert, but Tapu Fini can just click Alola Guardian if need be. Drapion is only really dealt with by Swampert as the other checks vary depending on its set. Z Drapion with SD does a lot of work as if it kills Swampert, nothing on this team really revenge kills it. This is especially true if it has Agility.
Fairy teams immensely pressure this team. Klefki is the main reason this team cannot just straight win because of its Steel typing which prevents Greninja from just clicking Gunk Shot. You're going to need to land at least one HP Fire on a switch-in to get the necessary damage to kill it later. This team lacks Defog, so it does not have an efficient way of removing Dual Screens from a Klefki in the back. Sharpedo can remove Dual Screens with Psychic Fangs, but this is banking on the fact that Kleki does not have Foul Play. If you take a turn to scout out the Foul Play with Protect, Klefki gets switch initiative. Tentacruel also needs to be able to remove Spikes as quickly as possible, but Mimikyu is a really good spin blocker in this MU. Tapu Bulu has no switch-ins, but you can beat it with Tentacruel if it is not scarfed. If it is scarfed, then Greninja is the best option to dealing with it (which only works if you can remove Klefki). Tapu Koko is similarly checked by Greninja. Sharpedo can somewhat deal with it, but you are forced to Mega Evolve which you might want to preserve. Also, there is no really good lead in this MU, because they can lead either Tapu and if you did not get the right MU, you start from the back immediately. You could theoretically lead with Scarf Greninja, but even then I do not think this puts you into too favorable a position since you give away the fact you're scarfed turn 1.
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Steel teams can be annoying to deal with if they carry at least the first two. Getting Scald burns against most of the steel team is super important to weaken their defensive core as well as preventing Ferrothorn's Power Whip or Mega Scizor in the back from doing too much damage to the team. Suicune has to PP stall Ferrothorn's Power Whips in order to open up other ways of taking care of it like with Tapu Fini. If they do not have Power Whip, going directly into Tapu Fini and trapping it is a good move. Celesteela is still a pain to deal with. Tentacruel provides a safe switch on Giga Drains / Leech Seeds and can hopefully Scald burn it. (Z) Nature's Madness can lower the rest of its health if need be as long as Tapu Fini's health is low so that Celesteela does not get enough back from recovery. Suicune can deal with Celesteela in most cases as it can PP stall Giga Drain and has a 62.5% chance of keeping its Substitute after a CM against a max special attack set. Just be sure to not be in a position for Celesteela to get a Beast Boost from Autotomize sets. Empoleon can be tricky to deal with if it has Roar. Trapping it with Tapu Fini is one way of dealing with it, or pressuring it with EQ from Swampert. Chip damage is necessary as between Empoleon and Heatran, it makes Greninja's job harder at pressuring the rest of the Steel team with Hidden Power Fire. It is also annoying if either of these two are on an Air Balloon, since Swampert cannot touch them without Scald. This is one of the few MU's where Scald is better on Swampert than Toxic..
Ice teams vary in difficulty, but these three are the biggest problems in my opinion. Lapras is very bulky and carries Freeze-Dry as well as the ability Water Absorb. Alolan Ninetales is faster than most of the team, and it sets up Aurora Veil for free which lets Kyurem-B become even more of a nuisance than usual. I listed Mamoswine as well because of how it is able to deal with my Greninja's moveset. Greninja is going to be the main win condition, and Mamoswine can easily take a Hidden Power Fire or Rock Slide. It is not super hard to get some early damage, however, because both Tentacruel and Suicune outrun it unless it's scarfed. Banded sets still hurt as this team lacks a switch-in, so you will have to sack something normally which hurts if the opponent plays his/her Lapras and Kyurem-B well.
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The main threat is Breloom since this team lacks Toxapex. Since Tapu Fini has Misty Terrain and Taunt, Brelooms are more likely to just go directly for a Bullet Seed. It is mandatory to remove this Pokemon and any other Mach Punch users as the main win condition is Mega Sharpedo. Mega Gallade is fast and decently bulky so nothing appreciates taking a hit from this. Get as much chip damage as you can for again a Mega Sharpedo sweep. Because of the threat of SubCM Keldeo, you have to deal with 50/50s and bluffs. If Keldeo is out before you can send in Sharpedo, you have to deal with the 50/50 of it going for Substitute on your Protect or attacking right away. If they send in Keldeo when you're at only +1, you have to call the opponent out on bring scarfed or not. This is scary because if they bluff scarf and Substitute on your Protect, you end up losing your sweep.
I think Normal is one of this team's most consistent MU's. This team is able to isolate Chansey fairly well, and it deals with the other Pokemon. However, I think Mega Pidgeot and Meloetta teams put in a lot more work than the standard Normal teams with Mega Lopunny. This team has nothing for Pidgeot's Hurricane or Meloetta's Thunderbolt / Energy Ball coverage. If you no longer have Tapu Fini, Porygon2 becomes harder to deal with. Only Suicune can really beat it, but it is usually taking a lot of damage dealing with everything else.
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Fire teams are not typically hard to deal with. Rotom-H is just a general annoyance due to either being able to outpseed Tapu Fini and setup screens, or a Specs set that can put in some work with Volt Switch. Mega Charizard Y is a little bit annoying to take down since this team does not carry a Toxapex. Rock Slide from Greninja will OHKO, but you will need to take care of the Infernape and Heatran. Rock Slide will also kill Volcarona, but please do not let it get to +2.
I am actually not that well versed in this MU seeing as how unpopular Rock is. Cradily's ability shuts down Suicune, and it is tricky to kill depending on what moves it carries. Suicune can technically stall it out, but I would not recommend doing this during the early game, or at least until the sand setter is removed, since sand negates leftovers so you are losing health and gaining nothing when trying to sub down and stall it. In general, I think Rock does fairly well against this Water team compared to most because once Swampert is removed, setting up on the team is not as hard as you would expect. Shuckle sets up Sticky Webs; this forces Tentacruel to come in eventually to remove them. This is usually the point where the opponent gets the best opportunity to setup their sweep. Minior represents any Rock Pokemon who can easily sweep this team if Swampert is gone and webs are up. Nihilego is a big threat as it carries Thunderbolt / Grass Knot coverage which can easily break through this team. It also is a poison type so it removes Toxic Spikes from Tentacruel.
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Ghost is another MU I am not that certain about. You have to play around Mimikyu because it can setup a late game sweep. Mega Sableye needs to be weakened for Mega Sharpedo to sweep. Tapu Fini deals with this fairly well as long as you prevent it from setting up too many Calm Minds. Tapu Fini also blocks a lot of the status Ghost teams like using as well as breaking apart the defensive core with (Z-) Nature's Madness.
Other Notes
This is a very hard team to learn how to use, and the reward is honestly not as great as other teams which are far more consistent. This is partly due to how Tapu Fini and Tentacruel work together. I have mentioned this several times earlier, but Misty Terrain ruins Toxic Spikes. You may need to dodge opposing status or weaken dragon coverage with the terrain, but getting the chip damage is necessary for Sharpedo and Greninja to clean up teams. Also like most gimmicks, once Tapunium Z is more known, a lot of people will start catching on and switch in weakened Pokemon to prevent that. Whirlpool circumvents this a little bit but sometimes you need to just use it immediately.
Hax will be a major hindrance for this team as Tapu Fini is relying on two moves, which if you're like me, will keep missing with the 85% accurate Whirlpool and the 90% accurate Nature's Madness (I swear this always misses). This team also relies on Swampert landing key Toxic on switches, and if it misses, it sets you behind so much in the match. You cannot let this tilt you badly. This team requires very good execution; subpar play becomes very noticeable the more you use this team. I took a break from using this team due to being busy with school, and I had to relearn the microplay execution needed for this team to work. Honestly, it was a very frustrating process since I felt I already knew how to use the team inside-out.
This is a very hard team to learn how to use, and the reward is honestly not as great as other teams which are far more consistent. This is partly due to how Tapu Fini and Tentacruel work together. I have mentioned this several times earlier, but Misty Terrain ruins Toxic Spikes. You may need to dodge opposing status or weaken dragon coverage with the terrain, but getting the chip damage is necessary for Sharpedo and Greninja to clean up teams. Also like most gimmicks, once Tapunium Z is more known, a lot of people will start catching on and switch in weakened Pokemon to prevent that. Whirlpool circumvents this a little bit but sometimes you need to just use it immediately.
Hax will be a major hindrance for this team as Tapu Fini is relying on two moves, which if you're like me, will keep missing with the 85% accurate Whirlpool and the 90% accurate Nature's Madness (I swear this always misses). This team also relies on Swampert landing key Toxic on switches, and if it misses, it sets you behind so much in the match. You cannot let this tilt you badly. This team requires very good execution; subpar play becomes very noticeable the more you use this team. I took a break from using this team due to being busy with school, and I had to relearn the microplay execution needed for this team to work. Honestly, it was a very frustrating process since I felt I already knew how to use the team inside-out.
- http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotypesuspecttest-610121630
- One of the first good matches I had when initially testing the team. It shows the concept of how to dismantle the Normal core with Tapu Fini. I don't know exactly why I led Greninja, but looking back on this replay months later, I realized that it was probably the right call since it will usually bait out Chansey. I've tried leading Swampert in other games, but this lets Diggersby do more work against the team..
- http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-618421744
- This is the same MU but this time there is a Meloetta which I find more threatening than Ditto. The main reason I have this replay, however, is that I think this was one of my better games where I played Toxic Spikes without it being negated by Misty Terrain.
- http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7monotype-309714
- This time the MU was against Dragon. This replay in particular was one of the reasons I eventually decided to switch from Adamant Sharpedo to Jolly. I think LO and Z Kyurem-B sets are better, but for the sake of consistency, I should be outspeeding scarf variants regardless. I guess it allowed me to scout that it was a scarf set, but it ended up with me sacking Sharpedo which I would have needed if that Latias was faster. I'm not sure if this was before Mega Latias or not, but the point still stands that Jolly Sharpedo would have been better.
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-632414690
- I was a little bit lucky towards the end but I think I still had it. Dimaond Storm miss didn't lead to anything since I sacked Tentacruel anyway. The HP Fire crit at the end should not matter since Foul Play would not have killed Greninja and HP Fire 2HKO'd at that range. I guess he could potentially Thunder Wave if he had it since I was no longer Dark type, but that's not what I'm trying to get at. The real reason I'm showcasing this replay is to demonstrate why it's important to successfully call out Klefki switch-ins with HP Fire. At turn 1, he switched out Koko for Klekfi, suggesting he knew to be wary of a scarf. Since I was forced to switch-out, it confirmed his suspicions. Turn 6 I try calling out the switch-in but he makes the smarter play of going Mega Diancie. My opponent always had the correct read on what I'd do and played these and all the following situations rather well. If I could connect with just one HP Fire on a switch-in, it would have taken over half which would allow the rest of my team to wear it down and opened the way for a Scarf Greninja sweep. This is one of the reasons why I think the Fairy MU is tricky for this team.
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-625634343 vs https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-638830634
- Literally took me so long to realize I could just lead Mega Sharpedo against HO Psychic lmao! First replay shows me getting bopped, second replay shows what happens if you actually lead Sharpedo vs Deo-S. Neither of these are particularly good ones, but it does highlight the difference between playing the team incorrectly and correctly.
Sharpedo-Mega @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Protect
Tapu Fini @ Tapunium Z
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 20 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Damp
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Roar
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 240 HP / 72 Def / 60 SpD / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Sludge Bomb
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
Greninja @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Gunk Shot
- Rock Slide
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Protect
Tapu Fini @ Tapunium Z
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 20 SpD / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Damp
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Roar
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 240 HP / 72 Def / 60 SpD / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Sludge Bomb
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
Greninja @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Gunk Shot
- Rock Slide
- Bondie My co-conspirator when building this team. This took forever to build and you were there for basically the whole journey. I had lots of fun building the team with you and doing those laddering sessions. You make a lot of terrible decisions in battling which makes it impossible to tell during those few times you actually make a genius move lmao. Jokes aside, thanks also for doing the initial grammar check (if there are any more mistakes then that's on me). This team we worked on probably kept me around Pokemon long enough to get the name Sae on Smogon.
- Moosical Thanks for doing the banner friend. I know this RMT came in really late from when I initially asked you for it, but you deserve the praise for the good work on the banner cause I know I definitely would not have been able to make one. It was fun talking to you during MPL when we were building all those Monothreat strats (I still can't believe that joke of Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl became a thing LOL).
- Zinnia It was fun doing doing some ladder calls with you. I know most of them were for RU suspects tests, but the few times we did the Monotype ladder calls were fun. Why is it whenever I join a call with you, I start facing the meme teams even on upper ladder.
- Anttya Still one of my favorite people to talk to about Pokemon. You should start doing some suspect tests friend. Let me know when's the next team tournament and how to necro Zewwok to join us.
- Animus Majulous Hope you're not dying in college this year. Haven't gotten a chance to do any Pokemon calls with you since we're both busy, but I still want to learn more tennis during the holidays.
- RZL You're probably surprised that I actually made a Water team after that long hiatus. It really does bring me back to when that was all we used to use. I'll get around to catching up on those LN's when I have time...soon...hopefully...
- Eien Paleo A bit late but congrats on getting tier leader for Monotype. I never would have thought this was going to happen in the years I have been in the community. I really love the direction the community has gone toward and am looking forward to more awesome things to come.
- And to all of my other friends I've made while I've been on PS! I know I don't get a chance to talk to you guys super often, but you guys are still homies. Acast Dirpz Omega-Xis DoW ChildOfDisorder Ticken Vid Zarif Croven Arifeen Freeroamer SirSkit Misaka Mikoto StarBlim Tyke 6ti scpinion Feliburn Beta. Entei Kammi Dak Prescott 1 True Lycan rnbs Bushtush Jyph Fírnen
- Also obligatory s/o to WoA. All of the guys up there are hella impressive in not just Monotype, but in any tournament they compete in. I've learned a lot from talking to you guys and just watching how you guys play.
Overall, this was a fun team that I enjoyed using to get reqs. It's probably the first SM Monotype team that's actually clicked when using. This team is also a prime example of a team built post Magearna ban. Magearna alone prevents Greninja and Tentacruel from doing their jobs as they become setup fodder, since they cannot spam their Poison coverage freely (since Klefki is really a non-factor against this team, especially against Tentacruel). Using Tapunium Z was fun, and I was glad that it worked out. It was also fun going back to my roots as Water main. All I've been doing in the past few years is dabbling with many other types since I could not build a Water team that I liked until now.
Also this RMT came out a lot later than expected, but I was busy with school and doing RU suspect tests when I decided to play mons. Judging from some of the replays the team was initially built like late July, and this RMT should have been completed over a month ago. However, as late as I am, I can still use this RMT as a celebration for Monotype being official!
Also this RMT came out a lot later than expected, but I was busy with school and doing RU suspect tests when I decided to play mons. Judging from some of the replays the team was initially built like late July, and this RMT should have been completed over a month ago. However, as late as I am, I can still use this RMT as a celebration for Monotype being official!
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