The Janitor's Closet
Introduction
Cloyster is a total beast. If the opponent doesn't have any physical walls or Pokémon that resist it, Cloyster can shred their entire team with ruthless efficiency. Unfortunately, that's a pretty big if. Fortunately, you're alloweda wand more than one Pokémon...
Teambuilding Process
As I'm sure you can tell from the above, this is a team built around Cloyster. It's designed to efficiently remove Cloyster's checks, beat up whatever walls the opponent may have, then bring in Cloyster and annihilate the vestiges of their team. This team has gone through several iterations, and didn't even start as a Cloyster team. Originally it was a VoltTurn team designed to abuse Regenerator Mienshao and just happened to run Cloyster as a powerful sweeper that could brought in off a slow switch. Since then, the team has migrated its focus away from gimmicky tempo to consistent pressure to prevent the opponent setting up effectively. All of the Pokémon on the team serve Cloyster in some way or another, be it setting entry hazards, removing entry hazards, wallbreaking, inflicting status, slow switching, or any number of other things. This is so far the most effective build of this team, but it has hit something of a cap, bouncing around in the ratings without gaining any significant number of points. This is why I have brought the team here.
The Team
Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Aerodactyl is pretty much always my lead. It outspeeds pretty much everything that doesn't run Choice Scarf or is Mega Beedrill/Aerodactyl. Taunt provides some proactive "entry hazard removal" and also cripples opening setup sweepers (and handily blocks Defog). Stealth Rock is, well, Stealth Rock. Stone Edge is the STAB move of choice and demolishes annoying stuff like Salamance and Crobat. I've found that Earthquake works better than the ever-popular Aerial Ace because without Aerodactylite, the latter simply doesn't have enough umph, and other than the former, I have no Ground-type moves, which can sometimes be something of a liability. The EV spread is pretty standard, so I don't think I need to explain it in great detail; Unnerve gets the edge over Pressure because it forces a switch against Belly Drum Slurpuff, and prevents those irksome Custap Berries from getting in my way; and Jolly is preferred over Adamant because it lets Aerodactyl snap off a Taunt against Azelf and Galvantula, and Aerodactyl is fragile enough it won't be attacking much anyway.
Infernape @ Choice Band
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
Infernape is one of the best wallbreakers in UU. It takes care of Hydreigon, Forretress, Aggron, Mamoswine, Doublade, Mandibuzz, you name it. Infernape does have some anti-synergy with Cloyster in that it hits many of the same types as Cloyster, but it also deals with Steel-types and Umbreon, both of which are problematic for Cloyster, and it has enough raw power to put appreciable dents in anything else it needs to. However, a strong Ground type could potentially replace it, provided an alternative solution to Umbreon came with it. This build is a little different than the suggested sets, but there are reasons for that. The largest discrepancy is probably the use of Choice Band over Life Orb. The reasoning behind this is Life Orb recoil—especially with Flare Blitz recoil and Orb's lessened OHKO potential as compared with Choice Band—made Infernape much more fragile than I found useful. Choice Band offers more damage for the opponent and less damage for me, and that's a pretty good deal in my book. I'm not entirely convinced this is the right call, but so far it's worked fine. The second discrepancy is the moveset. Grass Knot has gotten the axe in favor of U-turn. U-turn was included as a tool against the bulky Psychic-types that could otherwise tank Infernape's attacks and hit back hard. In addition, not only does a pivot move increase the viability of Choice Band, but the removal of the build's only special attack allows for a more concentrated 252/4/252 EV spread. The overall result of this is massively increased damage potential and survivability, which is a deadly combo. Jolly beats out Adamant because Infernape isn't terribly fast without Jolly, and Choice Band and naturally strong moves make Infernape a solid threat without the extra boost from Adamant. A last note on the moveset: Stone Edge gets the *ahem* edge over Earthquake because it can take care of Rotom-H and Salamence, while Flare Blitz and Close Combat cover everything else Earthquake does that Stone Edge doesn't besides the Nidos and opposing Infernapes.
Heliolisk @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hyper Voice
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt
Water types run rampant in the UU metagame, and Cloyster does not appreciate them. As such, a check for them is necessary, and what better check than a Pokémon that's immune to their STAB attacks (and bloody Scald burns)? Not only that, but unlike Grass-types, Heliolisk doesn't take super-effective damage from the ubiquitous Ice Beam. Heliolisk is relatively simple. Life Orb pushes Heliolisk's power to respectable levels without the crippling coverage removal of Choice Specs, EVs are standard, and Timid enables Heliolisk to outspeed all the more Pokémon, which is critical given its poor bulk. Volt Switch is great for playing mind games and is decently powerful against physical walls and Electric-weak targets. Thunderbolt packs a bit more punch than Volt Switch and doesn't switch, which is useful for 2HKOing Blastoise, Suicune, and Empoleon. Hyper Voice is an alternative STAB option for dealing with Grass-, Ground-, and opposing Electric-types; and has a nasty tendency to OHKO things it has no business OHKOing (after Stealth Rock damage, usually). Finally, Grass Knot is a wonderful little surprise for Swampert and Krookodile. Heliolisk is uncommon enough that people don't usually expect this, and its one of the most priceless moments when playing this team, especially on a predicted switch.
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch
Firstly, it's no mistake that Forretress is the only non-Shiny Pokémon on the team; I don't know whether the shiny version looks more like urine or vomit, but it's gross. Anyway... A Cloyster with a broken Sash is not much of a Cloyster at all, and this team has several pivots, so a spinner is mandatory. Forretress stands out as the best of these, and is particularly synergistic with Cloyster. Leftovers provides passive recovery and boosts Forretress' already absurd longevity. Sturdy is better than Overcoat, because nobody is going to waste their time using the moves that Overcoat blocks on Forretress anyway, and Leftovers negates hail damage. The EV spread is designed to maximize Forretress' time on the field; very few things other than Fire Blast or Flamethrower can take out Forretress at any percentage. A lack of Speed IVs, along with a Relaxed nature ensure Gyro Ball deals as much damage as possible (Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill don't like this at all). Rapid Spin is mandatory to get rid of entry hazards, Spikes gives Forretress something extra to do, and isn't a bad move, but I'm seriously considering replacing it with Toxic but for the fact I don't want to poison Pokémon I could burn later. Volt Switch deals a neat chunk of damage to Water- and Flying-types, and provides the definition of a slow pivot to bring out Cloyster or any of the other Pokémon on the team, as none of them really enjoy taking a hit other than Forretress.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
- Destiny Bond
With all the pivots on the team, it seems common sense to include a Ghost-type to tank Normal- and Fighting-type moves. (Hey there Choice Scarf Mienshao!) There aren't a ton of Ghost-types in UU, and Mega Banette is less fragile than Froslass, more powerful than Jellicent, less expected than Chandelure, more versatile than Spiritomb, and who actually uses Cofagrigus? Plus, Mega Banette has access to an amazing ability in Prankster (and a movepool to take advantage of it), which is reason enough to run it. Frisk is the only ability of regular Banette that does anything useful, 252 HP and 4 SpD EVs grant Mega Banette a little extra longevity, and 252 Atk EVs and an Adamant nature maximize Mega Banette's impressive Attack stat. Taunt stops status, recovery, and setup moves, all of which are detrimental to Mega Banette's functioning properly. Will-O-Wisp prevents physical attackers like Doublade from cutting Mega Banette's life unnecessarily short, and gets some neat damage in so Cloyster has less work to do. Shadow Sneak prevents Mega Banette from being Taunt bait, and packs a fair amount of punch with Mega Banette's high Attack. Finally, Destiny Bond is great for revenge-killing revenge-killers, which is particularly great because these tend to have priority and/or full health, and Cloyster isn't a big fan of either. Speaking of which...
Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
Here he is in all his glory. It's Cloyster. I know the descriptions have been lengthy so far, so I'll keep this one short. Focus Sash guarantees a Shell Smash, Skill Link gives Icicle Spear and Rock Blast 125 BP, EV spread is standard, and Jolly is used over Adamant because Shell Smash provides enough power and going second isn't an option with a broken Sash. Shell Smash sends Cloyster's Attack to incredible levels and puts its Speed in the mid-500s, which outspeeds the entire tier unless they've used Agility or Rock Polish or had a few turns with Speed Boost or Dragon Dance. Icicle Spear is the STAB move of choice as it has an effective base power of 125 and ignores Sashes and Sturdy, Ice Shard beats priority moves that aren't Fake Out or Extreme Speed and diversifies Cloyster's role by allowing it to revenge-kill, and Rock Blast hits Ice- and Fire-types.
Conclusion
This team is looking to use Cloyster to its soul-crushing best. It has entry hazards, wallbreakers, and a weird trickster sort of thing to help it along, but it can't break through some of the higher-rated teams for an unknown reason. I'm looking for ideas as to what might be causing issues and potential solutions.
Thanks for checking this out!
Introduction
Cloyster is a total beast. If the opponent doesn't have any physical walls or Pokémon that resist it, Cloyster can shred their entire team with ruthless efficiency. Unfortunately, that's a pretty big if. Fortunately, you're allowed
Teambuilding Process
As I'm sure you can tell from the above, this is a team built around Cloyster. It's designed to efficiently remove Cloyster's checks, beat up whatever walls the opponent may have, then bring in Cloyster and annihilate the vestiges of their team. This team has gone through several iterations, and didn't even start as a Cloyster team. Originally it was a VoltTurn team designed to abuse Regenerator Mienshao and just happened to run Cloyster as a powerful sweeper that could brought in off a slow switch. Since then, the team has migrated its focus away from gimmicky tempo to consistent pressure to prevent the opponent setting up effectively. All of the Pokémon on the team serve Cloyster in some way or another, be it setting entry hazards, removing entry hazards, wallbreaking, inflicting status, slow switching, or any number of other things. This is so far the most effective build of this team, but it has hit something of a cap, bouncing around in the ratings without gaining any significant number of points. This is why I have brought the team here.
The Team
Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Aerodactyl is pretty much always my lead. It outspeeds pretty much everything that doesn't run Choice Scarf or is Mega Beedrill/Aerodactyl. Taunt provides some proactive "entry hazard removal" and also cripples opening setup sweepers (and handily blocks Defog). Stealth Rock is, well, Stealth Rock. Stone Edge is the STAB move of choice and demolishes annoying stuff like Salamance and Crobat. I've found that Earthquake works better than the ever-popular Aerial Ace because without Aerodactylite, the latter simply doesn't have enough umph, and other than the former, I have no Ground-type moves, which can sometimes be something of a liability. The EV spread is pretty standard, so I don't think I need to explain it in great detail; Unnerve gets the edge over Pressure because it forces a switch against Belly Drum Slurpuff, and prevents those irksome Custap Berries from getting in my way; and Jolly is preferred over Adamant because it lets Aerodactyl snap off a Taunt against Azelf and Galvantula, and Aerodactyl is fragile enough it won't be attacking much anyway.
Infernape @ Choice Band
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
Infernape is one of the best wallbreakers in UU. It takes care of Hydreigon, Forretress, Aggron, Mamoswine, Doublade, Mandibuzz, you name it. Infernape does have some anti-synergy with Cloyster in that it hits many of the same types as Cloyster, but it also deals with Steel-types and Umbreon, both of which are problematic for Cloyster, and it has enough raw power to put appreciable dents in anything else it needs to. However, a strong Ground type could potentially replace it, provided an alternative solution to Umbreon came with it. This build is a little different than the suggested sets, but there are reasons for that. The largest discrepancy is probably the use of Choice Band over Life Orb. The reasoning behind this is Life Orb recoil—especially with Flare Blitz recoil and Orb's lessened OHKO potential as compared with Choice Band—made Infernape much more fragile than I found useful. Choice Band offers more damage for the opponent and less damage for me, and that's a pretty good deal in my book. I'm not entirely convinced this is the right call, but so far it's worked fine. The second discrepancy is the moveset. Grass Knot has gotten the axe in favor of U-turn. U-turn was included as a tool against the bulky Psychic-types that could otherwise tank Infernape's attacks and hit back hard. In addition, not only does a pivot move increase the viability of Choice Band, but the removal of the build's only special attack allows for a more concentrated 252/4/252 EV spread. The overall result of this is massively increased damage potential and survivability, which is a deadly combo. Jolly beats out Adamant because Infernape isn't terribly fast without Jolly, and Choice Band and naturally strong moves make Infernape a solid threat without the extra boost from Adamant. A last note on the moveset: Stone Edge gets the *ahem* edge over Earthquake because it can take care of Rotom-H and Salamence, while Flare Blitz and Close Combat cover everything else Earthquake does that Stone Edge doesn't besides the Nidos and opposing Infernapes.
Heliolisk @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hyper Voice
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt
Water types run rampant in the UU metagame, and Cloyster does not appreciate them. As such, a check for them is necessary, and what better check than a Pokémon that's immune to their STAB attacks (and bloody Scald burns)? Not only that, but unlike Grass-types, Heliolisk doesn't take super-effective damage from the ubiquitous Ice Beam. Heliolisk is relatively simple. Life Orb pushes Heliolisk's power to respectable levels without the crippling coverage removal of Choice Specs, EVs are standard, and Timid enables Heliolisk to outspeed all the more Pokémon, which is critical given its poor bulk. Volt Switch is great for playing mind games and is decently powerful against physical walls and Electric-weak targets. Thunderbolt packs a bit more punch than Volt Switch and doesn't switch, which is useful for 2HKOing Blastoise, Suicune, and Empoleon. Hyper Voice is an alternative STAB option for dealing with Grass-, Ground-, and opposing Electric-types; and has a nasty tendency to OHKO things it has no business OHKOing (after Stealth Rock damage, usually). Finally, Grass Knot is a wonderful little surprise for Swampert and Krookodile. Heliolisk is uncommon enough that people don't usually expect this, and its one of the most priceless moments when playing this team, especially on a predicted switch.
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch
Firstly, it's no mistake that Forretress is the only non-Shiny Pokémon on the team; I don't know whether the shiny version looks more like urine or vomit, but it's gross. Anyway... A Cloyster with a broken Sash is not much of a Cloyster at all, and this team has several pivots, so a spinner is mandatory. Forretress stands out as the best of these, and is particularly synergistic with Cloyster. Leftovers provides passive recovery and boosts Forretress' already absurd longevity. Sturdy is better than Overcoat, because nobody is going to waste their time using the moves that Overcoat blocks on Forretress anyway, and Leftovers negates hail damage. The EV spread is designed to maximize Forretress' time on the field; very few things other than Fire Blast or Flamethrower can take out Forretress at any percentage. A lack of Speed IVs, along with a Relaxed nature ensure Gyro Ball deals as much damage as possible (Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill don't like this at all). Rapid Spin is mandatory to get rid of entry hazards, Spikes gives Forretress something extra to do, and isn't a bad move, but I'm seriously considering replacing it with Toxic but for the fact I don't want to poison Pokémon I could burn later. Volt Switch deals a neat chunk of damage to Water- and Flying-types, and provides the definition of a slow pivot to bring out Cloyster or any of the other Pokémon on the team, as none of them really enjoy taking a hit other than Forretress.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
- Destiny Bond
With all the pivots on the team, it seems common sense to include a Ghost-type to tank Normal- and Fighting-type moves. (Hey there Choice Scarf Mienshao!) There aren't a ton of Ghost-types in UU, and Mega Banette is less fragile than Froslass, more powerful than Jellicent, less expected than Chandelure, more versatile than Spiritomb, and who actually uses Cofagrigus? Plus, Mega Banette has access to an amazing ability in Prankster (and a movepool to take advantage of it), which is reason enough to run it. Frisk is the only ability of regular Banette that does anything useful, 252 HP and 4 SpD EVs grant Mega Banette a little extra longevity, and 252 Atk EVs and an Adamant nature maximize Mega Banette's impressive Attack stat. Taunt stops status, recovery, and setup moves, all of which are detrimental to Mega Banette's functioning properly. Will-O-Wisp prevents physical attackers like Doublade from cutting Mega Banette's life unnecessarily short, and gets some neat damage in so Cloyster has less work to do. Shadow Sneak prevents Mega Banette from being Taunt bait, and packs a fair amount of punch with Mega Banette's high Attack. Finally, Destiny Bond is great for revenge-killing revenge-killers, which is particularly great because these tend to have priority and/or full health, and Cloyster isn't a big fan of either. Speaking of which...
Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
Here he is in all his glory. It's Cloyster. I know the descriptions have been lengthy so far, so I'll keep this one short. Focus Sash guarantees a Shell Smash, Skill Link gives Icicle Spear and Rock Blast 125 BP, EV spread is standard, and Jolly is used over Adamant because Shell Smash provides enough power and going second isn't an option with a broken Sash. Shell Smash sends Cloyster's Attack to incredible levels and puts its Speed in the mid-500s, which outspeeds the entire tier unless they've used Agility or Rock Polish or had a few turns with Speed Boost or Dragon Dance. Icicle Spear is the STAB move of choice as it has an effective base power of 125 and ignores Sashes and Sturdy, Ice Shard beats priority moves that aren't Fake Out or Extreme Speed and diversifies Cloyster's role by allowing it to revenge-kill, and Rock Blast hits Ice- and Fire-types.
Conclusion
This team is looking to use Cloyster to its soul-crushing best. It has entry hazards, wallbreakers, and a weird trickster sort of thing to help it along, but it can't break through some of the higher-rated teams for an unknown reason. I'm looking for ideas as to what might be causing issues and potential solutions.
Thanks for checking this out!
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