Introduction:
Another day, yet another RMT from me, though I don't many people notice that I do post a fair few. To keep the introduction short, I am once again trying one of my favourite metagames, in NU, and noticed how uncommon some play styles are in these lower reaches, Volt-Turn being one of them. I noticed that there is a lack of key abusers of the moves, and it puts a real strain when it comes to building an effective team, however I thought I would give it a go and here is the result!
Team-Building Section:
In Depth analysis:
Archeops
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature/Naive Nature
- Acrobatics
- Stone Edge/Earthquake
- U-turn
- Taunt/Heatwave/Earthquake
Archeops is one of the main offensive presences on the team, and is one of the main answers to Stall. Ignoring the crippling effects of Defeatist Archeops is strong, being able to hit hard on even some of the sturdier walls in NU. The move set is standard, Acrobatics with no item, being the main STAB coming off of 140 base Attack with 110 power, and it is the spam button. Stone Edge is the alternate STAB hitting Fire and Ice types for super effective damage, and also hits opposing Rock types that resist Acrobatics. Earthquake could be used in this slot, as it can hit Steel types that no other attack I use can. The slight drop in power is noticeable. U-Turn is obvious on a Volt-Turn team, it grabs momentum from the opponent, generates switches, and hits some Pokemon for pretty good damage. Taunt is used to help against Stall, as it can stop Recovery, Status, Hazards, Subs etc. It also gives opportunity to get a free switch the following turn if the situation requires. I have also tested Heatwave to deal with Ferraseed as the team currently has no answer to it. Earthquake can also be considered, as it grants EdgeQuake coverage to compliment Acrobatics and U-Turn. The EVs are standard, maximum attack for huge damage, maximum speed and jolly mainly to tie with opposing Archeops.
Synergy:
Electric - Seismitoad
Ice - Probopass, Hariyama
Rock - Seismitoad, Probopass, Hariyama
Steel - Seismitoad, Probopass, Hariyama
Water - Seismitoad
Liepard @ Dread Plate
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Encore/Thunder Wave
- U-turn
Liepard was added to the team under @Brawlfests suggestion, and it has proven a very effective edition. It gives me a reliable answer to Mismagius, which otherwise could prove troublesome. Liepard matches Frogadier in fitting into the Volt-Turn archetype, while added STAB Knock Off, and just as vital, STAB Sucker Punch into the mix. These moves are both boosted by the Dread Plate and allow some consistant revenge killing and item removal. The last slot is for Encore, which allows me to lock opponents into set up moves to allow free switches or for me to reclaim momentum for the team. The EVs are for maximum speed, which allows it to outspeed the aforementioned Mismagius, and tie with other Liepards, Attack is also maximised to capitalise on the Dark STABs and to put some power on U-Turn. The leftover is placed into Special Defense.
Previous Member:
Frogadier @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 36 Atk / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- U-turn
Frogadier brings some special attacking threat to the team, and becomes a second member of the Volt Turn aspect of the team. It is the only Pokemon down in NU besides Kecleon with Protean, and with that niche it becomes a potent attacking threat, and it is pretty fast with 97 base speed. Hydro Pump is the main attacking move, gaining STAB from the get go and having the highest base power. Ice Beam hits opposing Grass and Flying types, while removing the Grass and Electric Weakness. Grass Knot is chosen to hit Seismitoad, and to a lesser extent Kaputops. U-Turn as previously mentioned works for momentum purposes and to give some switch initiative. The EVs and IVs were just the suggested ones from Showdown, though I will fine tune them to my own needs in time.
Synergy:
Grass - Xatu
Electric - Seismitoad
Probopass @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
With the suggested changes Probopass' role on the team changed, it now functioned as a secondary Special Attacking threat, taking advantage of its natural bulk to gain switch ins often, and give it opportunity to either attack or spread Paralysis. The moveset remains similar to before, with Hidden Power Fire replacing Stealth Rock, which moved to Seismitoad. This is used to help deal with Ferraseed, and gives super effective coverage to hit the likes of Sceptile, which as mentioned in this RMT is a threat to the team. Sturdy is kept over the temptation for Magnet Pull as it can still guarentee the use of an attack or paralysis. The new spread is to maximise damage thanks to Modest and 252 EVs in Special Attack. The rest is split between overall Bulk, with the 96 speed investment to outspeed some slower Pokemon in the tier.
Previous Role:Another day, yet another RMT from me, though I don't many people notice that I do post a fair few. To keep the introduction short, I am once again trying one of my favourite metagames, in NU, and noticed how uncommon some play styles are in these lower reaches, Volt-Turn being one of them. I noticed that there is a lack of key abusers of the moves, and it puts a real strain when it comes to building an effective team, however I thought I would give it a go and here is the result!
Team-Building Section:
Usually I keep this part detailed and long winded, but this team has gone through a lot of changes since I built so it will be a little briefer though I hope I put across how the team was built effectively enough.
After the idea of Volt-Turn there was one Pokemon that stood out as a key player for such a team, and it has a good movepool for sweeping/wall breaking/stall breaking etc. The downside is it's crippling ability, however I started with Archeops as the main man, I used a stall breaker set utilizing Taunt.
Next up I wanted to use an old favourite of mine that had fantastic offensive presence, and with eviolite is very bulky, despite its rather poor typing, Scyther. I tried a 3 attacks plus Roost set to circumvent the Rocks weakness.
I now wanted a way to keep rocks away from my side, and down in NU is a Pokemon with Magic Bounce, which allowed me to attempt a team without Rapid Spin or Defog (as they lose momentum too quickly). This is of course Xatu, in which I used a Bulky Attacking set, with Dazzling Gleam to hit Spiritomb.
I had 3 Pokemon weak to Electric now, and 3 immunities to Ground, so my own Electric type good fit in with pretty good synergy, I wanted to to give Raichu a try, thanks to in having Lightningrod, to grant an
immunity to Electric with a nice +1 to the special attack. it also added Volt Switch to the equation.
I had nothing defensive to tank some hits, and I needed resists to Ice and Rock. I also wanted hazards on this team, Probopass was a perfect choice for this team, as it can guarantee a set up with Sturdy and it offers a slow Volt Switch to grant free switches to my team mates.
I had one slot remaining and I didn't really know what to place here, so I went for Jumpluff, it could freely spread status thanks to Infiltrator ignoring Subs and is fast enough to U-Turn out of any potential threat.
This iteration was okay, didn't perform as expected, probably due to the thrown together nature of a few members, the overwhelming Rock,Electric and Ice weaknesses meant I needed to make some drastic changes. Also having all member with either Volt Switch or U-Turn often robbed me an additional option I may need, So I decided to have some members that worked outside of Volt-Turn. Scyther was dropped first off for another defensive Pokemon, the ever effective Seismitoad, and thanks to Probopass having Rocks I could run status instead to help wear down some walls. Pelipper replaced Jumpluff due to better typing, and access to Defog to remove hazards in case Xatu fainted.
This next version managed to peak at 1411, which was 342 in the ladder at the time, though it started to fall fast as I encountered some threats I didn't know off lower down the ladder (Fire Spam and Rain Dance being the main examples). I made a couple more changes to help further the team, and improve some Synergy. Raichu wasn't really pulling any weight, and Seismitoad could handle most Electric types, so I replaced it with a Frogadier, and thanks to Protean can hit harder due to universal STAB. It is also underused so has a surprise factor. Pelipper, despite removing hazards, never really added anythign to the team, it was often used as something to sac, so I replaced it with something that added some more pace and power to the team, I have used it before and it always worked for me, Choice Scarf Primeape, it also has defiant to handle Defog, Sticky Web and random Intimidates. This is where the team currently stands, and fluctuates between 1350 and 1450 and I need to get some more consistency.
After the idea of Volt-Turn there was one Pokemon that stood out as a key player for such a team, and it has a good movepool for sweeping/wall breaking/stall breaking etc. The downside is it's crippling ability, however I started with Archeops as the main man, I used a stall breaker set utilizing Taunt.
Next up I wanted to use an old favourite of mine that had fantastic offensive presence, and with eviolite is very bulky, despite its rather poor typing, Scyther. I tried a 3 attacks plus Roost set to circumvent the Rocks weakness.
I now wanted a way to keep rocks away from my side, and down in NU is a Pokemon with Magic Bounce, which allowed me to attempt a team without Rapid Spin or Defog (as they lose momentum too quickly). This is of course Xatu, in which I used a Bulky Attacking set, with Dazzling Gleam to hit Spiritomb.
I had 3 Pokemon weak to Electric now, and 3 immunities to Ground, so my own Electric type good fit in with pretty good synergy, I wanted to to give Raichu a try, thanks to in having Lightningrod, to grant an
immunity to Electric with a nice +1 to the special attack. it also added Volt Switch to the equation.
I had nothing defensive to tank some hits, and I needed resists to Ice and Rock. I also wanted hazards on this team, Probopass was a perfect choice for this team, as it can guarantee a set up with Sturdy and it offers a slow Volt Switch to grant free switches to my team mates.
I had one slot remaining and I didn't really know what to place here, so I went for Jumpluff, it could freely spread status thanks to Infiltrator ignoring Subs and is fast enough to U-Turn out of any potential threat.
This iteration was okay, didn't perform as expected, probably due to the thrown together nature of a few members, the overwhelming Rock,Electric and Ice weaknesses meant I needed to make some drastic changes. Also having all member with either Volt Switch or U-Turn often robbed me an additional option I may need, So I decided to have some members that worked outside of Volt-Turn. Scyther was dropped first off for another defensive Pokemon, the ever effective Seismitoad, and thanks to Probopass having Rocks I could run status instead to help wear down some walls. Pelipper replaced Jumpluff due to better typing, and access to Defog to remove hazards in case Xatu fainted.
This next version managed to peak at 1411, which was 342 in the ladder at the time, though it started to fall fast as I encountered some threats I didn't know off lower down the ladder (Fire Spam and Rain Dance being the main examples). I made a couple more changes to help further the team, and improve some Synergy. Raichu wasn't really pulling any weight, and Seismitoad could handle most Electric types, so I replaced it with a Frogadier, and thanks to Protean can hit harder due to universal STAB. It is also underused so has a surprise factor. Pelipper, despite removing hazards, never really added anythign to the team, it was often used as something to sac, so I replaced it with something that added some more pace and power to the team, I have used it before and it always worked for me, Choice Scarf Primeape, it also has defiant to handle Defog, Sticky Web and random Intimidates. This is where the team currently stands, and fluctuates between 1350 and 1450 and I need to get some more consistency.
In Depth analysis:
Archeops
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature/Naive Nature
- Acrobatics
- Stone Edge/Earthquake
- U-turn
- Taunt/Heatwave/Earthquake
Archeops is one of the main offensive presences on the team, and is one of the main answers to Stall. Ignoring the crippling effects of Defeatist Archeops is strong, being able to hit hard on even some of the sturdier walls in NU. The move set is standard, Acrobatics with no item, being the main STAB coming off of 140 base Attack with 110 power, and it is the spam button. Stone Edge is the alternate STAB hitting Fire and Ice types for super effective damage, and also hits opposing Rock types that resist Acrobatics. Earthquake could be used in this slot, as it can hit Steel types that no other attack I use can. The slight drop in power is noticeable. U-Turn is obvious on a Volt-Turn team, it grabs momentum from the opponent, generates switches, and hits some Pokemon for pretty good damage. Taunt is used to help against Stall, as it can stop Recovery, Status, Hazards, Subs etc. It also gives opportunity to get a free switch the following turn if the situation requires. I have also tested Heatwave to deal with Ferraseed as the team currently has no answer to it. Earthquake can also be considered, as it grants EdgeQuake coverage to compliment Acrobatics and U-Turn. The EVs are standard, maximum attack for huge damage, maximum speed and jolly mainly to tie with opposing Archeops.
Synergy:
Electric - Seismitoad
Ice - Probopass, Hariyama
Rock - Seismitoad, Probopass, Hariyama
Steel - Seismitoad, Probopass, Hariyama
Water - Seismitoad
Liepard @ Dread Plate
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Encore/Thunder Wave
- U-turn
Liepard was added to the team under @Brawlfests suggestion, and it has proven a very effective edition. It gives me a reliable answer to Mismagius, which otherwise could prove troublesome. Liepard matches Frogadier in fitting into the Volt-Turn archetype, while added STAB Knock Off, and just as vital, STAB Sucker Punch into the mix. These moves are both boosted by the Dread Plate and allow some consistant revenge killing and item removal. The last slot is for Encore, which allows me to lock opponents into set up moves to allow free switches or for me to reclaim momentum for the team. The EVs are for maximum speed, which allows it to outspeed the aforementioned Mismagius, and tie with other Liepards, Attack is also maximised to capitalise on the Dark STABs and to put some power on U-Turn. The leftover is placed into Special Defense.
Previous Member:
Frogadier @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 36 Atk / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- U-turn
Frogadier brings some special attacking threat to the team, and becomes a second member of the Volt Turn aspect of the team. It is the only Pokemon down in NU besides Kecleon with Protean, and with that niche it becomes a potent attacking threat, and it is pretty fast with 97 base speed. Hydro Pump is the main attacking move, gaining STAB from the get go and having the highest base power. Ice Beam hits opposing Grass and Flying types, while removing the Grass and Electric Weakness. Grass Knot is chosen to hit Seismitoad, and to a lesser extent Kaputops. U-Turn as previously mentioned works for momentum purposes and to give some switch initiative. The EVs and IVs were just the suggested ones from Showdown, though I will fine tune them to my own needs in time.
Synergy:
Grass - Xatu
Electric - Seismitoad
Probopass @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
With the suggested changes Probopass' role on the team changed, it now functioned as a secondary Special Attacking threat, taking advantage of its natural bulk to gain switch ins often, and give it opportunity to either attack or spread Paralysis. The moveset remains similar to before, with Hidden Power Fire replacing Stealth Rock, which moved to Seismitoad. This is used to help deal with Ferraseed, and gives super effective coverage to hit the likes of Sceptile, which as mentioned in this RMT is a threat to the team. Sturdy is kept over the temptation for Magnet Pull as it can still guarentee the use of an attack or paralysis. The new spread is to maximise damage thanks to Modest and 252 EVs in Special Attack. The rest is split between overall Bulk, with the 96 speed investment to outspeed some slower Pokemon in the tier.
Probopass brings some much needed defensive presence, and a way to slowly regain momentum to my side. It has fantastic mixed bulk, though for this team I decided to go for a specially defensive set, as its typing allows me to take some very nice hits, even some super effective ones. Access to the combination of Stealth Rocks and Volt Switch made this a natural fit to the team, over something similar like Bastiodon which has similar Defenses, though is weaker on the offensive and doesn't offer the same utility. On with the set, Stealth Rocks is the hazard of choice, and potentially game changing if can be kept on the field. Thunder Wave compliments the team well allowing me to slow down some potentially dangerous threats such as Scarf Typholsion, though an intact sturdy is sometimes required. Flash Cannon was chosen for an attacking outlet, and to hit Fairies despite them not being all to common, it is better to be prepared. Volt Switch gives me a slower option to grab momentum, usually giving me a free switch thanks to my slower speed, and ability to tank a lot of hits. It also deals decent damage to some of the frailer Water types in the tier. Max HP and Special Defense help me tank practically all special hits. the leftover 4 go into Special Attack to help deal a little more damage.
Synergy:
Ground - Xatu, Archeops
Fighting - Xatu
Water - Seismitoad
Hariyama @ Leftovers/Assault Vest
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- Fake Out
Another suggestion I added to the team, to replace Primeape was Hariyama, and it has proven perfect for the team. The moveset I have gone with, allows the use of double Priority, which in itself allows Hariyama to deal with Belly Drum Slurpuff on it's own consistently. It also acts as a check to Firespam, and to Cryagonal, which with Freeze-Dry is a threat to certain team mates. Fake Out flinches the opponent, and is often the first attack I'll choose unless I know of any Ghosts that could switch in, in which Knock Off will be used, and as mentioned is an amazing utility move in removing items, and it helps Hariyama deal with incoming Ghosts or Psychic types. Close Combat is the STAB move, hitting hard on anythign that doesn't resist it, and helps me deal with Steel types, which without Seismitoad is a difficult task. Bullet Punch rounds out the set with alternate Priority and grants me the ability to revenge kill in some cirumstances. The EV's are to maximise damage output with max Attack and Adamant, the rest split evenly between Defence and Special Defence to even out Bulk
Previous Member:
Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Ice Punch/Thunder Punch/Fire Punch/Earthquake/Iron Tail
- Seed Bomb
Primeape gives the team a bit of much needed pace, out speeding most of the tier (Unburden Sceptile and some Swift Swim users in Rain out speeding) thanks to the Scarf. It also has Defiant, which allows me to counter Sticky Web to an extent, in addition to deterring the use of Defog. Close Combat is the spam button, especially if all Ghost types are eliminated. It also inflicts large damage to many Pokemon in the tier. U-Turn has been mentioned a lot so there is no need to elaborate. The third slot is up for choice, any elemental punch is useful, I opted for Ice Punch as my primary option to hit Grass types, though Thunder Punch would work well in it's place for Rain teams, Fire Punch for Ferraseed. Earthquake and Iron Tail are two other considerations, though the use of these moves is often limited. Seed Bomb is in the last slot to deal with Water types, such as Seismitoad. Jolly with maximum Speed for obvious reasons, Maximum attack for damage output.
Synergy:
Flying - Probopass
Psychic - Probopass, Xatu
Fairy - Probopass
Xatu @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs:84 HP / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Giga Drain
- Heatwave
- U-turn
Xatu is used as a bulky, utility attacker for the team. The moveset, could be optimised but is surprisingly effective. Psyshock is the usual fare on an Psychic type, and has the nice function of hitting off the opponents defence stat. Giga Drain is the unexpected aspect. The amount of times a Seismitoad or Kaputops has stayed in to either set up or attack only to be OHKOd is unreal! It also provides semi-reliable recovery due to Roost not fitting in the moveset. Heatwave is used to give the team a reliable way to deal with Ferraseed, and hits a few other common Pokemon for super effective damage on the switch, Sceptile comes to mind, whilst U-Turn does what has been mentioned a few times in this RMT. The EV spread has been changed as off Brawlfest suggestions, with the speed investment to out speed base 85 and below, maximum special attack and modest for damage purposes, the rest in HP for Bulk, and maintaining the odd HP for Rocks
Synergy:
Electric - Seismitoad
Rock - Probopass, Seismitoad
Ice - Probopass
Dark - Primeape
Ghost - Liepard
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
- Toxic
The Physical wall, and with possibly one of the best type combinations in the game, Seismitoad gives some more bulk to an otherwise frail team. Similar to Probopass it has rather good mixed defences, though more physically inclined. The moveset is a fairly standard affair, minus the lack of Stealth Rock. Scald is the STAB of choice, giving me the chance to burn. Earthquake hits harder due to having a higher attack stat, though it's use is limited to when there isn't a Levitate user or Flying type. Stealth Rock moved over from Probopass as Brawlfest showed that Seismitoad is a much more efficient user of Rocks on this type of team, the loss of Knock Off is circumvented due to the inclusion of Hariyama and Liepard to the team. Toxic gives me additional status, and it allows me to break more walls, and and to the chip damage achieved by the Volt-Turn core.
Synergy:
Grass - Xatu
Threatlist:
- Sceptile - It outspeeds most of my team and I often have to sacrifice something to gauge what set it is using. If it is Swords Dance I generally lose.
- Rain Dance - This play style gives me many headaches, and requires good prediction and I have to keep Archeops alive to Taunt the users. Also Ludicolo is something that whilst under rain, I cannot handle.
- Bulky walls in general - While I do have some hard hitters, some of the time I just find it hard to break through some bulky cores. Miltank is such an example, as Miltank is only dealt with by Primeape
- Mismagius - The Sub set generally gives me trouble, as Primeape while it outspeed it doesnt OHKO, and Archeops is the only answer usually. Seismitoad can handle it with Knock Off on the switch though.
- Scarf Sawk - This requires me to either have a full health Seismitoad to tank the hits, and hopefully Burn, or manage to catch it locked into a move not named Close Combat and either paralyse with Probopass, KO with Archeops (unlikely at best) or chip away at with Hariyama
Importable:
Archeops
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Taunt
Liepard @ Dread Plate
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Encore
- U-turn
Probopass @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Hariyama @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- Fake Out
Xatu @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
- Psyshock
- Giga Drain
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Taunt
Liepard @ Dread Plate
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Encore
- U-turn
Probopass @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Hariyama @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- Fake Out
Xatu @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
- Psyshock
- Giga Drain
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
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