It's been a while since I posted a team on the Forums at all, but here I am trying my hand at Sticky Web Offense. I feel there are areas where I can improve on it though, so I'm after some tips to see if I'm on the right track.
For those looking for an importable to test the team out for themselves, here's a PokePaste.
The Team
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Knock OffThis is an old Gen 6 UU. Due to the threat levels decreasing overall with the dex snap, Shuckle appears to be more viable than ever. I don't think he's particularly OU material mind you - probably RU again at best - but he definitely works for the team archetype I'm going for. With the Mental Herb+Sturdy here, Shuckle is virtually guaranteed to get Sticky Web + Stealth Rock up. Anyway, now I need to pitch Shuckle over Galvantula.
My main justification for Shuckle over Galvaltula is Encore, which lets it screw around with setup sweepers (I tried Dugtrio with this at one point and did quite well). Encore is amazing as it makes Shuckle an excellent anti-lead, being able to force opponents like Ferrothorn into spamming Stealth Rock. In this case, I can Stealth Rock or Sticky Web myself on the switch, giving me excellent momentum. Then, either Encore again or set the other hazard. Knock Off is also useful for getting rid of Leftovers or Choice items on Pokemon I anticipate to be threatening in the future too, allowing Shuckle to get even more uses.
The EVs shown allow Shuckle to tank more special hits, which are common in the metagame at the moment.
Dracovish @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Ice Fang
- Psychic Fangs
- Low KickDracovish is absolutely amazing in Web Offense, with Max Speed allowing it to almost consistently get the doubling on Fishious Rend. Experimenting with this paid off extremely well. I'm carrying Choice Band since Webs act as a pseudo-scarf boost of sorts for the fish. Given how consistent getting it is, there is no reason to use Scarf over Band. Dracovish is the main reason I started making this team since it's so powerful if it gets the jump on threats. I don't think I need to go over Fishious Rend as a move, so let's go over my coverage options. They're not really all that useful given the existence of the ol' Rend, but that means it's all the more useful to talk about them.
Ice Fang is here for Grass types who tend to resist Fishious Rend. Eldegoss and Appletun are especially frustrating opponents, and Ice Fang tends to dent them and force them out. This, in my opinion, has a lot of merits over Crunch. Most Pokemon hit by Crunch tend to drop to Fishious Rend anyway. Psychic Fangs is boosted by Strong Jaw and breaks screens, which is helpful when breaking through stall. It also hits a surprising amount of Pokemon, such as Toxapex, Toxtricity and the odd Weezing-Galar who sometimes makes appearances. Generally, it's a nice option to carry around. Low Kick is here for Ferrothorn, Bisharp, Darmanitan-Galar, and Hydreigon. Hydreigon is an especially crucial Pokemon to hit given it resists Fishious Rend and isn't hit by Sticky Web, thus meaning it has potential to survive it. It also becomes Max Knuckle, which allows it to boost attack when Dynamaxed. While Dynamax Dracovish IS worse than the base form, he can get mileage off of it in some scenarios. Being able to get +1 Attack and set rain before coming out can sometimes set up for massive sweeps.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Swords DanceMy Rapid Spinner (since I absolutely don't want Defog). Adamant is being used to hit as hard as possible, as once again Webs are being used and thus less speed investment is necessary. Air Balloon is being used so it can come in on Ground moves and potentially threaten opponents, as the ground weakness can be devastating if it comes in on the wrong opponent. This is handy against Pokemon like Tyranitar who are otherwise difficult to switch in on.
By carrying Swords Dance I can augment its power and set up on walls like Ferrothorn (who at x3 + Max Quake tends to fall in one hit) and Toxapex without Haze, breaking stall. Iron Head is around to help it come in and threaten Fairies which Dragapult and Dracovish don't like. He keeps the team together very nicely. Being able to come in on Thunder Waves is immensely useful as well, as otherwise, the team tends to have issues working from the Web speed drops.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast
- Moonlight
- Calm MindI noticed my team tended to have issues with Burns, so to compensate I decided to add in Clefable. However, I feel the set does have issues, especially on the coverage front, likely due to Calm Mind. It may just be me needing to work on when to bring the cleric in though. Anyway, the EV spread is there to deal with the scary physical attackers in the metagame, most notably Hawlucha who threatens Excadrill a bit.
Aromatherapy was the main selling point, helping my heavy hitters stay out of trouble against Will-O-Wisp users. It also helps deal with Paralysis which can hurt the Sticky Web strategy. Moonlight and Calm Mind are there to try and boost up for a potential sweep, which with the Sticky Web speed drops becomes relatively easy due to it moving first.
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast
- U-turnI can afford to run Modest as Sticky Web is once again almost always in play, allowing Dragapult to usually win speed ties unless the opponent has Clear Body. Generally, Dragapult is my cleaner late-game as well. I could possibly run a different nature to increase the power of U-Turn, but I haven't ran any damage calcs to really see if it's worth it. Dragapult is a crucial Pokemon for the team, helping keep the pressure on while nuking potential threats. And, of course, what's a Sticky Web team without a spinblocker? Nothing!
Dragapult is huge for the team, as it helps me maintain momentum through U-Turn. Given the hazards in play, it can also help build even more switch pressure. Fire Blast + Infiltrator is crucial as well, allowing it to come in on Eiscue - even behind a Substitute - and usually go for the kill. The same goes for Substitute Hydreigon, who can be nuked by Draco Meteor.
Couldn't find a GIF
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Flare BlitzWhile I could run Choice Band + Adamant here, I haven't seen anything telling me it's worth doing even for Web Offense. I don't want to completely rely on it (as a lot of the team does), and there are threats that can still outspeed even with the speed drop. Thus I decided to run the basic GDarm set. It's definitely a clutch mon, getting me out of a lot of tough spots through its sheer power. However, I do see this as a sign of poor teambuilding, which is what prompted me to come here. I don't want to be carried by it.
Icicle Crash is the usual button to push since it kills virtually anything it lands on. U-Turn helps maintain momentum and is usually good for Scarfers in the case they come in during bad situations. It also helps build a small switch core with Dragapult, adding synergy to the team. Earthquake and Flare Blitz round out the set for borderline perfect coverage, while also being useful when Dynamaxed. Reactionary Dynamaxing with Darmanitan tends to be a good play to make, breaking out of the Choice Lock and potentially punching another hole in the opposing team.
Update History
For those looking for an importable to test the team out for themselves, here's a PokePaste.
The Team
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Knock Off
My main justification for Shuckle over Galvaltula is Encore, which lets it screw around with setup sweepers (I tried Dugtrio with this at one point and did quite well). Encore is amazing as it makes Shuckle an excellent anti-lead, being able to force opponents like Ferrothorn into spamming Stealth Rock. In this case, I can Stealth Rock or Sticky Web myself on the switch, giving me excellent momentum. Then, either Encore again or set the other hazard. Knock Off is also useful for getting rid of Leftovers or Choice items on Pokemon I anticipate to be threatening in the future too, allowing Shuckle to get even more uses.
The EVs shown allow Shuckle to tank more special hits, which are common in the metagame at the moment.
Dracovish @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Ice Fang
- Psychic Fangs
- Low Kick
Ice Fang is here for Grass types who tend to resist Fishious Rend. Eldegoss and Appletun are especially frustrating opponents, and Ice Fang tends to dent them and force them out. This, in my opinion, has a lot of merits over Crunch. Most Pokemon hit by Crunch tend to drop to Fishious Rend anyway. Psychic Fangs is boosted by Strong Jaw and breaks screens, which is helpful when breaking through stall. It also hits a surprising amount of Pokemon, such as Toxapex, Toxtricity and the odd Weezing-Galar who sometimes makes appearances. Generally, it's a nice option to carry around. Low Kick is here for Ferrothorn, Bisharp, Darmanitan-Galar, and Hydreigon. Hydreigon is an especially crucial Pokemon to hit given it resists Fishious Rend and isn't hit by Sticky Web, thus meaning it has potential to survive it. It also becomes Max Knuckle, which allows it to boost attack when Dynamaxed. While Dynamax Dracovish IS worse than the base form, he can get mileage off of it in some scenarios. Being able to get +1 Attack and set rain before coming out can sometimes set up for massive sweeps.
Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
By carrying Swords Dance I can augment its power and set up on walls like Ferrothorn (who at x3 + Max Quake tends to fall in one hit) and Toxapex without Haze, breaking stall. Iron Head is around to help it come in and threaten Fairies which Dragapult and Dracovish don't like. He keeps the team together very nicely. Being able to come in on Thunder Waves is immensely useful as well, as otherwise, the team tends to have issues working from the Web speed drops.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
Aromatherapy was the main selling point, helping my heavy hitters stay out of trouble against Will-O-Wisp users. It also helps deal with Paralysis which can hurt the Sticky Web strategy. Moonlight and Calm Mind are there to try and boost up for a potential sweep, which with the Sticky Web speed drops becomes relatively easy due to it moving first.
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast
- U-turn
Dragapult is huge for the team, as it helps me maintain momentum through U-Turn. Given the hazards in play, it can also help build even more switch pressure. Fire Blast + Infiltrator is crucial as well, allowing it to come in on Eiscue - even behind a Substitute - and usually go for the kill. The same goes for Substitute Hydreigon, who can be nuked by Draco Meteor.
Couldn't find a GIF
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Flare Blitz
Icicle Crash is the usual button to push since it kills virtually anything it lands on. U-Turn helps maintain momentum and is usually good for Scarfers in the case they come in during bad situations. It also helps build a small switch core with Dragapult, adding synergy to the team. Earthquake and Flare Blitz round out the set for borderline perfect coverage, while also being useful when Dynamaxed. Reactionary Dynamaxing with Darmanitan tends to be a good play to make, breaking out of the Choice Lock and potentially punching another hole in the opposing team.
Update History
Updated Shuckle to be Lv100 with Mental Herb. Went specially defensive to take hits from some of the special water attackers in the metagame.- Old set:
- Shuckle @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: 196 Atk / 36 SpD
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Knock Off
- Shuckle @ Berry Juice
- New set:
- Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Knock Off
- Shuckle @ Mental Herb
- Old set:
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