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Starting out with an... interesting team

Scarf Blade

Ok, what did I do now?
352
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jul 6, 2012
Just as it says in the title, I'd like to see the competitive battling scene, and I'm doing it with a team of favorites. Most of them seem to be in the NU part of the game, but that just makes it all the more appealing. I haven't used this team just yet in an actual battle, but I'm willing to accept challenges from people interested. Please rate!

Anyhow, my team so far:


Pokemon 1: Maple the Gardevoir

Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Timid
Item: Lum Berry
EVs: 252 Speed/4 Def/252 Hp
Moves:
- Thunder Wave
- Heal Pulse
- Reflect
- Psychic/Psyshock

Spoiler:



Pokemon 2: Dontae the Shuckle

Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Bold
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 Def/4 Sp.Def/252 Hp
Moves:
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Toxic
- Flash

Spoiler:



Pokemon 3: Angel the Umbreon

Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Careful
Item: Leftovers (Focus Sash if multiple items aren't allowed)
EVs: 252 SP.Def/4 Def/252 Hp
Moves:
- Moonlight
- Confuse Ray
- Protect
- Roar

Spoiler:



Pokemon 4: Rarukaria the Lucario

Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Adamant
Item: Choice Scarf (at least until I get the Choice Band)
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Hp/252 Speed
Moves:
- Blaze Kick
- Ice Punch
- Close Combat
- Aura Sphere/ExtremeSpeed

Spoiler:



Pokemon 5: Skitter the Galvantula

Ability: Compoundeyes (wish it was unnerve, but oh well)
Nature: Timid
Item: Bug Gem (Maybe at least until I get Choice Specs)
EVs: 252 Speed/4 Hp/252 Sp.Atk
Moves:
- Discharge
- Bug Buzz
- Energy Ball
- Volt Switch

Spoiler:



Pokemon 6: Slug the Slaking

Ability: Traunt
Nature: Adamant
Item: Normal Gem
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Hp/252 Speed
Moves:
- Aerial Ace
- Retaliate
- Slack Off
- Brick Break

Spoiler:
 
Last edited:

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
Most of your team is easily susceptible to Taunt, particularly Shuckle and Umbreon. (I'll let someone else suggest sets or replacements for them)

I'd give Gardevoir Wish instead of Heal Pulse since it only benefits the opponent in Singles.

Also, I'd make Lucario this:
-Swords Dance
-Close Combat
-Crunch/Ice Punch
-ExtremeSpeed/Ice Punch
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb

or
-Nasty Plot
-Aura Sphere
-Dark Pulse
-Vacuum Wave/Hidden Power (Ice)/Dragon Pulse
Nature: Modest/Timid
EVs: 4 Def/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb

Since Galvantula has CompoundEyes (which is good), I'd have Thunder over Discharge to take advantage of the ability.

Also, Slaking really sucks competitively because of its ability. Even though Archeops has an equally bad ability, I'd say that it's a bit better than Slaking to an extent:
-Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Acrobatics
-Earthquake
-U-turn/Hidden Power (Ice)
Nature: Jolly/Naive
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def or SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Flying Gem
 

Scarf Blade

Ok, what did I do now?
352
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jul 6, 2012
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm making some changes as we speak :0
 
17,133
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 33
  • Seen Jan 12, 2024
Most of your team is easily susceptible to Taunt, particularly Shuckle and Umbreon. (I'll let someone else suggest sets or replacements for them)

OOOO!! Pick me!

Yeah, Shuckle and Umbreon are horrible taunt bait. With proper adjustments they can be wonderful assets in UU, but for now, let's stick to the basics. So, I'm going to suggest Blissey, to replace Umbreon, simply on the basis that you're looking for a Special Wall and Skarmory, to replace Shuckle since you wanted a physical wall and need some entry hazard support.

Blissey @ Leftovers
Natural Cure
84 HP / 252 Defense / 172 Special Defense
Bold [+Defense; -Attack]
- Softboiled
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave / Toxic / Aromatherapy
- Ice Beam / Flamethrower / Aromatherapy

~

Skarmory @Leftovers / Shed Shell
Sturdy
252 HP / 232 Defense / 24 Speed
Impish [+Defense; -Sp.Attack]
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird / Taunt

I guarantee, these guys will help you out sevenfold what Umbreon and Shuckle can do. As you can see, both sets are more than standard. However, I would like to recommend Wish for Blissey cause it looks like your team can use a little Wish support. Just play test and see how you like it. Also, Forretress could be a good replacement for Shuckle too. I have to be honest though.. As your team stands, you have a wicked weakness to Fighting. With my changes (replacing Shuckle and Umbreon with Blissey and Skarmory), you have a very serious weakness to Fire and Fighting. So obviously, this is something that needs to be fixed. A lot of the fixing process is going to come in the form of experience. There are plenty of high Defense Entry Hazard supporters out there, see which ones have the best synergy in your team. It could also include replacing something like Gavantula, just as an example.

And Ursaring is.. ehh at best. :[ It will only make his Fighting weakness worse. I'm going to agree with Platinum Dude. You need a good strong (save Skarmory) Flying type, like Archeops, to help counter the Fighting weakness. It would probably be a good replacement for Slaking. Also, I know you want Gardevoir to support, but you did mention how you wanted to make a special Sweeper of her, right? Try looking up a nice bulky Reuniclus set. I'll let someone else recommend it, otherwise I'll just c+p it from Smogon.

There are still a few things that need to be ironed out in this team, but I think you're well on your way. Sorry for letting this get far down the list. Play test a little, then come back and show us what you got. The raters here would love to help you out again. :]

Hope this helped!
 

Scarf Blade

Ok, what did I do now?
352
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jul 6, 2012
@Zadikal I prefer Slaking over Ursaring, but he's now out of my team. Thanks for replying, though :3

@Alexial357 Thanks for your help, too. For Skarmory, I saw the bad synergy that it would cause, and decided to use Cofagrigus instead. With my revamped team, it seems Cofagrigus makes the synergy almost perfect. I don't have entry hazards included on my team, but I may give Stealth Rock to Blissey, whom I'll replace with Gardevoir for the time being.
 
1,796
Posts
13
Years
There's no way I wouldn't rate a team with a Shuckle named Dontae.

Firstly, I'm going to break some hard news to you, you can't always win with your favorites, even in the lowest of tiers, some Pokemon are just more viable than others. NU Pokemon hardly have a place in OU, and even if it seems that a 'unique' team can still win, it honestly can't, even with the most experienced of players manning it. If you're serious about using this team in OU play, then hopefully you accept the following changes.

Alright, so it seems like Gardevoir is taking the role of status absorber and the team's Psychic type, well you're in luck, there's a Pokemon that outclasses Gardevoir in doing so, and can rip apart unrpepared teams.

Sigilyph @ Flame Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 88 SpD / 56 Spe

-Stored Power
-Cosmic Power
-Roost
-Psycho Shift

So basically, Sigilyph takes no damage from the Flame Orb, and Psycho Shift allows you to give your status [Burn] to your opponent. This is vital to Sigilyph's success and the first thing you should do when you have it in. A burned Pokemon has its attack halfed, so things that normally rely on Physical damage to beat Sigilyph, like Jirachi and Tyranitar, won't stand a change against it. Next, you keep using Cosmic Power to boost your defenses, so that no Pokemon will be able to harm you, which is easily aided via Psycho Shift, since a burned Pokemon will have a hard time damaging you already. Once you've accumulated 6 Cosmic Powers, then you unleash Stored Power, which does more damage for each stat boosts you have, and at +6/+6, it will be doing a ton. Don't worry about Dark Types, at this point, they won't be able to touch you because of your boosted defenses, so just Psycho Shift them a burn and stall them out with Roost. The only Pokemon that truly, truly walls this set is Houndoom, which is nearly nonexistent in OU play, but watch out for it if you're using Sigilyph in UU.

If you choose to use Cofagrigus like you say, then I reccomend using it as a dedicated Physical wall, since Physical Attackers, specifically Dragons seem to rip through you

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
tem: Leftovers
Ability: Mummy
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def/ 4 SDef
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Haze
- Rest

Rest goes great on Cofagrigus, since it's Cofa's only Healing option, and Blissey can use Aromatherapy to absolve it of its Sleep Status. Honestly, I think Skarmory is a much better option, but Cofagirgus is still a good Physical Wall.

For Lucario, I reccomend using Platinumdude's set, just remember to include Ice Punch, otherwise things like Gliscor and Hippowdon will wall the set with ease.

Finally, for Galvantula, use this set

Galvantula @ Life Orb
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Compoundeyes
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 31 / 30 / 30 / 31 / 31 / 31
-Thunder
-Bug Buzz
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power Ice

The IVs above are needed to get Hidden Power Ice, which is pretty much essential to this set, as Gliscor will run over your team otherwise. There is no risk in running Thunder, really, because Compoundeyes really helps with the accuracy and the base power boost, so even if your Galvantula is unnerve, I highly reccomend you catch one with Compoundeyes, otherwise, it will either need Rain Support for Thunder, or will just be a tad less effective and use Thunderbolt over Thunder.

Slaking is powerful, but it really isn't a Pokemon worth using, because of the value of a free turn in the Metagame. Slaking also lacks the speed to effectively revenge kill [unless you plan on giving it a Choice Scarf], Slaking is really just a bad gimmick. In turn, I reccomend using Scarf Landorus or Scarf Terrakion. Scarf Terrakion is probably the better option, but is absolutely laughed at by Gliscor, so taking out Gliscor will be top priority if you hope to use Terrakion to revenge kill to its best ability. Anyhow, the sets for both are as follows:

Terrakion @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Stone Edge
-Close Combat
-Earthquake
-X-Scissor

Also, if you predict a Dark Type attack being used against one of your Pokemon, switch in Terrrakion, because its ability will give it an attack boost.

As for Landorus:

Landorus @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Force
Nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 31 / 30 / 30 / 31 / 31 / 31
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
-Hidden Power Ice
-U-Turn

Hidden Power Ice crushes Gliscor and U-Turn crushes things like Latias and allows you to gain an advantage by using it on a predicted switch, allowing you to get your appropriate counter in.
 
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