Anti
return of the king
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- Kobe's Reality
- Seen Mar 6, 2022
TEAM ORB - REBIRTH
Introduction
So I hate what Platinum (I would say Platifail, but honestly...what kind of name is that?) did to my darling OU metagame, so I decided to try the UU metagame for the first time ever. Actually, I've found it to be very fun and way funner than the mess that is the standard metagame. Though I haven't laddered with my team as much I I probably should have before posting this, my experience was valuable and a lot of fun as well. Team building went on all night until I finally had a team I was comfortable with. I based it off of Team Orb, and it has worked pretty well so far. The record isn't very impressive, but it was mostly me adjusting to this brand new metagame, so it wasn't a fault of the team given how poorly I played.
I did have a lot of fun making this and battling with it though, if you don't mind me rehashing that one more time. The UU metagame is a lot different than the standard play, even with the BL Pokémon coming to town, but I'm glad I can still use a bulky offensive team like this that fits my playing style. Actually, it might even be a defensive team (though obviously not stall stall, lol). Bar Raikou, not much has really gotten by this lineup so far. Raikou is an annoying pest though. Also, I refuse to use Chansey, since it's basically a glorified Cresselia, which everybody absolutely cans for being a set-up fodder (even though it really isn't). Chansey to me is like what Cresselia is to you, so I won't use it.
But anyways, have fun reading and rating my team. I know I'm inexperienced and I know it'll have holes, so that's why I need your help way more now than I did in the past. Be sure to read all of the section though before mindlessly bashing or praising the team though, since everything I put in is actually there for a reason and isn't just filler.
At A Glance
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The Team
Espeon @ Life Orb ** EspyLeap
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 36 HP / 220 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Wish
Well, EspyLeap is my lead because Miltank was getting crushed. Sue me. I still need a replacement, but eh, so far TO-Rv2 has held up far better than v1. Anyways...
I'm not going to spend all day here hyping Espeon, as it was such a huge filler I can't even begin to describe how filler it is. If you're looking to replace something, this is your guy. It hasn't done bad actually, but it's not really adding much to the team and I feel like another speedy sweeper would be better to deal with my weaknesses. Wish support is nice though, and Psychic and Shadow Ball pack a huge punch. It's pretty amazing what Espy can do, really. I might even run a CM pass on this if replacements don't come soon, since that pretty much makes Milotic invincible bar a critical hit.
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Milotic @ Life Orb ** Empress Milowall
Trait: Marvel Scale
EVs: 28 HP / 224 Def / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Recover
Life Orb Milotic has probably been my most useful team member to date and a great special tank, special wall, special sweeper...special everything. This was actually under consideration for being used on the original Team Orb, but Starmie is better (which is why it's OU and Milotic isn't, lol). Either way, Milotic has even more bulky than Miltank on both the physical and special side, and it hits just as hard. People overlook its 100 base special attack, which allows Milotic to crush common switch-ins, especially Raikou. It also absolutely mauls any and all Sandstorm teams. Almost none of them are prepared for this thing, as they usually send out something like Azumarill, which is 2HKOed by HP Grass easily. Surf is Milotic's reliable STAB move, chosen over Hydro Pump because it hits an opponent at about the same percentage as Shaq will hit a free throw. Besides, I need this to stall, and it has wonderful staying power which means it uses a lot of PP, something Hydro Pump also lacks. Ice Beam is your standard grass-type exterminator, while Hidden Power Grass is for water-types.
Milotic's uses on this team were planned to be your run-of-the-mill bulky Life Orb attacker, but Milotic has really taken center stage. It is my main defense and switch-in to Regirock and Steelix (both of whom, even with a Choice Band, have a lot of problems with Milotic outside of Explosion), and as mentioned earlier, Sandstorm teams get demolished (especially since it's essentially 5 vs. 6, lol). Ice Beam makes her good defense against Altaria (if people actually use it), while HP Grass allows it to handle Azumarill with great success. It also is key to my defense against Raikou, especially if Regislteel goes down, as it can do up to 83% to standard Sub/CM Raikou switching in, which means it can't Substitute. Milotic can then survive a Thunderbolt and KO Raikou, though at a terrible cost. Still, it's better than being swept.
Milotic's main focus is doing damage, which is its big role on the team, but it also serves as a pseudo special wall. A Calm Nature puts Milotic at 315 special defense given the small EV investment, which makes it more than capable of taking neutal special hits without any problem. Even unboosted supereffective shots will fail to 2HKO. The defense EVs help Milotic perform as a typical bulky water as well, and they make it take physical hits very easily. Given the rarity of physical grass and electric moves in UUs, it makes a perfect bulky water, just like back in Advance. Milotic is without a doubt the MVP of this team.
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Miltank @ Life Orb ** AgiliCow
Trait: Scrappy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Double-Edge
- Return
- Earthquake
- Milk Drink
Alright, so I talked to D_A about Life Orb Miltank about a month ago because it sounded like a cool novelty, only it was meant for OUs (though Return 2HKOs Mence after Intimidate with SR down =D). Either way, she obviously works better with the hugest threats, and more importantly, the hugest walls, gone. Both Double-Edge and Return probably looks foolish, but they both serve a different purpose. Double-Edge always OHKOs Mismagius and will usually 2HKO Dusclops with Stealth Rock down (and always will in weather). Basically, it's to do more damage to walls that can't hurt Miltank and her 105 base defense and 95 base HP. It also nabs OHKOs on certain frailer Pokémon that Return cannot net. Return is used any other time, and is way better for stall wars where each hit point matters. Earthquake is for Steelix and Regirock mostly, though neither really take that much damage. Still, they both lack recovery outside of Rest, so any damage is good damage. Of course, Milk Drink gives Miltank a good recovery option from the hits she takes and Life Orb recoil as well.
Like Milotic, Miltank is your good old run-of-the-mill Life Orb attacker with a recovery move. However, Milotic has plenty of special attackers backing it up, while Miltank is the lone physical attacker on this team, and she's a really good one at that. Like Shaymin and Milotic, Miltank can take hits very well, though her effective in doing that is usually limited to physical attacks only. Perhaps Miltank's largest assey is her speed, which allows her to outpace +speed natured base 85 speed Pokémon like Pinsir and Gallade, both of whom take heavy damage from Miltank's attacks. Even stuff like Moltres (unless it's Timid) are outsped and crushed.
Miltank also will be doing a lot of damage, and that speed that was just mentioned helps her revenge kill slower threats. While hitting Pinsir and Gallade switching in is nice, revenge killing them is even more of a treat since the opponent will usually keep their sweeper in, as Miltank is usually a defensive Pokémon. The surprise factor in general with Miltank makes it a lot of fun to use, and now that she's not leading, her moveset isn't given away so quickly. After all, people won't be switching in frail sweepers if they know Miltank packs a STAB, LO boosted Double-Edge. Moving Miltank out of the lead position with Milotic has been very beneficial.
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Shaymin @ Life Orb ** CounterOffensive
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Rest
I always used to adore Celebi and shower it with praise, and while I still do, it's banned from this metagame so I get to throw it all at Shaymin instead. LO Shaymin is the UU equivalent of LO Celebi, only Shaymin is probably more effective. Seed Flare is an incredible move, and despite the shaky accuracy, it does well as Shaymin's STAB move. Even Pokémon that resist it can take a lot of damage or can even be 2HKOed with a special defense drop. It's that good. Shaymin's two secondary attacks are useful as well, especially since grass is not a great offensive type. Air Slash takes care of opposing grass-types with ease, and bug-types that aren't in the air (Pinsir, basically) are beaten into oblivion. The flinch rate is also handy with Shaymin's high speed. Earth Power is largely for fire-types like Typhlosion and Magmortar that scare the living daylights out of Shaymin and most of this team. It also hits steels hard, though Aggron (lol) and Steelix are already smacked around by Seed Flare. It also hits Drapion (poison typing?) I would hope. Rest is for healing off LO recoil and damage taken from other Pokémon, and Nautral Cure will heal its sleep status by simply switching out.
Shaymin is somewhat of a mixed wall/tank, much like Milotic is. It can take all kinds of hits, survive, and OHKO back, only to Rest off the damage in my opponent's face the next turn. Shaymin has definitely become the costar with Milotic, as the two of them make an incredible special attacking team that not much can consistantly wall. Shaymin is also the fastest member of my team, and it does an even better job than Miltank in many cases at revenge killing slower or even moderately fast Pokémon like Magmortar and Entei. Shaymin also has more power backing it up, though Miltank is still a great member of this team nonetheless.
While the defensive stuff and the ability to revenge kill threats is nice, the real reason Shaymin is on this team is to do massive damage. Seed Flare, as previously mentioned, does a number to almost everything. Only extreme resiliant Pokémon or those packing a resistance will survive, and there's always a possibility of the special defense drop (which will do in fire types switching in). Shaymin has a lot of horsepower despite the neutral special attack nature. Natural Cure also makes Shaymin my status "absorber" (but really more of a status scouter), and its ability to shrug off status is something Milotic and Miltank cannot brag about. Shaymin is without a doubt a huge asset to this team.
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Registeel @ Leftovers ** Axis Power
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
Registeel is one of my favorite Pokémon as some of you may remember from the days of Team Registeel (which was a stall team, not something ridiculous like Team Luvdisc lol). With Registeel now in the new UU metagame, I thought that now would be a great time to use its huge list of resistances that would make a baker's dozen of donuts proud (well, eleven resistances and one immunity is close enough, lol). Regirock might have the offenses of a paper plate, but its defenses are mighty impressive (more than Rhyperior's attack, in fact), and its support movepool is definitely workable. Stealth Rock is obviously going to provide this team with damage from entry hazards, which everybody (especially Miltank) appreciates. Earthquake it to deal "damage" in case it ever has to, but it's mostly for Raikou anyways. However, it helps wear down Steelix (well, hardly) and it still deals pretty decent damage to stuff like Roserade. Thunder Wave's paralysis support is always welcome and absolutely laughs at just about anything with something in the form of speed. Explosion is quite obviously for when Registeel is about to go down or when I need to net a kill right away.
What Registeel is really good at is taking Fake Out from whatever lead throws it at Miltank (usually Ambipom) while disguising the fact that Spiritomb is waiting in the wings. this can be a real bummer for Hi Jump Kick Medicham or an overconfident Choice Band Slaking. Of course, Registeel's resistances also make it useful, as it takes all kinds of hits that nothing on the rest of the team can take, like a Choice Banded Stone Edge or a Sludge bomb from Roserade (as humiliating as it is to only have one Pokémon that takes less than neutral damage from poison-type attacks). As mentioned earlier, Registeel's role as Stealth Rocker is also extremely valuable.
Registeel's other main goal, aside from taking hits nothing else can take, is to function as a counter utility and defensive anchor. Registeel makes a great counter (well, sort of) to Choice Specs Shaymin, who can't even 2HKO Registeel with Earth Power. While Registeel can't hurt Shaymin, it can give my own Shaymin a chance to scare it off and Leech Seed what's coming in, which can heal up any team member if Registeel switches out. The other big Pokémon Registeel beats is Raikou, who otherwise terrorizes this team. Despite its lack of offenses, Registeel is still an important asset to this team for taking the heavy hits with ease.
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Spiritomb @ Leftovers ** Sucknoir + Usefulness
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Pain Split
- Shadow Ball
Spiritomb is the second part of this team's defensive core, and it's a really solid Pokémon in general. Everybody knows about how Spiritomb has no weaknesses and decent enough defense to back them up, but for some reason, OU players still prefer Sucknoir. Ah well, whatever helps my ladder status =) Anyways, Spiritomb was a solid Rapid Spin blocker and fighting resist during its reign in OUs, and the same remains true in UUs. Will-O-wisp is a great move for Spiritomb, as it shuts down almost every single physical attacker in the tier easily, which allows Milotic and Miltank to come in and wreck the opposing team. Taunt prevents the very Pokémon from using Rest to heal their status and damage and is generally a very useful move, while Pain Split gives Spiritomb its own recovery. Shadow Ball is Spiritomb's STAB move, and it's a very good one at that. Most normal-types and steel-types are done in by WoW, which allows Shadow Ball to at least dent almost everything else. The special defense drop is also a nice touch for Milotic who might be looking to come in and do some damage.
Spiritomb has a lot of talents, and its usefulness in the OU metagame proves that. Spiritomb blocks Rapid Spin from the likes of Claydol and Sandslash (lol) with ease, and severely damages anything coming in with Will-O-Wisp. The keeps the sweepers healthy and their moves doing more damage as ever, especially since Miltank often relies on Stealth Rock for her kills. Spiritomb is one of those Pokémon that just never dies, which is why I loved it so much in OUs and why I love it right now in UUs. It also covers Registeel's weakness to fighting-type attacks, which Registeel fears the most in the UU metagame. I am unsure about Spiritomb's EVs though.
Speaking of being immune to fighting-type attacks, Spiritomb is a great counter to the fighters that run around in the UU metagame. Gallade is decimated easily, while Medicham is not only walled, but it could do a lot of damage to itself with Hi Jump Kick missing due to Spiritomb's immunity to the attack. It also is a more reliable way to "counter" Slaking, who can severely damage anything with good prediction. Spiritomb can take its hit and then Pail Split the full-health switch-in, keeping Spiritomb happy and healthy. Spiritomb also beats Mismagius, one of the best special sweepers in the UU metagame. The normal and fighting immunities are useful, which makes Spiritomb a vital part of this team.
Team Building & Strategy
Team Building
Before starting team building, I thought of a strategy. I quickly decided on using something very similar to Team Orb. Team Orb's strategy was basically hitting whatever I could hard with LO sweepers that could recover off health to stay around for a long time while walling the opponent with designated tanks and walls. It was kind of like a balanced team only it could actually compete will stall and not get blown away by every sweeper in the metagame, which was why it was successful. I decided that Team Orb's blueprint would be a good start.
I started off building the team with Life Orb Miltank, because that was the Pokémon I want to use. You could say it's focused around her sweeping, but it's really not. I just tried to fit in Pokémon that would "mesh" well together. Either way, I started off with Miltank right off the bat. I had a solid physical tank in place, so next I aimed for a special tank and sweeper (basically the special equal to Miltank). Milotic was the choice, though there weren't many Pokémon to choose from anyways. I had a solid enough defensive and offensive core with a bulky water in place, so I moved to defenses.
Registeel was a natural choice since I love the thing to death and I was terrified of Raikou. It also was a good check to Specs Shaymin and generally takes almost any hit like mad. Plus I needed a SRer and something to beat a last Pokémon like UU's version of CurseLax, whatever Pokémon that may be. Registeel fit perfectly into those roles, and having so many resistances in a metagame crawling with sweepers, many of them with choice items, is a good thing to have. ABYAY recommended Spiritomb to cover up my insane fighting weakness, and I gladly agreed. In case you couldn't tell by me hyping it earlier, I absolutely adore Spiritomb in competitive.
I had mostly defense and a little offense at this point, which I was fine with, but I wanted to be sure my sweeper would last a long time. the only big remaining "womg weakness!" as far as types are concerned was ground. Shaymin seemed like a logical solution, as it cleared the status of my two sweepertank things and resisted ground-type attacks. Besides, grass-types always come in handy - just look at Tangrowth and Celebi.
While I still had weaknesses, I quite frankly wanted to just test the team I had been working on for a couple of hours, so I threw in Espeon, who was fast and could potentially do damage on the revenge to the likes of Pinsir and Ursaring. Espeon is a pretty cool Pokémon, so I figured I might as well try it out, and it hasn't done bad. Sometimes, the extra kick in offense is really helpful and it's kind of the MixMence of this version of Team Orb, as it can cause some serious pain a lot of the time. It's not like Espeon is bad, it's that I could probably use a more well-thought out Pokémon that would fit this team the best.
Team Edit: After the failures of Espeon and to a far greater extent Shaymin, I gave Shaymin an offensive LO sweeper set, which has been very successful. Espeon was moved to lead, and for now, everyhting is running smoothly once again.
Strategy
As the team building section suggests, the strategy of this team is to wear down the opponent with a combination of semistall with my walling Pokémon as well as my Life Orb sweepers. How does this work exactly? I'll explain it for you.
Basically, every chance I get that is not seriously risking their lives, I send in my Life Orb sweepers and keep them in as long as possible. Scouting my opponent's team quickly is very easy since the Pokémon I use are generally thought of as walls, so the opponent will be frantically switching at the beginning of the match. This is when the team is the most vulnerable, as I don't know what powerful sweepers my opponent is carrying, and I don't want my walls to get smashed early in the match. If I have scouted my opponent's team, I will know exactly what has to be kept alive and what I can sacrifice for the greater good. This helps a lot in the log run. Without knowing my opponent's team, I have to be very cautious, but luckily, my team has the defenses to cover up a few bad predictions.
With the early stages of the match finished, I can finally let my sweepers shine. However, my opponent is usually no slouch and will have Pokémon that cover each others' weaknesses, so I'll have to predict what's coming in and what isn't. If I predict well, I'll usually get one, two, or even three free and easy kills, and Espeon can clean up the match (though in practice the job is usually left to Milotic or Miltank). However, if my prediction isn't spot-on, I'll have to outlast my opponent. Multiple recovery methods and cleric support allow me to do just that, while my own sweepers can try to wear down the opponent. all three of my sweeping Pokémon pack some pretty devastating power, so they can actually win through force when you would expect a stall war.
While I plan for a stall-like mentality with the whole "grind it out" attitude going, it doesn't always go that way, so I have to adapt to certain situations. For example, with heavy stall teams, the problem is usually one Pokémon that's blocking my entire team, which means a timely Explosion or surprise Ice Beam to net the kill and win. It varies so much that there is no set in stone strategy. However, that's what this team was designed to do: adapt and outlast.
Problems & Solutions
Problems
The biggest problem has been Raikou so far. Espeon can't really effectively pass Wishes to Registeel who gets worn down fairly quickly by Raikou;s assaults. As long as Registeel is healthy, Raikou is not a problem, but given how common Raikou is and how Registeel lacks a recovery move, Raikou can be and has been a huge, huge problem. I think something might need to be done about this. there's also Staraptor, but who doesn't have a problem with that thing?
Another problem has been Drapion, though it's actually because I don't know its stats, common movesets and movepool, or even its typing. Naturally, it ran through half my team the first time I encountered one. I hope it's not a problem though. I can also see Ursaring being a potential problem since it hits like a truck and it's bulky enough to take an attack from one of my sweepers, which worries me a bit. I haven't run into one yet, however, so I'm not too worried just yet.
Then there's Pinsir. It totally destroys me, but luckily I have yet to see one and it has trouble coming in on most of my team, but eh, I'm worried.
I'm sure there's other stuff I haven't run into but whatever, that's what you guys are for.
Solutions
For Raikou, it's not being reckless with Registeel, which has worked so far but I don't know if that's good enough. With the others, I haven't seen them enough to come up with one, so I don't know how exactly I play them. Drapion will be researched though, lol. I need your help in this department though, guys!
Closing Comments
I hope you enjoyed reading and (hopefully) rating my team. <3 This is a rather early version and I've battled very little with it, but if my instincts are right - and they usually are - this will be one of my better teams. Still, I'm inexperienced in this metagame so I could use your help! Thanks guys <3
Introduction
So I hate what Platinum (I would say Platifail, but honestly...what kind of name is that?) did to my darling OU metagame, so I decided to try the UU metagame for the first time ever. Actually, I've found it to be very fun and way funner than the mess that is the standard metagame. Though I haven't laddered with my team as much I I probably should have before posting this, my experience was valuable and a lot of fun as well. Team building went on all night until I finally had a team I was comfortable with. I based it off of Team Orb, and it has worked pretty well so far. The record isn't very impressive, but it was mostly me adjusting to this brand new metagame, so it wasn't a fault of the team given how poorly I played.
I did have a lot of fun making this and battling with it though, if you don't mind me rehashing that one more time. The UU metagame is a lot different than the standard play, even with the BL Pokémon coming to town, but I'm glad I can still use a bulky offensive team like this that fits my playing style. Actually, it might even be a defensive team (though obviously not stall stall, lol). Bar Raikou, not much has really gotten by this lineup so far. Raikou is an annoying pest though. Also, I refuse to use Chansey, since it's basically a glorified Cresselia, which everybody absolutely cans for being a set-up fodder (even though it really isn't). Chansey to me is like what Cresselia is to you, so I won't use it.
But anyways, have fun reading and rating my team. I know I'm inexperienced and I know it'll have holes, so that's why I need your help way more now than I did in the past. Be sure to read all of the section though before mindlessly bashing or praising the team though, since everything I put in is actually there for a reason and isn't just filler.
At A Glance
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The Team
![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/espeon.png)
Espeon @ Life Orb ** EspyLeap
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 36 HP / 220 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Wish
Well, EspyLeap is my lead because Miltank was getting crushed. Sue me. I still need a replacement, but eh, so far TO-Rv2 has held up far better than v1. Anyways...
I'm not going to spend all day here hyping Espeon, as it was such a huge filler I can't even begin to describe how filler it is. If you're looking to replace something, this is your guy. It hasn't done bad actually, but it's not really adding much to the team and I feel like another speedy sweeper would be better to deal with my weaknesses. Wish support is nice though, and Psychic and Shadow Ball pack a huge punch. It's pretty amazing what Espy can do, really. I might even run a CM pass on this if replacements don't come soon, since that pretty much makes Milotic invincible bar a critical hit.
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![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/milotic.png)
Milotic @ Life Orb ** Empress Milowall
Trait: Marvel Scale
EVs: 28 HP / 224 Def / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Recover
Life Orb Milotic has probably been my most useful team member to date and a great special tank, special wall, special sweeper...special everything. This was actually under consideration for being used on the original Team Orb, but Starmie is better (which is why it's OU and Milotic isn't, lol). Either way, Milotic has even more bulky than Miltank on both the physical and special side, and it hits just as hard. People overlook its 100 base special attack, which allows Milotic to crush common switch-ins, especially Raikou. It also absolutely mauls any and all Sandstorm teams. Almost none of them are prepared for this thing, as they usually send out something like Azumarill, which is 2HKOed by HP Grass easily. Surf is Milotic's reliable STAB move, chosen over Hydro Pump because it hits an opponent at about the same percentage as Shaq will hit a free throw. Besides, I need this to stall, and it has wonderful staying power which means it uses a lot of PP, something Hydro Pump also lacks. Ice Beam is your standard grass-type exterminator, while Hidden Power Grass is for water-types.
Milotic's uses on this team were planned to be your run-of-the-mill bulky Life Orb attacker, but Milotic has really taken center stage. It is my main defense and switch-in to Regirock and Steelix (both of whom, even with a Choice Band, have a lot of problems with Milotic outside of Explosion), and as mentioned earlier, Sandstorm teams get demolished (especially since it's essentially 5 vs. 6, lol). Ice Beam makes her good defense against Altaria (if people actually use it), while HP Grass allows it to handle Azumarill with great success. It also is key to my defense against Raikou, especially if Regislteel goes down, as it can do up to 83% to standard Sub/CM Raikou switching in, which means it can't Substitute. Milotic can then survive a Thunderbolt and KO Raikou, though at a terrible cost. Still, it's better than being swept.
Milotic's main focus is doing damage, which is its big role on the team, but it also serves as a pseudo special wall. A Calm Nature puts Milotic at 315 special defense given the small EV investment, which makes it more than capable of taking neutal special hits without any problem. Even unboosted supereffective shots will fail to 2HKO. The defense EVs help Milotic perform as a typical bulky water as well, and they make it take physical hits very easily. Given the rarity of physical grass and electric moves in UUs, it makes a perfect bulky water, just like back in Advance. Milotic is without a doubt the MVP of this team.
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![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/miltank.png)
Miltank @ Life Orb ** AgiliCow
Trait: Scrappy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Double-Edge
- Return
- Earthquake
- Milk Drink
Alright, so I talked to D_A about Life Orb Miltank about a month ago because it sounded like a cool novelty, only it was meant for OUs (though Return 2HKOs Mence after Intimidate with SR down =D). Either way, she obviously works better with the hugest threats, and more importantly, the hugest walls, gone. Both Double-Edge and Return probably looks foolish, but they both serve a different purpose. Double-Edge always OHKOs Mismagius and will usually 2HKO Dusclops with Stealth Rock down (and always will in weather). Basically, it's to do more damage to walls that can't hurt Miltank and her 105 base defense and 95 base HP. It also nabs OHKOs on certain frailer Pokémon that Return cannot net. Return is used any other time, and is way better for stall wars where each hit point matters. Earthquake is for Steelix and Regirock mostly, though neither really take that much damage. Still, they both lack recovery outside of Rest, so any damage is good damage. Of course, Milk Drink gives Miltank a good recovery option from the hits she takes and Life Orb recoil as well.
Like Milotic, Miltank is your good old run-of-the-mill Life Orb attacker with a recovery move. However, Milotic has plenty of special attackers backing it up, while Miltank is the lone physical attacker on this team, and she's a really good one at that. Like Shaymin and Milotic, Miltank can take hits very well, though her effective in doing that is usually limited to physical attacks only. Perhaps Miltank's largest assey is her speed, which allows her to outpace +speed natured base 85 speed Pokémon like Pinsir and Gallade, both of whom take heavy damage from Miltank's attacks. Even stuff like Moltres (unless it's Timid) are outsped and crushed.
Miltank also will be doing a lot of damage, and that speed that was just mentioned helps her revenge kill slower threats. While hitting Pinsir and Gallade switching in is nice, revenge killing them is even more of a treat since the opponent will usually keep their sweeper in, as Miltank is usually a defensive Pokémon. The surprise factor in general with Miltank makes it a lot of fun to use, and now that she's not leading, her moveset isn't given away so quickly. After all, people won't be switching in frail sweepers if they know Miltank packs a STAB, LO boosted Double-Edge. Moving Miltank out of the lead position with Milotic has been very beneficial.
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![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/shaymin.png)
Shaymin @ Life Orb ** CounterOffensive
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Rest
I always used to adore Celebi and shower it with praise, and while I still do, it's banned from this metagame so I get to throw it all at Shaymin instead. LO Shaymin is the UU equivalent of LO Celebi, only Shaymin is probably more effective. Seed Flare is an incredible move, and despite the shaky accuracy, it does well as Shaymin's STAB move. Even Pokémon that resist it can take a lot of damage or can even be 2HKOed with a special defense drop. It's that good. Shaymin's two secondary attacks are useful as well, especially since grass is not a great offensive type. Air Slash takes care of opposing grass-types with ease, and bug-types that aren't in the air (Pinsir, basically) are beaten into oblivion. The flinch rate is also handy with Shaymin's high speed. Earth Power is largely for fire-types like Typhlosion and Magmortar that scare the living daylights out of Shaymin and most of this team. It also hits steels hard, though Aggron (lol) and Steelix are already smacked around by Seed Flare. It also hits Drapion (poison typing?) I would hope. Rest is for healing off LO recoil and damage taken from other Pokémon, and Nautral Cure will heal its sleep status by simply switching out.
Shaymin is somewhat of a mixed wall/tank, much like Milotic is. It can take all kinds of hits, survive, and OHKO back, only to Rest off the damage in my opponent's face the next turn. Shaymin has definitely become the costar with Milotic, as the two of them make an incredible special attacking team that not much can consistantly wall. Shaymin is also the fastest member of my team, and it does an even better job than Miltank in many cases at revenge killing slower or even moderately fast Pokémon like Magmortar and Entei. Shaymin also has more power backing it up, though Miltank is still a great member of this team nonetheless.
While the defensive stuff and the ability to revenge kill threats is nice, the real reason Shaymin is on this team is to do massive damage. Seed Flare, as previously mentioned, does a number to almost everything. Only extreme resiliant Pokémon or those packing a resistance will survive, and there's always a possibility of the special defense drop (which will do in fire types switching in). Shaymin has a lot of horsepower despite the neutral special attack nature. Natural Cure also makes Shaymin my status "absorber" (but really more of a status scouter), and its ability to shrug off status is something Milotic and Miltank cannot brag about. Shaymin is without a doubt a huge asset to this team.
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![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/registeel.png)
Registeel @ Leftovers ** Axis Power
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
Registeel is one of my favorite Pokémon as some of you may remember from the days of Team Registeel (which was a stall team, not something ridiculous like Team Luvdisc lol). With Registeel now in the new UU metagame, I thought that now would be a great time to use its huge list of resistances that would make a baker's dozen of donuts proud (well, eleven resistances and one immunity is close enough, lol). Regirock might have the offenses of a paper plate, but its defenses are mighty impressive (more than Rhyperior's attack, in fact), and its support movepool is definitely workable. Stealth Rock is obviously going to provide this team with damage from entry hazards, which everybody (especially Miltank) appreciates. Earthquake it to deal "damage" in case it ever has to, but it's mostly for Raikou anyways. However, it helps wear down Steelix (well, hardly) and it still deals pretty decent damage to stuff like Roserade. Thunder Wave's paralysis support is always welcome and absolutely laughs at just about anything with something in the form of speed. Explosion is quite obviously for when Registeel is about to go down or when I need to net a kill right away.
What Registeel is really good at is taking Fake Out from whatever lead throws it at Miltank (usually Ambipom) while disguising the fact that Spiritomb is waiting in the wings. this can be a real bummer for Hi Jump Kick Medicham or an overconfident Choice Band Slaking. Of course, Registeel's resistances also make it useful, as it takes all kinds of hits that nothing on the rest of the team can take, like a Choice Banded Stone Edge or a Sludge bomb from Roserade (as humiliating as it is to only have one Pokémon that takes less than neutral damage from poison-type attacks). As mentioned earlier, Registeel's role as Stealth Rocker is also extremely valuable.
Registeel's other main goal, aside from taking hits nothing else can take, is to function as a counter utility and defensive anchor. Registeel makes a great counter (well, sort of) to Choice Specs Shaymin, who can't even 2HKO Registeel with Earth Power. While Registeel can't hurt Shaymin, it can give my own Shaymin a chance to scare it off and Leech Seed what's coming in, which can heal up any team member if Registeel switches out. The other big Pokémon Registeel beats is Raikou, who otherwise terrorizes this team. Despite its lack of offenses, Registeel is still an important asset to this team for taking the heavy hits with ease.
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![[PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl) [PokeCommunity.com] Anti's First Shot at UUs (rofl)](https://arkeis.com/images/pokemonfactory/spiritomb.png)
Spiritomb @ Leftovers ** Sucknoir + Usefulness
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Pain Split
- Shadow Ball
Spiritomb is the second part of this team's defensive core, and it's a really solid Pokémon in general. Everybody knows about how Spiritomb has no weaknesses and decent enough defense to back them up, but for some reason, OU players still prefer Sucknoir. Ah well, whatever helps my ladder status =) Anyways, Spiritomb was a solid Rapid Spin blocker and fighting resist during its reign in OUs, and the same remains true in UUs. Will-O-wisp is a great move for Spiritomb, as it shuts down almost every single physical attacker in the tier easily, which allows Milotic and Miltank to come in and wreck the opposing team. Taunt prevents the very Pokémon from using Rest to heal their status and damage and is generally a very useful move, while Pain Split gives Spiritomb its own recovery. Shadow Ball is Spiritomb's STAB move, and it's a very good one at that. Most normal-types and steel-types are done in by WoW, which allows Shadow Ball to at least dent almost everything else. The special defense drop is also a nice touch for Milotic who might be looking to come in and do some damage.
Spiritomb has a lot of talents, and its usefulness in the OU metagame proves that. Spiritomb blocks Rapid Spin from the likes of Claydol and Sandslash (lol) with ease, and severely damages anything coming in with Will-O-Wisp. The keeps the sweepers healthy and their moves doing more damage as ever, especially since Miltank often relies on Stealth Rock for her kills. Spiritomb is one of those Pokémon that just never dies, which is why I loved it so much in OUs and why I love it right now in UUs. It also covers Registeel's weakness to fighting-type attacks, which Registeel fears the most in the UU metagame. I am unsure about Spiritomb's EVs though.
Speaking of being immune to fighting-type attacks, Spiritomb is a great counter to the fighters that run around in the UU metagame. Gallade is decimated easily, while Medicham is not only walled, but it could do a lot of damage to itself with Hi Jump Kick missing due to Spiritomb's immunity to the attack. It also is a more reliable way to "counter" Slaking, who can severely damage anything with good prediction. Spiritomb can take its hit and then Pail Split the full-health switch-in, keeping Spiritomb happy and healthy. Spiritomb also beats Mismagius, one of the best special sweepers in the UU metagame. The normal and fighting immunities are useful, which makes Spiritomb a vital part of this team.
Team Building & Strategy
Team Building
Before starting team building, I thought of a strategy. I quickly decided on using something very similar to Team Orb. Team Orb's strategy was basically hitting whatever I could hard with LO sweepers that could recover off health to stay around for a long time while walling the opponent with designated tanks and walls. It was kind of like a balanced team only it could actually compete will stall and not get blown away by every sweeper in the metagame, which was why it was successful. I decided that Team Orb's blueprint would be a good start.
I started off building the team with Life Orb Miltank, because that was the Pokémon I want to use. You could say it's focused around her sweeping, but it's really not. I just tried to fit in Pokémon that would "mesh" well together. Either way, I started off with Miltank right off the bat. I had a solid physical tank in place, so next I aimed for a special tank and sweeper (basically the special equal to Miltank). Milotic was the choice, though there weren't many Pokémon to choose from anyways. I had a solid enough defensive and offensive core with a bulky water in place, so I moved to defenses.
Registeel was a natural choice since I love the thing to death and I was terrified of Raikou. It also was a good check to Specs Shaymin and generally takes almost any hit like mad. Plus I needed a SRer and something to beat a last Pokémon like UU's version of CurseLax, whatever Pokémon that may be. Registeel fit perfectly into those roles, and having so many resistances in a metagame crawling with sweepers, many of them with choice items, is a good thing to have. ABYAY recommended Spiritomb to cover up my insane fighting weakness, and I gladly agreed. In case you couldn't tell by me hyping it earlier, I absolutely adore Spiritomb in competitive.
I had mostly defense and a little offense at this point, which I was fine with, but I wanted to be sure my sweeper would last a long time. the only big remaining "womg weakness!" as far as types are concerned was ground. Shaymin seemed like a logical solution, as it cleared the status of my two sweepertank things and resisted ground-type attacks. Besides, grass-types always come in handy - just look at Tangrowth and Celebi.
While I still had weaknesses, I quite frankly wanted to just test the team I had been working on for a couple of hours, so I threw in Espeon, who was fast and could potentially do damage on the revenge to the likes of Pinsir and Ursaring. Espeon is a pretty cool Pokémon, so I figured I might as well try it out, and it hasn't done bad. Sometimes, the extra kick in offense is really helpful and it's kind of the MixMence of this version of Team Orb, as it can cause some serious pain a lot of the time. It's not like Espeon is bad, it's that I could probably use a more well-thought out Pokémon that would fit this team the best.
Team Edit: After the failures of Espeon and to a far greater extent Shaymin, I gave Shaymin an offensive LO sweeper set, which has been very successful. Espeon was moved to lead, and for now, everyhting is running smoothly once again.
Strategy
As the team building section suggests, the strategy of this team is to wear down the opponent with a combination of semistall with my walling Pokémon as well as my Life Orb sweepers. How does this work exactly? I'll explain it for you.
Basically, every chance I get that is not seriously risking their lives, I send in my Life Orb sweepers and keep them in as long as possible. Scouting my opponent's team quickly is very easy since the Pokémon I use are generally thought of as walls, so the opponent will be frantically switching at the beginning of the match. This is when the team is the most vulnerable, as I don't know what powerful sweepers my opponent is carrying, and I don't want my walls to get smashed early in the match. If I have scouted my opponent's team, I will know exactly what has to be kept alive and what I can sacrifice for the greater good. This helps a lot in the log run. Without knowing my opponent's team, I have to be very cautious, but luckily, my team has the defenses to cover up a few bad predictions.
With the early stages of the match finished, I can finally let my sweepers shine. However, my opponent is usually no slouch and will have Pokémon that cover each others' weaknesses, so I'll have to predict what's coming in and what isn't. If I predict well, I'll usually get one, two, or even three free and easy kills, and Espeon can clean up the match (though in practice the job is usually left to Milotic or Miltank). However, if my prediction isn't spot-on, I'll have to outlast my opponent. Multiple recovery methods and cleric support allow me to do just that, while my own sweepers can try to wear down the opponent. all three of my sweeping Pokémon pack some pretty devastating power, so they can actually win through force when you would expect a stall war.
While I plan for a stall-like mentality with the whole "grind it out" attitude going, it doesn't always go that way, so I have to adapt to certain situations. For example, with heavy stall teams, the problem is usually one Pokémon that's blocking my entire team, which means a timely Explosion or surprise Ice Beam to net the kill and win. It varies so much that there is no set in stone strategy. However, that's what this team was designed to do: adapt and outlast.
Problems & Solutions
Problems
The biggest problem has been Raikou so far. Espeon can't really effectively pass Wishes to Registeel who gets worn down fairly quickly by Raikou;s assaults. As long as Registeel is healthy, Raikou is not a problem, but given how common Raikou is and how Registeel lacks a recovery move, Raikou can be and has been a huge, huge problem. I think something might need to be done about this. there's also Staraptor, but who doesn't have a problem with that thing?
Another problem has been Drapion, though it's actually because I don't know its stats, common movesets and movepool, or even its typing. Naturally, it ran through half my team the first time I encountered one. I hope it's not a problem though. I can also see Ursaring being a potential problem since it hits like a truck and it's bulky enough to take an attack from one of my sweepers, which worries me a bit. I haven't run into one yet, however, so I'm not too worried just yet.
Then there's Pinsir. It totally destroys me, but luckily I have yet to see one and it has trouble coming in on most of my team, but eh, I'm worried.
I'm sure there's other stuff I haven't run into but whatever, that's what you guys are for.
Solutions
For Raikou, it's not being reckless with Registeel, which has worked so far but I don't know if that's good enough. With the others, I haven't seen them enough to come up with one, so I don't know how exactly I play them. Drapion will be researched though, lol. I need your help in this department though, guys!
Closing Comments
I hope you enjoyed reading and (hopefully) rating my team. <3 This is a rather early version and I've battled very little with it, but if my instincts are right - and they usually are - this will be one of my better teams. Still, I'm inexperienced in this metagame so I could use your help! Thanks guys <3
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