Jalin Volt
Banned
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- Seen May 22, 2010
Introduction to Ubers
The Ubers metagame is almost a forgotten metagame, the main reason being that everyone plays the Overused metagame (OU), and the fact that some other people even think that Uber Pokémon take no skill to use. They are, however, quite wrong, as Uber matches are full of strategy. They pack more power and movepool than many OU Pokémon, making the Uber metagame quite unbalanced; this is how, when, and where strategy, prediction, and critical thinking shine the most. One wrong move can destroy its user if one is not careful. This guide will hopefully help one pick Pokémon and their individual aspects (EVs, moves, etc.) that will thrive in the Uber metagame.
Which Pokemon are Ubers?The following Pokémon are classified as Ubers: Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A,Deoxys-D, Deoxys-S, Dialga, Garchomp, Giratina, Girtina-O, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Latias with Soul Dew, Latios, Lugia, Manaphy, Mew, Mewtwo, Palkia, Rayquaza, Shaymin-S,Wobbuffet, Wynaut, and Arceus.
Why are they Ubers?They are the Pokémon that are considered too powerful for a balanced Standard (also known as Overused, or OU) metagame. Ubers tend to have very high stats and larger movepools compared to most other Pokémon. This results in their being extremely difficult or impossible to counter within the normal limits of the Standard metagame.
Why Wobbuffet and Wynaut?One may ask why Wobbuffet is Uber; its stats, besides Hit Points are very low, and its movepool consists of a meager seven moves (eight counting the promotional Tickle). However, it is known as the ultimate set up Pokémon, and it is classified as an Uber purely because it has a trait - Shadow Tag - that traps all Pokémon that are not holding a Shed Shell or have the move U-turn or Baton Pass. Wobbuffet's titanic HP lets him use his moves - Counter, Mirror Coat, and most importantly, Encore - to great success. His ability to set up sweepers such as Rayquaza and Arceus with a deadly combination of Encore and Shadow Tag is definitely not something that players should overlook. In Advance, 386 play, or the 3rd generation as many call it, two Wobbuffet facing each other would cause an extremely long and mind-bendingly boring stallwar due to their mutual inability to switch out, thus causing them to try and slap around each other for no damage until they Struggle, which will never finish thanks to the recovery they receive from the item Leftovers. However, this problem has been fixed in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Two Pokémon with Shadow Tag will be able to escape out of each other, and thus preventing this dreadfully boring battle of willpower. This, however, is not a reason why Wobbuffet is not Uber, as it can trap anything else and force either a KO or a free turn with Encore. If Wobbuffet Encored a damaging attack, the opposition would be promptly destroyed, and if it Encored a setup move, Wobbuffet's user would almost be guaranteed a free turn to switch to another Pokémon and set up. The same goes for Wynaut, however, its stats are completely outclassed by its evolution, Wobbuffet, but it still has Shadow Tag, pushing it into the Ubers territory (it not recommended that you use Wynaut, though).What makes a team Uber?Any number of Ubers on one's team automatically makes one's team an Uber team. If one has just one Uber on one's team, one's team is Uber. There are no exceptions.Know the Ubers
The Pokémon will be organized into groups for effectiveness.
The Uber Walls
Lugia
Known as the ultimate wall in the past, Lugia's tanking ability remains almost unchanged in this fast paced generation. With 106 base Hit Points, 130 base Defense, and 154 base Special Defense, coupled with the recovery move Roost, Lugia is always be a pain to take down. Additionally, its base 110 speed outpaces many threats such as Palkia and Groudon. Despite its higher Special Defense, Lugia is often used as a physical wall because it still pales to Blissey in terms of special walling. In Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Lugia's tanking abilities are slightly hampered by Stealth Rock, though.
Giratina
Known for its ability to stop the rampage of a Swords Dancing Normal-typed Arceus, Giratina packs useful stats in tanking and a wide array of moves to back it up. With a godly base 150 Hit Points and base 120 in both defenses, its ability to learn Will-O-Wisp, and its useful immunities to Normal- and Fighting-types and resistances to Electric-, Water-, Grass-, Poison-, and Bug-types certainly makes it a fine wall in Ubers. Giratina can also fight back, by taking chunks out of weakened physical sweepers with Dragon Claw or Outrage, the former allowing one to switch moves if necessary, while the latter allows for harder hitting. However, unlike Lugia, Giratina lacks a recovery move. It can't even learn Roost, which strongly impedes its tanking ability. Giratina's weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ice-types also hurt it severely, seeing how all of said types are common in the Uber metagame. Giratina's offensive capabilities should not be overlooked, however, seeing that it has access to powerful moves such as Draco Meteor and can launch them from a base 100 Attack or Special Attack when the trainer does not feel like making his Giratina a wall. STAB Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks are certainly something to fear in Ubers.
Deoxys-D
Deoxys-D has a massive support movepool, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Knock Off; the list goes on. Deoxys-D's movepool surpasses that of all the other walls thanks to its multiple forms. It has access to Recover to replenish its health, and Toxic to poison the opponent. It can Taunt its victims too, preventing their attempts to heal. Deoxys-D's options are so numerous, one wouldn't be able to explain them all here. However, it is worth warning that Deoxys-D is easily set up on, as its mediocre base 70 Special Attack is easily absorbed in a metagame where defenses soar over 100, even on offensive Pokémon.
Dialga
Dialga possesses a base 100 Hit Point stat, a base 120 Defense stat, and a base 100 Special Defense stat, Pressure, and one of the top ranked type combinations (Steel/Dragon) for tanking. While Dialga does not possess the ability to recover quickly like Lugia, he packs a wide range of resistances, which makes it quite handy for switching into the constant blasts of Shadow Balls in the Uber metagame. Dialga certainly is not a slouch in the offensive departments either. It has a base 120 Attack and base 150 Special attack, which along with powerful moves such as Draco Meteor and Thunder lets it tear a gaping hole in the opponent's team. Dialga also has access to Bulk Up, which, when combined with Rest, turns it into a very impressive mixed, but especially physical, wall, even when faced with its weaknesses of Fighting- and Ground-types.
Groudon
Groudon is usually seen in the offensive department, but a physical walling Groudon deserves mention. Groudon is capable of holding up against threats such as Tyranitar and Metagross with given EV investment in Hit Points and Defense. It only needs 252 HP EVs and 24 Defense EVs to survive a Dragon Danced Life Orbed Outrage from Rayquaza; it can then retaliate with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw. Both are powerful enough to put Rayquaza down to an incredibly low amount of health that Life Orb recoil can wipe it out, or just KO it right off the bat. Groudon also possesses a wide variety of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Safeguard, and Roar, allowing it to aid its teammates in more ways than just absorbing physical blows.
Latias
Unlike her brother Latios, Latias focuses on playing a defensive role. Latias possesses a base 80 Hit Point stat, a base 90 Defense stat, and base 130 Special Defense stat. This may seem small compared to the others, but Latias' trump card is her mystical item: Soul Dew. Soul Dew boosts her Special Defense and Special Attack stats by 50%, making her a very deadly sweeper as well. Since this is the sole item used with Latias, it pushes her into the Ubers section of this guide. Latias is capable of holding her own against tough attackers such as Kyogre, as she can take an Ice Beam from 438 Special Attack, and dish back significant damage with Thunder and Grass Knot. Like many other Psychics in the Uber metagame, Latias has the ability to restore her hit points with Recover or Roost, making her an even tougher wall. She is, however, prone to Metagross' Pursuit, KOing her if she switches out due to her base 80 Hit Points and base 90 Defense, and Meteor Mash, which will 2HKO if she stays in, provided Metagross is not Choice Banded. She is best known as a special wall that has a considerable amount of offense and speed, which is what separates her from Blissey. Latias also gets special mention because, using her high base 110 Speed, Soul Dew, and Recover, she is the only true counter of a Choice Specs Kyogre, who can down even Blissey in two hits with a full health Water Spout, because of her ability to outspeed Kyogre and Recover, or weaken its Water Spout with Grass Knot or Thunder.The Uber sweepers
Mewtwo
Mewtwo's unpredictability ranks above that of Gengar's. With a base 110 Attack stat, a base 130 Speed stat, and a base 154 Special Attack stat, Mewtwo can effectively abuse both physical and special attacks. It is extremely versatile, with an enormous selection of physical, special, and supporting attacks. It can break stalling Uber teams with the combination of Taunt and Calm Mind to boost its already sky-high Special Attack and shut down attempts at healing; it can also Selfdestruct, killing potentially threatening walls and tanks. Its movepool consists of a wide range of types, including Ghost, Ice, and Electric, all very effective types in Ubers. Mewtwo is also deceptively bulky, with access to 101 Substitutes, Will-O-Wisp, and Calm Mind. Mewtwo is definitely and invariably a very high level threat.Deoxys-A
It had the misfortune to have been born with pitiful defenses almost equaling to that of Carvanha's. However, laugh at its minuscule defenses as much as you want, and then proceed to stare in pure horror at the base 180 Attack and Special Attack, seasoned with 150 base Speed. Deoxys-A is the Kryptonite in the Uber metagame, cleaning out Pokémon like nothing else thanks to those stats and a wide array of moves in both the physical and special categories. It can also surprise opponents with Counter and Mirror Coat (stolen from its sibling Deoxys-D) coupled with the item Focus Sash. There is no true counter for Deoxys-A in the strictest definition of the word. Metagross can Bullet Punch it, but risks at being Countered if Deoxys-A holds a Focus Sash. Dugtrio can trap him and threaten to KO with Sucker Punch, but loses if Deoxys-A carries Substitute. The closest counter to Deoxys-A is Spiritomb, who laughs at anything Deoxys-A does except for Life Orbed or Choice Specs Thunder. If Deoxys-A dares to take that action, Spiritomb promptly replies to that with Sucker Punch. If Deoxys tries to switch, it will risk getting Pursuited. Scizor can also be used to play mindgames, threatening to Bullet Punch if Deoxys-A stays in, or hit it with Pursuit if it decides to switch out. Take note, however, that with its abysmal defenses, it is almost impossible to switch Deoxys-A in safely, necessitating a situation after a Pokémon's fainting.Rayquaza
It has a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, but gained massive improvements from 3rd Generation to the 4th Generation with the addition of a physical/special split and Outrage getting its power boosted to 120 Base Power. Rayquaza is the reason why people carry a Steel-type in their teams. A Dragon Danced Life Orbed Outrage from a monstrous base 150 Attack stat can OHKO far over half of the existing Ubers. Rayquaza also packs some nice resistances to help it set up, including a 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks, so it can switch into a Choice Specs Grass Knot, and an immunity to Ground-type attacks. Rayquaza also has some options aside from Dragon Dancing. It can use a Choice Scarf to boost its average speed, Choice Band to hurt a lot of Ubers, even without a Dragon Dance boost, and Choice Specs to strike from the monstrous base 150 Special Attack baked with the burning heat of a combination of deadly moves like Draco Meteor and Overheat to surprise unwary foes. Don't forget Air Lock, which nullifies weather bonus and destroys weather teams, particularly Pokémon such as Kingdra that rely on the weather to boost their Speed stat. Rayquaza can also use ExtremeSpeed with Swords Dance to annihilate faster threats such as Deoxys-A. Finally, by using a mixed set, it can effectively hit every Pokémon in the Ubers metagame for phenomenal damage. Rayquaza can sweep in the blink of an eye, making any team that is not prepared to counter this beast a team that is doomed.Kyogre
Kyogre is the rightful "King of Ubers", as it is able to reach a whopping 438 Special Attack, and has Drizzle, which causes rain that boosts its Water-type attacks. Kyogre can fix its mediocre Speed stat with Choice Scarf, and abuse that new high speed with the insanely powerful Water Spout, which effectively has a 337.5 power after the rain boost and STAB. Kyogre can use Calm Mind too, which it can take advantage with under the protection of the 101 Substitutes which it can create. Due to the special/physical split, Kyogre can even surprise Blissey with Waterfall, which may 2HKO under rain. It can also utilize Choice Specs as well, pushing that titanic Special Attack so high that not even Blissey can withstand it, essentially giving it triple Water-type STAB with Choice Specs, STAB, and Drizzle, although it does come with the price of sitting at 306 Speed maximum, which is outpaced by the majority of Ubers. A Choice Specs boosted Water Spout in the rain from Kyogre is the most powerful move in all of DPP. To give an idea of its power, it can even 2HKO a standard, full health Blissey, without the need of entry hazards.Groudon
Kyogre's opposite. Kyogre has Calm Mind, but Groudon has Swords Dance. In this generation Groudon received new toys to play with. It no longer needs a Hidden Power to destroy Lati@s this time since it gets Dragon Claw and Shadow Claw. It also no longer fears a defensively built Kyogre due to Life Orb. Groudon isn't seen much because of its lower Special Defense, lack of STAB that goes with the weather, and the fact that Lugia is often built to counter it. Groudon is definitely still a threat to look out for, however. When not Swords Dancing, Groudon can be a Choice Bander (although he greatly fears Rayquaza switching into a Choice Banded Earthquake), Choice Scarfer to boost that mediocre speed, or a defensive player to stop Tyranitar, Metagross, and Rayquaza. Groudon has also gained a new toy in the move Rock Polish, doubling its speed, making it far easier to sweep, especially when used in conjunction with the great attacking combination of Ground/Dragon/Rock, or when used together with Swords Dance, creating a fearsome beast that is nearly impossible to counter.Ho-Oh
Severely hurt by the existence of Stealth Rock, it loses a massive 50% of its total Hit Points right off the bat if it switches in. However, Sacred Fire is nothing to laugh at, with a 50% burn rate, which can destroy physical sweepers, such as Rayquaza. Even though Ho-Oh severely misses its physical Shadow Ball, that slot can be replaced by Punishment, which can be very handy dealing with opponents who have boosted their defensive stats (like a Latios who managed to pull three Calm Minds). A Choice Scarf Ho-Oh under sunlight is magnificent to watch as it rips the opponent apart with Sacred Fire. Ho-Oh has other options too, such as Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, Thunder, and Hidden Power for special sweeping, the item Choice Specs, and Choice Band for even more physical sweeping power (for less Speed obviously). It can dent many different threats with Life Orb coupled with a base 130 Attack stat and 110 base Special Attack stat. As for healing moves, Ho-Oh can Recover or Roost. However, Ho-Oh is far less common now due to Stealth Rock, but can become a surprise threat due to this unexpectedness, especially when used with a Rapid Spinner, such as the non-Uber Forretress.Palkia
Kyogre was jealous that Groudon received a Sun abusing partner in the 3rd generation (Ho-Oh), so Palkia decided to be Kyogre's partner to overcome its jealousy in the 4th gen. Palkia is an absolute terror under rain, launching Surfs at a base 150 Special Attack stat coupled with either Lustrous Orb, Life Orb, or Choice Specs, while punishing Dragon-types that attempt to switch into it with a powerful Draco Meteor or Spacial Rend. Palkia does not fear Blissey because it has access to Aqua Tail, which easily 2HKOes under rain. Palkia comes packed with a 4x resistance to Water-type attacks, in addition to an often overlooked 120 base Special Defense, which makes it a decent non-Calm Mind Kyogre counter. Palkia's base 100 Speed stat allows it to outspeed many Ubers, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Giratina and Deoxys-D. There is also the commonly forgotten physical Palkia set, which can utilize Aqua Tail and Outrage to decimate its normal counters of Blissey and Latias. It can also boost Aqua Tail and Outrage further with either Choice Band or the move Bulk Up. Palkia can further use these moves in a mixed-physical set, which punishes stall. Furthermore, Palkia can use Choice Scarf to outspeed many Ubers, making it a great revenge killer, including against a Dragon Dance Rayquaza who is about to sweep your team, provided it has only boosted its Speed stat once. Palkia is so deadly and versatile that there is no true counter to it; everything that could switch in is at risk of being hurt too badly to stay in and counter it.Dialga
Has the same offensive stats as Palkia, although misses out on the Speed stat and the Water-typing. Dialga's resistances allow it to swap into moves quite easily, and with those offensive stats and an offensive movepool consisting of Brick Break, Outrage, Draco Meteor, Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Overheat, Thunder and Dragon Pulse, expect Dialga to inflict a lot of pain into your team. Dialga's immunity to Toxic grants it the ability to switch into Blissey with impunity and put a hurt on to her with Brick Break, or Outrage. Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Thunder keep physically defensive Pokémon from switching in to attempt to wall Dialga. The only counters to a mixed Dialga are Fighting-type Arceus and Deoxys-D. The first is up for debate in terms of existence and legitimacy, whereas the other is quite lacking in serving other purposes. It is essential to be unpredictable when confronted with a mixed Dialga. Dialga with a Choice Scarf also makes for a fantastic revenge killer, and while it misses out by only having a base 90 Speed stat, slow for Ubers, it redeems itself by being a Steel-type, allowing it to resist Rayquaza's possibly boosted ExtremeSpeed, which bypass Choice Scarf's boost. Dialga can also strike on the physical side, by using Bulk Up or a Choice Band to boost its already impressive, but often neglected, base 120 Attack stat. A Choice Banded or Bulk Up-boosted Outrage can prove as a nasty surprise, and can barrel through teams that relegate Dialga to the realm of "always Special".Darkrai
Having a base 90 Attack stat, base 125 Speed stat, and base 135 Special Attack stat, its stats might make it look like an inferior Mewtwo. However, Darkrai is far from that. Darkrai has the move Dark Void, which is the most accurate sleep move besides Spore. It also has the ability, Bad Dreams, which deals 12.5% to a Pokémon who is sleeping in its presence. The other thing is its Dark-typing, which gives it an edge in Uber battling by providing the STAB Dark Pulses, which are helpful, as many Uber Pokémon are Psychic-typed. Darkrai, like Mewtwo, has virtually no counters. Any Sleep Talker can get Taunted. Blissey fears Focus Punch and cannot beat a Darkrai with Substitute and Nasty Plot unless she has Seismic Toss or Psych Up/Calm Mind. The best strategy one may have against Darkrai is to let something to absorb Dark Void, preferably a Sleep Talker, and then switch out to a Pokémon that can outspeed Darkrai.Latios and Latias
One can't forget about these two. They pack a serious punch on any team because of their boosted stats thanks to Soul Dew. Latios boasts a 591 maximum Special Attack, while retaining the ability to switch moves, which allows it to smash many Pokémon in the opponent's team. However, this great 591 Special Attack is instantly nullified by the great special wall Blissey, when she has with Calm Mind or Psych Up. Latias packs less power than her brother in exchange for more durability. In this generation, the Lati twins earned several power boosts. Dragon Pulse now replaces Dragon Claw with a higher Base Power. Draco Meteor is now always there to instantly cause insane amounts of damage. They also received Grass Knot for Groudon, Kyogre, and Tyranitar, all of whom take a whopping 120 base damage from it. A difference between Latios and Latias, aside from their stats, is that Latios learns Dragon Dance and Memento, while Latias learns Wish. Latios can now utilize a physical STAB Dragon Claw with Dragon Dance, making mixed and physical sets possibilities as well, which can catch his normal counters by surprise. To aid their sweeping abilities, Latios and Latias also learn a variety of supportive moves, such as Calm Mind and Recover. They can Safeguard to prevent things like Blissey from statusing them, as well.Manaphy
Manaphy is yet another little event pixie with 100 base stats across the board. For the most part, Manaphy is an Uber simply because it is too strong for standard play; however, it can be extremely powerful when used in conjunction with Kyogre. Kyogre's rain grants Manaphy virtual immunity to status, which is particularly helpful when Manaphy is trying to boost its Special Attack by making the appendage on its head flash with Tail Glow. Even though Manaphy's attacking movepool is limited to Surf, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot, a moveset with Tail Glow, Surf, Ice Beam, and one of the Grass-type moves offers huge type coverage and is definitely a force to watch out for.Garchomp
After being banished from the OU tier, many were worried that Garchomp would not stand a chance in its new home. However, their fears have been reconciled, as Garchomp is still a force to be reckoned with. It has STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves, along with Stone Edge and a base 102 Speed stat. Garchomp, who was once not considered a threat in the Uber metagame, now proved itself to be extremely devastating in the right hands. It has the immunity to Electric-type attacks and resistance to Rock-type attacks, allowing it to switch in quite easily against the likes of Choice Specs Thunder and Tyranitar. Garchomp's base 102 Speed is quite impressive in Ubers, as it outruns all base 90 to base 100 Speed Ubers, unless they carry Choice Scarf. It also outruns the standard Lugia, allowing it to 2HKO the Psychic-type bird with Choice Banded Stone Edge without the fear of being stalled to death by Roost. Speaking of Choice Band, Garchomp is capable of 2HKOing almost every non-Arceus Uber, even the bulkiest of the lot, with Outrage or Earthquake, and that is certainly something that a player must be aware of before constructing a team. By using Swords Dance in conjunction with a Life Orb or Salac Berry, it can blaze through even the strongest physical wall, like Lugia or Groudon. With a Choice Scarf, Garchomp is arguably the best revenge killer in the Uber tier, due to its great STABs, large Attack stat, and odd 102 base Speed stat.Giratina-O
Giratina's offensive cousin, Giratina-O, has amazing STAB in Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks, hitting many of the Pokémon in Ubers for super effective damage. It is on the slow side of Uber Pokémon, at only a 90 base Speed stat, but it makes up for this lack of speed with two fantastic base 120 Attack stats, and a tremendous bulk with 150 base Hit Points and 100 base in both Defense and Special Defense. Giratina-O is unique in that the only item it can hold is the Griseous Orb, also known as the Platinum Orb, which keeps it in its Origin forme and boosts its Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks. It also cannot lose this item, making it immune to Trick and Knock Off. It is quite the offensive menace, as it can attack with STAB Dragon Pulse and Shadow Ball on the special side, or STAB Outrage/Dragon Claw and Shadow Force, Giratina-O's signature move, on the physical side. However, Skarmory can wall the physical version quite soundly, making it far less common and effective, which sometimes one can use as an advantage, or if one has a Pokémon to deal with Skarmory. Giratina-O is hailed as the "ultimate stall-breaker", with its mixed capacity, immunity to Seismic Toss, Toxic Spikes and Spikes, the ability to Calm Mind, and use of Substitute to block status. After coming in, it can set up a Substitute, which blocks any attempts by stall teams to poison, paralyze, or even Leech Seed it. From there, it can set up by using Calm Mind, which only a Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey can then stop. After only one Calm Mind and with Stealth Rock up, it can OHKO Lugia with Shadow Ball, and possibly OHKO Latias with Dragon Pulse, both common walls in Ubers. It has a lot of weaknesses, but is a true force when used properly, especially with paralysis support.Shaymin-S
Shaymin-S sports a blinding base Speed of 127, and while this may not outspeed the likes of Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, or Mewtwo, it outspeeds everything else that isn't carrying a Choice Scarf, unless of course, Shaymin-S is carrying one itself. Although it gives it a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, Shaymin-S has a massive asset in its Grass-typing, more specifically in its signature move, Seed Flare. Coming off a very healthy base 120 Special Attack stat and factoring in STAB, Seed Flare hits Kyogre and Groudon, two of the most prevalent Ubers, like a ton of bricks, OHKOing both, while outpacing and hitting Palkia for neutral damage. Seed Flare also has the added bonus of having an 80% chance of lowering your opponent's Special Defense by two stages, the equivalent of a Nasty Plot. Not only does this help Shaymin-S wear down bulky opponents like Blissey, but it also forces a lot of switches, which works terrifically with residual damagers like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Its usefulness doesn't stop there though, Shaymin-S can also be a terrific SubSeeder, with its obscene speed and access to the aforementioned Seed Flare, so it is able to dish out heavy damage while leeching it as well, totally annihilating a potential counter. This set works especially well when the opponent is initially trapped by Wobbuffet, but still well without. Shaymin-S is a Pokémon you cannot underestimate.More Coming Soon....
The Ubers metagame is almost a forgotten metagame, the main reason being that everyone plays the Overused metagame (OU), and the fact that some other people even think that Uber Pokémon take no skill to use. They are, however, quite wrong, as Uber matches are full of strategy. They pack more power and movepool than many OU Pokémon, making the Uber metagame quite unbalanced; this is how, when, and where strategy, prediction, and critical thinking shine the most. One wrong move can destroy its user if one is not careful. This guide will hopefully help one pick Pokémon and their individual aspects (EVs, moves, etc.) that will thrive in the Uber metagame.
Which Pokemon are Ubers?The following Pokémon are classified as Ubers: Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A,Deoxys-D, Deoxys-S, Dialga, Garchomp, Giratina, Girtina-O, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Latias with Soul Dew, Latios, Lugia, Manaphy, Mew, Mewtwo, Palkia, Rayquaza, Shaymin-S,Wobbuffet, Wynaut, and Arceus.
Why are they Ubers?They are the Pokémon that are considered too powerful for a balanced Standard (also known as Overused, or OU) metagame. Ubers tend to have very high stats and larger movepools compared to most other Pokémon. This results in their being extremely difficult or impossible to counter within the normal limits of the Standard metagame.
Why Wobbuffet and Wynaut?One may ask why Wobbuffet is Uber; its stats, besides Hit Points are very low, and its movepool consists of a meager seven moves (eight counting the promotional Tickle). However, it is known as the ultimate set up Pokémon, and it is classified as an Uber purely because it has a trait - Shadow Tag - that traps all Pokémon that are not holding a Shed Shell or have the move U-turn or Baton Pass. Wobbuffet's titanic HP lets him use his moves - Counter, Mirror Coat, and most importantly, Encore - to great success. His ability to set up sweepers such as Rayquaza and Arceus with a deadly combination of Encore and Shadow Tag is definitely not something that players should overlook. In Advance, 386 play, or the 3rd generation as many call it, two Wobbuffet facing each other would cause an extremely long and mind-bendingly boring stallwar due to their mutual inability to switch out, thus causing them to try and slap around each other for no damage until they Struggle, which will never finish thanks to the recovery they receive from the item Leftovers. However, this problem has been fixed in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Two Pokémon with Shadow Tag will be able to escape out of each other, and thus preventing this dreadfully boring battle of willpower. This, however, is not a reason why Wobbuffet is not Uber, as it can trap anything else and force either a KO or a free turn with Encore. If Wobbuffet Encored a damaging attack, the opposition would be promptly destroyed, and if it Encored a setup move, Wobbuffet's user would almost be guaranteed a free turn to switch to another Pokémon and set up. The same goes for Wynaut, however, its stats are completely outclassed by its evolution, Wobbuffet, but it still has Shadow Tag, pushing it into the Ubers territory (it not recommended that you use Wynaut, though).What makes a team Uber?Any number of Ubers on one's team automatically makes one's team an Uber team. If one has just one Uber on one's team, one's team is Uber. There are no exceptions.Know the Ubers
The Pokémon will be organized into groups for effectiveness.
The Uber Walls
Lugia
Known as the ultimate wall in the past, Lugia's tanking ability remains almost unchanged in this fast paced generation. With 106 base Hit Points, 130 base Defense, and 154 base Special Defense, coupled with the recovery move Roost, Lugia is always be a pain to take down. Additionally, its base 110 speed outpaces many threats such as Palkia and Groudon. Despite its higher Special Defense, Lugia is often used as a physical wall because it still pales to Blissey in terms of special walling. In Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Lugia's tanking abilities are slightly hampered by Stealth Rock, though.
Giratina
Known for its ability to stop the rampage of a Swords Dancing Normal-typed Arceus, Giratina packs useful stats in tanking and a wide array of moves to back it up. With a godly base 150 Hit Points and base 120 in both defenses, its ability to learn Will-O-Wisp, and its useful immunities to Normal- and Fighting-types and resistances to Electric-, Water-, Grass-, Poison-, and Bug-types certainly makes it a fine wall in Ubers. Giratina can also fight back, by taking chunks out of weakened physical sweepers with Dragon Claw or Outrage, the former allowing one to switch moves if necessary, while the latter allows for harder hitting. However, unlike Lugia, Giratina lacks a recovery move. It can't even learn Roost, which strongly impedes its tanking ability. Giratina's weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ice-types also hurt it severely, seeing how all of said types are common in the Uber metagame. Giratina's offensive capabilities should not be overlooked, however, seeing that it has access to powerful moves such as Draco Meteor and can launch them from a base 100 Attack or Special Attack when the trainer does not feel like making his Giratina a wall. STAB Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks are certainly something to fear in Ubers.
Deoxys-D
Deoxys-D has a massive support movepool, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Knock Off; the list goes on. Deoxys-D's movepool surpasses that of all the other walls thanks to its multiple forms. It has access to Recover to replenish its health, and Toxic to poison the opponent. It can Taunt its victims too, preventing their attempts to heal. Deoxys-D's options are so numerous, one wouldn't be able to explain them all here. However, it is worth warning that Deoxys-D is easily set up on, as its mediocre base 70 Special Attack is easily absorbed in a metagame where defenses soar over 100, even on offensive Pokémon.
Dialga
Dialga possesses a base 100 Hit Point stat, a base 120 Defense stat, and a base 100 Special Defense stat, Pressure, and one of the top ranked type combinations (Steel/Dragon) for tanking. While Dialga does not possess the ability to recover quickly like Lugia, he packs a wide range of resistances, which makes it quite handy for switching into the constant blasts of Shadow Balls in the Uber metagame. Dialga certainly is not a slouch in the offensive departments either. It has a base 120 Attack and base 150 Special attack, which along with powerful moves such as Draco Meteor and Thunder lets it tear a gaping hole in the opponent's team. Dialga also has access to Bulk Up, which, when combined with Rest, turns it into a very impressive mixed, but especially physical, wall, even when faced with its weaknesses of Fighting- and Ground-types.
Groudon
Groudon is usually seen in the offensive department, but a physical walling Groudon deserves mention. Groudon is capable of holding up against threats such as Tyranitar and Metagross with given EV investment in Hit Points and Defense. It only needs 252 HP EVs and 24 Defense EVs to survive a Dragon Danced Life Orbed Outrage from Rayquaza; it can then retaliate with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw. Both are powerful enough to put Rayquaza down to an incredibly low amount of health that Life Orb recoil can wipe it out, or just KO it right off the bat. Groudon also possesses a wide variety of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Safeguard, and Roar, allowing it to aid its teammates in more ways than just absorbing physical blows.
Latias
Unlike her brother Latios, Latias focuses on playing a defensive role. Latias possesses a base 80 Hit Point stat, a base 90 Defense stat, and base 130 Special Defense stat. This may seem small compared to the others, but Latias' trump card is her mystical item: Soul Dew. Soul Dew boosts her Special Defense and Special Attack stats by 50%, making her a very deadly sweeper as well. Since this is the sole item used with Latias, it pushes her into the Ubers section of this guide. Latias is capable of holding her own against tough attackers such as Kyogre, as she can take an Ice Beam from 438 Special Attack, and dish back significant damage with Thunder and Grass Knot. Like many other Psychics in the Uber metagame, Latias has the ability to restore her hit points with Recover or Roost, making her an even tougher wall. She is, however, prone to Metagross' Pursuit, KOing her if she switches out due to her base 80 Hit Points and base 90 Defense, and Meteor Mash, which will 2HKO if she stays in, provided Metagross is not Choice Banded. She is best known as a special wall that has a considerable amount of offense and speed, which is what separates her from Blissey. Latias also gets special mention because, using her high base 110 Speed, Soul Dew, and Recover, she is the only true counter of a Choice Specs Kyogre, who can down even Blissey in two hits with a full health Water Spout, because of her ability to outspeed Kyogre and Recover, or weaken its Water Spout with Grass Knot or Thunder.The Uber sweepers
Mewtwo
Mewtwo's unpredictability ranks above that of Gengar's. With a base 110 Attack stat, a base 130 Speed stat, and a base 154 Special Attack stat, Mewtwo can effectively abuse both physical and special attacks. It is extremely versatile, with an enormous selection of physical, special, and supporting attacks. It can break stalling Uber teams with the combination of Taunt and Calm Mind to boost its already sky-high Special Attack and shut down attempts at healing; it can also Selfdestruct, killing potentially threatening walls and tanks. Its movepool consists of a wide range of types, including Ghost, Ice, and Electric, all very effective types in Ubers. Mewtwo is also deceptively bulky, with access to 101 Substitutes, Will-O-Wisp, and Calm Mind. Mewtwo is definitely and invariably a very high level threat.Deoxys-A
It had the misfortune to have been born with pitiful defenses almost equaling to that of Carvanha's. However, laugh at its minuscule defenses as much as you want, and then proceed to stare in pure horror at the base 180 Attack and Special Attack, seasoned with 150 base Speed. Deoxys-A is the Kryptonite in the Uber metagame, cleaning out Pokémon like nothing else thanks to those stats and a wide array of moves in both the physical and special categories. It can also surprise opponents with Counter and Mirror Coat (stolen from its sibling Deoxys-D) coupled with the item Focus Sash. There is no true counter for Deoxys-A in the strictest definition of the word. Metagross can Bullet Punch it, but risks at being Countered if Deoxys-A holds a Focus Sash. Dugtrio can trap him and threaten to KO with Sucker Punch, but loses if Deoxys-A carries Substitute. The closest counter to Deoxys-A is Spiritomb, who laughs at anything Deoxys-A does except for Life Orbed or Choice Specs Thunder. If Deoxys-A dares to take that action, Spiritomb promptly replies to that with Sucker Punch. If Deoxys tries to switch, it will risk getting Pursuited. Scizor can also be used to play mindgames, threatening to Bullet Punch if Deoxys-A stays in, or hit it with Pursuit if it decides to switch out. Take note, however, that with its abysmal defenses, it is almost impossible to switch Deoxys-A in safely, necessitating a situation after a Pokémon's fainting.Rayquaza
It has a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, but gained massive improvements from 3rd Generation to the 4th Generation with the addition of a physical/special split and Outrage getting its power boosted to 120 Base Power. Rayquaza is the reason why people carry a Steel-type in their teams. A Dragon Danced Life Orbed Outrage from a monstrous base 150 Attack stat can OHKO far over half of the existing Ubers. Rayquaza also packs some nice resistances to help it set up, including a 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks, so it can switch into a Choice Specs Grass Knot, and an immunity to Ground-type attacks. Rayquaza also has some options aside from Dragon Dancing. It can use a Choice Scarf to boost its average speed, Choice Band to hurt a lot of Ubers, even without a Dragon Dance boost, and Choice Specs to strike from the monstrous base 150 Special Attack baked with the burning heat of a combination of deadly moves like Draco Meteor and Overheat to surprise unwary foes. Don't forget Air Lock, which nullifies weather bonus and destroys weather teams, particularly Pokémon such as Kingdra that rely on the weather to boost their Speed stat. Rayquaza can also use ExtremeSpeed with Swords Dance to annihilate faster threats such as Deoxys-A. Finally, by using a mixed set, it can effectively hit every Pokémon in the Ubers metagame for phenomenal damage. Rayquaza can sweep in the blink of an eye, making any team that is not prepared to counter this beast a team that is doomed.Kyogre
Kyogre is the rightful "King of Ubers", as it is able to reach a whopping 438 Special Attack, and has Drizzle, which causes rain that boosts its Water-type attacks. Kyogre can fix its mediocre Speed stat with Choice Scarf, and abuse that new high speed with the insanely powerful Water Spout, which effectively has a 337.5 power after the rain boost and STAB. Kyogre can use Calm Mind too, which it can take advantage with under the protection of the 101 Substitutes which it can create. Due to the special/physical split, Kyogre can even surprise Blissey with Waterfall, which may 2HKO under rain. It can also utilize Choice Specs as well, pushing that titanic Special Attack so high that not even Blissey can withstand it, essentially giving it triple Water-type STAB with Choice Specs, STAB, and Drizzle, although it does come with the price of sitting at 306 Speed maximum, which is outpaced by the majority of Ubers. A Choice Specs boosted Water Spout in the rain from Kyogre is the most powerful move in all of DPP. To give an idea of its power, it can even 2HKO a standard, full health Blissey, without the need of entry hazards.Groudon
Kyogre's opposite. Kyogre has Calm Mind, but Groudon has Swords Dance. In this generation Groudon received new toys to play with. It no longer needs a Hidden Power to destroy Lati@s this time since it gets Dragon Claw and Shadow Claw. It also no longer fears a defensively built Kyogre due to Life Orb. Groudon isn't seen much because of its lower Special Defense, lack of STAB that goes with the weather, and the fact that Lugia is often built to counter it. Groudon is definitely still a threat to look out for, however. When not Swords Dancing, Groudon can be a Choice Bander (although he greatly fears Rayquaza switching into a Choice Banded Earthquake), Choice Scarfer to boost that mediocre speed, or a defensive player to stop Tyranitar, Metagross, and Rayquaza. Groudon has also gained a new toy in the move Rock Polish, doubling its speed, making it far easier to sweep, especially when used in conjunction with the great attacking combination of Ground/Dragon/Rock, or when used together with Swords Dance, creating a fearsome beast that is nearly impossible to counter.Ho-Oh
Severely hurt by the existence of Stealth Rock, it loses a massive 50% of its total Hit Points right off the bat if it switches in. However, Sacred Fire is nothing to laugh at, with a 50% burn rate, which can destroy physical sweepers, such as Rayquaza. Even though Ho-Oh severely misses its physical Shadow Ball, that slot can be replaced by Punishment, which can be very handy dealing with opponents who have boosted their defensive stats (like a Latios who managed to pull three Calm Minds). A Choice Scarf Ho-Oh under sunlight is magnificent to watch as it rips the opponent apart with Sacred Fire. Ho-Oh has other options too, such as Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, Thunder, and Hidden Power for special sweeping, the item Choice Specs, and Choice Band for even more physical sweeping power (for less Speed obviously). It can dent many different threats with Life Orb coupled with a base 130 Attack stat and 110 base Special Attack stat. As for healing moves, Ho-Oh can Recover or Roost. However, Ho-Oh is far less common now due to Stealth Rock, but can become a surprise threat due to this unexpectedness, especially when used with a Rapid Spinner, such as the non-Uber Forretress.Palkia
Kyogre was jealous that Groudon received a Sun abusing partner in the 3rd generation (Ho-Oh), so Palkia decided to be Kyogre's partner to overcome its jealousy in the 4th gen. Palkia is an absolute terror under rain, launching Surfs at a base 150 Special Attack stat coupled with either Lustrous Orb, Life Orb, or Choice Specs, while punishing Dragon-types that attempt to switch into it with a powerful Draco Meteor or Spacial Rend. Palkia does not fear Blissey because it has access to Aqua Tail, which easily 2HKOes under rain. Palkia comes packed with a 4x resistance to Water-type attacks, in addition to an often overlooked 120 base Special Defense, which makes it a decent non-Calm Mind Kyogre counter. Palkia's base 100 Speed stat allows it to outspeed many Ubers, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Giratina and Deoxys-D. There is also the commonly forgotten physical Palkia set, which can utilize Aqua Tail and Outrage to decimate its normal counters of Blissey and Latias. It can also boost Aqua Tail and Outrage further with either Choice Band or the move Bulk Up. Palkia can further use these moves in a mixed-physical set, which punishes stall. Furthermore, Palkia can use Choice Scarf to outspeed many Ubers, making it a great revenge killer, including against a Dragon Dance Rayquaza who is about to sweep your team, provided it has only boosted its Speed stat once. Palkia is so deadly and versatile that there is no true counter to it; everything that could switch in is at risk of being hurt too badly to stay in and counter it.Dialga
Has the same offensive stats as Palkia, although misses out on the Speed stat and the Water-typing. Dialga's resistances allow it to swap into moves quite easily, and with those offensive stats and an offensive movepool consisting of Brick Break, Outrage, Draco Meteor, Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Overheat, Thunder and Dragon Pulse, expect Dialga to inflict a lot of pain into your team. Dialga's immunity to Toxic grants it the ability to switch into Blissey with impunity and put a hurt on to her with Brick Break, or Outrage. Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Thunder keep physically defensive Pokémon from switching in to attempt to wall Dialga. The only counters to a mixed Dialga are Fighting-type Arceus and Deoxys-D. The first is up for debate in terms of existence and legitimacy, whereas the other is quite lacking in serving other purposes. It is essential to be unpredictable when confronted with a mixed Dialga. Dialga with a Choice Scarf also makes for a fantastic revenge killer, and while it misses out by only having a base 90 Speed stat, slow for Ubers, it redeems itself by being a Steel-type, allowing it to resist Rayquaza's possibly boosted ExtremeSpeed, which bypass Choice Scarf's boost. Dialga can also strike on the physical side, by using Bulk Up or a Choice Band to boost its already impressive, but often neglected, base 120 Attack stat. A Choice Banded or Bulk Up-boosted Outrage can prove as a nasty surprise, and can barrel through teams that relegate Dialga to the realm of "always Special".Darkrai
Having a base 90 Attack stat, base 125 Speed stat, and base 135 Special Attack stat, its stats might make it look like an inferior Mewtwo. However, Darkrai is far from that. Darkrai has the move Dark Void, which is the most accurate sleep move besides Spore. It also has the ability, Bad Dreams, which deals 12.5% to a Pokémon who is sleeping in its presence. The other thing is its Dark-typing, which gives it an edge in Uber battling by providing the STAB Dark Pulses, which are helpful, as many Uber Pokémon are Psychic-typed. Darkrai, like Mewtwo, has virtually no counters. Any Sleep Talker can get Taunted. Blissey fears Focus Punch and cannot beat a Darkrai with Substitute and Nasty Plot unless she has Seismic Toss or Psych Up/Calm Mind. The best strategy one may have against Darkrai is to let something to absorb Dark Void, preferably a Sleep Talker, and then switch out to a Pokémon that can outspeed Darkrai.Latios and Latias
One can't forget about these two. They pack a serious punch on any team because of their boosted stats thanks to Soul Dew. Latios boasts a 591 maximum Special Attack, while retaining the ability to switch moves, which allows it to smash many Pokémon in the opponent's team. However, this great 591 Special Attack is instantly nullified by the great special wall Blissey, when she has with Calm Mind or Psych Up. Latias packs less power than her brother in exchange for more durability. In this generation, the Lati twins earned several power boosts. Dragon Pulse now replaces Dragon Claw with a higher Base Power. Draco Meteor is now always there to instantly cause insane amounts of damage. They also received Grass Knot for Groudon, Kyogre, and Tyranitar, all of whom take a whopping 120 base damage from it. A difference between Latios and Latias, aside from their stats, is that Latios learns Dragon Dance and Memento, while Latias learns Wish. Latios can now utilize a physical STAB Dragon Claw with Dragon Dance, making mixed and physical sets possibilities as well, which can catch his normal counters by surprise. To aid their sweeping abilities, Latios and Latias also learn a variety of supportive moves, such as Calm Mind and Recover. They can Safeguard to prevent things like Blissey from statusing them, as well.Manaphy
Manaphy is yet another little event pixie with 100 base stats across the board. For the most part, Manaphy is an Uber simply because it is too strong for standard play; however, it can be extremely powerful when used in conjunction with Kyogre. Kyogre's rain grants Manaphy virtual immunity to status, which is particularly helpful when Manaphy is trying to boost its Special Attack by making the appendage on its head flash with Tail Glow. Even though Manaphy's attacking movepool is limited to Surf, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot, a moveset with Tail Glow, Surf, Ice Beam, and one of the Grass-type moves offers huge type coverage and is definitely a force to watch out for.Garchomp
After being banished from the OU tier, many were worried that Garchomp would not stand a chance in its new home. However, their fears have been reconciled, as Garchomp is still a force to be reckoned with. It has STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves, along with Stone Edge and a base 102 Speed stat. Garchomp, who was once not considered a threat in the Uber metagame, now proved itself to be extremely devastating in the right hands. It has the immunity to Electric-type attacks and resistance to Rock-type attacks, allowing it to switch in quite easily against the likes of Choice Specs Thunder and Tyranitar. Garchomp's base 102 Speed is quite impressive in Ubers, as it outruns all base 90 to base 100 Speed Ubers, unless they carry Choice Scarf. It also outruns the standard Lugia, allowing it to 2HKO the Psychic-type bird with Choice Banded Stone Edge without the fear of being stalled to death by Roost. Speaking of Choice Band, Garchomp is capable of 2HKOing almost every non-Arceus Uber, even the bulkiest of the lot, with Outrage or Earthquake, and that is certainly something that a player must be aware of before constructing a team. By using Swords Dance in conjunction with a Life Orb or Salac Berry, it can blaze through even the strongest physical wall, like Lugia or Groudon. With a Choice Scarf, Garchomp is arguably the best revenge killer in the Uber tier, due to its great STABs, large Attack stat, and odd 102 base Speed stat.Giratina-O
Giratina's offensive cousin, Giratina-O, has amazing STAB in Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks, hitting many of the Pokémon in Ubers for super effective damage. It is on the slow side of Uber Pokémon, at only a 90 base Speed stat, but it makes up for this lack of speed with two fantastic base 120 Attack stats, and a tremendous bulk with 150 base Hit Points and 100 base in both Defense and Special Defense. Giratina-O is unique in that the only item it can hold is the Griseous Orb, also known as the Platinum Orb, which keeps it in its Origin forme and boosts its Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks. It also cannot lose this item, making it immune to Trick and Knock Off. It is quite the offensive menace, as it can attack with STAB Dragon Pulse and Shadow Ball on the special side, or STAB Outrage/Dragon Claw and Shadow Force, Giratina-O's signature move, on the physical side. However, Skarmory can wall the physical version quite soundly, making it far less common and effective, which sometimes one can use as an advantage, or if one has a Pokémon to deal with Skarmory. Giratina-O is hailed as the "ultimate stall-breaker", with its mixed capacity, immunity to Seismic Toss, Toxic Spikes and Spikes, the ability to Calm Mind, and use of Substitute to block status. After coming in, it can set up a Substitute, which blocks any attempts by stall teams to poison, paralyze, or even Leech Seed it. From there, it can set up by using Calm Mind, which only a Calm Mind/Psych Up Blissey can then stop. After only one Calm Mind and with Stealth Rock up, it can OHKO Lugia with Shadow Ball, and possibly OHKO Latias with Dragon Pulse, both common walls in Ubers. It has a lot of weaknesses, but is a true force when used properly, especially with paralysis support.Shaymin-S
Shaymin-S sports a blinding base Speed of 127, and while this may not outspeed the likes of Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, or Mewtwo, it outspeeds everything else that isn't carrying a Choice Scarf, unless of course, Shaymin-S is carrying one itself. Although it gives it a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, Shaymin-S has a massive asset in its Grass-typing, more specifically in its signature move, Seed Flare. Coming off a very healthy base 120 Special Attack stat and factoring in STAB, Seed Flare hits Kyogre and Groudon, two of the most prevalent Ubers, like a ton of bricks, OHKOing both, while outpacing and hitting Palkia for neutral damage. Seed Flare also has the added bonus of having an 80% chance of lowering your opponent's Special Defense by two stages, the equivalent of a Nasty Plot. Not only does this help Shaymin-S wear down bulky opponents like Blissey, but it also forces a lot of switches, which works terrifically with residual damagers like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Its usefulness doesn't stop there though, Shaymin-S can also be a terrific SubSeeder, with its obscene speed and access to the aforementioned Seed Flare, so it is able to dish out heavy damage while leeching it as well, totally annihilating a potential counter. This set works especially well when the opponent is initially trapped by Wobbuffet, but still well without. Shaymin-S is a Pokémon you cannot underestimate.More Coming Soon....
