First UU Team

[Fedora]

Hi, there! I'm new here, and also fairly new to competitive battling. I've known about it for some time, so I know the basics. However, strategy and team-building are a bit rocky for me, so I'm looking to improve. Due to this, I'm using mostly standard sets; I'm hoping to get good enough to be able to make my own, maybe, but while I'm learning, I'm sticking to these. So far, the team has worked… okay. I win some, lose some, but I really want to improve it. Oh, I'm playing on Pokemon Online, by the way.

Also, excuse the lack of images. It seems I'm not allowed to post them until I get a higher post count.

Past the introductions, here's my team:

--

Uxie @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock

Suggested by Aragornbird. Still dual screen and stealth rock support carrying psychic to deal with fighting types.
--


Mismagius (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Spd / 208 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute

Mismagius has been a good sweeper for me as well as a spin blocker. Substitute and then calm mind. Shadow Ball is used more often than thunderbolt, which I'm thinking of switching for HP Fighting anyway since Sceptile can take out the water types that come up. Claydol's barriers really help it out, too. All in all, it's worked out well for me, though I find it still dies pretty
quickly.

--


Milotic (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Marvel Scale
EVs: 152 HP / 80 Def / 56 Spd / 220 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Recover

Milotic has been really helpful, and it pairs pretty decently with Sceptile for resistances. Surf is there for better accuracy over hydro pump, ice beam for coverage, and recover for staying in longer. HP Grass works well for other water types, though I don't use it very often, so that's subject to change. It covers Venusaur okay by itself with ice beam, and Sceptile takes down other Milotic or a Slowbro that switches in on it. Sceptile can also help it out when Chansey comes in, since it carries Focus Blast, but Absol generally works better with its Superpower.

--

Sceptile(M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Energy Ball
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]

I really love Sceptile; its Leaf Storm takes down a lot of pokemon and severely dents others. Plus, HP Ice takes care of other grass types or Altaria. Focus Blast for steel or normal types—especially Ambipom, which really aggravates me when it's a lead, though I will usually switch in Mismagius to stop its fake out strategy. Overall, it's a powerful sweeper. Milotic can switch in on fire types for it. It, too, benefits from the barriers Claydol sets up, and the Stealth Rock damage to aid its sweeps never hurts, either.

--
Arcanine @Life Orb
Jolly Nature
120 HP / 152 Atk / 236 Spd

-Flare Blitz
-Extremespeed
-Morning Sun
Will-O-Wisp

Suggested by Aragornbird - a more bulky fire type and a physical attacker.
--

Absol(F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Night Slash

Absol is a recent addition to the team, and it's done a lot better than its predecessor, Altaria. It was the weak link of the team, and really didn't do much for me. So, I replaced it with this. With Swords Dance, it really becomes a force to be reckoned with. It's able to take down or severely dent a lot of things with Sucker Punch, and I put in Night Slash for the STAB bonus and the possibility of critical hits. Superpower takes down other dark types as well as steel types, especially Registeel, if it can get in the hit. Houndoom comes in handy to absorb Will-O-Wisp. I'm thinking of replacing Night Slash, though, with Psycho Cut since fighting types are a big problem. Also, I use Sucker Punch a lot more, since Absol is only so-so in speed.

--

Threats:

Fighting types – My team has a huge weakness to fighting types, and I have nothing really to counter them. I can take out a few of them, but it's definitely a struggle. I generally try to use Milotic to hit them with surf, and then pick them off with Absol's Sucker Punch, but I'm sure there could be an easier way. The frail ones aren't a big deal, like Primeape and Hitmonlee, though. Claydol has immunity to fighting-type moves, but since its only damaging move is explosion and it has usually exploded by the time I face one of these threats, it's not much use to me.

Registeel – While Milotic can stay in for a bit to hit it with Surfs, it usually gets poisoned or paralyzed. Houndoom can take it out if Fire Blast hits, but more often than not, it will get hit by Earthquake and then I have no defense against it. Sometimes it will explode to finish off whatever Milotic has done when it faints, or it will just rest off the damage. It's a pretty big threat to my team at the moment.

Blaziken – It is the same reasoning as above with fighting type, but it can also take down Sceptile, which is a problem. Houndoom has resistance to its fire-type attacks but won't even take one hit from its fighting-type moves. This one is just a specific threat that's come up a lot.

These are the main ones I encountered while testing the team.
--

I'm very open for suggestions and constructive criticism. As a beginner, I definitely want to get better, so be as harsh as you see fit. Thanks in advance!

 

[aragornbird]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wow, someone with only 1 post makes a RMT and it's actually pretty good!

I notice though, that you have a ton of special sweepers but only one Pokemon who can actually dish out physical damage. No wonder you have trouble with Registeel, and you'll have trouble with Chansey too.

Houndoom can be replaced with a physical sweeping Arcanine for your Fire type. It's a lot bulkier than Houndoom and comes with priority as well.

Arcanine @Life Orb
Adamant/Jolly Nature
120 HP / 152 Atk / 236 Spd

-Flare Blitz
-Extremespeed
-Morning Sun
-Toxic/Will-o-wisp

Mismagius can easily be your new Nasty Plotter, especially since you have a limited time before dual screens wear off.

If Fighting types give you trouble, consider using Dual Screen Uxie with Psychic. It's also way bulkier than Claydol so that helps.

Anyways, I have to go now, but I hope that helps. You should post this team on Smogon. You'll probably get more help there than you ever will here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

[Fedora]

Thanks so much! I'll try Arcanine and Uxie and see how that goes.

Also, I will also try your suggestion with trying on Smogon. I think I recognize you, actually - I like to look around on the CAP forum and just read. Too new to the game to actually participate.

Again, thanks for the suggestions. And sorry about the white text. Hehe. >>

 

[Dark Azelf]

I really prefer Thunderfang with Max attack on Arcanine over the status move as it really nails bulky waters. I do agree with Arcanine though, it covers Toxicroak and Venusaur well too and also checks Leafeon (use Jolly).

Id also give Nasty Plot a whirl on Mismag over CM. Behind screens you want to sweep as fast as possible until they run out. CM isnt letting you beat junk like Tomb behind screens whilst NP is.

Also is there anything in particular that Jolly outruns on Absol ? Absol really appreciates the power given by Adamant.

Claydol also doesn't particularly seem to be doing much apart from letting stuff set up on it really. Its easy for common leads like Omastar, Cloyster and Qwilfish to just stack entry hazards on it which really massacre your team, that and its trick pixie weak. I feel a more offensive lead would be in better for this team, your own Spiker lead like Omastar would be cool as Spikes + SR actually really help this team and you have Mismag to stop spin too. Spikes for example let Absol KO Milotic, stops Chansey switching in all day long on Sceptile and they wear down Registeel for Mismag, wear down waters for Arcanine and a whole host of other scenarios. This set would be perfect for this team.

Oh and lastly you want max speed @ Timid on Milotic. Venusaur really is WAY too common not to. Also if you lure Venu in you will have much easier time spamming Leaf Storms.

Other than that it looks like a cool team.

 

[Corruptodile]

Quick rate, you might want to consider a 252 Spec attk / 252 Spd spread on Milotic with a Timid nature to outspeed all non-scarfed Venusaur and more notably, all non-scarfed Venusaur.

You also mention some problems with Chansey, understandable with 5 special sweepers. What I would suggest is a mixed attacker lure, so when you've convinced Chansey you are another special attacker, you can unleash a powerful physical attack, weakening or removing Chansey and opening up your opponents team. I'd suggest Venusaur over Sceptile. While you lose the awesome power of Specstile, I think being able to reliably remove Chansey is greater than another strong special attacker. Alternatively, you could turn Houndoom mixed instead.

Finally, I'd like you to consider Hidden Power Fighting over Thunderbolt on Mismagius to hit Registeel and Chansey for SE damage.

I must say, I do like the team though. Good luck with it! :)

 

[Fedora]

Thanks to both of you! I switched up the EVs and nature of Milotic and gave Arcanine Thunderfang over Will-o-Wisp. Gave Mimagius HP fighting and Nasty Plot, too.

As for Venusaur and the lead Omastar, I'm going to try both of them out by playing some matches and seeing what works best. I'm really happy for the support and suggestions; I'm surprised my first team is actually decent. Hehe.