Help with my Smogon NU team?

Question

This is my first NU, and believe me, I suck at it, but here we go!

Ariados (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Insomnia
Adamant Nature
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Atk/ 252 Spe
Toxic Spikes
Shadow Sneak
Poison Jab
Protect

Carracosta (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
Impish Nature
EVs: 248 HP/ 8 Atk/ 252 Def
Stealth Rock
Waterfall
Stone Edge
Toxic

Fearow (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sniper
Jolly Nature
EVs: 252 Atk/ 4 Def/ 252 Spe
Drill Peck
Drill Run
Return
U-Turn

Raichu (F) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Lightningrod
Modest Nature
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe
Thunderbolt
Hidden Power [ICE]
Focus Blast
Volt Switch

Serperior (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Overgrow
Adamant Nature
32 HP/ 252 Atk/ 224 Spe
Coil
Substitute
Leaf Blade
Dragon Tail

Cincinno (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Skill Link
Jolly Nature
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Atk/ 252 Spe
Tail Slap
Rock Blast
Bullet Seed
Wake-Up Slap

Well, there it is! Do a good job, would ya'? :P

Comments

Contrary Serperior is DW OU

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Oh, sorry

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Team has a lot of flaws, I'll answer if I have time. Now, I'll play B2. I CAN START AT LAST!

Answer 1

Like B3n said, and also Contrary Serperior isn't available yet (I think apart from in Japan). 2 Leaf Storms and you'd wipe out your opponent. Also, Coil on a Contrary Pokemon? It'd just lower its stats... Contrary happens with self inflected stat changes too.

Ariados
@ Focus Sash/ Black Sludge
Ab: Insomnia
Toxic Spikes
Shadow Sneak
Sucker Punch
Sludge Bomb

Might as well go for Sucker Punch, along with Shadow Sneak, due to the increased priority of both, and to deal with Psychic types. Sludge Bomb instead of Poison Jab, because of higher damage & same accuracy and Poison chance; lower PP on Sludge Bomb doesn't matter too much.

Carracosta
@ Leftovers
Ab: Solid Rock
Stealth Rock
Crunch/ Ice Beam (coverage)
Stone Edge
Aqua Tail

You can go for Ice Beam to deal with the x4 Grass weakness, or Crunch for another physical move.

Fearow
@ Sharp Beak
Ab: Sniper
Drill Run
Drill Peck
Roost
U-Turn

I'm never a fan of choice items... nor of Fearow. To be honest I would go for a Unfezant w/ Wish (bred onto a Pidove) for extra support, or Togetic w/ Wish holding Eviolite. You already have enough coverage with the other 5, last slot should be used for support.

Raichu
@ Expert Belt
Ab: Lightning Rod
Thunderbolt
Volt Switch
Hidden Power (Ice)
Focus Blast

You might want to try Pikachu w/ Light Ball instead. The Pichu line has a pretty bleak move pool... if you want a electric alternative, Zebstrika isn't bad in NU. It out speeds Raichu, has a higher attack, and has Motor Drive & Sap Sipper to choose from. Rotom-Fan has an interesting typing, but suffers from limited movepool as well.

Serperior
Ab: Overgrow
@ Big Root
Giga Drain
Coil
Leaf Blade
Dragon Tail

Might as well make good use of Giga Drain w/ Big Root.

Cinccino
@ Life Orb/ Lum Berry
Ab: Skill Link
Rest/ Bullet Seed
Tail Slap
Rock Blast
U-Turn

You can always do a Rest + Berry combo on Cinccino as well to extend its lifespan.

Comments

Thats not true about Cinccino it only takes 10% like every life orb does to every pokemon. The rest of your suggestions are meh.

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I just think that Life Orb activating on every single skill linked move is a bit of an over kill. Not everything Smogon suggests should be followed. I would rather extend Cinccino's lifespan on the field, rather than have it gone in 2 tail slaps. And if you feel that the rest of my suggestions are meh, give more details on that opinion?

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Like i said above you dont take damage from Life Orb every time one of your multi-attacks hits, you only take damage once.(Like Bullet Seed will hit 5 times but you dont take 5 times the Life Orb damage you would take 10% the same way you would take 10% had you used Tackle.) Why Big Root on Serperior when you only have one move that benefits from it, might as well put Lefties or Miracle Seed on it. The switch from Riachu to Pikachu wasnt needed, Specs Riachu works fine.Roost+Choice Band on Fearow is a fail. Swellow>Unfezant if you want to get rid of attacker its best to replace it with an attacker(Im talking about Toxic Orb Guts Swellow.). Putting a Ice Move on Carrocosta isnt smart why would you stay in on a 4x super-effective grass move when instead you can switch to Serperior and probably scare them out and set up a Coil.I see where you are going with Ariodos with the Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch but its useless as you waste a slot for moves that do the same thing and cover the same types. Choose Sucker Punch and add in either Protect or a coverage move.

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I don't know what I was on when I read that Life Orb sapped health for every consecutive move. So sorry about that one. o-O

Carracosta is with Leftovers, so on most competitive teams you can't have two of the same item on your team, that was my reasoning behind Big Root. Raichu vs. Pikachu w/ Light Ball; Raichu has more rounded stats (speed isn't that different), vs. Pikachu who has a higher Attack/ Sp. Attack stat with Light Ball. With Fearow I forgot to swap the item for something else, maybe Air Gem or Sharp Beak. My suggestion of Unfezant only because I feel that every team needs a support (or Togetic w/ Eviolite). You already have 5 Pokemon with wide coverage, the last space should be filled with a support set. Ice Beam is there for coverage; if your down to only Carrocosta facing a Grass-type, what then. Both Sucker Punch & Shadow Sneak on Ariados was just to get the most out of it. I don't expect it to last long on the battlefield, even with Protect, so might as well give it another priority move.

That was my reasoning behind those suggestions. There is no right or wrong in this, since any moveset is workable, and advice can be taken or left.

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Item clause is usually not active. Just saying

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i wasnt saying your answer was wrong just some things that shouldnt be there, if you down to carrocosta and you are facing a grass type you wont be taking a hit thats all i have to say there. And like i said using Big Roots when its only boosting Giga Drain is pointless, if you want the boost switch to Miracle Seed to at least boost Leaf Blade too, like B3n said item clause is usually off so its okay to have repeat items.