[Gen 5] NU Balance

Question

This team is now outdated, as Keldeo is no longer in NU.

Steelix (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 44 HP / 76 Atk / 252 Def / 136 SpD
Brave Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast

Sturdy allows it to set up Stealth Rock in the majority of cases. Stealth Rock does damage to many of the Pokemon in NU. After that, Steelix can start hitting hard. Gyro Ball and Earthquake provide STAB of course. Rock Blast is my favorite Rock type attack. In addition to having better accuracy than Stone Edge and a good chance of doing more damage than Rock Slide, it breaks through Substitutes, and more importantly Focus Sashes (and Sturdy, but that isn't so important as I will unlikely be using Rock Blast against a Pokemon with the Sturdy ability in NU due to the types Sturdy is given to.) Breaking through Focus Sashes is important for a lead, as plenty of leads run a Focus Sash. 44 HP EVs gives Steelix 302 HP, which in addition to providing bulk also allows it to survive four hits from Seismic Toss and Night Shade, moves which a fair number of NU Pokemon rely on to do damage. The SpD EVs give a nice 200 Special Defense, meaning it can take non-boosted neutral hits fairly well. 252 defense EVs give Steelix plenty of bulk, so much so that even a super-effective Physical hit is unlikely to take down Steelix. Since Steelix is used for attacking after Stealth Rock, I gave it some Attack EVs and an Attack boosting nature. The result isn't spectacular, but it works when taking into account the high base power of the attacks. Leftovers is a standard item which further provides bulk to my Steelix. I have plenty of Pokemon on my team who can switch in on Fire type attacks directed at Steelix, while Druddigon and Keldeo can switch in on Water type attacks. As the majority of Ground and Fighting attacks are physical, Steelix will have no problem there, although I would still probably switch on a predicted use so as to lessen the damage. Steelix has low Speed, and benefits from Trick Room.

Lampent (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 160 HP / 48 Def / 252 SpA / 48 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Fire Blast
- Trick Room
- Shadow Ball
- Clear Smog

An interesting Pokemon on my team. It fills a multitude of minor roles that while not neccessary are helpful to my team. Its Ghost typing prevents Rapid Spin from removing Stealth Rock. With 301 HP as well as 252 for both defenses along with Eviolite, Lampent offers some bulk, and will not be taken down from types it resists, and will also not be taken down so easily by neutral hits. After all, it is NU. Lampent can come in and take down a weakened foe who I don't want escaping. Clear Smog stops stat boosters like Torkoal and Mothim from causing too much trouble. While Clear Smog does not work on Steel types, it can be used even if the foe Taunts me. Considering the lowwer number of Steel types in NU, I use Clear Smog. Shadow Ball and Fire Blast provides STAB. Fire Blast is used over Flamethrower, as even with 252 Sp Attack EVs and an Sp Attack boosting nature, it only reaches 317 Special Attack. While not low by any means, it isn't the highest, so I used the high base power Fire Blast. And 85% accuracy isn't so bad. Stone Edge only has 80% after all and it is still used on a number of Pokemon. Seeing as Trick Room is used, that is why there is a Speed lowering nature. Trick Room provides support for Steelix, Druddigon, Mesprit, and Nosepass, all of whom are slow Pokemon, with no Speed stat above 200. While Keldeo might not like Trick Room, the team still benefits enough from it to overlook that. Druddigon and possibly Keldeo (depending on whther or not I have Trick Room up) can switch in on Water type attacks. Mesprit has immunity to Ground. I can switch in Steelix and Keldeo in on Rock type attacks. Ghost is easy enough to deal with, especially as there are so few in NU. Dark is also dealt with easily by Steelix and Keldeo.

Druddigon (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 116 Def / 116 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Outrage
- Fire Fang
- Rock Slide

The physical attacker on my team. Unlike Steelix, it doesn't have any other roles. Dragon offers plenty of resistances, and since it is only weak to Dragon, it has good bulk in NU, especially with the EVs given to it. 301 HP and 245 in both defenses. It also has 372 Attack, which hits incredibly hard. This is especially true when you factor in Sheer Force and Life Orb. Crunch gets the boost and no recoil. While Sucker Punch is an option, Crunch hits harder, and can also hit Pokemon who switch in, while Sucker Punch would just fail. Fire Fang hits the Grass and Bugs of NU for super-effective damage boosted by Sheer Force and without the recoil of Life Orb. It also deals with the few Steel types that could possibly come in. Rock Slide takes down the Bugs and Flying types of NU, with the same boosts as the previously mentioned moves. Outrage might not get the boosts, but it does get STAB and hits with 120 base power. There are fewer Steel types in NU as there are in OU. As such, very few Pokemon would be able to switch in safely on Druddigon. Lampent and Keldeo are able to safely switch in on Ice type attacks. Druddigon also gets help when Trick Room is active.

Keldeo @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 248 SpA / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Secret Sword
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Scald

The special sweeper of my team. Standard EVs and Nature that should require no explanation. Life Orb lets it hit incredibly hard even without any Calm Mind boosts. Secret Sword provides reliable STAB, as does Scald. Scald is used over Surf due to the Burn chance, on PO it will Burn the foe in a majority of cases. HP Ice provides type coverage, hitting the Grass and Flying types of NU for super-effective damage. Druddigon and Steelix can switch in on Electric type attacks. Druddigon can also switch in on Grass types, if need be, as can Lampent. Also, Steelix and Nosepass can switch in on Flying type attacks. Psychic types are taken down by Lampent, and Steelix can switch in on them with ease.

Mesprit @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 60 HP / 120 Def / 112 SpA / 216 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam

Mesprit is a bulky Pokemon, 316 HP, 303 Def, and 300 Sp Def when unboosted, as well as Leftovers providing healing. Calm Mind gives Special Attack and Special Defense a boost. Psychic provides STAB. Since there are no real dedicated Special Walls in NU like there are in OU and UU, I am safe in using Psychic over Psyshock. SB is used to take on other Psychics, who are likely to switch in on Mesprit to hit with their own Shadow Ball. Ice Beam provides plenty of type coverage in NU. Bug types are no problem for this team. Ghost types aren't much of a problem for NU, and Shadow Ball can take down any who show up. Dark types fall to Steelix and Keldeo. Mesprit also has Trick Room most of the time.

Nosepass (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Rest
- Iron Defense
- Attract

Eviolite wall. Toxic gives damage, I set up Iron Defense, then Rest up once I fall too low on health. Attract provides nice stalling. Nosepass is Female, as most people on PO do not change the Gender of their Pokemon, making this more effective. Druddigon and Keldeo can switch in on Water attacks, Mesprit on Ground, Lampent and Mesprit on Fighting, Lampent and Druddigon on Grass, and Steel is never much of a problem. Nosepass also will able to move first when Trick Room active.

Comments

I don't play on PO but I can say for sure, this team is a force to be reckoned with.

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If somebody could edit my question with sprites of the Pokemon, that would be appreciated.

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You mean choose the sprites for you?

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I could do it, but I don't have editing powers=P

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't druddigon have an ice weakness too?

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Correct. Just a minor point, but I do want to show that my team can cover each other well.

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I put the images there, but I had to edit the writing a bit to meet the character limit. I didn't change anything important, I just reworded a few things.

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Quite all right. And thanks. Although I should suggest an increase of character limit to Pokemaster to allow for images, as that seems to have become commonplace.

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Hung, how did you get Keldeo? Isn't Keldeo an event, just like Genesect and Meloetta?

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This is a team directly exported from Pokemon Online

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Oh he doesnt have them yet....

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Its not a yet, Pokemon Online is a battle simulator, this team is for use on it.

Answer 1

Steelix-I see Steelix's main job is to set up rocks, and come in to take hits when needed. Since most people will use special attacks on him, helping his special defense out is a very nice idea, but even with that, 200 base special defense won't help him out very much. A careful switch to a teammate will help, but the opponent will quickly catch on to it, and predict your switch.

Lampent -While a nice idea, I'm still really hesitant about this one. obviously you would only use him on a pokemon you know he's safe against, but you wouldn't need a super effective hit to do away with him. Even with the evolite, he still has paper defenses. If your opponent has rocks up, he loses even more effectiveness. Throw in some low HP, and you won't get many chances to set up trick room. Rocks won't really hurt your other teammates as much, but it destroys one of the most important pokemon on your team. Considering the top PO NU pokemon is a rock layer, I'd be very careful about it.

Druddigon- Don't have much to speak of on him.

Keldeo-Not much to say on him either. It would be cool to put that Justified to use since you have two pokemon weak to dark, but this set is much more dependable due to his much better special attack and not having to depend on the opponent.

Mesprit-Your team depends a lot on Trick Room, and I doubt Lampent will be able to hold up for long periods of time. Though not completely beneficial to mesprit, I'd consider putting Trick room on it.

Nosepass-That rest thing will give your opponent a good chance to set up. If you choose to stay in, they can probably set up on your or do enough damage to undo what rest did. Should you switch, you gave them a free turn, and you have a sleeping pokemon on your team that can't do anything but take status or two, not to mention the sleep counter resets. I also imagine the opponent would try special moves to break through you, making this an even easier job.

One of the main issues I see with your team is that, other then leftovers, you have no reliable recovery. Rest is a nice option, but leaves you wide open for a hit as I noted earlier. I'd consider getting a pokemon with wish, that way it can help out injured teammates. Two of your pokemon hold an evolite,and one gets hurt from life orb, meaning recovery is going to be a difficult process. Your team depends too much on defense while setting up TR to take a lot of damage. An unlucky critical hit could break your team. Also, from experience, I do know people catch on to odd genders aside from pokemon like Gardevoir. An observant trainer would be able to predict that attract on you. I don't think there's much they could do about it even if they knew, but there are still a fair amount of genderless pokemon. A steel type could easily come in and block him out. There might not be a lot of NU steel types, but as proven through this very team, evolite opens up more options for pokemon.

My other problem was that your team depends very heavily on trick room. While they do have nice defenses to tank things out, they could only take so many hits, mainly due to the limited recovery. Your opponent could probably break through a lot of your team even without the need of major super effective hits. Maybe carry a fast pokemon or two. It could have high base speed without any major EV investment, that way you could use them to set up trick room, then let them do a different job while it's active. Trick room is also more common in NU more than any other tier due to all the slow pokemon that are outclassed by something else. This is only a small issue, but it might hurt your team more than it helps at times. It's still a fairly situational issue though.

Just my thoughts, hope this helps a bit.

Comments

My team doesn't really rely on Trick Room. I've taken to having slow but bulky Pokemon come in and hit hard. Trick Room is more of a "Oh, I have Trick Room up. That can benefit my Pokemon." I would like a Wish passer, as I have fully enjoyed how much Audino in RU has helped my team, especially with its other incredible team support options with the Dual Screens and Heal Bell. If there is something that can be that helpful, I would replace Lampent with it.

The Special defense EVs on Steelix are more there for a neutral Special hit or a bad prediction on my part when Steelix still has a large majority of its health. I would be switching out on a predicted SE special hit.

I do wish Keldeo got something like a Dream World ability.

Nosepass's Rest description might not have been rightly done on my part. I usually have Nosepass come in at the end-game, where Rest can be safely used. Otherwise, I'll be having Steelix take hits in most cases in place of Nosepass. And Nosepass still has a Special Defense of 459.

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I see your point about the trick room team, but your team is gonna take a lot of hits being slower and all. While you do have nice defenses, one false prediction would screw your whole team. Lise steelix for example, you lose a major defensive part of your team. That's all I'm saying. A bad prediction or a critical hit ( very common on PO) would mess you up pretty badly.

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Critical hits will mess up any team I make curse them.

I've been playing risky with my predictions lately. I've come to realize that if I want to win, I'll have to get good with predictions.

And any Wish Pokemon? That would be much better than Lampent I think.

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I know that critical hits will mess up any set, which is exactly why I suggest not having just slow pokemon, despite it being a trick room team. Don't give them any more opportunities than necessary. That way if your trick room pokemon goes down, you're not stuck with a bunch of pokemon to do some stalling and just hope you don't get killed off.

As for some wish pokemon, you could look at Togetic, Illumise, Raichu, Wigglytuff, Jynx, girafarig, spinda, Leafeon, Glaceon, and unfezant.