So this whole team started with Psychic X giving me a challenge. To build a Gen 5 UU team around Sharpedo. Eager as always, I jumped to the challenge, quickly realizing just what I gotten myself into. Sharpedo’s extreme frailness and just scrapping atk gave me major issues.
But I had to start off somewhere, so I looked for a Sharpedo set:
Sharpedo @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Substitute
This is LeBoss SubLieche set, and it is marvelous. It allows the otherwise Status prone Sharpedo to set up right in the face of the likes of Umbreon and Gligar. One, if not the biggest issues with Sharpedo, is its surprisingly low attack. More often than not, it doesn’t have enough power to finish things off, but that’s what’s so great about the Liechi Berry.
Now, as the first step to make Sharpedo better, I needed something that synergized well with it and had respectable bulk.
Virizion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 SAtk / 252 Atk / 252 HP
Lonely Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Synthesis
Bar the Neutral damage taken from Bug moves, Virizion and Sharpedo sport near perfect synergy with each other. Virizion can also dispose of the plethora of bulky Water types in the tier. I opted for a mixed variant to allow it to hit Gligar hard, whilst using its bet STAB moves to its full potential. Bulk was chosen over Sweep since, well, I needed more bulk and something to take hits for Sharpedo. Now, I needed something with immediate speed, reasonable bulk and could dent all the Fighting types running rampant.
Victini @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Hasty Nature
- Blue Flare
- U-turn
- Psychic
- Trick
Slightly weird set, but certainly deadly. This guy’s job is to scout and provide momentum with U-Turn and finish of the likes of Heracross and Mienshao with its STAB moves. Trick is to cripple walls like Umbreon and Dusclops that otherwise cause me issues. However, Fighting types and walls were still an issue, and I wanted something more supportive.
Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 240 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def / 12 Spd
Calm Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Night Shade
Enter the this evil little guy. Sure, Will-O-Wisp have a tendency to miss, but its more often than not well worth it. Standard stalling set really, the extra Speed Evs are to outspeed any other Sableye I come across. Now I just wanted another tank, that also wasn’t rendered useless by burns.
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost
I love Zapdos. I love it a lot. I think I got this set from LeBoss as well... This guy can take a beating whilst still dishing out major damage itself. Discharge may be weaker than Thunderbolt, but it’s by a slim margin, and the extra paralysis chance is incredibly useful. Heat Wave and HP Ice is excellent coverage whilst Roost provides healing. For my last slot it stood between a Rapid Spinner or a Heal Bell user.
Hitmontop @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin
- Thief
- Seismic Toss
Seeing as I had quite the Stealth Rock weakness, and I couldn’t find a Healer that fit my team, I went for a good old Hitmontop. The set may seem strange, but quite effective. The Sitrus Berry gets consumed, and I can then steal the opponent’s item with Thief. Toxic is to cripple spinblockers and Seismic Toss is for some solid damage on most things.
Replays:
Darn Arcanine:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-83518399
Sharpedo saves a very derpy me:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-82842845
Fighting in the snow:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-83559058
Sableye's last stand, Virizions comeback:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-85449761
Hax beats everything:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-85451803
Return of the snow:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-85784064
Darn Zoroark:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5uu-85788433
Despite the odd sets and extreme derpiness in many of my matches, this team have been relatively successful, and I have managed to ladder quite a bit, even though there is a severe lack of Gen 5 UU battles these days:
