So, I used to be HUGE fan of NU, I used to play it more than any other tier. But I kinda fell outta it because I got into a few draft leagues and didn't have much time to play on the ladder. So, prior to this team, I hadn't played NU since charizard, steelix, omastar, abomasnow.... since all those things dropped back. So I'm not completely adjusted to the meta, plus I'm just a but rusty overall. However, I've been getting back into it and I've been really enjoying this team. It may not be the best, but I really like it. I'm asking here because I'd like to patch up as many holes the team has as I can. Not sure how much response I'll get, but here goes.
Here are a few replays. They are all very low ladder, terribly sorry... but I was basically starting over in the tier. Even if the games aren't amazing, they still showcase the team.
Unprotected Focus Punch:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nucurrent-334083076
Sandslash and Skuntank are fat...:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nucurrent-333975061
We don't miss around here:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nucurrent-334088791
They called me crazy for running HP on archeops:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nucurrent-334005438
Three kills with pursuit? Easy:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nucurrent-334096212
And now the team itself:
Pres Bush (Abomasnow) @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Giga Drain
- Blizzard
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
The first member of the team is none other than abomasnow. Soundproof "may" be better for a sub set, but that really only helps with pyroar. Abomasnow is a really good wallbreaker in the tier, even without HP fire. I originally ran some weird speed+HP evs, but realized out speeding modest aurorus was a lot more important for my team. Most notably, this set can sub freely on the majority of bulky waters in the tier, such as lanturn (without HP fire), pelipper/mantine (without air slash), prinplup, as well as being able to sub on status moves from the likes of weezing and other defensive walls. Giga drain generally heals a ton of HP as a result of the lack of investment in HP evs and makes it easier to spam sub (also worth mentioning, with some things you can sub down until hail puts them in range of blizzard... situation but mentionworthy). Blizzard is a very hard move to resist from abomasnow in the tier when you consider aboma's coverage moves, typing, lack of steel types in the tier, as well as just the pure sheer power of life orb mild blizzard. Focus punch was the last move, and it's chosen 90 pecent for style points. But in all seriousness, it's a nice move, it hits assault vest users like hitmon and hariyama for enough damage to kill after rocks and hail (unless I'm mistaken :/) plus hits choice steel types in choice situations.
Safety First (Floatzel) @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Beam
- Baton Pass
The next pokemon in the tier was made to take on fire types that aboma can't touch. This is my favorite floatzel set that I've been able to use extremely effectively in the past. Hydro pump+aqua jet are both incredibly useful to have on the team, priority being nice as I lack a scarfer, and the damage from output can't be sniffed at. Ice beam is the coverage move of choice, although because my team looks like it struggles with stuff like pelipper/mantine or even just water types in general, HP electric seems like it could be better. That or hp grass because NU has become a place with a ton of quad weaknesses to grass. Baton pass is the last move, because this team is so offensive, I needed a small pseudo volt-turn core to keep up the pressure. Baton passing on a lanturn switch into abomasnow is a very rewarding turn, same for stuff like prinplup. Hasty nature over mild because being able to live special hits on this team is more important that being able to life physical hits.
Bob Marley (Mesprit) @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Thunder Wave
- Zen Headbutt
- Healing Wish
Support mesprit. Mesprit is so amazing dude, it's just so versatile. 200 speed with jolly nature hits 270 speed, enough speed to outspeed max speed jolly malamar, as well as adamant max speed sawk (both pretty freaking important things to do for the team) as well as obviously everything in between like samurotts, ludicolo's, etc. If I run 4(i think?) more speed evs, I can outspeed max speed with positive speed nature garbodor... but I didn't think it would be relevent often enough. U-turn is quad supper-effective on malamar, and continues the pseudo volt-turn core of the team. Mesprit is a nice check to many fighting types in the tier thanks to the colbur berry, plus it serves as a check to basically anything it can live a hit from because of the greatest move known to man: thunder wave. Zen headbutt is the attacking move of choice, because I didn't want a minus defence nature (I also don't want minus attack, because u-turn does a good chunk as is to malamar, and heck even skuntank), plus in conjunction with thunder wave it is possible to luck some free kills (don't hate me). Healing wish is super important for the team as a lot of my pokemon can get weakened pretty quickly, and having a full heal can often win me the game if I pass into something like sandslash/abomasnow/skuntank.
Slash Gorden (Sandslash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
Sandslash is an amazing spinner in the tier. Speed is enough to outspeed 8 speed lanturn... I mean, most of them run a chunk of speed anyways but I thought 24 speed was a pretty good benchmark to reach. I'm not completely convinced on my current evs, I may run a bit more offence, but honestly sandslash is so freaking bulky that the investment REALLY helps. Sandslash serves as an offensive-ish stealth rocker, as well as hazard removal. I say "offensive-ish", because you don't lose very much momentum going into sandslash because it's not a pokemon that's weak enough as a defensive mon that you can take advantage of it. Sandslash spins on the majority of rockers in the tier (barring like, IDK, prinplup and cradily? Maybe life orb+rocks specially offensive mesprit?) a nice example being steelix. Knock off allows slash to beat many potential spinblockers, for example you can ohko stuff like haunter and missmagius (well... missmagius you have a 50 percent chance to ohko after rocks), plus you can 1v1 most variants of stealth rocking golurks thanks to the defensive investment. Having a hazard remover than maintains my own hazard for this team is HUGE.
Triple D (Skuntank) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 232 Atk / 132 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
Next up is skuntank, one of my favorite things to use in the tier. Arguably the best pursuit trapper in the tier, skuntank can reliably come in on and pursuit trap basically every offensive ghost and psycic type in the tier barring golurkl and even many offensive grass types (like sceptile and liligant); most notably jynx, haunter, rotom, missmagius xatu and mesprit. Most of these mons can carry will-o-wisp, which is annoying.... but skuntank can still easily 1v1 even if burned any of the aformentioned threats. And even then, getting burned isn't the end of the world, having healing wish in the back lets me play a lot more recklessly with skunk. Speed evs are to outspeed base max speed base 70's without a boosting nature like samurott and ludicolo, as well as being able to outpseed max speed jolly golurk. Assault vest skuntank is just an amazing pokemon from my experiances. Pursuit can choice remove many threats to the team (haunter 6-0's otherwise), sucker punch offers priority to make up for a lack of a scarf, crunch means I don't lose 1v1 to bulky calm mind users like musharna or heck, even mesprit and also means klinglang can't sub for free on me, and poison jab 3hkos mega audino plus kills many scary grass types.
Baby Aero (Archeops)
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Taunt
- Roost
- U-turn
The last mon was meant to be kind of a "glue" to the team. It... looks really weird, I know :/ but it seemed like the best fit at the time. It offers good offensive pressence, but the bulk is very important for several choice mons who beat the team otherwise. For instance: it's my best answer to fire spam... with these evs life orb pyroar can't 2hko me with anything, expert belt magmortar can't put me in defeatist range if I come in on a modest fire blast, plus modest assault vest magmortar can't 2hko me (thunderbolt does under half on a roost). In addition to scary fire types, this is pretty much my best answer to scyther, swellow, vivillon and charizard... yeah flying types are pretty scary dude :/ Archeops outspeeds many scary offensive threats like haunter as well, to can offensively check it. U-turn completes the momentum gaining core of the team, and I mentioned it before but I'll say it here again: it's nice for malamar. Taunt+roost is good for 2 reasons: first reason, it can break stall. Easily can 1v1 stuff like weezing, claydol, mega audino, and sandslash. The second thing it accomplishes is it beats bulky set up sweepers that aren't threatened by my team after a few boosts and have instant recovery. Calm mind users, rest+talk user, bulk up users, even just having the option to get a suicide taunt off on stuff like klingklang or any various shell smash users. Mono-acrobatics isnt event that bad, in all honestly, it still hits hard and gives a great way to deal with fighting and grass types... plus flying STAB is just hard to resist anyways.
Well! That's the team folks... any opinions? Recommendations? Ideas? Complaints? Let me know :P
