UU Team Needs Improvements and a 6th Member

Question

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam

A lot of things in UU are weak to water and ice, and Starmie fits the role nicely.

Krookodile @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Snatch
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Z-snatch boosts Krookodile's speed by 2, so it can get very threatening after some Moxie boosts.

Manectric-Mega @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch

Manectric is one of the fastest pokemon in UU. If Starmie can bait an electric move, Manectric can switch in and get a sp. attack boost.

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Protect

A classic toxic orb + poison heal Gliscor. it can easily frustrate the opponent with its stalling capabilities, especially with the lack of offensive ice- and water-types in UU.

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Empoleon handles most things Gliscor can't. It resists ice and water, which are Gliscor's weaknesses. Gliscor is immune to Empoleon's ground and electric weaknesses and resists fighting. Other than that, it has good special defense and scald to cover physical attackers.

I couldn't find a good non-mega filler pokemon for the sixth slot. I doubt that the pokemon i have are any good. Let me know wether i'm wrong.

Answer 1

There are a ton of Grass types in UU that can wall or sweep your team at the moment, as you lack a switch-in to a decently powered Grass attack. I’m pretty sure SubSeed Serperior flat out 6-0s you if it gets up a Substitute. Amoonguss is capable of beating everything except Manectric 1v1, and even that’s in question if it can Spore you. I suggest using offensive utility Crobat, as this hard counters those Pokémon and gains momentum, important seeing as you’re playing balance. Otherwise:

• Normally I’d say Dazzling Gleam is bad for Starmie but I can see it being helpful removing Hydreigon and especially Kommo-o, which can sweep this team. Since you have Empoleon which can 1v1 Water-types, you could survive without Thunderbolt: use Psyshock instead as this gives you a way to hit Blissey, which you need badly at the moment.

• Interesting Krookodile set, could work late-game. Still give some thought to the Stealth Rock set here, as Pokémon like Crobat and Starmie greatly appreciate chip damage to support their middling power. Run Iron Tail as this can be a good Fairy lure. This set also lets Crobat have the Z-Move, and lets Gliscor run Defog over SR.

• Overheat is better than Flamethrower. Manectric is going to switch out after it gets a kill anyway because the opponent will send in a check — the SAtk drop matters less than you’d think, and the power is very much worth it to OHKO Pokémon like Serperior.

• Protect is best used with conjunction with Substitute for a poison stall set, but this isn’t viable as you’re replying on Gliscor for SR or Defog, depending on what set you chose for Krookodile. So instead just run Roost over Protect, as it’s more consistent recovery and still lets you stall.

• If you didn’t change Krookodile and kept SR on Gliscor, run Defog here instead on Empoleon. If you do, completely change Empoleon’s set as well, as you need all four of its current moves to make ResTalk work. An Empoleon with Roar, Defog, Scald and Knock Off remains very disruptive and is a solid check to set-up sweepers.

• Otherwise, Suicune does ResTalk better as it has fewer exploitable weaknesses. In that case, Calm Mind over Ice Beam is how it’s traditionally done — this lets you 1v1 more threats, which is the name of the game with this Pokémon. It’s a solid wall and secondary win condition in one. It also helps you beat stall; the changes I’ve suggested should help you match against AloBliss etc. more effectively.

Comments

Thanks for the review. I dont know how you think my current Empoleon could 1v1 a water type. Krookodile has an awful typing, so I doubt it can be any good defensively. I will definitely put Iron Tail on it though. I will give Manectric Overheat, but I am considering replacing volt switch instead of flamethrower in case it can get a lightning rod boost late-game. I have no idea why I ran protect over roost on Gliscor. I put Empoleon on thinking it would go well with Gliscor, but that just isn't the case. I'll replace it with Suicune. I'll definitely use Crobat as well.

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By 1v1, I mean there is no way a Water-type beats ResTalk 1v1. It gets forced out due to an ability to break Empoleon, and you can pressure that switch with the threat of a Scald burn. That or they entertain a PP stall match which they will lose — in which case you can easily anticipate their play and make momentum off it by switching to an advantage. Only Seismitoad and Swampert are consistent against Empoleon; all others are too passive or dislike being burnt.
The Krookodile set isn’t defensive, and you shouldn’t play it that way: it’s what is called ‘offensive Stealth Rock’ which gets hazards up when it forces a switch. Intimidate is also a decent buffer, as is a Psychic and Electric immunity. You can do a lot worse than Dark/Ground; the immunities mean you function well enough as a pivot. A dedicated wall, perhaps not.
I wouldn’t replace Volt Switch — it’s a standard move for a reason. It’s a really cheap way to ease prediction; if the opponent has no Ground-type, you can just click it if you anticipate a switch and gain free momentum (i.e. when your Pokémon forces the opponent to play reactively and you can play proactively). Overheat and Flamethrower double up too much on what they hit to be used on the same set. Besides, Manectric doesn’t need to be relied upon as a late-game sweeper if you don’t change Krookodile.

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Krookodile is just too slow on its own to be good offensively. You're right about overheat though.

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i'm thinking about replacing krook with a d-dance Haxorus (not fraxure lmao). Z-Outrage would be nice, but I might save the z-crystal for Crobat.