I started with the offensive core of Arbok and Monferno. The plan is to sweep with Monferno; Arbok helps weaken Monferno's checks and counters.
I added a simple defensive core to backup the offensive duo I have. Golem gives me rocks, a normal check, and an electric check. Offensive Grumpig offers a light check to Monferno, ice types, and psychic types. Grumpig helps weaken Monferno's checks.
The team was pretty slow at this point and electrics such as Rotom-Frost could still give me trouble. Passive bulky set up sweepers such as Duosin and calm mind Grumpig began to look threatening too; Scarf Rotom-Frost helped fix all of this whilst acting as a win-con / pivot.
Grounds threaten my whole team. I added defensive Lumineon to help counteract this and serve as a secondary Monferno check. Lumineon gives the team a bulky pivot to help bring in my offensive core as well as checking threatening water types.
Schlachthof-fünf (Arbok) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake
- Coil
Arbok is an excellent Pokemon in PU and I it's only going to get better now that Machoke is gone from the metagame. With Machoke gone, Gourgeist will see less play. Arbok struggles to somewhat break through Gourgeist - so it being played less is great for Arbok. Shuca berry Arbok acts as a great lure for Stunfisk (who checks Monferno) and other ground types such as Golem & Marowak who threaten the team. I opted for jolly Arbok with enough speed to outspeed fast Grumpig & adamant Monferno. Fast Grumpig is a check to Monferno on most teams so Arbok helps either to greatly weaken Grumpig of remove it from the game - therefore freeing up one less member that Monferno has to break through. The move set is pretty simple. Gunk shot is a strong stab move that breaks through many things at +1. Earthquake lets you hit steels, Stunfisk, Golem etc for super effective damage and a way to hit grounds for neutral. Sucker punch offers a way to hit faster Pokemon or to get chip damage for Monferno. Intimidate is the most efficent ability for Arbok - allowing it to set up at least 1 coil versus physical attackers who will switch out to reset their attack.
Because this Arbok is jolly, you do need to be at +1 attack to deal any sort of substantial damage. So keep that in mind. I used to have this Arbok as adamant, but I believe jolly is a lot more efficient for this team as a whole.
The nickname is from Kurt Vonnegut's book: Slaughter house five.
Midas (Monferno) @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
Standard Monferno. This is the teams sweeper. Monferno acts as a soft check to annoying grass types & dark types. It checks Rotom-Frost & Stoutland offensively as well. It's best to ensure stealth rocks (to break sturdy / focus sash) are up & Monferno's checks have been weakened before attempting to sweep.
Midas turns everything into gold.
Vermillion sands (Golem) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock
Golem fulfills many important roles on this team. First of all, it performs the most important role of all in setting up stealth rocks. This team needs Stealth rocks to ensure certain OHKOs or 2HKOs. Secondly it acts as an all purpose check to physical attackers - mostly in terms of threatening normal types and flying types. Thirdly, it acts as a check to set up sweepers if sturdy is still intact. Fourthly, it acts as an electric check. Finally, it helps get chip damage for Monferno to sweep.
Most people would probably suggest weakness policy Golem in this slot and I would tend to agree somewhat, but because of all the roles Golem needs to fulfill for this team I think tank Golem is the most efficient set. Earthquake is obligatory stab. Rock blast is more accurate than stone edge, helps break focus sash's and beat substitute Rotom-Frost. Sucker punch is nice to finish off low HP pokemon that are faster than Golem or to get last minute chip damage for Monferno.
J.G. Ballard is an excellent author. Golem is nicknamed after one of his anthologies of short stories.
Snowball (Grumpig) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 72 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Taunt
Fast Grumpig is lovely. It acts as an offensive check to adamant Monferno as well as offering a switch in to special fire & ice types. C
Grumpig is nicknamed after Snowball, a pig in George Orwell's Animal farm.
Inaba Himeko (Rotom-Frost) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Volt Switch
This is the team's speed control. It helps pivot into our walls & weaken opposing ground, grass, or water types. It offers a way to clean late game and get Pokemon into range for Monferno. Trick allows you to cripple walls on slower stall teams or passive set-up sweepers such as Duosin. Volt switch is for momentum, thunderbolt and blizzard act as strong stabs. There isn't much more to say about Rotom-Frost besides the fact that it is a check to ground types that lack rock coverage and it can check Electrics if you're willing to risk focus-miss / overheat.
Rotom-Frost is nicknamed after my wiafu. Q___Q
Kidagakash (Lumineon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 SpA / 29 Spe
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Defog
- U-turn
Lumineon is a great glue Pokemon. It offers defogging, a water/fire/ice check, a pivot & a way to remove grounds. It offers a secondary way of handling opposing Monferno (after they have been weakened). I've opted for hidden-power-electric over ice beam or toxic. This is so that you can deal good damage to defensive Swanna who is a good counter to Monferno. Swanna will usually stay in on Lumineon to defog or roost - hidden-power-electric ensures you can punish this whilst forcing a switch out. Hidden-power-electric allows you to hit opposing water types for good damage after a boost from Storm drain. 29 speed iv's ensure you underspeed opposing Lumineon to get a slow u-turn versus them. Scald is obligatory stab. Defog is to clear rocks. U-turn is to gain momentum. Lumineon is a secondary check to physical attackers for this team (read physical attackers that Golem cannot handle).
Lumineon is nicknamed after the atlantian in that one Disney movie. It's a pretty good movie.
Threat list
Mismagius: It is not very easy to break through this. We don't have a switch in either. It's not impossible to beat - just try and weaken it with Rotom-Frost and keep Golem's sturdy intact.
Strong grass types: Strong grass types such as Leafeon & Simisage can be problematic.
Marowak: Marowak and other grounds can be very problematic for this team, even with all the checks I have added. Ground spam is pretty much GG, luckily as far as I know it isn't a thing.
Scarf or Nasty plot Mr. Mime: Grumpig is your check to this & when Mr. Mime is paired with Monferno it becomes very problematic.
Lure water types: Any water types that can lure and kill Lumineon can pose a problem to this team. Water spam is also very annoying.
Replays
Will come later
Thanks
I don't really know many people in the community out of a few close friends who sadly do-not know much about PU. I would however like to say thank you to the wonderful PU community - it really is one of the best communities I have been apart of during my time playing Pokemon (even if I may not be the most social person).
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Please let me know how I can improve it or if there are any threats I have not identified.
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