Watch your step!
Ok, first of all thanks for clicking here! It’s been a long time since I decided to write an RMT, but I never really had the time and patience to do it, but now that the UU metagame is about to take a major hit with the farewell said by Roserade, the addition of the hot topics Rhyperior and Alakazam, as well as the possibility of a new testing opportunity for Raikou and Frosslass and all that added to the new HGSS movepools, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to write an RMT about the team I believe is my most successful one.
First of all I’d like to state I don’t come from an English speaking country, and even though I have some fair knowledge of the language, I’m no expert, so please forgive some minor grammar mistakes and notify me if there’s any major one so that I can fix it.
Well as I said this is my favorite team, I have created this team sometime ago, 1 month before HGSS IIRC and it allowed me to peak at #2 with a fresh account in a short amount of time, with a CRE of 1660 IIRC, and allowed me to bring my main one from #10 to #1 and a CRE of 1700, all that winning much more than with my first team.
This team started once I noticed some players in OU were having a fair amount of success with the spikestacking strategy, which I tried to create a team around before but ended up becoming Stall, so I thought: if it works in OU why not in UU?
Having decided to create a team, I started browsing around some analysis pages to get some new ideas, and then coincidentally I saw an RMT by Franky that used the same strategy with an interesting Cacturne Lead, and decided was the perfect time to create this kind of team as it seemed that in little time they would plague UU (and they do nowadays), so without further ado, let's take a look at the team:
Omastar(M)@ Leftovers
Nature: Bold
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Def/ 4 SpA
-Spikes
-Stealth Rock
-Surf
-Ice Beam
This was where it all started, with this little guy standing before you. When I laid my eyes on this guy I just knew this guy was perfect for the team. The ability to setup both spikes and stealth rock, amazing bulk (with an unfortunate typing though) and some pretty good special attack just couldn’t be passed. This is pretty standart: as bulky as possible on the physical side to setup as easy as possible in front of Physical attackers and to be as efficient as possible when countering stuff like Swellow, Registeel (which for some reason tends to try to Earthquake me to death) Ambipom (who unfortunately has access to Low Kick now). The moveset is also standart: spikes and rocks allow Omastar to work its magic, Surf is STAB and an all around great move and Ice Beam hits flyers and grass switch-ins(VERY common) for super-effective damage. This is how Omastar fares against the 10 most common leads of UU (black means ok; orange means I gotta be careful, and red means damn.):
1- Ambipom: I take my chances and start by setting up rocks, as Omastar does not give a shit about Fake Out. If it doesn’t have Taunt or Low Kick it’s most likely gonna U-turn out giving me free rocks, if it does I Ice Beam if taunted (predicting a grass switch-in) or Surf/switch to Hitmontop if it’s got Low Kick. It was so much more simple before HGSS…
2- Uxie: I start by setting up spikes in case it tricks me a scarf, so that I’m not forced to switch out by setting rocks. It’s an easy lead to deal with and guarantees me to get some early hazards down.
3- Roserade: Ahh Rosie, I love you but I hate facing you…. I gotta switch out, most likely to Houndoom as I’d rather have it asleep than seeing my opponent getting free spikes as I go to my own Roserade.
4- Yanmega: I usually Ice Beam to scout the set as Omastar is never OHKOed and then go to Mismagius. More of annoyance than trouble.
5- Moltres: Go to Azumarill, take the HP Grass like a real bunny and Aqua Jet or go to Roserade, assuming it runs 263 speed, take the HP grass and then put it to sleep: annoying lead.
6- Hippopotas: Easy hazards, super effective surf… I really only dislike Yawn in this case.
7- Electrode: Surf as it sets up rain, go to Roserade to absorb the Thunder and then to Missy to absorb Explosion. Works 99.9% of the times.
8- Mesprit: This is a bit unpredictable because some of them carry Thunderbolt, but I mostly stay in and spike fearing a scarf and then go to Houndoom if the need arises
9- Arcanine: Omastar doesn’t like Toxic and the rare HP Grass, but I’ll stay in and setup anytime.
10- Honchrow: It’ll use Superpower and I’ll Ice Beam back. Sash Krows can’t 2KHO Omastar as it 2HKOes back. LO ones are a bit troublesome, but can be managed.
Mismagius(F)@ Leftovers
Nature: Timid
Ability: Levitate
EVs 48 HP/ 208 SpA/ 252 Spe
-Shadow Ball
-Thunderbolt
-Calm Mind
-Substitute
Old school Missy! I knew I’d need a spin blocker for this team, but I didn’t want it to be defensive minded, nor to be Sub CB Rotom, and as NP Missy didn’t exist by then, CM Missy took the spot (I still prefer the good old CM version though).
I don’t think there’s much to explain, except for why Thunderbolt over HP Fighting and Substitute over taunt. Thunderbolt was preferred because I didn’t want to have an imperfect speed and to play some mind games with Honchrow, also giving me a shot at beating Milotic 1 on 1, a situation I'm constantly finding myself into. Substitue over Taunt because IMHO it’s better to lose some of your HP but not having to risk finding myself with an unfortunate switch of my opponent and allowing me to actually play those aforementioned mind games.
Azumarill(M) @ Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 240 HP/ 252 Atk/ 16 Spe
-Waterfall
-Aqua Jet
-Return/ Double-Edge
-Ice punch
Azumarill fills the role of the bulky water of the team, as Omastar wasn’t blessed with the pure water typing or with a decent SpD stat, and the low speed paired with a 4x weakness to grass, a common Hidden Power type on fire types made this guy a necessity. Azumarill was chosen over Milotic because I wanted to keep the team as offensive as possible, which is why I chose Choice Band set over SubPuncher too. The EVs are standart, now on to the moveset: Waterfall and Aqua Jet are staples; at the moment I’m using Return, even though I’m considering DE as I miss the extra damage sometimes (recoil is a big letdown though, as it compromises Azumarill’s durability and capacity to constantly switch in, which is something necessary on this team as Aqua Jet tends to cause many switches and being him my only real answer for fire types), and Ice Punch was chosen over Superpower as I'd rather guarantee an OHKO on Altaria and Grass Switch-ins than hitting Registeel.
Roserade(F)@ Life Orb
Nature: Modest
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe
-Leaf Storm
-Synthesis
-Sludge Bomb
-Sleep Powder
Ahh Rosie I’ll miss you so much! The raw power this girl brings to the table, acting like a status absorber, the ability to cause switches with Sleep Powder or just because it hits like a truck and being a great counter for Bulky waters made me place this girl in the team almost instantly. She also acts as my backup when I want to hit something for heavy damage but have lost my main counter, being a perfect example of that Clefable, and is my initial switch in to Grass attacks thanks to its 4x resistance. There isn’t much to say: it’s standart, it hits like a truck, it can keep its own health high with Synthesis, it’s Roserade. All that I have to say is that I’ll miss you, but will thank god for not having to face you.
Houndoom(M)@ Life Orb
Nature: Hasty
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 108 Atk/ 176 SpA/ 224 Spe
-Fire Blast
-Dark Pulse
-Sucker Punch
-Pursuit
As someone stated before, Mixdoom is a kind of toolbox. On the team he’s meant to keep psychic, ghost and grass types at a bay, pursuing when needed, creating those infamous mind games, putting a halt to grass types with Fire Blast and the list goes on. Without him on the team, it would be more prone to being swept by ghost and psychic types, and my life would be made a complete hell by grass types, specially Roserade. Hasty was given the nod over Naive because its physical defense sucks already, and I’m mostly switching into special attackers. EVs allow it to outspeed Timid Rotom, OHKO Dugtrio with Sucker Punch after SR and nets it respectable 300 SpA(I’m a bit unsure about this spead, but has been working so far).
The reasons why I picked it instead of another pursuited were 2 and only 2: Superior speed and the capacity of handling the infamous RegiBro combo, which could wall my team the whole day.
Hitmontop(M)@Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/ 252 Atk/ 8 Spe
-Fake Out
-Mach Punch
-Close Combat
-Bullet Punch
Hitmontop holds this team together. Priority is awesome with spikes, as the weaker base power is compensated by hazards and it’s allowed to wreak havoc on teams that have no dedicated counter. It’s kinda hard to explain how useful this guy is for the team, but believe me; the amount of priority this guy adds to the team is very important and has won me many games. It also works as a great answer to Aggron, Registeel, Absol, Normal Types, Frail pokes in general (Hello Rosie!) and the list goes on. Nothing is too absurd on EVs, standart Technitop with HP to take less damage from rocks, and the rest in speed to at worst tie with other Technitops.
So this is the team, I’m most likely retiring this team as the changes on the tier are too expressive for it to remain the same, but I’ll be taking any kind of advice. Thanks for reading and feel free to rate! =)
