HIGH GAMBIT
Yes, I'm back with another UU team. This is a new team I built since I couldn't be stuffed importing my PO teams to PS. As far as teams go this one has been reasonably successful netting me a 45-8 record and 6th on Smogon's Showdown Leaderboard with a rating of 1864. I actually could be 5th or 6th but PS glitched and I didn't get anymore points despite winning 4 matches after getting to 9th. Anyways I'm almost retiring this now, I've played 53 matches with it and am starting to get bored.
You might notice some I've gone for just synergy rather then checking UU threats and yes there are quite a few Pokemon who give me trouble but this relies on prediction alot, when I predict well this team can shred the opponent's team but when I don't I usually end up being crushed. This is due to half my team carrying Choice items and thus requiring me to be careful at times. Basically this team relies on predicting right rather then having a Pokemon to check a specific Pokemon, yes this way isn't great but I've opted to go for maximum hitting power off the bat rather then a balanced team hence "High Gambit".
The team's focus is a strong FWG core with Victini, Kingdra and Roserade and hazards. My Choice users in Kingdra and Victini are absolutely lethal with hazards up. Slowbro walls Victini? Not when he takes 37.5% just switching in. They seek to punch holes before letting Swampert and Roserade do some damage and finally letting a combination of Scrafty and Azelf clean up.
You might notice some I've gone for just synergy rather then checking UU threats and yes there are quite a few Pokemon who give me trouble but this relies on prediction alot, when I predict well this team can shred the opponent's team but when I don't I usually end up being crushed. This is due to half my team carrying Choice items and thus requiring me to be careful at times. Basically this team relies on predicting right rather then having a Pokemon to check a specific Pokemon, yes this way isn't great but I've opted to go for maximum hitting power off the bat rather then a balanced team hence "High Gambit".
The team's focus is a strong FWG core with Victini, Kingdra and Roserade and hazards. My Choice users in Kingdra and Victini are absolutely lethal with hazards up. Slowbro walls Victini? Not when he takes 37.5% just switching in. They seek to punch holes before letting Swampert and Roserade do some damage and finally letting a combination of Scrafty and Azelf clean up.
BUILDING THE TEAM
My first choice for this team was CBVictini. The reason for that was that I was interested in building a team which hit extremely hard off that bat with hazards up. I wanted Victini for one reason, good stats, decent bulk and V-Create.
I need hazards, SR is easy to throw on but Spikes is a little harder. It was here where I decided that hey FWG core's are always good and I decided to make my own. I haven't used Roserade since Gen IV and she was always a favorite so why not? SpD Defensive Roserade is so good at walling Waters who love switching in on Victini's attacks so they paired really damn well. My FG of my FWG was done so onto the last member of the trio.
I needed something to remove Victini's checks, mainly bulky waters as nothing in UU apart from them and Flash Fire users like eating a V-Create. Fire-types would be covered well by any Water Pokemon but I wanted something to break down bulky waters which is Roserade's job also but she doesn't hit hard to enough to destroy them most of the time. It was then that I came across a discussion on Smogon discussing Kingdra in general and how SpecsDra was rising is usage due to Ditto and heck why not? Draco Meteor off a 478 Special Attack sounds good to me.
My core was nice and sound now I wanted a revenge-killer, just to patch up those weaks. I decided to try a gimmick this team around, something never seen before. Physical Scarf Azelf, 115 Spe meant it could outspeed common Scarfers like Flygon and coverage-wise it got the job down. Hell it's not great but it works and the surprise factor is nice.
Now I needed a reliable lead to get SR up but could also sponge up some physical hits as my team was looking pretty susceptible. I considered Bronzong but I didn't like it and then I noticed Swampert (one of my favourite DP OU leads) was in UU, I decided to try him and not only does he get SR up he punched holes in weaker teams with EQ/Waterfall. Plus he fit in nicely synergy-wise.
Finally I needed a cleanup sweeper, after all those holes are punched in I need something to clean. One thing that interested me was Scrafty who had come down to UU from OU. Synergy-wise he fit in and I trialed him and he worked perfectly. Team done.
I need hazards, SR is easy to throw on but Spikes is a little harder. It was here where I decided that hey FWG core's are always good and I decided to make my own. I haven't used Roserade since Gen IV and she was always a favorite so why not? SpD Defensive Roserade is so good at walling Waters who love switching in on Victini's attacks so they paired really damn well. My FG of my FWG was done so onto the last member of the trio.
I needed something to remove Victini's checks, mainly bulky waters as nothing in UU apart from them and Flash Fire users like eating a V-Create. Fire-types would be covered well by any Water Pokemon but I wanted something to break down bulky waters which is Roserade's job also but she doesn't hit hard to enough to destroy them most of the time. It was then that I came across a discussion on Smogon discussing Kingdra in general and how SpecsDra was rising is usage due to Ditto and heck why not? Draco Meteor off a 478 Special Attack sounds good to me.
My core was nice and sound now I wanted a revenge-killer, just to patch up those weaks. I decided to try a gimmick this team around, something never seen before. Physical Scarf Azelf, 115 Spe meant it could outspeed common Scarfers like Flygon and coverage-wise it got the job down. Hell it's not great but it works and the surprise factor is nice.
Now I needed a reliable lead to get SR up but could also sponge up some physical hits as my team was looking pretty susceptible. I considered Bronzong but I didn't like it and then I noticed Swampert (one of my favourite DP OU leads) was in UU, I decided to try him and not only does he get SR up he punched holes in weaker teams with EQ/Waterfall. Plus he fit in nicely synergy-wise.
Finally I needed a cleanup sweeper, after all those holes are punched in I need something to clean. One thing that interested me was Scrafty who had come down to UU from OU. Synergy-wise he fit in and I trialed him and he worked perfectly. Team done.
Swampert @ Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def
Trait: Torrent
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Hit likes a truck, tanks like a boss. Swampert is the definition of consistent in my eyes. Swampert is here to get the rocks that my team loves so much up, check threats and Roar setup sweepers out and stack hazards damage. Waterfall/EQ hit most of UU hard and no one likes taking hits from him, I've managed to pull off mini-sweeps with him simply because he's so hard to take down, I usually lose him early however he manages to take one Pokemon almost 100% of the time and can roar things out to stack damage. I save him if need a bulky water for the opponent's team. He also lures in those Grass-types who Roserade can wall with absolute ease.
Roserade @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm
EV's: 252 HP / 120 Def / 128 SpD / 8 Spe
Trait: Natural Cure
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Synthesis
Love this thing. Walls Water Pokemon and Grass Pokemon so easily, Ice Beam's and HP Fire bounces off her (3HKO most of the time) allowing me to setup Spikes, heal via Giga Drain or Synthesis and dish out the pain with my attacks. I tend to keep her around to check things but if my Spikes are done and I can't afford to switch incase my opponent will setup Roserade is usually sacrificed. However the resistances she brings and the Spikes she sets are crucial to this team's success. The Fire-types that come in to deal with her are an easy switch in to my Kingdra who can proceed to spam Draco Meteor away, combined with Spikes I can only watch as the KO's come.
Victini @ Choice Band
Nature: Jolly
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Trait: Victory Star
- V-Create
- Zen Headbutt
- U-Turn
- Fusion Bolt
The star of this team. Every member has it's role and is equally useful but Victini is what makes this team cool in my eyes . This thing is here to do one thing, tear holes into my opponent. Which isn't hard when you consider V-Create from this hits 40% harder then CB Ho-Oh! Yes that thing with much higher BST, Attack and also 3 tiers higher. With Spikes + SR up even Slowbro and Blastoise can't come on V-Create. I usually have 2 layers of Spikes + SR up and with that V-Create is usually a 2HKO on them. Without hazards I have to be more careful and predict Fusion Bolt but this thing is amazing. It needs to be played right but man when the opponent's bulky water is dead you can only smirk as he hesitates on what to sacrifice to Victini's fiery rage. He's SR weak and I lack a spinner so I usually want bulky waters out of the way before bringing him in.
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EV's: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
Trait: Swift Swim
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Dragon Pulse
Effectively here to destroy bulky waters and Fire-types to make Victini's life a little easier. With hazards things like Slowbro and Blastoise fall to Draco Meteor. That 4x resist to Fire is nice to sponge up hits aimed at Roserade and Draco Meteor is excellent to break down walls for Scrafty's final cleanup. Victini massacres Snorlax (Thick Fat or not) and Umberon meaning nothing barring Empoleon can wall Kingdra and my team laughs at that thing anyway so usually I have free reign to smash stuff up with her.
Azelf @ Choice Scarf
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Trait: Levitate
- Zen Headbutt
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Trick / Thunderpunch
Very nifty, it's a gimmick and Pursuit-bait but damn this has saved me numerous times when things have setup or just for the surprise factor lets me get the jump and take out one of their Pokemon. His role though is a last resort to anything I've let setup which is possible when you consider my team is half Choice users. Either by revenge-killing or Tricking them into something he does his job well. It doesn't look great on paper but this it functions well and fits into this team. I can usually fake a Choice Band on it and get the edge on a sweeper that's setup later. Azelf is cool as a Scarfed Pokemon because even with Adamant it just outspeeds Jolly Choice Scarf Flygon which is the most common Scarfed Pokemon iirc.
Scrafty @ Leftovers
Nature: Jolly
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Trait: Moxie
- Hi Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
- Dragon Dance
My cleanup sweeper, weak when unboosted but assuming he nets that DD and first KO he is absolutely unstoppable. After all Kingdra and Victini have finally gone out and my hazards are up this lazy lizard crawls in and nabs a boost before starting to stack those Moxie boosts. Leftovers is used because I don't need the power LO grants as much and he's actually pretty bulky (65HP/115 Def/115 SpD) and Lefties helps him shrug off weaker hits from walls. If I can net 2 DD's then watch out, this thing will plow through your team while getting Atk boosts. Crunch/Ice Punch/Hi Jump Kick net me good coverage and if I actually get an opportunity to setup early I go for it, sometimes he can cleanup even when the opponent's team is healthy. Since his Speed sucks even after a DD, I still try nab another one when the time is right. With his bulk it's actually not as hard as it seems.
THREATS
There are some pretty big threats and I'll list my two most annoying ones. They both carry Scarf and Moxie too ;.;
Heracross - Damn this beetle, if it nets a Moxie boost then basically I have to sacrifice a Pokemon to get Azelf in to revenge-kill it. If Azelf is down then god help me, I usually have to bait it into Megahorn with Victini, sac something then go to Swampert and kill it with Waterfall.
Honchcrow - Gah, I hate this thing too, especially Scarf or the ones that run Sub. Basically comes down to prediction and not letting it net Moxie boosts. Still a pain though, a well-played Honchkrow can decimate my team and end up with me losing.
IMPORTABLE [STEAL ME!]
Swampert @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EV's: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Roserade @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EV's: 252 HP / 120 Def / 128 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Synthesis
Victini @ Choice Band
Trait: Victory Star
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpAtk)
- V-Create
- Zen Headbutt
- U-Turn
- Fusion Bolt
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Trait: Swift Swim
EV's: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Dragon Pulse
Trait: Torrent
EV's: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Roserade @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EV's: 252 HP / 120 Def / 128 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Synthesis
Victini @ Choice Band
Trait: Victory Star
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpAtk)
- V-Create
- Zen Headbutt
- U-Turn
- Fusion Bolt
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Trait: Swift Swim
EV's: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Dragon Pulse
Azelf @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Zen Headbutt
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Trick / Thunderpunch
Scrafty @ Leftovers
Trait: Moxie
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
- Dragon Dance
Trait: Levitate
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Zen Headbutt
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Trick / Thunderpunch
Scrafty @ Leftovers
Trait: Moxie
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
- Dragon Dance
CONCLUSION
I've had a blast with this team and a fair run on the ladder, it's not perfect by any means and has some noticeable weaks but it's fun to play with and I got an alright peak with. The strongest part of it is the FWG core, ability to get hazards up quickly and the surprise factor. I'll accept any advice and please give it a test yourself. I'm not saying it's the greatest team(hint: it's not) but it's a fun team to play around with. Predict well though!
