Let's Take It to the Stage!
Considering I had no prior experience in this tier, I'm pretty happy with how I've done so far, but of course, there's always room for improvement, hence why I'm asking for people to rate my team. Any refinements on EV spreads, movesets, natures, or team members is encouraged, as this is team is still pretty early in the building process and could use a lot of fixing up. In honor of the fun and funky nature of Gen 3 UU, this RMT is going to have a bit of a P-Funk flavor, hence the name of this RMT Let's Take It to the Stage. If you're unfamilliar, the songs included can be a bit NSFW, so please take that into consideration before clicking. Without further ado, here's my team!
The DooDoo Chasers (Teambuilding Process)
I wanted to start out with this core for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, these are two of my favorite pokemon from when I was a little kid, and their viability in this tier is probably the biggest reason why I built this team. More than just favoritism though, they both bring some very valuable traits to the table. Sandslash is a physically sturdy potential sweeper, that can also provide team support in clearing spikes. Decent to good matchups against dangerous foes like Scyther, Kanghaskan, and Aggron also help its case. Ampharos helps a lot then in being kind of a specially-oriented tank, with solid special bulk and a ton of power right off the bat. Extra utility in the form of Heal Bell also means status is not necessarily crippling for any team member.
To this core, I decided to add some established threats. Hypno is a generally very bulky mon that can spread status and pass wishes, while fully offensive Khan is very difficult to switch into. Finally, Scyther goes without saying because it is just an amazing mon in this tier, super strong, fast and good bulk, despite its bad movepool. I decided to go for CB to maximize power off the bat. I figured a core of mostly physical attackers would be able to wear down any common checks and be able to eventually let a mon break through.
I decided to throw some caution to the wind and add Omastar, though it wasn't for no reason. Omastar is a safer switch-in than Sandslash to normal types, adds some more physical sturdiness, and could lay the ever useful spikes. In keeping with the offensive spirit of the team, I went for a Rain Dance sweeper, with two attacks and spikes. I tested this team out a bit, but had some issues, so I reevaluated it a bit.
This is what I ultimately settled on. While Omastar does resist Ice types, a fully offensive Omastar is not taking any special hits well, and its neutrality to water type moves meant I had a lot of issues with water and Ice types. At the same time, Hypno was also an inconsistent lead for me, being a bit too passive and often inviting in the other dangerous psychic type attackers of the tier. So to be a bit proactive, I added Walrein, who ended up being a better fit than I thought. Really good bulk, solid offenses for a defensive mon, and an excellent movepool meant it really synergized well with the rest of the team. With the loss of Wish in Hypno, I decided to transition Kanga to a more bulky build with Wish, as Sandslash and Scyther already provide a ton of physical attacking power in their own right.
Me and My Folks
George Clinton (Walrein) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Substitute
- Encore
George Clinton (Walrein) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Substitute
- Encore
A lot like George Clinton himself, Walrein is not the prettiest thing in the world to look at, but ends up as the front-man nonetheless. In the same way Clinton is the force that has kept Parliament/Funkadelic together as an entity for more than 50 years, Walrein is the glue that keeps the team together. It's a great mixed tank that can wall most water type special attackers lacking super effective coverage (and even some that rely on Hidden Power) while providing great longevity, good utility in Encore, and even a good offensive presence with Ice Beam. The spread is simple, Max HP for good mixed bulk and 101 HP substitutes, 100 in both defenses to further the mixed bulk, 56 EVs into speed to outrun other defensive mons and slower offensive threats, and a Calm nature to better take special hits, which fits the needs of this team better. As alluded to before, Ice Beam is a solid mono-attacking move that dissuades set up with its good coverage, decent damage, and freeze chance, while Rest (especially when paired with Ampharos's Heal Bell), allows Walrein to shrug off status and stick around. I decided to add Sub to take advantage of 101 HP subs, which certainly proved its worth, especially since many people won't expect you to switch out with an intact sub. Lastly, I kind of slapped on Encore, but it's a very valuable move on such a bulky mon, allowing me to lock dangerous threats like SD Tentacruel and Calm Mind Psychics into their boosting moves or an unboosted attack, and switch into the appropriate counter. Overall, it's a solid mon that invalidates a lot of would-be threats. If I were to change the movepool, I would probably drop sub for HP Grass just that Walrein isn't walled by other Waters/Walreins, but that has yet to be too big of an issue so far, and I'm not sure I'd want to eat into Walrein's bulk to make HP Grass worth it.
(Image Source:
Bootsy Collins (Omastar) @ Mystic Water
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Spikes/Hidden Power Grass/Surf
Like his namesake Bootsy, Omastar can be pretty inconsistent and unpredictable. However, Omastar packs such immense power as to make it all worth it. The set is self-explanatory, max Sp. Atk. to maximize damage, max speed for maximum offensive pressure, and 4 Defense because Omastar is not taking special hits anyway while it can set up in front of most physical attackers. Modest nature for the power boost and the fact that it already outspeeds the entire tier after a Rain Dance with a neutral nature. Rain Dance both activates Swift Swim, bumping Omastar up to 418 speed, outspeeding the entire unboosted tier, and even some +1 Scythers and boosts Hydro Pump's power to insane levels. Hydro Pump is used for the extra power (though I haven't checked any calcs), Ice Beam is crucial coverage against grass and dragon types, and in theory Spikes help Omastar do something when it isn't sweeping, though moving forward I'll probably drop it for another attack, since it's an awkward fit and this team doesn't necessarily need spikes. Although its defensive utility is definitely limitted, it can easily switch into and set up on CB locked foes like Scyther and Kanga thanks to its rock typing and good defense, and proceed to either wallbreak or sweep. Again, very straight forward, but very very powerful.
Eddie Hazel (Sandslash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Like Eddie Hazel, Sandslash is the underappreciated star of the show, able to rip into beautiful solos at any time despite occasional unexplained absences. A deceptively good speed tier combined with a strong STAB and the perfect coverage move for it make Sandslash a potent late/midgame threat. Its solid physical bulk and decent defensive typing means it has plenty points of entry throughout a game, and can put in a substantial amount of work even if it never gets the chance to sweep. 40 HP prevents Seismic Toss from 3HKOing our spiny friend, and combined with the defense EVs allows Sandslash to not get 2HKO'd by any of Choice Band Scyther's moves, while being able to comfortably take hits from non-CB Kangaskhan. 148 Speed EVs are to creep other base 65's that invest 128, and outspeed the majority of defensive pokemon in the tier, which matches nicely with the flinch chance of Rock Slide. Specific speed targets include most defensive Omastar, Aggron, Hypno, Solrock, Lunatone, and Walrein. Max Attack with an Adamant nature goes without saying, and ensures Sandslash 2HKO's much of the metagame with E-quake before a boost (therefore OHKOing at +2), as well as pressuring bulky E-quake resists like Gligar and Solrock with Rock Slide. Earthquake is the obligatory strong STAB move. Rock Slide has amazing coverage, hitting the Ground-immune flying types and Ground-resistant Bug types super-effectively, with a nifty 30% flinch rate and the ability to OHKO most variants of the incredibly dangerous Scyther. Swords Dance obviously doubles Sandslash's attack and allows it to threaten the majority of the metagame and sweep lategame, while Quake + Slide provide such good coverage I can afford to run Rapid Spin to clear my side of Spikes if need be and provide utility in bad matchups. Overall a pokemon that has surprised with me its longevity and sweeping ability.
Gary Shider (Scyther) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 208 Atk / 48 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Silver Wind
- Sleep Talk
- Quick Attack
In the same vein as Gary Shider, Scyther is another shredder who can steal the show, but always puts in work even in the background. Scyther is an obvious choice for the ADV UU metagame, as it's generally the fastest pokemon around, has a good offensive/defensive typing, great attack despite a poor movepool, and better than average bulk. Most importantly, Scyther threatens the bulky Psychics that plague the tier, and is powerful enough to wear down its common switch-ins. With its checks worn down, it can even sweep late game. It has good synergy with Sandslash, who can switch in on the 4x Effective Rock and 2x effective Electric moves telegraphed towards Scyther and turn it into offensive momentum, while Scyther's neat immunity to Earthquake and 4x resistance to fighting type moves give it reliable points of entry off of doubles and switches from teammates like Omastar, Khan, and Walrein. I'm not entirely sure on the EV spread, truth be told I actually took it from another team, but 208 attack ensures it hits hard, while max Speed and a Jolly nature means Scyther is outspeeding pretty much the entire unboosted meta aside from opposing Scythers. Choice Band provides immediate power and allows Scyther to wallbreak and wear down its checks and counters. Hp Flying is generally the best choice for a STAB move, as the extra power over Aerial Ace or Wing Attack goes a long way, and Flying gnerally has much better neutral coverage than Bug, whose super effective hits will usually drop anyway. Silver Wind is the most powerful bug type STAB available, and makes up for its low PP with a chance for a fluky omniboost, which can end games at the right time. Scyther's movepool aside from this is barren, so Quick Attack is some nice priority to prevent any of the many Endure + Salac users of the tier, while Sleep Talk in theory allowed Scyther to switch into sleep spamming Grass types and Hypno and absorb sleep while still dishing out a hit, though in practice I never ended up using it. Scyther is a monster and has really put in a lot of work for this team, but if someone could provide any better insight into movesets or EV spreads I'd be very appreciative, as it feels like I'm not quite getting everything out of this mon.
Tiki Fulwood - (Kangaskhan) @ Leftovers
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 208 HP / 220 Atk / 20 Def / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wish
- Return
- Shadow Ball
- Earthquake
In the same way as her namesake, the drummer of Funkadelic, Kangashkan is a solid, dependable team member that both supports the team greatly with its wish passing and winning a great deal of 1v1's thanks to its good speed, great bulk, and great attack. Wish is obligatory, allowing me to restore the health of a threat like Sandslash, Omastar, or Scyther if I get a free turn, while also allowing Khan to 1v1 a large portion of the metagame. Return is the obligatory hard hitting STAB move with good neutral coverage, perfect accuracy, and good PP, while Earthquake hits the resistant Rocks and Steels for super effective damage (as well being a solidly powerful move in its own right), and Shadow Ball giving levitating Ghost types quite the fright. Wish is the only utility move, but it is an amazing one that both provides Khan with good longevity as well as great team support for its bulky, but recovery lacking teammates. Combined with Heal Bell on Ampharos, it can breathe life back into an injured sweeper, and bring this team back from the brink of defeat. Again, I was given this EV spread, and I'm not sure what specific benchmarks it hits, but the HP and Defense allow Khan to take physical hits very well, and generally survive a few on the special side, while the speed allows it to outspeed most defensive mons and slower offensive ones, and the Attack with Adamant nature makes it attacks sting. Overall one of the best mons in the tier, with this set I feel being a lot more versatile and useful than the wallbreaking Choice Band.
Bernie Worrell (Ampharos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Heal Bell
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Fire Punch
Last, but certainly not least, Ampharos shares the Modest nature and immense funky power of Bernie Worrell, while being an underrated but indispensable member of this team. With a very simple EV spread of max HP, Special Defense, and 4 Sp. Def., Amphy can take special hits rather comfortably (and survive quite a few physical ones, including non-STAB earthquakes) and fire back with a hugely powerful Thunderbolt, which it will be spamming more often than not. HP Grass was chosen to hit Ground types, though with the prevalence of Nidoqueen, I think Ice might end up more useful. Fire Punch in theory threatens grass types without needing HP Ice, but in practice it was not hitting much and I will definitely consider changing it. Heal Bell is an excellent utility move, allowing Walrein to wake up immediately after resting, and ensuring any of my sweepers are not necessarily crippled by status. It also allows Amphy to stand up to weaker special attackers who try to wear it down with Toxic. Although Amphy is great, I think this moveset and EV spread is pretty sub-optimal, so if someone has a better spread it would be much appreciated, though the teamslot it occupies (Tanky Electric type attacker with Heal Bell) fits very nicely with this team, and I would not want to deviate from that archetype.
Conclusion
Since the Gen 3 UU ladder is only available for the month of February, I have limitted replays available. I hope the ones here can help provide greater clarity to the structure of my team.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1290963860
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1279328704
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1279026280
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1290963860
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1279328704
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3uu-1279026280
The Don (Walrein) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Substitute
- Encore
Cthullu (Omastar) @ Mystic Water
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
K. Dot (Sandslash) @ Leftovers Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Bugsy (Scyther) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 208 Atk / 48 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Silver Wind
- Quick Attack
MISSINGNO. - (Kangaskhan) @ Leftovers
Ability: Early Bird
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 208 HP / 220 Atk / 20 Def / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wish
- Return
- Shadow Ball
- Earthquake
Amphy (Ampharos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Heal Bell
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Fire Punch
Ability: Thick Fat
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Substitute
- Encore
Cthullu (Omastar) @ Mystic Water
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Spikes
K. Dot (Sandslash) @ Leftovers Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Bugsy (Scyther) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 208 Atk / 48 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Silver Wind
- Quick Attack
MISSINGNO. - (Kangaskhan) @ Leftovers
Ability: Early Bird
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 208 HP / 220 Atk / 20 Def / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wish
- Return
- Shadow Ball
- Earthquake
Amphy (Ampharos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Heal Bell
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Fire Punch