ORAS NU Summer's End - Articuno Offense

[Nightingales]

Once, a long time ago, there was DPP UU, where everything could be run due to the mystery of not having a team Preview. Sadly, those days are long gone, but the mons live on, some hidden in the depths of NU and beyond. This team, as horrible as it might be to some, is a recollection of some of the sets I'd used for it, as well as a hilarious version of NU Voltturn coming from a UU'ing chick. Since this is mainly a Voltturn offense, and I don't care for the teambuilding too much, because my thought process is hazy at best to myself, I'll keep this simple in terms of teambuilding. Basically, it was Lead > Setup Sweeper / Wallbreaker > Fast Thing > Articuno because fun > Defogger > Physical Fast Thing. Simple as that.

Onwards, unto the bullshittery.

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Mesprit @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 52 HP / 204 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Trick
- U-turn
- Zen Headbutt

Scarf Rocks Mesprit was the original Meme this team was based around. There's a certain hilarity in absolutely crippling something that had Eviolite, Lefties, or was trying to be cheeky and stall it out. That being said, the EVs aren't anything special, pulled straight from the DPP UU Analysis, but it doesn't make it any worse; it has enough bulk to live pursuits from things, take a knock off, or last long enough to set up some very fast rocks. It also comes into the VoltTurn grouping, though kinda a supporting member of that.

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Samurott @ Lum Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Megahorn

As previously mentioned, this is the Wallbreaker and potentially the setup sweeper. Though a bit slower (and weaker without boosts) than I'd like, it still can power through a metric ton of checks with an SD or two under its shell. Again, the standard set, as far as I know. I'm considering changing Aqua Jet out for something else, since the lack of any coverage outside of Megahorn doesn't fare too well in a metagame with Pelipper as the primary counter I've seen.

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Manectric @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Volt Switch

The first thing that was running on the special side, I wasn't liking my matchup with other electric-types out there, especially as I'd already had an idea of wanting to have Articuno on here. So I took one look at Manectric and it stuck, being able to handle the dangerous electric-types as well as having a useful little pivot buddy because being able to switch out of a bad matchup is useful.

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Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Ice Beam

Articuno is a decidedly fun and dangerous member of this team, in that it can neuter a load of dangerous things. Even with only dual stabs and roost, Freeze Dry makes up for it in a way that actually hits water types, and otherwise it flies majestic ice cubes all around NU and hammers some threats into oblivion with Hurricane, and others with Ice Beam. Of course, Roost is vital for longevity because being crippled by rocks is no bueno.

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Skuntank @ Expert Belt
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Defog

In a world that expects the physical, probably fat as hell Skuntank, I have the special lure instead. Two reasons for that one; first, I wanted to keep an even physical / special split, and second because it was useful to help weaken steels for a potential Swellow sweep end-game, as well as be able to defog on a bunch of things and just otherwise be trolly, since come on, would you really expect a special Skuntank to make that surprise appearance? If you said yes, congratulations, you're a god.

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Swellow @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack

Now, people call this the bad set. That much is true. However, it's also my personal favorite because of the philosophy of Velocitas Eradico, that speed kills. This is most certainly the case: the resists to this bird are common, but are usually worked out pretty easily. They can be weakened, handled, and forgotten about, and that is why Swellow was my weapon of choice. Patching up a relatively slow team, the things that would otherwise stop it are handily challenged by other mons, and if this can't break something Articuno can.

And there we have it, Summer's End. Go ahead and have fun, I'm out.

Importable

Mesprit @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 52 HP / 204 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Trick
- U-turn
- Zen Headbutt

Samurott @ Lum Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Megahorn

Manectric @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Charge Beam

Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Ice Beam

Skuntank @ Expert Belt
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Defog

Swellow @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack

Advantage because I promised him I'd do this. Other people, I'd tag you but I really don't have the energy to do it. Plus, people know I appreciate them. Except for a pair of dickwads in UU. They know who they are.

 

[shiloh]

mesprit / samurott / manectric / cuno / skunk / swellow

hey nightingales, this seems like a pretty fun team around an underrated threat in artiunco :o, so lets just go into the changes

• the biggest thing that stands out to me is a lock of a rock resist, which is a huge issue in the current meta with aggron and archeops being huge threats that can basically 6-0 from team preview, and they get free turns from 5/6 of your team which isn't something that should be happening. thats why my first change would be claydol > mesprit. running claydol gives you a solid rock resist, while giving you a rapid spinner which is mandatory after i show my next change.
• the next big issue i see is with the claydol change, your team becomes very slow, and you have no real way to revenge kill things. so in order to fix this, i would go with scarf shiftry > skuntank, which gives you a scarfer to revenge kill threats as well as keeps the dark type that you need to check psychic types while being a general good fast mon for you to have.
• even with these changes, you still lack a normal resist which can be scary in a metagame with big threats like tauros / kangaskhan / swellow everywhere, so i would try out klinklang in the last slot over swellow which gives you a nice physical attacker to replace it as well as another win con that can threaten things like audino. i would run shuca in this case as it allows you to come in on earthquakes and other moves like that.
• the final change would make is hidden power ground > ice beam on articuno, as it allows you to hit things like aggron on the switch which would other wise be really scary.

hopefully you keep laddering with the changes i suggested and good luck in the future n_n

import

Claydol @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Psyshock

Samurott @ Lum Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Megahorn

Manectric @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Charge Beam

Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Freeze-Dry
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Shiftry @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Leaf Blade
- X-Scissor
- Explosion

Klinklang @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shift Gear
- Gear Grind
- Return
- Magnet Rise

let me know if you have any questions :o

 

[PrinceLucian]

Hi Nightingales, I like the team and a lot of things have great sinergy so it didnt take me long to realise which part is main point of weaknesses, but ill get to it a bit later. Firstly, I think scarf+rocks on mesprit in NU definitely isnt the best option together because losing momentum can leave you open to setup sweepers which can easily run through offensive teams like this. When you mentioned about people thinking this swellow is bad, I cant agree here because even tho I still think boomburst set is the best, guts definitely has some benefits and allows this team to take on fat pokemon like mega audino that team hardly breaks at this stage.With your sets your team is very vulnerable to normal types, fighting types, malamar,aggron and you really cant break fat cores if swellow gets to weakened, so lets get to the point.

Defensive Mesprit > scarf rocks set, because it gives you a decent fighting check and a lot more reliable ground check for offense, you have enough speed control in manectric+swellow already, and thinking that offense is all about speed isnt really correct,especially rn where priority is really common sight. Set of Stealth Rock/Psychic/Signal Beam/U-turn with 248 Hp/244 def/16 speed is the one i choose for this team as 16 speed allows you to outspeed things like mawile and rest is put in phys bulk to help you with main physical threats, psyshock is maybe preffered option after gurdurr left the tier and most hitmonchans and hariyama are spdef, but I like psychic here since its a better shell smasher check and priority from samurott can pick them after they get weakened enough.

>

I think articuno is easily the biggest part of weaknesses of this team, i personally like it but I think it requires support of its own and suits more on balanced than offensive teams like this. With Rhydon, you get a great normal and flying check,head smash resist that you lacked,another fire check/ electric immunity and a very threatening late game sweeper that allows you to break more defensive teams/cores. It also pairs great with SD samurott since they share very similar checks/counters. Jolly nature is chosen over adamant for outspeeding floatzel.

Set

Rhydon @ Eviolite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Polish
- Swords Dance
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake

Thats mostly it,another few things id like to experiment here is swellow set with specs, and sludge bomb on skuntank since audino is kind of problematic.

-Hope you like my suggestions and gl :)