**SPRITES AND UPDATED FORMAT TO COME
GOAL: To create an UU stall team in a metagame which currently favors offensive UU teams. By nature, a UU stall will be much more difficult to play because of this and requires smart predictions and, at times, making the correct sacrifices for the greater goal of stalling.
SOLUTION: Unconventional sets and leads which challenge current metagame trends to tip the balance of predictions in the favor of the stall teams. As a result, multiple pokemon on the team can be used as leads to stall out the assorted UU leads instead of a dedicated lead.
TEAM: Weezing/Espeon/Blissey/Mega Blastoise/Whimsicott/Zygarde
BREAKDOWN:
WEEZING
ROLES: Lead, Physical Tank, Entry Hazards, Stat Elimination
REASONING: Weezing is an underrated position player on this team. After substituting Weezing for various different physical tanks like Crobat and Nidoqueen to suit the glaring fighting weakness which is at the core of any stall team which incorporates Blissey. Weezing fills a niche on this team by not only having access to Toxic Spikes but also adding a Ground immunity and hazer to prevent set ups from threatening offensive threats that often attempt to set up on Weezing. Flamethrower provides a solution to the common switch in of Forretress, which opposing stall teams often use to spin away hazards while setting up their own. Rest allows Weezing to act as a back-up status absorber and provides synergy with heal bell while providing consistent recovery.
ESPEON:
ROLES: Anti-Lead, Cleric, Pseudo-Phaser, Over Predictions
REASONING: As the inspiration for this team, Espeon as an anti-metagame utility piece can be used to support stall teams which otherwise find trouble with opposing entry hazards and pesky Fighting and Poison types. However, Espeons strengths lie in the pressure it creates off of its perceived offensive threat and not in any natural bulk, which is usually seen in most stall selections. As a result, Espeons set utilizes this pressure to create an effective status healer while simultaneously accomplishing that feat. With Morning Sun, the recovery allows Espeon to switch into its counters and recover while allowing Espeon to carry an element of stall. Yawn, as a status inducer, allows another aspect of unpredictability as a fail safe to the likes of leads such as Hippowdon which may try to Earthquake Espeon while absorbing the sleep. Espeon forces the switch and prevents the Hippowdon from setting up hazards. Espeon deals with most entry hazard leads in a similar way. A clever switch in to Galvantula from a lead Blissey can quickly cripple a Sticky Web team. Psyshock allows for heavy damage on Crobat and Machamp, which can otherwise do significant damage to the team while providing significant damage to Special Defense sponges like Blissey. As a result of this complexity, this team revolves around the clever manipulation of switch ins to prevent the establishment of threats which can otherwise cripple it if not played properly. Espeons role as an Anti-Lead allows it to become a safe selection as lead for opponents with unpredictable leads.
BLISSEY
ROLES: Lead, Cleric, Entry-Hazard, Special Defense Sponge
REASONING: Blissey, as one of the most versatile members of the UU stall metagame can be utilized in various different ways to achieve different roles on the team. In its specialized role on this team, Blisseys main goal is to sustain the rest of the team while simultaneously setting up entry hazards in an unconventional way. While most teams expect Stealth Rocks to be on different Pokemon, Blissey uses this unpredictability to set up Stealth Rocks with ease and sometimes pressure switch ins to Rapid Spinners. The pressure off of Stealth Rocks can be used for predictions and switch ins to cripple opposing teams. As a Wisher, Blissey remains almost unparalleled in terms of raw healing power. Off of wishes, Blissey creates reliable recovery for switch ins and allows certain Pokemon such as Espeon and Weezing to gain another dimension to their play. Allowing for steady recovery for Mega-Blastoise, Blissey is a crux of the team and often times sees the most time on the playing field or is used to stall out key threats which otherwise hurt the team.
MEGA BLASTOISE
ROLES: Lead, Rapid Spinner, Specially Offensive Threat, Bulky Water
REASONING: Mega Blastoise is currently one of the most unappreciated megas in the UU metagame. His access to rapid spin while containing an extremely powerful Dark Pulse allows Blastoise to damage Ghost Types with successful prediction. With Aura Sphere, Blastoise adds a Fighting type move to the team, which often times can be used to predict switches and deal significant damage to teams. Blastoise with incredible coverage and access to rapid spin fills a niche on this team to a degree which is unparalleled by the likes of similar bulky waters.
WHIMSICOTT:
ROLES: Stall, Defensive Sponge, Leech Seeder, Encore, Status
REASONING: As an yet another underappreciated Pokemon, Whimsicott allows for the abuse of Leech Seed and Prankster with Substitute and Encore to stall out many of the threats in the UU metagame. In combination with clever switch ins, encores, and substitutes, Whimsicott can often times create incredible pressure, and with the combination of Entry Hazards can deal significant damage across all teams. Fairy typing allows for clever switching opportunities for Dragons like Zygarde in conjunction with Weezing, who pressures Dragon type moves that allow Whimsicott to switch in and set up with encore.
ZYGARDE:
ROLES: Physical Offensive Threat, Revenge Killer, Set-Up Finisher
REASONING: Zygardes dominance of UU remains uncontested amongst elite UU players. As a result, his selection on this team comes at little to no surprise. With incredible typing and access to both Extreme Speed and Dragon Dance, Zygarde fills roles in this team with power that is unrivaled by any other Pokemon while simultaneously providing bulk, resistances, and immunities to the stall team. Zygarde is often used to finish off weakened teams and just as much as a key threat remover. Often times, Zygarde will be placed in a situation where it can take out another Pokemon while sacrificing itself. These predictions require foresight and calculation, as sometimes the elimination of key threats can lead to the successful stall of a team. However, the retention of priority is often times key to provide revenge killing that this team requires to function as a unit.
REPLAYS:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189824446
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189841508
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189843334
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189848553
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189860241
VS The Clean Bandit #1 ON LADDER: (I woud've won if not for mistakes)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189860241
DETAILS:
Weezing @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Flamethrower
- Toxic Spikes
- Haze/Clear Smog
- Rest
Espeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Yawn
- Morning Sun
- Heal Bell
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Protect
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Rapid Spin
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
- Leech Seed
- Encore
- Toxic
- Substitute
Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
GOAL: To create an UU stall team in a metagame which currently favors offensive UU teams. By nature, a UU stall will be much more difficult to play because of this and requires smart predictions and, at times, making the correct sacrifices for the greater goal of stalling.
SOLUTION: Unconventional sets and leads which challenge current metagame trends to tip the balance of predictions in the favor of the stall teams. As a result, multiple pokemon on the team can be used as leads to stall out the assorted UU leads instead of a dedicated lead.
TEAM: Weezing/Espeon/Blissey/Mega Blastoise/Whimsicott/Zygarde
BREAKDOWN:
WEEZING
ROLES: Lead, Physical Tank, Entry Hazards, Stat Elimination
REASONING: Weezing is an underrated position player on this team. After substituting Weezing for various different physical tanks like Crobat and Nidoqueen to suit the glaring fighting weakness which is at the core of any stall team which incorporates Blissey. Weezing fills a niche on this team by not only having access to Toxic Spikes but also adding a Ground immunity and hazer to prevent set ups from threatening offensive threats that often attempt to set up on Weezing. Flamethrower provides a solution to the common switch in of Forretress, which opposing stall teams often use to spin away hazards while setting up their own. Rest allows Weezing to act as a back-up status absorber and provides synergy with heal bell while providing consistent recovery.
ESPEON:
ROLES: Anti-Lead, Cleric, Pseudo-Phaser, Over Predictions
REASONING: As the inspiration for this team, Espeon as an anti-metagame utility piece can be used to support stall teams which otherwise find trouble with opposing entry hazards and pesky Fighting and Poison types. However, Espeons strengths lie in the pressure it creates off of its perceived offensive threat and not in any natural bulk, which is usually seen in most stall selections. As a result, Espeons set utilizes this pressure to create an effective status healer while simultaneously accomplishing that feat. With Morning Sun, the recovery allows Espeon to switch into its counters and recover while allowing Espeon to carry an element of stall. Yawn, as a status inducer, allows another aspect of unpredictability as a fail safe to the likes of leads such as Hippowdon which may try to Earthquake Espeon while absorbing the sleep. Espeon forces the switch and prevents the Hippowdon from setting up hazards. Espeon deals with most entry hazard leads in a similar way. A clever switch in to Galvantula from a lead Blissey can quickly cripple a Sticky Web team. Psyshock allows for heavy damage on Crobat and Machamp, which can otherwise do significant damage to the team while providing significant damage to Special Defense sponges like Blissey. As a result of this complexity, this team revolves around the clever manipulation of switch ins to prevent the establishment of threats which can otherwise cripple it if not played properly. Espeons role as an Anti-Lead allows it to become a safe selection as lead for opponents with unpredictable leads.
BLISSEY
ROLES: Lead, Cleric, Entry-Hazard, Special Defense Sponge
REASONING: Blissey, as one of the most versatile members of the UU stall metagame can be utilized in various different ways to achieve different roles on the team. In its specialized role on this team, Blisseys main goal is to sustain the rest of the team while simultaneously setting up entry hazards in an unconventional way. While most teams expect Stealth Rocks to be on different Pokemon, Blissey uses this unpredictability to set up Stealth Rocks with ease and sometimes pressure switch ins to Rapid Spinners. The pressure off of Stealth Rocks can be used for predictions and switch ins to cripple opposing teams. As a Wisher, Blissey remains almost unparalleled in terms of raw healing power. Off of wishes, Blissey creates reliable recovery for switch ins and allows certain Pokemon such as Espeon and Weezing to gain another dimension to their play. Allowing for steady recovery for Mega-Blastoise, Blissey is a crux of the team and often times sees the most time on the playing field or is used to stall out key threats which otherwise hurt the team.
MEGA BLASTOISE
ROLES: Lead, Rapid Spinner, Specially Offensive Threat, Bulky Water
REASONING: Mega Blastoise is currently one of the most unappreciated megas in the UU metagame. His access to rapid spin while containing an extremely powerful Dark Pulse allows Blastoise to damage Ghost Types with successful prediction. With Aura Sphere, Blastoise adds a Fighting type move to the team, which often times can be used to predict switches and deal significant damage to teams. Blastoise with incredible coverage and access to rapid spin fills a niche on this team to a degree which is unparalleled by the likes of similar bulky waters.
WHIMSICOTT:
ROLES: Stall, Defensive Sponge, Leech Seeder, Encore, Status
REASONING: As an yet another underappreciated Pokemon, Whimsicott allows for the abuse of Leech Seed and Prankster with Substitute and Encore to stall out many of the threats in the UU metagame. In combination with clever switch ins, encores, and substitutes, Whimsicott can often times create incredible pressure, and with the combination of Entry Hazards can deal significant damage across all teams. Fairy typing allows for clever switching opportunities for Dragons like Zygarde in conjunction with Weezing, who pressures Dragon type moves that allow Whimsicott to switch in and set up with encore.
ZYGARDE:
ROLES: Physical Offensive Threat, Revenge Killer, Set-Up Finisher
REASONING: Zygardes dominance of UU remains uncontested amongst elite UU players. As a result, his selection on this team comes at little to no surprise. With incredible typing and access to both Extreme Speed and Dragon Dance, Zygarde fills roles in this team with power that is unrivaled by any other Pokemon while simultaneously providing bulk, resistances, and immunities to the stall team. Zygarde is often used to finish off weakened teams and just as much as a key threat remover. Often times, Zygarde will be placed in a situation where it can take out another Pokemon while sacrificing itself. These predictions require foresight and calculation, as sometimes the elimination of key threats can lead to the successful stall of a team. However, the retention of priority is often times key to provide revenge killing that this team requires to function as a unit.
REPLAYS:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189824446
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189841508
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189843334
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189848553
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189860241
VS The Clean Bandit #1 ON LADDER: (I woud've won if not for mistakes)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-189860241
DETAILS:
Weezing @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Flamethrower
- Toxic Spikes
- Haze/Clear Smog
- Rest
Espeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Yawn
- Morning Sun
- Heal Bell
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
- Seismic Toss
- Protect
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Rapid Spin
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
- Leech Seed
- Encore
- Toxic
- Substitute
Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
