Basic Guide to Ubers
Introduction to Ubers
The Ubers metagame is almost a forgotten metagame, due to the fact that many experienced and new players alike think it easier to play the Overused tier. However, if you give Ubers a shot, you may find that it is a fun and enjoyable metagame. People might think Ubers isn't worth a try because they believe it takes no skill, but this is far from the truth as Ubers matches are filled with prediction and strategy. Uber Pokemon tend to pack a lot more power than Pokemon in standard play, as well as larger movepools. This translates into Uber Pokemon being a lot more dangerous, and is why prediction and quick thinking are crucial when playing Ubers. This guide aims to teach you the tips and tricks of the Ubers metagame. After reading this guide, you should be familiar with the unique and powerful sweepers found in Ubers so that, when you are face to face with one, you will be able to respond appropriately without panicking.
Which Pokemon are Uber?
The following Pokemon are considered Uber: Darkrai, Deoxys, Deoxys-A, Deoxys-D, Deoxys-S, Dialga, Garchomp, Giratina, Giratina-O, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Latias, Latios, Lugia, Manaphy, Mew, Mewtwo, Palkia, Rayquaza, Salamence, Shaymin-S, Wobbuffet, Wynaut, and Arceus.
What makes a Pokemon Uber?
A Pokemon is considered Uber if it is too powerful to be reasonably handled within the bounds of the standard metagame. Uber status is determined by this factor alone; it does not matter if a Pokemon is worthless in the Ubers tier, or if it is outclassed by anything already in Ubers. In Ubers, a strategy or Pokemon may appear to be broken; this doesn't matter as Ubers is essentially a ban list for OU, and nothing is currently too broken to be used in Ubers. Uber Pokemon generally have extremely large movepools and very high Base Stats when compared to OU Pokemon.
What makes a team an Uber team?
If any Uber Pokemon is present on a team, it is automatically an Ubers team. It does not matter if it is one Uber and five Magikarp; it is still an Uber team, and therefore is banned from standard play. There are no exceptions to this.
Wobbuffet, Wynaut?
Wobbuffet and Wynaut seem to defy the description above; they have poor stats in everything but HP, and learn a mere 8 moves. Why then, you may ask, are these Pokemon considered Uber? Wobbuffet and Wynaut are Uber because they have the power to let any Pokemon in the game set up freely, or kill at least one of the opponents Pokemon with ease. Their unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows them to trap any Pokemon in the game (besides other Wobbuffet and Wynaut) unless they are holding a Shed Shell or can use Baton Pass or U-turn. This means that Wobbuffet and Wynaut can switch into any Pokemon freely, using their gigantic HP stats to sponge hits, and are free to use either Mirror Coat or Counter to kill the opposing Pokemon, or more importantly, use Encore. With Encore, Wobbuffet turns any Pokemon into setup bait for a teammate, or condemns it to certain death via Mirror Coat or Counter. Wobbuffet also has the ability to use Tickle if you wish to easily eliminate a wall. Tickle allows Wobbuffet to lower the foes defenses to a point where Pursuit from a teammate shatters it. The same goes for Wynaut; although Wynaut has much lower stats than Wobbuffet, it still has the Shadow Tag trait, making it Uber. It is not recommended to use Wynaut for obvious reasons.
Know the Ubers
The Pokemon will be organized into groups for effectiveness.
The Uber sweepers
Darkrai
With a base 90 Attack stat, a base 125 Speed stat, and a base 135 Special Attack stat, Darkrai's stats might make it look like an inferior Mewtwo; however, Darkrai is far from that. Darkrai has the move Dark Void, which is the most accurate sleep move besides Spore, boasting 80% accuracy. It also has the ability Bad Dreams, which deals 12.5% to a Pokemon who is sleeping in its presence, meaning it can break Focus Sashes and incapacitate opposing leads in one swipe. The other thing it has is Dark typing, which gives it an edge in Uber battling by providing STAB Dark Pulse to hit the many Psychic-type Uber Pokemon. This also makes Darkrai immune to Mirror Coat, keeping Wobbuffet from causing major problems unless Darkrai locks itself into Dark Void. Darkrai, like Mewtwo, has virtually no counters. Any Sleep Talker can get Taunted, and Blissey fears a +2 Focus Blast, which 2HKOes. The best strategy against Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void, preferably a Sleep Talker, and then switch out to a Pokemon that can outspeed Darkrai, but the options for that are very limited.
Deoxys-A
Laugh at its minuscule defenses as much as you want, but its base 180 Attack and Special Attack alongside base 150 Speed makes Deoxys-A a real threat. There is no true counter for Deoxys-A in the strictest definition of the word. Metagross can Bullet Punch it, but risks being hit by a Thunder. Scizor can also be used to play mind games, threatening to Bullet Punch if Deoxys-A stays in, or hit it with Pursuit if it decides to switch out, but even Scizor must watch out for Hidden Power Fire. Take note that with its abysmal defenses, it is impossible to switch Deoxys-A in safely, necessitating one only do so after a Pokemon has fainted.
Dialga
Dialga's resistances allow it to switch into moves quite easily, and with those offensive stats and an offensive movepool consisting of Aura Sphere, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast / Flamethrower / Overheat, Outrage, and Thunder, expect Dialga to inflict a lot of pain on your opponent's team. Dialga's immunity to Toxic grants it the ability to switch into Blissey with relative impunity and put the hurt on her with Brick Break or Outrage, while Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Thunder keep physically defensive Pokemon at bay. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Dialga can make a fantastic revenge killer, and while it misses out by only having a base 90 Speed stat when compared to Palkia, it redeems itself by being a Steel-type. This allows it to easily take Rayquaza's ExtremeSpeed, something Palkia can't do. Dialga can also strike on the physical side by using Bulk Up or a Choice Band to boost its already impressive, but often neglected, base 120 Attack stat.
Garchomp
After being banished from the OU tier, many were worried that Garchomp would not stand a chance in its new home. However, their fears have been reconciled, as Garchomp is still a force to be reckoned with. It has STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves along with Stone Edge and a base 102 Speed stat; it also has an immunity to Electric-type attacks, allowing it to switch in quite easily on, for example, a Choice-locked Thunder. Garchomp's base 102 Speed may not seem so great, but it is quite impressive in Ubers, as it lets Garchomp outrun all base 90 to base 100 Speed Pokemon unless they carry Choice Scarf. Of course if Garchomp is holding its own Choice Scarf, it will always outrun the aforementioned Pokemon. In addition, Garchomp is capable of 2HKOing almost every Uber with Outrage or Earthquake, and that is certainly something that a player must be aware of before constructing a team. By using Swords Dance in conjunction with a Life Orb or Haban Berry, it can blaze through all but the strongest physical walls, such as Lugia and Groudon.
Giratina-O
Giratina-O has amazing STAB moves in Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks, hitting many of the Pokemon in Ubers for super effective damage. This is a double-edged sword, however, as it is also hit by the majority of attacks used in Ubers super effectively. Despite this, Giratina-O is arguably the best spinblocker in the game. At base 90 Speed, it is also on the slow side for an Uber Pokemon, but it makes up for this lack of speed with two fantastic base 120 Attack stats and tremendous bulk, with base 150 HP and 100 in both Defense and Special Defense. Giratina-O is unique in that the only item it can hold is the Griseous Orb, also known as the Platinum Orb, which keeps it in its Origin forme and boosts its Ghost- and Dragon-type attacks by 20%. It also cannot lose this item, making it immune to Trick and Knock Off's secondary effect. It is quite the offensive menace, as it can attack with STAB Dragon Pulse, Draco Meteor, and Shadow Ball on the special side, or STAB Outrage, Dragon Claw, as well as Shadow Force, Giratina-O's signature move, on the physical side. Giratina-O is often hailed as the ultimate stallbreaker thanks to its mixed capacity, immunity to Seismic Toss, Toxic Spikes, and Spikes, access to Calm Mind, and the ability to use Substitute to block status. After coming in, it can set up a Substitute, which blocks any attempts by stall teams to poison, paralyze, or even Leech Seed it. From there, it can boost up with Calm Mind, which only a Calm Mind or Psych Up Blissey or Latias can stop. After only one Calm Mind and with Stealth Rock up, it can OHKO Lugia with Shadow Ball, and possibly OHKO Latias with Dragon Pulse; both of the aforementioned Pokemon are common walls in Ubers. With HeartGold and SoulSilver, Giratina and Giratina-O gained a new toy in the form of Shadow Sneak, meaning it now has a STAB priority move, which can be used to pick off Psychic-types that have taken some prior damage. Giratina-O has a lot of weaknesses, but is a true force when used properly, especially with paralysis support.
Groudon
In this generation, Groudon received new toys to play with: Dragon Claw and Stone Edge. When not using Swords Dance, Groudon can be an effective user of Choice Band, although it greatly fears Rayquaza switching into a Choice Band Earthquake. Nonetheless, it is most often used as a defensive player that stops nearly every physical attacker cold. Groudon can also use the move Rock Polish to double its Speed and perhaps enable a sweep. Not only does it boast the great attacking combination of Ground / Dragon / Rock attacks, it can also use Swords Dance to become a fearsome beast that is nearly impossible to counter. Groudon is also one of the best recipients of Baton Pass, due to the fact that, with a +2 Attack and Speed boost, it is nearly unstoppable.
Ho-Oh
Ho-Oh is limited by the existence of Stealth Rock, which takes away a massive 50% of its total HP if on the field. Even with this limitation, however, it can still be a huge threat with its amazing Special Defense and proper team support. Sacred Fire is nothing to laugh at; with a 50% burn rate, it can destroy physical sweepers such as Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can be even more of a threat with sunlight support from Groudon, halving the power of Water attacks and, in return, increasing the power of Ho-Oh's Fire attacks by 50%. It also appreciates Rapid Spin support. Ho-Oh has the ability to dent many different threats with Life Orb and base 130 Attack as well. With the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver, Ho-Oh gained Brave Bird, which allows it to rip through Pokemon such as Latias and Kyogre, who previously laughed off its Fire-type attacks. Ho-Oh can also make use of Recover or Roost to somewhat relieve its Stealth Rock weakness.
Kyogre
Kyogre is the rightful "King of Ubers," as it is able to reach a whopping 438 Special Attack stat without a boost and has the ability Drizzle, which causes rain that boosts its already powerful Water attacks when it enters the field. Kyogre can fix its mediocre Speed stat with Choice Scarf, and abuse that new high Speed with the insanely powerful Water Spout, which effectively has 337.5 Base Power after the rain boost and STAB. Kyogre can use Calm Mind too, of which it can take advantage with protection of 101 HP Substitutes. It can also utilize Choice Specs, pushing that titanic Special Attack so high that not even Blissey can withstand it. This essentially gives it triple Water-type STAB with Choice Specs, STAB, and Drizzle, although it does come with the price of sitting at 306 Speed maximum, leaving it outpaced by the majority of Ubers. A Choice Specs-boosted Water Spout in the rain from Kyogre is the most powerful move in all of DPP, barring Explosion, and is not to be taken lightly.
Latios and Latias
Don't forget about these two, as they pack a serious punch thanks to the boost in their stats provided by Soul Dew. Latios boasts a maximum Special Attack of 591 while retaining the ability to switch moves, which allows it to smash many Pokemon in the opponent's team. However, Latios is still walled by Blissey, who laughs at anything and everything Latios can throw at it. Latias packs less power than Latios in exchange for more durability. In this generation, Latias and Lations have gained several power boosts; Dragon Pulse now replaces Dragon Claw with a higher Base Power, and Draco Meteor can be used to instantly cause insane amounts of damage. They also received Grass Knot for Groudon, Kyogre, and Tyranitar, all of whom are hit for 120 Base Power; however, Thunder is generally the better option so they can hit Steel-types without resorting to Hidden Power Fire. A difference between Latios and Latias, aside from their stats, is that Latios learns Dragon Dance and Memento, while Latias learns Wish and Healing Wish. Latios can now utilize a physical STAB Dragon Claw and Outrage with Dragon Dance, making mixed and physical sets that can catch its normal counters by surprise possibilities as well. To aid their sweeping abilities, Latios and Latias also learn moves such as Calm Mind and Recover. They can use Safeguard to prevent Pokemon from statusing them, as well as use Refresh to cure status they already have been afflicted with.
Manaphy
Manaphy is yet another little event pixie with base 100 stats across the board. Manaphy is often thought to be less of a threat than other Ubers; however, it can be extremely powerful when used in conjunction with Kyogre. Kyogre's rain grants Manaphy virtual immunity to status, which is helpful when Manaphy is trying to boost its Special Attack with Tail Glow or set up Calm Minds. Even though Manaphy's attacking movepool is limited to Surf, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot, a moveset with Tail Glow, Surf, Ice Beam, and one of the Grass-type moves offers huge type coverage and is definitely a force to watch out for. Manaphy can also make great use of a bulky spread with Calm Mind over Tail Glow, trading the instant power for extra survivability. To give you an idea of its durability, with the correct EV spread, Calm Mind Manaphy has the ability to easily set up on an unboosted Thunder from Kyogre after one use of Calm Mind.
Mewtwo
With a base 110 Attack stat, a base 130 Speed stat, and a base 154 Special Attack stat, Mewtwo can effectively abuse a wide variety of physical and special attacks. It can also break Uber stall teams down with the combination of Taunt and Calm Mind, which allows it to boost its already sky-high Special Attack and shut down attempts at healing. It can use Selfdestruct too, killing potentially threatening walls and tanks. Its movepool consists of a wide range of attacking types, including Ghost, Ice, and Electric, all of which are very effective types in Ubers. This Psychic clone is also deceptively bulky, with access to 101 HP Substitutes, Will-O-Wisp, and Calm Mind. These factors make Mewtwo a very high-level threat, no matter the set it is running.
Palkia
Palkia is an absolute terror under rain, launching Surfs from a base 150 Special Attack stat coupled with either Lustrous Orb, Life Orb, or Choice Specs, while punishing Dragon-types that attempt to switch into it with a powerful Draco Meteor or Spacial Rend. Palkia comes with a 4x resistance to Water attacks, in addition to an often-overlooked base 120 Special Defense, which makes it a decent non-Calm Mind Kyogre counter, boasting the ability to not be OHKOed by Kyogre's Water Spout with no defensive investment. Palkia's base 100 Speed stat allows it to outspeed many Ubers, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Giratina, and Deoxys-D. There is also the commonly forgotten physical Palkia set, which can utilize Aqua Tail and Outrage to decimate its normal counters such as Blissey and Latias. It can also boost Aqua Tail and Outrage further with either Choice Band or the move Bulk Up. Palkia can make use of these moves in a mixed set, which punishes stall teams lacking Latias. Furthermore, Palkia can use Choice Scarf to outspeed even more Ubers, making it a great revenge killer of threats such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Palkia is so deadly and versatile that there is no true counter to it; everything that could switch into one attack is at risk of being hurt too badly by another.
Rayquaza and Salamence
Rayquaza and Salamence share 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, but have gained massive improvements from the shift to DPP with the addition of the physical/special split and the boost to Outrage's Base Power. Rayquaza is the reason why people carry a Steel-type in their teams, as a Dragon Dance-boosted Life Orb Outrage can OHKO the majority of the Uber tier. Don't forget Air Lock, which allows Rayquaza to destroy Pokemon who rely on the weather to boost their Speed stat. Salamence, on the other hand, has Intimidate, which allows him to check Swords Dance Rayquaza and Lucario in a pinch. Rayquaza can also use ExtremeSpeed with Swords Dance to annihilate faster threats such as Choice Scarf Palkia, that the Dragon Dance counterpart has trouble with. Also, by using a mixed set, they can effectively hit every Pokemon in the Ubers metagame for phenomenal damage, and make extremely effective stallbreakers. Salamence, at first glance, may seem inferior to the much more powerful Rayquaza, but Salamence is actually one of the most effective partners for it since they have the same counters. Salamence's base 100 Speed stat means that Choice Scarf Palkia, perhaps the most common Dragon Dance Rayquaza check, cannot reliably revenge kill Salamence. Either of these two can sweep in the blink of an eye, rendering any team that is not prepared to counter them a team that is doomed.
Shaymin-S
Shaymin-S sports a blinding base Speed of 127, and while this may not let it outspeed the likes of Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo, it outspeeds everything else that isn't carrying a Choice Scarf; If Shaymin-S carries a Choice Scarf itself it will outrun almost all commonly seen Uber Pokemon. Although it has a 4x weakness to Ice attacks, Shaymin-S has a massive asset in its Grass typing, more specifically in its signature move, Seed Flare. Coming off a very healthy base 120 Special Attack stat and factoring in STAB, Seed Flare hits Kyogre and Groudon, two of the most prevalent Ubers, like a ton of bricks, OHKOing both. Seed Flare also has the added bonus of having an 80% chance of lowering your opponent's Special Defense by two stages due to Serene Grace. Not only does this help Shaymin-S wear down bulky opponents, but it also forces a lot of switches, which works terrifically with entry hazards, such as Stealth Rock and Spikes. Speaking of Serene Grace, Shaymin-S is extremely efficient at abusing flinch hax, using its STAB Air Slash for a 60% flinch rate, which is no laughing matter. Its usefulness doesn't stop there though; Shaymin-S can also be a great SubSeed user, with its obscene Speed and access to the aforementioned Seed Flare. This allows it to deal out heavy damage, or to simply stall the opponent out with Leech Seed.
The Uber Walls
Deoxys-D
Deoxys-D has a massive support movepool, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Knock Off. It has access to Recover to replenish its health, Toxic to poison the opponent, and Taunt to prevent opponent's from healing or setting up. It is worth warning, however, that Deoxys-D is easily set up on, as its mediocre base 70 Special Attack lets its attacks be easily absorbed in a metagame where defenses soar over base 100, even on offensive Pokemon. Disappointingly, Deoxys-D is generally not a good wall because of the fact that it simply doesn't possess the HP to take the powerful attacks in the Ubers environment. Deoxys-D's main draw is as a sturdy Pokemon that can set up multiple layers of Spikes, as well as use Recover.
Giratina
Giratina packs useful stats in tanking, and is usually the spinblocker of choice for stall teams. Giratina has a godly base 150 HP and base 120 in both defenses, as well as the ability to learn Will-O-Wisp. This, in conjunction with its useful immunities to Normal- and Fighting-type attacks and resistances to Electric-, Water-, Grass-, Poison-, and Bug-types certainly makes it a great physical wall in Ubers. However, unlike Lugia, Giratina lacks a reliable recovery move, usually forcing it to resort to Rest. Giratina's weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ice-type moves also hurt it severely, seeing as all of said types are common in the Uber metagame. Giratina also has the capacity to be a decent anti-lead, due to its ability to hold a Haban Berry, unlike Giratina-O, who can only hold a Grisseous Orb. It is also worth noting that Giratina-O is impossible to use in Wi-Fi without an external cheating device, so you are limited to Giratina.
Groudon
Groudon is capable of holding up against threats such as Tyranitar, physical Rayquaza, and Metagross with EV investment in HP and Defense. It only needs 252 HP EVs and 24 Defense EVs to survive a Dragon Danced Life Orb Outrage from Rayquaza, and can then retaliate with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw. Both are powerful enough to put Rayquaza down to an incredibly low amount of health so that Life Orb recoil can wipe it out, if it doesn't KO right off the bat. Groudon is a great addition to stall teams because it removes the rain that many Ubers, such as Latias and Latios, rely on to use Thunder effectively, which is sometimes their only way to hurt Steel-types. Groudon also has access to a wide variety of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Safeguard, and Roar, allowing it to aid its teammates in more ways than just absorbing physical blows.
Kyogre
Kyogre also has the tools to become an effective defensive tank. Its impressive 100 / 90 / 140 defenses coupled with its great defensive typing allow it to hold up against powerful attackers such as Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, Ho-Oh (to an extent), and Groudon. Kyogre is also an excellent Darkrai check thanks to its humongous Special Defense (it can survive a boosted Dark Pulse with ease and KO back with its powerful STAB rain-boosted Surf), and with investment, can also hold up as a fine check to Mewtwo. Although Kyogre's support options are limited, the fact that most Steel- and Ground-types avoid the overgrown fish like the plague means that Kyogre is a fine user of status moves such as Thunder Wave and Toxic. Kyogre can also employ Roar to spread around damage from entry hazards as well as to keep things from setting up on it. Kyogre's infinite rain provided by Drizzle is also a massive boon for rain-centric teams, as with a defensive EV spread Kyogre can last throughout the match to keep the rain going. Although defensive Kyogre does not hold the same power as the more offensive sets, it can still do plenty of damage with its STAB Surf backed up by rain and its base 150 Special Attack stat.
Latias
Unlike her brother Latios, Latias focuses on playing a defensive role. Latias possesses a base 80 HP stat, a base 90 Defense stat, and base 130 Special Defense stat. This may seem small compared to the other Ubers, but Latias's trump card is her mystical item: Soul Dew. Soul Dew boosts her Special Defense and Special Attack stats by 50%, making her a very deadly sweeper as well as a tank for special attacks. Latias is capable of holding her own against tough attackers such as Kyogre, as she can take an Ice Beam from it and dish back significant damage with Thunder or Grass Knot. Latias also has the ability to restore her HP with Recover or Roost, making her an even tougher wall. She is, however, prone to Pursuit users due to her base 80 HP and base 90 Defense. She is best known as a special wall that has a considerable amount of power and speed, as well as the ability to handle Kyogre, which is what separates her from Blissey. Latias also gets special mention because, using her high base 110 Speed, Soul Dew, and Recover, she is the only true counter of a Choice Specs Kyogre, who can down even Blissey in two hits with a full-health Water Spout.
Lugia
Known as the ultimate wall in the past, Lugia's tanking ability remains almost unchanged in this fast-paced generation. With base 106 HP, base 130 Defense, and base 154 Special Defense, combined with the recovery moves Recover and Roost, and the ability to set up Reflect and Light Screen, Lugia is always a pain to take down. Additionally, its base 110 Speed allows it to outpace many threats, such as Garchomp and Groudon, and Roost to remove its weakness to Stone Edge. Despite its higher Special Defense, Lugia is often used as a physical or mixed wall because it still pales in comparison to Blissey in terms of special walling. In DPP, Lugia's tanking abilities are slightly hampered by Stealth Rock, however.
Other Ubers
Deoxys
Deoxys is almost directly outclassed by its various other formes; however, Deoxys can function effectively as an anti-lead. Its defenses, while nothing to brag about at 50 / 50 / 50, are just good enough to let it survive two ExtremeSpeeds from Deoxys-S, something that Deoxys-A cannot do. Overall, the ability to beat Deoxys-S from the lead position is the only thing that Deoxys can do better than Deoxys-A.
Deoxys-S
Deoxys-S is a fantastic lead that will almost always do exactly what it's supposed to: get entry hazards up. The only common leads that can outrun Deoxys-S are Choice Scarf Darkrai and Shaymin-S. Even then, Deoxys-S is sometimes able to get Stealth Rock up; against Darkrai, if it holds a Focus Sash, it can survive a Dark Pulse, and if it has a Lum Berry, it can avoid a Dark Void. Unfortunately, it only has a 40% chance to get Stealth Rock up against Shaymin-S due to Air Slash flinching Deoxys-S 60% of the time. Although this may not seem like much, Stealth Rock can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs by inflicting heavy damage on the likes of Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza. Deoxys-S can also easily set up Spikes alongside Stealth Rock due to its blazing Speed. Focus Sash mitigates its poor defenses and virtually guarantees that it will be able to use both Stealth Rock and Spikes. If you wish to forgo the Focus Sash, Deoxys-S gains the ability to outspeed every Pokemon in the game with a Choice Scarf and no Speed EVs, allowing it to run a more bulky spread for the price of only being able to lay down Spikes.
Mew
"Unpredictable" is Mew in one word. Base 100 in every single stat means it can do almost whatever it wants. Its stats are infinitely outclassed by Mewtwo, but Mew learns quite a decent number of moves that Mewtwo does not, such as Nasty Plot and Hypnosis. Mew can learn all TMs and Baton Pass +2 of any stat. It can also mess up phazers, such as Lugia and Skarmory, by Taunting them. On the physical side, Mew gets Explosion, a handy move that can destroy a Pokemon valuable to the opponent's team, and Swords Dance to boost it attack, which Mewtwo cannot do. Mew is generally used on Baton Pass teams due to its aforementioned ability to pass +2 of whatever it wants, making whatever it passes to a very potent threat. By backing up Mew with a Lum Berry and dual screens, Mew can set up a sweep that is near impossible to stop. The little pixie also makes a good lead, with the likes of Stealth Rock, Taunt, U-turn, and Explosion aiding it in its efforts.
Wobbuffet
Although Wobbuffet's stats are bad in everything sans HP and it learns a grand total of 8 moves, it is much more threatening than it looks. Wobbuffet's unique ability, Shadow Tag, allows it to trap any Pokemon in the battle except another Wobbuffet or Wynaut. When combined with Counter, Mirror Coat, and Encore, Wobbuffet will all but ensure death to at least one of your opponent's Pokemon. Safeguard combined with the aforementioned Encore also allows deadly sweepers on Wobbuffet's team to come in and set up free of status. Tickle, although rare, allows Wobbuffet to devastate enemy walls when paired with a strong user of Pursuit. On the Pokemon Online battle simulator, Wobbuffet gets access to the item Custap Berry, which turns it into even more of a monster. Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to automatically go first the turn after its health dips below 25% (unless the opponent uses a priority move), meaning it can use Destiny Bond against the opponent, effectively giving it the ability to take down two Pokemon.
Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Blissey
With base 255 HP and base 135 Special Defense, Blissey does not need to be explained much. However, with the insanity of special attacks in Ubers, the EV investment on Blissey is often geared to the special defensive side rather than the usual physical defensive department. Because Blissey's base HP is so high, however, it is more beneficial for Blissey to maximize both defense stats in Ubers. Without max Defense, Blissey is 2HKOed by Giratina's Dragon Claw and OHKOed by Metagross's Pursuit. For maximum special walling capabilities, one should use Toxic, either Softboiled and Ice Beam or Wish and Protect, and Seismic Toss. Blissey can aid its team by using a Wish + Protect strategy, which can heal defensive Pokemon that lack a recovery move, such as Wobbuffet and Groudon.
Forretress
Forretress comes into Ubers with the wonderful ability to launch Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes onto the opponent's side of the field. Toxic Spikes will hamper Blissey's tanking ability quite drastically, while Stealth Rock hurts Lugia and Ho-Oh badly when they switch. Forretress makes good use of Payback, Gyro Ball, and Bug Bite too. Payback is especially useful, as it can hurt Giratina-O, who would otherwise completely block Forretress's Rapid Spin. Be careful, however, as Giratina-O often carries Hidden Power Fire for Forretress. Speaking of Rapid Spin, Forretress is one of the only viable users of the move in Ubers. Gyro Ball also works relatively well in a metagame like Ubers, where so many Pokemon have high Speed stats.
Heatran
A terror under the sun like Ho-Oh, Heatran is a valuable Steel-type in Ubers due to its resistances to Dragon and immunity to Fire coupled with sheer power. It can use Dragon Pulse against the Dragon-type switch-ins and burn everything to cinders with Overheat. Under the sun and bolstered by Choice Specs, either Overheat or Fire Blast puts a big dent into anything that doesn't resist it; even Palkia is 2HKOed by Fire Blast after Stealth Rock with a Flash Fire boost. Heatran might seem like Kyogre bait, but it can explode on the whale. Heatran can effectively stallbreak as well, due to its immunity to Toxic and access to moves such as Roar and Taunt.
Jirachi
Another one of the little pixies with base 100 stats across the board, Jirachi's Steel typing provides valuable resistances to the Dragon- and Ice-type attacks so often seen in Ubers; it is not weak to Ghost-, Dark-, or Electric-type attacks either. While Jirachi's offensive capabilities pale in comparison to many Uber sweepers, it can provide valuable team support in the form of Wish and dual screens. If Jirachi absolutely must attack, it can smack other Pokemon around with Thunder and STAB Iron Head, which have a 60% paralysis and 60% flinch rate, respectively, due to its ability, Serene Grace. It can make a decent revenge killer with Choice Scarf as well. Jirachi gets Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Body Slam, and U-turn on the physical side; of note are Ice Punch and Body Slam. Ice Punch can destroy a Rayquaza locked into Outrage, while Body Slam has a 60% paralysis rate with Serene Grace, allowing Jirachi to paralyze Ground-types that are immune to Thunder Wave.
Lucario
By using a simple standard Life Orb Swords Dance set, Lucario can instantly pose a large threat even in the Ubers territory. While at first it may seem like it would be completely overshadowed by Swords Dance Rayquaza, Lucario has moves that Rayquaza could only dream of, such as Close Combat, which gives Lucario an extremely powerful STAB attack without locking it in and confusing, making it far harder to revenge kill. Finally, and possibly most importantly, it has a plethora of resistances that Rayquaza wishes it had. In exchange for a weakness to Earthquake, it gains the following resistances: 2x to Ice- and Dragon-type attacks, and 4x to Dark- and Rock-type attacks, all of which are constantly thrown around in Ubers. This makes it very easy to get Lucario in to start Swords Dancing and sweeping, especially when used with Wobbuffet.
Metagross
Metagross is a valuable Pokemon in Ubers due to its much-coveted Steel typing. Meteor Mash can give many Ubers a hard time, and it also has a few other weapons besides the metallic crusher. Pursuit can seriously hurt Blissey as it switches, and can OHKO Latios and Latias. Metagross gets Bullet Punch for weakened opponents, and Deoxys-A, who gets OHKOed. After all of that, Metagross has Explosion to put a serious dent into anything but Ghost-types once its job is done. Another great thing about Metagross is that it resists Dragon-type attacks, making it a decent Rayquaza stopper provided it's already locked into Outrage, and resistance to Ice-type moves is always handy. Metagross's advantage over Scizor is that it can be EVed to always survive two Thunders from Latias, and almost always survive 2 from Latios.
Scizor
Scizor is a great Pokemon in Ubers due to its STAB U-turn, which allows it to OHKO Psychic-types with ease. It also has Technician to boost Pursuit to deal quite a bit of damage to Psychic-types as they switch out. Unlike Metagross, Scizor can recover its health with Roost, allowing it to stick around on a team much longer. With Dark-type resistance, base 130 Attack stat, and STAB U-turn, Scizor is a decent counter to Darkrai that lack Nasty Plot; however, something else must take the Dark Void before Scizor can switch in. In a similar vein to Metagross, Scizor can lock Deoxys-A into a state of decision. If it decides to switch, Scizor can Pursuit Deoxys-A to death, whereas one trying to stay in may be annihilated by Bullet Punch. Speaking of Bullet Punch, Scizor can make a good revenge killer using Choice Band Bullet Punch, which hurts even those who resist it due to its massive Attack Stat, STAB, and Technician.
Skarmory
Skarmory resists Normal-type and Dragon-type attacks, is immune to Ground-type attacks, and has access to Whirlwind, making it a great check to physical threats, such as Groudon that lack Fire Punch, and Garchomp. It is also immune to Toxic, gets a 50% healing move in Roost, and can effectively use Spikes or Stealth Rock. It makes a good Metagross and Lugia counter as well. Skarmory's weakness is its much weaker Special Defense. While it can wall any physical Dragon-, Ground-, Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type attack, it will fall to the strong special attacks being launched in Ubers, such as Kyogre's Water Spouts and Surfs. It isn't all bad though; Toxic is a good weapon to use on Skarmory in this metagame, as it completely messes up special attacking threats such as Latias and Kyogre who might attempt to switch into you. Toxic severely hampers the defensive ability of Lugia and Deoxys-D too.
Tyranitar
STAB Dark-type attacks put a huge dent into most Ubers because of the sheer number of Psychic- and Ghost-types. There aren't many Uber Pokemon who resist Rock-type moves, either. Another thing about Tyranitar is that it has a STAB Pursuit, which puts a giant dent into Blissey, Latios, and Latias as they switch out. If they stay in, they will risk getting Crunched, and will still take a lot of damage from Pursuit. Tyranitar's ability, Sand Stream, can change the weather and mess up weather teams, and provides it with a 1.5x Special Defense boost. Be warned, however, that even though Tyranitar has an amazing Special Defense stat with sandstorm, Ubers special attackers are so powerful that it cannot take them forever. Tyranitar can also function effectively as a mixed attacker, with moves such as Flamethrower for Steel-types and Ice Beam for Groudon and Garchomp.
Uncommon Non-Uber Pokemon in Ubers
Abomasnow
The yeti gets special mention because of its unique ability in Snow Warning, which can replace the commonly used rain and sun with hail. Also, Abomasnow can hit many Ubers for super effective damage with its STAB Blizzard, which gains 100% accuracy with the snow falling. It can hit both Groudon and Kyogre super effectively with its Grass-type STAB too. Abomasnow can even cause trouble for a stall team by utilizing an immensely annoying bulky SubSeeding strategy while negating Leftovers with hail, backed up by its Ice- and Grass-type STAB moves. Be careful though, as many Dragon-types that you would hit with Blizzard often carry Fire-type moves, especially Dialga and most Rayquaza.
Bronzong
Bronzong can use its Psychic / Steel typing and respectable balanced base 116 defenses to do some walling in Ubers. Levitate removes its Ground-type weakness, allowing it to beat some Groudon and all Metagross, and it can do significant damage to fast Ubers, such as Latios and Darkrai, with Gyro Ball. Bronzong is capable of beating walls such as Lugia and Groudon lacking Fire Punch with Toxic, while avoiding poison itself through its Steel typing. Additionally, it can spread poison around many sweepers, as it can switch in on Pokemon decently due to its Ice- and Dragon-type resistances; however, it must watch out for Thunder. When Bronzong is about to faint, it can go out with a powerful Explosion. Note that Bronzong needs major Special Defense investment to compete in Ubers, though. Due to Bronzong's great typing, it can very successfully aid in setting up a Baton Pass sweep by throwing up Light Screen and Reflect, which lessen the blows on itself and Mew, who would be passing boosts.
Celebi
Celebi's unimpressive stats (by Uber standards) may decrease its viability, but its sturdy defenses and excellent utility movepool make it a good choice in Ubers. Celebi makes a great lead with access to moves such as Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and U-turn. Celebi can also be an effective attacker with some combination of Leaf Storm, Grass Knot, Earth Power, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and Shadow Ball. Celebi's vast movepool makes it more suited for a supporting role, however, thanks to Recover, Light Screen, Reflect, Leech Seed, Trick Room, Baton Pass, Heal Bell, and Perish Song.
Cloyster
Cloyster is a wasted slot on an Ubers team in every position but the lead spot. As a lead, it has the perfect movepool to accomplish what it's meant to do, with access to a good balance of support and offensive moves. Cloyster can use Ice Beam to maim Groudon severely, always 2HKOing it, and has Ice Shard to pick off Pokemon with a Focus Sash. It can also utilize Rapid Spin and Payback, meaning Deoxys-S's attempts to set up will be futile. Lastly, Cloyster's great support movepool includes Toxic Spikes and Spikes, meaning it can set up against the leads that can't hurt it.
Froslass
Froslass has one purpose in the Uber tier: to set up Spikes while simultaneously blocking Rapid Spin due to its Ghost typing. At a glance, it may seem as if Froslass is inferior to Deoxys-S in terms of Spiking, but this is far from the truth as Froslass can do things Deoxys-S can only dream of. Firstly, as mentioned previously, Froslass blocks Rapid Spin by merit of its Ghost typing, meaning that Forretress can't so easily rid Froslass of all her hard work. Second, it can use Icy Wind to slow down opposing Deoxys-S and then outspeed it the next turn and blast it with a Shadow Ball, which will always kill Deoxys-S lacking HP investment. It can also use Taunt and Destiny Bond; the former prevents set-up while the latter lets it take an opponent out with ease due to its blazing Speed once its Focus Sash has been activated. Froslass has mediocre stats in all but Speed, but it is not to be doubted when it comes to reliably setting up Spikes.
Gengar
With Gengar's high Speed stat and helpful Ghost-type STAB, it makes a good candidate for a Choice Scarf revenge killer. Gengar has access to STAB Shadow Ball to hit the many Psychic- and Ghost-types of Ubers for super effective damage. In addition, it can use Thunder and Focus Blast for targets such as Kyogre and Dialga, respectively. While it doesn't have Ice Beam, it can use Hidden Power Ice to hit 4x effective targets such as Garchomp and Rayquaza. Gengar also gains a very useful Normal-type immunity thanks to its Ghost typing, which allows it to revenge kill Pokemon such as Rayquaza, who would normally annihilate faster Pokemon with a boosted ExtremeSpeed. Gengar's speed and power, along with good prediction, can make Gengar an effective Pokemon in Ubers. However, it is worth warning that Gengar's paper defenses will crumble under any attack that isn't Ground-, Normal-, Bug-, or Fighting-type.
Hariyama
Hariyama might seem like an odd choice for your Uber team, but it can perform quite well as a lead. Hariyama uses Fake Out in conjunction with a Toxic Orb or Flame Orb so that it has the ability to break Focus Sashes and become immune to status moves, such as Darkrai's Dark Void, in one turn. With opposing leads' Sashes broken, Hariyama can proceed to hit hard with a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat or Payback. Hariyama can also come back mid-game if the user needs something to absorb status. Indeed, Hariyama may seem like a silly choice, but it is not to be underestimated.
Heracross
In Ubers, Heracross makes a fine sweeper with a powerful STAB Megahorn and Close Combat, a combination not many Ubers resist. It can also stop Darkrai with Sleep Talk and Choice Scarf; however, beware the restrictions of Sleep Talk by Choice Scarf—you can only use it once before switching out. Heracross is utterly walled by Giratina, but that does not mean it's horrible. The fact that many Uber Pokemon are Psychic- or Dark-type allows it to switch in and score a powerful Megahorn easily. Heracross is deceptively bulky as well; a mere 252 HP EVs allow it to take Kyogre's rain-boosted Surf.
Infernape
Although Infernape's poor defenses and average (by Uber standards) offensive stats may seem to limit its viability, Infernape can serve as a great lead and stallbreaker in Ubers. Infernape has several qualities that make it a good lead, such as access to powerful attacks such as Fire Blast and Close Combat, and the ability to use Fake Out and Stealth Rock. Infernape may seem like a poor stallbreaker compared with the powerful mixed attackers in Ubers, but its immunity to Will-O-Wisp, access to STAB Fire Blast and Close Combat (the latter of which takes care of Blissey), ability to use U-turn, and high Speed make him a force to be reckoned with.
Magnezone
Magnezone exists in Ubers solely to destroy other Steel-types that may be blocking your attempt to sweep with Rayquaza or other Dragon-types. With an awesome base 130 Special Attack stat, many Pokemon will fear a STAB Thunder from it. Seeing as most Metagross in Ubers don't carry Earthquake, Magnezone will have an easy time eating it alive. Magnezone can also Toxic the tough special walls and strike fear into Groudon switch-ins with Hidden Power Ice.
Ninjask
Ninjask is a great Baton Passer with its ability to pass Speed and Attack to the incoming recipient thanks to his ability, Speed Boost, and access to Swords Dance; it can punish Psychic-types by itself with X-Scissor. Not much else can be said about it. Ninjask has lost a bit of its usefulness, like Ho-Oh, with the addition of Stealth Rock to many movepools. Be sure to use a spinner to support Ninjask in order for it to pull off a Baton Pass successfully, or use it in the lead position so it can avoid Stealth Rock entirely.
Quagsire
Quagsire has a few options in Ubers with its two key immunities and support moves. Quagsire's Water Absorb ability allows it to switch into Kyogre's feared STAB Water Spouts and Surfs with impunity, and abuse the fact that Kyogre probably has a Choice item. Quagsire also has a nice Electric-type immunity, allowing it to work well with others by sponging up potential Thunders and crippling Thunder Wave. Furthermore, due to its Water typing, it has a nice Ice-type neutrality, something that other Water Absorbers, such as Parasect, cannot boast. Besides stopping Kyogre and absorbing Thunders, however, Quagsire's use is very limited, and it is usually a wasted team slot. It does have access to moves such as Toxic and Encore, but there are better users of those moves, such as Blissey and Wobbuffet, respectively.
Shedinja
Shedinja does have that pathetic one HP, but its Wonder Guard ability lets it avoid damage from any direct attack that is not Fire-, Ghost-, Dark-, Rock-, or Flying-type. Many Ubers lack an offensive move of those types, including Kyogre, as well as many Latias, Latios, and some Mewtwo. There are also lots of other Pokemon that Shedinja can take on, with its decent base 90 Attack and Swords Dance boosting its STAB Bug-type X-Scissor, and priority in the form of Shadow Sneak. Shedinja can also use the move Will-O-Wisp to incapacitate beasts such as Metagross and Groudon that think they have a free switch-in. Be very careful though, as entry hazards are extremely common, necessitating the use of a Rapid Spinner with Shedinja.
Uxie
With a respectable base 75 HP stat and incredible base 130 defenses, Uxie is considered bulky even in the Uber tier. It also has immunity to Ground-type moves, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes to help it switch in. While its attacking stats and movepool leave much to be desired, Uxie's support movepool complements its defenses and Speed. Uxie has access to a good range of support moves, such as Reflect, Light Screen, Memento, Yawn, and Thunder Wave. These factors give Uxie the ability to easily set up dual screens for a Baton Pass Mew—the only reason Uxie is normally used in Ubers.
Weavile
Weavile's main STAB moves are super effective against almost every Uber, making it a decent candidate for a non-Uber in Ubers. It is no slug either, as it Speed ties with Darkrai. Weavile has access to priority in the form of Ice Shard, which can be used to pick off Rayquaza and Shaymin-S if the need arises. Weavile's problem is its frailty and the fact that Scizor and Metagross are extremely common. Weavile can also abuse Choice Band Pursuit, which can beat up Latios and Latias, who often switch out in fear of Ice Punch.
Chlorophyll Pokemon
Exeggutor
Exeggutor boasts the strongest STAB Grass Knot in the game, which hits the heavy Pokemon of Ubers for massive damage. Its mediocre defensive stats may not allow it to withstand attacks from the threatening sweepers of Ubers, but its ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach a monstrous Speed of 458 in the sun, allowing it to abuse its base 125 Special Attack stat as well as Sleep Powder. Exeggutor can also carry Explosion to go out with a bang and eliminate a troublesome Pokemon.
Jumpluff
Jumpluff's stats and typing might not seem that impressive, but don't underestimate it. Jumpluff's base 110 Speed allows it to outrun a good portion of the Ubers metagame and speed tie with Lugia, Latias, and Latios. On top of that, Jumpluff's ability, Chlorophyll, allows it to reach an incredible Speed of 700 in the sun. Accompanying its Speed, Jumpluff also has access to Sleep Powder, Encore, and Leech Seed to make it particularly annoying. With Groudon's help, Jumpluff becomes the fastest SubSeeder in the game. Jumpluff is also immune to Ground-type moves, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, which is good because of its frailty. However, it does take 25% damage from Stealth Rock.
Shiftry
Shiftry has the potential to sweep entire teams, despite its rather low base stats. With access to Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, and Chlorophyll doubling its decent base 80 Speed in the sun, Shiftry should not be taken lightly. Its STAB Dark attacks, such as Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch, allow it to hit the myriad of Psychic-types in Ubers for super effective damage. Shiftry also has the ability to use moves such as Grass Knot, Seed Bomb, Low Kick, Focus Blast, and Explosion, which lets it go out with a bang once its usefulness is depleted.
Tangrowth
Although it's the slowest of the Chlorophyll Pokemon, Tangrowth is still fast enough to outspeed Mewtwo in the sunlight. It also boasts great stats in Attack and Special Attack, and unlike Shiftry, Tangrowth can actually switch into Groudon, and does not fear priority moves nearly as much. Tangrowth can use Swords Dance with physical attacks, such as Power Whip, Rock Slide, and Earthquake, to get around Pokemon that other Chlorophyll abusers have trouble with, such as Dialga and Ho-Oh. Tangrowth can also run a mixed set effectively with special attacks such as Grass Knot, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power Ice. Tangrowth can also fill a supporting role effectively with a myriad of great disruptive attacks such as Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Knock Off.
Rain Pokemon
Kabutops
Kabutops is a great candidate for abusing Kyogre's Drizzle ability. Under rain, its Swift Swim ability allows it to outspeed every Pokemon in the game (barring Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf users). Its base 115 Attack may not be that impressive by Uber standards, but Kabutops can quickly double it with the help of Swords Dance. In addition, Kabutops has moves such as Low Kick, Stone Edge, Waterfall, and X-Scissor that give it excellent coverage. Under the rain, it can also make use of a Choice Band quite effectively. Kabutops may not seem like much, but under the rain, it poses a huge threat to most teams.
Kingdra
Although it may seem like Palkia outclasses Kingdra completely, there are still a few good reasons to use Kingdra instead. Kingdra makes good use of Swift Swim, which doubles its mediocre Speed stat in the rain, letting it outrun all non-Choice Pokemon in the Uber tier. Another advantage it has over Palkia is Dragon Dance, which turns Kingdra into a fearsome sweeper if left unchecked. Despite its offensive movepool being limited to its STAB moves (Waterfall, Surf, Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, and Outrage), it should be noted that Water and Dragon can hit everything in Ubers for neutral damage with the exception of Empoleon and Shedinja, which are rarely seen in Ubers. In addition to being a powerful physical sweeper, Kingdra has the ability to utilize an equally high Special Attack stat to run a mixed or special set. This makes Kingdra especially deadly because it can rip through special or physical tanks.
Ludicolo
Ludicolo may seem like an odd choice in Ubers, but it shines with rain support from Kyogre. In Ubers, Ludicolo can use moves such as Leech Seed, Protect, and Substitute in tandem with its ability, Rain Dish, to stall out a large number of threats in the Uber metagame. Its base 100 Special Defense helps it in this regard, allowing it to easily sponge a multitude of special attacks. Additionally, Ludicolo is one of the best Kyogre counters in the game, being able to switch into any of its attacks (bar Choice Specs Thunder) and stall it out with Leech Seed and Protect. Ludicolo's other ability, Swift Swim, doubles its Speed in rain, letting it serve as a satisfactory special sweeper.
Qwilfish
Qwilfish is another physical attacker that can use Swords Dance, like Kabutops. Qwilfish also has the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entry, which is nothing to scoff at, as well as the ability to launch an extremely fast Explosion while the rain is in effect. Even without rain, Qwilfish can be an effective lead, able to set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes, in addition to being able to Explode, as mentioned previously. While none of these are capable of using Sleep Powder, their STAB attacks are boosted in the rain and will pose as much threat as the Chlorophyll users, or probably more, since Kyogre is more common than Groudon in the Uber metagame.
What's Next?
If you have gotten this far, that means you have finished the basic section of the Ubers guide. If you feel you are ready, you should go and try to make an Ubers team. However, if you feel you need more information, and perhaps a sample team, you should read the Advanced Ubers Guide.