Hey there, all you happy people. Contained in this here thread is an NU team I made during the XY days, and it's been forced to go through some changes due to some tiering changes and other swaps. In the early days, they were pretty good, and they're still good now. I know this team has the potential to be really good, and it would be cool to see what you folks out there have to say.
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Nice to see Steelix make an appearance in NU, and it's been a very nice addition to this team. I used to have a similar Sandslash set in this role, but I feel that Steelix does it just a bit better. It's almost rare to not see at least some hazard on a team, and Stealth Rock on Steelix fits that bill. Heavy Slam and Earthquake are the obligatory STAB moves to do a little damage if Steelix needs to. Roar's probably my favorite move to use on this set, especially if the foe switches out on Steelix. You thought you were gonna get the matchup on Steelix? Nope, he's just gonna Roar you out of there. The Careful nature and max SpD stats are so Steelix can take some Special attacks a little better, and I didn't feel the need to add Defense investment since his Defense is already Gargantuan as is.
Poliwrath @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Poison Jab
- Ice Punch
Slapping a Choice Band on Poliwrath was one of the best ideas I ever came up with in NU. It's a shame Poliwrath really has only these four moves and maybe a couple others to really slap on a Choice Band set, because this thing is really good. I felt like giving him more bulk with the EV spread, since Poliwrath has a decent HP stat and only somewhat-decent Speed. Waterfall is the main move to spam here, with Brick Break being the Fighting STAB move I chose (over, say, Circle Throw). Poison Jab deals damage to Grass and Fairy (if there are NU fairies) types, while Ice also deals with Grass types, as well as Flying and Dragon types that may also give my team some issues.
Magmortar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Psychic
-Hidden Power [Electric] Thunderbolt
Magmortar is a Pokemon I've always seemed to have trouble facing in NU, and having it on my team makes me feel better facing them. This slot originally belonged to Typhlosion, but since it got banned to RU, I had to find a replacement, and ScarfMortar has done a serviceable job, even with a lack of Eruption in its arsenal. I chose Modest over Timid for a higher damage output, since the Scarf boosts his Speed anywho. I chose Flamethrower over Fire Blast because I'm an accuracy snob, which makes me look like a hypocrite for having Focus Blast. I feel the combination of Focus Blast, Psychic, andHP Electric Thunderbolt (I'm dumb, how did I forget that Magmortar learns T-bolt?) gives Magmortar enough versatility and coverage to be a good replacement for Typhlosion.
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Aromatherapy
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
Good gravy, Vileplume is a freaking monster in NU. Like Magmortar, this slot used to belong to a mon that got banned in pre-Contrary Serperior (I used Serperior before it was cool), but I think Vileplume fits the team better as a whole. The EV spread and Bold nature evens out his defenses, and Effect Spore is a fun option. Aromatherapy cures status problems that can wear my team down, such as if Poliwrath gets burned or Magmortar gets paralyzed or something. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are the STAB moves, and they serve the purpose of healing HP and the occasional Poison, respectively. I chose Moonlight over Synthesis for the healing option because if any weather is to happen, it always feels like Rain is way more likely to occur than Sun these days.
Beheeyem @ Leftovers
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
Beheeyem seems to get no love, and I completely don't agree with that. Analytic in tandem with Beheeyem's naturally low Speed stat turns him into a wrecking ball of sorts. Nasty Plot especially turns this thing into your worst nightmare, and I feel like the combination of Psyshock, Dark Pulse, and Thunderbolt can handle a lot of different opponents. Psyshock is the STAB move I chose, just in case of things like AV Hariyama or other weird opponents like that. Dark Pulse and Thunderbolt deal with other things in NU, particularly things Psyshock doesn't do well against, such as Dark types and other Psychic types. If you want to see an example of what Beheeyem can do, go ahead and watch this here replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-316358131
Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
I needed to have a sixth Pokemon that didn't seem to clash with anything else on the team, and Zangoose seemed to fit that bill pretty well. This slot originally belonged to Klinklang, but with the addition of Steelix, I didn't feel like having a second Steel type was all that beneficial, and Zangoose is good in his own right. This is basically your generic Toxic Boost Zangoose, and it does its job pretty well. Facade becomes almost unwallable once the Toxic Orb activates. Quick Attack is the team's lone priority move, and it's basically a finisher if need be. Close Combat (that awkward moment when a Normal type has a better Fighting move than your Fighting type) and Knock Off are the selected coverage move, as CC hits like a truck, and Knock Off is Knock Off.
And there's this team. Again, they'v gone through a lot of changes in their time, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing them go through more changes, if it means they can be a better team as a whole. If you feel so inclined, leave any suggestions for the team down below. Thanks!
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Nice to see Steelix make an appearance in NU, and it's been a very nice addition to this team. I used to have a similar Sandslash set in this role, but I feel that Steelix does it just a bit better. It's almost rare to not see at least some hazard on a team, and Stealth Rock on Steelix fits that bill. Heavy Slam and Earthquake are the obligatory STAB moves to do a little damage if Steelix needs to. Roar's probably my favorite move to use on this set, especially if the foe switches out on Steelix. You thought you were gonna get the matchup on Steelix? Nope, he's just gonna Roar you out of there. The Careful nature and max SpD stats are so Steelix can take some Special attacks a little better, and I didn't feel the need to add Defense investment since his Defense is already Gargantuan as is.
Poliwrath @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Poison Jab
- Ice Punch
Slapping a Choice Band on Poliwrath was one of the best ideas I ever came up with in NU. It's a shame Poliwrath really has only these four moves and maybe a couple others to really slap on a Choice Band set, because this thing is really good. I felt like giving him more bulk with the EV spread, since Poliwrath has a decent HP stat and only somewhat-decent Speed. Waterfall is the main move to spam here, with Brick Break being the Fighting STAB move I chose (over, say, Circle Throw). Poison Jab deals damage to Grass and Fairy (if there are NU fairies) types, while Ice also deals with Grass types, as well as Flying and Dragon types that may also give my team some issues.
Magmortar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Psychic
-
Magmortar is a Pokemon I've always seemed to have trouble facing in NU, and having it on my team makes me feel better facing them. This slot originally belonged to Typhlosion, but since it got banned to RU, I had to find a replacement, and ScarfMortar has done a serviceable job, even with a lack of Eruption in its arsenal. I chose Modest over Timid for a higher damage output, since the Scarf boosts his Speed anywho. I chose Flamethrower over Fire Blast because I'm an accuracy snob, which makes me look like a hypocrite for having Focus Blast. I feel the combination of Focus Blast, Psychic, and
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Aromatherapy
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
Good gravy, Vileplume is a freaking monster in NU. Like Magmortar, this slot used to belong to a mon that got banned in pre-Contrary Serperior (I used Serperior before it was cool), but I think Vileplume fits the team better as a whole. The EV spread and Bold nature evens out his defenses, and Effect Spore is a fun option. Aromatherapy cures status problems that can wear my team down, such as if Poliwrath gets burned or Magmortar gets paralyzed or something. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are the STAB moves, and they serve the purpose of healing HP and the occasional Poison, respectively. I chose Moonlight over Synthesis for the healing option because if any weather is to happen, it always feels like Rain is way more likely to occur than Sun these days.
Beheeyem @ Leftovers
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
Beheeyem seems to get no love, and I completely don't agree with that. Analytic in tandem with Beheeyem's naturally low Speed stat turns him into a wrecking ball of sorts. Nasty Plot especially turns this thing into your worst nightmare, and I feel like the combination of Psyshock, Dark Pulse, and Thunderbolt can handle a lot of different opponents. Psyshock is the STAB move I chose, just in case of things like AV Hariyama or other weird opponents like that. Dark Pulse and Thunderbolt deal with other things in NU, particularly things Psyshock doesn't do well against, such as Dark types and other Psychic types. If you want to see an example of what Beheeyem can do, go ahead and watch this here replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-316358131
Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
I needed to have a sixth Pokemon that didn't seem to clash with anything else on the team, and Zangoose seemed to fit that bill pretty well. This slot originally belonged to Klinklang, but with the addition of Steelix, I didn't feel like having a second Steel type was all that beneficial, and Zangoose is good in his own right. This is basically your generic Toxic Boost Zangoose, and it does its job pretty well. Facade becomes almost unwallable once the Toxic Orb activates. Quick Attack is the team's lone priority move, and it's basically a finisher if need be. Close Combat (that awkward moment when a Normal type has a better Fighting move than your Fighting type) and Knock Off are the selected coverage move, as CC hits like a truck, and Knock Off is Knock Off.
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Poliwrath @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Poison Jab
- Ice Punch
Magmortar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Aromatherapy
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
Beheeyem @ Leftovers
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Poliwrath @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Poison Jab
- Ice Punch
Magmortar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Aromatherapy
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
Beheeyem @ Leftovers
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
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