Post by sedativeeffect on Sept 12, 2013 4:36:22 GMT -5
Drive it like you stole it.
Introduction
I have a theory - the further down the tiers you play, the more fun you are likely to have. I discovered this in Generation IV when I started playing UU, and in hindsight, I wish I'd played a lot more NU back then too. This is the first time I have played/created a team in NU, and I have to say that this is what I would call an 'unlikely combination' had it not come about as a week or so of play testing and decent use. The original concept of the team was based around Specs Altaria, Gothorita trapping anything that stopped Altaria, and scarfed Pinsir. Well, three of the original six members of that team have survived, and the result has been fairly pleasing; and while neither Altaria nor Gothorita are anywhere to be seen, the concept of baiting and punishing opponent's Pokemon remains. Essentially, the team aims to set up entry hazards when possible, and use Primeape as an offensive pivot to allow either Pinsir or Tangela to go to work from their respective attacking (physical or special) spectrum.
At the time of posting, the team had made it to a rating in the 1800s on 'Pokemon Showdown!' It's not a top-ranking score by any means, but it is above average considering I don't tend to ladder that often. Overall I have been happy with this team.
Team Overview
“Anger is only one letter short of danger”
Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Why Primeape?
Primape is seen on an abundance of teams and for good reason. Sporting base 95 speed and great coverage moves, along with the momentum-gathering U-Turn, Primape makes an excellent offensive pivot and revenge killer. Primape also lures out a lot of the Pokemon that allow Pinsir to scare out and set up a substitute, or allow Tangela to come in for the chance to fire off a powerful Leaf Storm attack.
Primary functions.
Build offensive momentum; revenge kill.
Moveset.
This is the straightforward Scarf set. Close Combat and U-Turn are the two most important moves for Primeape functionally, with Ice Punch and Stone Edge there for coverage against aerial Pokemon or those going by the name of Golurk, for example. Jolly has been chosen over adamant to get the most speed as possible out of Primeape, since hazard support is a factor in the team and the loss of power shouldn’t be too big of an issue as a result.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Pinsir @ Leftovers
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Close Combat
- X-Scissor
- Stone Edge
Pinsir, in the week or so that I have been playing NU, has become my favourite NU Pokemon. Scarf Pinsir is like the NU version of Heracross and is a very dangerous late-game threat. However, Pinsir misses out on the raw power of Heracross mainly because it lacks the STAB of Close Combat and only has X-Scissor rather than Megahorn as its main offensive move. That said, once the stagbeetle Pokemon gets the momentum rolling, it is very difficult to stop without casualty. Pinsir has been the MVP of many matches, and often finds an opportunity to build up Moxie momentum thanks to Primeape luring out Psychic-types. From behind a substitute Pinsir often has control of the situation.
Primary functions.
Remove obstacles for Primape; late game sweep.
Moveset.
Having used the Scarf set for a while I wanted to try something different and try to catch opponents off guard by running substitute. Substitute affords Pinsir some freedom in changing up moves, and can often allow it to take out its would-be checksl; substitute and leftovers also affords some more survivability and a shield against priority or status moves.
“Silence is the most powerful scream.”
Tangela @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP
Modest Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Sleep Powder
- AncientPower
Why Tangela?
Tangela’s inclusion in the team was a case of “Well, why not?” Outside of physically bulky psychic-types, one of the best physical walls in the tier as Alomomola, who has no place staying in on Tangela at all. I had been playing around with Specs Altaria early on in my NU initiation, and while dropping Draco Meteor on teams is somewhat satisfying, it really didn’t hit as hard as I’d liked. So I decided that I wanted to dedicate a slot on the team to a powerful Specs user who could utilise a STAB base 140 move – and Tangela just seemed to fit. While there are some very powerful Pokemon who fit this criteria (I’m looking at you, fire-types) overall I didn’t see them fitting in. Furthermore, Regenerator is a fantastic ability for a hit-and-run Pokemon like this, especially when I have no real way of preventing/removing entry hazards from the field. The fact that Tangela can tank an impressive level of physical abuse and retaliate is desirable
Primary functions.
Punch holes in opposing teams.
Moveset.
Tangela’s moveset is pretty straightforward: Choice Specs and Leaf Storm are to inflict massive amounts of damage on anything on the other side of the field, while Sleep Powder can be used to incapacitate a slower or switching Pokemon that thinks it can take said Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Ice and AncientPower are options for coverage, when and where necessary.
Alternatives.
Smogon suggests an Evilote set for an offensive Tangela, which I may try out as the ability to switch up moves (particularly when status powders are options). Whether or not the loss in power defeats the purpose remains to be seen. I am also curious to try a set with Leaf Storm / HP Ice / Sleep Powdwer / Power Swap as the loss of coverage isn't much of an issue, and hitting Power Swap on a switch is a novel way of making up for Tangela's poor special defense after a -2 drop from Leaf Storm. Gimmicky, but interesting.
“In their vanity men focus on what they wish to hear and miss the hidden meaning, the lurking threat.”
Murkrow @ Eviolite
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Bold Nature
- Perish Song / Haze
- Mean Look / Taunt
- Roost
- Substitute
Why Murkrow?
To be honest, I am not entirely sure why I added Murkrow to the team. I think at the time Misdreavus was something that stuck out as a problem for both Primeape and Pinsir, and thought I could use the likes of Misdreavus as setup fodder for the Calm Mind set. However as time went on Murkrow’s usefulness didn’t seem to be as apparent as the rest of the team members. In fact, Murkrow has never racked up a KO of its own outside of sub-stalling a Dragonair into Outrage confusion hax! Yet, Murkrow still felt like in integral part of the team. With a lack of offensive priority on the team, Murkrow seems to be the only Pokemon who can stand up to any great speedsters. While Murkrow rarely sees it to the end of a battle, it's efforts are always of great value.
Primary Functions.
Threat neutraliser, fodder
Move set.
As mentioned above, Murkrow originally ran the Calm Mind set that is posted on Smogon, however there were few opportunities where I could actually set up with it, resulting in a total of 0 KOs. Instead then, Murkrow’s move set is the last line of defense against powerful sweepers such as Dragonair and Gorebyss, or anything that risks outspeeding my team and tearing it to shreds. The standard set can trap an opposing Pokemon and hopefully outlast them while the Perish Song counts down, or can simply put a timer on a Pokemon to minimise the damage they do to the team. Alternatively, Murkrow can function to simply neuter a setup sweeper and prevent them from powering up again.
Alternatives.
As Murkrow functions as a last-ditch response to fatal threats, Ditto may actually be a viable option for this position. Ditto definitely makes any opponent wary about setting up, particularly when their Pokemon carries the tools necessary to take itself out.
“Nothing can have value without being an object of utility.”
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Def / 200 HP / 56 SDef
Relaxed Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Why Seismitoad?
Seismitoad is simply a solid Pokemon with a good balance of stats that allow it to tank a hit or two while it goes about its assigned duties. Stealth Rock is the quintessential environmental status which holds any Pokemon that can learn the move in good stead. Add to this that Seismitoad has STAB moves that greatly compliment each other, and you have a very sturdy and useful Pokemon. Water Absorb is another bonus, allowing me to sponge hits from those would-be Scald abusers. All-in-all I needed a balanced Pokemon to fill a support role, tried Seismitoad, and haven't been let down.
Primary functions.
Tank, Stealth Rock, inhibit and weaken teams.
Move set.
Stealth Rock is self-explanatory; Scald and Earthquake offer great coverage on both sides of the attacking spectrum, especially useful against the common rock and steel types who lead and tank hits for a lot of teams. Knock Off is a very useful move for just inhibiting opposing Pokemon in general, but has increased value in NU where a lot of Eviolite Pokemon reside. Knocking off an opposing Pokemon's Eviolite or choice item can leave them incredibly exposed if not useless, putting my team at a great advantage.
“An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.”
Garbodor @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Aftermath
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spd
Bold Nature
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Pain Split
- Rock Blast / Toxic Spikes
Why Garbodor?
There are many reasons for trying and liking Garbodor enough to keep it around. Firstly, it can lay spikes on the field to compliment the offensive Pokemon on the team. Second, Garbodor's poison typing allows it to absorb Toxic Spikes, which is about the only entry hazard that the team is particularly weak to. Finally, Garbodor can tank hits from the common fighting types, Primeape and Sawk, as well as punish any physical attacker (with contact moves) as a useful fodder. Therefore, Pokemon such as Primeape and Kanghaskan cannot come in and attempt to get free damage off without receiving significant damage in return.
Primary functions.
Tank, hazard support, residual damage.
Move set.
Spikes speak for themselves. Gunk Shot, although suffering shaky accuracy, is a powerful move and gives Garbodor some offensive capability. Pain Split can be useful for gaining back some lost HP and prolonging the tanking ability of the Pokemon, which affords more opportunity to inflict Rocky Helmet damage. Finally, Rock Blast is useful against substitute users, however it's low power and lack of STAB make it very underpowered and fails to do the job against the likes of Sub/Bulk Up Braviary, for example. That said, Toxic Spikes is probably the better option. I tend not to run teams with Toxic Spikes due to the number of poison-types getting around in the tier, but they would be useful if the opponent has no such type on their team, and Rock Blast is close to filler anyway.
Closing Comments
If there is one thing I will point out, it is that while this team does have a lot of entry hazard focus, there is no spin blocker. Granted this may seem like a waste, the reality is that if I encounter a spinner on the opposing team, I won't bother setting the hazards up until that Pokemon has been taken out. That said, common spinners in the tier are not very threatening to the team, and in fact often serve as a good opportunity to freely switch in Tangela to smack something with a specs Leaf Storm, or Pinsir to set up a sub and start going to town.