Psycho Cut
Well-Known Member
Smug Mix - Pre Pokébank Ubers (Peaked #12)
Smug Mix
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Hello all, and welcome to what is my first RMT on Gen VI and my first RMT in a very long while!
I've always liked the Ubers Tier, but the Pre-Pokebank Tier of Gen 6 is probably the Uber metagame that's intrigued my the most. There's only 3 "typical" Ubers to choose from and that, combined with all the Mega Evolutions running around, makes for a very interesting metagame indeed. I won't say it's a great metagame because, well, it's not, and most games hinge upon how well you can take out whatever counters your opponent has to your sweepers or, indeed, which player can take out the other's first. That said, it's not a meta that's been around long, or will be around for much longer, so i'd jumped at the chance to try it out and I've enjoyed it too.
This team largely stemmed from me chucking together a bunch of 'mons and seeing what worked, and ended up as quite an offensive based team that aims to deal with the main threats of the team before sweeping. It's a nice little team that combines some obvious, potent Uber threats, with some great little surprises. And for those wondering, the team's name is loosely based on an anagram of the first letters of each member's name.
So, without further adieu, on with the team!
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Team in Detail
Mamoswine @
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Crash
Mamoswine more often than not ends up being my lead as he's a great counter to a large number of Pokemon that other people often lead with, such as Blazekin, Yveltal and Klefki, as well as being able to take out or do great deal to a number of potent threats like MMY, Aegislash and Xerneas. The Focus Sash is really the crux of this set, as it allows me to deal with so many threats and/or get Stealth Rock up if I find it's necessary. Most of the time though, hazards don't play a part in games in this meta, but this is doubly good for Mamoswine, since the Focus Sash is a great deal more useful. Earthquake and Icicle Crash are the mandatory powerful STABs, whilst Ice Shard is another key feature, allowing me to take out a greater number of threats.
Mewtwo-Mega-Y @
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 48 HP / 252 SAtk / 208 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psystrike
- Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Mega Mewtwo Y is probably the Pokemon that most screams Uber in the tier, with an absolutely colossal Special Attack Stat. MMY needs no set-up, so I've gone with a simple 4 Attack set, designed to clean up weakened teams, force switches and/or put big dents in a whole host of things. The EV spread simply maximises bulk, whilst retaining all the speed MMY needs. Everything else is fairly self explanatory, though it's worth mentioning one oft-overlooked advantage of MMY: Insomnia, which most Smeargle-lead users never seem to expect, which pretty much means I go into such battles 6-5.
Yveltal @
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Dark Pulse
- Oblivion Wing
- Focus Blast
Whilst Yveltal is obvious Uber #2, what's not so obvious is the Choice Scarf. It's odd. Yveltal is naturally powerful with a great movepool (including U-turn) and is fast, but not that fast. To me, it's a natural Choice Scarf User, yet no-one - and I mean no-one - expects the Scarf. The number of Mewtwos and Gengars I've taken out with this thing is insane. Even without the surprise factor, Yveltal is a great asset. It's a great revenge killer, momentum-grabber and late game sweeper. Yveltal really is an auto-include on most teams, due to his power and ability to so easily deal with threats such as Aegislash. The choice of moves is fairly obvious, as is the EV Spread, though one thing I'll touch upon is the Nature. A Naive Nature is certainly an option, since Yveltal can deal a fair amount of damage with U-turn, especially against some prominent threats like MMY. However, I felt the extra bulk was of more use, as it allowed me to switch into MMY and Gengar, among other stuff, much more easily, for the revenge kill.
Xerneas @
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 204 HP / 252 SAtk / 52 Spd
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
Xerneas is king of Pre-Pokebank Ubers, no doubt about it. If you leave him unchecked, you will be guaranteed to lose against any team you face that contains him, unless your opponent's an idiot. It's crazy how much usage this sees, with Geomancy, with Power Herb. But for good reason. Remove the few counters, and this thing will sweep. Again, this is a fairly obvious set. Hidden Power Fire is really for predicting switch-ins of Scizor and Aegislash, whilst Moonblast and Focus Blast are the only two moves you really need after setting up with Geomancy. The 52 Speed EVs are the only thing Xerneas needs to outspeed anything that poses a threat after a Geomancy boost, and the rest of the EVs maximize power and bulk.
Gengar @
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Gengar was originally brought on the team purely as a counter to Mega Kangaskhan, who would quite literally sweep me clean every time, but Gengar's SubDisabling antics have proved very useful against other threats such as Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Excadrill and Blazekin. Gengar also serves as an excellent switch in to Chansey/Blissey by whom he cannot be affected at all, in the vast majority of cases, provided I don't take a T-wave on the switch (that's what Mamoswine's for). Other than that, there really is not much to say, as this is the standard SubDisable set that's been wreaking havoc for generations, and it slots in perfectly here too.
Scizor @
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Brick Break
- Pursuit
Scizor is my Xerneas counter. That's what he does most games. No matter how much Xerneas has set up, Scizor OHKOs after a bit of prior damage, Mamo's Ice Shard, or any attack I use as Xerneas sets up on whatever I have out. The best part is that most people seem to think that Xerneas is infallible, so foolishly elect to stay in. It also helps that most people expect a Swords Dance set, with the lack of previous Gen moves, and the possibility of a Mega Scizor if I haven't already revealed MMY. Hence, the immediate power of a Choice Band often catches people often guard, leading to massive damage with U-turn or a revenge kill with Bullet Punch. Because of this, Scizor is often a real cornerstone of the team, despite being the member that could be most easily replaced. U-turn and Bullet Punch are the only moves I really use, though Brick Break and Pursuit do come in handy from time to time, and Aerial Ace is an option over Brick Break too. Whilst speed EVs are normally common on CB Scizor, there's nothing notable in the tier that speed EVs would outspeed, so the 8 Spd EVs are only really there to speed creep other Scizors who are of the same mentality.
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Success + Threats
So, there's the team. This team has gotten a lot of success, peaking 12th on Smogon's ladder (and being frustratingly close to the top 10 as well). The proof is in thepudding spoiler below.
But, despite the success, there's a number of problems this team has.
- Scizor: Quite ironically, Scizor is one of the biggest threats my team faces as the only thing I can really switch in on it is my own Scizor, so this is doubly annoying when my enemy has a Xerneas as well, since I would normally play conservatively with my own Scizor. SD sets are especially annoying since nothing I have can take a hit from a +2 and if it's Mega Scizor I'm double screwed, thanks to the extra bulk it has. I have tried replacing my own Scizor with an Aegislash (who counters both Scizor and Xerneas well), but the team didn't quite work as well and couldn't match its previous success. Worth a try though.
- Ditto: God, I hate these things. Dittos just have to be played around very carefully, but they are often the bane of my team.
- Stall Teams: Stall Teams are particularly annoying thanks to my lack of a spinner/defogger. I have to set up and take them out quickly to win, but a well made stall team with a Ditto is extremely difficult to beat.
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Conclusion
So, thanks for reading! All comments and criticsm are welcome, and feel free to try out the team for yourself in the last few days of the meta.
Finally, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thanks again
----------------
Hello all, and welcome to what is my first RMT on Gen VI and my first RMT in a very long while!
I've always liked the Ubers Tier, but the Pre-Pokebank Tier of Gen 6 is probably the Uber metagame that's intrigued my the most. There's only 3 "typical" Ubers to choose from and that, combined with all the Mega Evolutions running around, makes for a very interesting metagame indeed. I won't say it's a great metagame because, well, it's not, and most games hinge upon how well you can take out whatever counters your opponent has to your sweepers or, indeed, which player can take out the other's first. That said, it's not a meta that's been around long, or will be around for much longer, so i'd jumped at the chance to try it out and I've enjoyed it too.
This team largely stemmed from me chucking together a bunch of 'mons and seeing what worked, and ended up as quite an offensive based team that aims to deal with the main threats of the team before sweeping. It's a nice little team that combines some obvious, potent Uber threats, with some great little surprises. And for those wondering, the team's name is loosely based on an anagram of the first letters of each member's name.
So, without further adieu, on with the team!
--------------------------
Team in Detail
Mamoswine @
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Crash
Mamoswine more often than not ends up being my lead as he's a great counter to a large number of Pokemon that other people often lead with, such as Blazekin, Yveltal and Klefki, as well as being able to take out or do great deal to a number of potent threats like MMY, Aegislash and Xerneas. The Focus Sash is really the crux of this set, as it allows me to deal with so many threats and/or get Stealth Rock up if I find it's necessary. Most of the time though, hazards don't play a part in games in this meta, but this is doubly good for Mamoswine, since the Focus Sash is a great deal more useful. Earthquake and Icicle Crash are the mandatory powerful STABs, whilst Ice Shard is another key feature, allowing me to take out a greater number of threats.
Mewtwo-Mega-Y @
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 48 HP / 252 SAtk / 208 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psystrike
- Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Mega Mewtwo Y is probably the Pokemon that most screams Uber in the tier, with an absolutely colossal Special Attack Stat. MMY needs no set-up, so I've gone with a simple 4 Attack set, designed to clean up weakened teams, force switches and/or put big dents in a whole host of things. The EV spread simply maximises bulk, whilst retaining all the speed MMY needs. Everything else is fairly self explanatory, though it's worth mentioning one oft-overlooked advantage of MMY: Insomnia, which most Smeargle-lead users never seem to expect, which pretty much means I go into such battles 6-5.
Yveltal @
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Dark Pulse
- Oblivion Wing
- Focus Blast
Whilst Yveltal is obvious Uber #2, what's not so obvious is the Choice Scarf. It's odd. Yveltal is naturally powerful with a great movepool (including U-turn) and is fast, but not that fast. To me, it's a natural Choice Scarf User, yet no-one - and I mean no-one - expects the Scarf. The number of Mewtwos and Gengars I've taken out with this thing is insane. Even without the surprise factor, Yveltal is a great asset. It's a great revenge killer, momentum-grabber and late game sweeper. Yveltal really is an auto-include on most teams, due to his power and ability to so easily deal with threats such as Aegislash. The choice of moves is fairly obvious, as is the EV Spread, though one thing I'll touch upon is the Nature. A Naive Nature is certainly an option, since Yveltal can deal a fair amount of damage with U-turn, especially against some prominent threats like MMY. However, I felt the extra bulk was of more use, as it allowed me to switch into MMY and Gengar, among other stuff, much more easily, for the revenge kill.
Xerneas @
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 204 HP / 252 SAtk / 52 Spd
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
Xerneas is king of Pre-Pokebank Ubers, no doubt about it. If you leave him unchecked, you will be guaranteed to lose against any team you face that contains him, unless your opponent's an idiot. It's crazy how much usage this sees, with Geomancy, with Power Herb. But for good reason. Remove the few counters, and this thing will sweep. Again, this is a fairly obvious set. Hidden Power Fire is really for predicting switch-ins of Scizor and Aegislash, whilst Moonblast and Focus Blast are the only two moves you really need after setting up with Geomancy. The 52 Speed EVs are the only thing Xerneas needs to outspeed anything that poses a threat after a Geomancy boost, and the rest of the EVs maximize power and bulk.
Gengar @
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Gengar was originally brought on the team purely as a counter to Mega Kangaskhan, who would quite literally sweep me clean every time, but Gengar's SubDisabling antics have proved very useful against other threats such as Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Excadrill and Blazekin. Gengar also serves as an excellent switch in to Chansey/Blissey by whom he cannot be affected at all, in the vast majority of cases, provided I don't take a T-wave on the switch (that's what Mamoswine's for). Other than that, there really is not much to say, as this is the standard SubDisable set that's been wreaking havoc for generations, and it slots in perfectly here too.
Scizor @
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Brick Break
- Pursuit
Scizor is my Xerneas counter. That's what he does most games. No matter how much Xerneas has set up, Scizor OHKOs after a bit of prior damage, Mamo's Ice Shard, or any attack I use as Xerneas sets up on whatever I have out. The best part is that most people seem to think that Xerneas is infallible, so foolishly elect to stay in. It also helps that most people expect a Swords Dance set, with the lack of previous Gen moves, and the possibility of a Mega Scizor if I haven't already revealed MMY. Hence, the immediate power of a Choice Band often catches people often guard, leading to massive damage with U-turn or a revenge kill with Bullet Punch. Because of this, Scizor is often a real cornerstone of the team, despite being the member that could be most easily replaced. U-turn and Bullet Punch are the only moves I really use, though Brick Break and Pursuit do come in handy from time to time, and Aerial Ace is an option over Brick Break too. Whilst speed EVs are normally common on CB Scizor, there's nothing notable in the tier that speed EVs would outspeed, so the 8 Spd EVs are only really there to speed creep other Scizors who are of the same mentality.
-----------------------
Success + Threats
So, there's the team. This team has gotten a lot of success, peaking 12th on Smogon's ladder (and being frustratingly close to the top 10 as well). The proof is in the
But, despite the success, there's a number of problems this team has.
- Scizor: Quite ironically, Scizor is one of the biggest threats my team faces as the only thing I can really switch in on it is my own Scizor, so this is doubly annoying when my enemy has a Xerneas as well, since I would normally play conservatively with my own Scizor. SD sets are especially annoying since nothing I have can take a hit from a +2 and if it's Mega Scizor I'm double screwed, thanks to the extra bulk it has. I have tried replacing my own Scizor with an Aegislash (who counters both Scizor and Xerneas well), but the team didn't quite work as well and couldn't match its previous success. Worth a try though.
- Ditto: God, I hate these things. Dittos just have to be played around very carefully, but they are often the bane of my team.
- Stall Teams: Stall Teams are particularly annoying thanks to my lack of a spinner/defogger. I have to set up and take them out quickly to win, but a well made stall team with a Ditto is extremely difficult to beat.
--------------
Conclusion
So, thanks for reading! All comments and criticsm are welcome, and feel free to try out the team for yourself in the last few days of the meta.
Finally, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thanks again