SM OU Tropical Waste

[the_brian_g]

Tropical Waste​

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Hello, Smogon. This bulky offense team was built around Alolan Muk, a Pokemon of few weaknesses and scary trapping tools. I followed most of the strategy dex's team suggestions, while still tailoring different moves to help cover certain matchups.​

The Team​

Muk-Alola (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Atk / 120 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak​

Poison Touch ended up becoming one of Muk's most useful tools, often adding an extra 12% to attacks (I was able to 2-shot a Mega Latios with Knock Off). Knock Off of course is the quintessential dark STAB move that can one shot many of the frail psychic sweepers that Muk is designed to counter. Pursuit helps trap those fast psychic- and ghost-types like Mega Alakazam, Gengar, and Latios by forcing them to either stay in and do pitiful damage to Muk's special bulk with the Assault Vest or risk being one-shot by Pursuit. When there is no type advantage, Muk can do solid damage all around with Poison Jab (for poison touch and accuracy, not Gunk Shot), and absolutely destroy the Tapus. Shadow Sneak is there for the purpose of having a priority move in the team and to finish off psychic and ghost types in the event that Pursuit is used but they don't switch out and it doesn't finish them.

Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn​

The lead of the team also functions as support, a great pivot, and the source of necessary ground coverage. Stealth Rock is Stealth Rock. U-turn allows for some wiggle room so that whatever is next up doesn't take too big of a hit. Earthquake is important to get rid of Heatran, Excadrill, Magnezone, and basically half of the meta. And HP Ice helps against the Landorus-T mirror match.
​

Nihilego @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 180 SpA / 80 SpD / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Psyshock​

Nihilego is pretty straightforward as a choice scarfer that buffs itself after every kill (which it gets quite frequently). It can safely come in on some of the highest SpA Pokes in the tier thanks to its special bulk and threaten them out or one-shot them. Power Gem is for STAB one-shotting Volcarona, Pinsir, and Mega Charizard Y. Sludge Wave destroys Tapu Bulu, Tangrowth, and Serperior (which it can revenge kill as well). HP Ice was chosen to predict switch-ins from Landorus-T and Garchomp for the two-hit KO. Psyshock is in the set to dent Pokemon with high SpD thinking that it's safe to switch in, especially against Venusaur-M and Amoonguss.

Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 140 HP / 192 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon​

Magnezone is a powerful Pokemon with an invaluable resource in Magnet Pull, where it can smack Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Kartana, and Scizor with HP Fire. Volt Switch serves the same purpose as U-turn did for Jirachi above. Thunderbolt also does respectable damage to Celesteela and Toxapex, in addition to dismantling Rain team staples like Pelipper and Blastoise. Flash Cannon is just another straightforward STAB move to deal with Mega Diancie, Aurora Veil teams (or just Alolan Ninetails rather), and Altaria.

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split​

The breaker of physical attackers. Hydro Pump hits Pokes like Landorus-T hard, Will-O-Wisp halves their attacks, Pain Split keeps Rotom-W on the field longer and helps soften up walls like Chansey, and Volt Switch gets it out in a pinch. Rotom-W is excellent at sponging and dodging many of the most common physical attacks like Earthquake.

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Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Wood Hammer​

Tapu Bulu is Muk's best friend. Muk is constantly threatened out by Earthquake, which allows Bulu to come in and usually leads to a free Swords Dance when the attacker (often a fighting-, dragon-, or ground type) switches. For what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in surprising physical bulk, allowing him to survive hits to get off any of his three killer moves: Horn Leech for STAB and HP regen, Superpower against Chansey and Excadrill which always give me a headache, and Wood Hammer for the Massive damage, especially for Grassium Z.
​

End​

Thanks for reading!
​

Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe Impish Nature - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Hidden Power [Ice] - U-turn

 

[Mstery]

First, I think you can fit landorus-therian>jirachi-it gives you a good ground type that also sets rocks and can be offensive or defensive. Also give you another good ground resist.
second, leftovers>rocky helmet on rotom, gives rotom-w passive recovery as rotom-w has no form recovery out side of rest and pain split which are inconsistent.
Third, wood hammer over megahorn; wood hammer hits hard enough when boost by terrain and megahorn doesn't really hit much besides tangrowth and mega venusaur.
Finally, Assault vest>choice specs on magenezone; you have few switch-ins to choice specs koko so this can help with that problem.
Edited team(i do not take teams i make them better): http://pokepast.es/b882335339b78878

 

[the_brian_g]

Mstery Thanks for the rate but I have a few questions.
1.) Why Toxic Spikes on Nihilego? Being locked into that when trying to set up has led to problems, and Psyshock is one of the few ways I have to deal with Venusaur.
2.) Landorus-T, Muk, and Nihilego are good switches into Specs Koko, and Choice Specs on Magnezone allows me to one-shot Celesteela.
3.) HP Ice on Nihilego has never been able to one-shot Garchomp or Landorus-T, causing me to always get Earthquaked. How come you chose that and is there another move I can use instead (maybe an answer to Excadrill)?
4.) I've decided that Rock Slide is pretty much useless at this point, so would you sub in Shadow Sneak or another move entirely? Also could Choice Band be a better option than assault vest?

 

[Flame from Heaven]

Mstery Thanks for the rate but I have a few questions.
1.) Why Toxic Spikes on Nihilego? Being locked into that when trying to set up has led to problems, and Psyshock is one of the few ways I have to deal with Venusaur.
2.) Landorus-T, Muk, and Nihilego are good switches into Specs Koko, and Choice Specs on Magnezone allows me to one-shot Celesteela.
3.) HP Ice on Nihilego has never been able to one-shot Garchomp or Landorus-T, causing me to always get Earthquaked. How come you chose that and is there another move I can use instead (maybe an answer to Excadrill)?
4.) I've decided that Rock Slide is pretty much useless at this point, so would you sub in Shadow Sneak or another move entirely? Also could Choice Band be a better option than assault vest?

1. Toxic spikes is the only reason you are using nihilego over other, usually better scarfers. The way to use t spikes is on predicted switches to mons nihilego doesn’t pose much of a threat to, like steel types.
2. No. Every Tapu Koko carry’s ice or fairy coverage, both 2hkoing landorus. Nihilego is 2hkoed by choice specs thunderbolt. Muk alola can only switch in twice.
3. The point of hp ice is to predict a switch to aground type to 2hko them on the switch. The other hp, hp fire, barley helps as most steels are tickled by it, and you already got a Magnezone.
4. Stick with assault vest. It’s the only thing muk a has over weavile or tyranitar.

 

[the_brian_g]

Shadowtex1 Who could be a better scarfer on this team than Nihilego, because I still struggle against Venusaur but I've really liked Nihilego so far. Also Shadow Sneak vs Rock Slide vs Other?

 

[Flame from Heaven]

Shadowtex1 Who could be a better scarfer on this team than Nihilego, because I still struggle against Venusaur but I've really liked Nihilego so far. Also Shadow Sneak vs Rock Slide vs Other?

I would recommend scarf latios, as it beats venusuar and is an adequate revenge killer. Alolan Muk really apreciares defog support as well. I would run draco psychic defog and trick.
Since latios can not revenge kill Volcarona, I would recommend rock slide on muk, which gives you a nice Volcarona check.