Yoshi
IT'S FINK DUMBASS
Yoü And I
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Introduction
Hello everyone, Yoshi here! Since I started playing NU, I've done a lot more team building than in the past. Beforehand, I would mostly borrow teams and occasionally build a team based on a concept I liked. However, through my experiences in NU, talking to various users, and being in the B101 program, I think my building ability has improved drastically. This would be my third NU RMT, and while my last NU RMT wasn't exactly the best team I've built, I believe that this team is a lot better. In the new meta without Vanilluxe, I think that this team is a great display of what you might find on the ladder. It incorporates a Pokemon that many people use as a Vanilluxe replacement, as well as some Pokemon that are able to be used a lot more often than they were in the past. This team shows exactly what people were talking about when they said Vanilluxe was restrictive in the builder.
This team also peaked #20 on the ladder, and that might sound not so good, but if anyone knows me, you'll know that I hate laddering with a burning passion and how it always comes and bites me in the ass, so I'm pretty proud of that peak. Proof of peak here.
Building Process
I wanted to build a team around Mega Glalie because not only has it become my favorite Pokemon over the past few months, but it is also one of the most fun to use. Having another offensive Spiker in the tier is nice on its own, but being a built-in wallbreaker as well is a massive plus. Some people would consider Mega Glalie to be broken, however it can be easy to wear down Mega Glalie through offensive pressure, forcing switches, revenge killing, and things like that.
The second Pokemon I decided to use is Heliolisk, mainly because of how well it pairs with Mega Glalie as a wallbreaker. Heliolisk really loves Spikes support, so having that allows Heliolisk to really tear through teams, even against Pokemon that normally check it like Vileplume (which with a single Spike gets 2HKOd by Hyper Voice w/ Choice Specs). On top of that, Mega Glalie appreciates the fact that Heliolisk can check (and counter) all the Water-types in the tier, as Mega Glalie doesn't have much to run through Water-types (with the exception of Freeze-Dry, which I personally don't like running).
One thing that Heliolisk does not cover for Mega Glalie are the Fire-types of the tier, as well as hazard removal. Blastoise isn't the greatest Fire resist, especially since it kind of gets hindered by a lot of them (Knock Off from Incineroar, Grass Knot from Delphox, etc). Despite this, it is still a good addition to the team because of its access to Scald alongside Rapid Spin. Being able to get hazards off the field for a Stealth Rock weak Pokemon as well as a pivot is pivotal for the team, especially since those two Pokemon in particular are coming in and out a lot. The reason I decided to go with a Rapid Spin user rather than Defog is because of having a Spikes user on the team. It allows me to keep up my Spikes while also being able to get rid of hazards on my side of the field.
As aforementioned above, Blastoise isn't exactly the best Fire resist in the context of NU, so that's where Diancie comes in. It resists Fire-type attacks and then throws off a Power Gem, while also not losing to the Fire-types for the most part. It is also has access to Stealth Rock, which pretty much every team needs, so it fills in that slot as well. At this point in the building process, the team was also very weak to Fighting-types as well, and while Diancie doesn't exactly resist Fighting, it can check the Fighting-types of the tier thanks to being a Fairy-type. It was also nice to add Diancie to the team as it can Heal Bell away statuses, specifically a burn on Mega Glalie.
At this point, I realized the team needed some form of Speed control. While Mega Glalie and Heliolisk are by no means slow Pokemon, there really needs to be something to out speed Pokemon like those in particular. Of course, the easiest Pokemon to fill this slot would be a Choice Scarf Passimian. Not only does it provide some Speed control, it also offers another Pokemon to take advantage of the Spikes that Mega Glalie lays down. Being able to U-Turn out really chips down the opposing team, and keeping up momentum really makes it difficult for the opponent to play offensively rather than defensively, which this team banks on. Also, having a strong, fast, physical attacker is really nice for any team, not just teams that use Spikes.
Finally, I decided to add Vileplume to the team. One thing I noticed is how Fighting weak this team is. While Vileplume can take things like Knock Off from Passimian, and Blaze Kick from the uncommon Hitmonlee, Vileplume still makes for a good Fighting resist, especially in the context of Passimian. Passimian is generally going to click U-Turn more often than not, so having a Pokemon that can potentially punish that U-Turn with Effect Spore is always nice. Also, Vileplume is just overall a good defensive Pokemon, being able to eat hits from Pokemon like Heliolisk and Diancie, two of the most powerful wallbreaking Pokemon of the tier.
Mega Glalie
Glalie-Mega @ Glalitite
Ability: Refrigerate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Mega Glalie is the team's Spikes setter. It also performs as a great breaker, thanks to having access to Double-Edge and Explosion. Its Spikes help Heliolisk and Passimian break through teams, chipping down some of their checks such as Steelix and Slowbro respectively. It can also assist in forcing recovery versus bulkier teams, allowing this team to take advantage. The set itself isn't too different than what you'd might see, some people may run Freeze-Dry, it isn't all that strong of a move with Glalie's mediocre Special Attack stat. Ice Shard is also an option over Explosion, which is a more useful option, but on a more offensive team like this, I'd rather have Explosion to do some burst damage if needed, especially since I have Scarf Passimian for revenge killing. With Glalie, try to get up a Spike at every chance you can. It will be useful for this team to have Spikes up at all times, especially for the aforementioned Heliolisk and Passimian, as well as itself. Also, don't just click Explosion whenever. More often than not, Mega Glalie will be useful throughout most of the game, so be sure you heavily weigh win conditions when using this team, as it is the key to success, especially with Glalie in particular.
Heliolisk
Heliolisk @ Choice Specs
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hyper Voice
- Surf
As aforementioned, Heliolisk is a fantastic partner for Mega Glalie because of its breaking power. I decided to go with the Choice Specs set over Life Orb (which can be considered more consistent in this meta) because I wanted the immediate breaking power and not have to hope and pray I don't take too much Life Orb damage early on, especially on this team, which relies on Heliolisk for being one of the main sources of damage. It has its standard attacks, and the reason I chose Surf for the last move is so I can potentially catch Steelix off-guard, but that isn't needed especially when this team has the best Steelix counter, Blastoise. With Heliolisk, be careful with how often you're sending it in. While it is important that Heliolisk is on the field doing damage, it is frail and lacks recovery. This means even letting it on the field once and taking some Stealth Rock chip damage could be fatal for Heliolisk, so just be aware of that. Also, be careful when predicting when there is a Ground-type, losing all momentum when they go hard Rhydon onto a Volt Switch is never a good look for you (although, that situation in particular is manageable thanks to Blastoise).
Blastoise
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Refresh
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin
A lot of people don't like Blastoise in this meta, and that really comes as a surprise to me because it's a very consistent Pokemon, at least in my opinion. On this team, it's really the standard set. I don't like running Speed on my Blastoise for Incineroar because the bulk is really pivotal in my opinion. Some people like outpacing Incineroar so you can Scald it for some damage and potentially pick up a KO before a Knock Off, but on this team I have other Incineroar checks to where I can avoid the exchange altogether, while still maintaining a load of bulk on Blastoise. I could run Ice Beam over Refresh, too, but losing out on Refresh really really sucks for Blastoise because if it ever takes a Toxic and Diancie can't manage to Heal Bell, that 's a really bad position for Blastoise to be in. Besides, like Incineroar, there are plenty of other answers to Xatu on this team, so it isn't something you should stress over. In terms of what you need to do with Blastoise, try and keep it as healthy as possible. Having it healthy for Stealth Rock users like Steelix, Rhydon, and Diance is pivotal, and letting it get Knock Offd or chipped down in the early game is never ideal. Also, try and avoid Toxic too, but you can always Refresh that away if you must, alongside other status ailments.
Diancie
Diancie @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 172 SpA / 84 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Power Gem
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
Diancie is mainly this team's Stealth Rock user, as well as the team's cleric. It can also be secondarily used as a damage dealer of sorts, although sometimes it can be hard to get Diancie in as you would with other secondary damage dealers like Slowbro, for example. In terms of the Speed tier it hits, it is for 0 Speed Incineroar, although that set isn't that common as it was back in the Vanilluxe meta. I personally use Moonblast and Power Gem for the STABs, although some might want to use Earth Power instead of Power Gem to not only still hit Incineroar, but to also hit Steelix as well, one of Diancie's best checks. Generally, I would try and keep Diancie alive for the entire game. You never know when you might get statused and it costs you the game, so keeping your cleric alive is always a wise idea. This won't be an easy task all the time, as this set doesn't hold Leftovers (it holds Shuca Berry to eat a Z-Earthquake from Incineroar, or perhaps an Earthquake from Rhydon as well). Some overly important statuses on this team to look to Heal Bell on would be a Toxicd Blastoise, a burned Mega Glalie, and a burned Passimian.
Passimian
Passimian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
Now for everyone's favorite Choice Scarf holder Passimian! It's definitely the most consistent Choice Scarf user in the tier, and managed to find its way on this team because this team needed a fast damage dealer. There's nothing too special to note about the set, although I do run Earthquake in this meta because Gunk Shot doesn't really hit as much as Earthquake right now, especially with Diancie becoming more common. Besides, this team also has Vileplume for Comfey and Whimsicott. Something to note is that Defiant Passimian is out as of yesterday! This doesn't really change much, but I figured I'd note it since it's been a long anticipated release. It's pretty simple as to what you're doing with Passimian. Simply pivot in and out, and if you get the chance, click Close Combat or Knock Off.
Vileplume
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
- Growth
Last but certainly not least, it's everyone's favorite broken Pokemon Vileplume. This is a fairly standard set, the only thing that might stand out to people who don't play NU is the lack of Sleep Powder and Strength Sap. In terms of Sleep Powder, I chose to run Growth over it because I wanted Vileplume to be able to put in some offensive power to take advantage of the Spikes, while also being a tanky damage dealer. For Strength Sap, I personally don't like it as a move. With how common Xatu is, I often find that it is better off to run Moonlight and get some recovery from Giga Drain (which in this case is made stronger by Growth). I chose to run Black Sludge over Poisonium Z on this team because I wanted Vileplume to still consistently check Pokemon like Heliolisk, which can be an issue for this team. In terms of what you do with Vileplume, just send it in on any Pokemon it isn't weak to. The amount of Pokemon Vileplume can 1v1 is astounding, so don't be afraid to let it take a little damage, especially since it carries moves like Giga Drain and Moonlight. However, do not let it take moves like Knock Off or let it get burned or paralyzed, because that will hinder Vileplume's ability to wall drastically.
Conclusion
Overall, I think this team is really great, and I hope you guys enjoy it! Here are some replays so you can see the team in action (I may or may not get blown back in some of these)
Edit: I unfortunately don't have any replays that aren't private (the ones that aren't are me getting smacked up, LOL)! If you have a replay of me using this team versus you and you don't mind me making it public, please let me know. Thanks!
Shoutouts
I wasn't going to tag 9 million people but I was convinced I should do it anyway or there's no point in posting an RMT so here are the tags!
Somehow that list ended up being much smaller than my January post so I really hope I didn't forget anyone!
That's really it! Thanks everyone for reading this RMT, and cheers to another 1,000 posts!
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Introduction
Hello everyone, Yoshi here! Since I started playing NU, I've done a lot more team building than in the past. Beforehand, I would mostly borrow teams and occasionally build a team based on a concept I liked. However, through my experiences in NU, talking to various users, and being in the B101 program, I think my building ability has improved drastically. This would be my third NU RMT, and while my last NU RMT wasn't exactly the best team I've built, I believe that this team is a lot better. In the new meta without Vanilluxe, I think that this team is a great display of what you might find on the ladder. It incorporates a Pokemon that many people use as a Vanilluxe replacement, as well as some Pokemon that are able to be used a lot more often than they were in the past. This team shows exactly what people were talking about when they said Vanilluxe was restrictive in the builder.
This team also peaked #20 on the ladder, and that might sound not so good, but if anyone knows me, you'll know that I hate laddering with a burning passion and how it always comes and bites me in the ass, so I'm pretty proud of that peak. Proof of peak here.
Building Process
I wanted to build a team around Mega Glalie because not only has it become my favorite Pokemon over the past few months, but it is also one of the most fun to use. Having another offensive Spiker in the tier is nice on its own, but being a built-in wallbreaker as well is a massive plus. Some people would consider Mega Glalie to be broken, however it can be easy to wear down Mega Glalie through offensive pressure, forcing switches, revenge killing, and things like that.
The second Pokemon I decided to use is Heliolisk, mainly because of how well it pairs with Mega Glalie as a wallbreaker. Heliolisk really loves Spikes support, so having that allows Heliolisk to really tear through teams, even against Pokemon that normally check it like Vileplume (which with a single Spike gets 2HKOd by Hyper Voice w/ Choice Specs). On top of that, Mega Glalie appreciates the fact that Heliolisk can check (and counter) all the Water-types in the tier, as Mega Glalie doesn't have much to run through Water-types (with the exception of Freeze-Dry, which I personally don't like running).
One thing that Heliolisk does not cover for Mega Glalie are the Fire-types of the tier, as well as hazard removal. Blastoise isn't the greatest Fire resist, especially since it kind of gets hindered by a lot of them (Knock Off from Incineroar, Grass Knot from Delphox, etc). Despite this, it is still a good addition to the team because of its access to Scald alongside Rapid Spin. Being able to get hazards off the field for a Stealth Rock weak Pokemon as well as a pivot is pivotal for the team, especially since those two Pokemon in particular are coming in and out a lot. The reason I decided to go with a Rapid Spin user rather than Defog is because of having a Spikes user on the team. It allows me to keep up my Spikes while also being able to get rid of hazards on my side of the field.
As aforementioned above, Blastoise isn't exactly the best Fire resist in the context of NU, so that's where Diancie comes in. It resists Fire-type attacks and then throws off a Power Gem, while also not losing to the Fire-types for the most part. It is also has access to Stealth Rock, which pretty much every team needs, so it fills in that slot as well. At this point in the building process, the team was also very weak to Fighting-types as well, and while Diancie doesn't exactly resist Fighting, it can check the Fighting-types of the tier thanks to being a Fairy-type. It was also nice to add Diancie to the team as it can Heal Bell away statuses, specifically a burn on Mega Glalie.
At this point, I realized the team needed some form of Speed control. While Mega Glalie and Heliolisk are by no means slow Pokemon, there really needs to be something to out speed Pokemon like those in particular. Of course, the easiest Pokemon to fill this slot would be a Choice Scarf Passimian. Not only does it provide some Speed control, it also offers another Pokemon to take advantage of the Spikes that Mega Glalie lays down. Being able to U-Turn out really chips down the opposing team, and keeping up momentum really makes it difficult for the opponent to play offensively rather than defensively, which this team banks on. Also, having a strong, fast, physical attacker is really nice for any team, not just teams that use Spikes.
Finally, I decided to add Vileplume to the team. One thing I noticed is how Fighting weak this team is. While Vileplume can take things like Knock Off from Passimian, and Blaze Kick from the uncommon Hitmonlee, Vileplume still makes for a good Fighting resist, especially in the context of Passimian. Passimian is generally going to click U-Turn more often than not, so having a Pokemon that can potentially punish that U-Turn with Effect Spore is always nice. Also, Vileplume is just overall a good defensive Pokemon, being able to eat hits from Pokemon like Heliolisk and Diancie, two of the most powerful wallbreaking Pokemon of the tier.
Mega Glalie
Glalie-Mega @ Glalitite
Ability: Refrigerate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Mega Glalie is the team's Spikes setter. It also performs as a great breaker, thanks to having access to Double-Edge and Explosion. Its Spikes help Heliolisk and Passimian break through teams, chipping down some of their checks such as Steelix and Slowbro respectively. It can also assist in forcing recovery versus bulkier teams, allowing this team to take advantage. The set itself isn't too different than what you'd might see, some people may run Freeze-Dry, it isn't all that strong of a move with Glalie's mediocre Special Attack stat. Ice Shard is also an option over Explosion, which is a more useful option, but on a more offensive team like this, I'd rather have Explosion to do some burst damage if needed, especially since I have Scarf Passimian for revenge killing. With Glalie, try to get up a Spike at every chance you can. It will be useful for this team to have Spikes up at all times, especially for the aforementioned Heliolisk and Passimian, as well as itself. Also, don't just click Explosion whenever. More often than not, Mega Glalie will be useful throughout most of the game, so be sure you heavily weigh win conditions when using this team, as it is the key to success, especially with Glalie in particular.
Heliolisk
Heliolisk @ Choice Specs
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hyper Voice
- Surf
As aforementioned, Heliolisk is a fantastic partner for Mega Glalie because of its breaking power. I decided to go with the Choice Specs set over Life Orb (which can be considered more consistent in this meta) because I wanted the immediate breaking power and not have to hope and pray I don't take too much Life Orb damage early on, especially on this team, which relies on Heliolisk for being one of the main sources of damage. It has its standard attacks, and the reason I chose Surf for the last move is so I can potentially catch Steelix off-guard, but that isn't needed especially when this team has the best Steelix counter, Blastoise. With Heliolisk, be careful with how often you're sending it in. While it is important that Heliolisk is on the field doing damage, it is frail and lacks recovery. This means even letting it on the field once and taking some Stealth Rock chip damage could be fatal for Heliolisk, so just be aware of that. Also, be careful when predicting when there is a Ground-type, losing all momentum when they go hard Rhydon onto a Volt Switch is never a good look for you (although, that situation in particular is manageable thanks to Blastoise).
Blastoise
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Refresh
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin
A lot of people don't like Blastoise in this meta, and that really comes as a surprise to me because it's a very consistent Pokemon, at least in my opinion. On this team, it's really the standard set. I don't like running Speed on my Blastoise for Incineroar because the bulk is really pivotal in my opinion. Some people like outpacing Incineroar so you can Scald it for some damage and potentially pick up a KO before a Knock Off, but on this team I have other Incineroar checks to where I can avoid the exchange altogether, while still maintaining a load of bulk on Blastoise. I could run Ice Beam over Refresh, too, but losing out on Refresh really really sucks for Blastoise because if it ever takes a Toxic and Diancie can't manage to Heal Bell, that 's a really bad position for Blastoise to be in. Besides, like Incineroar, there are plenty of other answers to Xatu on this team, so it isn't something you should stress over. In terms of what you need to do with Blastoise, try and keep it as healthy as possible. Having it healthy for Stealth Rock users like Steelix, Rhydon, and Diance is pivotal, and letting it get Knock Offd or chipped down in the early game is never ideal. Also, try and avoid Toxic too, but you can always Refresh that away if you must, alongside other status ailments.
Diancie
Diancie @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 172 SpA / 84 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Power Gem
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
Diancie is mainly this team's Stealth Rock user, as well as the team's cleric. It can also be secondarily used as a damage dealer of sorts, although sometimes it can be hard to get Diancie in as you would with other secondary damage dealers like Slowbro, for example. In terms of the Speed tier it hits, it is for 0 Speed Incineroar, although that set isn't that common as it was back in the Vanilluxe meta. I personally use Moonblast and Power Gem for the STABs, although some might want to use Earth Power instead of Power Gem to not only still hit Incineroar, but to also hit Steelix as well, one of Diancie's best checks. Generally, I would try and keep Diancie alive for the entire game. You never know when you might get statused and it costs you the game, so keeping your cleric alive is always a wise idea. This won't be an easy task all the time, as this set doesn't hold Leftovers (it holds Shuca Berry to eat a Z-Earthquake from Incineroar, or perhaps an Earthquake from Rhydon as well). Some overly important statuses on this team to look to Heal Bell on would be a Toxicd Blastoise, a burned Mega Glalie, and a burned Passimian.
Passimian
Passimian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
Now for everyone's favorite Choice Scarf holder Passimian! It's definitely the most consistent Choice Scarf user in the tier, and managed to find its way on this team because this team needed a fast damage dealer. There's nothing too special to note about the set, although I do run Earthquake in this meta because Gunk Shot doesn't really hit as much as Earthquake right now, especially with Diancie becoming more common. Besides, this team also has Vileplume for Comfey and Whimsicott. Something to note is that Defiant Passimian is out as of yesterday! This doesn't really change much, but I figured I'd note it since it's been a long anticipated release. It's pretty simple as to what you're doing with Passimian. Simply pivot in and out, and if you get the chance, click Close Combat or Knock Off.
Vileplume
Vileplume @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Moonlight
- Growth
Last but certainly not least, it's everyone's favorite broken Pokemon Vileplume. This is a fairly standard set, the only thing that might stand out to people who don't play NU is the lack of Sleep Powder and Strength Sap. In terms of Sleep Powder, I chose to run Growth over it because I wanted Vileplume to be able to put in some offensive power to take advantage of the Spikes, while also being a tanky damage dealer. For Strength Sap, I personally don't like it as a move. With how common Xatu is, I often find that it is better off to run Moonlight and get some recovery from Giga Drain (which in this case is made stronger by Growth). I chose to run Black Sludge over Poisonium Z on this team because I wanted Vileplume to still consistently check Pokemon like Heliolisk, which can be an issue for this team. In terms of what you do with Vileplume, just send it in on any Pokemon it isn't weak to. The amount of Pokemon Vileplume can 1v1 is astounding, so don't be afraid to let it take a little damage, especially since it carries moves like Giga Drain and Moonlight. However, do not let it take moves like Knock Off or let it get burned or paralyzed, because that will hinder Vileplume's ability to wall drastically.
Conclusion
Overall, I think this team is really great, and I hope you guys enjoy it! Here are some replays so you can see the team in action (I may or may not get blown back in some of these)
Edit: I unfortunately don't have any replays that aren't private (the ones that aren't are me getting smacked up, LOL)! If you have a replay of me using this team versus you and you don't mind me making it public, please let me know. Thanks!
Shoutouts
I wasn't going to tag 9 million people but I was convinced I should do it anyway or there's no point in posting an RMT so here are the tags!
Somehow that list ended up being much smaller than my January post so I really hope I didn't forget anyone!
That's really it! Thanks everyone for reading this RMT, and cheers to another 1,000 posts!
