Featured UU RMT
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Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Baton Pass
The classic BP set. Easy to use, and works really well. The goal is to pass one or more QD to Mew or Kingdra. It's not that hard because Venomoth puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. Sleep Powder works well against phazers. Sleep Powder is a main weapon of the team. Bug Buzz + Tinted Lens let Venomoth to maintain an offensive pressure. She attracts Fire sweepers, which are setup bait for Kingdra. She also absorbs Toxic Spikes, something useful in UU.
As a lead, she immediately puts the pressure on the opponent. I actually rarely lead with her, I just use it as quickly as I can or if my opponent allows me to.
Most of the time, Mew is the BP receiver since he's bulkier and he'll be deadlier than Kingdra early / mid game. If the game is at its end, Kingdra is usually the BP receiver.
Mew @ Life Orb
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Roost
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
The most versatile Pokémon ever. He can literally do everything from stalling to sweeping to Baton Passing. Anyway, since Mew is UU, I've played him pretty much in all my teams. I don't think there is even a team where Mew can't fit. Here he is as an all-out attacker. Psychic as the STAB move, a great one in UU despite the presence of Dark/Steel-types. Psyshock has been a move I've used for a while, but since Gligar is everywhere, Psychic is now a better option. Moveover, Psyshock is less useful now Chansey is gone. Flamethrower is there to hit my main threats, aka Escavalier and Registeel. Thunderbolt hits bulky waters, which annoy Kingdra and Weavile. I've used Shadow Ball a lot to hit Mew harder but someone (Austinf here) told me to try a recovery move and Roost increases Mew's longevity, being even more painful for my opponent.
I'm not using Timid or I'd lose a lot of KOs. Moreover, the only threat I actually fear without any boost while I'm Modest is Zapdos, which allows Weavile to switch on it later. Since I have Roost, I think Modest is worth it as I can stay alive longer.
Mew's goal is pretty simple: hit the threat of the team, with or without any QD boost. Mainly Empoleon and Escavalier, but Roserade/Registeel/Milotic are also taken out by Mew. He rarely finishes a game because he attracts the opponent's Scarfer, even if those are setup bait for Venomoth/Cobalion/Weavile/Kingdra.
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
The classic DPP OU lead. I'm using Thunderbolt instead of Explosion because it actually works the same way. Like Deoxys, Azelf doesn't let the opponent set up his own rocks and attracts spinners like Blastoise to put them in Kingdra KO range, thanks to Thunderbolt.
The only leads that threaten him are Crobat and Aerodactyl, the former being quite rare, the latter being nowhere to be seen. Thunderbolt is there to punish Xatu, who tends to easily switch in. The Focus Sash lets me dent some Pokémon, like Heracross who think I'm running Life Orb for example. Psychic also dents Hitmontop, a huge Weavile check. I'm used to predicting U-turn/Volt Switch to Xatu as well. Krookodile stops this Azelf set cold by the way. The team can work without SR, but it's definitely something important to set up to make it work even better.
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Trait: Justified
EVs: 176 HP / 80 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave / Close Combat
The pivot. Thanks to Cobalion, I cannot be swept by Krookodile locked on a Dark move or by Stoutland.
The EV Spread lets me tank an EQ from Flygon, even after using Sub once. Cobalion is a nice bulky Dancer, and his Spe is actually important to keep the momentum.
You may be surprised by the lack of a Fighting move, and the presence of Thunder Wave. The Steel STAB is quite interesting in UU as it's not that common. The bulky Water checked by the Cobalion's teammates and the Fire-type who'd have to kill my sub will be paralysed. So it isn't really annoying. Also, Sub + Thunder Wave + Iron Head flinch rate might save from some situations.
Thunder Wave is kind of useful, as it can paralyze Stoutland if he dares stay in on Cobalion. It also paralyzes some threats like Houndoom and Kingdra. Close Combat is an option I've often run, but the defense drops are really an issue, as Cobalion is probably the Pokémon who has to take most of the hard hits the team will have to endure.
Kingdra @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Dragon Pulse
The EV spread let Kingdra outspeed Scarf Flygon under rain. I reach 251 to outspeed bulky Taunt Mew and the other Kingdras as well (at least the not full Speed variants). It also helps Kingdra to tank a Raikou Thunderbolt.
This is a classic moveset as well. I don't like the SpA drop I'd have if I run Draco Meteor. Moreover, Kingdra often finishes the game or opens holes in the opposing team, so I really don't want that drop. Ice Beam is great vs. bulky Roserade. Dragon Pulse is his Dragon STAB, classic there. Hydro Pump, despite its huge miss rate, is obligatory, since I'd miss a lot of kill with Surf.
Some people would wonder why I run Rain Dance alongside a Quiver Passer. The answer is simple: Kingdra isn't Vemonoth-dependent, even if it's actually really great to Quiver Pass to Kingdra. Unlike Mew, Kingdra doesn't need some Quiver Dances to actually pull a hard sweep. Also, Rain Dance is a nice weapon versus Sand Team.
Weavile @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Ice Shard
- Ice Punch
- Night Slash
- Low Kick
The finisher. He's often the last man standing and he works wonders. Even if there aren't too many Dragons in UU, the Weavile double STAB is really great. Low Kick lets me finish some Pokémon like Empoleon or Registeel, as it takes them out about 60% of their life. Ice Shard OHKOes Flygon, something that's always nice to have.
The main Weavile check/revenge killer will always have to be used earlier in the game. Darmanitan, Heracross, Bronzong, Registeel, Empoleon, the bulky waters. All those Pokémon will have been dented earlier in the game and will almost always be in Weavile's KO range when they enter in the end game. Weavile is relatively bulky, as he can take a Scald from Blastoise/Empoelon, which might be handy sometimes.
Weavile is sometimes used midgame to revenge kill some threat, like Zapdos. His priority move is also a nice asset to the team as well.
Introduction
Although this team was created before BW2 and the Sand Stream ban, its high success rate and level of creativity make it stand out among other RMTs. Unfortunately, Manu's "El Baile de la Mariposa" can no longer be used in its original form due to Mew's ascension to OU, where many agree it belongs. Despite this, Manu's team was truly fearsome in its prime, and according to many of its users, with a few modifications, it can still compete in this new metagame (more on this later). With that in mind, it's now time to explore the team in more detail.
The Team
Manu's team is the epitome of offense. He uses plenty of setup Pokémon to take advantage of any opportunities his opponents give him and leave them very little room to breathe and regain momentum. Every single member of "El Baile de la Mariposa" can sweep at the drop of a hat given the right circumstances, but one Pokémon stands out as the most dangerous—Venomoth. This little poisonous moth has always been—in my opinion—one of the most dangerous and underrated threats in the UU metagame. Not only does it posses the ever-dangerous combination of Quiver Dance + Baton Pass, it also has access to a semi-reliable sleep-inducing move in Sleep Powder, which it can use to open up its own opportunities to set up. Additionally, it sports one of the best abilities in the game in Tinted Lens, which lets it operate comfortably with only a single attacking move. To top it all off, it sits at a very decent base 90 Speed, facilitating the use of Sleep Powder and allowing it to sweep itself, should Baton Passing its boosts away be suboptimal.
Venomoth may be the star of the team, but every other member also plays a crucial role in Manu's offense. Azelf reminisces of its time in DPP by going the traditional Focus Sash route; it plays the role of a lead and lays down the ever-important Stealth Rock while attempting to prevent the opposition from doing the same through the use of Taunt. Rain Dance Kingdra ensures Manu won't be destroyed by common offensive Fire-types, such as Darmanitan and Victini, while posing a huge offensive threat to his opponent. Mew's Life Orb + Roost + 3 Attacks set is... uncommon, to say the least, but it seems to work perfectly when used in conjunction with Venomoth's QuiverPassing capabilities, as it possesses that perfect combination of longevity and coverage that every potential receiver likes to have. The next teammate is Life Orb Weavile, who can act as both a late-game cleaner and as a check to potentially dangerous Pokémon, such as Nasty Plot Azelf, who would otherwise run right through this team. Finally there's Cobalion—the only member of the team with some semblance of defensiveness, which, at the time this team was being used was necessary due to Stoutland being such a huge threat. Together, all six members of this team have this great offensive resonance which simply cannot be ignored.
Threats
No team is perfect, and this is no exception. Being an all-out offensive team, many things can go wrong with a single misprediction or misplay, and a few things can sweep it clean given these circumstances. Choice Scarf Krookodile becomes the #1 threat to this team once Cobalion has been downed, as all it has to do is come in and start spamming Crunch until everything goes down. Stoutland's Return worked in a similar way when Sand Stream was still allowed, but that is no longer a concern. Similarly, Manu's only defense against Choice Scarf Darmanitan and Victini is a lone Kingdra, so once that goes down, chances are he's getting swept. A lucky and well played CroCune is another big threat to this team, as it can become virtually unbeatable after a couple of boosts, barring a critical hit, of course.
Conclusion
Remember how I said there were a few changes you could make in order to take this team into the new metagame? I didn't forget about that! My sources tell me that using a Life Orb Shaymin with Seed Flare, Earth Power, Synthesis, and either Psychic or Hidden Power Ice over the presented Mew allows the team to function very similarly to how it did in the previous metagame. So, with that in mind, why don't you get out there and try your hand at this brand of offense? It will not only hone your prediction and long-term thinking skills, but also be extremely entertaining. Until next time!
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