SM UU Rate my Balance UU team from a noob

[KudakenOnSmogon]

Infernape @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Vacuum Wave
- Focus Blast
- Flamethrower
Originally Infernape was the main reason for the team, the hope for a nasty plot sweep never really happened due to pokemon such as Mega Aero or scarfed threats which I failed to deal with, or chandlelure, so in practice it's role has been more to remove threats like scizor, force switiches for Amoonguss and other bulky grass types and overall support the team with vacuum wave to weaken foes for Aero or Scizor to deal with. I chose flamethrower over fireblast due to having too many moves with chances to miss which in practice really prevented any comebacks and cost a game or two, so flamethrower became the compromise, at plus two it can still take out Amoonguss, Gligar, and deal significant damage to togekiss after rock damage, focus blast deals with a number of bulky water pokemon like swampert and unboosted suicine when powered by Z-moves. So far ape has been a fine memeber but really lacks the power I need at crucial moments

Primarina @ Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 245 HP / 11 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
I know this set seems weird at first but I found it surprisingly effective as both a special wall and a special attacker, Its move set allows it to deal super effective damage against popular pokemon, namely surprising threats such as scizor, bisharp, opposing Rina's and tanking several hits from special attackers such as genegar and chandlelure who normally cannot handle a scald in return, with good predictions it can take out poison types and steel types that would be expecting a choice specs set, while also functioning as a decent special wall though not being able to recover hp has really hurt this pokemon and I'm walled by Amoonguss quite a bit,forcing switiches when I need to save this pokemon for other dangerous threats like latias.

Tsareena @ Lum Berry
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
Tsar helps deal with bulky ground and water types who overall can't deal with power whip and knock off combination and is usually a good lead to catch those who predicted swampert or who lead with their own setter like Krookodile. Lack of recovery and it's speed has been a majore issues, it's not fast enough to outspeed life orb mamoswine sets, so i went for added bulk to keep it going if I either still need a rapid spin or something to slack off if need be. I considered running seed bomb or even trop kick because when against scarfed krrokidle a power whip miss can be too costly but the power of power whip does huge damage to even when resisted to foes such as rotom heat and knocking off eviolite from gligar has always been great.

Scizor @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- U-turn
Scizor is my physical sweeper and provided pressure to scarfed threats that I have had big issues with when i was running bisharp previously, bullet punch at this point is obvious for Scizor and I took the set from scizor's bulky sword dance set but I added Iapapa berry because Scizor is such a common pokemon to see on the ladder due to its usefulness that keeping it vague which set it is running by not having leftovers recovery, at least, I hope helps keep the opponent on edge,to force a switch and allow for sword dancing. I think I haven't really been using it effectively enough though as it dies way too much or is dealt with too quickly to be of use.
Aerodactyl-Mega @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aerial Ace
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
I chose aero because my team needed coverage against major threats such as Manetric, Zeroara, and other really fast pokemon, while providing some much needed power to the team to deal with less bulky teams, in practice however it's never been able to sweep and on average I do mange to KO a team memeber or two but having to deal with stealth rock or scarfed terrakion and Krookodile has made it difficult to properly break wallls or bust open holes in opposing teams, so far it has been a relibe physical attacker but I'm not sure if this team is the best support for it


Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Earthquake
Typing and stat wise Swampert is my physical wall and what I believed to be the best physical wall i could have for the team, it threaten empoleon, gligar, aggron, mega Aero and Terrakion, while also helping with threats such as Krookodile. I learned really early on that without stealth rock or some sort of chip damage my team doesn't do enough damage to really take out pokemon but the higher I climb the harder it becomes to safely get in rocks without it being dealt heavy damage. As well I believe the way the team is set up I can't fully rely on it's defense because it lacks recovery meaning overall it doesn't really having the staying power i need to keep up my sides protection, I have been considering Hippowdown due to it's better physical bulk and access to reliable recovery, but having another ice weakness seems dangerous for my team.

 

[esche]

Hi!

So far Infernape has been a fine member but really lacks the power I need at crucial moments.

This statement of yours caught my eye right away and I think you have several options to address that on this team: Spikes support, crippling via Knock Off/Trick, trapping or adding a breaker that targets the same checks. I see that you have already incorporated two of these strategies on this team by means of Knock Off Tsareena and Pursuit Aerodactyl-M. The latter of the two is a phenomenal partner for NP Infernape and I will make sure to keep this core intact.

I think I haven't really been using it effectively enough though as it dies way too much or is dealt with too quickly to be of use.

If you're not getting enough mileage out of your Scizor this might be because either A) the set doesn't fit here or B) you're not utilising it properly. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here and try to adjust the set to fit the team better. I will say though that people are teching like mad for Scizor so scouting for fire coverage on the likes of Latias and Aerodactyl-M will make you get more out of Scizor in the long run.

Anyway, let's get into the changes:

NP Infernape is best complemented by a Pursuit trapper for Psychic and Ghost types, which you have already present on the team. Moreover, since your aim with Infernape will be to dent special walls I propose you add something to this team that can more reliably invite some of these walls and weaken them severely. I was thinking of Choice Specs Hydreigon here. Looking at your team composition I can see some players assume that you'd want the speed advantage that Choice Scarf offers you, but to be honest the power from Choice Specs is much more appreciated here as it gives you the option to snipe unsuspecting Altaria-M for example and dent switch-ins such as Muk-A and Sylveon hard. I'd even say that Fire Blast isn't necessary here and can be replaced with U-turn so that the Choice Scarf bluff becomes believable early game as well as having a means to predict a Primarina switch-in, which is a great answer to both NP Infernape and Hydreigon, in order to prevent losing inititiave.

Next up is a quick discussion about competition for Tsareena as a spinner. As much as I like its ability to spin on Klefki without fearing status ailments, most of the time Tsareena will fail to stay useful for long as it takes too much damage to quickly or gets burned by one of the many Water types it is supposed to check (I like the Lum Berry tech, though!). Personally, I'd make use of Tentacruel instead. It provides you with a solid switch-in to specially-oriented Fairy types, absorbs T-Spikes by default and keeps the option to remove items due to its access to Knock Off. It may also lay Toxic Spikes which can be helpful for a sweeper like Infernape although on this team I feel like Sludge Wave is the better fit to get a good hit on Primarina and Togekiss so that Infernape can overwhelm them more easily. You can keep Tsareena over Tentacruel if you think that you'll manage without a switch-in to Primarina but I don't recommend it.

The Scizor will likely be of more use to you if you switch to a more offensive set. I haven't figured out myself what set is best here, the import below still features a U-turn variant with Roost to have some longevity and to retain its function as a pivot somewhat, but an all-out-offensive variant may work just as well to be honest. Iron Plate has a similar application as Iapapa Berry in the sense that it leaves the opponent guessing what item Scizor might be carrying and a lazy observor might just assume that Iron Plate boosted Bullet Punch damage is coming from a Choice Band variant. However, if you prefer to lure opposing Latias for example, Occa Berry can be used to tank an HP Fire and safely U-turn out into Aerodactyl-M, which Infernape will approve of as it attempts to sweep. Anyway, definitely experiment with the EVs and moveset here to see what works best for you, my overall suggestion here pretty much boils down to making use of a more offensive variant instead.

Swampert is a respectable physically defensive wall but unfortunately it does not fit the new, offensive style of the team very well. However, you still want something that can at least provide somewhat of an answer to Manectric-M and deter the opponent from mindlessly clicking Volt Switch. Mamoswine fits the theme of the team better I feel. You have several options regarding the set, so I urge you to experiment with what you like best. Here are two suggestions:

Life Orb All-Out-Attacker

Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly or Hasty Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge/Freeze-Dry
- Ice Shard

Personally, I like Stone Edge the most on this set because it snipes Rotom-H, which is just about everywhere right now and removing it paves the way for a Scizor sweep, but the case for Freeze-Dry can be made too as it provides a means of removing Swampert (= one Focus Miss target less) and pressuring Alomomola.

Metronome

Mamoswine @ Metronome
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Substitute
- Ice Shard

This has great match-up vs fatter builds that rely on the strategy to outstall Mamoswine by constantly recovering as it avoids the recoil from Life Orb. Subsitute is here to ease prediction but can be replaced with Freeze-Dry or a different coverage move of your liking.

Removing Swampert of course means that the team now lacks Stealth Rock, which is absolutely unacceptable. Fear not though, we'll simply slap it onto Aerodactyl-M and get rid off Aerial Ace, which isn't needed all that much here because Infernape obliterates Grass types on its own. Not having Aqua Tail or Ice Fang on Aerodactyl-M with SR and therefore being unable to punish Gligar might seem odd but this team has enough means of taking advantage of Gligar as I see it (specifically granting free switch-ins to Hydreigon). I'm not fond of using SR on Mamoswine since Rotom-H is a very prominent Defog user right now that completely shuts down Mamoswine.

I recognise that these changes are quite substantial and will affect the way you'll have to play with this team but overall this fits the theme of a NP breaker such as Infernape much better than the slower, less proactive approach that this team was before. Let me know what you think of these changes, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask, of course!

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