So, with the new metagame completely opened up for B & W, I've noticed (especially on Pokemon Online) the prevalence of Weather and Status Teams in the top players. I quickly realized that in order to make a truly good team, there needed to be an almost completely foolproof method to success, which I found easiest to discover in a Sun team. This team has helped me to hit a rating of 1380 something (104/24370 in Wifi Ubers on PO) and I've stayed in the upper 1200s after drawback. So without further ado, let's go over my options...
Deoxys-A (Mixed Sweeper)
Deoxys' attack form has proven to be one of the most effective and powerful leads I have run on this team. Its excellent coverage combined with blistering speed and attack prove to be a huge threat to any lead, revenge killer, or set-uppers. This, combined with access to priority extremespeed, allows it to avoid priority revenge killers (bar Giratina & ghost arceus) that could break Deoxys down.
Deoxys-A, Arceus (Phy. Sweeper)
Arceus is and has been the most versatile pokemon in the metagame. With probably millions of possibilities to choose from, I narrowed it down to what type would work well in a sun team while not losing out on power or defenses. Arceus' trademark 'ExtremeDeath' set showed no issues and is a fine choice for almost every ubers team.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina (Mixed wall/Staller)
Giratina, with its amazing bulk and access to status moves, is placed among the best stallers in the Ubers metagame, mainly sharing its title with Lugia. Using a combination of status and phazing moves, Giratina easily weakens the opponents team, especially crippling physical attackers with Will-o-wisp.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon (Phy. Wall/Phy. Sweeper)
What's a sun team without Groudon? Holding the only way to create permanent sunshine through its ability, Groudon is the obvious choice. Combining a ridiculous 150 Base Atk stat as well as monstrous defenses all around, Groudon can soak up damage and counter back with tremendous force.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon, Reshiram (Sp. Sweeper)
Reshiram holds a monstrous sp. atk, that ties with Kyogre, but holds slightly better overall defenses (Kyogre's 330 vs. Reshiram's 340). Reshiram's biggest weakness lies in its middling speed, which is quickly remedied by just 1 Flame Charge, boosting it up to tie with base 90 Scarf users. This, combined with sun's boost to fire attacks, allows Reshiram to use Flame Charge and still OHKO Ferrothorn and even Forretress (thanks to its ability).
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon, Reshiram, Forretress (Support)
This team is obviously crippled by entry hazards, which is quickly remedied by rapid spin. Though it is a risk to run Forretress with the 1.5x boost to fire attacks, Sturdy allows me to get at least a rapid spin in before going down. If the opponent isnt running a fire attack, then Forretress allows for several turns of setup, as long as the opponent doesnt use it to raise its stats.
So now, you've got a basic rundown, so let's bring them out!!!
Deoxys-A @ Focus Sash
Hasty Nature
Pressure Ability
128 Atk/128 Sp. Atk/252 Speed
- Extremespeed
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Superpower
This set provides Deoxys with everything it needs to sweep: Strong priority attack, Universal coverage in ghost and fighting, and Ice Beam to eradicate Dragons and opposing Groudon. It even can provide coverage on physical and special walls. The EVs are obvious, maxed out speed ensure Deoxys attacks first and balanced attacks allow for strong hits. With this combination of attacks, Deoxys can hit everything for at least neutral damage. With the inclusion of extremespeed, Deoxys can also put a dent into Arceus before it is taken down.
Obviously, the biggest threats are Scarf users that could revenge kill Deoxys or set up on it, especially those with a priority attack or resistance to Extremespeed. Sandstorm and Hail teams can bring in their weather changer and hit Deoxys hard while the weather breaks the Focus Sash. Also, stallers that can take all of Deoxys' hits can hit back with Will-o-wisp or Toxic and cripple it while also breaking the sash. Finally, special ghost walls such as Giratina or Arceus (EV'd for Sp. Def) can take Deoxys' attacks easily since its 2 physical attacks are useless.
Arceus @ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Multitype Ability
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
- Extremespeed
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Brick Break
Arceus is my 1st physical sweeper and can really be an ace in the hole. After 2 Swords dances Arceus can practically sweep an entire team, providing coverage on ghost and steel, the 2 types that can laugh at Arceus' Extremespeed. The key to this set is to predict or just switch in on their set-upper, rapid spinner, or a special wall such as Lugia, set up swords dance, and sweep. Even opposing ExtremeDeath Arceus pose little threat, as 99% of the time, this is what happens:
Me | Opponent
Swords Dance | Swords Dance
Swords Dance | Extremespeed (~60%)
Extremespeed | OHKOed
I usually go first since I actually invested fully in speed when very few other people do.
The biggest threat to this set is physical walls that resist or are immune to Extremespeed since they can usually take 1-2 Brick Breaks or Shadow Claws before they are KOed. This allows them enough time to induce status or phaze Arceus, ruining the sweep.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Impish Nature
Pressure Ability
252 HP/64 Def/180 Sp. Def/12 Speed
- Will-o-wisp
- Dragon Tail
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Giratina's ridiculous 504 HP stat and excellent 321 Def & Sp. Def stats allow it to shrug off most super effective hits without being 2 or even 3HKOed. With the given EVs, Giratina's HP is maximized and its defenses are evened out. 12 EVs in speed allow me to slightly outspeed other base 90 pokes that run bulk over speed. Usually they invest the last 4 EVs in speed or put 8 in for a slight edge, but for safety I put in 12. Will-o-wisp is a very good way to spread status as well as minimize damage output from physical sweepers. Dragon Tail helps phaze out anything that tries to set up on Giratina. Rest and Sleep Talk maximize the amount of time Giratina stays in play.
One fault/correction I thought of for this set is that since Will-o-wisp is reducing opponent's attack, it would be better to invest more fully in Sp. Def since Leftovers would practically heal off all of the damage after Will-o-wisp.
Giratina's biggest weaknesses are fast, heavy hitters such as Rayquaza that leave a huge dent in Giratina with Outrage or Draco Meteor. Also, Substitute users block Giratina's path since Dragon Tail usually doesnt do enough damage to break their substitute, allowing them to freely set up and sweep.
Groudon @ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Drought Ability
240 HP/252 Atk/16 Speed
- Eathquake
- Stone Edge
- Rock Polish
- Dragon Claw
With a solid attack stat of 438, as well as 404/316 defenses, Groudon is a killer that can still take a hit. Earthquake and Stone Edge provide exceptional coverage while Dragon Claw cover Revenge Killers and swepers. I chose to use a Life Orb rather than a Choice Band because more often than not I've ended up locked into Earthquake and the opponent sends out a Flying type, or Stone Edge and they send out a Steel type, etc. With a Life Orb, Groudon loses 87.6 attack, but still packs a humongous punch, while most likely being able to hit the switch-in for super effective damage. Rock Polish boosts Groudon's speed to 440, outspeeding every common unscarfed pokemon in Ubers bar Deoxys-S. This allows for incredible sweeping abilities, making Groudon a tremendous threat.
Groudon's biggest weakness lies in its feeble Special defense stat. Water Spout, Surf, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot are the biggest threats, especially when delivered by the likes of Kyogre and Mewtwo. Even non-super effective special attacks leave a serious dent in Groudon's HP and can cripple it if they are faster.
Reshiram @ Life Orb
Hasty Nature
Turboblaze Ability
4 HP/252 Sp. Atk/252 Speed
- Blue Flare
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Flame Charge
Reshiram's niche is its ability to raise its speed to tie with speed invested scarf users with Flame Charge. Switching into a Ferrothorn or Forretress allows a free Flame Charge since the opponent should fear a fire attack. Otherwise, I'd switch into a wall that I could Flame Charge without fearing knockout. Dragon Pulse and Blue Flare are Reshiram's main STAB attacks and, in the sun, deal 169-200 and 366-430 damage respectively (assuming regular effectiveness and 300 Sp. Def). Focus Blast allows Reshiram to deal with the likes of Arceus and Dialga trying to set up or hit with a deadly Earthquake.
Reshiram's biggest and most obvious weakness is a fast, powerful dragon/ground pokemon that runs a set that outspeeds Reshiram 99.99% of the time (*cough* Garchomp *cough*). Garchomp can OHKO with Outrage, Dragon Claw, or Earthquake and can do so unless Reshiram has used 2 or more Flame Charges. Pretty much anything that outspeeds and can deal a super effective attack against Reshiram is a deadly opponent and should be handled with caution.
Forretress @ Leftovers
Careful Nature
Sturdy Ability
248 HP/252 Sp. De/8 Speed
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic Spikes
- Payback
Forretress serves as entry hazard setup/remover, both of which are vital to the team's success. Since Groudon must be kept alive until all of my oppponent's weather-starting pokemon are KOed, removing entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes that could cripple my entire team. With full EVs in Sp. Def, Forretress is also able to stand up to the special attackers roaming throughout the ubers tier.
Forretress' biggest threat is fire, which is intensified in the sunlight. The reason I still chose Forretress over Tentacruel is because, more often than not, Tentacruel will end up having to fight on its own and the loss of water-power is a huge drawback. Regardless, Forretress still fulfills Tentacruel's role, the only difference being that it can also lay spikes/stealth rock, but needs to use rapid spin to clear toxic spikes.
So, there's my new team!!! Thanks for reading!!!
Deoxys-A (Mixed Sweeper)
Deoxys' attack form has proven to be one of the most effective and powerful leads I have run on this team. Its excellent coverage combined with blistering speed and attack prove to be a huge threat to any lead, revenge killer, or set-uppers. This, combined with access to priority extremespeed, allows it to avoid priority revenge killers (bar Giratina & ghost arceus) that could break Deoxys down.
Deoxys-A, Arceus (Phy. Sweeper)
Arceus is and has been the most versatile pokemon in the metagame. With probably millions of possibilities to choose from, I narrowed it down to what type would work well in a sun team while not losing out on power or defenses. Arceus' trademark 'ExtremeDeath' set showed no issues and is a fine choice for almost every ubers team.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina (Mixed wall/Staller)
Giratina, with its amazing bulk and access to status moves, is placed among the best stallers in the Ubers metagame, mainly sharing its title with Lugia. Using a combination of status and phazing moves, Giratina easily weakens the opponents team, especially crippling physical attackers with Will-o-wisp.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon (Phy. Wall/Phy. Sweeper)
What's a sun team without Groudon? Holding the only way to create permanent sunshine through its ability, Groudon is the obvious choice. Combining a ridiculous 150 Base Atk stat as well as monstrous defenses all around, Groudon can soak up damage and counter back with tremendous force.
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon, Reshiram (Sp. Sweeper)
Reshiram holds a monstrous sp. atk, that ties with Kyogre, but holds slightly better overall defenses (Kyogre's 330 vs. Reshiram's 340). Reshiram's biggest weakness lies in its middling speed, which is quickly remedied by just 1 Flame Charge, boosting it up to tie with base 90 Scarf users. This, combined with sun's boost to fire attacks, allows Reshiram to use Flame Charge and still OHKO Ferrothorn and even Forretress (thanks to its ability).
Deoxys-A, Arceus, Giratina, Groudon, Reshiram, Forretress (Support)
This team is obviously crippled by entry hazards, which is quickly remedied by rapid spin. Though it is a risk to run Forretress with the 1.5x boost to fire attacks, Sturdy allows me to get at least a rapid spin in before going down. If the opponent isnt running a fire attack, then Forretress allows for several turns of setup, as long as the opponent doesnt use it to raise its stats.
So now, you've got a basic rundown, so let's bring them out!!!
Deoxys-A @ Focus Sash
Hasty Nature
Pressure Ability
128 Atk/128 Sp. Atk/252 Speed
- Extremespeed
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Superpower
This set provides Deoxys with everything it needs to sweep: Strong priority attack, Universal coverage in ghost and fighting, and Ice Beam to eradicate Dragons and opposing Groudon. It even can provide coverage on physical and special walls. The EVs are obvious, maxed out speed ensure Deoxys attacks first and balanced attacks allow for strong hits. With this combination of attacks, Deoxys can hit everything for at least neutral damage. With the inclusion of extremespeed, Deoxys can also put a dent into Arceus before it is taken down.
Obviously, the biggest threats are Scarf users that could revenge kill Deoxys or set up on it, especially those with a priority attack or resistance to Extremespeed. Sandstorm and Hail teams can bring in their weather changer and hit Deoxys hard while the weather breaks the Focus Sash. Also, stallers that can take all of Deoxys' hits can hit back with Will-o-wisp or Toxic and cripple it while also breaking the sash. Finally, special ghost walls such as Giratina or Arceus (EV'd for Sp. Def) can take Deoxys' attacks easily since its 2 physical attacks are useless.
Arceus @ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Multitype Ability
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
- Extremespeed
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Brick Break
Arceus is my 1st physical sweeper and can really be an ace in the hole. After 2 Swords dances Arceus can practically sweep an entire team, providing coverage on ghost and steel, the 2 types that can laugh at Arceus' Extremespeed. The key to this set is to predict or just switch in on their set-upper, rapid spinner, or a special wall such as Lugia, set up swords dance, and sweep. Even opposing ExtremeDeath Arceus pose little threat, as 99% of the time, this is what happens:
Me | Opponent
Swords Dance | Swords Dance
Swords Dance | Extremespeed (~60%)
Extremespeed | OHKOed
I usually go first since I actually invested fully in speed when very few other people do.
The biggest threat to this set is physical walls that resist or are immune to Extremespeed since they can usually take 1-2 Brick Breaks or Shadow Claws before they are KOed. This allows them enough time to induce status or phaze Arceus, ruining the sweep.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Impish Nature
Pressure Ability
252 HP/64 Def/180 Sp. Def/12 Speed
- Will-o-wisp
- Dragon Tail
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Giratina's ridiculous 504 HP stat and excellent 321 Def & Sp. Def stats allow it to shrug off most super effective hits without being 2 or even 3HKOed. With the given EVs, Giratina's HP is maximized and its defenses are evened out. 12 EVs in speed allow me to slightly outspeed other base 90 pokes that run bulk over speed. Usually they invest the last 4 EVs in speed or put 8 in for a slight edge, but for safety I put in 12. Will-o-wisp is a very good way to spread status as well as minimize damage output from physical sweepers. Dragon Tail helps phaze out anything that tries to set up on Giratina. Rest and Sleep Talk maximize the amount of time Giratina stays in play.
One fault/correction I thought of for this set is that since Will-o-wisp is reducing opponent's attack, it would be better to invest more fully in Sp. Def since Leftovers would practically heal off all of the damage after Will-o-wisp.
Giratina's biggest weaknesses are fast, heavy hitters such as Rayquaza that leave a huge dent in Giratina with Outrage or Draco Meteor. Also, Substitute users block Giratina's path since Dragon Tail usually doesnt do enough damage to break their substitute, allowing them to freely set up and sweep.
Groudon @ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Drought Ability
240 HP/252 Atk/16 Speed
- Eathquake
- Stone Edge
- Rock Polish
- Dragon Claw
With a solid attack stat of 438, as well as 404/316 defenses, Groudon is a killer that can still take a hit. Earthquake and Stone Edge provide exceptional coverage while Dragon Claw cover Revenge Killers and swepers. I chose to use a Life Orb rather than a Choice Band because more often than not I've ended up locked into Earthquake and the opponent sends out a Flying type, or Stone Edge and they send out a Steel type, etc. With a Life Orb, Groudon loses 87.6 attack, but still packs a humongous punch, while most likely being able to hit the switch-in for super effective damage. Rock Polish boosts Groudon's speed to 440, outspeeding every common unscarfed pokemon in Ubers bar Deoxys-S. This allows for incredible sweeping abilities, making Groudon a tremendous threat.
Groudon's biggest weakness lies in its feeble Special defense stat. Water Spout, Surf, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot are the biggest threats, especially when delivered by the likes of Kyogre and Mewtwo. Even non-super effective special attacks leave a serious dent in Groudon's HP and can cripple it if they are faster.
Reshiram @ Life Orb
Hasty Nature
Turboblaze Ability
4 HP/252 Sp. Atk/252 Speed
- Blue Flare
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Flame Charge
Reshiram's niche is its ability to raise its speed to tie with speed invested scarf users with Flame Charge. Switching into a Ferrothorn or Forretress allows a free Flame Charge since the opponent should fear a fire attack. Otherwise, I'd switch into a wall that I could Flame Charge without fearing knockout. Dragon Pulse and Blue Flare are Reshiram's main STAB attacks and, in the sun, deal 169-200 and 366-430 damage respectively (assuming regular effectiveness and 300 Sp. Def). Focus Blast allows Reshiram to deal with the likes of Arceus and Dialga trying to set up or hit with a deadly Earthquake.
Reshiram's biggest and most obvious weakness is a fast, powerful dragon/ground pokemon that runs a set that outspeeds Reshiram 99.99% of the time (*cough* Garchomp *cough*). Garchomp can OHKO with Outrage, Dragon Claw, or Earthquake and can do so unless Reshiram has used 2 or more Flame Charges. Pretty much anything that outspeeds and can deal a super effective attack against Reshiram is a deadly opponent and should be handled with caution.
Forretress @ Leftovers
Careful Nature
Sturdy Ability
248 HP/252 Sp. De/8 Speed
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic Spikes
- Payback
Forretress serves as entry hazard setup/remover, both of which are vital to the team's success. Since Groudon must be kept alive until all of my oppponent's weather-starting pokemon are KOed, removing entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes that could cripple my entire team. With full EVs in Sp. Def, Forretress is also able to stand up to the special attackers roaming throughout the ubers tier.
Forretress' biggest threat is fire, which is intensified in the sunlight. The reason I still chose Forretress over Tentacruel is because, more often than not, Tentacruel will end up having to fight on its own and the loss of water-power is a huge drawback. Regardless, Forretress still fulfills Tentacruel's role, the only difference being that it can also lay spikes/stealth rock, but needs to use rapid spin to clear toxic spikes.
So, there's my new team!!! Thanks for reading!!!
