Hi guys,
I'm going to do a writeup about my Swellow team which many of the ADV regulars have seen and battled against on ladder. For the record, this team was made by me with modifications by Actaeon, a fellow friend. It has really surprised me in its efficacy on ladder, and I'm writing this to encourage some take-up of fun UU/BL teams.
I was an active ADV player from 2005-2008, and one of my largest motivations for coming back is my interest in team building, much more so than playing the game. I'm keen on finding the niche in UU/BL mons that enable them to be viable in the metagame through some thoughtful teambuilding and playing. I'm already prepared to receive criticism for not being all-encompassing matchup-wise for the sake of tour-worthiness, but frankly those are not my priorities because I do not play tours but am on ladder just to have some fun. I hope also that I can communicate my liking for this team's unorthodox play style and synergies.
Here's the team:
Swellow @ Starf Berry
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 2 HP / 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Substitute
- Endeavor
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Baton Pass
Heracross @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Rock Slide
- Focus Punch
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 104 HP / 12 Def / 216 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Baton Pass
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Wish
Swampert @ Salac Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roar
- Surf
- Endeavor
Magneton @ Magnet
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 188 SpA / 68 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 2 HP / 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Substitute
- Endeavor
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Baton Pass
Heracross @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Rock Slide
- Focus Punch
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 104 HP / 12 Def / 216 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Baton Pass
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Wish
Swampert @ Salac Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roar
- Surf
- Endeavor
Magneton @ Magnet
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 188 SpA / 68 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
Swellow @ Starf Berry
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 2 HP / 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Substitute
- Endeavor
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Baton Pass
Swellow, the star of the show, is most effective when its health is low, but not too low for sandstorm comfort. By using an odd HP, I allow Starf berry to remain unactivated after three substitutes, allowing Swellow to come in later to sub down to 1hp if Tyranitar is not on the team, or use sandstorm to activate the starf and pass it out. At 26%, Swellow's HP is low enough to bring enough mons within KO range of Jolteon after an Endeavor. This is very helpful when trying to perform sacrificial kills on especially DDtar, Jirachi, Celebi, Snorlax, all of which the team only has very shaky answers to. HP Fighting is really good for taking out Tyranitar because it has the speed to back it up even after a Dragon Dance, as well as Magneton, which is what people try to sack to waste my Endeavor. Starf berry doubles a random stat, which can be useful more often than you'd expect -- I'll talk more about it below.
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 104 HP / 12 Def / 216 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Baton Pass
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Wish
Jolteon extends the BP chain of swellow, is the perfect sub BP recipient when Swellow faces Gengar, and the HP EVs + Wish allow it to check electrics if you predict the status right (not hard, since nobody bolts on Jolt) by going to Guts Heracross. It is importantly, a potent revenge killer when combined with Swellow or Swampert's Endeavor, and a late game cleaner. Finally, if Jolt can't clean late game because the opponent's team is too bulky, it can at least perform a sacrificial healing Wish (in the later gen mechanics sense) by restoring HP to Subcune or Heracross for the clean.
Swampert @ Salac Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roar
- Surf
- Endeavor
Swampert is the secondary Endeavor offense on this team for good reason -- unlike Swellow it can tank one or two hits from Salamence/Tyranitar/Metagross, and it WANTS to. Ironically, having a full health Swampert is really bad here. Being at low health ensures that it goes from being a complete deadweight against Suicune, Gyarados, Jirachi into a top threat that has to be taken out quickly lest Endeavor + Salac runs its course. From there, two things can happen if all goes well. 1. Swampert is saved for a double switch or sacrifice on something Endeavor can really wreck, 2. Swampert deals heavy damage or even KO's something, is taken out, and Jolteon or Swellow gets the revenge kill. In the latter case, your opponent can be surprised by the presence of a healthy Suicune waiting in the back as the secondary bulky water. It has to watch out for recover mons like Blissey or Celebi, but that's honestly a mindgame that your opponent doesn't have a clear advantage in. Fortunately, these mons have low momentum, so even if you lose the mindgame, Heracross can come in and keep up the threat. Roar's there to prevent Suicune/Jirachi/Celebi from setting up on Swampert, seeing that I have very little physical pressure on this team.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 188 SpA / 68 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
Suicune is a dedicated lategame cleaner, unless it is determined that Jolteon can do the job in the case of more offensive teams, in which Suicune is used to tank opposing Aerodactyl attacks. Due to Swampert taking on the physicals beforehand, and Jolteon's sacrificial Wish, it can truly come in late game even with Spikes on the field at full HP, which is really important for Subcune to take down Blissey and Snorlax among others. Frankly, the EVs can be better designed. Max sp.atk is good for maximizing chances against Blissey and Zapdos, but you fall to fast Metagross or Tyranitar at low HP.
Heracross @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Rock Slide
- Focus Punch
Heracross takes status for the team and is the physical presence. I know 252 speed Jolly and paralysis don't go well together, but I also wanted to maximize the chances of outrunning Celebi and Gyarados for the flinch. To stay alive and get many opportunities to hit, Heracross rides on the momentum of Jolteon's BP as well as Wish. As a dedicated Gengar lure, it eliminates Endeavor troubles for Swellow and Swampert, though leftovers would help with longevity in sand which is really important especially with one layer of spikes down.
Magneton @ Magnet
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
Magneton's purpose is obvious but it is far from being a deadweight even without Skarmory around. It clears weather and aids damage output/longevity of Suicune and Heracross. When your team is offensive, even something with good defensive typing but bad stats becomes an asset. It is a secondary rock resist, electric resist, and main flying resist of the team. It deals with Snorlax to some extent especially in sand. It's a great Swampert lure for Jolteon to clean. It paralyzes Jirachi if you catch it on a BP to maximize chances of pulling off Endeavor without dying. With three ice moves on the team, you're not all that worried about Flygon either. Finally, Dugtrio can come in on it, but the opponent must prepare to deal with the Swellow revenge!
Strategy:
TLDR: Get hit, bring them down to your level, then pass Starf, hit hard.
In the early game, the goal is to get Swellow and Swampert down to low health while dealing as much chip damage as possible. Swampert is a liability at high HP due to Suicune and Gyarados, but it becomes best when it takes damage to bring HP just below half, but not Salac-activated yet. You then have some real options there, to either sub again in anticipation of a switch, or to directly take out whatever's in front of you.
Games then go a mix of ways. With enough knowledge of the opponent's team I decide what I need to keep alive to clean - Jolteon, Suicune, or occasionally Heracross, and what to sack. However, the fun of it all is that the game morphs when you pivot Swellow in again! The Starf boost decides if you Endeavor or pass it on. In practice, Jolteon and Suicune are the main receivers. Obviously, sp.atk instantly turns them both into crazy strong special sweepers. Depending on the matchup, they also appreciate the defense boosts, preventing Jolteon from getting revenge killed and Snorlax from breaking Suicune's sub. Sp.def and Speed allows Suicune to solo electrics and helps with Celebi. The attack boost is really niche -- although Heracross appreciates it, it's usually too slow or defensively weak to use it in practice. Ironically, Swellow sometimes appreciates being able to 1hko Tyranitar, Magneton and Blissey (after an Endeavor + Softboiled). A side effect of Starf is that it discourages setting up on Swellow, lest you BP to something really dangerous.
Swellow's not done yet though. It can afford one more Endeavor before it goes down. Once the endgame is near, clear the sand with Magneton and sack-Wish the cleaner if necessary.
Why does this work?
At first glance, this team is just wild and defensively nonexistent. I have no true answer to Snorlax, Suicune, Swampert, Celebi, Jirachi, Gyarados, Heracross and a whole host of other things anyone who just learnt the metagame could put together. Remarkably though, I've been able to out-offense many of these threats on ladder.
I wanted to break the conception that teams based on Wallbreakers > Stall > Fast Offense > Wallbreakers outdo each other in a cycle. The double Endeavor provides this option with fast wallbreakers. This team is fast -- the slowest is 206, the second slowest 239, and there are two mons that outrun Jolly Dugtrio. With Endeavor, Salac Swampert and Swellow are able to punch holes in otherwise bulky mons that ordinarily fast sweepers would be unable to do, doubling as revenge killers.
The extension of the BP chain from Swellow to Jolteon to the rest of the team maintains momentum remarkably well, continuously forcing out threats. If that fails, Endeavor acts as the failsafe. With a fast and (separately) bulky cleaner, possibly supported by a random boost from Starf, the team is also equipped with endgame tactics. Another quirk of this team is that momentum is actually gained by losing HP on Swampert and Swellow, allowing bold plays and blanket checking most things the team can't afford to take.
Finally, Swellow the MVP: it's a great lure and momentum safeguard with Sub/Endeavor/BP, wallbreaks with Endeavor, passes +2 boosts, and takes advantage of Dugtrio's kills on Magneton, Swampert and Heracross as well as other choice-locked Earthquake.
Counters
This team relies heavily on revenge killing with Endeavor and Jolteon to do its wallbreaking or "phazing". This makes it particularly difficult for the team to deal with setup + recovery like CM Wish Jirachi or CM Recover Celebi, though there are a few options like paralyzing with Mag, using Endeavor and then engaging in a CM war with Suicune. Direct recovery without setup will force a prediction game, but the odds aren't bad, especially with Heracross switching in next even in a case of misprediction.
Other interesting ways that the team can lose: Roar Jolteon has the potential to mess up Jolteon's wishes and spread spike damage. Vaporeon can take Endeavors, Wish it off, and tank Swampert and Suicune all day. Gyarados coming in on high HP pert is really nasty, even though if it switched it on Suicune or Heracross it could be traded. Forretress needs to be out-offensed. Jolly Tyranitar outspeeds both Magneton and Swampert by just a little, but that can really change the dynamics of the game.
And of course, just about every OU mon if you play badly
Conclusion
Thank you for reading through all that. I wrote this to encourage the use of UUBL mons in OU play, and I hope I've convinced at least a small fraction of you that Swellow can be used in a rather fun yet sensible and still rather non-gimmicky way. I hesitate to offer a concrete statistic because I don't ladder sticking to one team while truly randomizing opponents due to timezone issues, but I'd say this team usually stays above 1400. Feel free to ask me for public replays -- I do not wish to make this a place for public humiliation
On a more serious note, comments are appreciated!
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