Project Uber
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Unlike Overused and Underused, the Ubers tier is extremely centralized. There are only around 20 Pokémon commonly seen, most of which are extreme offensive threats such as Choice Specs Kyogre (which can even 2HKO Blissey with Water Spout), Nasty Plot Darkrai, and Swords Dance Rayquaza. Because of the overwhelming offensive power in Ubers, it isn't absurd to assume that there are few, if any, viable Pokémon outside the small pool of the "OU" Pokémon of Ubers. For reference's sake, here are the 20 Pokémon most used Ubers last month:
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The goal of Project Uber is to explore the Uber metagame with Pokémon that are not typically seen within that tier. This project is still possible so late after the release of Diamond and Pearl for one reason: Ubers is the least played tier. This may be because players carry a strong dislike for the centralized metagame, or because Ubers has traditionally taken a back seat to Overused; whatever the reason, the Uber tier's lack of popularity means that there are still copious numbers of Pokémon which have not been tested.
There are several advantages to using lower tiered Pokémon in Ubers. Since Ubers teams must focus on preparing for high-profile threats such as Kyogre and Darkrai, they will frequently not prepare for more uncommon (but still powerful) threats such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Lower tiered Pokémon may also be able to do jobs that no other Uber Pokémon can do. For example, Gengar can revenge kill Swords Dance Rayquaza without a Choice Scarf thanks to its Ghost typing and 110 base Speed.
A major fixture of the Uber metagame is everlasting rain and sun. Pokémon with abilities which thrive on the friendly weather are common in both Overused and Underused, and they can further excel in Ubers with the benefit of never-ending rain or sun. For example, when Jumpluff is supported by Groudon’s sunny weather, it becomes a Leech Seeding menace. With its 110 base Speed doubled by its ability, Chlorophyll, the only Pokémon which can outspeed Jumpluff is Choice Scarf Deoxys-Speed! Encore allows it to switch into a Pokémon as it uses a support move (such as Groudon using Rock Polish), outspeeding it to force it to repeat the move over and over. Jumpluff can use Substitute while the opponent switches out, and then alternate between Leech Seed and Substitute. The opponent is forced to either lose a Pokémon to Leech Seed or to switch again, taking damage from entry hazards in the process.
Shiftry is another excellent Chlorophyll user. Thanks to its STAB Grass and Dark moves, it can hit 10 out of the top 20 Pokémon used in Ubers for super effective damage. Exeggutor accomplishes a similar feat, and is further able to survive a Bullet Punch from Scizor and OHKO it with Hidden Power Fire.
Kingdra becomes an invaluable team member in perpetual rain. Thanks to its Speed, Swift Swim, and Dragon typing, it can revenge kill every Dragon-type Pokémon in Ubers other than Dialga, Rayquaza (thanks to Air Lock) and Special Defensive Giratina with a STABed Draco Meteor, Outrage and Stealth Rock support. Ludicolo may not have the STAB Dragon-type attacks that Kingdra does, but with its 4x Water resist and excellent Special Defense, it is one of the few Pokémon that is not 2HKOed by Kyogre’s Choice Specs Water Spout. With Rain Dish and Leech Seed, Ludicolo will also often restore huge amounts of health.
Weather isn’t the only factor in making lower tiered Pokémon work well in Ubers. Swords Dance Lucario may seem like an inferior Rayquaza when comparing their Speed and Attack stats, but Lucario has some big advantages over Rayquaza. Lucario’s wonderful typing (Fighting/Steel) means that it has 4x resistances to Dark, Bug, and Rock-type moves. Thus, Lucario can easily set up on a Choice Scarf Darkrai locked into Dark Pulse. Lucario also resists all of Wobbuffet’s weaknesses, allowing it to set up easily after Wobbuffet Encores an attack that will likely either deal little damage or allow Lucario to switch in. Rayquaza resists all of Lucario’s weaknesses as well; thus Rayquaza can set up either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance on a Choice Pokémon which attempts to revenge kill Lucario. The recent discovery of Lucario's power in Ubers caused it to rise from the #42 usage spot in February to #19 in March!
These examples aren’t even scratching the surface of what is usable in Ubers. The tests performed by Project Uber have already discovered many powerful new threats, but the possibilities are nearly endless! However, it is important to note the word "test", as this is the most important part of the project. Each Pokémon mentioned in this article has been tested and proven to work by numerous players over a period of time. In order to revive this project, it is important to never suggest sets without testing them, even if they look good on paper. Case in point: Belly Drum Charizard. While a +6 Fire Punch with a Blaze boost in unending sun seemed appealing at first, the set quickly ran into major roadblocks. Kyogre is the most common Pokémon in Ubers, which right off the bat weakens Charizard’s Fire Punch to the point that Charizard must use Earthquake to attempt a sweep. The incredibly bulky Giratina also survived everything Charizard could throw at it, including Dragon Claws. Many posters ignored this in the original Uber Project thread; this cannot happen again! We are hoping to give Uber Project a fresh start, and unlock the potential of those Pokémon never seen in the Uber tier.
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