Smeargle

[Crafty Scrafty]

HP: 55
Atk: 20
Def: 35
SpA: 20
SpD: 45
Spe: 75

Abilities:
Own Tempo - Prevents confusion.
Technician - Moves with 60 Base Power or less do 50% more damage.
Moody (Dream World) - Boosts a random stat by 2 stages and lowers a random stat by 1 stage at the end of each turn.

GBU Doubles

Smeargle @ Focus Sash / Choice Scarf
252 HP / 6 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Ability: Own Tempo
- Dark Void
- Detect
- Follow Me
- Fake Out / Magic Coat

Probably Smeargle's best set. For the most part the point of this set is to put both opposing Pokemon to Sleep while your teammate sets up or kills stuff with powerful attacks.

Follow Me makes Smeargle an excellent partner for any set-up Pokemon or Trick Roomer, as seen in the VGC 2009 and 2010 metagames where he was often paired with Pokemon such as Dusknoir and Dialga, respectively. Magic Coat is useful for reflecting opposing Smeargle's Dark Voids, as it protects your teammate from falling asleep and reflects it back to both of your opponents Pokemon. Magic Coat is also useful for reflecting Taunt, which clearly shuts this set down completely. Choice Scarf is also an option if the player is looking to get off a quick Dark Void and then switch out, in which case one could use Trick over Follow Me.

Of course, Smeargle can also utilize the ability Moody very well. This strategy is rather hit or miss, but with the right boosts and a bit of luck it can sweep teams. Using Moody, the player will probably want to have some way of directly dealing damage with Smeargle, otherwise their opponent could just gang up on the rest of the players team and then Smeargle would be left a sitting duck. Stored Power would work to deal some good damage once you have enough boosts. Baton Pass would also be good, as it lets Smeargle pass the boosts to a more useful Pokemon.

Galvantula would be an interesting partner for Smeargle. The strategy would be Smeargle using Protect Turn 1 while Galvantula uses Electroweb to lower the Speed of both opposing Pokemon. On the following turn, Smeargle outruns both opposing Pokemon and uses Dark Void without the possibility of Chesto or Lum berries interfering with his plans thanks to Unnerve. Of course, you'd have to find a way to keep Galvantula alive for the first turn which could be challenging as it is quite frail. Charti Berry would probably be most effective, as Rock Slide is probably the move that will be threatening Galvantula the most on Turn 1.

Feel free to discuss the strategies I've shared or post your own!

 

[commi$$ioner]

I'd go Fake Out over Magic Coat. It's a solid option and makes Smeargle useful at the end game if you switch it out early with a late game Fake Out. As for a Moody set, Baton Pass could go in over Follow Me for some funsies (+4 Garchomp wrecks, as does +4 Latios) :D

 

[muffinhead]

I might suggest slashing Fake Out over Magic Coat, because Smeargle outspeeds a lot of common fake out users, and really enjoys the extra turn against Thundurus / Tornadus / fast pokemon that can kill it.

dammit duy

 

[Solace]

thirding those suggestions!

 

[Crafty Scrafty]

Yeah Fake Out definitely sounds like a good idea. I'll keep Magic Coat slashed but I'll have Fake Out as the primary move in that slot.

As for the Moody set, Baton Pass could definitely work, and I just thought of Stored Power which could be a good way of dealing some damage. I'll mention both of those.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Solace]

also just for the record, you dont have to write long paragraphs on the set! its fine if you do but bullet points are quicker and still get the point across.

 

[Ashenlock]

I did a set similar to this in Doubles recently, and found that, even when both opponents were successfully Sleep'd, I couldn't do anything. Without any effective attacking move Smeargle takes up a spot in the vanguard that could be occupied by a sweeper. You also need some sort of setup-ally to make sure that the opponents don't just gang up on Smeargle, since he's the only Dark Void GBU user and good players will know it. The best thing I can think is a Fake Out user that is also powerful after using Fake Out. Even then, you have to hope Dark Void hits both opponents (64% chance), that one isn't carrying a Lum Berry, that Hail and Sand aren't in play, that the opponent won't double-Protect first turn to kill Fake Out, and that sleep will last more than one turn.

Smeargle has fallen since his days in DP, when having Fake Out, Taunt, and Follow Me on one Pokemon meant Trick Room was practically guaranteed to be set up short of a misplay. With Fake Out's boost to priority 3, Follow Me doesn't stop 90% of incoming attacks anymore, and priority Taunt has him neutered if he doesn't come with a well-prepared ally. Ah Smeargle, where are the glory days of 4th Gen, when we could pwn anyone we wanted in PBR? Look away, old friend..

 

[commi$$ioner]

Smeargle's still pretty broken and not as weak as you think it is. Ask anyone that has played me with my team. If you don't prepare for it, you're fucked.

 

[Ashenlock]

Who's saying he's weak? He's just not a ticket to destruction anymore. If he is used well, I doubt it's just by Dark Void spam, at least, in the way that everyone thinks he's broken.

 

[sandman]

I have to say that I found Smeargle to be pretty rare on GBU and that caused me to kind of dismiss it when fiddling with my team but then every time i fought a team with smeargle i usually got raped. Its lost some of its effectiveness but it can still wreck unprepared teams and is not something you should dismiss.

 

[soul_survivor]

I use smeargle in my most successful team. He's a big threat if left unprepared. he has access to super fang, helping hand, and every supporting move out there for doubles. i run fake out, dark void, super fang, and detect.

And Also i run feargle in trickroom. Heres a tip i find useful usimg smeargle. never bring him in as a lead. He's most threatning coming in as a l8 game dark void while tr is up.

 

[Ashenlock]

Again, I'm not saying it's a bad Pokemon. I've got a couple different Smeargles I rotate in once in a while. This quote here is more how I feel:

And Also i run feargle in trickroom. Heres a tip i find useful usimg smeargle. never bring him in as a lead. He's most threatning coming in as a l8 game dark void while tr is up.

Y'all may not remember VGC2008. I remember staying up nights discussing ways with another user to beat this freakin thing. It was the closest to an uber any non-uber Pokemon got at the time in Doubles, in my opinion. All I'm saying is, it's not as potent now as it was then. If the GBU existed in Gen IV, there be constant disconnections as people said "well, fuck" when Smeargle popped up in the opponent's vanguard. I've never heard of anyone despairing like that in the modern Doubles metagame. Now, I can certainly believe soul survivor's experience with Smeargle, though the only ones I've ever seen were front-row spammers.

 

[TehDerek]

This is a cool Smeargle set for GBU Triples:

Smeargle @ Focus Sash
252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 Def
Brave Nature
Ability: Own Tempo
- Fake Out
- Protect
- Dark Void
- Explosion

The idea is to lead this with Musharna and Dusknoir and set up Trick Room. Then Musharna uses Helping Hand, Dusknoir uses Swagger, and Smeargle explodes. And, obviously, because of Telepathy and Own Tempo, Musharna doesn't get hurt and Smeargle doesn't get confused.

 

[Joel]

22-18887-33396 (15 turn Triples battle) Final score was 1-0. I'll leave the surprise as to who won up to those that view it.

Not sure that the Video # is wanted/needed, but there it is.

This is a Triples battle featuring my Smeagle variant, front and center, and plays a key role in beating my opponent. Since it's scarfed, you only see it use Dark Void, but here's all of what mine looks like for triples...

Smeargle @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Own Tempo
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 SpDef/252 Speed/4 HP
Moveset: Dark Void/Protect/Destiny Bond/Fake Out

Buffed SpDef in my set since one of it's teammates is a Light Screening Togekiss. It has a chance at taking a hit, or two without a Sash this way.

 

[Zyrac]

This is a cool Smeargle set for GBU Triples:

Smeargle @ Focus Sash
252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 Def
Brave Nature
Ability: Own Tempo
- Fake Out
- Protect
- Dark Void
- Explosion

The idea is to lead this with Musharna and Dusknoir and set up Trick Room. Then Musharna uses Helping Hand, Dusknoir uses Swagger, and Smeargle explodes. And, obviously, because of Telepathy and Own Tempo, Musharna doesn't get hurt and Smeargle doesn't get confused.

Lickilicky does this much better. It's slower, bulkier and has nearly twice as much Attack.

 

[DreamTalon]

I'd recommend last gen's Endeavour lvl 1 set in the notes for TR teams.

 

[Sprocket]

Given that Dark Void could be banned in GBU one day (considering it was banned in VGC2012) what are some other viable doubles/triples sets?

 

[soul_survivor]

Given that Dark Void could be banned in GBU one day (considering it was banned in VGC2012) what are some other viable doubles/triples sets?

DarkVoid will never be banned in wifi. VGC yes, GBU no. Every smeargle must run DV if you use it. Also I found using destiny bond 1st, and then DV can be painful, as Your gonna lose a pokemon to stop next turns DV.

 

[Ashenlock]

I meant to say a while ago that, after facing a couple teams with it included, I have to renege a little on saying Smeargle isn't as good this Gen (I still don't think it's as good as in Gen IV, though). I can see why it was banned though.

The team(s) that changed my mind were centered on Chansey. And I mean, absolutely CENTERED on that Chansey. The entire focus relied on crippling the enemy team turn 1 with Dark Void, then Skill Swapping Moody onto Chansey, and keeping it safe while it Minimized, Substituted, and accrued Moody boosts, basically becoming invincible. There was a Latias there too with Heal Pulse. The Chansey had Rest/Substitute/Minimize, and what I assume must have been Toxic. I assume the other members were also capable of stopping impediments to Toxic (Substitue, Poison- and Steel-types, Immunity Pokemon, whatever). The guy must have gotten so many ragequits on him, given the lengthy nature of his battles.

Even if Dark Void was allowed in 2012, I doubt this strategy would be viable given the length of normal matches. Plus, since battles like this can get down to 1-4 with only your Chansey left yet you still have like a 70% chance of winning, such an advantage will all be for naught when the Pokemon head count is taken and the foe's 4 beats your 1.

 

[Solace]

I still think Dark Void Smeargle would've been a problem, and I don't think anyone's unhappy with the ban. However this is for GBU discussion, in which Dark Void Smeargle is not banned, so let's keep discussion to that.