Co-written by kd24 and Birkal. Artwork by namh.
Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (OU)
If you're thinking of making a topic that can be answered with one post, please post it here instead. New threads should be for discussion! Please note that all questions here are for OU-related questions. If you have a question about Pokemon in general, ask it in the Global SQSA thread.
When posting in this thread, follow the following guidelines:
- Your answers should contain at least a brief explanation, even if it was the simplest of questions.
- While answering Yes/No question, please quote the question you're referring to. It gets confusing otherwise.
- At least do a simple google search before asking the question here.
- Do not ask for Action Replay or other external device codes. Use Google for that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What damage calculator should I use?
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Q: Where can I get an idea of Speed tiers?
A: Here. It's a little outdated because it doesn't include BW2 Pokemon, but the tiers are generally the same.
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Q: Why have people been running 0 Atk IVs on their Pokémon?
A: It minimizes confusion and Foul Play damage at no cost for Pokemon that aren't using physical attacks.
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Q: How can I be allowed to vote in suspect tests?
A: The council will pretty much always post a thread if a new council has been decided. Instructions on how to vote and play a part in the suspect process will be posted there. OU Council includes Aldaron, Haunter, JabbaTheGriffin, Bloo, and Iconic.
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Q: What's a check? Why is that different from a counter?
A: When competitive players talk about checks, they're referring to Pokemon that have a favorable advantage against another Pokemon, but that it likely can't always switch in. A counter is pretty much a certain answer to a specific Pokemon. These terms are thrown around a lot but it's important to note that a well-built team will inherently hold checks and counters to most Pokemon. These terms usually come up when discussing how to stop great sweepers or in reference to suspects.
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Q: How does Torment work vs Outrage?
A: Torment has no effect on moves like Outrage. The best way to check a move's interactions with other moves is to click on its Smogon page here.
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Q: How do I determine likelihood of events in Pokemon like finding the odds of two Focus Blast hitting in a row?
A: Just multiply the percentage of the event happening by itself however many times you're looking for it to happen. As for your question, 49%. Yeah, Focus Blast is pretty bad!
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Q: I found an error with an analysis, article, rule page, etc. What do I do?
A: You can check out the Small Subjective Changes and throw your idea there. Otherwise, just drop a PM to any moderator and they'll handle it.
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Q: Can Air Balloon be saved by a Substitute?
A: No. It will be popped if the user is hit. Use this to read about item's interactives with common moves.
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Q: Why do people call the current metagame BW OU? Shouldn't it be B2W2 OU?
A: Aesthetically, BW OU looks better but refers to the Black 2 White 2 OU unless stated otherwise.
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Q: Leftovers or Black Sludge on Poison-types?
A: There was actually a thread recently discussing why Black Sludge is better (read it here). It's been an old misconception that Leftovers was better which just isn't true.
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Q: Why do quotes say I'm fat? I'm not fat!
A: It's how quoting was implemented on the forums. No need to get so defensive.
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Q: Is Outrage boosted by Sheer Force?
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Q: Where do I play competitive online Pokemon?
A: Pokemon Showdown! uses the official Smogon tiers.
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Q: Can you guys check out my team, replay, etc?
A: The RMT forum is one of our most active forums and you can expect a few rates. This thread would be better suited for you asking for advice against a certain Pokemon or moveset you're struggling with. As far as replays go, it's something we'd want to set up in the future.
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Q: Why do we ban entire Pokemon to Ubers rather than the trait that makes them broken? Unbanning Excadrill and Blaziken seems fair.
A: Right now, Smogon does not support complex bans. The argument is that almost any banned Pokemon can be broken up into "parts that make it Uber" and could subsequently be unbanned by banning those traits. Instead of entering this argument, it's easier to just ban a Pokemon if it is banworthy.
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Q: How is Gen 6 going to affect Smogon?
A: We really just don't know yet. If you have any new information regarding Gen 6, post it in the discussion thread here.
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Q: What is a Life Orb number?
A: Any Pokemon holding a Life Orb should be running an HP stat that is not divisible by 10. This allows them to use 11 attacks with Life Orb assuming no other damage is taken.
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Q: How do I EV correctly?
A: Even though EVs can really be used in any way that you feel best, don't short yourself on stat boosts. Selecting a nature that boosts a stronger stat will boost it by more stat points (nature boosts are always a 10% increase). Rather than wasting a nature and only 60 EVs on a lower stat, you can boost a higher stat with your nature and then invest even more EVs into the lower stat. This makes more sense just by playing around with EVs.
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Q: I think Rest is glitched? I stayed asleep for 10 turns!
A: You probably switched out. Sleep has changed in 5th gen completely. While the maximum amount of turns to sleep is now just 3, switching out and then switching back in will reset the sleep counter. This means that a Pokemon could theoretically sleep forever if the user kept switching it out. Rest is no exception. You can read more about Sleep and other status mechanics here.
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Q: If I share a replay on PS, how long will it save?
A: As of this time, replays won't expire... ever!
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Q: Are OU ladders reset after a Suspect Test is over?
A: No.
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Q: How much is a +1 stat boost?
A: It's a 1.5x raise to the stat. You can find a full detailing of stat boosts here.
Previous SQSA Threads
[box]The first SQSA thread can be found here.
The second can be found here.
The third can be found here.
The fourth is here.
The very brief fifth one is here.
The much longer sixth is here.
The seventh one is here.[/box]
As a final note, thanks to those of you who help out in this thread and answer lots of questions. The OU staff appreciates your work. Keep on keeping on!
