XY Sky Battles

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Qwilphish

when everything you touch turns to gold
Approved by Arcticblast

SKY BATTLES

Welcome to the newest battle format created by Nintendo: Sky Battles!

In this metagame, we take Pokemon battles to new heights, LITERALLY. As such, only Pokemon who can take to the skies will be allowed. This means no more Terrakion to kill all the birds with 6 stones and no more Mamoswine to snipe the floating Pokemon out of the skies. Pokemon previously considered to be useless in upper-tiers are now usable due to the limited selection of Pokemon to choose from.

NOTE: These rules are what have been tested in-game and thus they will not be changed, besides the "Uber"-clause

Sky Battles include many Pokemon who have the ability Levitate or who are a Flying-type that are not Uber.

Some Pokemon are prohibited from use despite them either being a Flying-type or having the Levitate ability because they are "grounded" in their sprites.

The following Pokemon are prohibited from use in Sky Battles:
  • Dodrio
  • Gengar
  • Murkrow
  • Delibird
  • Chatot
  • Hawlucha
  • Most LC Birds
Along with Pokemon, some moves are prohibited because of their "grounded" properties. If a Pokemon only has these moves in their movesets, then they will use struggle in battle.

The following moves are prohibited from use in Sky Battles:
  • Body Slam
  • Bulldoze
  • Dig
  • Dive
  • Earth Power
  • Earthquake
  • Electric Terrain
  • Fissure
  • Fire Pledge
  • Flying Press
  • Frenzy Plant
  • Geomancy
  • Grass Knot
  • Grass Pledge
  • Grassy Terrain
  • Gravity
  • Heat Crash
  • Heavy Slam
  • Ingrain
  • Land's Wrath
  • Magnitude
  • Mat Block
  • Misty Terrain
  • Mud Sport
  • Muddy Water
  • Rototiller
  • Seismic Toss
  • Slam
  • Smack Down
  • Spikes
  • Stomp
  • Substitute
  • Surf
  • Toxic Spikes
  • Water Pledge
  • Water Sport
While many of these moves may seem inconsequential, such as Spikes, the most interesting ban is on Substitute which can result in some strategies becoming unviable because of such. Pokemon such as Drifblim and Gliscor who often used Substitute will now be forced to use some other strategy.

So get out there, Sky Trainers!

Sky Battles can be played anywhere as long as there is a clear sky above your head. For those Sky Trainers who would rather conduct their battles over the Internet, Sky Battles can be played on the Joim's Lab server on PS! or by challenging someone to either an OU or Custom Game. The skies the limit so post about your experiences in Sky Battles and make suggestions/corrections on how to make this better!

Top Birds

Charizard X

Being one of few eligible Pokemon without Levitate or Flying-type (due to MEvo), Charizard X stands out as one of the most powerful physical attackers in the metagame. It has excellent STAB coverage that is unresisted and boosted by its ability Tough Claws. Combine this with great bulk and Speed and Dragon Dance, and you will have a very scary Dragon on your hands.

Talonflame

Talonflame, like in every other tier, is an excellent revenge killer with its priority Brave Birds being able to pick off a variety of threats. Like Charizard, it is able to use its Fire STAB to get past Steel-types that may get in its way. As of right now, Flying Gem is unreleased meaning that Acrobatics is more or less unusable, however Brave Bird is still a good, if not better, alternative.

Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl is able to perform a variety of useful roles within the Sky Battle metagame. First of all, it has access to the fastest Stealth Rock in the tier, making it extremely useful for any team that wants Stealth Rock to be in play quickly. Secondly, its coveted Rock STAB and decent attack and excellent speed, allows for Aerodactyl to be a potent offensive threat, especially should it mega-evolve.

The skies the limit so post about your experiences in Sky Battles! What strategies did you find best? What Pokemon seem to be most dominant? Also post any unique sets that you may come up with!

With this, I leave you off with one final message:


KACAW


 
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Do you think we could include some Levitating pokemon that don't fit into the clauses?
Examples are Klinklang and Magnezone, who are both shown with Levitating sprites and have been shown to zoom around in the Anime.
 

Qwilphish

when everything you touch turns to gold
These rules come directly from the in-game banlist, so no, they will not be added
 
It is able to use its Fire STAB to get past Steel-types that may get in its way.
What steel types are allowed in this meta? Bronzong and Skarmory, am I missing any? On the subject of Bronzong, can it run heatproof and be legal, since it can have either that or levitate? Better check the in game banlist.
 
Based on in-game Sky Battles...

List of Legal Pokémon:

Aerodactyl, Altaria, Archeops, Articuno, Baltoy, Beautifly, Braviary, Bronzong, Bronzor, Butterfree, Carnivine, Charizard, Chimecho, Chingling, Claydol, Combee, Crobat, Cryogonal, Dragonite, Drifblim, Drifloon, Duskull, Emolga, Fearow, Fletchinder, Flygon, Gligar, Gliscor, Golbat, Gyarados, Haunter, Honchkrow, Hoppip, Hydreigon, Jumpluff, Ledian, Ledyba, Lunatone, Mandibuzz, Mantine, Mantyke, Moltres, Mothim, Ninjask, Noctowl, Noibat, Noivern, Pelipper, Pidgeot, Pidgeotto, Rotom, Salamence, Scyther, Sigilyph, Skarmory, Skiploom, Solrock, Staraptor, Staravia, Swablu, Swanna, Swellow, Swoobat, Talonflame, Togekiss, Togetic, Tranquill, Tropius, Unfezant, Vespiquen, Vibrava, Vivillon, Wingull, Woobat, Xatu, Yanma, Yanmega, Yveltal, Zapdos, Zubat

List of Illegal Moves:

Body Slam, Bulldoze, Dig, Dive, Earth Power, Earthquake, Electric Terrain, Fire Pledge, Fissure, Flying Press, Frenzy Plant, Geomancy, Grass Knot, Grass Pledge, Grassy Terrain, Gravity, Heavy Slam, Ingrain, Land's Wrath, Magnitude, Mat Block, Misty Terrain, Mud Sport, Muddy Water, Rototiller, Seismic Toss, Slam, Smack Down, Spikes, Stomp, Substitute, Surf, Toxic Spikes, Water Pledge, Water Sport

The only legal Mega Evolutions are Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gyarados.

List of Pokémon by Type:

Code:
Bug: Beautifly, Butterfree, Ledian, Masquerain, Mothim, Ninjask, Vespiquen, Vivillon, Yanmega (NFE: Combee, Ledyba, Scyther, Yanma)

Dark: Honchkrow, Hydreigon, Mandibuzz, Yveltal (Mega Evolution: Gyarados)

Dragon: Altaria, Dragonite, Flygon, Hydreigon, Noivern, Salamence (NFE: Noibat, Vibrava) (Mega Evolution: Charizard)

Electric: Rotom, Zapdos

Fairy: Togekiss (NFE: Togetic)

Fighting: N/A

Fire: Charizard, Moltres, Talonflame (NFE: Fletchinder)

Flying: Almost everything

Ghost: Drifblim, Rotom (NFE: Drifloon, Duskull, Haunter)

Grass: Carnivine, Jumpluff, Tropius (NFE: Hoppip, Skiploom)

Ground: Claydol, Flygon, Gliscor (NFE: Baltoy, Gligar, Vibrava)

Ice: Articuno, Cryogonal

Normal: Braviary, Fearow, Noctowl, Pidgeot, Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant (NFE: Pidgeotto, Staravia, Swablu, Tranquill)

Poison: Crobat (NFE: Golbat, Haunter, Zubat)

Psychic: Bronzong, Chimecho, Claydol, Lunatone, Sigilyph, Solrock, Swoobat, Xatu (NFE: Baltoy, Bronzor, Chingling, Woobat)

Rock: Aerodactyl, Archeops, Lunatone, Solrock

Steel: Bronzong, Skarmory (NFE: Bronzor)

Water: Gyarados, Mantine, Pelipper, Swanna (NFE: Mantyke, Wingull)
 
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Mack the Knife

Goodbye Smogon! I may return, I may not!
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
I feel like Physically bulky Gyrados (kinda like Ubers Tautrados) will become popular due to it being able to take Fire-type moves with ease and be able to survive many physical moves, even Mega Charizard X's Outrage. Then, if you give it enough attack, it can hit them back for some pretty good damage. Also, I'm guessing Yveltal will be banned soon?
 
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Qwilphish

when everything you touch turns to gold
Yveltal is already banned due to the Ubers clause.

I can also see Gyarados becoming one of the better walls in the tier because of its access to Intimidate, and ability to sweep at a moment's notice with Dragon Dance. I'm wondering whether a standard SubDD set would be best or if RestTalk would be to take advantage of its natural bulk. Of course, it can also use its MEvo to completely switch around its resistances / weaknesses (while also becoming one of the few non-Flying types without levitate).
In its mega form, Gyarados can more easily take on its premier counter beforehand, Rotom-W, sporting higher attack and bulk. It also loses its nasty 4x weakness to Electric and trades it for a more tamable 2x (which is further enhanced by its increased SpD).
 
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Yveltal is already banned due to the Ubers clause.

I can also see Gyarados becoming one of the better walls in the tier because of its access to Intimidate, and ability to sweep at a moment's notice with Dragon Dance. I'm wondering whether a standard SubDD set would be best or if RestTalk would be to take advantage of its natural bulk. Of course, it can also use its MEvo to completely switch around its resistances / weaknesses (while also becoming one of the few non-Flying types without levitate).
In its mega form, Gyarados can more easily take on its premier counter beforehand, Rotom-W with its Mold Breaker Earthquake, while also sporting higher attack and bulk. It also loses its nasty 4x weakness to Electric and trades it for a more tamable 2x (which is further enhanced by its increased SpD).
Earthquake is banned.
 
perhaps flygon is going to get some loving in this metagame, thanks to immunity to electric type. Also I Think cyrogonal is going to be an interesting sweeper thanks to the fact it learns freeze dry....
 
I agree with the fact that Gyarados might be the best wall in this tier. Not only that but it walls Talonflame somewhat with Intimidate. Furthermore it can Intimidate an opponent's Pokemon, proceed to die so you can go to one of your own Pokemon to set up (Bulk Up Talon,DD Char X etc.).
 
Out of curiosity, is the list of banned moves complete or are you guys still testing?
I don't really get why Smack Down is banned and Roost isn't. XD
 
Thanks, I see that the list in the first post has been updated too. And yeah, by "testing" I meant "collecting data about what's allowed in-game."
 

Joim

Pixels matter
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Edit: Nevermind. This format is going to PS main very soon.
Edit 2: Done. Enjoy! Also report any mistakes if there's any!
 
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Also report any mistakes if there's any!
What the banlist SHOULD look like:

Unreleased: Koffing, Weezing, Misdreavus, Unown, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Baltoy, Claydol, Latias, Latios, Rayquaza, Mismagius, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Giratina-Origin, Cresselia, Tynamo, Eelektrik, Eelektross, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus

Illegal Flying-types: Pidgey, Spearow, Farfetch'd, Doduo, Dodrio, Hoothoot, Natu, Murkrow, Delibird, Taillow, Starly, Chatot, Shaymin-Sky, Pidove, Archen, Ducklett, Rufflet, Vullaby, Fletchling, Hawlucha

Illegal Levitators: Gastly, Gengar

Other Illegal: Pinsir-Mega

Legal Pokémon without Flying-type or Levitate: Bronzor, Bronzong (can have Heatproof or Heavy Metal)

Banned: Yveltal
Also, may I ask why we banned Yveltal? I get that it's an Uber, but with the abundance of Bug-types in this meta, I'm not entirely certain that it would be classified as such here.
 
In all honesty I think that Stealth Rock should be banned from this Metagame. Most birdies get 25% - 50% damage from just switching in, leaving them for an easy KO. I think it would save people from frustration.
 
In all honesty I think that Stealth Rock should be banned from this Metagame. Most birdies get 25% - 50% damage from just switching in, leaving them for an easy KO. I think it would save people from frustration.
There are no Pokémon in this meta that get Stealth Rock until Pokémon Bank is released. And at that point, pretty much everything can learn Defog.
 

Joim

Pixels matter
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Yveltal is Dark-flying and would just steamroll the meta with its STAB, self-recovery signature move. Updating banlist.

Edit: Unreleased mons are inherently banned, btw.
Edit 2: Are the genies going to be banned post bank? To add them already so we don't forget.
 
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Edit 2: Are the genies going to be banned post bank? To add them already so we don't forget.
Depends on whether or not they are banned in-game, and we won't know that until they are released anyways, so I can't exactly answer that.

Unless, of course, they are classified as Uber in "standard" tiers, in which case they will be automatically banned here.
 

Joim

Pixels matter
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Ok, so I've updated the benalist live (and allowed bronzong and his little bro).
 
Illegal Levitators: Gastly, Gengar
I thought Gastly was legal.

Legal Pokémon without Flying-type or Levitate: Bronzor, Bronzong (can have Heatproof or Heavy Metal)
Wait, what? I think a Bronzong without Levitate can't participate in Sky Battle.
 
Thanks for the confirmation, Hiryunix.

@Moderators
I've seen a user use Mega Gengar in a Sky Battle. Could you please check if you banned Gengar but forgot to ban Mega Gengar? (We had a similar problem in Inverse Battles with Mewtwo and Mega Mewtwo.)
 
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