Approved by Molk, credit to Birkal for the concept and OP.
Awesome artwork by ToxicPhox
Led by CyclicCompound
Preface:
Welcome to the Dark Horse Project, RU-style! Generation 6 RarelyUsed has developed into a rich and diverse metagame, with numerous play-styles being not only viable, but effective as well. Not only are there a rich assortment of Pokemon to choose from in the immediate tier, but in NU as well, with more and more Pokemon from NU proving themselves viable in the RU metagame all the time. A recent example is Gurdurr, who rose from an almost-nonexistent .7% usage in June to a significant 5.6% usage in July, and is now considered a relevant and dangerous RU threat. However, as with any tier, there remain certain Pokemon that are used more than others, leading to many Pokemon being ignored and underappreciated. This project seeks to acknowledge these unpopular Pokemon, exploring how they can be utilized against the "standards" of the ladder environment
The Mission:
As stated prior, the basic goal of the Dark Horse Project is to discover and explore the niches and uses of less common Pokemon in the Rarelyused metagame. Participants can pick any Pokemon that fit the below requirements, and through laddering, determine their niches and effectiveness in the metagame. Throughout their experience users are encouraged to share their experiences with their Pokemon of choice as well as the challenge as a whole, helping their fellow users to succeed and giving their thoughts on the project. In doing so we hope to spark diversity in the RU ladder, reinvigorating the creative and unique teams that we know Rarelyused is capable of offering!
Rules:
You are eligible to register for the Dark Horse Project at any time! The third post in this topic contains an index for easy access to all participants, so don't worry about your Registration Form getting lost in the sea of discussion. Get started by filling out the below form:
Feel free to utilize Pokemon sprites to add visualization to your registration posts. Really anything can go here. If you've made posts elsewhere or even a RMT about your Dark Horse Pokemon, feel free to link to them.
Once you've registered, you're all set to go! You can start teambuilding and laddering whenever you like. Feel free to update your registration posts whenever you like, whether it be with ladder ranking updates, your teammate selections, battle logs, sprites, or whatever you wish to do!
Discussion:
This topic also serves a second purpose to initiate discussion on battlers' teambuilding and laddering progress; in this thread, you share your struggles and success, and reflect upon the Dark Horse Pokemon's niche in the current NU metagame. This thread is not only a place to show off successful challenges, but also a place to help each other achieve their goals via posting your problems and receiving quality input from others. Challengers should not hesitate to post their teams and/or team ideas to receive help from the community. You are allowed to post your thoughts and opinions. However, here is a "Do and Do Not" list that posters in this topic must adhere to:
Now comes the competitive aspect of this project. By participating in this project, you can enter into the Hall of Fame:
As with the regular Registration Form, you are encouraged to upload battle logs, teammates, and other relevant information. Since you're entering the Hall of Fame with a successful team, many users would love to hear some wisdom on how you accomplished that goal. So feel free to post a summary of your team (similar to a RMT), battle logs, and general thoughts. Once you've filled out this form, you'll be accepted into the Hall of Fame, which will link to your Hall of Fame Registration Form and other relevant links.
Now, there is one final catch to this project. You see, only one of each Dark Horse Pokemon is allowed into the Hall of Fame per month. For example, only the challenger who laddered highest with Delibird will be accepted this month; Delibird challengers with lower ladder ratings cannot enter the Hall of Fame until they pass the highest rating for Delibird. That's where the competitive edge comes into play. You are racing against other users for a place in the Hall of Fame! Furthermore, the Hall of Fame ranking is based off of peak ladder ranking points, meaning the more points you score, the higher you'll be placed. So now that you know the rules, get registered and start team building! Best of luck. If you have any questions, send me a PM or VM, and I'll do everything in my power to provide a response in a timely fashion. Best of luck to all, and I hope to see you in the Hall of Fame!
Awesome artwork by ToxicPhox
Led by CyclicCompound
Preface:
Welcome to the Dark Horse Project, RU-style! Generation 6 RarelyUsed has developed into a rich and diverse metagame, with numerous play-styles being not only viable, but effective as well. Not only are there a rich assortment of Pokemon to choose from in the immediate tier, but in NU as well, with more and more Pokemon from NU proving themselves viable in the RU metagame all the time. A recent example is Gurdurr, who rose from an almost-nonexistent .7% usage in June to a significant 5.6% usage in July, and is now considered a relevant and dangerous RU threat. However, as with any tier, there remain certain Pokemon that are used more than others, leading to many Pokemon being ignored and underappreciated. This project seeks to acknowledge these unpopular Pokemon, exploring how they can be utilized against the "standards" of the ladder environment
The Mission:
As stated prior, the basic goal of the Dark Horse Project is to discover and explore the niches and uses of less common Pokemon in the Rarelyused metagame. Participants can pick any Pokemon that fit the below requirements, and through laddering, determine their niches and effectiveness in the metagame. Throughout their experience users are encouraged to share their experiences with their Pokemon of choice as well as the challenge as a whole, helping their fellow users to succeed and giving their thoughts on the project. In doing so we hope to spark diversity in the RU ladder, reinvigorating the creative and unique teams that we know Rarelyused is capable of offering!
Rules:
- Each team must use at least ONE Dark Horse Pokemon. The term "Dark Horse Pokemon" is defined by the July 1760 usage stats. Anything below 2% usage is fair game.
- Find the eligible Pokemon here. Remember, anything below 2% usage.
- Every month, the usage stats will be updated. If your Pokemon has risen in usage above 2% in the new month's stats, you may continue laddering with them regardless. However, NEW Dark Horse Pokemon must be picked with the current month's usage stats.
- Only one Pokemon on your team has to be a Dark Horse Pokemon. The rest of your teammates can be found within any tier that is allowed within RU.
- The recommended number of Dark Horse Pokemon to register with is one, so that the user can focus specifically on that Pokemon and how to best build a team around it. Having more than one Dark Horse is perfectly fine of course, but please indicate that you are working with more than one.
- You MUST use a new Pokemon Showdown! username in order to restart your ladder ranking. Furthermore, the Dark Horse Pokemon that you are working with must remain on your team throughout your ladder run. The members of your team may shift around whenever you see fit, but the Dark Horse Pokemon must remain the same.
- Switching your focused Dark Horse Pokemon within this topic is acceptable. However, you must restart on the ladder with a new Pokemon Showdown! username.
- When making changes to your registration, please post a new registration form. This makes it infinitely easier for me to tell when someone is changing something.
- Do not start laddering for this project until you have registered within this topic.
- Please follow the rules. The Dark Horse Project isn't about being dishonest, it's about developing great teams for great Pokemon! As a result, cheaters will most likely end up being banned from the Hall of Fame. You know something is serious when there's a rule about abiding by the rules!
- Feel free to edit your current registration form post with information about your current ranking! This allows other users to see your progress, if you so desire.
You are eligible to register for the Dark Horse Project at any time! The third post in this topic contains an index for easy access to all participants, so don't worry about your Registration Form getting lost in the sea of discussion. Get started by filling out the below form:
Remember, your "Pokemon Showdown! Username" should be new so that your Dark Horse Pokemon will be starting from scratch. Your "Hall of Fame Standing" should be empty for right now. But once you're admitted into the Hall of Fame, feel free to update this part with links to your accomplishment!
Feel free to utilize Pokemon sprites to add visualization to your registration posts. Really anything can go here. If you've made posts elsewhere or even a RMT about your Dark Horse Pokemon, feel free to link to them.
Once you've registered, you're all set to go! You can start teambuilding and laddering whenever you like. Feel free to update your registration posts whenever you like, whether it be with ladder ranking updates, your teammate selections, battle logs, sprites, or whatever you wish to do!
Discussion:
This topic also serves a second purpose to initiate discussion on battlers' teambuilding and laddering progress; in this thread, you share your struggles and success, and reflect upon the Dark Horse Pokemon's niche in the current NU metagame. This thread is not only a place to show off successful challenges, but also a place to help each other achieve their goals via posting your problems and receiving quality input from others. Challengers should not hesitate to post their teams and/or team ideas to receive help from the community. You are allowed to post your thoughts and opinions. However, here is a "Do and Do Not" list that posters in this topic must adhere to:
- Do post and share sets for your Dark Horse Pokemon.
- Do provide teammates that you're using, with optional sets.
- Do pinpoint which threats in the metagame need to be covered.
- Do ask questions about the current RU metagame and teambuilding.
- Do give meaningful answers to asked questions. This can include suggested sets, teammates, and strategies.
- Do not post insignificant updates. Each post should be well thought and unique.
- Do not ask someone to make the team for you. Team building is YOUR job (and a fun one at that).
Now comes the competitive aspect of this project. By participating in this project, you can enter into the Hall of Fame:
- If your team makes it to the top 50, you will be recognized in the Bronze Hall of Fame.
- If your team makes it to the top 30, you will be recognized in the Silver Hall of Fame.
- If your team makes it to the top 20, you will be recognized in the Gold Hall of Fame.
- If your team makes it to the top 10, you will be recognized in the Platinum Hall of Fame.
- If your team makes it to the top 5, you will be recognized in the Grandmaster Hall of Fame.
Now, there is one final catch to this project. You see, only one of each Dark Horse Pokemon is allowed into the Hall of Fame per month. For example, only the challenger who laddered highest with Delibird will be accepted this month; Delibird challengers with lower ladder ratings cannot enter the Hall of Fame until they pass the highest rating for Delibird. That's where the competitive edge comes into play. You are racing against other users for a place in the Hall of Fame! Furthermore, the Hall of Fame ranking is based off of peak ladder ranking points, meaning the more points you score, the higher you'll be placed. So now that you know the rules, get registered and start team building! Best of luck. If you have any questions, send me a PM or VM, and I'll do everything in my power to provide a response in a timely fashion. Best of luck to all, and I hope to see you in the Hall of Fame!
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