[Groombridge]

Morning all,

I've been playing the Multi room a bit recently, mostly as a change of pace from singles or doubles. It's certainly been interesting! It's not been extensively written about (hell, it's the only mode that isn't completely dominated by people whose surnames are Elite or 16), so here are some thoughts from a Multi dilettante...

My record is 50 wins, but I hope to beat it soon. I'm using these guys:

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Salamence @ Yache Berry ** Cervantes
Adamant, Intimidate
136 HP, 252 Atk, 120 Spe

Dragon Dance
Fire Fang
Dragon Claw
Earthquake

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The Mence is a 'flying Chomp': the total coverage attack combo, plus DD. EVs are basically the same as Scarfchomp's, so it outspeeds everything after a DD.

Why Fire Fang? Firstly, accuracy - against an Abomasnow, I'll take FF's 95% over Fire Blast's 85% any day. Reliability is paramount in BT.

Secondly, going all-physical means I can run a -SpA nature - I don't have to compromise one of its defences. Similarly, any EVs that would have gone into SpA go into HP, making for a more bulkilicious sweeper.

Thirdly, FF is boosted by DD, unlike Fire Blast. The pokes that need the Blast are things like Forretress, Skarmory and Bronzong which, booming aside, can't really do much to Mence anyway. So I use DD-boosted FF to wear them down.

Intimidate is of course fantastic in doubles, and it's the main reason to use Mence over Chomp (that and speed boosting).

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Metagross @ Wide Lens ** Marlowe
Brave, Clear Body
252 Atk, 152 HP, 100 SpD

Meteor Mash
Bullet Punch
Zen Headbutt
Earthquake

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With Wide Lens, Zen Headbutt hits 99% accuracy, and MM gets 93%. It also mitigates Brightpowder, so 100% accurate moves hit BP users with 99% accuracy.

This is my TR doubles Metagross. I'm giving it a test drive before I get an Explosion TM to replace Bullet Punch and set it loose in doubles. It tanks well and hits like a truck.

These guys obviously hit hard, and Yache Mence stands an excellent chance of being able to boost, and therefore sweep. They cover each other's weaknesses, so they're reasonably self-sufficient regardless of what the other guys on my team are doing.

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The interesting thing about Multi is that you don't just have to predict the AI - you have to predict your partner too. You have to apply what we know about the AI on both sides of the battle - it'll OHKO if it can, and it'll generally use a weaker move to finish a weakened opponent.

As for stat-up moves, I've no idea how it uses them. I make it a rule never to select a partner with tanks, as these guys will generally use status or stat-ups at the worst times. I've lost streaks due to my 'partner' using Conversion repeatedly, or Cursing all day long and not attacking.

So, I choose things that are likely to be all-out sweepers where possible. If a poke has four attacks, it has to hurt something! Since you can see your partner's moves, you can predict what it will do and work around that. That's the key difference between this and doubles - I feel very much like the 'co-pilot' in multi. I can't tell the other guy how to fly - he'll do as he pleases - but I can try and gently steer the game in the right direction.

I can't tell the partner's Latios, 'leave the 5% HP Primeape alone, I'm going to Bullet Punch it - hit the Gyarados instead', but I can predict that it'll probably use a Psychic attack on the Ape, which means I have to deal with Gyara (probably by switching in Mence to take a Water move or EQ).

As for partners: Mira and Cheryl can have Lati@s, which is great. If you get both, then you're halfway there already - with my guys above, that's a whole team of 600 BST pokes. Nice.

Riley is also good with stuff like Gyarados. Things like Salamence, Dragonite and Gengar are ideal - floating sweepers, so I can use EQ freely. Note that the partner doesn't mind using EQ on your non-floaty pokes.

Here's the question: how often does the Battle Salon update? Certainly after each run in Multi, but when else? My feeling is it updates every day at midnight, and after a run in Multi (successful or unsuccessful), but not in other BT modes. Can anyone confirm? Coming out of the Salon without a partner does not 'soft reset' them, unfortunately - so if all five partners have crappy pokes, I wait until the next day to bring the ruckus. Is this the best plan?

So those are my experiences with Multi so far. You can't build a whole team, so you have to be flexible, and you have to predict both sides of the fight, which can be very interesting to say the least!