Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Peterko
Here´s a little challenge for veterans.
Imagine you face Scientist Spacey in battle #34 who leads with Aerodactyl and Archeops against your Sash Bisharp and Specs Zap (you have Latios and Metagross in the back).
This is what you face:
Aerodactyl 4 Choice Band 155 235* 85 72 95 200 Stone Edge Aerial Ace Earthquake Crunch
Archeops 4 Sitrus Berry 150 192 85 118 85 178 Rock Slide Earthquake Aerial Ace Protect
What do you predict the AI will do?
a) Aero Stone Edge on Zapdos, Archeops Rock Slide
b) Aero Stone Edge on Zapdos, Archeops Earthquake
c) Aero Earthquake, Archeops Rock Slide
d) Aero Earthquake, Archeops Earthquake
e) something else
And why?
Also how would you play turn 1?
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OK these were you answers/predictions:
Taylor predicted
(b) or
(a) and he would Iron Head with Sharp and switch out Zapdos for Metagross.
Chinese Dood predicted
(d) or
(b) or troll Protect
(e) and he would switch Sharp to Latios and Bolt Archeops or Protect Sharp and Bolt Archeops.
R Inanimate predicted
(b) and he would switch out Zapdos for Metagross and Sucker Punch Archeops with Sharp, activating Defeatist.
ashez predicted
(b) or
(e) and he would Sucker Punch Archeops hoping to activate its ability and switch Meta in to take the rock slide (Stone Edge) and the hopefully weaker Earthquake.
atsync predicted
(b) or
(a) and he would either Sucker Punch + switch in Meta, or sacrifice Zapdos and Iron Head with Bisharp.
Here´s what I predicted:
I´m biased from my extensive Subway experience and bad luck with Rock Slide and flinching in general, basically everything that has got Rock Slide abuses it against me and flinch all the time, one of the most annoying is TR Zong lol.
Anyway, so when I see a Rock Type, I initially think fuck Rock Slide flinch and that dims my vision (the same applies to Blizzard, Glaceon, Froslass etc.), which means I don´t always figure out the threats correctly.
As others have said, this was a really tought situation and my initial thought was (based on the above) double Rock Slide flinch-hax, so basically (a). Yes I didn´t check the movesets and tend to forget that CB Aero has Stone Edge, but even CB Slide has a good shot at one-hitting Zap so that didn´t matter...
Then there´s Sharp, I already faced Archeops a few times (maybe even earlier in that same streak) and Sucker Punch did 80%-ish damage to it, activating Defeatist and halving its damage.
Long story short,
I was biased and predicted (a) Stone Edge from Aero (thought it had Slide) and Rock Slide from Archeops
and decided to switch out Zapdos for Metagross and Sucker Punch Archeops.
Here´s what actually happened.
#34 vs Scientist Spacey: Aerodactyl, Archeops, Tangrowth, Krookodile
1. switch Zap, Meta in, Sharp Sucker Punch 70% to Archeops, Sitrus recover HP over 50%, Aero Quake, Archeops Quake (d), Sharp fainted, Meta fainted.
-> my Latios and Zapdos
2. Archeops Protect, Aero Quake, doesn´t affect anyone, Latios Bolt, Archeops protected, Zap Bolt, Aero fainted.
-> foe Tangrowth
3. Archeops Rock Slide, Latios Bolt, Archeops fainted, Zap Bolt 60% to Tangrowth, Tang Power Whip Latios 12/156.
-> foe Krook
4. Latios Dragon Pulse 80% to Krook, LO dmg, Latios fainted, Zap Bolt, Tang fainted, Krook something, Zap fainted.
0-1
The AI totally owned me turns 1-3 with the double-quake double-KO, the Protect, the speed tie win and like always, had a Ground type as last Pokémon to troll Specs Zapdos. The choice of going for Thunderbolt was wrong in hindsight, I should´ve gone with Heat Wave instead, if I faced a Steel type or something, Latios can´t handle those well...and obviously to not get walled badly by Ground.
What we learned from this:
- the AI likes to Quake so much that it chose to do 112-132 dmg / 141 HP = 79-93% with Aero instead of a 100% OHKO on Zapdos with Stone Edge,
- Archeops chose to do 90-108 dmg / 141 HP = 63-76% with Quake instead of 120-144 dmg / 163 HP = 73-88% with Rock Slide,
- Sharp Sucker Punch does 103-123 dmg / 150 HP = 68,67-82% to Archeops, which means Defeatist will not be activated due to Sitrus Berry, if you roll random 85-89 in the damage formula (5/16 chance).
You´ve still got to take this whole situation with a grain of salt though, because some people think the AI behaves differently in the earlier rounds (I don´t think so), on the other hand I often have the feeling as if the AI would know what I´m doing, like using Protect if I double-target or do something similar to this battle when I switch.
Yeah, basically Chinese Dood´s initial prediction about the AI loving to Quake was right. Also this is why I like CB Meta as lead, because it one-hits foe Aero/Arch in the blink of an eye.
Here´s another streak with a shitty end...
Pokémon Black Battle Subway Super Doubles streaks: 85
Team: Hitmontop, Hydreigon, Zapdos, Metagross
1. Hitmontop (M)
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant
IVs: 31-31-31-17-31-31
EV spread: 6-252-0-0-0-252
Lv.50: 126-161-115-43-130-122
Moves:
~ Fake Out
~ Mach Punch
~ Sucker Punch
~ Close Combat
2. Hydreigon (M) „TEACH“
Item: Choice Scarf*
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Modest
IVs: 31-31-31-31-31-31
EV spread: 0-0-0-252-6-252
Lv.50: 167-112-110-194-111-225*
Moves:
~ Dark Pulse
~ Dragon Pulse
~ Flamethrower
~ U-Turn
3. Zapdos „STORM“
Item: Choice Specs*
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Timid
IVs: 26-31-26-31-27-31
EV spread: 0-0-0-252-6-252
Lv.50: 163-99-103-265*-109-167
Moves:
~ Volt Switch
~ Heat Wave
~ Hidden Power Ice 70
~ Thunderbolt
4. Metagross „DOOMSDAY“
Item: Choice Band*
Ability: Clear Body
Nature: Adamant
IVs: 31-31-31-21-31-31
EV spread: 0-252-0-0-6-252
Lv.50: 155-307*-150-99-111-122
Moves:
~ Iron Head
~ Earthquake
~ Ice Punch
~ Bullet Punch
#86 vs Veteran Jeune – Regirock, Articuno, Latias, Terrakion:
1. Top Fake Out Arti, Hydra Thrower, Arti 20% left, Arti flinched, Rock Sandstorm.
2. Hydra Thrower, Arti fainted, Top CC 55% to Rock, Rock Curse.
-> foe Latias
3. Top out, Meta in, Hydra Thrower Rock (lol), Latias Psychic Meta, Rock Curse.
4. Hydra Thrower Rock :), Latias DM, Hydra fainted, White Herb, Meta Iron Head, Rock fainted.
-> my Top, foe Terrakion, Intimidate
5. Top Fake Out Latias,
Terra Quake, Meta 84/155, Top 83/126,
Meta flinched, Sandstorm subsided.
6. Top Sucker Punch, Latias 10% left, Latias Psychic, Top fainted, Terrakion Quake, Meta 38/155, Meta Iron Head, Latias fainted.
-> my Zapdos
7. Terra Quake, Meta fainted, Zap Bolt 80% dmg to Terra,
8.
Terra Rock Slide, Zap 53/163,
Zap flinched.
9. Terra Rock Slide, Zap fainted.
Jeez, Earthquake flinching Metagross, that´s something new...and again that awful Rock Slide flinch at the end, that´s just mean. Yeah I misplayed almost every turn and should have left Latias do whatever and target Terrakion (or a simple Mach Punch turn 6) but boy did that flinch surprise me, I didn´t even know there was a King´s Rock Terrakion. There´s many things I could have done differently, but a loss is a loss, although it still hurts.