Birkal
We have the technology.
Incredible artwork by ToxicPhox.
Preface:
Check out what's NEW!
Welcome back. After a long hiatus, I am incredibly pleased to announce that The Dark Horse Project is once again returning to the Overused forum! The last time you saw us, we just finished off March with the project (you can check it out here and had a good number of people added to the Hall of Fame. Now that we're back and better than ever, it'll be exciting to see who makes the Hall of Fame this time around.
- As you can tell, I've added some extra staff to the Dark Horse Project. ginganinja will be co-leading this project alongside of me, so give him a warm welcome when you see him post in this thread. Pocket will be making a triumphant return by running the Hall of Fame section again (which I hear still has old records). Up and coming user alkinesthetase will be keeping the Registered Participants post up to date. All four of us run the project as equals; if you have any questions, feel free to ask any of us! And make sure to thank them sometime. Their efforts are time-consuming and imperative to the success of this project.
- You MUST re-post your Dark Horse Registration Form here. We're starting a new era, so we need to you fill out your registration form. Read below on how to do so.
- As many of you Overused regulars have noticed, we're doing lots of work on-site with the Overused Hub Page. As we get started within the upcoming days, keep on the lookout for what kinds of updates will be taking place on site! Some Dark Horse Project content is bound to end up on-site. We'll keep you posted on that front.
For those of you that are new, hello! I'm posting here to shake up the way in which DST functions and thinks. Ever since we ditched Suspect Voting, DST has lost a bit of its competitive edge. What I'm presenting within this topic is an effort to reignite some of that spark to get us back on track! Furthermore, I hope to increase appreciation for Dark Horse Pokemon, or rather, Pokemon that are currently unpopular but have the potential to shine in OU. The purpose of this project threefold. It should increase diversity in the OU metagame by encouraging the competitive use of great Pokemon that unfortunately fall on the lower end of usage. This project also aims to initiate discussion on how Dark Horse Pokemon fit in the context of the OU metagame. Finally, it should assist in the the sharing of unique team ideas and Pokemon sets to spark creativity into the competitive minds of DST. Let's begin.
Rules:
This project, simply put, aims at recognizing users who put forth the effort to create a competitively successful team that utilizes Pokemon that aren't often used in OU. Anyone with a Smogon account has a chance of reaching the Hall of Fame within this project. Here are the rules by which this project is run:
- Each team must use at least ONE Dark Horse Pokemon. The term "Dark Horse Pokemon" is defined by the past month's statistics. Anything below 5% usage is fair game. This means that a Pokemon can be tiered in OU and still be viable for this project!
- 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 OU.
- 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. If you must have more than one, then 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.
- Please put all changes within your Registration Form. I update based on those forms, not individual posts randomly scattered throughout the topic.
- 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.
- It is recommended that you post consistent ladder updates within your registration form. This will allow other users to see your progress and offer meaningful advice!
Registration:
You are eligible to register for the Dark Horse Project at any time of the month! 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!Registration Form said:Pokemon Showdown! Username:
Hall of Fame Standing:
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With:
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:
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, feel free to link to it there. Here's an example of what a registration post might look like:
Pokemon Showdown! Username: Birkal-Testing
Hall of Fame Standing: None as of yet!
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Scrafty
Current Ladder Standing: 1704
Here's the current Scrafty set I'm working with:
Scrafty @ Life Orb
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
And here's a battle log of it in action!
Hall of Fame Standing: None as of yet!
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Scrafty
Current Ladder Standing: 1704
Here's the current Scrafty set I'm working with:
Scrafty @ Life Orb
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
And here's a battle log of it in action!
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 OU 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 OU 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).
Hall of Fame:
Now comes the competitive aspect of this project. Once you've reached a ranking within the Top 100 on Smogon's competitive OU ladder (with a minimum Glicko2 rating of 1850) with your Dark Horse Pokemon, you are eligible to enter the Hall of Fame! The Hall of Fame is located within the post below the OP and recognizes each user that has entered its halls. Once you've reached the Top 100, please fill out the following Hall of Fame Registration Form:
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.Hall of Fame Registration Form said:Pokemon Showdown! Username:
Dark Horse Pokemon:
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:
Dark Horse Pokemon Complete Set:
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 Jolteon will be accepted this month; Jolteon challengers with lower ladder ratings cannot enter the Hall of Fame until they pass the highest rating for Jolteon. 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. I hope to see you in the Hall of Fame.