Approved by Dittocrow; Credit to Birkal for the concept and OP
Awesome artwork by ToxicPhox
Led by col49 and Molk
Preface:
The Mission:
Rules:
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:
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:
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:
Hall Of Fame:
Now comes the competitive aspect of this project. Once you've reached a ranking within the Top 50 on Smogon's competitive RU ladder (with a minimum Glicko2 rating of 1850 and deviation of 75) 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. Moreover, the user that achieves the highest ranking on the ladder during this challenge will receive voice on #rarelyused! Once you've reached the Top 50, please fill out the following Hall of Fame Registration Form:
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 Scollipede will be accepted this month; Scollipede challengers with lower ladder ratings cannot enter the Hall of Fame until they pass the highest rating for Scollipede. 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, or contact Molk and we'll do everything in our 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!
Hall of Fame Archive (1):
Awesome artwork by ToxicPhox
Led by col49 and Molk
Preface:
Welcome to the Dark Horse Project RU Edition! Rarelyused has always been one of the more diverse metagames, 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 the Neverused tier proving themselves viable in the RU metagame all the time. However, as with any tier there remain certain Pokemon that are used more than others, leading to many Pokemon being ignored and under-appreciated. This project seeks to acknowledge these Pokemon, exploring their potential and uses to the fullest against the "standards" of the ladder.
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. Users will have the chance to pick from an assortment of less common Pokemon and taking to the ladder, and in doing so attempting to establish or re-affirm their Pokemon's place 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 February's usage stats. Anything below 4% usage is fair game. This means that a Pokemon can be tiered in NU and still be viable for this project!
- In this challenge, certain Pokemon have been omitted from the list of eligible Dark Horse Pokemon. Though these Pokemon do qualify as Dark Horses as per the usage cut-off, they have been deemed unfit for the challenge for one reason or another by the leaders of the project. The list of these Pokemon can be found below:
- Glaceon
- Jynx
- Poliwrath
- Rotom-F
- Rhydon
- 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.
- Please put all changes within your Registration Form. I will 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. You know something is serious when there's a rule about abiding by the rules!
- 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!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: larvesta n_n
Hall of Fame Standing: None as of yet!
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Larvesta
Current Ladder Standing: 1853 ± 81
Here's the current Larvesta set I'm working with:
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 48 Atk / 212 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Flare Blitz
- U-Turn
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp
Hall of Fame Standing: None as of yet!
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Larvesta
Current Ladder Standing: 1853 ± 81
Here's the current Larvesta set I'm working with:
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 48 Atk / 212 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Flare Blitz
- U-Turn
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp
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).
Hall Of Fame:
Now comes the competitive aspect of this project. Once you've reached a ranking within the Top 50 on Smogon's competitive RU ladder (with a minimum Glicko2 rating of 1850 and deviation of 75) 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. Moreover, the user that achieves the highest ranking on the ladder during this challenge will receive voice on #rarelyused! Once you've reached the Top 50, 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.Pokemon Showdown! Username:
Dark Horse Pokemon:
Screenshot of Top 50 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 Scollipede will be accepted this month; Scollipede challengers with lower ladder ratings cannot enter the Hall of Fame until they pass the highest rating for Scollipede. 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, or contact Molk and we'll do everything in our 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!
Hall of Fame Archive (1):
GOD / Grandmaster: >2050+Top 3
Platinum Class: 2000-2050+Top 10
Gold Class: 1999-1950+Top 20
Silver Class: 1949-1900+Top 40
Bronze Class: 1899-1850+Top 50
speed ghilliesniper -
Swellow
Peaked at: 1860 (#50) on 3 / 07 / 13
Platinum Class: 2000-2050+Top 10
Gold Class: 1999-1950+Top 20
Silver Class: 1949-1900+Top 40
Bronze Class: 1899-1850+Top 50
speed ghilliesniper -
Peaked at: 1860 (#50) on 3 / 07 / 13