(Data) CAP ASB Guide (Contains all important links - Read first)

[Fire Blast]

Sure, do you plan on writing it?

Btw, I found some Anime battles that might represent what ASB is all about. They are Ash's battles with Drake in the Orange League.

You can watch the first part here: http://pokemonepisode.org/episode-113-hello-pummelo/ and then the battle is finished in the next episode. This can be used to show new players how battles are different. A few things to note: the ref's commentary, the arena's effect on the battle. Btw, in the first part, you can skip to 10 minutes after it starts.

[Tortferngatr]

Yes, possibly.

[Fire Blast]

Originally Posted by Fat Limewire

Mechanics: Done, but I might be missing information.

Terminology and Mechanics

---

Since your team has been completed, you are probably eager to jump into battles, but hold on! Before you start to participate (or ref) matches, you need to understand the terminologies and mechanics in ASB. This can become very long and confusing, so this guide will only give a basic overview of the mechanics. You can always refer to the CAP ASB Data Thread for more in-depth information. Also, keep in mind that the mechanics can change from time to time since ASB is relatively new and there are things that need to be balanced.

Special Pokemon

There are some Pokemon that are so bizzare that they have special conditions. These Pokemon are the Rotom formes, Shedinja, SmeargleUnown. In order to switch formes, Rotom needs to be near appliances, which would depend on the arena that it is fighting in. Appliances are most likely to be found in arenas like junkyards and cities. Unown is a special case because it can use all types of Hidden Power freely, unlike other Pokemon. In addition, Unown's Hidden Power acts a lot differently, which you can see near the bottom of this post. Shedinja is unique due to it's ability, Wonder Guard. Activating Wonder Guard enables Shedinja to be immune to NVE or neutral attacks in exchange for reducing its HP by 20. Shedinja can also use level-up moves from Nincada and Ninjask as well.
and
Smeargle is the last special case and is completely different from any Pokemon you will use/encounter in CAPASB. First of all, Smeargle cannot be chosen as a starting Pokemon. Second of all, Smeargle can Sketch and use any level-up (to Lv 25), egg and B/W TM moves that your starter Pokemon knows (this is why we need you to mark those moves with an asterik.) Finally, Smeargle has 3 "Permanent Sketch Slots." It can use these slots to permanently sketch and copy a move that it has seen in a battle. Smeargle can also convert its Move Counters into Permanent Sketch Slots.

Tokens and Counters

As you start to battle and participate in the ASB forum, you will eventually earn "counters" (also refered to as "tokens".) Counters are a form of currency with which you can purchase stuff, and different counters allow you to obtain different things.

Pokemon : Most Pokemon have these counters: Evolution Counters, Dream World Counters, and Move Counters. Evolution Counters allow a two-stage Pokemon to evolve when they have 6 counters, and three-stage Pokemon to evolve into their second and third forms when they acquire 4 and 9 counters, respectively. Dream World counters allow a Pokemon to unlock their Dream World ability, if any, once they have 5 of those. Finally, Move counters allows a Pokemon to learn new moves. (nb: what is the new list pertaining to the cost of moves?) Also, Pokemon earn a KO counter every time they KO another Pokemon in battle. This counter can be converted to any one of the three counters mentioned above or Trainer Counters.

Trainer : Trainers can have a variety of counters. The most common ones out there are Trainer counters and Referee counters. Trainer counters enable you to purchase new Pokemon and Berries. Referee counters can be converted into Trainer, Move, Evolution or DreamWorld counters. There are also other counters there as well, which usually deal with Role Playing threads (eg. if you participate in the Dojo, you will earn Dojo counters).

Moves, STABS and Abilities

Moves , abilities and STAB effects are fairly easy to comprehend. The "energy cost" of moves basically acts like a Pokemon's PP. When Pokemon start to battle, they start out with 100% energy, and that decreases as they start to use moves. You can use three moves during a round. Each move will take up 1 action (you get three actions every round). Some abilities need to, or can be ,activated or deactivated, while other abilities are always active and cannot be shut down. The Data Thread tells you which ability has these properties. Natures add or take away a star from a Pokemon's original stat (natures that affect speed increase or decrease it by 15%). For example, go back to the Togepi example above. Normally, Togepi's ASB stats are 90 / * / *** / ** / *** / 20. However, it has a Quiet nature, so its Special Attack increases by one star, and its speed decreases by 15%. Its stats are now 90 / * / *** / *** / *** / 17.

Stat Boosts and Drops

Stat Boosts and drops can become confusing, especially for new referees. All stat boosts and drops last for at least two actions. If a stat is boosted/dropped on the first action of a round, it will remain that way and slowly move back to zero at the end of every round, until it becomes neutral. Any boost/drops used in the second action will slowly revert to zero on the end of the next round. Finally, boost/drops on the third action will be applied on the next round and revert to zero at the end.

For example, say that I have an Absol. If I use Swords Dance on the first action of a round, Absol will have +2 Attack until the end of the third action, where it will drop to +1. Then, on the third action of the next round (a.k.a. the end of the round), it will drop to 0. If Swords Dance is used on the second action, Absol remains at +2 until end of the next round, where it becomes +1 (and then 0 at the end of the next next round). Now, if I use Swords Dance on the third action, Absol will not immediately get to +2. On the beginning of the next round, however, it will, and this boost lasts until the end of said round. This post has more examples.

Status Conditions

Status effects (more information can be found in the middle of this post play a major role in ASB battles. Unlike the cartridge games, Pokemon can have multiple status conditions at once, so take note of this! The only permanent status effects are Burn, Poison and Toxic Poison. There are several degrees of burn, which are inflicted by different moves. All burns deal 2 - 3 damage per action and lower the power of physical moves. Poison deals 2 damage every turn flat, whereas Toxic Poison starts out with 1 damage per action, and increases every round by 1 until it reaches 5 damage per action. Other effects are temporarily. Paralysis, Sleep, Confusion and Attraction also have various stages of severity. Torment, Taunt, and Leech Seed all last for 6 actions flat. Freeze is very unique in ASB. It is almost impossible to completely freeze a Pokemon, but individual body parts can be frozen. For example, I may wish to freeze the legs of a Scolipede so that it slows down, or the wings of a Crobat so it cannot fly anymore.

• The information about special pokemon is not needed.
• Explain how certain counters are gained.
• KO Counters can be spent as TC counters.
• Official definitions of Round and Action
• Change stars to ranks

That's what I found, I'll probably review it more later because it is really later right now.

Originally Posted by Fat Limewire

Beginner's Guide: Done (needs grammar checking and may be missing some content).

...

---

Alright, since you are eager to get started, we, the CAPASB community, will generously donate 6 Trainer Counters and a backpack that contains two each of each of Oran, Leppa, Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, and Aspear berries. You can use Trainer Counters to purchase different Pokemon- the stronger they are, the more TC they will cost! This post will tell you the cost of every NFE or single-stage Pokemon. Pick as many as you can purchase. The only Pokemon you CANNOT purchase as your starters, however, is Smeargle.

Now, you have to register your team. This seems very daunting, but it is actually easy. To register your team, you have to format and submit information about you and your Pokemon in this registration thread. Use this template to submit information about yourself.

Now it is time to submit information about your Pokemon. This can be a little bit confusing, so pay attention! The first thing you need to put down is the sprite, name, nickname, gender, nature, type/STAB and stats. In ASB, STAB and stats work a bit differently, so be sure to click on those links to find out more. Let's say that I wanted to get a female Togepi (they are so adorable!) with a Quiet nature. Her information form would look like this:

So far so good. Hey, why is there an star next to Togepi's name? Well, we need to keep track of your starter Pokemon(s). This will be explained a bit later. Right now, it is time to focus on Pokemon counters, abilities and moves. Most Pokemon have three counters: an Evolution Counter that keeps track of their growth, a Dream World Counter that eventually unlocks Dream World ability, and a Move Counter which can be used to purchase moves. Needless to say, if you bought a Pokemon that does not evolve or gain a Dream World ability, you do not need to add the respective counter. Two-stage Pokemon start out with 0/6 EC, and three-stage Pokemon start out with 0/9 EC. Pokemon with Dream World abilities have 0/5 DC, and every Pokemon starts out with 0 MC. All of these counters will be explained later.

Abilities are pretty simple. Just use this post from the Data Thread to find the abilities of your Pokemon. Remember to write down that your Dream World ability is locked. Moves are also pretty simple. Select any move that your Pokemon will learn from Lv 0 to Lv 25. Then, select any three egg and B/W TM move you wish. If your Pokemon does not learn any egg moves, then you can choose the next three level up moves after Lv 25. One final note- be sure to put a (*) next to these moves, and only these moves, for your starter Pokemon. Why? Read on to find out (hint: It is the reason why you cannot choose Smeargle as a starter.) With all of this in mind, Togepi should look like this:

• Change stars to ranks
• Mention Veekun
• You get a little side-tracked by smaller details (Smeargle)

[Tortferngatr]

Here's Tricks of the Trade so far.

Any recommendations?

Tricks of the Trade "alpha version"

---

Now that you know the basics, you might be ready to join right in and be ready to win matches. However, Smogon isn’t called “competitive” for nothing, and that spirit extends into CAP ASB. Everybody wants to win-and most people will take advantage of anything they can, sometimes even enemy naiveté. You can fight back, however.

First of all, realize that even if CAP ASB is more “flavor-based” and “custom” than standard OU, not all Pokémon are necessarily equal, and the criteria for strength in CAP ASB are not the same as those of competitive play. Many moves are changed to reduce illogical situations, and boosting moves, while strong, are massively nerfed. Speed isn’t as much of a factor, and stats are normalized. Realize that while Blaziken and Moody Smeargle are Uber in competitive play, neither truly sees much play in CAPASB.

Secondly, ALWAYS make sure you know what you’re getting into. Check your opponent’s team THOROUGHLY if you want to accept a challenge. What mons might he try using against you? What moves do they run, which ones (damaging and non-damaging alike) could critically affect you? Always make sure you can handle most scenarios of a challenge if you accept it. Don’t make stupidly biased arenas that nobody without extreme guts, general naiveté, or just the right things to conquer you would accept, but certainly give yourself a little home advantage (such as reducing the energy cost of certain tactics you like to abuse slightly or placing arena-based restrictions on moves such as Earthquake, Fly, and Surf.) Never underestimate an enemy, always check EVERYTHING. Never use Will O' Wisp on a Pokemon with Guts, never use Electric-type moves on a Pokemon with LightningRod.

Thirdly, when choosing your own Pokemon that are intended to win, don’t merely look based on power. Look at the Pokemon as a whole. All-out attacking might be effective if you can hit the enemy for 4x effective damage or powerful 2x effective hits, but you aren’t always getting a favorable type matchup. Does your Pokemon have many powerful coverage moves? What restrictions affect its moves (i.e. Surf requiring a water source, Dig requiring ground able to be tunneled)? Additionally, you have to consider things like “how does this Pokémon support my team?” Finally, due to the fact it’s rare you will ever even see a true OHKO in CAP ASB, hindering the opponent’s ability to attack can be more useful than actually attacking when you have a bad type matchup. Disable, Imprison, and Encore are far more powerful in ASB than in the cartridges, as they help control what moves the opponent can use and hit you with, and when. Toxic and Protect are amazing, the former for putting the opponent on a timer and the latter for stopping critical enemy attacks. Substitute gives fast Pokémon an opportunity to block status…you get the idea.

Finally, know how to lose well. If you didn’t win, then chances are usually that the opponent had a good strategy, or you had a bad one. Or both. If you notice a really good build or move winning against you, pack something that can counteract it (i.e. Taunt versus Imprison/Encore/Disable), or better yet, pack it yourself. Don’t fret about losing if you can learn from it. CAP ASB may be competitive, but it’s not like there’s a leader board. Even some vets have long losses.

[Deck Knight]

Gentle asskicking post reminder.

Lets try to finish this up so we can get a good handle on everything.

[Deck Knight]

All of you are n00bs.

Battle Rules

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Each battle has multiple settings that will determine which strategies will be effective in the arena. The Battle Tower houses all the information for these elements. Here are the normal parameters for a battle.

Battle Format:

Battle Format consists of two elements: the number of Pokemon and the kind of battle. For example, 3v3 Doubles is a Doubles format match where each side has 3 Pokemon. The Battle Format is selected by the match seeker.

Disqualification (DQ) Time:

The Disqualification or DQ Time is the amount of time each player is given to respond to the post of the previous battler or the referee. It is usually expressed in Days and is most commonly 2 or 3 days. A DQ is an expectation of the agreed-to pace of the match, if a player or referee goes beyond the DQ time, efforts should be made to contact and remind them before taking any action on the battle. Disqualification time is set by the match seeker.

Recovery Restrictions:

While an Arena might restrict certain moves based on Arena physics, Recovery Moves are also often restricted in battle. Recovery Restrictions apply to direct recovery moves and chills, with the most common setting being 2 Recovery and 5 Chills per Pokemon. Recovery Restrictions are set to avoid endless battles or stall wars. Recovery Restrictions are set by the match seeker.

Switch Method:

The Switch Method is chosen by the challenger and dictates whether switching will be an option in the battle or not. Switching has its own rules to govern its use listed in the Battle Tower.

Ability Mode:

The Ability Mode is chosen by the challenger and dictates how many abilities will apply in each Pokemon. The three modes are All Abilities, One Ability, and No Ability.

Item Mode:

The Item Mode is chosen by the challenger and dictates whether items will be allowed.

Basic Battling

---

Now that you know where you'll be fighting and why it's important, it's time to learn a few battling basics.

HP and Energy:

Each Pokemon has its own individual HP stat, but every Pokemon has 100 Energy. HP is lost when your opponent strikes you with a damaging attack. Energy is lost as you launch your own attacks or set up defenses. If either HP or Energy reach zero your Pokemon is knocked out.

HP is fairly straightforward. Therefore the first basic skill to master is energy management. There is a penalty for using consecutive attacks of the same name over and over again called the consecutive move penalty. Each time you repeat an attack, four energy is added to the cost multiplied by each consecutive use. Thus an attack that costs 6 energy normally will cost 10 on its second consecutive use, 14 on its third consecutive use, 18 on the fourth consecutive use, and so on. Mixing up your attack pattern thus not only makes the battle more engaging, it also preserves your energy.

CAP ASB has a special command that can restore energy called a Chill. Chills restore 12 Energy each and like Recovery moves are usually limited as part of the match rules.

Attacks and Commands:

Attacks are not the only possible actions a Pokemon can make. Once mastered, commands can be a powerful tool to turn an unfavorable match around. While commands rarely do damage, they often invoke creativity and at an advanced level can use use an opponent's biology against them. Consider every aspect of your Pokemon and your opponent, including their physical dimensions and characteristics. Also consider the nature of the arena and any surrounding objects that might expand your options. Commands are difficult because they are not explicit, but are a vital skill to build. Two commands have been officially recognized. Chill is recognized above as a means to regain Energy, and the other command is Dodge. Dodge is generally less reliable than Protect but has applications for speedy pokemon and especially Pokemon with +Spe natures.

Attack Management:

CAP ASB utilizes a progressive move learning system. Most Pokemon start with all the Level-Up attacks that species (and any of its previous forms) learns up to Level 25, as well as 3 Egg Moves and 3 BW TMs. There are exceptions, and those are listed in the Registration Thread. This means most Pokemon will start with a very limited movepool.

New Attacks are earned by battling and earning Move Counters. There is no limit to how many attacks a Pokemon can learn, the only requirement is that the Pokemon must have had the attack at some point in its history. Thus why attacks gained in previous generations are available, but more expensive than moves learned in the current generation. It will usually take 3 or 4 battles for most Pokemon to flesh out their movepools with strong STABs, coverage moves, and standard defensive options. Afterwards choices become less clear and result in each Pokemon, even of the same species, being quite different from each other outside Level-Up Movepools.

Always remember that while CAP ASB is built towards an offensive metagame, in a neutral matchup it will take between 3-5 rounds for a Pokemon to be knocked out, leaving plenty of room for different strategies or small mistakes. Focusing solely on attacks can leave your Pokemon open to status, while focusing on niche moves can make your offense too weak for all but the most favorable matches.

Finally, remember that Attacks in CAP ASB have to function in a realistic physics environment. Weather doesn't generally work indoors, you can't Surf where there is no water to create the wave, and if your Pokemon doesn't bring it's own grass, using Grass Knot will be difficult. Attacks that are strong and reliable in-game face a myriad of counter-strategies or arena limitations they wouldn't run into in a straight game interpretation. Furthermore there are no attacks that take up two actions. Attacks like Solarbeam, Sky Attack, and Dig instead operate in a much smaller timeframe and only take one action to execute. Most commonly certain elements of their priority are effected, much like Focus Punch in-game has an early charging message and the attack comes later.

[Limewire]

Aight. Fire Blast, your changes were implemented, and the creativity part is finished!

Let me know if there is anything else I can do.

[Deck Knight]

Time to finish this thing up:

Prize Claiming

---

Once you've engaged in a battle, win or lose, your Pokemon will grow and you will have a chance to pick up new Pokemon.

All you have to do is post up your battle in the Prize Claiming thread, then apportion your Evolution, Move, Dream, and KO Counters. You can also use your Trainer Counters to claim a new Pokemon.

For example, if you just won a 1v1, you'll have 2 TC and the Pokemon you used will have 1 EC, 2 MC, and 1 DC. Lets take our friend Eggball from earlier:

Originally Posted by Fat Prize Claim Post

Won a battle

Eggball gets 1 EC, 2 MC, and 1 DC, and I'm adding the KOC to my EC. With the 2 MC I'll purchase Wish(Level-Up) and Double-Edge(Level-Up)

After you update your Pokemon with your rewards, this will be your adjusted Pokemon:

Togepi(*) Eggball (F)
Nature: Quiet (Adds One (1) Rank to Special Attack; Divides Base Speed by 1.15 and gives a flat 10 point decrease in evasion, effectively adding 10 accuracy (e.g. 85 becomes 95) on an opponent’s attacks.

Type:

Normal: Normal STAB; adapt comfortably to any surrounding after 3 actions. Able to use Outrage without losing focus.

Stats:

HP: 90
Atk: Rank 1
Def: Rank 3
SpA: Rank 3 (+)
SpD: Rank 3
Spe: 17 (20 / 1.15) (-)

EC: 2/9
MC: 0
DC: 1/5

Abilities:

Serene Grace: (Innate) This Pokemon has a blessing which doubles the success chance of its attack’s secondary effects. (eg paralysis from Thunderbolt)
Hustle: (Can Be Activated) This Pokemon puts immense force and speed in its physical attacks, increasing the base damage of all its physical attacks by three (3), but the haste lowers their accuracy to 80% of normal.
Super Luck (DW): (Innate, Locked) This Pokemon’s natural skill doubles (x2) its critical hit levels above other Pokemon, making its normal moves inflict critical hits 12.5% of the time and its high critical hit moves inflict critical hits 1/3rd of the time.

Attacks:

Growl(*)
Charm(*)
Metronome(*)
Sweet Kiss(*)
Yawn(*)
Encore(*)
AncientPower(*)
Follow Me(*)
Bestow(*)
Wish
Double-Edge

Nasty Plot(*)
Morning Sun(*)
Extrasensory(*)

Fire Blast(*)
Shadow Ball(*)
Grass Knot(*)

Note that you spent the MC, so your MC counter is still zero, while your EC is 2 and your DC is 1 from the application of your battle rewards. In addition, the new moves aren't starting moves, so you don't need to asterisk them.

You still have 2 TC, so you could claim a new Pokemon if you wanted. If you choose not to, you can stockpile your TC in your trainer profile and spend it later. While most Pokemon are 2 TC, some pokemon cost more, and you will need to engage in longer battles or several small battles in order to claim them.

But let's continue with our example and use our 2 TC to claim a friend for Eggball. Remember that since this isn't a starter Pokemon, you don't have to put asterisks next to its starting moves.

Originally Posted by Fat Prize Claim Post with New Pokemon

Eggball gets 1 EC, 2 MC, and 1 DC, and I'm adding the KOC to my EC. With the 2 MC I'll purchase Wish(Level-Up) and Double-Edge(Level-Up)

I will also use the 2 TC I received to claim a new Pokemon. Introducing Eggbasket the Exeggcute.

Once you've done that, you will need an approval from the approval staff, and they you can use Eggball and Eggbasket in your next match with their updated moves.

Role Playing

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Role Playing is another fun activity you can enjoy in CAP ASB if you're looking for some downtime or a challenge for one of your Pokemon. Make sure to read each Role Playing thread thoroughly, as the owners have gone through a lot of trouble to set up their RPs and they each have very specific rules for entry and availability. Be patient, their may be a queue for players.

Once in an RP, do your best. You will often be presented with scenarios that require a much different approach to battling than you are used to, and it can take some time to adjust to the altered ruleset. Just keep your wits about you and you should have no difficulty navigating these exciting games.

IRC

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CAPASB has an official channel on IRC, #capasb.

If you have any questions, are looking for battles, or you need a place to hang out, #capasb is friendly place to get to know some of the stronger players and the forum leaders. We're always open for anyone with mIRC or any IRC applet to join. Additionally a couple of scripts have been made for the IRC channel that you can use to quickly access information from the Data Audit Thread.

Just remember the ground rules:

1. No Spamming
2. No Flooding
3. No Flaming/Trolling other users
4. No illegal/explicit material
5. Write in English
6. Foul language is discouraged, but not prohibited.

Feel free to enter and be at home.

Vision and Mission

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CAP ASB is a fun side forum designed to be a place for Smogoners to hang out and have some fun while staying on the forums. To the best extent possible we try to provide a quality forum game that is responsive to the concerns of the player base. As the game evolves, the hope is to improve the writing and creative skills of Smogon members and have them apply that ability to all other areas of the site.

Vision:

CAP ASB seeks to become a full fledged Anime Style Battling League in the mold of many of the games that preceded it. We twist the formula of the original ASB models by incorporating a closer adherence to in-game principles regarding Pokemon statistical strengths and move effects. In addition, CAP ASB utilizes a progressive move learning system rather than the traditional system of having all attacks available with the Pokemon. The result is a fast-paced, offense oriented metagame. We want our game to be a unique, satisfying, and deep experience that strengthens the social fabric of Smogon and brings different people from all areas of the site together.

Mission:

CAP ASB's mission is to enhance the writing, critical thinking, and competitive thinking skills by engaging Smogon users in a game that incorporates elements not only of in-game Pokemon but in strategic selection of moves, long-term planning, and flexibility in new battling situations. Our hope is that improvement in the game can lead to improvement in the discourse, comradery, and understanding of how a complex, competitive game functions. The game is designed to constantly shift and be discussed in regards to commonly employed strategies and their effectiveness.

We urge all players in CAP ASB to use a positive experience here to propel them to contribute in thoughtful ways to other areas of the site. We urge longtime veterans who are looking for a break in-between writing articles or analyses to wind down here and keep their eye on the site in the meantime. CAP ASB is intended to be an open, inviting space for those seeking fun for its own sake or a distraction from wearying work.

[smashlloyd20]

You asked for more info in the battle techniques info so here's a few things I see.

Make mention of how potentially all of a mons abilities can be used. A prima example is Ciccino (not sure exactly how to spell it). It's weak in game but can be a monster in asb because of technician+skill link.

Something about weather would be nice. Theres almost no auto weather but almost everything can pack a weather move especially with almost no weather wars.

Something about how stat boosts are ass. Kinda.

Statices are really strong and stackable.

Entry hazards are a waste of attacking a lot of the time (with the exception on toxic spikes which can be really good).

Almost all unfortunate match ups can be overcome somehow.

Mention how countercoatburst are really (too) good.

Can't think of anything else for now. If you want I can give this stuff a full writeup on Wednesday when I get home from vacation.

[Deck Knight]

It's not an opinion article, smashlloyd, it's a guide.

[Tortferngatr]

Advanced Tactics

---

Now that you know the basics, you might be ready to join right in and be ready to win matches. However, Smogon isn’t called “competitive” for nothing, and that spirit extends into CAP ASB. Everybody wants to win-and most people will take advantage of anything they can, including enemy naiveté. You can fight back, however.

First of all, realize that even if CAP ASB is more “flavor-based” and “custom” than standard OU, not all Pokémon are necessarily equal, and the criteria for strength in CAP ASB are not the same as those of competitive play. Many moves are changed to reduce illogical situations, and boosting moves, while strong, are massively nerfed. Speed isn’t as much of a factor, and stats are normalized. Realize that while Garchomp and Moody Smeargle are Uber in competitive play, neither truly sees much play in CAPASB.

Secondly, ALWAYS make sure you know what you’re getting into. Check your opponent’s team THOROUGHLY if you want to accept a challenge. What mons might he try using against you? What moves do they run, which ones (damaging and non-damaging alike) could critically affect you? Always make sure you can handle most scenarios of a challenge if you accept it. Don’t make stupidly biased arenas that nobody without extreme guts, general naiveté, or just the right things to conquer you would accept, but certainly give yourself a little home advantage (such as reducing the energy cost of certain tactics you like to abuse slightly or placing arena-based restrictions on moves such as Earthquake, Fly, and Surf.) Never underestimate an enemy, always check EVERYTHING. Never use Will O' Wisp on a Pokemon with Guts, never use Electric-type moves on a Pokemon with LightningRod.

Thirdly, when choosing your own Pokemon that are intended to win, don’t merely look based on power. Look at the Pokemon as a whole. All-out attacking might be effective if you can hit the enemy for 4x effective damage or powerful 2x effective hits, but you aren’t always getting a favorable type matchup. Does your Pokemon have many powerful coverage moves? What restrictions affect its moves (i.e. Surf requiring a water source, Dig requiring ground able to be tunneled)? Additionally, you have to consider things like “how does this Pokémon support my team?” Finally, due to the fact it’s rare you will ever even see a true OHKO in CAP ASB, let alone a 2HKO, hindering the opponent’s ability to attack can be more useful than actually attacking when you have a bad type matchup. Disable, Imprison, Torment, and Encore are far more powerful in ASB than in the cartridges, as they help control what moves the opponent can use and hit you with, and when. Protect is amazing, the former for putting the opponent on a timer and the latter for stopping critical enemy attacks. Substitute gives fast Pokémon an opportunity to block status moves, which are mutually stackable and potent in their own right. You get the idea-never underestimate status moves in CAPASB.

Finally, know how to lose well. If you didn’t win, then chances are usually that the opponent had a good strategy, you had a bad one, you made one or more large mistakes your opponent could capitalize on, or some combination of the three. If you notice a really good build or move winning against you, pack something that can counteract it (i.e. Taunt versus Imprison/Encore/Disable), or better yet, pack it yourself. Don’t fret about losing if you can learn from it. CAP ASB may be competitive, but it’s not like there’s a leader board. Even some vets have long losses.

An encapsulation of all of these traits are given in the following example:

In BW OU, Excadrill is a massive offensive force with crushing attacks and impossibly high speed. Just add Sandstorm and start winning. Steelix on the other hand continues to be condemned to the depths of UU with each generation. CAP ASB's rules level the playing field significantly.

|
Excadrill Vs. Steelix
|
|
HP: 110 | HP: 100
Atk: Rank 5 | Atk: Rank 3
Def: Rank 2 | Def: Rank 8
SpA: Rank 2 | SpA: Rank 2
SpD: Rank 3 | SpD: Rank 3
Spe: 88 | Spe: 30
Sand Force | Rock Head
Sand Rush | Sturdy
Mold Breaker (DW) | Sheer Force (DW)

On paper this is a pretty even match stat and ability wise. Much more even than in-game, where Steelix's massive defense is basically overkill and it can't really muster a huge offense, especially with its dismal speed. Both Pokemon retain their basic characteristics. Excadrill in sand is still a nightmarish offensive Pokemon, especially in all abilities where it can gain extra power, speed, and the ability to crack through immunities. For its part Steelix is extremely sturdy and its ability gives it much more offensive versatility.

The key difference between the two, and what makes Steelix so much stronger as a candidate for an ASB Team is the unlimited number of moves that can be learned and used by the Pokemon. Steelix has a vast movepool, much of which is boosted by Sheer Force. Its support options are also excellent, and it has moves that work excellently in singles as well as doubles. Excadrill on the other hand is a very bread-and-butter, slice-and-dice attacker. Once you get its coverage moves taken care of, its only really support role is as a Rapid Spinner, Doubles support with Metal Sound, and a weather starter. This is not to say Excadrill is bad or that you should not get one, it is simply to illustrate all the differences between the in-game metagame and what brings favorable results to an ASB match.

Made a few small edits.

[smashlloyd20]

Originally Posted by Fat Deck Knight

It's not an opinion article, smashlloyd, it's a guide.

Ok sorry that sounded a little too much like an opinion. Maybe it would be nice to mention a few of those things in a tone not so...opiniony. I'd pick exca over steelix probably. You can't truly say steel is better.

[Temperantia]

Exca may win in a one-on-one match with Steelix, but really, Steelix has many more uses and often takes a pittance from physical coverage moves aimed towards it.

I would agree with Smash though that hazards are somewhat of a terrible idea in a metagame where switching often doesn't occur. Although, in Switch=OK, I would say they're at least as useful as in-game. Very few Pokemon can stand switching when they take such a large amount of damage each switch-in, (compared to other attacks) and thus can let your opponent create an advantageous type matchup. It's almost like a fear-based Mean Look or Spider Web.

[Deck Knight]

Originally Posted by Fat Temperantia

Exca may win in a one-on-one match with Steelix, but really, Steelix has many more uses and often takes a pittance from physical coverage moves aimed towards it.

Magnet Rise skews that match-up heavily in Steelix's favor in a single action. Nevermind Bide. The idea is the same though, a well-built Steelix can be infinitely more aggravating than a well-built Excadrill. That said, Excadrill is extremely easy to build to maximize its competencies, where Steelix takes a while to get all the options it might want to use.

I would agree with Smash though that hazards are somewhat of a terrible idea in a metagame where switching often doesn't occur. Although, in Switch=OK, I would say they're at least as useful as in-game. Very few Pokemon can stand switching when they take such a large amount of damage each switch-in, (compared to other attacks) and thus can let your opponent create an advantageous type matchup. It's almost like a fear-based Mean Look or Spider Web.

Hazards are also useful in longer single battles. The earlier they are used, the stronger they get.

[smashlloyd20]

While steelix may be better than exca in more situations, steelix needs a long long long time to be ready for anything. Excadrill can get up to it's full potency in a very short amount of tome and even then it has quite a few match ups where its better than steelix. Then again they're both steel types so they are both awesome so whatever. Also a matchup between the two of them to decode which is better is bullshit, by that logic wobb is better than cyclohm.

As for entry hazards...most of this advice is based on the commonly used battle formats. Switch ok battles are extremely rare, as are battles long enough to make hazards worth it.

Tomorrow night I'm getting home so I can type an example paragraph of what I mean by a few of those statements.

[Temperantia]

No need, it's very understandable the aversion to hazards in the majority of battles. Although, I would like to see more creative uses of them involving pushing back/throwing opponents. They would act as a buffer to add more damage to well-placed attacks, and it's definitely plausible to use hazards in this way, as arena traps can be used as such already...

[smashlloyd20]

I agree they can be very good attacking/defending/whatever moves instead of just hazarding. Might dash something off about hazards when I get home tonight.

[Nightmare Jigglypuff]

This needs a GP check?

I'm not a member of the GP staff, but if it hasn't been done, then i can do it.

[Tortferngatr]

Alright-let's update and rework this. We missed Smog #16, let's try for Smog #17.

[smashlloyd20]

Is this going in the smog? We'd need to make it a lot more concise for that to work....

[Tortferngatr]

Why not make a different concise version for usage by the Smog? (or just split it into a "why join+basics" section and an "advanced stuff" section for two different Smogs)