VGC Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer - Mark II

[TalkingLion]

There isn't really any reason for it to be single elimination this year, so it will most likely be Swiss again.

[CooltrainerAlan]

Yeah. there is no reason for TPCi to change it back to single elimination. I think that might be what has kept people from playing in the past.

[Lucifers Pride]

TPCi pays a lot of attention to player feedback and one of the biggest thing we said this year was that swiss format is something to keep. I can't see them removing it any time soon.

[Arcanus]

I just wish they'd have more rounds. I only got to do four battles at the last regional.

[hoult66]

Lets say you have a Fighting Gem Top and a pokemon with a chople berry which actiavates first Gem or Berry

[Billa]

Gem activates first

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Fat hoult66

Lets say you have a Fighting Gem Top and a pokemon with a chople berry which actiavates first Gem or Berry

The Gem activates first, but in the end it doesn't really matter, the damage output will be the same.

Originally Posted by Fat Arcanus

I just wish they'd have more rounds. I only got to do four battles at the last regional.

The number of rounds is based on attendance. At least in Colorado Springs they based the number of rounds on how many rounds it will take to get a single victor (all wins, no losses). Unless there is a top cut, in which case I have no idea how they figure it out (CS didn't have a top cut).

[Saboros]

Yeah that was my next question? Do you think we'll be seeing single elimination from top cut AFTER swiss? Or will that format be saved for nats and worlds, mainly because of time restraints?

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Fat Saboros

Yeah that was my next question? Do you think we'll be seeing single elimination from top cut AFTER swiss? Or will that format be saved for nats and worlds, mainly because of time restraints?

Pretty sure after top cut is single elimination so that they can determine a first and second place winner.

[Saboros]

Originally Posted by Fat Sprocket

Pretty sure after top cut is single elimination so that they can determine a first and second place winner.

So at regionals, they will have single elimination after they determine who made the top cut this year?

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Fat Saboros

So at regionals, they will have single elimination after they determine who made the top cut this year?

Assuming it worked the way it did for VGC2012, yes. Again assuming your local regional has a top cut; not all regionals had one due to attendance.

[Drifblim]

The only VGC regional to have a Top Cut in VGC 2012 was Spring Philly. And Top Cut IS Single Elimination, once you lose in Top Cut you are out but have probably secured a decent position by making Top Cut.

[Saboros]

Because I want to get the most experience before regionals, I'd really like to know how the Battling 202 works. If i wanted to be tutored, would i need to be available for long hours consistently? Would i need access to Pokemon Online?

[TheBattleRoom]

What is a Pokemon to counter Amongoss??

[Saboros]

Originally Posted by Fat TheBattleRoom

What is a Pokemon to counter Amongoss??

There's a lot of ways to counter Amoongus. If you're focused on stopping it's Ragepowder from redirecting your attacks, Taunt will stop it in it's tracks. Taunt also helps stop it from using it's key move Spore, another way to get rid of spore is by packing Safeguard on at least one of your pokemon, this prevents your pokemon from being affected by any status moves for 5 turns. If you're not interested in playing around Amoongus with moves like these you can always turn to the offensive approach. Assuming they aren't using the Coba Berry, Flight Gem Acrobatics from Tornadus (and a few other things) will kill most variants of Amoongus. Ice Gem Icicle Crash from Vanniluxe will kill every single variant of Amoongus. There's lots of other things out there that kill Amoongus too, you just gotta be creative and look for them!

[voodoo pimp]

Originally Posted by Fat Saboros

Because I want to get the most experience before regionals, I'd really like to know how the Battling 202 works. If i wanted to be tutored, would i need to be available for long hours consistently? Would i need access to Pokemon Online?

You'll work out a meeting schedule with your tutor; at least six hours total is the minimum, but you can break that up however you want. You do need access to PO, since I don't think PS! supports doubles yet.

[RiggyRob]

What would be a good 4th member for a Doubles team including Garchomp, Rotom-W and Scizor? The only things I can think of in particular that would give the team trouble are bulky Fighting, Grass and Water/Ground types, but this depends on the moveset/items of the three Pokemon above of course.

[hoult66]

Is Endeavor Politoed a Good Idea

[Drifblim]

Originally Posted by Fat RiggyRob

What would be a good 4th member for a Doubles team including Garchomp, Rotom-W and Scizor? The only things I can think of in particular that would give the team trouble are bulky Fighting, Grass and Water/Ground types, but this depends on the moveset/items of the three Pokemon above of course.

VGC does not use 4 Pokemon on a team, you have 6 in your party and choose 4 for each battle. Maybe Amoonguss would be a good last spot, these 3 seems to have a bit of trouble with Rain.

No, Endeavor Politoed is not a good idea. Politoed does not synergize well with the Focus Sash, and isn't quite slow or fast enough to use Endeavor at its best. He also probably has better things to do with the moveslot.

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Fat Drifblim

No, Endeavor Politoed is not a good idea. Politoed does not synergize well with the Focus Sash, and isn't quite slow or fast enough to use Endeavor at its best. He also probably has better things to do with the moveslot.

Indeed. The only way I see this working is on a Trick Room team, and even then Politoed needs an Iron Ball to hit a good speed for Trick Room. Besides, there are far better Endeavor users.

[OriginalGengar]

Here's a team I'm possibly going to be using this October. Opinions? Questions? Comments?

Haxorus / Adamant / Yache Berry
Protect
X Scissor
Dragon Claw
Earthquake

Zapdos / Modest / Charti Berry, Sitrus Berry
Detect
Tailwind
Heat Wave
Thunderbolt

Metagross / Adamant / Occa Berry
Protect
Explosion
Earthquake
Bullet Punch

Hitmontop / Adamant / Life Orb, Fighting Gem, White Herb
Detect
Pursuit
Fake Out
Close Combat

Togekiss / Calm / Lum Berry
Protect
Air Slash
Follow Me
Thunder Wave

Terrakion / Jolly / Focus Sash
Protect
Rock Slide
Quick Attack
Close Combat

[Sprocket]

At first glance, looks like a pretty balanced Goodstuffs team, but you're quite susceptible to Weather (notably rain) and Trick Room. Pursuit is an odd choice on Hitmontop, but I can see why you'd pick it over Sucker Punch.

Specific threats that I think will give you trouble:

-Intimidate. Fully half your team is susceptible to this ability, and it is extremely common.

-Status. Togekiss is your only status absorber, and only because of Lum Berry. That said, two-thirds of your team are susceptible to Burns, and Thunder Wave will take the wind out of your Tailwind. With nothing carrying Taunt, you have no way of preventing Status from being spread, either.

-Abomasnow. You have a lot of checks, but it's still a dangerous threat thanks to guaranteed STAB Blizzard, Ice Shard, and Wood Hammer/Grass Knot. Speaking of...

-Weather. With no weather abuser or setter of your own, you are at the mercy of the opposing team's weather starter.

-Salamence, Lati@s, Hydreigon. I'm kind of lumping them all together, but any one of them will give you trouble. They all pack powerful Draco Meteors, and outspeed everything up to Haxorus. Hydreigon and Salamence can hit with Fire Blast/Flamethrower and 2HKO Metagross, while Lati@s are just unpredictable when it comes to coverage/utility moves. Salamence also has Intimidate to neuter your attacks.

-Rotom-W. On your team, only Haxorus can hit it super effectively (and only if you're using Mold Breaker instead of Rivalry), while Rotom-W can hit your entire team with Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, and Thunder Wave/Will-O-Wisp.

-Cresselia. Haxorus X-Scissor will hit hard, but it's still only a 3HKO. Cresselia meanwhile will be buffing her team, spreading status, setting up Trick Room, or hitting back with Ice Beam, Icy Wind, or Psychic/Psyshock.

-Landorus, Garchomp. Your team has no real solid check to these short of just muscling your way through. Unchecked, Landorus and Garchomp are dangerous, especially if Sand is up.

-Escavalier, Scizor. Zapdos and Metagross are the closest to counters, and when they go down these two bugs will have their way with you.

-Thundurus. Terrakion checks him, but Thundurus will still have his way with you with Prankster Thunder Wave and STAB Thunderbolt.

-Volcarona. Again Terrakion is your best check to Volcarona, but if it can set up a Quiver Dance, it will very likely sweep.

-Tornadus. Believe it or not, Tornadus is a dangerous threat to your team. With Flying Gem + Acrobatics, Tornadus OHKOs Hitmontop (unless Intimidated), and 2HKOs Togekiss, Terrakion, and Haxorus, while being merely 2HKOd in return by everything not Zapdos.

-Trick Room. I'm just lumping them into one category, but your team is susceptible to common Trick Room abusers and setters: Jellicent, Reuniclus, Dusknoir, Musharna, Slowbro, Slowking, Rhyperior, Conkeldurr, Hariyama, Chandelure, to name a few.

[OriginalGengar]

I kind of figured my team had a lot of weaknesses. Since you mentioned most of my team is crippled by burn and intimidate I was thinking of throwing in my Hydreigon. I would be using a Cresselia of my own but I won't be able to get a good nature one until BW 2 comes out. I think I'll add a bulky slower weather using pokemon on this team but I'm not sure. I get master rank rating in the battle tester every time and my streak in the super doubles was 59. Thanks for all the advice and help. I'm going to think about how to "spruce" up my team. I really appreciate your input! :D

[RiggyRob]

Originally Posted by Fat Drifblim

VGC does not use 4 Pokemon on a team, you have 6 in your party and choose 4 for each battle. Maybe Amoonguss would be a good last spot, these 3 seems to have a bit of trouble with Rain.

I was just thinking of using the 4 as the main core of the team, and then the 5th and 6th members could be 'additional' Pokemon that counter specific things and pull their own weight.

That said, which Pokemon would be considered as the best counter to Rain teams by itself: Amoonguss, Gastrodon or Abomasnow?

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Fat RiggyRob

That said, which Pokemon would be considered as the best counter to Rain teams by itself: Amoonguss, Gastrodon or Abomasnow?

It's a choice between Gastrodon and Abomasnow. Gastrodon with Water Absorb means that rain attackers need to use non-Water and non-Electric attacks, but it can still be killed by grass attacks; it also doesn't have a lot of offensive presence besides Surf/Muddy Water. Abomasnow removes Rain altogether, reducing Water damage (and increasing Fire damage) back to normal, and damaging opponents every turn with Hail, but it also damages your team; Abomasnow is also weak to a crazy number of attacks that are common in VGC.

Amoonguss is a good Pokemon in its own right, but against Rain teams it still takes a good chunk of damage from Rain-boosted water attacks. Spore is, however, a dangerous attack.