The Dark Horse Project

[ginganinja]

credit to birkal cos I stole his op

Incredible artwork by ToxicPhox.

Preface:

Sorry for the wait, but The Dark Horse Project is once again back for round V! We just finished off October with a bang (you can check it out here and had a the most 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.


Check out what's NEW!

• We thought it would be cool to integrate PK Gaming's OU Viability Ranking Thread into our project. This round Pokemon ranked as S Rank is prohibited from this challenge. This means you cannot have these Pokemon on your team, even if they are NOT your Dark Horse! Specifically, Deoxys-D, Genesect, Politoed, and Terrakion cannot be used in this month's challenge. This Dark Horse blacklist will be frozen for the rest of the month, so any additional S Rank mons during the month would still be allowed for use.
  
  
• The new threshold for qualifying as Dark Horse has been dropped to 4% usage instead of five.

General Reminders!

• As same as last time, Birkal 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.
  
  
• 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.

The Mission:


For those of you that are new, hello! I'm posting here to shake up the way in which DST functions and thinks. What I'm presenting within this topic is an effort to reignite some competitive spark that makes this forum so great! 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 months stats. Anything below 4% 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, with the exceptions of Pokemon ranked as S shown here, 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. 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 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:

Originally Posted by Fat Registration Form

Pokemon Showdown! Username:
Hall of Fame Standing:
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With:
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:

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!

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:

Registration Post Example

---

Pokemon Showdown! Username: God Haunter
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

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 1950) 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:

Originally Posted by Fat Hall of Fame Registration Form

Pokemon Showdown! Username:
Dark Horse Pokemon:
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:
Dark Horse Pokemon Complete Set:

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.


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.

Hall of Fame Archive (45): (click on the poke icon for more info!)

HoF Archive (fully updated XD)

---

Grandmaster: >2300 & top 3

1. Lavos Spawn
10/4/12 – 2435 (#2) -
(First Peak & Moveset)

Platinum Class: 2299-2200 & top 10 (4)

2. The Great Mighty Doom
10/10/12 – 2412 (#1) –
(RMT)

3. DarkBlazeR
10/9/12 – 2325 (#8) –
10/7/12 – 2191 (#32) -

4. Lady Alex
10/5/12 – 2323 (#8) –
(RMT)
10/14/12 – 2118 (#40) -
(ladder update)
[Total HoF Entry with Deoxys-D: 2]
2/11/12 – 1455 (#14) –
10/20/12 – 2092 (#23) -
3/8/12 – 1399 (#46) -
10/16/12 – 2048 (#4) -
10/28/12 – 2047 (#57) –
(Team Explanation)
10/5/12 – 2043 (#68) -
10/8/12 – 1997 (#71) -
(icons linked to multiple posts!)
[Total HoF Entry with Mew: 2]
10/28/12 – 1991 (#85) -
10/16/12 – 1974 (#18) -
1/25/12 – 1355 (#81) -
(Discussion Response)

5. Molk
10/7/12 – 2273 (#6) –
(icons linked to multiple posts!)
10/4/12 – 2237 (#5) –
10/5/12 – 2213 (#21) –
3/18/12 – 1421 (#37) –
10/19/12 – 2073 (#30) –
10/18/12 – 2054 (#27) –

Gold Class: 2199-2100 & top 25 | PO: 1499-1450 & top 20 (4)

6. ginganinja
10/2/12 – 2227 (#16) –
1/10/12 – 1363 (#84) –
(Discussion Response)

7. Master of the Six Kings
10/18/12 - 2152 (#12) –
10/12/12 – 2139 (#28) –
10/11/12 - 1989 (#59) –
(Set Explanation)
10/17/12 – 1974 (#45) –
2/19/12 – 1352 (#79) –
10/11/12 – 1955 (#73) –
(Set Explanation)

8. Noodlez
3/4/12 - 1470 (#9) –
2/5/12 – 1367 (#77) –

9. ToF
1/30/12 - 1465 (#18) –

Silver Class: 2099-2050 & top 50 | 1449-1400 & top 40 (16)

10. myzozoa
10/10/12 - 2209 (#33) –

11. Pearl
1/16/12 - 1455 (#38) –
(ladder update)
2/7/12 – 1385 (#79) –
(icons linked to multiple posts!)

12. Electrolyte
10/6/12 - 2148 (#38) –
(RMT)

13. Bad Ass
3/7/12 - 1446 (#16) –

14. SubakSupreme
10/4/12 - 2143 (#39) –

15. AccidentalGreed
1/22/12 - 1438 (#25) –
(Discussion Response)

16. TropiOUs
10/7/12 – 2119 (#42) –
10/4/12 – 2060 (#17) –
10/10/12 – 2032 (#88) –
10/5/12 – 1971 (#93) –

17. ala
1/16/12 – 1433 (#27) –

18. alexwolf
10/12/12 – 2098 (#37) –
(ladder alt MoltresMan2)

19. scampy
10/8/12 – 2076 (#34) –
(icons linked to multiple posts)

20. Pwnemon
2/14/12 – 1410 (#27) –
(ladder update)

21. Boondocker
10/7/12 – 2062 (#38) –

22. Zoap
2/20/12 – 1405 (#29) -
(icons linked to multiple posts!)

23. Jobriq
10/6/12 – 2057 (#46) -
(icons linked to multiple posts!)

24. Patolegend!
10/30/12 – 2056 (#44) -
2/29/12 – 1354 (#70) –

25. Huntofthelion
10/20/12 – 2051 (#23) –
(ladder alt ATG2)
10/15/12 – 1978 (#69) –
(ladder alt ATG3; Team Explanation)

Bronze Class: 2049-1950 & top 100 |PO: 1399-1350 & top 80 | (17)

26. Berserker Lord
1/7/12 – 1409 (#43) -
(ladder update)

27. discoboy
10/12/12 – 2048 (#64) -

28. lampeskaerm2
2/25/12 – 1390 (#33) -
(log replay; ladder update)
[Total HoF Entry with Spinda: 2]

29. ssbm
10/12/12 – 2016 (#88) –
(icons linked to multiple links!)
1/5/12 – 1357 (#87) –
(diff links for each icon!)

30. FastFlygon
10/13/12 – 2014 (#97) -
10/17/12 – 2003 (#46) -
(icons linked to multiple posts!)

31. jaredz99
10/17/12 – 2013 (#38) -

32. toshimelonhead
3/9/12 – 1372 (#73) –
1/10/12 – 1356 (#95) –

33. Jcpdragonx
1/15/12 – 1371 (#78) –

34. Texas Cloverleaf
3/5/12 – 1367 (#79) –
(RMT)

35. Ninelol
10/4/12 – 1985 (#27) –
(icons linked to multiple posts!)

36. TheStarRapper
10/5/12 – 1977 (#47) –

37. ClubbingSealCubs
10/6/12 – 1976 (#83) –
(RMT)

38. Raseri
3/4/12 – 1361 (#79) –

39. Temp V1
10/2/12 – 1971 (#89) –
(Discussion Response)

40. YAYtears
2/14/12 – 1360 (#70) –
(log replay)

41. Boorego
2/23/12 – 1358 (#70) –

42. ~Mercury~
2/8/12 – 1351 (#72) –

Honorable Mention PO: < 1350 & top 100 (3)

43. fairytale
1/8/12 – 1352 (#100) –

44. NoJohns
1/5/12 – 1345 (#95) –
(Discussion Response)

45. Metagross66
1/4/12 – 1339 (#98) –

[ginganinja]

Credit goes to the incredible Karite-Kita-Neko for the above Blitzle image. Used because it's free for public use. Huzzah!


Preface:

Welcome to the "Learning and Discussion" section of the Dark Horse Project! I am very excited for what's going to take place here, which will mainly be to catalog any meaningful tidbits of advice for public use. This is something new that we'll be working on as a team. As a result, this is currently under construction. However, I've devised a list of questions that you can feel free to answer at any point. Remember, it's not just the answers to these questions that will get posted here; any meaningful advice that you give also has a shot of making it here. I hope this resource can be insightful and meaningful for anyone who's looking to improve their skills with Dark Horse Pokemon.

If you ever see a tidbit or piece of advice that you deem as valuable and would like to see posted here, I'll consider it if you send me a PM with the necessary information. I'll also take questions that you'd like to see answered if you're willing to provide them and add them to the below list. Thanks for your help!

With Pocket, alkinesthetase, and ginganinja now on board, I will be dedicating my full attention to this post. So expect some information up here very soon (from all three Dark Horse Projects)!


Questions:

Originally Posted by Fat Birkal

How did you choose your Dark Horse Pokemon for this project? What lead you to choose the Pokemon you did? Did you have regrets or were you happy with your selection?


How did you go about building a team for your Dark Horse Pokemon? Which kinds of teammates did you consider? What factors contributed to the team you created?


Do you think it is more difficult or less difficult to ladder with a Dark Horse Pokemon? Why? Does the element of surprise play a factor in your battles? Is it easier to fight with a "highly used"" team or with Pokemon that are less common?


(For Hall of Fame members only) How did you reach the Hall of Fame? Was it easy or difficult? Did having a Dark Horse Pokemon on your team benefit you? What advice would you give to those laddering with Dark Horse Pokemon?


(For Non-Hall of Fame members only) What was the most challenging aspect of this project? What did you learn the most from your experience with Dark Horse Pokemon? How has your learning from this project changed the way you battle?



Again, feel free to answer any of these questions. It can be anything from a few sentences to an essay. Sharing your learning and thoughts is an incredibly important part of this project. So get writing and keep on laddering. Keep it up!

[Pocket]

Credit goes to the highly talented Aluriiya for the above Blitzle image. Used with her personal permission.

To spice things up, here are the conditions to earn Grandmaster:

1) Top #3, 2300 min glicko2 rating
2) only 1 Grandmaster per DHP
3) The original Grandmaster can be knocked out by someone with a higher glicko2 rating.

I encourage people who are in Platinum or even Gold to vye for the sacred spot!

Current Hall of Fame (6):

Be one of the few to conquer the Ladder with your Dark Horse, and you will be forever recorded in our Hall of Fame! Remember, admission now requires you to obtain the Top 100 on Showdown's ladder with minimum glicko2 rating of 1950. Who will become this month's Grand Master?!

Gold Class: 2199-2100 & top 25 (1)
- The Great Mighty Doom - Dog Hippowdon
"I chose to build a team around Stoutland during WCOP, because saw my friend Ripamon use one paired with Magnezone, and I really liked the idea of Magnezone getting rid of almost everything resisting Stoutland's STAB."
Peaked at: 2112 (#24) on 11/9/2012
Entered Hall of Fame at: 2086 (#39) on 11/3/2012

Full Set

---

Dog (Stoutland) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Superpower
- Wild Charge
- Pursuit

Hippowdon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SDef
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off

Silver Class: 2099-2050 & top 50 (1)
- Lady Alex - Dusclops Quagsire
Peaked at: 2056 (#43) on 11/5/2012

Full Set

---

Quagsire (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Earthquake

Dusclops @ Eviolite
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Toxic
- Night Shade

Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Heal Bell
- Softboiled
- Stealth Rock

Ninjask Mew Zapdos Mr. Mime
"...using Ninjask outside of a bp team is a sin..."
Peaked at: 2042 (#44) on 11/4/2012
Ladder Peak
Magneton
Peaked at: 2016 (#77) on 11/10/2012
Peak and Moveset

Full Set

---

Magneton @ Eviolite
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute

Bronze Class: 2049 -1950 & top 100 (4)
- Temp V1 - Uxie
Peaked at: 2048 (#46) on 11/12/2012

Full Set

---

Uxie @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Memento
- Stealth Rock
- Light Screen
- Reflect

- TropiOUs - Boss from Mexico Landorus-T
"I used these guys because they looked like decent partners for Kyurem-B, taking care of his biggest fears, give it really appreciated hazard support, and the most important reason, a safe switch in."
Peaked at: 2044 (#81) on 11/13/2012

Full Set

---

Boss from Mexico (Xatu) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Spd / 192 Def
Bold Nature
- U-turn
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Thunder Wave

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 64 Atk / 200 HP / 144 Def / 100 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge

- GatoDelFuego - Amoonguss Slowbro
"Amoonguss and Slowbro form one of the best defensive cores around, focusing on regenerating off damage caused and checking a large number of the metagame through an ample number of resistances."
Peaked at: 2043 (#77) on 11/3/2012

Full Set

---

Amoonguss (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Spore
- Clear Smog
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Giga Drain

Slowbro (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psychic
- Slack Off
- Toxic

- gengarsnemisis - Venomoth
"I love messing around with baton pass, and I knew Venomoth has decent enough stats to be able to pull it off in OU."
Peaked at: 1964 (#97) on 11/5/2012

Full Set

---

Venomoth @ Leftovers
Trait: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
- Quiver Dance
- Baton Pass

[alkinesthetase]

Credit goes to the excellent Xous54 for the above Blitzle image. Used with his personal permission.

Hello, OU! I'm sure some of you recognize me. The team has brought me onboard to manage the registration list for this round of the Dark Horse Project. I will be doing my absolute best to keep this thread updated and useful to you. If you have anything you need to say to me, just drop me a line! You can VM/PM me, or find me in #pokemon. I am on from about 14:00-2:00 GMT -4, every day.

ONE REGISTRATION POST PER DARK HORSE(s), AND KEEP IT UP TO DATE. When you achieve HoF status with a Dark Horse(s), always update the original post! That way, when we need to update our lists, we can just skip through the registration list. You can make a new post as well to let us know, but always make sure the updates for ladder ranking, alt name, etc are in the original post. We cannot guarantee that we will notice ANY data outside of them. I spent over 2 hours updating my list last month; doing this saves us a lot of time.

You are permitted to use the same Dark Horse as someone else, if that wasn't clear - there are no reservations, no rush, etc, and overlap is certainly allowed. Remember, though, that only one of each Dark Horse, and its associated user, can get into the Hall of Fame per month! You can also ladder with as many Dark Horses at a time as you like. If you reach the Hall of Fame cutoff with multiple Horses at once, they ALL go into the Hall of Fame with you. And remember, even if someone else takes your Dark Horse to the Hall of Fame first, you CAN take it back by beating their ladder rating, so don't give up easily! Be tenacious and ladder to the top!

If you've already reached the Hall of Fame this month, you can continue to participate in the project by either creating a new alt and choosing a new Dark Horse, or simply improving your Hall of Fame record even further. You've got one month, and an ocean of Pokemon, OU - we sure aren't going to stop you from trying all of them!

Our regulations have changed a bit this month. Any Pokemon with more than 4% usage in OU for the month of October is an ineligible Dark Horse. In addition, Genesect, Deoxys-D, Politoed and Terrakion cannot be ANYWHERE on a team that you use for this challenge. (Yes, this is the current S-Rank from the OU Viability Rankings project.) We operate on the honor system, of course. We highly recommend you check this list I've put together, to make sure your Dark Horse selection is legal.

List of all illegal Dark Horses, sorted alphabetically

---

Alakazam
Blissey
Breloom
Celebi
Cloyster
Conkeldurr
Deoxys-Defense - ILLEGAL ON ALL TEAMS
Donphan
Dragonite
Dugtrio
Espeon
Ferrothorn
Forretress
Garchomp
Gastrodon
Genesect - ILLEGAL ON ALL TEAMS
Gengar
Gliscor
Gyarados
Haxorus
Heatran
Hydreigon
Infernape
Jellicent
Jirachi
Jolteon
Keldeo
Kyurem-Black
Landorus-Incarnate
Latias
Latios
Lucario
Magnezone
Mamoswine
Metagross
Ninetales
Politoed - ILLEGAL ON ALL TEAMS
Reuniclus
Rotom-Wash
Salamence
Scizor
Skarmory
Starmie
Tentacruel
Terrakion - ILLEGAL ON ALL TEAMS
Thundurus-Therian
Tornadus-Therian
Toxicroak
Tyranitar
Vaporeon
Venusaur
Volcarona

Now then, without further ado, here is your user registration list for the Dark Horse Project! The name in brackets after a mon is the active alt, and if someone has already achieved Hall of Fame status with a mon, that mon's name will be bolded and colored appropriately. We're starting to get to the point where people are making second runs on the project, so alts will be separated with a pipe character.

~~~

Last Update: Nov 30 21:25 [Eastern Standard Time GMT-5 forum time]

Current Participants: 67 (Newest: Dark Nikuman)

- Chillarmy - Scolipede (One Piece Sucks)
- TropiOUs - Xatu/Landorus-T 2044/81 (343I sucks)
- woodchuck - Riolu (whistlepig)
- drakon136 - Darmanitan/Xatu/Sawsbuck/Chansey (dorkin)
- Ninelol - Weezing/Weavile (Ninelol)
- Lady Alex - Ninjask/Mew/Zapdos/Mr Mime 2042/44 (Noblesse Oblige3) | Dusclops/Quagsire/Chansey 2056/43 (Noblesse Oblige4) | Magneton 2016/77 (I like Magneton) | Venomoth (Venemoth is dumb)
- Huntofthelion - Feraligatr (Final Outcomes)
- nyttyn - Sigilyph/Victini/Lilligant/Darmanitan (Super Kami Guru)
- LucaroarkZ - Zoroark (Me > You)
- Chimpakt - Tangrowth/Zapdos (Tangroo)
- Aldaron - Sableye (todles)
- ginganinja -Landorus-T (Lady Azure)
- Pocket - Rotom-H (Heat Shock)
- The Great Mighty Doom - Stoutland/Hippowdon 2112/24 (Kazegami)
- Trinitrotoluene - Gothitelle (Madame Gothitelle)
- Asek - Hippowdon (TGK)
- The QWAZ - Kingdra (Finlay)
- Temp V1 - Landorus-T 2007/89 (Temp X2) | Uxie 2048/56 (Hax LGI)
- exotic - Bronzong/Kingdra/Kabutops (exotic2)
- ThePillsburyDoughBoy - Sandslash (there's a mole)
- ClubbingSealCub - Sandslash (ClubbingSealCub)
- Electrolyte - Landorus-T/Cobalion (everyotheralttaken)
- NixHex - Victini (311)
- Scarfwynaut - Regirock (Regipro)
- DarkBlazeR - Zapdos (Plasmatik)
- Phazon00 - Nidoking/Mew/Victini (King Serenity)
- pokemon0078 - Lilligant (sandy=deadwalk :()
- GatoDelFuego - Amoonguss/Slowbro 2043/77 (GatoDelFuego)
- Ithilanor - Zoroark/Kingdra/Roserade (Ninja Fish)
- gengarsnemesis - Venomoth 1964/97 (killer moth) | Kabutops (Thunderbeast)
- Molk - Bronzong (Australia)
- ganj4lf - Togekiss (EvilGrin19)
- MOET - Stoutland/Hippowdon/Zapdos (Duffle Bag Boy)
- Lavos Spawn - Machamp (the champ)
- Princess Bri - Basculin (lavos' master)
- Slowking12 - Slowking (KingTR)
- Ambicrow3 - Abomasnow (Icy Acoustics)
- ra02 - Durant (BaneZernon)
- col49 - Abomasnow/Gothitelle (13.4 Miles)
- Demist - Leafeon/Hitmonlee (Green Coctail)
- Lady Bug - Abomasnow/Nidoqueen/Spiritomb (Crocodile)
- TooMuchSugar - Victini (Mr. Pond)
- emirinho - Hitmontop (emirinho)
- Arcticblast - Bellossom (Flurries)
- Uvood - Sceptile (Scepting this???)
- mudkipmanx5 - Shaymin/Cresselia (GnuGnu7)
- Crackstar - Victreebel/Chandelure/Cobalion (Crackhead)
- PDC - Umbreon (the pdc cancel)
- Nitro Cobalt - Flygon (Cobalt-Tester)
- Verminator - Manectric/Sawsbuck (Wattson's Homeboy)
- Jayde - Bronzong (Breathtaking)
- PenguinX - Hippowdon/Slowking/Zapdos/Tangrowth (top cat)
- toshimelonhead - Heracross (toshiistesting)
- /B/utterfree - Dusknoir/Ninjask (/V/riska)
- Level 51 - Tangrowth/Sandslash (Usage Level)
- jaredz99 - Abomasnow/Zapdos/Walrein (WinterGuardians)
- ScraftyIsTheBest - Abomasnow/Mienshao (Let It Snow!)
- MapleDoom - Smeargle (Motherfather)
- Darth Missingno. - Landorus-T/Lilligant (dwarfstar)
- Joel - Rotom-S (I Won't Win)
- The unlucky one - Volbeat/Yanmega (BP is OP(hax edition))
- MrCookie - PorygonZ (Theburgerking100)
- BROStime - Smeargle (BROStime)
- inanimate blob - Porygon2/Ditto (Porygon2 Monster)
- StealthLatios - Bisharp (Sharpie)
- Melee Mewtwo - Gothitelle (Smash4 Mewtwo)
- Dark Nikuman - Sharpedo (Dark Horserider)

[Pocket]

You guys may now post! Let the Dark Horse Challenge commence >:D

[Chillarmy]

first first first

Pokemon Showdown! Username: One Piece Sucks
Dark Horse Pokemon: Scolipede
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking: zilch
Dark Horse Pokemon Complete Set:

...

---

Scolipede (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Megahorn
- Earthquake
- Spikes

I swear that I won't laze around this month =D

[TropiOUs]

bs for the no terrakion rule...okay lgi

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Osiris dragon
Dark Horse Pokemon: Kyurem
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:

[Woodchuck]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: whistlepig
Hall of Fame Standing:
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: riolu
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:

[drakon136]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Dorkin
Hall of Fame Standing: None as of yet.
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Darmanitan, Xatu, Sawsbuck, Chansey
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: 1531

maybe I should start over with different mons

[alkinesthetase]

oh guys you don't have to post the set you plan to use if you don't want to / haven't figured out yet, the reg form doesn't require that

[Ninelol]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Ninelol
Dark Horse Pokemon: Weezing, Weavile
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking: -
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: -
Dark Horse Pokemon Complete Set: -

[Lady Alex]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Noblesse Oblige3
Dark Horse Pokemon: Ninjask, Mew, Zapdos, Mr. Mime
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:

success

---

Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:

Starting over because using Ninjask outside of a bp team is a sin and I will never do it again.

[Master of the Six Kings]

Well, i really dislike the S-tier ban. I realize Politoed is a "safe" option, but i mean, I used 4 DH Pokemon that all ran in rain and it was extremely fun (Whiscash especially). I'll try one fo these at some point im sure, but not as much as last month.

[alkinesthetase]

^ yeah we argued about our policy a lot for this month. a lot of lower tier stuff is affected by the availability of rain... for now we're going to leave things as they are, but we may lift those restrictions later in the month depending on how things turn out. we definitely wanted to get rid of deoxys-D (that's a bit tooooo easy....)

besides, there's always next month! 8D who knows where our policy will be then!

oh and if kyurem-B gets unbanned in OU as a result of our current suspect round, it will be ILLEGAL as a dark horse for this month, just to be clear.

[Lady Alex]

The S-tier ban just ups the difficulty level, which I think is totally legit. It also prevents people from spamming Deoxys-D on their teams just to ladder easily.

[Huntofthelion]

<Pocket> unfortunately your awesome feraligatr wont work out so well

Challenge Accepted.

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Finite Outcomes
Dark Horse Pokemon: Feraligatr
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: -

[nyttyn]

I'm in.

Let's do this. Quick and painful.

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Super Kami Guru
(bringing hope to the metagame)
Dark Horse Pokemon: Sigilyph / Victini / Lilligant / Darmantian
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: -

EDIT! I have decided to go with Sigilyph, Victini, Darmantian and Lilligant under the alt Super Kami Guru.

[thebrownie]

I'm tempted to use gimmicky aron...

[LucaroarkZ]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Me > You
Hall of Fame Standing: nope
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Zoroark
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: nope

gonna see if I can do this without it getting stolen

[Chimpakt]

I kind of like the ban. Even though I haven't participated in a Dark Horse (unless the Outsider's Challenge was one?), I will give it a go this time :]. The ban gives more of a challenge and forces you to be more creative.

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Tangroo
Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Dark Horse Pokemon Currently Working With: Tangrowth / Zapdos
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: 2100 +/- 105

[Aldaron*]

guess ill do this lol

Pokemon Showdown! Username: todles
Dark Horse Pokemon: Sableye
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:

guess ill do this lol

[ginganinja]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Lady Azure
Dark Horse Pokemon: Venomoth, Mew, and Omastar
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!:

[Pocket]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Heat Shock
Dark Horse Pokemon: Rotom-H
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking: N/A
Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: 1000

The Current Set I'm working with:

Rotom-H @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Trick

[The Great Mighty Doom]

Pokemon Showdown! Username: Kazegami
Dark Horse Pokemon: Stoutland & Hippowdon
Screenshot of Top 100 Ladder Ranking:

Screenshot

---

Current Ladder Standing on Pokemon Showdown!: 2117

The team: Canine Carnage

---

Hippowdon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SDef
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off

Dog (Stoutland) (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Superpower
- Wild Charge
- Pursuit

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 144 HP / 252 SAtk / 112 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spe
- Volt Switch
- Sleep Talk
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 32 SAtk / 228 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp

Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Recover

Mamoswine (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Earthquake
- Superpower

How did you choose your Dark Horse Pokemon for this project? What lead you to choose the Pokemon you did? Did you have regrets or were you happy with your selection?

I chose to build a team around Stoutland during WCOP, because saw my friend Ripamon use one paired with Magnezone, and I really liked the idea of Magnezone getting rid of almost everything resisting Stoutland's STAB. Once they're all gone, I could then use a pokemon with the speed of a fast Choice Scarfer, and the Attack of a Choice Bander just spamming a base 102 power STAB move with nothing to resist it. I am very happy with choosing Stoutland, this team is probably both the best team I've ever made and the most enjoyable team I've ever made.

How did you go about building a team for your Dark Horse Pokemon? Which kinds of teammates did you consider? What factors contributed to the team you created?

Well, I already had the core of Stoutland and Magnezone, and then I needed sand for Stoutland to work in OU, so that's half the team already. I needed 2 water resists, a sun check, and a wallbreaker. In the end Specially Defensive Rotom-W was my choice for my primary water resist, it's a pretty amazing anti-rain pokemon, checking / countering almost every member of the standard rain offense teams (Politoed, Genesect, Tornadus-T, Dugtrio etc.) Latias became my secondary water resist and sun check, due to its ability to perform both roles amazingly. It covers up the weakness to a few rain abusers that Rotom-W has a bit of trouble with (eg. Keldeo) and it checks / counters 5/6ths of standard Lavos Sun (everything except for Genesect.) Finally, Mamoswine eneded up being my wallbreaker, it got rid of a few of the main walls Stoutland had a bit of trouble with (eg. Gliscor), it also took pressure off Stoutland to revenge kill the likes of dragons, it brought more of an offensive presence to the team, and it helped check a few things the team was still weak to, such as Breloom. Every member of the team also benefits from having Magnezone in the team, Stoutland is obvious, Latias can spam Draco Meteor without worrying about steels, Rotom-W dosen't have to worry about Ferrothorn, Mamoswine dosen't have to worry about Skarmory, Bronzong etc, and Hippowdon dosen't have to worry about Skarmory, Bronzong etc, either.

Do you think it is more difficult or less difficult to ladder with a Dark Horse Pokemon? Why? Does the element of surprise play a factor in your battles? Is it easier to fight with a "highly used" team or with Pokemon that are less common?

For me, it dosen't make a difference, if I'm making a team intended for competitive battling, I'm only going to be using pokemon I think are viable in OU, I'm not going to slap on a NU pokemon onto my team for no other reason than to be "original." Stoutland is an RU pokemon, but I used it in OU because I thought it was viable, not to challenge myself. It dosen't really make any difference to me how common a pokemon is, that's not what goes through my head when making a team.

How did you reach the Hall of Fame? Was it easy or difficult? Did having a Dark Horse Pokemon on your team benefit you? What advice would you give to those laddering with Dark Horse Pokemon?

Reaching the hall of fame was easy, and yes, Stoutland definitely benefited me. My best advice for using a dark horse would be to use something that you think is viable in OU, no matter how low it is in usage, if you think it's vaible, use it. That only applies if you're trying to make a successfull team using a dark horse, if you just want to challenge youself then just use whatever you want, lol.


I really like the new rules implemented to bump up the difficulty. Also, I know I'm doing Stoutland AGAIN, but I promise I'll do multiple different Dark Horses this time :)

[ginganinja]

nvm quitting challenge after testing out my team on my main (to see if it was any good) and getting lucked 6 battles in a fucking row.

I think ill restart with Landorus-T