phantom
Banned deucer.
Baddest bitch in town
[Overview]
<p>Ditto has been doing the same thing since its inception: transforming into its opponent. With Imposter, Ditto is able copy the opposing Pokemon and its stat boosts almost flawlessly without wasting a turn setting up, allowing it to revenge kill setup sweepers, such as Shell Smash Gorebyss, Fraxure, Sawsbuck, and Shell Smash Carracosta. With a Choice Scarf attached, Ditto is guaranteed to outspeed those same offensive threats. Unfortunately, Ditto cannot copy the HP stat of its opponent, making it frailer than its target in most situations, as Ditto's fully invested HP stat is only equivalent to an uninvested base 79 HP stat. As it must carry a Choice Scarf, Ditto will always be limited to one move. As a result, Ditto has difficulty beating most setup sweepers, including Bulk Up Gurdurr and Braviary; Swords Dance Scolipede and Samurott; and Calm Mind Serperior and Musharna, making it an inferior revenge-killer, the one job it can actually do. This also makes it difficult for Ditto to pull its weight against defensively oriented teams, as its power is in the hands of the opponent and the opponent can often plow through it. While Ditto can work, it's far too situational to fit on most teams, as there are too many revenge killers in NU that can do its job more reliably.</p>
[SET]
name: Doppelganger
move 1: Transform
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Imposter
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
ivs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 3 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Using a Choice Scarf, Ditto will be guaranteed to outspeed almost every offensive threat that it comes into contact with. The only reason Transform is there is because Ditto needs to have a move; otherwise, it is completely useless. Despite how it might seem, Ditto isn't just limited to being a revenge killer. Thanks to Imposter, when Ditto transforms, it is able to attain knowledge of the opponent's moveset. This information can prove to be invaluable when dealing with unpredictable Pokemon, such as Golurk, Eelektross, and Samurott. In some cases, Ditto can even use moves such as Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Aromatherapy to its advantage, thus supporting its teammates. Oftentimes, Ditto's frailty makes it difficult for it to switch into a setup sweeper and take advantage of its boost, so wise prediction is necessary on your part to get it in safely. Even if Ditto does get the chance, do keep in mind that setup sweepers are rather uncommon in NU; even most offensive teams generally limit themselves to one.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There are two things Ditto does not copy from the opponent—HP and IVs. HP is maximized for this reason. When transforming into an opponent that possess Hidden Power, the above IVs give Ditto Hidden Power Grass, the most useful for defeating Water-types that often carry Hidden Power, such as Gorebyss and Samurott, though it does leave Ditto setup bait to Sap Sipper and Grass-type Pokemon. Ditto can also change the IVs to 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 3 Spe to attain Hidden Power Electric so that it can reliably revenge kill Mantine and Charizard; however, Ground-types such as Golem will be able to do whatever they please against Ditto if it gets locked into it.</p>
<p>Ditto will often be switching in and out throughout the course of the match, so Poison-types such as Skuntank and Garbodor pair well with Ditto in absorbing Toxic Spikes. Ditto pairs well with offensively orientated teams for two reasons. First, Ditto will be able to switch easily into Pokemon who are immune to their own attacks, such as Zebstrika and Sawsbuck. Second, Ditto cannot transform when a Pokemon is behind a Substitute, so offensive teammates such as Primeape and Ludicolo can put enough pressure on the opposition to the point where they will not be able to set up a Substitute.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Choice Scarf is the only viable item on Ditto, as it guarantees that Ditto can outspeed setup sweepers. No other item can possibly replace the utility that Choice Scarf provides.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ditto is such a quirky Pokemon that there really is nothing that "counters" it in the traditional sense. The best way to "counter" Ditto is to stop it from taking advantage of your team's entry hazard setter or setup sweeper, which can be troublesome at times. The best way for offensive teams to deal with Ditto is for their setup sweeper to run a Substitute, as Ditto will not be able to transform when its target is behind one. Without a Substitute, it is too risky to use offensively orientated boosting moves. For balanced or stall teams, it is difficult to stop Ditto from coming in and taking advantage of your entry hazard setter or Rapid Spin user; however, Ditto will often be switching in and out throughout the course of the match, so setting up Stealth Rock at the beginning will help wear it down. Something to keep in mind is that when Ditto transforms, you know what moves it carries, so intelligent maneuvering and a little guesswork will help you defeat it. Unburden Pokemon such as Drifblim also deal well with Ditto, as Ditto will be unable to outspeed them because it does not copy its opponents' boosts from the ability. The most efficient way to combat Ditto starts before the beginning of the match; so long as your team has proper defensive synergy, Ditto will only be a minor nuisance.</p>
Skeleton
[Overview]
[SET]
name: Doppelganger
move 1: Transform
move 2:
move 3:
move 4:
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Imposter
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
ivs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 3 Spe (Minimum HP Ice ivs)
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[Other Options]
[Checks and Counters]
- Nice catch all revenge killer
- Great ability
- not copying HP can be a blessing or a curse
- can scout movesets thanks to its ability
- how well it performs depends on the current nature of the metagame
- great against offensive inclined teams
- okayish in balanced
- subpar in defense
- what it can revenge kill is really limited because most sweepers can take their own coverage moves or stabs
- very niche pokemon, but it works if you need a choice scarf revenge killer that can take on a little bit of everything
[SET]
name: Doppelganger
move 1: Transform
move 2:
move 3:
move 4:
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Imposter
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
ivs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 3 Spe (Minimum HP Ice ivs)
[SET COMMENTS]
- ditto isn't a one trick pony, despite what it may seem
- ditto can often be used in the lead position, this allows ditto to scout a Pokemon's move set, thus either use the Pokemon's entry hazards to its advantage or ease up prediction on offensive or even stall teams
- choice scarf is the only item ditto should be using to consistently revenge kill, transform is just there because ditto needs a move
- against balanced or stall teams ditto can transform into opposing rapid spin user for its team and get rid of hazards, pass wishes, or even give heal bell / aromatherapy support
- against unpredictable pokemon such as Samurott, Eelektross, or Ludicolo, ditto's ability to scout move sets can be a life saver for its team
- it's best to take advantage of what team preview has to offer to make the most out of ditto, meaning to get rid of any defensive threats the team's own offensive pokemon can't break past and thus determine which offensive Pokemon ditto will take on when the time is right
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- There are two things ditto does not copy from the opponent, HP and ivs
- While uncommon, using minimal attack and speed ivs along with a relaxed nature is needed in case ditto gets into a struggle with another one
- It's best to maximize hp, as in some cases ditto can even be bulkier than the sweeper it's against, making it more difficult to revenge kill
- Hidden Power Ice is chosen as it is the most useful Hidden Power in nu
- HP Grass ivs
- HP electric ivs
- Good switch in to Pokemon who are immune to their own attacks such as sawsbuck and zebstrika
- Focus Sash to switch moves though very shaky and depends on your ability to keep hazards off the field
- Hates toxic spikes, a poison-type teammate can help deal with it
- Keep up enough offensive pressure so that the opposing team's sweeper can't setup a substitute, otherwise ditto will be useless
[Other Options]
- lol no
[Checks and Counters]
- Nothing "counters" ditto in the traditional sense
- You have to stop ditto from doing it's job (i.e. sweeping your team or taking advantage of your boosting sweeper, hazard setter, ect) which at times can get difficult
- For offensive teams, the best way to stop ditto is to set up a sub, ditto can't transform
- Also for offensive teams, it's best to carry some defensive synergy (basically build a good team so it doesn't take advantage of an ice or fighting weakness and mop the floor with you)
- setup is way too risky when ditto is on the opposing team, so a substitute is recommended for setup sweepers if facing ditto
- Keep in mind that when ditto transforms, you know what moves it carries by virtue of it's ability, so intelligent switching and prediction is another way to beat it
- for balanced teams, one must be careful of ditto taking advantage of your hazard or rapid spin user, though it is easy to wear down due to its low hp stat even when invested and vulnerability to hazards because of its constant switching
- stall teams have little trouble from ditto, but they should be careful for its ability to take their own hazards and use it against them and scout their Pokemon's move sets