[on site] Substitute Analysis (Advance)

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Aldaron

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Here is the current Substitute Analysis article:

Substitute Analysis

Substitute General Information

Ever since the release of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen the move Substitute became a massive hit in the Advance generation. It is very unlikely that you'll play a competitive match on NetBattle without seeing this move used once. However, there are so many different strategies that work with Substitute that it may be quite hard to keep track of for new users. Heck, even some veterans might have trouble. For this reason alone I am writing this guide.
First let's start off with some basic information regarding the move Substitute before we get into exactly what it is used for.
The move information is the following: "Creates a decoy using 1/4 of the user's maximum HP."
That's a bit of an understatement, though. What Substitute truly does is, at the cost of 25% of your HP, is create a decoy that will take damage for you. The decoy has the exact same amount of HP that you used to create it. This also means that if you have less than 25% HP and use Substitute it will fail. If the damage done to a Substitute is over the Substitute's remaining HP, the Substitute will break, but you will not take damage that turn.
In addition to that, Substitutes, when in effect, will block status effects and some other moves. The complete list of what Substitute blocks is as follows:
  • Status Effects and Status Effect moves such as Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Sleep Powder
  • Leech Seed
  • Mean Look
  • Rapid Spin's effect of removing Spikes
  • Stat dropping moves such as Metal Sound and Sand Attack
  • Knock Off's effect of making your Pokémon lose its item
Substitute, however, will NOT block Encore. You will continue to use Substitute whether you already have one made or not. Attract will also work through your Substitute.
Substitute can also be grabbed by the move Snatch.
Substitutes do not block the effect of Roar and Whirlwind.
However, you may have already realized that Substitute is great against Pokémon that are about to use Explosion or Selfdestruct as well as any non-damage dealing status effect move. These situations will either warrant a free KO or a free turn. As you can see these reasons alone are a great reasons to use the move Substitute.
This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to Substitute, however. There are quite a few combos and tactics that work well with Substitute. Some Pokémon use it very well and dominate with it while with others it isn't too useful. But Substitute has some other added bonuses. If you don't want to risk anything with prediction, the use of Substitute to see what your opponent is going to do, given you're faster of course, will allow you to see what is going on. Naturally this is a very great help when going against Choice Band wielding Pokémon. Substitute, when faster, nullifies Slaking.
Substitute Tactics

Substitute + Focus Punch
  • Commonly referred to as 'SubPunch'. With a Substitute up you can Focus Punch without fear of being hit during the move given that your opponent is not using Rock Blast, Bone Rush, Bonemerang, Arm Thrust, or Icicle Spear. Some popular examples of this are as follows:
  • Gengar
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Focus Punch
  • ~ Thunderbolt
  • ~ Ice Punch
  • Often used to switch in against Blissey or Snorlaxes that lack Shadow Ball. Substitute and then proceed to Focus Punch, Thunderbolt, or Ice Punch as necessary to be a real pain in the ass.
  • Tyranitar*
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Crunch
  • ~ Thunderbolt
  • ~ Focus Punch
  • *There will be more on this particular moveset when I explain what the secondary Substitute strategy utilized here is.
Substitute + Leech Seed
  • Could possibly be referred to as 'SubSeed', but that is just stupid. Only two Pokémon pull of this combination well. Those two Pokémon are Sceptile and Jumpluff because of their speeds. It is arguable that Exeggutor can do this as well when it has its Chlorophyll activated by Sunny Day, but that is a rare situation (Paired with Groudon, which is banned in standard play) or by having to constant refresh its sunlight every fifth turn with Sunny Day. The goal here is to outstall your opponent and make them switch around while draining their HP. This works well with Spikes. Example:
  • Sceptile
  • ~ Leech Seed
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Leaf Blade
  • ~ Hidden Power [Ice]
  • With maximum speed it outspeeds many things and Substitutes before they can do anything. Leech Seeds and then proceeds to use Substitute or Leaf Blade if they get a free turn. Popular against Blissey, Snorlax, Suicune, and other Pokémon with high HP although it can work well against anything it is faster than.
Substitute + Baton Pass
  • Quite a simple process to understand. You Substitute and then use Baton Pass to pass the Substitute along to the next Pokémon. This might mainly be used to check and see what Pokémon your opponent is going to switch to. Examples:
  • Jolteon
  • ~ Thunderbolt
  • ~ Hidden Power [Ice]
  • ~ Baton Pass
  • ~ Substitute
  • Suppose this Jolteon is what you lead of with. Your opponent leads with Zapdos. You Substitute on turn #1 just in case your opponent tries to Thunder Wave you and cut down Jolteon's main asset, which would be Speed for those of you who can't put 1 and 1 together, but he switches out to Swampert. Unfortunately your Jolteon has Hidden Power Ice to deal with Salamence and grass types instead so you can't handle Swampert. You Baton Pass your Substitute to your Gyarados, effectively avoiding Swampert's Earthquake as well as handing it an Intimidate. This is also an example of using Substitute to avoid non-damaging status effects (assuming the Zapdos would have Thunder Waved).
  • Espeon*
  • ~ Calm Mind
  • ~ Psychic
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Baton Pass
  • This set will not only Baton Pass Substitute, but Calm Minds as well. There is another Substitute oriented strategy at work here as well.
  • *There will be more on this particular moveset when I explain what the secondary Substitute strategy utilized here is.
Substitute + Pressure
  • This is another simplistic, albeit very annoying, combination to understand. By the use of Substitute on a Pokémon with the Pressure trait you can easily wittle down their PP since even attacks against Substitutes will take 2 PP instead of one. This can also be paired with Protect to create an even more annoying strategy. Works best if on a fast Pokémon, however. Examples:
  • Aerodactyl
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Protect
  • ~ Filler
  • ~ Filler
  • There isn't too much to this. You alternate Substitute and Protect to wear down all your opponent's PP. Alternately this could work with Absol as well, although Absol isn't as fast as Aerodactyl. Other options include Zapdos and Suicune, albeit neither of of them work as well as Aerodactyl for Substitute Pressure PP stalling.
Substitute + Belly Drum
  • This can be a very devastating combination when played correctly. The goal here is to Substitute once while predicting a switch or non-damaging status effect move and then using the move Belly Drum. If your Pokémon's HP is divisible by 4, your Salac Berry will activate and you will have a speed boost as well as Belly Drum. Examples:
  • Linoone
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Belly Drum
  • ~ Extremespeed
  • ~ Shadow Ball
  • This is pretty straight forward. Basically you Substitute once and then, hopefully your substitute wasn't broken that turn (this is the key part of this, by the way: keep your substitute alive the first turn via prediction), Belly Drum for a Salac Boost. You may want to go with Liechi Berry over Salac Berry on this particular moveset, though, since the main move is Extremespeed anyways. You could go with Return + Salac instead, though.
  • The key thing to remember is that the HP must be divisible by 4 so that the Salac Berry activates directly after one Substitute.
Substitute + Flail/Reversal
  • This was a really popular strategy way back when FireRed and LeafGreen just were released. The basis is here is that your Pokémon is holding a Salac Berry and then simply Substitutes four times and gets the Salac boost. Then you would sweep with Reversal or Flail. Pretty simple concept, but it can be devastating when used correctly. Examples:
  • Heracross
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Reversal
  • ~ Megahorn
  • ~ Focus Punch
  • This would hold Salac Berry, obviously. This concept is very simplistic and easy to understand.
Substitute + Calm Mind
  • Now we're getting to some slightly more complex Substitute strategies. This didn't come up until Jumpman16 came up with the reasonably well known "EspyJump". Remember that Espeon that I said I'd explain earlier? Well that is EspyJump. Basically the concept here is to Substitute and then proceed to Calm Mind against special attackers such as Starmie, Celebi, and what not. You get the idea, anyways. The Substitutes won't break as you begin to raise your special defense with Calm Mind. You can then proceed to sweep. Examples:
  • Jynx
  • ~ Lovely Kiss
  • ~ Calm Mind
  • ~ Ice Beam
  • ~ Substitute
  • Say hello to Luna. Anyways, I'd Substitute and then proceed to Calm Mind. Whatever I can't kill with Ice Beam or Calm Mind against I'd put to sleep with Lovely Kiss. Eventually the goal here is to keep Jynx from getting a status effect (goal #1) and possibly be able to keep Substitutes from breaking against other special attackers like the ones listed about (goal #2).
  • Espeon
  • ~ Calm Mind
  • ~ Psychic
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Baton Pass
  • Now I can finally explain the full power of EspyJump. In addition to Baton Passing Substitutes, Espeon also Baton Passes Calm Minds. That much is obvious, but Espeon can also Calm Mind up in front of special attackers just like Luna the Jynx. The full potential is when you have Calm Minded up against an opponent and then Baton Pass to your sweeper with a Substitute in front of it. That's quite a big boost. In addition, the Substitute also also allows Espeon to keep itself from getting paralyzed or poisoned, though it isn't as harmed by this as Luna is.
Substitute + 404 HP
  • A strategy that is relatively new although it is used quite heavily now in the competitive environment. This strategy is mainly designed to counteract Blissey because it uses the move Seismic Toss. You don't understand yet? Well, it is really quite basic and I'm surprised it took people so long to figure it out. When a Pokémon with 404 or more HP creates a Substitute, the HP of the Substitute would have 101 HP and thus take TWO Seismic Tosses to break. This means that if the Blissey or other Pokémon were to say in your Pokémon would get a free turn so to speak. Examples:
  • Tyranitar
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Crunch
  • ~ Thunderbolt
  • ~ Focus Punch
  • I can now explain the mighty TyraniBoah, which was the brainchild of both chaos and Jumpman16. It was designed to utterly annihilate stalling teams and, mainly, the Skarmory + Blissey combination that many newer players utterly dread to face. When Tyranitar Substitutes, Blissey's Seismic Toss cannot break it. This allows Tyranitar to Focus Punch the next turn without fear of being hit. This is a combination of both the Substitute + Focus Punch idea and the Substitute + 404 idea just like EspyJump was a combination of Substitute + Baton Pass and Substitute + Calm Mind. Do you see how this all begins to fit together?
Putting it all together

By now you should realize that there are several possibilities and strategies to choose from when using the move Substitute. Substitute is a very, very, interesting move. As you may have noticed the real devastating Substitute using Pokémon often use a combination of two or more Substitute strategies. Here's some other Pokémon that use two or more strategies:
  • Celebi
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Calm Mind
  • ~ Baton Pass
  • ~ Recover/Psychic
  • This Celebi combines Substitute + 404 HP, + Calm Mind, and + Baton Pass to form an excellent Baton Passer. Its Substitutes cannot be broken by a single Seismic Toss, it cannot easily be stopped by a special attacker, and what is worse is that it can Baton Pass all the Calm Minds to another Pokémon!
  • Jirachi
  • ~ Calm Mind
  • ~ Substitute
  • ~ Psychic
  • ~ Thunderbolt
  • Combines only two Substitute strategies, but is a very effective Anti-Special attacker Calm Minder. While Luna the Jynx can put a Pokémon to sleep, this special attacker is not dominated by Blissey.
That should be enough to get you all thinking about your own Substitute combination Pokémon. Several Pokémon are very effective because of the combinations they can pull off using Substitute and for very different reasons. Substitute is clearly one of the most important and diverse moves in the game.
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When editing it, I tried to keep two factors in mind: 1.) Conciseness 2.) Removing idiomatic language, though I wasn't too stringent with this.



Next post has my edit, so please, give me your opinion!
 
Substitute Analysis
Substitute General Information

Since all 386 Pokémon became obtainable for competitive play, Substitute's usage has increased dramatically. Its utility is so varied that newer players might not entirely grasp exactly why this move is so useful.

http://www.smogon.com/rs/moves/substitute

Substitute Tactics

Obtaining a "free turn" or "scouting"

If the Substituting Pokémon is faster, it gains the ability to either block a predicted move (for example, blocking Thunder Wave) and net a free turn, or gain knowledge regarding the opposing Pokemon's set.

Nullifying Slaking

If the Substituting Pokémon is faster than Slaking, it can Substitute on Slaking's move, and then Substitute again on the turn that Slaking loafs in order to gain a free turn. If the Substituting Pokémon is slower, then it has to be able to take one hit from Slaking and survive with at least 25% health in order to gain the free turn. However, be wary that Slaking has the option of using Fury Swipes to counteract this strategy when it is used by frail Pokemon like Ninjask or Sceptile.

Substitute + Focus Punch

This is commonly referred to as 'SubPunch'. With a Substitute, Focus Punch is successful every time given that the opponent is not using a move that hits more than once in a single turn. Some popular examples of this are:

Gengar
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch

Gengar switches in on Snorlax without Shadow Ball or Blissey without Ice Beam / Thunderbolt (but don't switch in on Thunder Wave), Substitutes, and then proceeds to Focus Punch, Thunderbolt, or Ice Punch as necessary.

Tyranitar
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Punch

There will be more on this particular moveset when a special strategy regarding Substitute is explained in detail.

Substitute + Leech Seed

This is commonly referred to as 'SubSeed'. Two Pokémon that successfully execute this strategy are Sceptile and Jumpluff. The reason they are the best at doing this is because they both have high Speed. Another advantage is their low HP. This is somewhat counterintuitive, but lower HP is actually an advantage, because it means that Leech Seed recovers a higher percent of their max HP. The objective here is to make the opponent switch his Pokémon repeatedly, causing residual damage to build. A complementary strategy that takes advantage of the opponent's attempts to switch is using Spikes, as the residual damage will increase even more with Spikes on the field. Example:

Sceptile
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Leaf Blade
- Hidden Power Ice

With maximum Speed, Sceptile is faster than many Pokémon and uses Substitute before the opponent can move. Sceptile then Leech Seeds and proceeds to use Substitute again, or Leaf Blade if it nets a free turn. This strategy is specifically popular against Blissey, Snorlax, Suicune, or any other Pokémon with high HP, although it can work well against any slower Pokémon as well.

Substitute + Baton Pass

The idea here is to Substitute and then Baton Pass to pass that Substitute along to the next Pokémon. This is mainly used to check and see what Pokémon the opponent is going to switch to. This is especially useful on high Speed Pokemon. The reason for this is that your Pokemon can get a Substitute as they switch to a counter, and then you can Baton Pass to a Pokemon that resists whatever move they are using. If Jolteon is out with a Substitute, it can use Baton Pass to Gengar or Salamence if your opponent is likely to use Earthquake. Examples:

Jolteon
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Baton Pass
- Substitute

Here, Jolteon uses its superior Speed to Substitute and scout the opponent. For example, a common lead is Thunder Wave Zapdos, and Zapdos might use Thunder Wave in order to cripple Jolteon. However, with Substitute, Jolteon manages to block Thunder Wave and gain a free turn, during which it can pass the Substitute to any Pokémon that counters what the opponent currently has out.

Espeon
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Substitute
- Baton Pass

This set will not only Baton Pass Substitute, but Calm Minds as well. There is another Substitute oriented strategy at work here as well.

There will be more on this particular moveset when the secondary Substitute strategy utilized here is explained.

Substitute + Pressure

Using Substitute with a Pokémon with the Pressure trait will cause the opponent's Pokémon to lose PP at double the rate, all while doing minimal damage. This can also be paired with Protect to create an even more effective PP-stalling strategy. This works best on a fast Pokémon. Examples:

Aerodactyl
- Substitute
- Protect
- Filler
- Filler

Here, Substitute is used first and then Protect is used accordingly to wear down the opponent's PP. Other options include Absol, Zapdos, Suicune, although none of them work as well as Aerodactyl for Substitute Pressure PP stalling, mostly due to Aerodactyl's superior Speed.

Substitute + Belly Drum

This can be a very devastating combination when played correctly. The goal here is to Substitute while predicting a switch or non-damaging move, and then use Belly Drum. If the Pokémon's HP is divisible by 4, Salac Berry will activate and it will have a Speed boost as well as the Belly Drum attack boost. Examples:

Linoone
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Extremespeed
- Shadow Ball

First, Substitute is used and then, assuming the Substitute wasn't broken that turn, Belly Drum is used for the Attack boost and then the Salac Berry activation. The key factor to remember is that the HP must be divisible by 4 so that the Salac Berry activates directly after one Substitute and a Belly Drum.

Substitute + Flail / Reversal

The basis here is that if a Pokémon is holding a Salac Berry, it can simply Substitute four times and get the Salac Berry boost. Then, it uses either Reversal or Flail to sweep. Examples:

Heracross
- Substitute
- Reversal
- Megahorn
- Swords Dance /Focus Punch

This brings Heracross into Salac Berry range, brings Reversal up to 200 power, and activates Swarm for Megahorn. Focus Punch lets you hit Skarmory if it tries to wall you before you Substitute down, while Swords Dance helps you sweep if they switch as you Substitute.

Substitute + Calm Mind

Basically, the concept here is to Substitute and then proceed to Calm Mind against special attackers such as Starmie, Celebi, or Zapdos. The Substitutes won't break as Calm Mind increases Special Defense. Once safely behind a Substitute, the increased Special Attack gained by repeated uses of Calm Mind can then be used to sweep. Additionally, Substitute serves to block status and absorb critical hits. Examples:

Jynx
- Lovely Kiss
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Substitute

Here, Jynx uses Substitute and then Calm Mind. Whatever it can't faint with Ice Beam, it puts to sleep with Lovely Kiss and then continues to Calm Mind. The two objectives here are to avoid Jynx becoming affected by a status effect and to Calm Mind enough so that Jynx's substitutes cannot be broken by special attackers. Substitute also allows Jynx to safely Calm Mind while the opponent is sleeping, so Jynx doesn't have to fear an early wake up or a surprise Sleep Talk.

Espeon
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Substitute
- Baton Pass

In addition to Baton Passing Substitutes, Espeon also Baton Passes Calm Minds. This set's full potential is realized when Espeon has Calm Minded against an opponent and then Baton Passed to a sweeper with a Substitute in front of it. In addition, the Substitute also allows Espeon to keep itself from getting paralyzed or poisoned, though it isn't harmed by this as much as Jynx.

Substitute + 404 HP

The main purpose of this is to counteract Seismic Toss or Night Shade. When a Pokémon with 404 or more HP creates a Substitute, the HP of the Substitute has 101 HP, requiring TWO Seismic Tosses to break. This means that if Blissey were to stay in, the Substituting Pokémon would get a "free turn."

Tyranitar
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Punch

This set, popularly known as "Tyraniboah", was designed to counter stall teams and specifically the Skarmory + Blissey combination. When Tyranitar Substitutes, Blissey's Seismic Toss cannot break that Substitute, allowing Tyranitar to Focus Punch the next turn without fear of being hit. The basis here is a combination of both the Substitute + Focus Punch and the Substitute + 404 HP ideas.

Putting it all together

At this juncture, Substitute's general utility should be evident to even newer players. An important fact to realize is that Substitute's truly devastating potential is revealed when combining two or more of the Substitute strategies. Here are two Pokémon that use two or more Substitute strategies:

Celebi
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Baton Pass
- Recover / Psychic

This Celebi combines Substitute + 404 HP, + Calm Mind, and + Baton Pass to form an excellent Baton Passer. Its Substitutes cannot be broken by a single Seismic Toss; it cannot easily be stopped by a special attacker; and of course, it can Baton Pass all the Calm Minds to another Pokémon!

Jirachi
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt

Here, Jirachi combines only two Substitute strategies, but is a very effective anti-special attacker Calm Minder. Jirachi Calm Minds up as it uses its Substitute to block Blissey from using Thunder Wave, blocks Snorlax from paralyzing with Body Slam, and keeps Dugtrio from revenge-killing it as easily. Even if Blissey doesn't have Thunder Wave, using Substitute will allow Jirachi to heal double the amount from Leftovers, so it's still a smart idea to use Substitute.

Several Pokémon are very effective because of the strategies they can pull off using Substitute and a combination of Substitute-specific strategies. Substitute is clearly one of the most important and diverse moves in the game, and with proper knowledge of the move, a competitively based Pokémon battler can add to his repertoire of viable strategies.
 
I took the liberty of going into your post and fixing some typos that nobody in his right mind would dispute.:toast:
 
Are you just listing the main/best from a given group in a specific category that you listed or ones that are from your opinion get the job done? Also for the Substitute + CM Category, I would recommend Raikou, who pulls it off very well
 
Rapid spin works normally when hitting a sub in GSC and ADV it not doing so in NB is a NB "bug" caused by a lack of/wrong info IIRC
 
Rapid spin works normally when hitting a sub in GSC and ADV it not doing so in NB is a NB "bug" caused by a lack of/wrong info IIRC

Yeah, this is true. I'm pretty sure it was a "lack of info" case.
 
O, well I'm not sure about content updates, I just tried fixing the prose of the article.

It had a bit too much idiomatic language and I felt I could make it more concise; I'll see if I am allowed to update the content.

What about the prose though, guys? Look at the original and compare it to my edit, tell me if you agree / disagree with anything.
 
read a good bit of it

* If the Substituting Pokémon is faster, it gains the ability to either block a predicted move and net a free turn, or gain knowledge regarding the opposing Pokemon's set.

thought this was worded awkwardly

Because of the switching variable, this works well with Spikes

switching variable?

looks pretty good otherwise. if someone could closely read over the pokemon examples that'd be cool
 
I would specificly mention Sub+ Pinch Berry. Even though you allude to it in the Belly Drum section, I think it is important enough to warrent its own section, because it was somewhat common in the uber metagame with Deoxys-A and Kyogre. Also in your Heracross example for Sub+ Reversal, it might be handy to mention that Swarm would also activiate.
 
Hey guys, thanks for your content-type input. Once I edit in chaos's suggestions, I'll leave prose and focus on that aspect of the article.

If you or anyone for that matter could continue giving me your opinions on what is currently in the article or what could be added, I would be very appreciative.
 
I think you should say that slow Pokemon like Tyranitar or Swampert that subpunch will not have their Substitute broken, even if they are attacked, if they move second, so bulky Pokemon like that can get a free Focus Punch. You explained that Pokemon that have a sub up will get a free Focus Punch, but not general strategies on how to get a sub up.

also

* Gengar switches in against Blisseys or Snorlaxes lacking Shadow Ball, Substitutes and then proceeds to Focus Punch, Thunderbolt, or Ice Punch as necessary.
Blissey doesn't use Shadow Ball, and not all Blissey carry Ice Beam, so "Gengar switches in against Blissey or Snorlax lacking Ice Beam or Shadow Ball, respectively," would be a better way to say that, though I don't know if it's really that important to mention Snorlax, since almost every Snorlax does carry Shadow Ball.
 
The plural form of all Pokemon is identical to the singular form, so it's not "Blisseys" and the like.
 
I'm deleting all those random asterisks.


Substitute Analysis
Substitute General Information

Since all 386 Pokémon became obtainable for competitive play, Substitute's usage has increased dramatically. Its utility is so varied that newer players might not entirely grasp exactly why this move is so useful.

<deleted the description of the move>

This is the description of the move: http://www.smogon.com/rs/moves/substitute


<deleted entire paragraph, because it's redundant with the following information>

Substitute Tactics

Obtaining a "free turn" or "scouting"

If the Substituting Pokémon is faster, it gains the ability to either block a predicted move (for example, blocking Thunder Wave) and net a free turn, or gain knowledge regarding the opposing Pokemon's set.

Nullifying Slaking

If the Substituting Pokémon is faster than Slaking, it can Substitute on Slaking's move, and then Substitute again on the turn that Slaking loafs in order to gain a free turn. If the Substituting Pokémon is slower, then it has to be able to take one hit from Slaking and survive with at least 25% health in order to gain the free turn. Slaking has the option of using Fury Swipes to counteract this strategy when it is used by frail Pokemon like Ninjask or Sceptile.

Substitute + Focus Punch

This is commonly referred to as 'SubPunch'. With a Substitute, Focus Punch is successful every time given that the opponent is not using a move that hits more than once in a single turn. Some popular examples of this are:

Gengar
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch

Gengar switches in on Snorlax without Shadow Ball or Blissey without Ice Beam / Thunderbolt (but don't switch in on Thunder Wave), Substitutes, and then proceeds to Focus Punch, Thunderbolt, or Ice Punch as necessary.

Tyranitar
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Punch

There will be more on this particular moveset when a special strategy regarding Substitute is explained in detail.

Substitute + Leech Seed

This is commonly referred to as 'SubSeed'. Two Pokémon that successfully execute this strategy are Sceptile and Jumpluff. The reason they are the best at doing this is because they both have high Speed. Another advantage is their low HP. This is somewhat counterintuitive, but lower HP is actually a good thing, because it means that Leech Seed recovers a higher percent of their max HP. The objective here is to make the opponent switch his Pokémon repeatedly, causing residual damage to build. Because of the switching variable, this works well with Spikes. Example:

Sceptile
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Leaf Blade
- Hidden Power Ice

With maximum Speed, Sceptile is faster than many Pokémon and uses Substitute before the opponent can move. Sceptile then Leech Seeds and proceeds to use Substitute again, or Leaf Blade if it nets a free turn. This strategy is specifically popular against Blissey, Snorlax, Suicune, or any other Pokémon with high HP, although it can work well against any slower Pokémon as well.

Substitute + Baton Pass

The idea here is to Substitute and then Baton Pass to pass that Substitute along to the next Pokémon. This is mainly used to check and see what Pokémon the opponent is going to switch to. This is especially useful on high Speed Pokemon. The reason for this is that your Pokemon can get a Substitute as they switch to a counter, and then you can Baton Pass to a Pokemon that resists whatever move they are using. If Jolteon is out with a Substitute, it can use Baton Pass to Gengar or Salamence if your opponent is likely to use Earthquake. Examples:

Jolteon
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Baton Pass
- Substitute

Here, Jolteon uses its superior Speed to Substitute and scout the opponent. For example, a common lead is Thunder Wave Zapdos, and Zapdos might use Thunder Wave in order to cripple Jolteon. However, with Substitute, Jolteon manages to block Thunder Wave and gain a free turn, during which it can pass the Substitute to any Pokémon that counters what the opponent currently has out.

Espeon
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Substitute
- Baton Pass

This set will not only Baton Pass Substitute, but Calm Minds as well. There is another Substitute oriented strategy at work here as well.

There will be more on this particular moveset when the secondary Substitute strategy utilized here is explained.

Substitute + Pressure

Using Substitute with a Pokémon with the Pressure trait will cause the opponent's Pokémon to lose PP at double the rate, all while doing minimal damage. This can also be paired with Protect to create an even more effective PP-stalling strategy. This works best on a fast Pokémon. Examples:

Aerodactyl
- Substitute
- Protect
- Filler
- Filler

Here, Substitute is used first and then Protect is used accordingly to wear down the opponent's PP. Other options include Absol, Zapdos, Suicune, although none of them work as well as Aerodactyl for Substitute Pressure PP stalling, mostly due to Aerodactyl's superior Speed.

Substitute + Belly Drum

This can be a very devastating combination when played correctly. The goal here is to Substitute while predicting a switch or non-damaging move, and then use Belly Drum. If the Pokémon's HP is divisible by 4, Salac Berry will activate and it will have a Speed boost as well as the Belly Drum attack boost. Examples:

Linoone
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Extremespeed
- Shadow Ball

First, Substitute is used and then, assuming the Substitute wasn't broken that turn, Belly Drum is used for the Attack boost and then the Salac Berry activation. The key factor to remember is that the HP must be divisible by 4 so that the Salac Berry activates directly after one Substitute and a Belly Drum.

Substitute + Flail / Reversal

The basis here is that if a Pokémon is holding a Salac Berry, it can simply Substitute four times and get the Salac Berry boost. Then, it uses either Reversal or Flail to sweep. Examples:

Heracross
- Substitute
- Reversal
- Megahorn
- Swords Dance / Focus Punch

This brings Heracross into Salac Berry range, brings Reversal up to 200 power, and activates Swarm for Megahorn. Focus Punch lets you hit Skarmory if it tries to wall you before you Substitute down, while Swords Dance helps you sweep if they switch as you Substitute.

Substitute + Calm Mind

Basically, the concept here is to Substitute and then proceed to Calm Mind against special attackers such as Starmie, Celebi, or Zapdos. The Substitutes won't break as Calm Mind increases Special Defense. Once safely behind a Substitute, the increased Special Attack gained by repeated uses of Calm Mind can then be used to sweep. Substitute serves to block status and absorb critical hits. Examples:

Jynx
- Lovely Kiss
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Substitute

Here, Jynx uses Substitute and then Calm Mind. Whatever it can't faint with Ice Beam, it puts to sleep with Lovely Kiss and then continues to Calm Mind. The two objectives here are to avoid Jynx becoming affected by a status effect and to Calm Mind enough so that Jynx's substitutes cannot be broken by special attackers. Substitute also allows Jynx to safely Calm Mind while the opponent is sleeping, so Jynx doesn't have to fear an early wake up or a surprise Sleep Talk.

Espeon
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Substitute
- Baton Pass

In addition to Baton Passing Substitutes, Espeon also Baton Passes Calm Minds. This set's full potential is realized when Espeon has Calm Minded against an opponent and then Baton Passed to a sweeper with a Substitute in front of it. In addition, the Substitute also allows Espeon to keep itself from getting paralyzed or poisoned, though it isn't harmed by this as much as Jynx.

Substitute + 404 HP

The main purpose of this is to counteract Seismic Toss or Night Shade. When a Pokémon with 404 or more HP creates a Substitute, the HP of the Substitute has 101 HP, requiring TWO Seismic Tosses to break. This means that if Blissey were to stay in, the Substituting Pokémon would get a "free turn."

Tyranitar
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Punch

This set, popularly known as "Tyraniboah", was designed to counter stall teams and specifically the Skarmory + Blissey combination. When Tyranitar Substitutes, Blissey's Seismic Toss cannot break that Substitute, allowing Tyranitar to Focus Punch the next turn without fear of being hit. The basis here is a combination of both the Substitute + Focus Punch and the Substitute + 404 HP ideas.

Putting it all together

At this juncture, Substitute's general utility should be evident to even newer players. An important fact to realize is that Substitute's truly devastating potential is revealed when combining two or more of the Substitute strategies. Here are two Pokémon that use two or more Substitute strategies:

Celebi
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Baton Pass
- Recover / Psychic

This Celebi combines Substitute + 404 HP, + Calm Mind, and + Baton Pass to form an excellent Baton Passer. Its Substitutes cannot be broken by a single Seismic Toss; it cannot easily be stopped by a special attacker; and of course, it can Baton Pass all the Calm Minds to another Pokémon!

Jirachi
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt

Here, Jirachi combines only two Substitute strategies, but is a very effective anti-special attacker Calm Minder. Jirachi Calm Minds up as it uses its Substitute to block Blissey from using Thunder Wave, blocks Snorlax from paralyzing with Body Slam, and keeps Dugtrio from revenge-killing it as easily. Even if Blissey doesn't have Thunder Wave, using Substitute will allow Jirachi to heal double the amount from Leftovers, so it's still a smart idea to use Substitute.

Several Pokémon are very effective because of the strategies they can pull off using Substitute and a combination of Substitute-specific strategies. Substitute is clearly one of the most important and diverse moves in the game, and with proper knowledge of the move, a competitively based Pokémon battler can add to his repertoire of viable strategies.
 
Sorry guys, I've been SERIOUSLY swamped by internship resume deadlines, research deadlines and papers.

I'll incorporate all the edits tonight.
 
Alright, I fixed what chaos mentioned (though I'm not exactly sure how to fix the wordiness problem in the first issue), and by linking to the analysis, AJC's problem is fixed.

Huge thanks to Obi for fixing the plural problem and making the guide easier to read with his edits. I incorporated all of your edits, thanks again.

Regarding IPL, Maddog and Jimbob, those are all valid points, but I don't think they are necessary for the guide. Mekkah (and now I) was just offering examples of how the strategy works, not what is necessarily the best. As for JimBob, I guess I could include that the Substitute is still up the next turn if you get it up while slower...but this is, to me anyway, very obvious.

Well, after editing in all of Obi's suggestions, I would say this is ready for the HTML part.

Btw, the "HTML ready" post is post #2 in this topic.

Thanks a lot guys!
 
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