First off, let me apologize for this taking so long. I know none of you probably knew I was writing it but I started this guide in late December and hadn't touched it until this week.
I think I got everything in it, all of the strategies that were seen in the JAA. I hope that this guide is up to the Smogon standards and I'm open to any criticism or changes. I'm sure there are some ways that it can be improved and I'd be honored if it were posted in the Smogon guide sections, preserving this unplayed ADV metagame.
As a heads up, I also have a guide in the works outlining all the secrets on how to create your entire NB team with fantastic IVs through breeding, how to EV train quickly, and how to level up in the shortest amount of time. I'm hoping that it will help many in preparing for D/P. Here is my guide:
FiveKRunner’s 2v2 Competitive Strategy Guide
So, I’m sure that some of you participated in the JAA and thought that all there is to 2v2 battling is throwing a few Pokemon together and having them attack until you win. However, the 2v2 metagame is much deeper than that. In fact there are a few select Pokemon/move combinations that work stunningly well to easily get the win against the average player. In this guide, I will outline them in great detail and provide the information on how they work and what their counters are. This guide starts by explaining the basics of the 2v2 metagame and then it branches into the deepest strategies that are at times hard to understand. You should know the importance of prediction, have some knowledge of common movesets, and be able to battle fairly well before you begin reading.
Part I: The 2v2 Metagame Basics
Double battling, or 2v2, is the metagame that was used for Nintendo’s 10th Anniversary Journey Across America (JAA) tournament. It pits 2 Pokemon of one trainer against 2 of another. Before the battles began, each player saw the other’s team of 6 and chose 4 Pokemon to send out into battle, based on how well they thought those Pokemon could counter their opponent’s team. The first one to KO all of their opponent’s Pokemon went on to the next round in the 64 man tournament. If no one had won at the end of 8 minutes (30 second time limits per turn), then the player with the most Pokemon remaining won the battle. If the battlers both had the same number of Pokemon in play, the higher total HP percentage won the battle. The Pokemon Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, and Deoxys (all forms) were not allowed in battle. On Netbattle, 2v2 battles are most often carried out with all 6 Pokemon since Stadium Mode on Netbattle only allows the use of 3 Pokemon instead of what it’s supposed to be, 4 Pokemon.
In 2v2 battling, there are 3 moves in particular that are very beneficial and can make or break the battle. In order of importance, they are:
1. Protect: this is what 2v2 is all about, predicting what the foe will do and stopping it cold. Without Protect, you’d find teams being wiped out be the fastest Exploder, double teamed by high power attacks, and plagued by status inducing moves. Protect keeps your Pokemon from taking any hits whatsoever during the turn whether it be from Leech Seed, Toxic, Hydro Pump, or Explosion. You will however, still have your moves sealed by Imprison if you Protect. It is necessary to read the opponent’s strategy, predict their next move, and attack accordingly. Almost every Pokemon in 2v2 battling carries Protect, just in case.
2. Fake Out: this move is even more valuable to some teams than others because of the fact that is has the ability to stop the foe from attacking. Fake Out allows a Pokemon that you just sent out to attack before the other does. In doing so, the Pokemon that was hit by Fake Out flinches and cannot do the selected attack for that turn. Be aware, however, that the Pokemon can only use Fake Out on the first turn it is sent into battle. If you withdraw it and send it back in, when it is sent back into battle, Fake Out can be used again. This is particularly useful if you want to keep the foe from attacking a Pokemon that you have on low health (Smeargle in Obi’s 2v2 strategy). By preventing the foe from attacking, you not only give your Pokemon that is low on health a chance to live but also a chance to attack and really mess with the opponent.
3. Endure: this move is most useful for Pokemon that rely on the stat upping berries that activate when the Pokemon is below ¼ of their total HP. Things like Endure Groudon can then outspeed anything and won’t be taken down at all unless the opponent has a Pokemon with Extremespeed, Quick Attack, Fake Out, or they themselves have their speed boosted from a berry, a Baton Passed stat up (extremely uncommon), or the weather.
This is the order in which priority moves function:
+6 Helping Hand
+5 Snatch, Magic Coat
+4 Follow Me
+3 Focus Punch (charge)
+2 Protect, Detect, Endure
+1 Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Extremespeed, Fake Out
*0 Sleep Talk, Everything else
-1 Vital Throw
-2 Focus Punch
-3 Revenge
-4 Counter, Mirror Coat
-5 Roar, Whirlwind
For more information on the way the move priority works, Obi has created this thread:
[/FONT]http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8795&highlight=move+priority
However, some moves are severely hurt in the 2v2 metagame, the main ones being Surf and Rockslide. This is because their base power is divided in half between the two opponents. A good way to tell if a move you want to use has it’s power halved or not is to test it out in a 2v2 battle. If the attack hits both opponents and your own Pokemon, such as Explosion and Earthquake, then the power is NOT reduced. If your ally Pokemon is not hit, the base power is divided between the two opponents. For this reason, Hydro Pump is used almost always over Surf for the fact that its power isn’t halved, even with its lower accuracy.
Part II: Common 2v2 Metagame Strategies
These are some of the most successful and cunning 2v2 strategies in the metagame (in no particular order):
1. Obi-mode
2. Imprison
3. Weather Abuse/Variable Weather
4. Top-Tier
5. Follow Me
6. Barrier/Stall Teams
7. The Shedinja Factor
Here, they are explained in greater depth:
1. Obi Mode: Created by Obi of Smogon, a detailed explanation of it can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?p=223817 .
It is a unique strategy that utilizes Smeargle’s ability to learn any move:
Smeargle (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Endeavor
- Endure
- Spore
- Extremespeed
By Enduring on the turn that you Explode with one of the fastest Exploders in the game, Mewtwo or Gengar depending on if it’s an OU or Uber 2v2 (not Electrode), you get yourself down you 1 HP. On the next turn, your Salac Berry has activated and you Spore one of the foes and Fake Out the other. Then, you Endeavor the one that isn’t asleep and finish off it off with your fast Fake Outer. If Rayquaza comes in, you simply use Fake Out on it. It is a truly amazing strategy that is hard to counter and extremely innovative.
It does have its counters though. The most effective one, as Obi said, is Fake Out. It completely stops Mewtwo from exploding and decreases Smeargle’s Endure chance to 50%. Also, if they use a -Sp Def nature or have low IVs on their Mewtwo, a Ludicolo Hydro Pump can OHKO Mewtwo. Even Protecting with both Pokemon on a Rain Team on turn #1, expecting it to be an Obi-Mode team, you won‘t beat it. After that, your Rain Dancer should always outspeed Smeargle but then their incoming Pokemon Fake Outs you and Smeargle Spores your other Pokemon. The next turn, you‘d have trouble coming back since you have one incapacitated Pokemon. Another way to counter it is through Endure-Swords Dance-Salac Groudon and Follow Me Clefable/Togetic (if you want to evade Groudon‘s EQ). A max speed Mewtwo can hit 319 attack. Selfdestruct doesn’t even OHKO Groudon, depending on your EVs. With no HP and Defense EVs, your Groudon barely survives. So, if you Swords Dance with Groudon and Protect with Clefable on turn #1 when Mewtwo explodes and Smeargle Endures, Groudon doubles his attack and Clefable is unscathed. You can then EQ with Groudon on the next turn and use Follow Me with Lum Berry Clefable to prevent Groudon from being put to Sleep. You can then sweep from there, Enduring later in the match. Since Follow Me goes before Fake Out, you don’t have to worry about Groudon being Spored. What matters though is that if you get to see your opponent’s team before the matchup, take note if they’re using Obi Mode and plan accordingly. These are the two most reliable Counters to the Obi Mode strategy.
2. Imprisonment Teams: This team works extremely well also. It is based mainly around these two Pokemon, I devised the strategy, asking Imawario for his opinion on it, turns out, he was using almost the exact same strategy for his JAA NYC finals. He hadn’t told anyone, so I don’t know who the credit goes to between us two for this ingenious Mewtwo coupled with ImprisonClops:
Dusclops (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 70 Def / 188 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Ice Beam/Earthquake
- Imprison
- Protect
- Shadow Ball
Mewtwo @ Lum Berry
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Fire Blast
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Selfdestruct
So, on turn #1, you Imprison with Dusclops, preventing the opponent from using any moves that Dusclops knows. and set up either Light Screen or Reflect with Mewtwo, depending on what your opponent relies on more. Fire Blast is for a random Metagross or Groudon that wouldn’t be as devastated by the Selfdestruct. On turn #2, Mewtwo explodes, hopefully KOing both of the foes and Dusclops does a random attack hoping for damage. Since he’s a Ghost, he will receive no damage from Selfdestruct. Then, you what you do from here is your choice. You can use Ice Beam on your Dusclops to prevent a Rayquaza that you bring in from being KOed, an awesome strategy, or you can give it Earthquake to completely stop Groudon, it’s your choice. The rest of your team can be anything, preferably with another Exploder or two like Snorlax, Gengar, Electrode or Shiftry or Qwilfish, depending on the weather. You could have some of the members of your team just be standard ubers for finishing out the battle, it’s up to you but it should be noted that Selfdestruct Snorlax is a powerful force that won’t die in 1 turn normally and can usually finish off the battle for you.
Counters to the ImprisonClops team include Obi Mode, thanks to Sporing their Exploder, making Dusclops their only active Pokemon, a weak attacker. Weather teams can also beat this team, if you’re using the right Pokemon. You’ll want to double target Dusclops and hope you do maximum damage to him, so that you can use Protect again as soon as possible. It should be noted, although it isn’t a common sight that a Pokemon with the Damp ability, such as Quagsire stops a Pokemon from using Explosion or Selfdestruct. This is very useful and totally stops this type of team until they KO Quagsire. A final Counter can be Swords Dance-Endure-Salac Groudon. If he SDs and then Endures a hit, this might spell doom for you unless you’re packing that amazing Rayquaza with Extremespeed that can’t be KOed thanks to Ice Beam being Imprisoned or your Dusclops has Imprisoned Earthquake. While Groudon could counter this strategy, if you know what you’re doing, he shouldn’t be a problem at all. Imprison and Explosion is a truly remarkable strategy that works most of the time.
3. Weather Abuse/Variable Weather Teams: These teams pack a lot of fire power but can be totally shut down at times if something goes wrong. They are by far the easiest to construct and are very reliable for the most part. I utilized this strategy at my JAA and it got me to the semifinals, only losing to some really bad hax.
It works by relying on Kyogre or Groudon. Then, you use a team filled with Pokemon that benefit from the rain or the sun. Pokemon that benefit from the rain usually have Swift Swim to double their speed, increase the power of their Water attacks, or the 100% accuracy of Thunder. Since Surf’s power is halved, you’ll find yourself using either Waterfall or Hydro Pump. Rain boosts the power of Water moves by 1.5. The sun users usually have Chlorophyll as an ability to double their speed, increase the power of their Fire attacks, or make Solar Beam a 1 turn move. Sunlight boosts the power of Fire moves by 1.5.
The following Pokemon have Swift Swim as an ability and are good fits for a 2v2 uber team:
Omastar (has amazing Sp Att)
Qwilfish (Selfdestruct first)
Kingdra
Ludicolo (also good because if Groudon is sent out, he can pack STAB Solar Beam to KO him, he adapts to both kinds of weather but is more useful in Rain)
Gorebyss (not as useful as the others with its low defenses)
Any strong water type with Hydro Pump can work well also but they won’t be quite as good as these since their speed is boosted. Also, any Pokemon with high special attack with Thunder can be put to use in the rain.
The following Pokemon have Chlorophyll as an ability and are good fits for a 2v2 uber team:
Exeggutor (can utilize Sleep Powder and has amazing Sp Att)
Jumpluff (can utilize Sleep Powder and dodges EQ)
Shiftry (Explosion)
Any strong fire type with Fire Blast can work well also but they won’t be quite as good as these since their speed is boosted. Also, any Pokemon with high special attack with Solar Beam can be put to use in the sun.
In general for a weather abuse team, you’re going to want to just fire away at the foes using Thunder, Hydro Pump, Solar Beam, and Fire Blast with high speed and Special Attack Pokemon. Pokemon that work well to fit this role can learn a wide variety of these moves. The ability to learn Ice Beam is nice also for the Dragons that you’ll encounter that resist most of those moves. The following Pokemon can learn both Solar Beam and Thunder, allowing you to use them in both weather conditions:
Mewtwo
Ho-oh (not the best choice since if you use it in the Rain, it may take a powered up Hydro Pump from the foe, he’s awesome in the sun though. However, only being obtained in Colosseum and not being able to reset for IVs, you won’t likely have a Ho-oh fit for battle)
Deoxys-FR (however, he is banned from tournaments like the JAA)
Latios/Latias
Mew (banned from most tournaments)
If you are playing in an OU 2v2 Tournament, Sunny Day and Rain Dance will have to be used, making this strategy quite a bit less useful because of the fact that it requires a turn to set up and the weather effect only lasts for 5 turns.
You will still want to consider using the Chlorophyllers in the Sun but without things such as Mewtwo and Ho-oh, you’ll want to consider Houndoom who learns both Solar Beam and Fire Blast. The same goes for Starmie and Lanturn in the Rain, they utilize Hydro Pump and Thunder.
For their absolute brute strength, Weather abuse teams aren’t that hard to counter, if you do it quickly. Any strong special wall will really slow them down. Blissey and Snorlax (especially if you can use Selfdestruct when they least expect it) can really absorb their special volleys.
Another way to counter it is with Rayquaza. The Air Lock ability negates all attack ups from the weather and speed boosting. All of those Chlorophyll Grass types and Ludicolo will be Protecting the turn he comes out in fear of an Aerial Ace. That is why a weather abuse team should always have Ice Beam on at least 2 or 3 Pokemon, to take down that Rayquaza. Golduck can also do this with his Cloud Nine ability in OU but since he doesn’t serve any other purpose, you won’t be seeing him really.
An additional counter is to take turn the tables on them. If you expect them to use a Rain team for example, send out your slow Groudon on turn #1 to force them to play in the Sun, putting a serious dent into their strategy. If you know your Groudon will outspeed their Kyogre (slower Pokemon determines weather), then send it out during turn #1, to reduce the damage the attacks will do and halve their Thunder accuracy. However, be weary, even an unboosted Hydro Pump will really hurt Groudon, try to let him take a Thunder instead.
A final feasible strategy is the use of Shedinja. This won’t work against Sun teams, though. Since most Rain team Pokemon carry Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Thunder, and Protect, they can’t touch Shedinja with his Wonder Guard ability. He would completely ravage these teams, never taking a single hit.
4. Top-Tier Teams: I like to call these teams Top-Tier teams because they utilize some of the strongest Pokemon in the game for their pure brute force. They are often combined with the key Pokemon of the Obi-Mode strategy to create a team that can be used in multiple ways.
There isn’t really a set way to go about battling this way. You simply pick 6 Pokemon that just pack power and send them into battle. You need to plan the battle so that you can minimize damage done to your team and maximize that done to the opposing team.
The most commonly seen Pokemon in this type of strategy are:
Mewtwo
Groudon
Kyogre
Rayquaza
Snorlax
Shedinja
Metagross (to some extent)
The standard Mewtwo that you will see in a Top-Tier team will have a moveset something like this:
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 110 Atk / 176 Spd / 224 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)/Naïve Nature (+Spd, - Sp Def)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Selfdestruct
This Mewtwo hits 374 Speed, outspeeding everything but Weather boosted Pokemon. The Att/Sp Att EVs are up to you in the end. This is a good mix that I used, giving it 400 Sp Att and quite a bit of Att for Exploding. It utilizes Boltbeam to cause at least neutral damage to everything, Protecting when you need to. When you are low on health, use Selfdestruct and Protect with your other Pokemon, hoping to KO 2 of the opponent’s Pokemon. Mewtwo can be very unpredictable and this set is great at KOing multiple foes.
Groudon can be used in many different ways. He can be used to set up weather support for something like a Solar Beam/Fire Blast Mewtwo or can be an all out attacker. However, the most common and at times devastating set is the Swords Dance-Endure-Salac Berry set. It works like this:
Groudon @ Salac Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 250 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Endure
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
Swords Dance as soon and as often as you can in the battle. Then, Endure when you think you’re going to be KOed. Groudon will live through both attacks and the Salac Berry will activate. The speed EVs that I gave him allow him to outspeed even Electrode after the Salac Berry. After it activates, Earthquake will be your primary attacking move. If the opponent has Fake Out or Extremespeed Rayquaza, this set is doomed. Your only hope when a Flying Pokemon comes out is for Rockslide to cause both of the foe’s Pokemon to flinch. While quite an effective set if none of those counters are present, it is easily messed up by them.
Kyogre would utilize the following moveset on a Top-Tier team:
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Protect
You just want to fire away with an array of special attacks, Protecting when needed. There isn’t really anything complicated about using him. The EVs are up to you, depending on what you prioritize, his speed or HP.
This would be the set of choice for a Rayquaza on a Top-Tier 2v2 team. One of his main objectives is to shut down Weather teams. The other is to eliminate Endurers and Obi Mode teams with no Fake Out Pokemon left.
Rayquaza @ Leftovers
Trait: Air Lock
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Protect
- Extremespeed
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]/Aerial Ace
The nature is up to you, Adamant or Jolly, depending on how much speed you think you need. You’ll want to always have Protect, being weary of Pokemon that may possess Ice Beam. You may want to try Dragon Claw over EQ if you don’t want to hurt your ally (that’s what Protect is for though) and because it has STAB and few Pokemon resist it.
The Top-Tier Snorlax is a beast to be feared. It absorbs hits amazingly and then deals massive damage. He is extremely difficult to take down by teams such as Weather Abusing teams. You will need a physical attacker such a Selfdestruct Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Groudon, or another Snorlax to take him down. Here is his most commonly used set:
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 60 HP / 176 Atk / 136 Def / 136 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Body Slam/Return
- Shadow Ball/Earthquake
- Selfdestruct
- Protect
The idea with Snorlax is to minimize damage taken by using him. A commonly seen strategy to waste the foe’s turns is to send out Rayquaza and say SDGroudon. Groudon can SD up on turn #1 while Rayquaza Protects, dodging an Ice Beam. If Groudon is still in good health, SD again, if not, Endure. They will know that Rayquaza can’t Protect again and go for the KO. To counter this, bring in Snorlax. With Thick Fat and its massive Sp Def, he won’t take more than 40 damage. You now have a set up Groudon, ready to Endure a Snorlax Selfdestruct and a sweep.
STAB Return on Snorlax deals massive damage while Body Slam provides the vital speed advantage. It is a nice 30% chance and since speed is so critical in 2v2 ubers, I’d personally go with Body Slam, despite its slightly reduced power. The opposing Pokemon may also be fully paralyzed, giving you a free turn, instead of just the speed advantage. I think that the benefits of Body Slam far outweigh its 17 less Power Points. Shadow Ball is generally a better choice for Ubers than EQ also. This is because of the Mewtwo, Lugia, Latios, etc. The many Psychic types will be hurt badly by Shadow Ball. Finally STAB Selfdestruct is the most powerful thing in the game. It will KO everything you see in 2v2 Ubers except maybe Metagross who it still deals 70-80% damage to.
Shedinja is used in a similar way as that of Snorlax, to minimize damage. By bringing him in on a predicted attack, you can nullify the foe’s turn and get a free one of your own. By scrolling down to #7, you can see where I outline the use of Shedinja in much more detail.
Metagross isn’t seen as often as the above Pokemon mainly because of his low Special Defense. The common Weather team simply tears him apart. He can do some damage with the following set, however:
Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 124 HP / 252 Atk / 132 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake/Protect
- Agility
The key is to Agility when you can, he will beat Electrode and almost all Weather Speed boosters. After that, you want to hit with STAB Meteor Mash to deal a lot of damage and hopefully raise your Attack, allowing Meteor Mash to do even more damage and eventually the same will go for Explosion. EQ when you have to and Explode when Metagross is low on health or when the opponent has done something stupid like having both Pokemon Protect.
There is no one counter to Top-Tier teams, it all depends on what Pokemon they are using. Obi Mode can beat them if they aren’t sporting an ES Rayquaza. Even then, a Fake Out Pokemon that has just been brought in can cause him to flinch while Smeargle Endeavors him down to 1 HP. Then, it can Extremespeed it for the KO. Additionally, Imprison teams can do a number on a Top-Tier team also, however, the SDEndureSalac Groudon can often do a number on the Dusclops used on Imprison teams. Weather teams are often, however, the most reliable counter with their matching amazing power. Sure, Rayquaza can shut them down temporarily but a bit of prediction, well playing, and an Ice Beam takes him down.
5. Follow Me Teams: Follow Me Teams rely on Pokemon that learn Follow Me to take attacks while another Pokemon easily sets up. The only Pokemon that can really take hits to set this up are Clefable and Togetic, who’s evolved form will become the premier Follow Me Pokemon in D/P with its increased stats. I like to use the following set for my Follow Me Pokemon:
Clefable (F) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 106 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Follow Me
- Light Screen
- Protect
- Reflect
Max HP is a must while you split the Defenses to make them roughly equal. Light Screen and Reflect are awesome to minimize damage taken. Protect is useful for when your other Pokemon will explode. Finally, Lum Berry MUST be equipped, otherwise, Obi-Mode’s Spore Smeargle will walk all over this, that is if the Exploder doesn’t first. You’ll have to Protect on the first turn to avoid damage there. The Follow Me Pokemon must not be statused, otherwise it may ruin the entire strategy.
There are many Pokemon that you can use to take advantage of the Follow Me strategy, one of them is Smeargle:
Smeargle (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 196 HP / 60 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Baton Pass
- Belly Drum
- Spore
- Substitute
If you use Spore on the first turn to eliminate one of the foe’s from attacking, your job will be much easier. Then, set up a Sub and Belly Drum. With these EVs, the Salac Berry will activate at this time (HP is divisible by 4). You can then Baton Pass the Sub, Salac Boost, and Belly Drum boost, all while your other Pokemon uses Follow Me. I like to pass the Belly Drum to either a Groudon in Ubers or a Salamence in OU. Earthquake from either of them always KOs the foe if they don’t resist. Since you have a Follow Me Pokemon, Groudon/Salamence can also use Rockslide, hopefully making both of the foes flinch (this is helped by King’s Rock). This is a Groudon set that you might want to pass Belly Drum to:
Groudon @ King's Rock
Trait: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Bug]
You can also use Follow Me while a Swords Dance Groudon like this one sets up, it has a much smaller chance of being countered by the opponent:
Groudon @ Salac Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Rockslide/Ancientpower/Physical Filler
- Earthquake
- Endure
SD as much as you can until the Follow Me Pokemon is KOed or until you’ve maxed out your attack. Then, attack away with STAB EQ. When you need to, Endure to activate the Salac Berry for an easy sweep.
Another option for a Pokemon to set up quickly while Follow Me is in play is Snorlax:
Snorlax (M) @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Immunity
EVs: 48 HP / 68 Atk / 216 Def / 176 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Return
- Shadow Ball/Earthquake/Protect
Belly Drum on the first Follow Me turn and Rest on the next one to recover health and wake up with the Chesto Berry. I don’t recommend this at all however due to that fact that Snorlax is so slow and cannot carry Protect in this set. I guess you could but it would be at the expense of an attacking move, thus not allowing you to KO Ghosts.
Those are the most commonly used Pokemon with Clefable or Togetic (Togekis in D/P has 30 more base HP, 10 more base Def, 10 more base Sp Def than Togetic plus massive Sp Att, which will make it the premier Follow Me Pokemon, especially since it‘s immune to your ally‘s EQ attack). You can also try other Pokemon that you may like to try to set up in 2v2 but the ones I pointed out above work best.
The main counter to Follow Me teams is Explosion and Earthquake, since they hit both foes. It is the simplest and easiest strategy to countering these teams, especially since they can often set up an Imprison Dusclops on the turn you’re stat upping.
Barrier and Stall teams can handle Follow Me teams fairly well. They can usually set up a Reflect with a Tankish Pokemon and greatly reduce any sweeping you thought you might do. Throw in a Toxic and you’ll be slowly marching towards being Koed.
Top Tier teams do a decent job of countering the Follow Me Pokemon’s heavy defenses by just throwing attacks at it to KO it as soon as possible. It isn’t a guarantee but can get the job done if you don’t have a huge weakness to the Pokemon that is upping its attack.
Obi Mode counters Follow Me teams depending on its timing in battle with its ability to take the Follow Me Pokemon down to 1 HP in a single turn, thus rendering them nearly useless. After that, it can start on the stat upped Pokemon. If the Clefable/Togetic has Lum Berry, they can forget about stopping you with Spore and will basically have to sacrifice the Smeargle, Fake Outing and Endeavoring the Follow Me Pokemon, leaving Smeargle susceptible the Pokemon that is setting up.
6. Barrier/Stall Teams: These teams aren’t widely used. They mainly consist of a few annoying Pokemon that are hard to take down. The Pokemon almost always have Recover and a way of upping their defense stats while slowly sapping the foe’s HP. These teams weren’t often seen at the JAA because of the fact that it had a time limit of 8 minutes per battle. The major flaw to these teams is that they lack a major attacker and a bit of bad luck with Critical Hits really hurts their chances later in the battle.
Stall teams easily handle Top Tier teams and Weather Abuse teams by absorbing the hits, recovering off the damage, and slowly sapping the foes health. There isn’t much they can do to stop them other than a well timed Explosion to take out a couple of the opposing team members.
A common staple of Stall teams is:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Recover
- Reflect
- Toxic
- Protect
With Reflect, you severely limit any damage that Exploders thought they might do by increasing both of your Pokemon’s defense by 1/3. Toxic slowly drains their health and Recover is there to stall them out. Protect to slowly stall away those low PP, high power moves with Pressure.
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Def / 236 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Softboiled
- Protect
- Toxic/Thunder Wave
- Light Screen
Blissey can do well in the 2v2 Uber environment as a special absorber with its high Sp Def and titanic HP. Light Screen only makes it harder to take down and Toxic once again provides a slow, but eventual death.
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 108 HP / 118 Atk / 216 Def / 68 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Protect
- Shadow Ball
- Selfdestruct
Snorlax plays a similar role to Blissey, only being different in that it can attack. You’ll most often find yourself coming in to absorb Ice Beams with Thick Fat to protect your Rayquaza. After that, you’re likely to want to use Body Slam to inflict Paralysis on the foe. Since so many Pokemon in 2v2 Ubers rely so desperately on their speed as their main strength, this will seriously disable them and only give them a 50% chance of attacking every turn. Selfdestructing when the foe least expects it can often end any chances they had of winning.
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 82 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish/Recover
- Light Screen/Reflect/Helping Hand
- Toxic/Thunder Wave/Special Filler
Latias is a 2v2 monster. It has a huge move pool and massive HP and Defenses. It can do virtually anything that your team needs. Not only that but it is immune to EQ, making it a great Pokemon to team up with something like Groudon who wants to EQ without having to hurt his ally. Latias will not go down easily, having weaknesses to only Ice, Dragon, Dark, Ghost, and Bug.
Ludicolo (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Spd / 168 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic/Hydro Pump
- Leech Seed/Hydro Pump
- Synthesis
- Protect
Ludicolo can work on stall teams also, with his high defenses and wide variety of annoying moves. However, you won’t want to use Rain Dish a lot of the time since the speed that Swift Swim provides almost always is more advantageous by allowing you to use Synthesis first, something that Rain Dish’s small HP recovery probably wouldn’t help you with when you’re low on HP.
Often times on your Barrier/Stall team, you’ll want some offense to compensate for the overall lack of attack power. Stall teams can often be integrated with Top Tier teams to create power and support. Throwing in something like SDEndSalac Groudon with all of these Fliers who are immune to EQ would be a huge asset. You can also try to get some quick power using the Swagger-Persim strategy outlined below.
Counters to the Stall team are led by Obi mode. It absolutely shuts these teams down and stops anything that they were hoping to set up.
Imprison teams can often handle a Stall team since if it can take out the first main walls before they get a chance to set a Reflect up. Often times however, a Pokemon such as Lugia has a chance of surviving the Explosion. A STAB Selfdestruct from a 300 Att Snorlax can leave a max HP and max Def Lugia without a Reflect up with 13% health left. Other Exploders won’t come close often times. The key is to get the Lugia before it can Reflect and hopefully finish it off with another Exploder before it can Recover.
7. The Shedinja Factor: Shedinja is a wildcard Pokemon in the 2v2 environment. With its ability, Wonderguard, it is only hit by the attack types that it is weak to: Fire, Ghost, Dark, Flying, and Rock. If the opponent has no Pokemon with moves to KO it before the battle begins, it’s already over.
You should always have one or two Pokemon with moves that are capable of KOing this guy. Make sure that you keep at least one of them until the end since they do you no good if they’re KOed before he comes into the battle.
The thing that makes Shedinja viable in the 2v2 Uber metagame is that its main weaknesses of Sandstream, Spikes, and status effects for the most part, are absent.
The advantages of using him are that he can come into play to absorb virtually any attack that isn’t super effective against him, a great asset to your team. He can also force switches if the opponent has nothing to KO him, allowing him to make a free move. If they do likely have a KOing attack, it is to your benefit to use Protect to waste one of their turns and give your other Pokemon a chance to deal some damage. This would be a good 2v2 Uber set for Shedinja:
Shedinja @ Lum Berry
Trait: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SAtk
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Protect
- Toxic/Thief
- Silver Wind
- Shadow Ball
Lum Berry allows him to eliminate any Toxic or Burn that may KO him and keep on fighting. Thief can hurt foes that switch in by stealing their item (if you aren’t holding one). His two attacking moves both get STAB and do a number on the heavy amount of Pokemon in the Uber metagame that are of the Psychic type.
8. Other Minor Strategies:
Swagger-Persim: by equipping a Pokemon such as Groudon with a Persim Berry and having a faster Flying Pokemon Swagger it on the opening turn while it EQs:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 176 Spd / 26 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -Sp Atk)
- Swagger
- Recover
- Protect
- Toxic/Light Screen/Aeroblast
Groudon @ Persim Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Overheat/Physical Filler
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Protect
Lugia Swaggers Groudon on turn #1 while his Persim Berry activates to eliminate confusion. Groudon attacks on turn #1, basically with a free Swords Dance. By combining these Pokemon with aspects of a top tier team, you can get the ball rolling in a 2v2 match very early, which is to your advantage.
There isn’t really anything you can do to stop a Lugia from Swaggering its own Groudon other than hitting it with a Hydro Pump or Ice Beam. Hopefully with its lack of EVs in HP that are instead pumped into Speed, it will be enough to KO it.
Skill Swap: this is another potential strategy, however is almost never viable. By using Skill Swap Medicham, you can pass Pure Power onto another Pokemon for doubled attack. However, this is often easy to predict and the opponent will target the Pokemon that will receive the attack boost.
Slaking can also have Truant Swapped from it in order to allow it to attack freely every turn. By allowing Medicham to Swap Pure Power with it, you have an amazing setup right off the bat, however, even the least experienced opponents usually won’t let you set that up.
A Slaking can also have other traits Swapped to it. Swapping Own Temp (doesn’t allow confusion) with a Slowbro that can then Swagger the Slaking on later turns is a very clever strategy but will again, most likely not work.
If for some reason your opponent does get a Slaking set up, you’re going to want to it hit with fast special attackers since he has a hideous Sp Def stat. To prevent this from even starting, just attack the Pokemon that you anticipate will get Pure Power Swapped to it or Truant swapped from it and attack it relentlessly until it’s knocked out.
Part III: Picking Your Team
You now know all of the major strategies that will be utilized competitively in the 2v2 Uber metagame. Some have amazing strengths but specific weaknesses that you should know how to exploit. A lot of what these 2v2 teams come down to is Rock-Paper-Scissors, who’s team has the advantage in the battle?
Pick your team out of one of these strategies based on what you think will be the counter to the team your opponent is running.
Through picking an intelligent team and creating the right support on it, you shouldn’t run into much trouble. Take the time to think through how you can compensate for weaknesses on your strategy with specific Pokemon. Always be looking for ways that you can support that strategy that you choose and allow it to endure the battle. Above all though, think the battle through. The 2v2 metagame always has unique teams in it and you should be prepared for the worst. Go into each battle expecting the unexpected.
I think I got everything in it, all of the strategies that were seen in the JAA. I hope that this guide is up to the Smogon standards and I'm open to any criticism or changes. I'm sure there are some ways that it can be improved and I'd be honored if it were posted in the Smogon guide sections, preserving this unplayed ADV metagame.
As a heads up, I also have a guide in the works outlining all the secrets on how to create your entire NB team with fantastic IVs through breeding, how to EV train quickly, and how to level up in the shortest amount of time. I'm hoping that it will help many in preparing for D/P. Here is my guide:
FiveKRunner’s 2v2 Competitive Strategy Guide
So, I’m sure that some of you participated in the JAA and thought that all there is to 2v2 battling is throwing a few Pokemon together and having them attack until you win. However, the 2v2 metagame is much deeper than that. In fact there are a few select Pokemon/move combinations that work stunningly well to easily get the win against the average player. In this guide, I will outline them in great detail and provide the information on how they work and what their counters are. This guide starts by explaining the basics of the 2v2 metagame and then it branches into the deepest strategies that are at times hard to understand. You should know the importance of prediction, have some knowledge of common movesets, and be able to battle fairly well before you begin reading.
Part I: The 2v2 Metagame Basics
Double battling, or 2v2, is the metagame that was used for Nintendo’s 10th Anniversary Journey Across America (JAA) tournament. It pits 2 Pokemon of one trainer against 2 of another. Before the battles began, each player saw the other’s team of 6 and chose 4 Pokemon to send out into battle, based on how well they thought those Pokemon could counter their opponent’s team. The first one to KO all of their opponent’s Pokemon went on to the next round in the 64 man tournament. If no one had won at the end of 8 minutes (30 second time limits per turn), then the player with the most Pokemon remaining won the battle. If the battlers both had the same number of Pokemon in play, the higher total HP percentage won the battle. The Pokemon Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, and Deoxys (all forms) were not allowed in battle. On Netbattle, 2v2 battles are most often carried out with all 6 Pokemon since Stadium Mode on Netbattle only allows the use of 3 Pokemon instead of what it’s supposed to be, 4 Pokemon.
In 2v2 battling, there are 3 moves in particular that are very beneficial and can make or break the battle. In order of importance, they are:
1. Protect: this is what 2v2 is all about, predicting what the foe will do and stopping it cold. Without Protect, you’d find teams being wiped out be the fastest Exploder, double teamed by high power attacks, and plagued by status inducing moves. Protect keeps your Pokemon from taking any hits whatsoever during the turn whether it be from Leech Seed, Toxic, Hydro Pump, or Explosion. You will however, still have your moves sealed by Imprison if you Protect. It is necessary to read the opponent’s strategy, predict their next move, and attack accordingly. Almost every Pokemon in 2v2 battling carries Protect, just in case.
2. Fake Out: this move is even more valuable to some teams than others because of the fact that is has the ability to stop the foe from attacking. Fake Out allows a Pokemon that you just sent out to attack before the other does. In doing so, the Pokemon that was hit by Fake Out flinches and cannot do the selected attack for that turn. Be aware, however, that the Pokemon can only use Fake Out on the first turn it is sent into battle. If you withdraw it and send it back in, when it is sent back into battle, Fake Out can be used again. This is particularly useful if you want to keep the foe from attacking a Pokemon that you have on low health (Smeargle in Obi’s 2v2 strategy). By preventing the foe from attacking, you not only give your Pokemon that is low on health a chance to live but also a chance to attack and really mess with the opponent.
3. Endure: this move is most useful for Pokemon that rely on the stat upping berries that activate when the Pokemon is below ¼ of their total HP. Things like Endure Groudon can then outspeed anything and won’t be taken down at all unless the opponent has a Pokemon with Extremespeed, Quick Attack, Fake Out, or they themselves have their speed boosted from a berry, a Baton Passed stat up (extremely uncommon), or the weather.
This is the order in which priority moves function:
+6 Helping Hand
+5 Snatch, Magic Coat
+4 Follow Me
+3 Focus Punch (charge)
+2 Protect, Detect, Endure
+1 Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Extremespeed, Fake Out
*0 Sleep Talk, Everything else
-1 Vital Throw
-2 Focus Punch
-3 Revenge
-4 Counter, Mirror Coat
-5 Roar, Whirlwind
For more information on the way the move priority works, Obi has created this thread:
[/FONT]http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8795&highlight=move+priority
However, some moves are severely hurt in the 2v2 metagame, the main ones being Surf and Rockslide. This is because their base power is divided in half between the two opponents. A good way to tell if a move you want to use has it’s power halved or not is to test it out in a 2v2 battle. If the attack hits both opponents and your own Pokemon, such as Explosion and Earthquake, then the power is NOT reduced. If your ally Pokemon is not hit, the base power is divided between the two opponents. For this reason, Hydro Pump is used almost always over Surf for the fact that its power isn’t halved, even with its lower accuracy.
Part II: Common 2v2 Metagame Strategies
These are some of the most successful and cunning 2v2 strategies in the metagame (in no particular order):
1. Obi-mode
2. Imprison
3. Weather Abuse/Variable Weather
4. Top-Tier
5. Follow Me
6. Barrier/Stall Teams
7. The Shedinja Factor
Here, they are explained in greater depth:
1. Obi Mode: Created by Obi of Smogon, a detailed explanation of it can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?p=223817 .
It is a unique strategy that utilizes Smeargle’s ability to learn any move:
Smeargle (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Endeavor
- Endure
- Spore
- Extremespeed
By Enduring on the turn that you Explode with one of the fastest Exploders in the game, Mewtwo or Gengar depending on if it’s an OU or Uber 2v2 (not Electrode), you get yourself down you 1 HP. On the next turn, your Salac Berry has activated and you Spore one of the foes and Fake Out the other. Then, you Endeavor the one that isn’t asleep and finish off it off with your fast Fake Outer. If Rayquaza comes in, you simply use Fake Out on it. It is a truly amazing strategy that is hard to counter and extremely innovative.
It does have its counters though. The most effective one, as Obi said, is Fake Out. It completely stops Mewtwo from exploding and decreases Smeargle’s Endure chance to 50%. Also, if they use a -Sp Def nature or have low IVs on their Mewtwo, a Ludicolo Hydro Pump can OHKO Mewtwo. Even Protecting with both Pokemon on a Rain Team on turn #1, expecting it to be an Obi-Mode team, you won‘t beat it. After that, your Rain Dancer should always outspeed Smeargle but then their incoming Pokemon Fake Outs you and Smeargle Spores your other Pokemon. The next turn, you‘d have trouble coming back since you have one incapacitated Pokemon. Another way to counter it is through Endure-Swords Dance-Salac Groudon and Follow Me Clefable/Togetic (if you want to evade Groudon‘s EQ). A max speed Mewtwo can hit 319 attack. Selfdestruct doesn’t even OHKO Groudon, depending on your EVs. With no HP and Defense EVs, your Groudon barely survives. So, if you Swords Dance with Groudon and Protect with Clefable on turn #1 when Mewtwo explodes and Smeargle Endures, Groudon doubles his attack and Clefable is unscathed. You can then EQ with Groudon on the next turn and use Follow Me with Lum Berry Clefable to prevent Groudon from being put to Sleep. You can then sweep from there, Enduring later in the match. Since Follow Me goes before Fake Out, you don’t have to worry about Groudon being Spored. What matters though is that if you get to see your opponent’s team before the matchup, take note if they’re using Obi Mode and plan accordingly. These are the two most reliable Counters to the Obi Mode strategy.
2. Imprisonment Teams: This team works extremely well also. It is based mainly around these two Pokemon, I devised the strategy, asking Imawario for his opinion on it, turns out, he was using almost the exact same strategy for his JAA NYC finals. He hadn’t told anyone, so I don’t know who the credit goes to between us two for this ingenious Mewtwo coupled with ImprisonClops:
Dusclops (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 70 Def / 188 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Ice Beam/Earthquake
- Imprison
- Protect
- Shadow Ball
Mewtwo @ Lum Berry
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Fire Blast
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Selfdestruct
So, on turn #1, you Imprison with Dusclops, preventing the opponent from using any moves that Dusclops knows. and set up either Light Screen or Reflect with Mewtwo, depending on what your opponent relies on more. Fire Blast is for a random Metagross or Groudon that wouldn’t be as devastated by the Selfdestruct. On turn #2, Mewtwo explodes, hopefully KOing both of the foes and Dusclops does a random attack hoping for damage. Since he’s a Ghost, he will receive no damage from Selfdestruct. Then, you what you do from here is your choice. You can use Ice Beam on your Dusclops to prevent a Rayquaza that you bring in from being KOed, an awesome strategy, or you can give it Earthquake to completely stop Groudon, it’s your choice. The rest of your team can be anything, preferably with another Exploder or two like Snorlax, Gengar, Electrode or Shiftry or Qwilfish, depending on the weather. You could have some of the members of your team just be standard ubers for finishing out the battle, it’s up to you but it should be noted that Selfdestruct Snorlax is a powerful force that won’t die in 1 turn normally and can usually finish off the battle for you.
Counters to the ImprisonClops team include Obi Mode, thanks to Sporing their Exploder, making Dusclops their only active Pokemon, a weak attacker. Weather teams can also beat this team, if you’re using the right Pokemon. You’ll want to double target Dusclops and hope you do maximum damage to him, so that you can use Protect again as soon as possible. It should be noted, although it isn’t a common sight that a Pokemon with the Damp ability, such as Quagsire stops a Pokemon from using Explosion or Selfdestruct. This is very useful and totally stops this type of team until they KO Quagsire. A final Counter can be Swords Dance-Endure-Salac Groudon. If he SDs and then Endures a hit, this might spell doom for you unless you’re packing that amazing Rayquaza with Extremespeed that can’t be KOed thanks to Ice Beam being Imprisoned or your Dusclops has Imprisoned Earthquake. While Groudon could counter this strategy, if you know what you’re doing, he shouldn’t be a problem at all. Imprison and Explosion is a truly remarkable strategy that works most of the time.
3. Weather Abuse/Variable Weather Teams: These teams pack a lot of fire power but can be totally shut down at times if something goes wrong. They are by far the easiest to construct and are very reliable for the most part. I utilized this strategy at my JAA and it got me to the semifinals, only losing to some really bad hax.
It works by relying on Kyogre or Groudon. Then, you use a team filled with Pokemon that benefit from the rain or the sun. Pokemon that benefit from the rain usually have Swift Swim to double their speed, increase the power of their Water attacks, or the 100% accuracy of Thunder. Since Surf’s power is halved, you’ll find yourself using either Waterfall or Hydro Pump. Rain boosts the power of Water moves by 1.5. The sun users usually have Chlorophyll as an ability to double their speed, increase the power of their Fire attacks, or make Solar Beam a 1 turn move. Sunlight boosts the power of Fire moves by 1.5.
The following Pokemon have Swift Swim as an ability and are good fits for a 2v2 uber team:
Omastar (has amazing Sp Att)
Qwilfish (Selfdestruct first)
Kingdra
Ludicolo (also good because if Groudon is sent out, he can pack STAB Solar Beam to KO him, he adapts to both kinds of weather but is more useful in Rain)
Gorebyss (not as useful as the others with its low defenses)
Any strong water type with Hydro Pump can work well also but they won’t be quite as good as these since their speed is boosted. Also, any Pokemon with high special attack with Thunder can be put to use in the rain.
The following Pokemon have Chlorophyll as an ability and are good fits for a 2v2 uber team:
Exeggutor (can utilize Sleep Powder and has amazing Sp Att)
Jumpluff (can utilize Sleep Powder and dodges EQ)
Shiftry (Explosion)
Any strong fire type with Fire Blast can work well also but they won’t be quite as good as these since their speed is boosted. Also, any Pokemon with high special attack with Solar Beam can be put to use in the sun.
In general for a weather abuse team, you’re going to want to just fire away at the foes using Thunder, Hydro Pump, Solar Beam, and Fire Blast with high speed and Special Attack Pokemon. Pokemon that work well to fit this role can learn a wide variety of these moves. The ability to learn Ice Beam is nice also for the Dragons that you’ll encounter that resist most of those moves. The following Pokemon can learn both Solar Beam and Thunder, allowing you to use them in both weather conditions:
Mewtwo
Ho-oh (not the best choice since if you use it in the Rain, it may take a powered up Hydro Pump from the foe, he’s awesome in the sun though. However, only being obtained in Colosseum and not being able to reset for IVs, you won’t likely have a Ho-oh fit for battle)
Deoxys-FR (however, he is banned from tournaments like the JAA)
Latios/Latias
Mew (banned from most tournaments)
If you are playing in an OU 2v2 Tournament, Sunny Day and Rain Dance will have to be used, making this strategy quite a bit less useful because of the fact that it requires a turn to set up and the weather effect only lasts for 5 turns.
You will still want to consider using the Chlorophyllers in the Sun but without things such as Mewtwo and Ho-oh, you’ll want to consider Houndoom who learns both Solar Beam and Fire Blast. The same goes for Starmie and Lanturn in the Rain, they utilize Hydro Pump and Thunder.
For their absolute brute strength, Weather abuse teams aren’t that hard to counter, if you do it quickly. Any strong special wall will really slow them down. Blissey and Snorlax (especially if you can use Selfdestruct when they least expect it) can really absorb their special volleys.
Another way to counter it is with Rayquaza. The Air Lock ability negates all attack ups from the weather and speed boosting. All of those Chlorophyll Grass types and Ludicolo will be Protecting the turn he comes out in fear of an Aerial Ace. That is why a weather abuse team should always have Ice Beam on at least 2 or 3 Pokemon, to take down that Rayquaza. Golduck can also do this with his Cloud Nine ability in OU but since he doesn’t serve any other purpose, you won’t be seeing him really.
An additional counter is to take turn the tables on them. If you expect them to use a Rain team for example, send out your slow Groudon on turn #1 to force them to play in the Sun, putting a serious dent into their strategy. If you know your Groudon will outspeed their Kyogre (slower Pokemon determines weather), then send it out during turn #1, to reduce the damage the attacks will do and halve their Thunder accuracy. However, be weary, even an unboosted Hydro Pump will really hurt Groudon, try to let him take a Thunder instead.
A final feasible strategy is the use of Shedinja. This won’t work against Sun teams, though. Since most Rain team Pokemon carry Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Thunder, and Protect, they can’t touch Shedinja with his Wonder Guard ability. He would completely ravage these teams, never taking a single hit.
4. Top-Tier Teams: I like to call these teams Top-Tier teams because they utilize some of the strongest Pokemon in the game for their pure brute force. They are often combined with the key Pokemon of the Obi-Mode strategy to create a team that can be used in multiple ways.
There isn’t really a set way to go about battling this way. You simply pick 6 Pokemon that just pack power and send them into battle. You need to plan the battle so that you can minimize damage done to your team and maximize that done to the opposing team.
The most commonly seen Pokemon in this type of strategy are:
Mewtwo
Groudon
Kyogre
Rayquaza
Snorlax
Shedinja
Metagross (to some extent)
The standard Mewtwo that you will see in a Top-Tier team will have a moveset something like this:
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 110 Atk / 176 Spd / 224 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)/Naïve Nature (+Spd, - Sp Def)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Selfdestruct
This Mewtwo hits 374 Speed, outspeeding everything but Weather boosted Pokemon. The Att/Sp Att EVs are up to you in the end. This is a good mix that I used, giving it 400 Sp Att and quite a bit of Att for Exploding. It utilizes Boltbeam to cause at least neutral damage to everything, Protecting when you need to. When you are low on health, use Selfdestruct and Protect with your other Pokemon, hoping to KO 2 of the opponent’s Pokemon. Mewtwo can be very unpredictable and this set is great at KOing multiple foes.
Groudon can be used in many different ways. He can be used to set up weather support for something like a Solar Beam/Fire Blast Mewtwo or can be an all out attacker. However, the most common and at times devastating set is the Swords Dance-Endure-Salac Berry set. It works like this:
Groudon @ Salac Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 250 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Endure
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
Swords Dance as soon and as often as you can in the battle. Then, Endure when you think you’re going to be KOed. Groudon will live through both attacks and the Salac Berry will activate. The speed EVs that I gave him allow him to outspeed even Electrode after the Salac Berry. After it activates, Earthquake will be your primary attacking move. If the opponent has Fake Out or Extremespeed Rayquaza, this set is doomed. Your only hope when a Flying Pokemon comes out is for Rockslide to cause both of the foe’s Pokemon to flinch. While quite an effective set if none of those counters are present, it is easily messed up by them.
Kyogre would utilize the following moveset on a Top-Tier team:
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Protect
You just want to fire away with an array of special attacks, Protecting when needed. There isn’t really anything complicated about using him. The EVs are up to you, depending on what you prioritize, his speed or HP.
This would be the set of choice for a Rayquaza on a Top-Tier 2v2 team. One of his main objectives is to shut down Weather teams. The other is to eliminate Endurers and Obi Mode teams with no Fake Out Pokemon left.
Rayquaza @ Leftovers
Trait: Air Lock
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Protect
- Extremespeed
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]/Aerial Ace
The nature is up to you, Adamant or Jolly, depending on how much speed you think you need. You’ll want to always have Protect, being weary of Pokemon that may possess Ice Beam. You may want to try Dragon Claw over EQ if you don’t want to hurt your ally (that’s what Protect is for though) and because it has STAB and few Pokemon resist it.
The Top-Tier Snorlax is a beast to be feared. It absorbs hits amazingly and then deals massive damage. He is extremely difficult to take down by teams such as Weather Abusing teams. You will need a physical attacker such a Selfdestruct Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Groudon, or another Snorlax to take him down. Here is his most commonly used set:
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 60 HP / 176 Atk / 136 Def / 136 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Body Slam/Return
- Shadow Ball/Earthquake
- Selfdestruct
- Protect
The idea with Snorlax is to minimize damage taken by using him. A commonly seen strategy to waste the foe’s turns is to send out Rayquaza and say SDGroudon. Groudon can SD up on turn #1 while Rayquaza Protects, dodging an Ice Beam. If Groudon is still in good health, SD again, if not, Endure. They will know that Rayquaza can’t Protect again and go for the KO. To counter this, bring in Snorlax. With Thick Fat and its massive Sp Def, he won’t take more than 40 damage. You now have a set up Groudon, ready to Endure a Snorlax Selfdestruct and a sweep.
STAB Return on Snorlax deals massive damage while Body Slam provides the vital speed advantage. It is a nice 30% chance and since speed is so critical in 2v2 ubers, I’d personally go with Body Slam, despite its slightly reduced power. The opposing Pokemon may also be fully paralyzed, giving you a free turn, instead of just the speed advantage. I think that the benefits of Body Slam far outweigh its 17 less Power Points. Shadow Ball is generally a better choice for Ubers than EQ also. This is because of the Mewtwo, Lugia, Latios, etc. The many Psychic types will be hurt badly by Shadow Ball. Finally STAB Selfdestruct is the most powerful thing in the game. It will KO everything you see in 2v2 Ubers except maybe Metagross who it still deals 70-80% damage to.
Shedinja is used in a similar way as that of Snorlax, to minimize damage. By bringing him in on a predicted attack, you can nullify the foe’s turn and get a free one of your own. By scrolling down to #7, you can see where I outline the use of Shedinja in much more detail.
Metagross isn’t seen as often as the above Pokemon mainly because of his low Special Defense. The common Weather team simply tears him apart. He can do some damage with the following set, however:
Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 124 HP / 252 Atk / 132 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake/Protect
- Agility
The key is to Agility when you can, he will beat Electrode and almost all Weather Speed boosters. After that, you want to hit with STAB Meteor Mash to deal a lot of damage and hopefully raise your Attack, allowing Meteor Mash to do even more damage and eventually the same will go for Explosion. EQ when you have to and Explode when Metagross is low on health or when the opponent has done something stupid like having both Pokemon Protect.
There is no one counter to Top-Tier teams, it all depends on what Pokemon they are using. Obi Mode can beat them if they aren’t sporting an ES Rayquaza. Even then, a Fake Out Pokemon that has just been brought in can cause him to flinch while Smeargle Endeavors him down to 1 HP. Then, it can Extremespeed it for the KO. Additionally, Imprison teams can do a number on a Top-Tier team also, however, the SDEndureSalac Groudon can often do a number on the Dusclops used on Imprison teams. Weather teams are often, however, the most reliable counter with their matching amazing power. Sure, Rayquaza can shut them down temporarily but a bit of prediction, well playing, and an Ice Beam takes him down.
5. Follow Me Teams: Follow Me Teams rely on Pokemon that learn Follow Me to take attacks while another Pokemon easily sets up. The only Pokemon that can really take hits to set this up are Clefable and Togetic, who’s evolved form will become the premier Follow Me Pokemon in D/P with its increased stats. I like to use the following set for my Follow Me Pokemon:
Clefable (F) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 106 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Follow Me
- Light Screen
- Protect
- Reflect
Max HP is a must while you split the Defenses to make them roughly equal. Light Screen and Reflect are awesome to minimize damage taken. Protect is useful for when your other Pokemon will explode. Finally, Lum Berry MUST be equipped, otherwise, Obi-Mode’s Spore Smeargle will walk all over this, that is if the Exploder doesn’t first. You’ll have to Protect on the first turn to avoid damage there. The Follow Me Pokemon must not be statused, otherwise it may ruin the entire strategy.
There are many Pokemon that you can use to take advantage of the Follow Me strategy, one of them is Smeargle:
Smeargle (M) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 196 HP / 60 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Baton Pass
- Belly Drum
- Spore
- Substitute
If you use Spore on the first turn to eliminate one of the foe’s from attacking, your job will be much easier. Then, set up a Sub and Belly Drum. With these EVs, the Salac Berry will activate at this time (HP is divisible by 4). You can then Baton Pass the Sub, Salac Boost, and Belly Drum boost, all while your other Pokemon uses Follow Me. I like to pass the Belly Drum to either a Groudon in Ubers or a Salamence in OU. Earthquake from either of them always KOs the foe if they don’t resist. Since you have a Follow Me Pokemon, Groudon/Salamence can also use Rockslide, hopefully making both of the foes flinch (this is helped by King’s Rock). This is a Groudon set that you might want to pass Belly Drum to:
Groudon @ King's Rock
Trait: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Bug]
You can also use Follow Me while a Swords Dance Groudon like this one sets up, it has a much smaller chance of being countered by the opponent:
Groudon @ Salac Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Rockslide/Ancientpower/Physical Filler
- Earthquake
- Endure
SD as much as you can until the Follow Me Pokemon is KOed or until you’ve maxed out your attack. Then, attack away with STAB EQ. When you need to, Endure to activate the Salac Berry for an easy sweep.
Another option for a Pokemon to set up quickly while Follow Me is in play is Snorlax:
Snorlax (M) @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Immunity
EVs: 48 HP / 68 Atk / 216 Def / 176 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Belly Drum
- Return
- Shadow Ball/Earthquake/Protect
Belly Drum on the first Follow Me turn and Rest on the next one to recover health and wake up with the Chesto Berry. I don’t recommend this at all however due to that fact that Snorlax is so slow and cannot carry Protect in this set. I guess you could but it would be at the expense of an attacking move, thus not allowing you to KO Ghosts.
Those are the most commonly used Pokemon with Clefable or Togetic (Togekis in D/P has 30 more base HP, 10 more base Def, 10 more base Sp Def than Togetic plus massive Sp Att, which will make it the premier Follow Me Pokemon, especially since it‘s immune to your ally‘s EQ attack). You can also try other Pokemon that you may like to try to set up in 2v2 but the ones I pointed out above work best.
The main counter to Follow Me teams is Explosion and Earthquake, since they hit both foes. It is the simplest and easiest strategy to countering these teams, especially since they can often set up an Imprison Dusclops on the turn you’re stat upping.
Barrier and Stall teams can handle Follow Me teams fairly well. They can usually set up a Reflect with a Tankish Pokemon and greatly reduce any sweeping you thought you might do. Throw in a Toxic and you’ll be slowly marching towards being Koed.
Top Tier teams do a decent job of countering the Follow Me Pokemon’s heavy defenses by just throwing attacks at it to KO it as soon as possible. It isn’t a guarantee but can get the job done if you don’t have a huge weakness to the Pokemon that is upping its attack.
Obi Mode counters Follow Me teams depending on its timing in battle with its ability to take the Follow Me Pokemon down to 1 HP in a single turn, thus rendering them nearly useless. After that, it can start on the stat upped Pokemon. If the Clefable/Togetic has Lum Berry, they can forget about stopping you with Spore and will basically have to sacrifice the Smeargle, Fake Outing and Endeavoring the Follow Me Pokemon, leaving Smeargle susceptible the Pokemon that is setting up.
6. Barrier/Stall Teams: These teams aren’t widely used. They mainly consist of a few annoying Pokemon that are hard to take down. The Pokemon almost always have Recover and a way of upping their defense stats while slowly sapping the foe’s HP. These teams weren’t often seen at the JAA because of the fact that it had a time limit of 8 minutes per battle. The major flaw to these teams is that they lack a major attacker and a bit of bad luck with Critical Hits really hurts their chances later in the battle.
Stall teams easily handle Top Tier teams and Weather Abuse teams by absorbing the hits, recovering off the damage, and slowly sapping the foes health. There isn’t much they can do to stop them other than a well timed Explosion to take out a couple of the opposing team members.
A common staple of Stall teams is:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Recover
- Reflect
- Toxic
- Protect
With Reflect, you severely limit any damage that Exploders thought they might do by increasing both of your Pokemon’s defense by 1/3. Toxic slowly drains their health and Recover is there to stall them out. Protect to slowly stall away those low PP, high power moves with Pressure.
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Def / 236 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Softboiled
- Protect
- Toxic/Thunder Wave
- Light Screen
Blissey can do well in the 2v2 Uber environment as a special absorber with its high Sp Def and titanic HP. Light Screen only makes it harder to take down and Toxic once again provides a slow, but eventual death.
Snorlax (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 108 HP / 118 Atk / 216 Def / 68 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Protect
- Shadow Ball
- Selfdestruct
Snorlax plays a similar role to Blissey, only being different in that it can attack. You’ll most often find yourself coming in to absorb Ice Beams with Thick Fat to protect your Rayquaza. After that, you’re likely to want to use Body Slam to inflict Paralysis on the foe. Since so many Pokemon in 2v2 Ubers rely so desperately on their speed as their main strength, this will seriously disable them and only give them a 50% chance of attacking every turn. Selfdestructing when the foe least expects it can often end any chances they had of winning.
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 82 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish/Recover
- Light Screen/Reflect/Helping Hand
- Toxic/Thunder Wave/Special Filler
Latias is a 2v2 monster. It has a huge move pool and massive HP and Defenses. It can do virtually anything that your team needs. Not only that but it is immune to EQ, making it a great Pokemon to team up with something like Groudon who wants to EQ without having to hurt his ally. Latias will not go down easily, having weaknesses to only Ice, Dragon, Dark, Ghost, and Bug.
Ludicolo (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Spd / 168 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic/Hydro Pump
- Leech Seed/Hydro Pump
- Synthesis
- Protect
Ludicolo can work on stall teams also, with his high defenses and wide variety of annoying moves. However, you won’t want to use Rain Dish a lot of the time since the speed that Swift Swim provides almost always is more advantageous by allowing you to use Synthesis first, something that Rain Dish’s small HP recovery probably wouldn’t help you with when you’re low on HP.
Often times on your Barrier/Stall team, you’ll want some offense to compensate for the overall lack of attack power. Stall teams can often be integrated with Top Tier teams to create power and support. Throwing in something like SDEndSalac Groudon with all of these Fliers who are immune to EQ would be a huge asset. You can also try to get some quick power using the Swagger-Persim strategy outlined below.
Counters to the Stall team are led by Obi mode. It absolutely shuts these teams down and stops anything that they were hoping to set up.
Imprison teams can often handle a Stall team since if it can take out the first main walls before they get a chance to set a Reflect up. Often times however, a Pokemon such as Lugia has a chance of surviving the Explosion. A STAB Selfdestruct from a 300 Att Snorlax can leave a max HP and max Def Lugia without a Reflect up with 13% health left. Other Exploders won’t come close often times. The key is to get the Lugia before it can Reflect and hopefully finish it off with another Exploder before it can Recover.
7. The Shedinja Factor: Shedinja is a wildcard Pokemon in the 2v2 environment. With its ability, Wonderguard, it is only hit by the attack types that it is weak to: Fire, Ghost, Dark, Flying, and Rock. If the opponent has no Pokemon with moves to KO it before the battle begins, it’s already over.
You should always have one or two Pokemon with moves that are capable of KOing this guy. Make sure that you keep at least one of them until the end since they do you no good if they’re KOed before he comes into the battle.
The thing that makes Shedinja viable in the 2v2 Uber metagame is that its main weaknesses of Sandstream, Spikes, and status effects for the most part, are absent.
The advantages of using him are that he can come into play to absorb virtually any attack that isn’t super effective against him, a great asset to your team. He can also force switches if the opponent has nothing to KO him, allowing him to make a free move. If they do likely have a KOing attack, it is to your benefit to use Protect to waste one of their turns and give your other Pokemon a chance to deal some damage. This would be a good 2v2 Uber set for Shedinja:
Shedinja @ Lum Berry
Trait: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SAtk
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Protect
- Toxic/Thief
- Silver Wind
- Shadow Ball
Lum Berry allows him to eliminate any Toxic or Burn that may KO him and keep on fighting. Thief can hurt foes that switch in by stealing their item (if you aren’t holding one). His two attacking moves both get STAB and do a number on the heavy amount of Pokemon in the Uber metagame that are of the Psychic type.
8. Other Minor Strategies:
Swagger-Persim: by equipping a Pokemon such as Groudon with a Persim Berry and having a faster Flying Pokemon Swagger it on the opening turn while it EQs:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 176 Spd / 26 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -Sp Atk)
- Swagger
- Recover
- Protect
- Toxic/Light Screen/Aeroblast
Groudon @ Persim Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Overheat/Physical Filler
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Protect
Lugia Swaggers Groudon on turn #1 while his Persim Berry activates to eliminate confusion. Groudon attacks on turn #1, basically with a free Swords Dance. By combining these Pokemon with aspects of a top tier team, you can get the ball rolling in a 2v2 match very early, which is to your advantage.
There isn’t really anything you can do to stop a Lugia from Swaggering its own Groudon other than hitting it with a Hydro Pump or Ice Beam. Hopefully with its lack of EVs in HP that are instead pumped into Speed, it will be enough to KO it.
Skill Swap: this is another potential strategy, however is almost never viable. By using Skill Swap Medicham, you can pass Pure Power onto another Pokemon for doubled attack. However, this is often easy to predict and the opponent will target the Pokemon that will receive the attack boost.
Slaking can also have Truant Swapped from it in order to allow it to attack freely every turn. By allowing Medicham to Swap Pure Power with it, you have an amazing setup right off the bat, however, even the least experienced opponents usually won’t let you set that up.
A Slaking can also have other traits Swapped to it. Swapping Own Temp (doesn’t allow confusion) with a Slowbro that can then Swagger the Slaking on later turns is a very clever strategy but will again, most likely not work.
If for some reason your opponent does get a Slaking set up, you’re going to want to it hit with fast special attackers since he has a hideous Sp Def stat. To prevent this from even starting, just attack the Pokemon that you anticipate will get Pure Power Swapped to it or Truant swapped from it and attack it relentlessly until it’s knocked out.
Part III: Picking Your Team
You now know all of the major strategies that will be utilized competitively in the 2v2 Uber metagame. Some have amazing strengths but specific weaknesses that you should know how to exploit. A lot of what these 2v2 teams come down to is Rock-Paper-Scissors, who’s team has the advantage in the battle?
Pick your team out of one of these strategies based on what you think will be the counter to the team your opponent is running.
Through picking an intelligent team and creating the right support on it, you shouldn’t run into much trouble. Take the time to think through how you can compensate for weaknesses on your strategy with specific Pokemon. Always be looking for ways that you can support that strategy that you choose and allow it to endure the battle. Above all though, think the battle through. The 2v2 metagame always has unique teams in it and you should be prepared for the worst. Go into each battle expecting the unexpected.
