Other Metagames Anything Goes AG - Balanced Trolling

[Misty Swims]

Introduction​

If you do nothing else on this RMT, watch the first 2 replays to see what is team is capable of against seasoned, smart opponents. It WON a Single-Elimination Anything Goes tournament, and can beat people on the ladder who are 1900+.

This is a team I've been using fairly consistently for about 2 years. When AG was first created, troll teams were everywhere, and this made me happy. However, they were all pretty much garbage. But I thought that if I could put up a trollish front to make an opponent overlook the team, yet synergize the weakness of troll, a team existed that could catch people off guard. There are so many crazy moves that exist in pokemon, and so many option. Surely there must exist some way to defeat the intimidating Legendary pokemon with a ragtag bunch? This is the efforts of that strategy.

The Team​

It's a Trap! (Forretress) (M) @ Red Card
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 100
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Toxic Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Rapid Spin
​

Forretress typically leads the way to set and remove hazards. Toxic spikes are fairly critical to the success of the Level 1 crew. If I see the opponent has another Stealth Rock setter or a back-up defogger, I’ll lay one layer and then remove him from play. He carries Red Card because sometimes people think they’ll get a free set-up on me as I’m setting hazards, then the Red Card is the sweep stopper.

Han Solo (Hippowdon) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 100
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Toxic
- Slack Off
​

Hippodon is the Physical wall necessary to stop so many physical threats in the AG tier. He acts as a bumper the level 1 minions who wear down opponents. So if Aron uses Endeavor against a steel pokemon and then can’t kill, I switch in Hippodon from there. His Rocky Helmet scores lots of finishing moves to unsuspecting pokemon. He roars out threats to spread Toxic if Toxic Spikes are up before opponents can Defog or Rapid Spin them away. He can also outlast most physical threats by Slack-Off stalling. His Sandstream ability is a useful finishing touch if the Aron or Probopass need help.

Lando (Probopass) @ Berry Juice

Ability: Sturdy
Level: 2
EVs: No EVs
No Nature Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Pain Split
- Magic Coat
- Endure
- Protect
​

Probopass gets a free switch in due to Berry Juice and Sturdy ability. He can also use a free Magic Bounce to scout if I know his Berry Juice is stil there.He uses Pain Split and Protect to wear down opposing pokemon. I will also lead the battle with him if I see the opponent has a lead Smeargle or Deoxys-Speed in their lineup. His Magic Bounce is nearly always unexpected, sending back countless Spores and Taunts over the years. Endure replaced Swagger due to confusion's nerf, and the opponent sometimes getting SR up and I still need him to put in work. If he comes in and has SR damage, he uses Endure, Berry Juice activates, then he stalls out the opponent.

R2D2 (Aron) (M) @ Shell Bell
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: No EVs
No Nature Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Endeavor
- Sandstorm
- Toxic
​

Not much to say for this little guy, he runs the classic FEAR strategy and does it well. Shell Bell continually replenishes his HP after opposing attacks, and the Sturdy ability keeps him alive and kicking as long as the opponent is simply attacking. Often times I’ll use him for the initial Endeavor, then have to bring in Hippodon to finish them off with his Sandstorm ability, Rocky Helmet, or EQ.

Yoda (Cottonee) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Level: 1
EVs: No EVs
No Nature Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Endeavor
- Encore
- Substitute
​

This Cottonee will always put in work one way or another. Focus sash lets him put out Leech Seed, eat an attack, then Substitute stall if necessary. If they switch out of that, I Leech Seed the next pokemon, or simply Endeavor to cripple it. If they are using stat-ups or I caught them using a dragon move or Spore, Encore ensures I cripple them for the short term and can set up the sub/leechseed/endeavor trickery for a while. Sometimes, if I wasn’t able to eliminate their SR and I know I need my Aron to do work, I’ll put up the Leech Seed, let Cottonee die, then protect on my first time with the Aron so he gets back to 100% health.

Qui-Gon Jinn (Rayquaza-Mega) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Delta Stream
Level: 100
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Ascent
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
​

After opponent gets frustrated fighting through my Level 1 trickery, Rocky Helmet Hippodon, and field hazards, Rayquaza is the necessary evil at the end simply waiting to do one Dragon Dance then demolish whatever is left. If I see a threat like Skarmory during the lineup, I will purposely try to lure it out with my other pokemon, or let one of them go down with a sacrificial Endeavor to cripple a Rayquaza threat.

Conclusion​

This team is far from a championship team, but they are EXTREMELY fun to play as, and can catch even the strongest people off guard. EDIT: STRIKE THAT! This team just won an AG Tour Tournament against 24 opponents! The final opponent quits early because they know it's over, but let it be known this is a VIABLE strategy that has propelled me into 9th place on the Seasonal ranking!

Replays​

(WINNING against a 1900+ opponent)http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankanythinggoes-518501602
(WINNING an Anything Goes Tour Tournament finals, 1st place out of 24 opponents)http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-542391404
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-541084034

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankanythinggoes-518537961
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-552439695

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-545515302
(Little minions save the day after Rayquaza sweep fails)

Importable

It's a Trap! (Forretress) (M) @ Red Card

Ability: Sturdy

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Relaxed Nature

IVs: 0 Spe

- Toxic Spikes

- Stealth Rock

- Gyro Ball

- Rapid Spin

Han Solo (Hippowdon) @ Rocky Helmet

Ability: Sand Stream

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Impish Nature

- Earthquake

- Roar

- Toxic

- Slack Off

Lando (Probopass) @ Berry Juice

Ability: Sturdy

Level: 2

IVs: 0 Atk

- Pain Split

- Magic Coat

- Endure

- Protect

R2D2 (Aron) (M) @ Shell Bell

Ability: Sturdy

Level: 1

IVs: 0 Atk

- Protect

- Endeavor

- Sandstorm

- Toxic

Yoda (Cottonee) (M) @ Focus Sash

Ability: Prankster

Level: 1

IVs: 0 Atk

- Leech Seed

- Endeavor

- Encore

- Substitute

Qui-Gon Jinn (Rayquaza-Mega) @ Lum Berry

Ability: Delta Stream

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Dragon Dance

- Dragon Ascent

- Earthquake

- Extreme Speed

 

[MZ]

So this was linked in the discussion thread and might as well rate it, but I'll just drop the qualifier that this team isn't good. The rmt itself seems generally self-aware but I'm just confirming that as a "strategy" this is pretty garbage and the only thing this rate is intended to do is improve the gimmick- not make it something worth using seriously.

That being said, the major thing right off the bat is that Hippowdon is just awful when we have an actually viable Sand Stream setter. Tyranitar does basically the same thing, but you can drop running Toxic on a team with Toxic Spikes and instead use it to Pursuit trap things like Gengar and Lunala that completely shut down most of the team (immunity to endeavor, taunt or hypnosis on gengar, moongeist beam goes through sturdy from lunala). Oh and it also means that you don't immediately click x when facing standard offensive taunt yveltal.

Tyranitar @ Shuca Berry (rocky helmet if you want to keep up the joke theme, it's not like you won't just lose to a well played ekiller anyway)
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Rock Slide
- Roar

Other than that (and just not trying to use aron/cottonee/probopass obviously) you could consider dropping ray for SD/Shadow Force/Brick Break/Stone Edge Ghostium Z Arceus-Ghost, which is a really dumb way to lure the aforementioned massive threat of yveltal, check ekiller which cleans once rocks are up and forry has been chipped, and surprise random teams with a cleaner that can be incredibly hard to stop with rocks/spikes up. It doesn't sound like an awful substitute on paper and this team doesn't really use ray's defensive utility at all, so it might be worth a shot? I hope at least ttar helps you out a bit, good luck with this.

 

[Mega-Pokebattlerz]

Small nitpick, but Probopass is illegal at level 1 (you need to level it up to evolve it) and I'm pretty sure the RMT rules don't allow troll teams. Good try though.

 

[Misty Swims]

So this was linked in the discussion thread and might as well rate it, but I'll just drop the qualifier that this team isn't good. The rmt itself seems generally self-aware but I'm just confirming that as a "strategy" this is pretty garbage and the only thing this rate is intended to do is improve the gimmick- not make it something worth using seriously.

That being said, the major thing right off the bat is that Hippowdon is just awful when we have an actually viable Sand Stream setter. Tyranitar does basically the same thing, but you can drop running Toxic on a team with Toxic Spikes and instead use it to Pursuit trap things like Gengar and Lunala that completely shut down most of the team (immunity to endeavor, taunt or hypnosis on gengar, moongeist beam goes through sturdy from lunala). Oh and it also means that you don't immediately click x when facing standard offensive taunt yveltal.

Tyranitar @ Shuca Berry (rocky helmet if you want to keep up the joke theme, it's not like you won't just lose to a well played ekiller anyway)
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Rock Slide
- Roar

Other than that (and just not trying to use aron/cottonee/probopass obviously) you could consider dropping ray for SD/Shadow Force/Brick Break/Stone Edge Ghostium Z Arceus-Ghost, which is a really dumb way to lure the aforementioned massive threat of yveltal, check ekiller which cleans once rocks are up and forry has been chipped, and surprise random teams with a cleaner that can be incredibly hard to stop with rocks/spikes up. It doesn't sound like an awful substitute on paper and this team doesn't really use ray's defensive utility at all, so it might be worth a shot? I hope at least ttar helps you out a bit, good luck with this.

Thanks, I've tried this out with Tyranitar as opposed to Hippodon. He is severely lacking on defense due to getting wrecked by the Fighting, Steel, and Ground moves that Hippodon shrugs off, but when he can pull off a Pursuit on a ghost type, it's beautiful!

Small nitpick, but Probopass is illegal at level 1 (you need to level it up to evolve it) and I'm pretty sure the RMT rules don't allow troll teams. Good try though.

I would hope since this is the "Anything Goes" tier that any strategy would be happily accepted! Especially a team as successful as this one.

 

[LordofTurnips]

Only strategies that are allowed on the cartridge games are usable in Anything Goes. Lv.1 Probopass is impossible on a cartridge and thus cannot be used.

I do love a good troll team, but you should pay more attention to what's legal and what isn't.

You do realise it says level 2, now and was level 2 before in the importable. Also, if the strategy works with troll pokemon, then why ban it?
People have posted RMTs before of Ubers teams featuring Iceus and Golduck and no-one has complained, the only problem with teams with mroe than one or two troll pokemon, is that they can have trouble with certain threats that the trolls cannot deal well with, but this team has been made to minimize those threats as well as possible.
Aalso I feel that the problem with Tyranitar is the lack of recovery so I'd use leftovers instead of shuca if you do choose to run it, as Megazard suggested. That way you can usually switch mega ray into the earthquake.

 

[Misty Swims]

So this was linked in the discussion thread and might as well rate it, but I'll just drop the qualifier that this team isn't good. The rmt itself seems generally self-aware but I'm just confirming that as a "strategy" this is pretty garbage and the only thing this rate is intended to do is improve the gimmick- not make it something worth using seriously.

That being said, the major thing right off the bat is that Hippowdon is just awful when we have an actually viable Sand Stream setter. Tyranitar does basically the same thing, but you can drop running Toxic on a team with Toxic Spikes and instead use it to Pursuit trap things like Gengar and Lunala that completely shut down most of the team (immunity to endeavor, taunt or hypnosis on gengar, moongeist beam goes through sturdy from lunala). Oh and it also means that you don't immediately click x when facing standard offensive taunt yveltal.

Tyranitar @ Shuca Berry (rocky helmet if you want to keep up the joke theme, it's not like you won't just lose to a well played ekiller anyway)
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Rock Slide
- Roar

Other than that (and just not trying to use aron/cottonee/probopass obviously) you could consider dropping ray for SD/Shadow Force/Brick Break/Stone Edge Ghostium Z Arceus-Ghost, which is a really dumb way to lure the aforementioned massive threat of yveltal, check ekiller which cleans once rocks are up and forry has been chipped, and surprise random teams with a cleaner that can be incredibly hard to stop with rocks/spikes up. It doesn't sound like an awful substitute on paper and this team doesn't really use ray's defensive utility at all, so it might be worth a shot? I hope at least ttar helps you out a bit, good luck with this.

I decided not to switch Tyranitar in for Hippodon. Although you're right that Tyranitar is the better Sand Stream pokemon on paper, this team needs an absolute defensive wall to sponge attacks with DEF and Rocky Helmet. Tyranitar's weaknesses to Ground, Fighting, and Steel didn't lend itself to this, so Hippodon fills the role much better and consistently, after much experimentation.