Super Doubles, 210 wins and going
I'm generally getting spanked left and right in the Subway - this is my record by a long way, in any mode - but I must say, it's a whole lot more fun than in Gen IV. The separation of normal/Super in the modes makes restarting a streak so much easier, since you don't have to go through the 1-49 slog to get to the 'good stuff'. In Super mode, you're right there already. No more walloping Pichus with Draco Meteor for an hour and a half to get to the real opposition.
If anyone's interested, the Entrainment Durant team is sitting on 49 wins. Not real team, Durant will become ultimate setup lead if ever released etc.
- Durant, hacked with Truant @ Sash: Entrainment, Sandstorm, 'other moves'
- Garchomp @ Wide Lens: Protect, Sub, SD, Dual Chop
- Latios @ LO: DP, Grass Knot, TBolt, HP Ground for some reason
So far, the AI has not switched after being given Truant, theoretically enabling a perfect setup every time. The only problems are things that use Fake Out and Protect on turn 1, or stuff like Dugtrio with Dig. But once the lead is Entrained, it's basically GG.
You could use any decent mono-attacker as the setup sweeper: Acupressure/Protect/Sub/Crunch Drapion, obviously, but DD Dragonite or Quiver Dance anything.
The biggest problem is myself - I had some near misses while setting up when I got out of sync with Protect/SD, Protecting twice or whatever. The team is solid, but so. Damn. Boring to use. I have real respect for players who take setup teams to high streaks, because I see how much patience is required to do so! Doubles really is the game for me.
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So I tried a couple of ideas out:
Doubles Fake Out: monkey rage
- Ambipom, Adamant @ LO: Fake Out, Last Resort
- Infernape, Naive @ Sash: Fake Out, Shadow Claw, Close Combat, Overheat
- Latios @ Specs: DP, Psyshock, Grass Knot, TBolt
- Metagross @ Balloon: Iron Head, Bullet Punch, Ice Punch, EQ
Sllightly updated version of my
200-win DP team, with Gen V standard Latios and Meta. Double flinch to start, then go from there. Ape hits Ghosts, Rocks and Steels, while Ambipom goes crazy nuts with Last Resort. LR went from 130bp to 140bp this gen, hence trying the team out again - Ambi got a free power boost.
The team got stuffed by a lead TR Dusknoir at 40-something. With no way to stop it using TR, they got hosed. That's the fatal weakness, I think. I guess I could use Ape/Weavile for double FO action - hell, even both with Fling @ Razor Claw/King's Rock. Quadruple flinch!
I tried Mienshao as Ape's partner first, FO/HJK/U-t/Acrobatics @ Flight Jewel. Acrobling was handy as a surprise power move, and Shao hits like a truck. Ape ran U-turn too, to baffle the AI. All was good until I meet the boss, and his Chandelure, and that was that - couldn't get past it with the leads, and although Meta outsped, it didn't KO with EQ, and Chand OHKO'd Meta and Latios.
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TR
I also tried a Trick Room team, but these have been seriously nerfed due to two things happening: auto-levelling, meaning you can't use the lv.1 Endeavor decoy, and the nerf to Explosion/Selfdestruct. With those two things gone, TR teams have a lot less to work with than before.
Thought I'd try anyway, abusing the lack of sleep clause.
- Reuniclus @ Sash: TR, Psychic, Thunder, HP Ice
- Amoonguss @ Yache: Rage Powder, Spore, Sweet Scent, Grass Knot
- Hariyama @ Toxic Orb: Fake Out, Close Combat, RS, EQ
- Bisharp @ Balloon: Sucker Punch, BB, Night Slash, Protect
Amoonguss uses Rage Powder, Reuniclus uses TR. Reuni then attacks while Amoon Spores things all day. Sweet Scent is there because I thought it would go well with Thunder (it doesn't), so HP Fire would work there instead.
Hariyama is great in TR.
I love this dude.
Fake Out is always useful - lets us restart TR if necessary, or just stall something. Guts CC is crazy powerful, and QuakeSlide to mop up.
Bisharp is fun too, and its STAB Sucker Punch is great for post-TR cleanup.
The team lacked hitting power all round, and it lost at 20-something. Amoonguss was great fun, and Sporing half the AI team was great - but Reuniclus couldn't capitalise on it. Without LO, it lacked power, and not giving it a Sash was just asking for it.
There are probably better ways of doing TR, but I wanted to try Amoonguss for the novelty value of it. Without the decoy/boom strategies, a TR team needs something else to shine, besides 'slow becomes fast'. Psych Up is one thing, abusing lack of sleep clause is another.
A 'better' version of this team would probably be Reuniclus-Hariyama leads, with Bisharp-Jellicent or something behind.
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Goodstuffs
Super Doubles, 210 wins*
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Naive, Blaze
200 Atk, 56 SpA, 252 Spe
Fake Out, Protect, Close Combat, Overheat
Hydreigon @ Choice Scarf
Modest, Levitate
6 HP, 252 SpA, 252 Spe
Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, Flamethrower, Surf
Latios @ Life Orb
Timid, Levitate
6 HP, 252 SpA, 252 Spe
Dragon Pulse, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Grass Knot
Metagross @ Air Balloon
Adamant, Clear Body
96 HP, 252 Atk, 192 Spe
Iron Head, Bullet Punch, Ice Punch, Earthquake
I'm on the goodstuffs now. Ape, Lat and Meta are as reliable as ever (same as before), and I'm trying Hydra too, as it seems pretty successful. I'm running Modest @ Scarf, and it's great fun.
Ape doesn't need Shadow Claw, so I'm using Protect/FO/CC/OH, and it works a treat. Ape gets knocked down to its Sash very easily, especially after a CC, making it irresistible to the AI for an easy KO. It Protects instead, and Hydra gets a free shot. Next turn, priority notwithstanding, Blaze Overheat ftw. Only once has Ape died to Feint, from a Mienshao, and that was literally the only time I've ever seen it work, in sims or on DS. 'Infernape fell for the Feint!' Wtf?
Having two Fire moves upfront makes dealing with Ice teams much easier, and also makes Ferrothorn etc less worrying overall. Also - and this is a big one - it means Hydra can outspeed and kill Scarf Pinsir by itself.
Fighting teams can be problematic, but playable around with Latios. The real advantage to having Hydra up front is against TR teams. They're almost all Ghosts and Psychics, so STAB Dark Pulse is just the thing to prevent them getting TR down.
And I finally beat the asshole Subway Boss.
Chandelure + Excadrill
1. Chand Protect, FO Exca, DarkP Chand, protected, flinch
2. DarkP Chand KO, CC Exca KO
Eelektross + Haxorus
3. DarkP Hax, CC Hax KO, Eel TBolt Ape, sash
4. DarkP Eel, CC Eel KO
This team is actually really similar to the
Ape/Latios/Latias/Meta team I used in Platinum.
Protect on Ape works better than U-turn, all considered, especially if TR ends up happening. LO Lat now uses the Gen V standard set, and Meta now has a Balloon and Ice Punch over the nerfed Explosion. Hydra is the big difference, although it's still a SpA monster Levitating dragon.
There's a good Fighting/Dark/Psychic core to this team, and it rolls well. Feels good man.