VGC Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer - Mark II

Status
Not open for further replies.
I don't think HJK is such a good idea for VGC with almost EVERYONE running Protect.
So drain punch seems to be the best stab.

Sandstorm/hail teams make sash less effective i guess...

What about Knock-off as a coverage?
 
I would use Drain Punch if you're using Focus Sash Mienshao.

-HJK can break your own sash if you miss.
-Drain Punch can RESTORE your sash if it didn't go off, but you still took damage. It doesn't happen too often, but that did save me in a few games. Hitting Mega Kanga or Tyranitar and getting your health back to 100% is great if you're a sash user.
HJK OHKOes Mega Kangaskhan. Drain Punch doesn't. Considering Return OHKOes Mienshao through its Focus Sash HJK is the better option.
 
HJK OHKOes Mega Kangaskhan. Drain Punch doesn't. Considering Return OHKOes Mienshao through its Focus Sash HJK is the better option.
Minus the chance of KO'ing yourself if they Protect or you miss. The confidence given from Drain Punch has its own reward because you don't have to worry about breaking your sash or KO'ing yourself for free, even if HJK gets the OHKOs. It's a power vs. safety thing. I personally prefer safety after using both.
 
I don't think HJK is such a good idea for VGC with almost EVERYONE running Protect.
So drain punch seems to be the best stab.

Sandstorm/hail teams make sash less effective i guess...

What about Knock-off as a coverage?
If you're using a Sash, I would go with Rock Slide to OHKO Talonflame and *potentially* Char Y (depends on the bulk). You get dropped to one in most cases, but they get dropped to 0 in most cases, so I went with Rock Slide. Besides, it's a pretty fast slide, so flinching hard-hitters is possible.
 
How can I enter the vgc? I started playing competitive game 4&5 month a go and now I want to prepare for vgc so I can join the tournament, I have already read the rules but I have no idea how to enter. Thank you. :)
 
How can I enter the vgc? I started playing competitive game 4&5 month a go and now I want to prepare for vgc so I can join the tournament, I have already read the rules but I have no idea how to enter. Thank you. :)
The ship has kind of already sailed. You might be able to find some local tournaments near you that use the format, but they already finished the National championships and next is Worlds which you need an invite for. So, we're all stuck just playing on pokemon showdown until the VGC 15 format arrives. =p (unless Nintendo decides to have another VGC ratings battle season)
 
The ship has kind of already sailed. You might be able to find some local tournaments near you that use the format, but they already finished the National championships and next is Worlds which you need an invite for. So, we're all stuck just playing on pokemon showdown until the VGC 15 format arrives. =p (unless Nintendo decides to have another VGC ratings battle season)
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I asked it for the next vgc. :D But I still don't know how to people enter the national championships. =)
 
Would anyone know what the most common SPD EVs for a Sylveon in the Eevee Friendly were?

I saw some Sylveon that were faster than my Flareon, which I had set at 55 speed, 2 points higher than no EVs in Speed.

So I am assuming most people invest SPD EVs into Jolteon, Espeon, Leafeon, and only a point or 2 in any other build.

Looking on Showdown I think at level 30 236 HP / 196 DEF / 76 SPD and a Bold Nature would give the best bulk and SPD to setup a Calm Mind sweeper.

I know the Eevee Friendly is over, but I am trying to dissect Pokémon that gave me fits in the challenge/
 

ethan06

⋖(☼┆☼)⋗
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Would anyone know what the most common SPD EVs for a Sylveon in the Eevee Friendly were?

I saw some Sylveon that were faster than my Flareon, which I had set at 55 speed, 2 points higher than no EVs in Speed.

So I am assuming most people invest SPD EVs into Jolteon, Espeon, Leafeon, and only a point or 2 in any other build.

Looking on Showdown I think at level 30 236 HP / 196 DEF / 76 SPD and a Bold Nature would give the best bulk and SPD to setup a Calm Mind sweeper.

I know the Eevee Friendly is over, but I am trying to dissect Pokémon that gave me fits in the challenge/
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/eevee-friendly.3509998/

:)
 
I have a friend that I need to figure out how to beat, in friend vgc battles. And I figure what better way to know how to beat the hell out of him than to ask here.

His team consists of:

Megachomp with earthquake
Tyranitar, possibly doesn't have the megastone, I don't know.
Aegislash with king's shield and uhhh, shadow claw over shadow sneak, and uhh moves? : D
Protean greninja with ice beam and a bunch of other stuff that totally kicks my ass every time.

He might also have a talon flame with the hidden ability and kengastan.

Also I'm pretty sure all of his pokemon have perfect nature and ev training but idk about ivs.

Please help.
 

ethan06

⋖(☼┆☼)⋗
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Okay, so Mega Garchomp, Tyranitar, Aegislash, Greninja, Talonflame, Mega Kangaskhan. If he has two megas already, then his Tyranitar is probably something other than the mega variant. Shadow Claw means that it's a physical Aegislash which is interesting. What does your team look like?
 
Okay, so Mega Garchomp, Tyranitar, Aegislash, Greninja, Talonflame, Mega Kangaskhan. If he has two megas already, then his Tyranitar is probably something other than the mega variant. Shadow Claw means that it's a physical Aegislash which is interesting. What does your team look like?
Let's just say that I have no team asides from what a public toilet looks like when it has not been cleaned for two+ years... Aka I have suck for pokemon and don't really plan on having competitive pokemon until after a LARGE amount of work one of which is filling up the kalos dex for the oval charm so I can breed the competitive pokemon quicker.

But a friend did loan me their competitive ready, non kalos native sub quake garchomp, and I have a 4 iv discharge zapdos that nice people here gave away.

Oh and hit t-tar may or may not have a mega stone.

Btw the last two are pokemon I think I've only seen him use ONCE, he mainly uses the top 4 listed, and glob he loves abusing mega chomp, t-tar and that stupid protean greninja.

Also I will breed pokemon to kill him just for this occasion.
 

ethan06

⋖(☼┆☼)⋗
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Empoleon_master

What you have already is pretty decent. Sub Garchomp is a threat if you allow it to set up. The other moves I recommend for it are Rock Slide and Dragon Claw for maximum power and coverage. Make sure you're running maximum Attack investment as hitting hard is the name of the game with Substitute attackers. Zapdos is cool too. The optimal moveset is Thunderbolt/Hidden Power [Ice]/Protect or T-Wave/Roost - Discharge seems okay on paper but if you have something other than Garchomp in you run the risk of paralysing yourself.

Now for Pokémon to cover the rest of your team. The first one you should look into is Rotom-Heat, as it checks both Aegislash and Talonflame and can also spread burns, which is important as the vast majority of his team is physical. You can't do much against Greninja and Talonflame with it but everything else hurts pretty much. It's also immune to Earthquake so it isn't as afraid of Garchomp. Watch out for Rock Slide though, particularly from Garchomp as it still gets the Sand Force boost. Your Zapdos does great against Talonflame too, so it's probably not an issue.

Second thing I see is that his team is generally quite weak to Fighting. There aren't a lot of great ones in VGC14 but one of the best is Mega Lucario. Adaptability Close Combat tears through a lot of things in the meta including Ferrothorn, Mega Kangaskhan, Bisharp, Tyranitar and Rotom-Wash. Add Protect, Bullet Punch and either Crunch or Rock Slide and you're golden. It has difficulties with Talonflame and Aegislash but they are easily dealt with by other members on your team, which I will go into below.

Third Pokémon I recommend is Azumarill: Fairy-type is fantastic for team synergy and ties up a sort-of DFS core with Mega Luke and Garchomp. With it's STABs alone it can deal heavy damage to Garchomp, Tyranitar, Talonflame and Greninja, and does decently against Kang as well. Look out for Aegislash though...

Lastly, you need a Pokémon to tie up the remaining weaknesses in your team and complete it synergistically. I suggest a Grass-type to complement Azumarill and Rotom-H and complete a FWG core; it will also help you deal with Rain teams as currently the only Water resist on your team is Azumarill. I suggest either Ferrothorn or Amoonguss in this slot - Ferrothorn gives you extra assurance against Fairies and physical attackers while also generally being a thorn in the side of any opponent that isn't running Rotom-H or Charizard Y (also cockblocks Aegislash if you run specially defensive which you should), whereas Amoonguss is far more of a team supporter thanks to Rage Powder and Spore, which can help you set up things like Garchomp's Substitute and Azumarill's Belly Drum. It's your choice really as both go really well with the rest of the team (but I personally prefer Ferrothorn). Here's what the final line-up looks like:

Zapdos
Garchomp
Rotom-H
Lucario
Azumarill
Ferrothorn/Amoonguss

Hope this helps :D Also play with this yourself, all of the above is just suggestions. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Empoleon_master

What you have already is pretty decent. Sub Garchomp is a threat if you allow it to set up. The other moves I recommend for it are Rock Slide and Dragon Claw for maximum power and coverage. Make sure you're running maximum Attack investment as hitting hard is the name of the game with Substitute attackers. Zapdos is cool too. The optimal moveset is Thunderbolt/Hidden Power [Ice]/Protect or T-Wave/Roost - Discharge seems okay on paper but if you have something other than Garchomp in you run the risk of paralysing yourself.

Now for Pokémon to cover the rest of your team. The first one you should look into is Rotom-Heat, as it checks both Aegislash and Talonflame and can also spread burns, which is important as the vast majority of his team is physical. You can't do much against Greninja and Talonflame with it but everything else hurts pretty much. It's also immune to Earthquake so it isn't as afraid of Garchomp. Watch out for Rock Slide though, particularly from Garchomp as it still gets the Sand Force boost. Your Zapdos does great against Talonflame too, so it's probably not an issue.

Second thing I see is that his team is generally quite weak to Fighting. There aren't a lot of great ones in VGC14 but one of the best is Mega Lucario. Adaptability Close Combat tears through a lot of things in the meta including Ferrothorn, Mega Kangaskhan, Bisharp, Tyranitar and Rotom-Wash. Add Protect, Bullet Punch and either Crunch or Rock Slide and you're golden. It has difficulties with Talonflame and Aegislash but they are easily dealt with by other members on your team, which I will go into below.

Third Pokémon I recommend is Azumarill: Fairy-type is fantastic for team synergy and ties up a sort-of DFS core with Mega Luke and Garchomp. With it's STABs alone it can deal heavy damage to Garchomp, Tyranitar, Talonflame and Greninja, and does decently against Kang as well. Look out for Aegislash though...

Lastly, you need a Pokémon to tie up the remaining weaknesses in your team and complete it synergistically. I suggest a Grass-type to complement Azumarill and Rotom-H and complete a FWG core; it will also help you deal with Rain teams as currently the only Water resist on your team is Azumarill. I suggest either Ferrothorn or Amoonguss in this slot - Ferrothorn gives you extra assurance against Fairies and physical attackers while also generally being a thorn in the side of any opponent that isn't running Rotom-H or Charizard Y (also cockblocks Aegislash if you run specially defensive which you should), whereas Amoonguss is far more of a team supporter thanks to Rage Powder and Spore, which can help you set up things like Garchomp's Substitute and Azumarill's Belly Drum. It's your choice really as both go really well with the rest of the team (but I personally prefer Ferrothorn). Here's what the final line-up looks like:

Zapdos
Garchomp
Rotom-H
Lucario
Azumarill
Ferrothorn/Amoonguss

Hope this helps :D Also play with this yourself, all of the above is just suggestions. Good luck!
I remember what he also uses, more than kenga, lucario, that normally as the mega stone on it...how screwed am I?

Also there is no team preview and only 4 pokemon are used.
 
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I asked it for the next vgc. :D But I still don't know how to people enter the national championships. =)
When the time comes, you just go to the place holding the event. Bring a team of legal Pokemon and then signup. It is rather simple.

How is it determined what division you are in?
Based on birthyear. I don't remember exactly but I was born in '98 and was in Masters.
 

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
How is it determined what division you are in?
Based on birthyear. I don't remember exactly but I was born in '98 and was in Masters.
The age divisions are as follows:
born in/before 1998=masters
born from 1999-2001=seniors
born in/after 2002=juniors

I remember that the youngest person at UK nationals actually came first or second in the junior division on day 1 (not sure what happened at top cut), so that is very impressive to say the least.
Also there is no team preview and only 4 pokemon are used.
Unless you are talking about a gen 4 VGC, this statement is wrong as there is team preview and six can be brought - a better way to put it would be that only 4 pokemon battle per match.
 
I just finished EV'ing a Mawile of mine and I kind of regret not having bred the elemental fangs onto it (Poison, Fire, Thunder, Ice) to be remembered from the Move Relearner in the future. Are they necessary at all? The analysis doesn't list any other than Fire Fang; should I just rebreed Mawile's with all 4 fangs on them?
 

Ace Emerald

Cyclic, lunar, metamorphosing
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
I just finished EV'ing a Mawile of mine and I kind of regret not having bred the elemental fangs onto it (Poison, Fire, Thunder, Ice) to be remembered from the Move Relearner in the future. Are they necessary at all? The analysis doesn't list any other than Fire Fang; should I just rebreed Mawile's with all 4 fangs on them?
Honestly Fire is the only one that could be worth it, and even that is situational. If you want other fangs for completeness, go for it, but Mawile does stupid amounts of damage with just its STABs and Sucker Punch is great coverage beside Fairy. I can't see you wanting the other fangs, at least in this format.
 
Honestly Fire is the only one that could be worth it, and even that is situational. If you want other fangs for completeness, go for it, but Mawile does stupid amounts of damage with just its STABs and Sucker Punch is great coverage beside Fairy. I can't see you wanting the other fangs, at least in this format.
Thanks for the reply!

Hmm, how about for general Doubles? Would any of the fangs (or any of Mawile's egg moves for that matter) be viable?
 
Two questions.

1 ) Since Articuno is catchable in X and Y, can you still use one in VGC?

2 ) Currently, my team seems pretty weak to Trick Room. I have two slower Pokemon ( Articuno with 206 speed and Gastrodon with 114 speed ), and a Sableye which could do decent in a TR environment. Do I need a counter? If so, who? :3
 
Two questions.

1 ) Since Articuno is catchable in X and Y, can you still use one in VGC?

2 ) Currently, my team seems pretty weak to Trick Room. I have two slower Pokemon ( Articuno with 206 speed and Gastrodon with 114 speed ), and a Sableye which could do decent in a TR environment. Do I need a counter? If so, who? :3
1) Yes.
2) TR is hard to beat if you don't have *something* for it. I dunno who else you've got in your team, but one mon that does well in a non-TR environment but which can also do well in TR is Amoonguss. It's so slow it may as well go min speed, and can sleep stuff thereby wasting TR turns while your other mon kills the TR setter, or it can simply spore the TR setter before it can even use TR in the first place.
 
Two questions.

1 ) Since Articuno is catchable in X and Y, can you still use one in VGC?

2 ) Currently, my team seems pretty weak to Trick Room. I have two slower Pokemon ( Articuno with 206 speed and Gastrodon with 114 speed ), and a Sableye which could do decent in a TR environment. Do I need a counter? If so, who? :3
I have the same issue with Trick Room teams, most of my team is fast or mid speed tier. Advice I got awhile back was since I also use a Mr. Mime, have him use Trick Room to reverse the effects.

Not knowing your team I am not sure if you have anyone on your team that can use Trick Room to reverse the effects.

My Mr. Mime it would fit since his move-set was Fake Out, Icy Wind, Wide Guard, and Quick Guard. Since really I find myself choosing between Fake Out or Quick Guard, I could drop Fake Out for Trick Room and not really miss Fake Out. I use Mr. Mime really for the Icy Wind and the fact that people still try to attack him with Dragon attacks. Plus the Filter ability and teamed up with an Intimidate teammate allows for him to take a few rounds of damage.


What is better to use with mega gengar/perish song ? Greninja mat block or aerodactyl wide guard, or anything else good with wide guard?
Wide Guard only protects from moves hitting both your Pokémon while Mat Block protects you and the teammate from any damage causing move. So Wide Guard would miss protecting say like a Tyranitar Crunch, but Mat Block would stop it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top