I'm sure it's happened to you many times before: you look for a battle on the Shoddy Battle ladder, only to find that your opponent is the same as before. Although rematches are usually an annoyance, they cause battles to play out in different and, in some cases, more interesting ways.
Rematches have several effects on how the battle turns out, most of which come from the fact that both players know each others' teams. One effect is that luring usually fails. If one has used a lure in the earlier match, ones opponent will know about it and avoid switching in the Pokemon that the lure can usually beat but the standard set cannot. This makes it more difficult for the lure user to eliminate his or her main sweeper's counters and get a sweep. Another effect is that scouting Pokemon and moves are less useful. While using U-turn to scout in a normal match is a good strategy early-game, it is not as good a strategy in a rematch because the benefit from forcing a switch is less. What type of team benefits the most in the "rematch metagame?" Definitely stall. Stall teams rarely use lures or scouting Pokemon, and are the main targets for lures' surprise kills.
A third effect on how a match plays out is that predictions become much more important and generally more risky. In a non-rematch, most players are inclined to predict conservatively early-game and use the moves that do the most damage on average. But in a rematch, a player knows what damages his or her opponent's team the most, and this might not be the same move as the conservative move from earlier. Also, both players know what Pokemon their opponents switched into conservatively-picked moves in the first match, and are more likely to pick more focused moves or switch in different Pokemon from before. In rematches, prediction goes to more levels.
How does one benefit from the changes in play when playing a rematch? Knowledge of ones opponent's team is very powerful if your opponent does not know yours. On the lesser-played ladders, it is a good strategy to have multiple teams and to switch to a different team after each match. If your opponent uses the same team as before, you will immediately have an advantage. One can also change ones team in minor ways between matches, switching sets to surprise ones opponent and KO the main threats to ones team. As mentioned earlier, these techniques are only useful on ladders other than the main OU ladder.
What are your experiences with rematches? What techniques do you use to win them? In what other ways does the "rematch metagame" differ from the normal metagame?
Rematches have several effects on how the battle turns out, most of which come from the fact that both players know each others' teams. One effect is that luring usually fails. If one has used a lure in the earlier match, ones opponent will know about it and avoid switching in the Pokemon that the lure can usually beat but the standard set cannot. This makes it more difficult for the lure user to eliminate his or her main sweeper's counters and get a sweep. Another effect is that scouting Pokemon and moves are less useful. While using U-turn to scout in a normal match is a good strategy early-game, it is not as good a strategy in a rematch because the benefit from forcing a switch is less. What type of team benefits the most in the "rematch metagame?" Definitely stall. Stall teams rarely use lures or scouting Pokemon, and are the main targets for lures' surprise kills.
A third effect on how a match plays out is that predictions become much more important and generally more risky. In a non-rematch, most players are inclined to predict conservatively early-game and use the moves that do the most damage on average. But in a rematch, a player knows what damages his or her opponent's team the most, and this might not be the same move as the conservative move from earlier. Also, both players know what Pokemon their opponents switched into conservatively-picked moves in the first match, and are more likely to pick more focused moves or switch in different Pokemon from before. In rematches, prediction goes to more levels.
How does one benefit from the changes in play when playing a rematch? Knowledge of ones opponent's team is very powerful if your opponent does not know yours. On the lesser-played ladders, it is a good strategy to have multiple teams and to switch to a different team after each match. If your opponent uses the same team as before, you will immediately have an advantage. One can also change ones team in minor ways between matches, switching sets to surprise ones opponent and KO the main threats to ones team. As mentioned earlier, these techniques are only useful on ladders other than the main OU ladder.
What are your experiences with rematches? What techniques do you use to win them? In what other ways does the "rematch metagame" differ from the normal metagame?
