My bad. I was under the impression it did.
No point in setting hazards, gives them a chance to set up
I will admit stall really doesn't have much against baton pass, but going back to BW Reuniclus, there was nothing stall could do to that. Sometimes a playstyle just isn't that viable.
I will admit stall really doesn't have much against baton pass, but going back to BW Reuniclus, there was nothing stall could do to that. Sometimes a playstyle just isn't that viable.
Setting hazards is very useful because it prevents Smeargle's Sash+Spore from working. Which may become their last resort of you manage to set up. Depending on your personal anti-bp strategy, you may want to set hazards.
It isnt the best stratagy
A. There is a risk of espy coming in
B. Gives them a turn to set up
C. Hazards are best early game, which it when you want to hit them before they get up boosts.
I havent experienced hazards vs bp as the main aim is to break the chain
When your counter can be stopped by Spore Smeargle and hazards prevent Smeargle from working, I have to disagree with you. Letting them set up is a small price to pay to beat them later.
In my case, that means using Mega Gyarados with Roar. I don't care how many boosts they have, as long as I can guarantee the sweep after I use Roar. Hazards make that possible.
And Espeon doesn't always come in the first turn. It's a risk for the BP team too, because whatever is threatening to set rocks could also kick Espeon's ass.
Ok, i havent had experience with bp vs hazards, the damage could stack but wish would be great.
Mega gyarados with roar just shows how op bp is @_@. The fact that one of the best answers to beat it costs you your mega and isnt much use otherwise (a spdef restalk set would work but dd is much better). The only problem with that is sylveons hypervoice. Sorry if im wrong and roar mega gyara is good, i just havent seen it.
Just so I am understanding the hazards argument correctly, it is that you can set up hazards while the opponent accumulates boosts. This causes Smeargle to break his Sash, preventing it from surviving long enough to spore. This scenario is assuming that (a) Espeon isn't brought in and (b) Sashless Smeargle is as good as dead. If Smeargle has accumulated Speed boosts, then its Sash is irrelevant unless it comes to priority attackers. As for Mega Gyarados using Roar to abuse the hazards, does this not, once again, ignore Espeon which is likely to have Speed boosts and possible Iron Defense-boosted Defense stats in case of an attack?
Gyarados is immune to Stored Power.
Mold Breaker guarantees Soundproof and Magic Bounce won't work.
And I don't take time setting hazards. I use rocks, switch into Gyarados, use Dragon Dance once (twice if possible), and then go for the Roar.
If they bring Espeon, it will become more dramatic, but not impossible. It helps that I can still use Roar anytime, so by the time Smeargle gets to come in, the chain is already broken. So I switch into my sleep absorber, attack Smeargle to break the Sash, and try to bring Gyarados again, only that this time if I get a DD boost it's gg.
Ah, I see, that is what I overlooked.
Your scenario makes more sense now but still isn't exactly an answer to BP. Roar Mega Gyarados certainly probably works now because of the fact that, as of now, it is relatively obscure. If we do not ban Baton Pass and instead resort to using counters mentioned on this thread, such as Mega Gyarados, then it no longer is as effective. Now, people will just setup on it while it DDs, not expecting Roar. When it does come, it is usually game for them. Once Mega Gyarados becomes common, which is essentially what is being suggested when people say that you simply need to carry a counter, then this same thing will not work. People will not set up on Mega Gyarados and instead just go for the kill.
Another assumption being made is that Smeargle will always go for the Spore. In the event where people start equipping every team with BP counters, such as Mega Gyarados, then people will start going for Ingrain before Spore. On top of that, Encore on Smeargle is still fairly common, so you may end up trapped accumulating your DD boosts before you phaze.
Essentially, what I am saying here is that Mega Gyarados with Roar now most certainly is a good counter to BP because, apart from people who have experience with it on the Suspect Ladder, few people have seen this strategy. Once the whole adaptation scenario occurs, with everyone being prepared to counter BP with such strategies, then the strategies will no longer be effective. This is because nothing has to be done to the actual team to deal with the mentioned strategies, the priorities or gameplan just have to be readjusted. Ingrain will be given higher priority and certain Pokemon will not be used for setup and instead will just be killed as soon as possible. In essence, when everyone starts carrying counter(s) to BP, as has been suggested multiple times, BP can easily adapt without having to change the team and instead just changing how momentum is built up and what is used before what.
You are not wrong.
But what you just did is describe how metagames work. By adapting to new threats.
Just like BP can adapt to things, other players can also adapt to BP.
Also:
+1 252+ Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 348-411 (88.3 - 104.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
4 SpA Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 138-163 (41.5 - 49%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
"Going for the kill" isn't exactly that easy.
Okay, so once BP adapts to the adapted metagame, how will the metagame adapt to BP's workaround for nearly all the counters listed out thus far?
That is a wait and see type thing as people on suspect are only starting to adapt to baton pass. There is no guarantee baton pass can even adapt to the counters to it. By going for ingrain first you become more susceptible to attackers.
We first started discussing baton pass ban months ago, but no one has done anything till now.
I believe the meta needs more time for now to see if we can adjust to baton pass accordingly.
Option 3, as many people have said, removes legitimate pokémon from the game which could be used in other ways. Magic bounce espeon is not broken. +/6/6/6/6/6 Magic bounce espeon is broken. Passing speed isn't broken. Passing speed once it cannot be removed is broken.
For these reason, I think option 2 is required.