Battle Tree Discussion and Records

[Sephi]

Hi all,

New to this forum and basically only started with Pokémon SuMo/USUM in september and didn't played Pokémon since Gold and Silver. I've been breeding/catching mostly competitive pokemon for Battle Tree and so once in awhile i also push my luck with online battles.

My latest Ultra Sun Super Singles Battle Streak got ended after battle 111.

My team
Garchomp@ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Stealth Rock

Kartana@ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike

Latios@ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SP.ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4HP
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dragon Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf

Basically i would lead with Garchomp, if i think i can setup a Stealth Rock without getting killed, i would start with that, afterwards any damage i do i consider as free damage. Sometimes if i can't KO the pokemon after setting Stealth Rock and an attack, and Garchomp still hasn't fainted, i would just let him waste a turn so he faints. After that i can switch in Kartana for a free kill and Beast Boost and instantly get a +1 to the already massive ATK Kartana has.

Kartana covers Garchomp weaknesses of Fairy and Ice and is also to mop of the place after whatever survives Garchomp. With a Focus Sash, i'm quite guaranteed of a kill most of the time and leaving me with +1 or +2 if Kartana get's to get a free kill from Garchomp. With +2, I have encountered very few in the battle tree that can survive a hit from Kartana

Latios is my last resort, if Kartana somehow did got killed, i would clean up with Mega Latios, he has decent HP and quite good SP.ATK. He is also my switch in for Kartana against Fire and Fighting pokemon if the match seems unfavorable for Kartana.

Weakness i notice of this team is mostly pokemon that are faster than my own, especially if Kartana moves after the enemy Pokémon, and i know i can't kill it with 1 hit, in than case Kartana is a lost cause.. Same for Trick Room teams... totally screw me up as well...

Losing battle replay:
XJWW-WWWW-WWWC-U6S7

Team consist of Greninja, Ribombee and Sceptile, all 3 pokemon are faster than my team.

The AI started with Greninja. Seeing Greninja, i always fear to get an Ice Beam, which would 1 hit KO Garchomp for sure, so i switched in Kartana, as Latios is also weak to Ice. With Kartana i thought i could duke out a hit and 1 hit KO Greninja with a Leaf Blade and get a free Beast Boost. But Greninja opened with U-Turn... swithed to Sceptile, after eating a U-Turn and getting hit by a Focus Blast, my Kartana was a goner... Basically, after that, it was game over for me... Overall, guessed the wrong move and paid for it.

Guess i need to find something faster than Latios, as i think Garchomp and Kartana really did good, but Latios was already a bit meh... and also sharing the same weakness to Ice like Garchomp is also not too desirable. Was thinking of Protean Greninja, but it lacks a bit in the SP.ATK department and can't reliable 1 hit KO pokemon's without a Life Orb, which i think Garchomp really needs, oh well, back to the drawingboard

 

[paperquagsire]

Hi all,

New to this forum and basically only started with Pokémon SuMo/USUM in september and didn't played Pokémon since Gold and Silver. I've been breeding/catching mostly competitive pokemon for Battle Tree and so once in awhile i also push my luck with online battles.

My latest Ultra Sun Super Singles Battle Streak got ended after battle 111.

My team
Garchomp@ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Stealth Rock

Kartana@ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike

Latios@ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SP.ATK/ 252 SPD/ 4HP
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dragon Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf

Basically i would lead with Garchomp, if i think i can setup a Stealth Rock without getting killed, i would start with that, afterwards any damage i do i consider as free damage. Sometimes if i can't KO the pokemon after setting Stealth Rock and an attack, and Garchomp still hasn't fainted, i would just let him waste a turn so he faints. After that i can switch in Kartana for a free kill and Beast Boost and instantly get a +1 to the already massive ATK Kartana has.

Kartana covers Garchomp weaknesses of Fairy and Ice and is also to mop of the place after whatever survives Garchomp. With a Focus Sash, i'm quite guaranteed of a kill most of the time and leaving me with +1 or +2 if Kartana get's to get a free kill from Garchomp. With +2, I have encountered very few in the battle tree that can survive a hit from Kartana

Latios is my last resort, if Kartana somehow did got killed, i would clean up with Mega Latios, he has decent HP and quite good SP.ATK. He is also my switch in for Kartana against Fire and Fighting pokemon if the match seems unfavorable for Kartana.

Weakness i notice of this team is mostly pokemon that are faster than my own, especially if Kartana moves after the enemy Pokémon, and i know i can't kill it with 1 hit, in than case Kartana is a lost cause.. Same for Trick Room teams... totally screw me up as well...

Losing battle replay:
XJWW-WWWW-WWWC-U6S7

Team consist of Greninja, Ribombee and Sceptile, all 3 pokemon are faster than my team.

The AI started with Greninja. Seeing Greninja, i always fear to get an Ice Beam, which would 1 hit KO Garchomp for sure, so i switched in Kartana, as Latios is also weak to Ice. With Kartana i thought i could duke out a hit and 1 hit KO Greninja with a Leaf Blade and get a free Beast Boost. But Greninja opened with U-Turn... swithed to Sceptile, after eating a U-Turn and getting hit by a Focus Blast, my Kartana was a goner... Basically, after that, it was game over for me... Overall, guessed the wrong move and paid for it.

Guess i need to find something faster than Latios, as i think Garchomp and Kartana really did good, but Latios was already a bit meh... and also sharing the same weakness to Ice like Garchomp is also not too desirable. Was thinking of Protean Greninja, but it lacks a bit in the SP.ATK department and can't reliable 1 hit KO pokemon's without a Life Orb, which i think Garchomp really needs, oh well, back to the drawingboard

Alright someone's gotta say it so I guess I will

Don't use stealth rock in battle tree.

It isn't worth it. It hits 2 pokemon max, often for a measly 12 percent of their HP. The AI doesnt switch much, so you can't rack up chip damage with it like in OU. Just don't use that move.

You team also looks very weak to ice. Kartana can't really take ice beams well, and the other two members go down to it. I would suggest getting rid of latios for a water type, perhaps Suicune, Fini, or Greninja?

 

[Sephi]

Alright someone's gotta say it so I guess I will

Don't use stealth rock in battle tree.

It isn't worth it. It hits 2 pokemon max, often for a measly 12 percent of their HP. The AI doesnt switch much, so you can't rack up chip damage with it like in OU. Just don't use that move.

You team also looks very weak to ice. Kartana can't really take ice beams well, and the other two members go down to it. I would suggest getting rid of latios for a water type, perhaps Suicune, Fini, or Greninja?

Thanks. You got a point with Stealth Rock, i partially use it to assist with getting one hit KO's with Kartana, but it is indeed a bit questionable. Open for suggestions regarding move to replace stealth rock with though. I don't wanna use Stone Edge, far too unreliable. And i'm definitely switching out Latios, just looking at a good alternative, Greninja looks good, just in doubt with it's damage without Life Orb.

 

[Smuckem]

Thanks. You got a point with Stealth Rock, i partially use it to assist with getting one hit KO's with Kartana, but it is indeed a bit questionable. Open for suggestions regarding move to replace stealth rock with though. I don't wanna use Stone Edge, far too unreliable.

Since you are running in Singles, Swords Dance is an option when more stall-ish opponents lead against you. If you want to keep some form of Rock coverage ready (since the rest of the team lacks it), Rock Tomb is much more accurate and the Speed drop can prove valuable against speedier foes.

 

[Worldie]

Also if you plan on leading with Chomp and using Sword Dance, you are better off using Lum or Sash.

 

[turskain]

I like Dragonium-Z a lot on Singles Garchomp - it's got more power than Life Orb or even Choice Band for the Dragon STAB, and serves as a pseudo-Lum Berry by virtue of not being Outrage and avoiding the move lock-in for at least one turn - resulting in 3 attacks total at minimum before being inflicted with confusion from Outrage, which is plenty for a base 102 speed mon to accomplish what it can to sweep.

Garchomp's Ground-typing gives it the Electric-immunity to avoid most paralysis sources, so it's not as hard dependent on status protection as a mon like Dragonite and running Substitute for additional status protection is also an option.

 

[Sephi]

Smuckem
Rock Tomb can be quite nice as an alternative, damage is a bit low, but I will run some math later to see if it can KO something with Life Orb and Super Effective. The lowering speed is a nice added bonus.

Worldie
Sash I can imagine, but why Lum if I run it with Sword Dance? Wouldn’t Yache Berry be more useful? Of course I still have the weakness to dragon and fairy, but I can imagine a fairy Pokémon might not be able to one hit KO Garchomp, but double weakness to ice certainly will get Garchomp killed.

Even got one hit KO by Electivire his Ice Punch, which was a surprise he had it...

turskain
One of the big plus on Garchomp is indeed that I don’t have to worry about getting paralyzed. In a way, Garchomp is quite overpowered, one of the best and most reliable that are allowed in Super Singles :p

 

[Worldie]

Worldie
Sash I can imagine, but why Lum if I run it with Sword Dance? Wouldn’t Yache Berry be more useful? Of course I still have the weakness to dragon and fairy, but I can imagine a fairy Pokémon might not be able to one hit KO Garchomp, but double weakness to ice certainly will get Garchomp killed.

You aren't going to setup on things that can 1hko you or outspeed you, while Lum gives you the option to get a free sword dance in the face of things that might try to burn, sleep or confuse you, on top of being able to nuke Flame Body / Static enemies without being too scared of their ability. (wink wink smogonbirb). Note that Static CAN paralyze ground pokemon.
On top of simply giving you a free removal of confusion from Outrage if you get stopped by a fairy swap (can happen, the Ai does it occasionally), either ways, allowing to nuke it with a Poison jab or similar coverages right away.

 

[turskain]

You aren't going to setup on things that can 1hko you or outspeed you, while Lum gives you the option to get a free sword dance in the face of things that might try to burn, sleep or confuse you, on top of being able to nuke Flame Body / Static enemies without being too scared of their ability. (wink wink smogonbirb). Note that Static CAN paralyze ground pokemon.
On top of simply giving you a free removal of confusion from Outrage if you get stopped by a fairy swap (can happen, the Ai does it occasionally), either ways, allowing to nuke it with a Poison jab or similar coverages right away.

On the note of Static and Flame Body, Earthquake and Devastating Drake are non-contact moves, and would be the first choices for approaching foes with these abilities.

 

[christopher_ 1942]

After many battles and struggles at the Battle Tree. The Super Double Battle run comes to a close with 178 wins. A stupendous performance which beat the previous record back in Pokemon Sun. It was one wild ride as it took a few days to get that far. This team was used to test its potential for Wi-Fi Double Battle and it sure did over-exceed my expectations.

Here are the warriors from the Trick Room Sunny Day team who made it this far in Pokemon Ultra Sun:

Little Ghost (Mimikyu)
Gender: Male
Nature: Brave
IVs: HP: Hyper trained!/Attack: Best/Defense: Best/Sp.Atk: Pretty good/Sp.Def: Best/Speed: No good
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
Ability: Disguise
Held Item: Mental Herb
Shadow Claw
Play Rough
Protect
Trick Room

The main Pokemon that makes this team work. It's not the slowest and some other slow Pokemon can out speed it but it has more chances of survival thanks to its Disguise ability and good bulk. The first turn of any battle is usually either set up Trick Room or use Protect when there is a chance the opposing team will group up and take it out before it can set up Trick Room. Turn 1 is most of the time the deciding factor of the whole battle.


Charol (Torkoal)
Gender: Female
Nature: Quiet
IVs: HP: Fantastic/Attack: Decent/Defense: Best/Sp.Atk: Best/Sp.Def: Fantastic/Speed: No good
EVs: 252 HP/252 Sp.Atk/4 Sp.Def
Ability: Drought
Held Item: Charcoal
Flamethrower
Eruption
Solar Beam
Protect

Little Ghost's best partner in this team. Depending on the first two opposing Pokemon, it either protects itself when it faces danger or straight up attack with Flamethrower or Eruption if by any chance there are Pokemon that don't have much firepower.

In most cases, Eruption OHKOs opponents thanks to the combination of Sunny Day and Charcoal. In Trick Room, This team member fights like a hundred Bunsen burners.

The greatest concern of using Torkoal is when it's up against those who set up Rain Dance, Sandstorm or Hail. That leaves it very vulnerable and there are no team members that can take Water-type moves very well.


Buzz Bolt (Vikavolt)
Gender: Male
Nature: Quiet
IVs: HP: Very good/Attack: Pretty good/Defense: Best/Sp.Atk: Best/Sp.Def: Best/Speed: No good
EVs: 252 HP/252 Sp.Atk/4 Sp.Def
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: Electrium Z
Thunderbolt
Energy Ball
Bug Buzz
Protect

Many Trainers are not a fan of this Pokemon due to it's slow base Speed of 43. But that's where it shines in Trick Room with it's stupendous base 145 Sp.Attack. Plus, it has good type viability which can give opponents a run for their money. For Example, Thunderbolt/Gigavolt Havoc puts a ZAP on Water and Flying types, Bug Buzz brings shivers down Psychic, Grass and Dark Types and Energy Ball against Ground and Rock types like Gastrodon.

Not only that, it's a great partner for Meesha the Mudsdale as it resists Earthquakes as long as there are no Pokemon with Mold Breaker. Speaking of which...


Meesha (Mudsdale)
Gender: Female
Nature: Brave
IVs: HP: Best/Attack: Best/Defense: Best/Sp.Atk: Decent/Sp.Def: Best/Speed: No good
EVs: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Sp.Def
Ability: Stamina
Held Item: Leftovers
Rock Slide
Earthquake
High Horsepower
Protect

The newest member of the crew, Meesha the Mudsdale. This one if for Pokemon that are capable of handling special attacks such as Blissey. Also, it's a good choice against Electric-type attacks such as Thunder Wave. Without her, the team is pretty much walled by Blisseys.

Earthquake is for hitting both opponents when its team member either uses Protect or Vikavolt is on the field, High Horsepower is for times Protect was used on the last turn or to just completely finish a Pokemon and Rock Slide is for those who resist both moves.

Leftovers was chosen because I have no idea what Berry it likes. It was better to not take the risk and just go for Leftovers. It's a good alternative choice for one who has Stamina.


Here are all the achievements and close battles this team had during its run:

Battle 50: WKHG-WWWW-WWWD-2F4Z (Milestone achieved.)
Battle 72: WZPW-WWWW-WWWD-2F6B
Battle 100: KYCW-WWWW-WWWD-2F74
Battle 123: DJWW-WWWW-WWWD-2F84
Battle 139: GVDG-WWWW-WWWD-2F8V (Double Team/Toxic Cresselia)
Battle 174: NDGW-WWWW-WWWD-2F9U
Battle 179: E45G-WWWW-WWWD-2FAV (Defeat)

What happened in the last battle is that Light Screen was still up the plan was to take down Politoed in one Thunderbolt. That mistake led the team to a big disadvantage and the paralysis didn't help at all. The battle would've gone a different way if Gigavolt Havoc was used instead of Thunderbolt. It all came down to the last turn but unfortunately, Little Ghost was fully paralyzed whenever there was an opening. That goes to show you to always keep an eye on the small things on the battlefield. If you forget just one thing, it might cost you the whole battle. Still, it had been a great run none of the less.

 

[Smuckem]

Leftovers was chosen because I have no idea what Berry it likes. It was better to not take the risk and just go for Leftovers. It's a good alternative choice for one who has Stamina.

Meesha is Brave, so you want a Figy Berry.

 

[christopher_ 1942]

Meesha is Brave, so you want a Figy Berry.

OK. Figy Berry it is. Thanks.

 

[NZtechfreak]

I find the FIWAM mnemonic helpful for remembering which berries to use - https://www.google.co.nz/amp/s/vgcwithhats.com/2017/02/22/which-fiwam-berry-should-you-use/amp/

As a general rule of thumb Iapapa or Aguav berries can be used for almost any mon that isn't running a mixed set, as it is relatively infrequent to run a -Def or -SpD nature otherwise.

Some other fringe benefits to knowing the berries are that they can confirm opposing mons natures, or for if you want a berry that will confuse a mon with an item stealing move. For example at one point in VGC 2017 people started running Adamant Snorlax with Mago Berry to induce confusion on Araquanids running Bug Bite specifically for Snorlax, obviously that was somewhat helpful for those piloting Snorlax, but equally opponents could deduce the Snorlax was Adamant when they saw it consume a Mago berry which might tell them that their own Snorlax would outspeed in Trick Room etc.

 

[Prof. Tom Bombadil]

Intro:
This post will focus on a streak of 89 wins for the Battle Tree Super Multi Records (with human partner):

Team Report:
A tough loss going for the #1 spot on the Battle Tree Super Multi Records (with human partner), hence the concise report.
Our team has Mega-Salamence and Excadrill leading, with Slowbro and Ludicolo in reserve.

See “http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/battle-maison-discussion-records.3492706/page-121#post-6006378” for a breakdown on Mega-Salamence and Excadrill by DoomOvDoom. DoomOvDoom and I run slightly different sets.
Shoutout to his awesome breakdown of Excadrill…

Lancer and I did go outside the box for the reserves…

Slowbro is meant to serve as a utility player, covering key weaknesses of Mega-Salamence (ice) and Excadrill (fire, fighting, water). It has the bulk to switch into ice attacks/dragon attacks/fairy attacks/Excadrill’s Earthquake, recover health with Slack Off or Regenerator, and hit ground/fire/fighting types hard. Scald necessary for freeze hax…

Ludicolo is the disruptor, with Fake Out allowing Salamence to damage its threats or clean up weak pokes. Ludicolo’s set was designed for bulk, becoming a decent tank with Assault Vest and trading in after Salamence’s Intimidate. Coverage moves of water, grass, and ice is no joke. Giga Drain necessary to maintain its bulk and Scald necessary for freeze hax.
In case you don’t know, Ludicolo is the signature pokemon of this fan favorite/legend.
Reference here…
- https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Miror_B.
-

-

Team Build - Dr. J:
Smaug @ Salamencite (Salamence is worthy)
Ability: Intimidate / Aerilate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Dragon Pulse
- Protect
- Flamethrower

Slowbro @ Expert Belt
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off


Team Build - Lancer:
Excedrin @ Choice Scarf (Excadrill treats gives pain)
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Brick Break

Miror B. @ Assault Vest (Ludicolo is Miror B.’s spirit animal)
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 HP / 80 Def / 185 SpA / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Fake Out




Threat List:

• Mega Charizard X
• Primarina
• Salamence
• Porygon2
• Wide-Guard users that prevent Hyper Voice and Earthquake
• Bulky water pokemon with ice attack coverage
• Bulky pokemon with electric/ice attack coverage

Closing Thoughts:
Poor matchup and unfortunate luck led to loss in Battle 90 versus Colress and Wally. Summary as follows…

Colress led Porygon2 with Klinklang in reserve; Wally led Altaria with Magnezone in reserve. Altaria going mega and Dragon Dancing causes problems, and Porygon2 with eviolite prevents double target 2HKO.

• Excedrin gets the OHKO on Mega-Altaria with Iron Head, Smaug Protects expecting Porygon2’s Ice Beam…
• Porygon2’s Ice Beam targets Excedrin instead and freezes it
• Colress’ Magnezone enters rocking Magnet Pull, so frozen Excedrin cannot trade out and Smaug still in danger
• Trade in Slowbro, Excedrin stays frozen, Magnezone holding bright powder uses Magnet Rise, Porygon2’s Ice Beam hits Slowbro for minimum damage
• Two turns of Scald on Porygon2 with no burn, Excedrin stays frozen, Magnezone uses Thunder Wave on first scald turn, Porygon2 KOs Slowbro after 3 Thunderbolts
• Excedrin finally unthaws after 3 turns and KOs Porygon2 after trading 2 attacks for 1, Magnezone Magnet Rise again and KOs Excedrin with Flash Cannon after Porygon2 is KO’d
• Full health bright powder Magnezone and steelium z Klinklang against Lancer’s Miror B.
• Miror B. KOs Klinklang but finally falls to Magnezone

*Main mistake made in this battle was not targeting Magnezone with Slowbro. Doing so allows Smaug to KO Magnezone with Flamethrower assuming bright powder takes the night off, with Porygon2 getting the KO on Smaug as a trade-off. This makes it a one-on-one battle, with a frozen Excedrin and Miror B. to face off against Porygon2 and Klinklang.

Now it’s time to beat this streak in USUM!

 

[Worldie]

Good luck boi, I really wish I had someone within 3 countryes to play multis with :(

WTB online multis for switch Gamefreak, thanks.

 

[Pav A Nice Day]

Damn somebody beat my Multis streak...now I'm gonna have to edit my resumé...

Anyway, first time back on these forums in a long while. Ever since USUM came out I've been smashing the battle tree with this new team. Once I saw Kommo-o's ridiculously OP Z-Move I knew I had to build a team around it. Had no idea it would work this well since setting up in doubles usually isn't the best strategy (Trick Room excluded). My current Doubles streak is ongoing at 290.

Battle #290: 5Z7G-WWWW-WWWC-76V3

Kommo-o / Mega Kangaskhan / Aegislash / Arcanine

Kommo-o (Totem) @ Kommonium Z
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Rash
-Clanging Scales (Clangorous Soulblaze)
-Close Combat
-Flamethrower
-Protect

Summary

Clangorous Soulblaze is a Base 185 STAB Never-Miss Spread "Hits through Protect" move that gives Kommo-O +1 in every stat after hitting...it's insane. To put that in perspective, a +1 everything Kommo-o has roughly; the Attack of a Mega Metagross, the Defense of a Mega Slowbro, the Sp. Attack of a Mega Mewtwo Y (seriously), the Sp. Def of a Mega Blastoise and the Speed of a Mega Alakazam. So it's quite strong. A +1 Clanging Scales does almost as much damage as the Z move so the common strategy is to just spam those Clangers with the first 2 turns.
I originally went Bulletproof but never got targeted with Shadow Ball or Sludge Bomb so switched to Soundproof but there are no Pixilate Hyper Voice mons in the tree so ended up with Overcoat. Totem over regular to avoid Aerodactyl Sky Drop. Originally had modest but did the maths and found I could get away with Rash after accounting for the +1 Sp Def against slower mons with Moonblast or Psychic. I did start with a modest build with Flash Cannon over Close Combat, but CC is far more useful, I might look at the maths for Flash Cannon over Flamethrower for the fairy coverage.

Kangaskhan @ Kangashkhanite
Ability: Scrappy/Parental Bond
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
-Fake Out
-Return
-Low Kick
-Sucker Punch

Summary

Since this team is built around Kommo-o setting up it made sense to use a Fake Out mon to draw 1 attack away on the first turn and protect the star of the show. I had Power-Up-Punch for the first 100 or so battles but low kick has worked much better. PUP would just never OHKO anything, which is worth more to this team than getting the +2 stat boost. Worth me checking the calcs on scenarios that would need Double Edge over Return in the future to see if it's worth the recoil.

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpAtk / 4 SpDef
Nature: Quiet
-Shadow Ball
-Flash Cannon
-Wide Guard
-King's Shield

Summary

The opening pair needed coverage against Fighting, Fairy, Flying, Ice, Psychic and Ghost. So here comes the blade. Fairly standard doubles Aegislash build. Wide Guard can be a life saver. I started out with giving it Leftovers to hold but I felt double battles don't last long enough to really get their benefit so went ultra-aggro with Weakness Policy.

Arcanine @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 228 HP / 156 Def / 36 SpA / 20 SpD / 68 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Burn Up
- Helping Hand
- Protect
- Toxic

Summary

Nice EV set ripped with eternal gratitude from Josh.C's team. Enough Special Attack EVs to take care of 2 potential threats; Mega-Metagross and Mega Mawile. Haven't actually done the calcs on the other EVs to see if it's worth changing. Burn Up of course works great removing the fire type and any super effective hits. I have also tried Snarl (effective, but the scenarios it is useful in are rare) and Extremespeed (too low power to be helpful imo) instead of Helping Hand. Might try an Aguav Berry for a bit but Sitrus has worked perfectly well.

The strategy here is quite clear; Fake Out with Mega-Kanga on anything that could threaten Kommo-o and then Z-Move. +1 Kommo-o is near impossible to take down without it wrecking absolute destruction on the other team.

Since Kangaskhan can flinch one opponent before Kommo-o gets going, the threats to this team are generally when the opponent opens with a pair of any of the following;

• Fairy Types - Obviously immune to Clangorous Soulblaze. Luckily fairy types tend to have pretty poor Defense stats so Mega Kanga can do heavy damage with Return. Aegislash and Arcanine combine to wall most fairy types.
• Fast Psychic Types - Latis, Azelf, A-Raichu...anything with Psychic really. Luckily I just protect bait with Kommo-o while Kangaskhan mops up with Return and Sucker Punch.
• Mons immune to Fake Out - Tough purely because I just have to make sure I always remember which threatening mons can carry Inner Focus (Lucario, Crobat, Gallade etc...). This also includes Ribombee (Shield Dust), Bruxish (Dazzling) and most dangerously Tsareena-4 (Queenly Majesty) which is Choice Scarfed and has Play Rough and High Jump Kick so can KO both of my opening pair. The strategy here usually involves a double switch, Aegislash for Kanga in case of Fighting move and Arcanine for Kommo-o in case of Fairy move.
• Soundproof - Clanging Scales and Clangorous Soulblaze are sound-based moves, so useless against Soundproof. Again a memory game. Electrode and Bouffalant don't scream "Threat" like Mega Latios or Gardevoir but they can be a nuisance. Ironically, opposing Kommo-o is a major threat to this team, if it carries Soundproof by pure luck. Solution to opposing K-o is usually to double switch, get the intimidate drop and revenge kill with Aegislash.

Update on Team Kommo-OP. Streak has now ended at 351.

Battle #352: 7NHG-WWWW-WWWD-4TCZ

Opponent leads with Gyarados3 and Rotom-Fan3. For some stupid reason I thought they would double target Kommo-O (and forgot about intimidate) so protected on the first turn. The correct play is to fake out Rotom and Z-Move. Gyarados is not a threat to this team, it always D-Dances first turn. Rotom T-Waves Kanga. Turn 2 Gyarados Ice Fangs Kommo for 3/4 damage and Kommo-O Z Moves to take out Rotom. Turn 3 Tauros comes out. Gyarados and Tauros take out the opening pair. At this point I still have a small chance but then Turn 4 Gyarados gets the flinch Waterfall on Arcanine and it's over.

Anyway I'm splitting my time now between Multis and starting a new streak with this team. Trying out all the new ideas I had during the streak this time; so swapped Return for Double Edge on Kanga, Flash Cannon over Flamethrower for Kommo and an Aguav on Arcanine.

 

[ReptoAbysmal]

Team Report:​

Our team has Mega-Salamence and Excadrill leading, with Slowbro and Ludicolo in reserve.

First, you get a like on the Excadrill nickname and parentheses alone.

And you’ve made me reflect on my frequent failure to check for those abilities before planning out the turn. I was in a similar bind yesterday and after deliberating for a couple minutes I came up with a seemingly solid answer... which shat the bed a moment later because Gothitelle had me tagged. Lovely.

You’ve also given me a little more drive to try doing multis with another player :P

 

[WadeyJ]

Hey guys, first post here but thought I'd share a team I've had some good success with. (I've been lurking in this thread for a while, it's great to read, I've shamelessly stolen some of the sets posted here and they've been really awesome to use). I'm a novice compared to a lot of folks here, I only really got into the Battle Tree when I started playing USUM, prior to that I'd partake in some Wi-Fi battles and such but Battle Tree feels like a whole different game.

So here, it is, Team Kangtana Finiwak (I guess...? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Currently at an ongoing doubles streak of 150 wins.

Team Details

Spoiler

So I've really enjoyed some of the new mons they added in SM, namely the three I'm using here, Kartana, Fini and A-Marowak. Combined with the trusty Mega-Momma (despite her nerfs this gen), they've provided a fun team that's got me to 150 wins and climbing, despite some close battles due to my own inexperience in Battle Tree and the usual hax shenanigans. Who doesn't love Bright Powder?

Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy -> Parental Bond
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Fake Out
- Return
- Crunch
- Protect

Absolutely standard Mega-Kang I bred back sometime in ORAS. Return over Double-Edge because... I never gave her that egg move. It still hits decently hard despite the nerfs and the lack of power compared to DE. I'm running Crunch over Sucker Punch mostly because I'm not confident enough in my own knowledge of sets to predict the AI yet, and it's come in handy to not be walled by certain Ghost types. I'm going to try running Sucker Punch and see how it pans out in comparison, I'm almost positive it will be better but I just kept winning games so haven't wanted to change things up too much! Could probably investigate into a better EV spread, perhaps even change out to Adamant for the added power. Anyway, most of the time she just comes in Turn 1 and hits Fake Out, which gives the next member of the team some room...

Kartana @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 SpD / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Protect

Ah Kartana, absolutely my favourite Ultra Beast. With Kangaskhan providing Fake Out support, this allows Kartana to just go in, choose a target, more often than not, pick up a KO, and get that beautiful Beast Boost, which quickly steamrolls into it becoming an almost unstoppable force.
There's not much to say about him! Smart Strike is amazing because it can't miss too. Focus Sash is the obvious choice due to it's frailty, and hanging on with 1 HP is great for Protect baiting. Of course, fire types are a threat, burns are a threat, and he really doesn't appreciate being paralysed or confused. That's where the next two team members come in.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 188 SpA / 52 SpD / 12 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam
- Protect

This is literally the same Fini from Josh C's Lopunny team, shamelessly stolen... Only difference is I'm running Ice Beam over Taunt. I just went with Ice Beam for more coverage, but I guess I could have Taunt or another more useful move on here, I'm open to suggestions. Misty Surge is amazing and prevention of all kinds of hax is wonderful in the Battle Tree which seems to love throwing Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave at you. She is partnered excellently by the last team member.

A-Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Atk / 4 Def / 68 SpD / 4 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Earthquake
- Shadow Bone
- Flare Blitz
- Protect

EV spread just stolen from the Smogon VGC set page, I'm not exactly sure what the EVs do but the added bulk is nice and she's surprised me a few times by living hits I thought she wouldn't. EQ is just super strong and I needed some Ground coverage, Shadow Bone for Ghost STAB, and Flare Blitz as the Fire STAB move for its immense power. Lightning Rod is a great ability to support Fini, as long as Marowak is on the field, Fini isn't taking Electric attacks which is a huge boost to her. Without Fini around, she absorbs T-Waves which is also great. Adamant nature just for the power, but I'm sure with her low speed there could be a better one. I'm running a max speed IV on this gal, just because that's how she was bred, she's still slow as heck but I really need to investigate just how much speed is required, what she can outspeed and what she can't. She's useful in Trick Room (although most TR teams I've encountered don't get to set it up thankfully) thanks to Shadow Bone being strong against a lot of TR mons, along with her low speed. With the two leads being weak to Fighting, she's also a great switch in for either.

This team was just a good base to start with, so some adjustments to EVs and moves are definitely in my mind, I just got carried away with the streak, was surprised it seemed to work so well.

Battle Videos, playing on Ultra Sun (didn't particularly think of saving them so here's some random ones, hopefully I can get some better ones if the streak continues.)

Spoiler

Battle 150 vs Wally
WPJW-WWWW-WWWD-96VK

Wally gets 4-0'd, not really much of a challenging battle, went for the Smart Strike into Altaria because it was possible Mega, turned out it was and Kartana gets the OHKO, while Kang uses Fake Out on Magnezone to break potential Sturdy. From there it's just an easy win, beast boost coming through.


Battle 96 vs Scientist Robyn
KLQW-WWWW-WWWD-99PA

Potential trick room team getting shutdown in 4 turns, Slowking is the easiest TR setter to face 'cause it just dies to Leaf Blade!


Battle 64 vs Lass Samantha
U3LG-WWWW-WWWD-9M2X

Just an example of how effective Lightning Rod can be, absorbing Zapdos' Thunder. Kartana just sweeps after getting the boost from KOing Regice. Regigigas is powerless and Cobalion just gets OHKO by Sacred Sword.

Not the greatest videos but hopefully if the streak continues I can get some better ones.

So yeah as a relative newbie to the Tree I'm quite pleased with this streak, I'll keep going and see how far it can go! I'm sure there's a lot of things I can change to make things better so would love to hear some.

 

[venomous72]

Evening!

Long time reader, since probably the Pearl/Diamond/Platinum days and I'm a first time poster.

I wanted to post my 105 win Super Singles team here, but first, I just want to thank everyone who's contributed to this incredible forum for years for all the tips and guidance. I also hadn't seen this team in the leaderboards and I wanted to contribute if I got past 90 wins. Anyways, I'm not the most eloquent writer, so I'll just get right into it.

Much of this is adapted from Insanemaniac's guide from the Battle Maison (in ORAS I believe, no X/Y), so I'll link his team here if you want more details of the team, which is essentially a copy of his/her's (lol).

@insanemaniac
Greninja / Mega Blaziken / Gliscor

http://www.smogon.com/forums/members/88565/
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/battle-maison-discussion-records.3492706/page-129#post-6046740

My battle video code of my losing fight is
N4KW-WWWW-WWW8-2M9U

(I'm new to posting here and sending video codes, so forgive me if it doesn't work, I'll include a screenshot of my win streak from my phone)



Anyways, here are the stars of this run.

FroGlenn the Greninja

Item: Life Orb
Nature:
Ability:
IV's: 31HP/ 26-27Atk/ 31Def/ 31SpA/ 31SpD/ 31Spe
EV's: 4HP/ 0Atk/ 0Def/ 252SpA/0 SpD/ 252Spe
Stats: 148HP/ 101Atk/ 87Def/ 155SpA/ 91SpD/ 191Spe
Moves:
Grass Knot
Surf
Dark Pulse
Ice Beam

My thoughts: Jack of all trades, speedy special sweeper... FroGlenn (an homage to Frog from Chrono Trigger) is my opener and many fights start and end with him. He has incredible coverage and Protean gives him both a little boost and a little extra defense if you guess your opposing Pokemon right. Most of the time, choosing an attack with him comes down to trying to OHKO or 2HKO vs. trying to stay alive. I usually only switch him out if an electric Pokemon is facing me (most often to my Gliscor). Grass knot can hit like a truck, but check out your opponents weight, because that definitely makes a big difference. If you don't think you can 2HKO an opponent, I'd switch him out for Blaziken or Gliscor asap. Life Orb gives him a bit more power, but it does it with a bit of life. He almost always takes down at least 2 before he bites the dust (unless I switch him out in the first turn, haha)


Hellfyre the Blaziken/Mega Blaziken

===>

Item: Blazikenite
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Speed Boost / Speed Boost
IV's: 31HP/ 31Atk/ 31Def/ 11SpA/ 31SpD/ 31Spe
EV's: 4HP/ 252Atk/ 0Def/ 0SpA/ 0SpD/ 252Spe
Stats: 156HP/ 189Atk/ 90Def/ 108SpA/ 90SpD/ 132Spe
Mega Stats: 156HP/ 233Atk/ 100Def/ 126SpA/ 100SpD/ 152Spe
Moves:
Low Kick
Protect
Flare Blitz
Earthquake

My thoughts: He is the wild card of this group because of his type coverage and his type strengths/weaknesses. I often find him tearing through Steel and Grass walls, Ice pokemon (which both Greninja and Gliscor have a lot of problems with) or anything that can't be easily or swiftly taken care of by the other two. Low Kick runs like Grass Knot above, so lookup the weight on that opposing Pokemon. Fire Blitz hits like a freight train, and as insanemaniac writes, the fights are generally not too long, so the recoil lost in using Fire Blitz isn't too terrible in the big scheme of things. I often find that he is easy to switch into as long as the attack he faces when switching in isn't super effective against him. Protect is nice to use at the start of the fight to get a Speed Boost (usually, one is all you need to out speed nearly everything the Battle Tree can throw at you, except for Pokemon with a Choice Scarf or if Trick Room is in effect, but those don't come around too often). Earthquake rounds out the package, usually used when you KO one pokemon, and the one that comes in is strong against fire and fighting. Although he might be the least used Pokemon of the team, he is integral to its overall success (you can see the side story below, but you can definitely skip it, haha)

​

On a tangent, I actually made this team in ORAS and when Sun and Moon came out, I was able to transfer all 3 of these Pokemon, but I could not get a Blazikenite for this guy until about a month or two ago, so I put in a perfect IV Dragonite running Multiscale with a Lum Berry whose moves were Roost, Outrage, Fire Punch, and Earthquake and the team fell apart (I tried other well trained Pokemon, but that Dragonite was the most successful). It was an odd situation to have had this really wonderful ORAS team but missing the item on Sun/Moon (in my case, Moon) that really brought the team together. I could barely get past 40 wins until I had Blaziken back.​

Blobster the Gliscor

Item: Toxic Orb
Nature: Careful
Ability: Poison Heal
IV's: 31HP/ 31Atk/ 31Def/ 30SpA/ 31SpD/ 31Spe
EV's: 212HP/ 4Atk/ 36Def/ 0SpA/ 252SpD/ 4Spe
Stats: 177HP/ 116Atk/ 150Def/ 58SpA/ 139SpD/ 116Spe
Moves:
Substitute (16/16 PP)
Protect (16/16 PP)
Toxic
Earthquake

From the various Battle Towers, Maisons, Trees, etc. I've always been drawn to Mixed Walls and Gliscor is definitely a very strong one. I've run with Umbreons and Ferrothorns and Vaporeons, but this one has been my most successful one. I think Gliscor, especially for this team, has the right set of typing, speed, and ability to safely switch and cover for the other two while still having a very effective way to kill (toxic, then stalling with Substitute and Protect) and a surprisingly powerful STAB move for a wall in Earthquake (I'm often surprised how much damage it does, even it isn't super effective). Honestly, I've made a lot of mistakes in my run to 105 wins, mostly because I'm distracted when I'm climbing the tree (watching a show or getting some reading done) and I don't always pay attention to the moves that go on or I get lazy and I don't look up a Pokemon's type or weight (for Grass Knot or Low Kick) and something surprises me and boom, I'm either down 1 or 2 Pokemon. Blobster (affectionally named by my wife, who thinks he looks like a cross between a bat and a lobster) consistently covers for my mistakes or my lapses in attention. Whether it is nullifying an electric attack thrown at FroGlenn, dodging a ground attack aimed at Hellfyre, or if a switch needs to happen because one of the other Pokemon is confused, immobilized by love, or anything... This guy is like a Troy Polamalu safety. He has everyone's back. Getting to the nuts and bolts of it all, you can see above that I maxed out Substitute and Protect. Being able to take a hit, throw out a Protect or a substitute, and whittling down the opponents Blizzards/Surfs/Waterfalls/Ice Beams/practically any move really makes this sucker tough to KO. Toxic Orb gives quite a bit of healing over time, and when paired with an alternating sub/protect cycle, you can outlast 2 or 3 Pokemon... provided you can sneak in a Toxic in there, and the opponent can be poisoned by it. The other advantage of healing by being poisoned is that it prevents you have getting another status placed on your Gliscor. On my next run, I'll probably try to max out the PP of Toxic and Earthquake as well. I've definitely had a few close calls where more PP in those two would have made a difference. Just watch out for Ice Moves. If you got up against an Ice Pokemon and you have Blaziken around, I'd switch him out for Blaziken. Generally though, once this guy goes in, I don't switch him out. It's slow and ugly, but Blobster can grind it out with the best of them.



Overall, I really felt like I could have gone further and I plan another run soon (and hopefully I can surpass 105 and add to this list). I've just found a lot of guidance one these forums and I wanted to share and contributed some of the knowledge I've gained running this fun and dynamic team. While this is my first contribution, I hope it isn't my last! If you have any comments or critiques, I'd be happy to hear them, otherwise... Enjoy!

So I am firing this up again and have been looking for a Greninja team to get me past 100 wins, and I like the look of this one a lot.

Question I have is what do you do against Red if he leads with Zard here?

My thought is switch to Gliscor (assume worst case, so it goes X and Dragon Dances). I Toxic and take a flare blitz (which shouldn't OHKO Gliscor I don't think), protect, and then try to sub or EQ to finish it (sometimes it is dumb and DD's a second time).

Ninja can only 2HKO if it goes X, and it won't be able to get the second Surf off before it get's OHKO'd by a DD'd Claw. And Blaziken could EQ it but it won't be able to outspeed initially.

Anyone have thoughts on that? Mega Zard X lead always gives me nightmares.

 

[Toornstra]

So, I'm on battle 54 or 55, and lead is Gourgeist and Durant. I lead Suicune and Kommo-o. Durant protects and I froze Gourgeist with I-beam from Suicune. Then Durant Truant lol and I kill Gourgeist. Staraptor comes. Next turn and Durant uses entraintment on his partner Staraptor, like wtf? Somebody can explain?

 

[turskain]

So I am firing this up again and have been looking for a Greninja team to get me past 100 wins, and I like the look of this one a lot.

Question I have is what do you do against Red if he leads with Zard here?

My thought is switch to Gliscor (assume worst case, so it goes X and Dragon Dances). I Toxic and take a flare blitz (which shouldn't OHKO Gliscor I don't think), protect, and then try to sub or EQ to finish it (sometimes it is dumb and DD's a second time).

Ninja can only 2HKO if it goes X, and it won't be able to get the second Surf off before it get's OHKO'd by a DD'd Claw. And Blaziken could EQ it but it won't be able to outspeed initially.

Anyone have thoughts on that? Mega Zard X lead always gives me nightmares.

I'm not sure how to approach this situation, Greninja seems to match up poorly against lead Charizard. You can use Ice Beam on turn 1 to deal damage, and then sac Greninja to Flare Blitz so Charizard takes recoil damage - but the price will be heavy.

For getting past Red specifically it's possible to swap your team after battle #49 and counterteam for a guaranteed win (also good for swapping in a weak Ribbon collector as only the battles against Red/Blue counts towards getting the battle facility ribbons), and if you're aiming for 100 wins specifically Mega Charizard X lead can only appear starting from battle #31 - it's reasonably common that during 70 battles/210 foes total, you'll never encounter a single Mega Charizard X aside from possibly Red's, whom you can counterteam.

 

[venomous72]

I'm not sure how to approach this situation, Greninja seems to match up poorly against lead Charizard. You can use Ice Beam on turn 1 to deal damage, and then sac Greninja to Flare Blitz so Charizard takes recoil damage - but the price will be heavy.

For getting past Red specifically it's possible to swap your team after battle #49 and counterteam for a guaranteed win (also good for swapping in a weak Ribbon collector as only the battles against Red/Blue counts towards getting the battle facility ribbons), and if you're aiming for 100 wins specifically Mega Charizard X lead can only appear starting from battle #31 - it's reasonably common that during 70 battles/210 foes total, you'll never encounter a single Mega Charizard X aside from possibly Red's, whom you can counterteam.

Yeah it’s tricky. I was thinking of just switching to a counter team but I feel like it would break the spirit of it all. I can cruise red with the chomp-Scizor-Fini team but really want a ninja team.

Is there a way to calculate if a Surf Z move would OHKO Zard X? I could change items on ninja to a z crystal for just that fight

 

[PikaCuber]

Yeah it’s tricky. I was thinking of just switching to a counter team but I feel like it would break the spirit of it all. I can cruise red with the chomp-Scizor-Fini team but really want a ninja team.

Is there a way to calculate if a Surf Z move would OHKO Zard X? I could change items on ninja to a z crystal for just that fight

252 SpA Greninja Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 145-172 (94.7 - 112.4%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Greninja Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 160-189 (104.5 - 123.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Modest would be able to catch it, but that's for one battle.

At least you do get this if it ends up being Charizard Y:

252 SpA Greninja Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-Y in Sun: 114-134 (74.5 - 87.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[turskain]

You could go with Subzero Slammer to hit both Charizards neutrally, for the Z-move route.

edit: wait that's the same power as Hydro Vortex... how about Blizzard over Ice Beam via TM to power it up into guaranteed OHKO lol

252 SpA Protean Greninja Subzero Slammer (185 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 154-183 (100.6 - 119.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

 

[venomous72]

These are all good suggestions thanks guys. The other option is I could lead with Blaziken and start with a low kick (since it hits every zard), then follow up with EQ if it is Zard X or Flare Blitz for Y.