Resource VGC: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
I don't see the Battle Stadium Doubles stats on this month...usage stats. Is it VGC2020 only now? Because I remember both being at the same time, tho I never understood what was really the difference.
Yes, BSD is the same thing as VGC at the moment. They might be different in a future format.
 

Yuichi

umu!
is a Forum Moderatoris a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Just use smogon.com/stats/ or Pikalytics in the meantime for spreads/sets and clarify anything in the VGC room on PS! in the meantime tbh.
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
When will VGC analyses begin?
I believe the official stance is to not bother for this year. There was some ongoing discussion about setting up some really fast sets we could upload to the site, which would just list what an EV spread does, why you'd use a certain unusual move, or what would partner well with it, since VGC is a format that changes incredibly quickly... but then all the irl tournaments got cancelled.
 
What is the most common counter to Excadrill + Tyranitar leads? I want to specialize one Pokemon for this combination.
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
What is the most common counter to Excadrill + Tyranitar leads? I want to specialize one Pokemon for this combination.
conkeldurr, corviknight, ferrothorn are probably the most popular, plus trick room stops their speed advantage. Intimidate and will-o-wisp are also useful tools to have. Hitmontop is good but hard to fit on teams otherwise.
 
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conkeldurr, corviknight, ferrothorn are probably the most popular, plus trick room stops their speed advantage. Intimidate and will-o-wisp are also useful tools to have. Hitmontop is good but hard to fit on teams otherwise.
Thanks, I tried Magic Room+Fighting Type, but didn't think of Conkeldurr/Hitmontop lol. Hitmontop was one of my favs in Gen 5 for double battles, time for his glorious return.
 
According to Bulbapedia, damage is 0,5x when Screens are up, but in Doubles, it's 0,75x (or at least, when 2 Pokémon are out on the side of the field that has the Screens). Is this correct? How do you know that it is/isn't?
 

Yuichi

umu!
is a Forum Moderatoris a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
According to Bulbapedia, damage is 0,5x when Screens are up, but in Doubles, it's 0,75x (or at least, when 2 Pokémon are out on the side of the field that has the Screens). Is this correct? How do you know that it is/isn't?
Spread move damage is the one that is reduced to 0.75x. Screens in doubles lower damage to 0.67x. There have been extensive research done on the cart games to fully understand game mechanics
 
Spread move damage is the one that is reduced to 0.75x. Screens in doubles lower damage to 0.67x. There have been extensive research done on the cart games to fully understand game mechanics
Oké, thanks! But like...if there's only one Pokémon out on the side of the field with Screens, is damage 0,67x or 0,5? Basically, is the Doubles "reduction in damage reduction", if you will, always in effect...or only in effect when there are two Pokémon on the side of the field where the Screens are?
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Oké, thanks! But like...if there's only one Pokémon out on the side of the field with Screens, is damage 0,67x or 0,5? Basically, is the Doubles "reduction in damage reduction", if you will, always in effect...or only in effect when there are two Pokémon on the side of the field where the Screens are?
In the case you described, the 0.75x spread move reduction will not happen (so a single-target spread move will be at full power) but the screens will still only be at 0.67x.
 
In the case you described, the 0.75x spread move reduction will not happen (so a single-target spread move will be at full power) but the screens will still only be at 0.67x.
Hold on, are you sure this is correct? I'm not a doubles player, so I can't test this or confirm this from personal experience or anything so please do say so if you're sure and I'm mistaken, but on looking it up, I've found that it applies "if multiple Pokémon are present on the user's side of the field" and "[Reflect and Light Screen work] in doubles too, but in the case of having two Pokémon out it will only take 33% of the damage off." It looks like it really does depend on the number of Pokémon on the field and isn't fixed to the 2/3 the whole time.
That said, its Smogon entry does just say "in a double battle," and Serebii doesn't mention it at all - and to be honest, my source being Bulbapedia and one podcast I've never followed before... doesn't lend me a ton of confidence in it. If you have any reason to believe otherwise, you're probably right! I just want to clarify whether this is based on testing or experience or if you're just making a guess based on Smogon's wording or extrapolating from other effects' precedents without actually knowing this specific case.
 
In the case you described, the 0.75x spread move reduction will not happen (so a single-target spread move will be at full power) but the screens will still only be at 0.67x.
So it will be at 0,67x damage no matter how many available targets there are? I'm not sure if it's necessary to clarify (and if so, I think it's because I didn't explain what I meant clearly), but I wanted to say as an example: I have a Clefable and my opponent has a Whimsicott. This is a Doubles battle, but we're both down to 1 Pokémon. They have Light Screen up. Will the damage from Moonblast be 0,5x or 0,66x? The answer that I think I'm reading from you is that it will still be 0,67x (I presume because this is a blanket scaling of Screens in Doubles). Does this all match up?
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
So it will be at 0,67x damage no matter how many available targets there are? I'm not sure if it's necessary to clarify (and if so, I think it's because I didn't explain what I meant clearly), but I wanted to say as an example: I have a Clefable and my opponent has a Whimsicott. This is a Doubles battle, but we're both down to 1 Pokémon. They have Light Screen up. Will the damage from Moonblast be 0,5x or 0,66x? The answer that I think I'm reading from you is that it will still be 0,67x (I presume because this is a blanket scaling of Screens in Doubles). Does this all match up?
That is correct

Hold on, are you sure this is correct? I'm not a doubles player, so I can't test this or confirm this from personal experience or anything so please do say so if you're sure and I'm mistaken, but on looking it up, I've found that it applies "if multiple Pokémon are present on the user's side of the field" and "[Reflect and Light Screen work] in doubles too, but in the case of having two Pokémon out it will only take 33% of the damage off." It looks like it really does depend on the number of Pokémon on the field and isn't fixed to the 2/3 the whole time.
That said, its Smogon entry does just say "in a double battle," and Serebii doesn't mention it at all - and to be honest, my source being Bulbapedia and one podcast I've never followed before... doesn't lend me a ton of confidence in it. If you have any reason to believe otherwise, you're probably right! I just want to clarify whether this is based on testing or experience or if you're just making a guess based on Smogon's wording or extrapolating from other effects' precedents without actually knowing this specific case.
This is going from my memory and personal experience using gmax lapras for a while, but I also know that my memory isn't the most reliable. If you want to be 100% sure of mechanics, test them on cart yourself! It'd be useful to have it completely confirmed
 
In my 3 years or so of consistently playing VGC I've never found the answer to this: Why do people use Detect instead of Protect with mons that can learn both? They both have the same priority right?
 
In my 3 years or so of consistently playing VGC I've never found the answer to this: Why do people use Detect instead of Protect with mons that can learn both? They both have the same priority right?
To prevent you from being Imprisoned, since only a handful of Pokemon get Detect.
 
I've been rather intrigued with Grassy Surge Rillaboom, and am considering building a team around it. What would be some good teammates for it and why?
 
That's it. I admit I suck on VGC.
I'm on my prime on Singles OU rn, I feel like I understand pretty much everything there is to understand to be a succesful OU/Singles player (except volturn teams, how can you have fun just hitting and running?) but anyway, I just can't VGC for the sake of it. I'm stuck on Great Ball now despite getting to Master Rank on past seasons, and I can't imagine how can people consistently climb on a format where Protect and Ally Switch are a thing. So the whole point of this is

Any link to VGC beginner guides? I probably need to understand something I haven't yet.
 

Yuichi

umu!
is a Forum Moderatoris a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
That's it. I admit I suck on VGC.
I'm on my prime on Singles OU rn, I feel like I understand pretty much everything there is to understand to be a succesful OU/Singles player (except volturn teams, how can you have fun just hitting and running?) but anyway, I just can't VGC for the sake of it. I'm stuck on Great Ball now despite getting to Master Rank on past seasons, and I can't imagine how can people consistently climb on a format where Protect and Ally Switch are a thing. So the whole point of this is

Any link to VGC beginner guides? I probably need to understand something I haven't yet.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t066UssS_SrEZkafmqemjLxYw52Hq8B-tMDXG-ecDzc/edit credits: Conics
 
Can someone tell me how Executor was able to move first in this match? As you can see my Darmanitan had went into zen mode and had a base speed of 205 at level 50. As far as I know expanding force does not have move priority and Executor has a lower base speed and even if it was scarfed in some alternate universe it still wouldn't outspeed. Someone please help me see what i'm missing here. Thanks
 

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Yuichi

umu!
is a Forum Moderatoris a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Can someone tell me how Executor was able to move first in this match? As you can see my Darmanitan had went into zen mode and had a base speed of 205 at level 50. As far as I know expanding force does not have move priority and Executor has a lower base speed and even if it was scarfed in some alternate universe it still wouldn't outspeed. Someone please help me see what i'm missing here. Thanks
do you have a replay? its impossible to tell what happened without one
 
Can someone tell me how Executor was able to move first in this match? As you can see my Darmanitan had went into zen mode and had a base speed of 205 at level 50. As far as I know expanding force does not have move priority and Executor has a lower base speed and even if it was scarfed in some alternate universe it still wouldn't outspeed. Someone please help me see what i'm missing here. Thanks
I see the problem! Your computer has a lot of tabs open so it slowed down. In turn, your Darmanitan was slowed down as well. Try closing some tabs next time! Now now, no need to thank me.
 
Can someone tell me how Executor was able to move first in this match? As you can see my Darmanitan had went into zen mode and had a base speed of 205 at level 50. As far as I know expanding force does not have move priority and Executor has a lower base speed and even if it was scarfed in some alternate universe it still wouldn't outspeed. Someone please help me see what i'm missing here. Thanks
chlorophyll
 
are there viability rankings, metagame discussion threads, and a set database for VGC on any corner of this site like there are for OU? if not, is there another site that could provide similar resources? closest i know of are just pikalytics to see what sets are common on showdown (but even then the rationale for ev spreads isn't always intuitive) and trainertower for a speed tier list
 

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