W5 Touhoumons gaming
Spammernoob vs ChrisPBacon
I told Chris in tests that I thought Glare Kanako was super broken, so I was expecting something to blank it, maybe DD Levitate Iku or Soga. To combat this, I... loaded another team with Glare Kanako. My team is a balance team with Keine "breaker" + Rumia support, Kanako (SR), Iku (Spin), Eirin and Takane. Chris has a BO with Kanako (SR), Soga, Mokou, Sukuna, Iku, and Yukari. For my team, I have Glare + Hurricane Kanako, Spin + STABs + Recover Iku, and Metal Coat Keine. Red Card Takane is a troll set I made to scam Sukuna out of their item, but can be used to phase a setup sweeper in a pinch. Rumia is standard scarf, and Eirin is defensive Toxic (Max Def, +SpDef nature). For Chris, I expect one of Mokou or Yukari to be Scarf here, and likely CM Soga to take full advantage of Kanako. Wood Hammer Kanako looks nice here for Chris to cleanly deal with Suwako,
In terms of hazards, both are Kanako SR + Iku removal. I expect Kanakos to trade SR early, and Iku removes at some point if given a chance. Both teams are not super weak to SR, so kinda fine with them sitting there for a while. For Chris, Mokou looks very potent, as I need to preserve Iku + Fighting resist to not explode to her lategame. Sukuna is annoying, esp. if Ice coverage for Kanako, so I rely on Takane for her. Iku is handled by Eirin, though it is difficult for Eirin to do much into Sukuna which is a problem. I don't actually have a good answer for Yukari other than Rumia or pray, so that might be a problem. For me, Keine looks nice to click Tachyon or EP once Soga is pursuited by Rumia. Other than that, I rely on Kanako to make progress, as once Soga is gone, Hurricane + EQ should have solid MU into remaining team if Iku is not Levitate.
For leads, Kanako is not bad for either player. I notably rely on my Kanako to beat other Kanakos, so Chris has a very easy Kanako lead. However, I also slightly fear Levitate Iku or Soga lead, so I decide to lead Eirin, as I have a safe Kanako switch even if I guess wrong, at the cost of momentum.
Chris leads Kanako as I lead Eirin. I know that EQ is not coming out when I have an easy Kanako switch, so I click Toxic as Chris reveals Glare. Knock feels risky here, so I take the Kanako oswitch as Chris sets SR. I click SR as Chris Glares again, but get full para'd so I have to set SR on the next turn as Chris takes a free switch into Soga. I expect Chris to predict Rumia and Volt, so I stay in with Kanako to Hurricane but get full para'd again. In hindsight this was kind of a bad play, as I am pretty sure Soga was CM and no Volt, so Glare was better (not that it mattered). I want to preserve HP on Kanako for Mokou endgame, so I pivot Takane on Ice Hammer, phasing Sukuna out into Yukari and stealing the AV. Yukari was probably the worst pull here, as Takane probably takes less damage from anyone else and slow U--turns for momentum. Yukari does 48 with Dark Pulse, revealing Specs, as U-turn only does 26 (4x btw), and I send in Rumia. Chris later said that Yukari is Bug Buzz, which would have killed and denied a sac but let in something like Keine. Instead, I bring in Rumia, who brings Yukari to 10 with Knock and takes 30 in return. Chris preserves the sac, going Sukuna on another Knock, and I sac my Takane to Prough to bring in Keine. I have a feeling Sukuna is not Sacred Sword, so I click EP as Chris sacs Yukari to SR to bring in Soga.
Here I troll with Keine by not clicking Volt Switch. I'm pretty sure Keine can tank 1 hit + Volt into Rumia, which is winning here. Instead I hard Iku as Chris clicks Shadow Ball. I'm pretty sure my best sequence is Recover spam to full, trade 1 Rev Dance for Shadow Ball / Tbolt, then hard Rumia, but instead I troll and trade down my whole Iku for Soga, which is really bad since now I have basically a dead mon in Rumia in the back, and my Iku can no longer stop Mokou Flare Blitz spam. I send in Kanako after, and click Hurricane as Chris sends in Kanako, but get full para'd. I Hurricane again as Chris sends in Iku, but get full para'd. I trade 50% of my Kanako to break Iku's Multiscale with EQ, to set up for Keine. Realistically, if I didn't get full para'd there, Iku dies and I'm up on sacs which would be nice (but Chris would get a Sukuna switchin, which is not nice). Chris sends in Kanako as I EQ again, and I know Wood Hammer is coming out so I aggressively switch in Keine. If I got this turn wrong, I probably insta-lose, but now Keine collects a kill on Kanako with Tachyon and transforms. Chris sends in Mokou, who is obviously Scarf, to revenge.
To be honest, I should have calced here, as Flare Blitz is a roll in my favor so I should expect CC and go Kanako. Instead, I sac my Rumia to go Kanako and take the Iku sac, as Chris brings in Sukuna. I know Ice Hammer is coming, so I go Keine and luckily dodge. I then forget Dynamax exists and EP into Sukuna for 30 and explode. Sukuna cleans up the rest of my team sadly. If I instead Volted there, I sac either Kanako or Eirin, Keine forces a kill with EP, and I pray I don't get full para'd with the remaining of Kanako / Eirin (ngl I would've gotten full para'd and lost).
To be honest, I kinda threw that w/ Iku toss + not volting with Keine, but I also got tilted by full paras on Kanako. Really I should've been more willing to toss Rumia into Soga early, given that she does nothing else, and I needed Iku for Mokou lategame. Also, not calcing T23 is hyper troll, but I was probably hyper tilted from full paras. Para is and always will be broken. Spam Glare until it's deleted. o7
cityscapes vs QT
QT has a very aggressive Cirno team with Youmu for Snow, Suwako (SR), Iku (Spin), Seiga, and Marisa. cityscapes has a much bulkier team with Suwako (SR), Lily (Defog), Youmu, Sukuna, Flandre, and Eirin. Youmu feels like one of those mons that lets you get away with no Scarfer, so I don't really expect scarf on either team (esp. not QT's since Cirno is also there). I am really curious what Seiga set is, as that mon has a lot of nice utility moves. Note: I saw this game live, and I tested with cityscapes beforehand, so I have an idea of some sets, and also know the war crime strat Eirin is about to pull.
For hazards, both sides have Suwako SR, which means they probably trade SR. Lily Defogs on Suwako very freely, but it is actually in cityscapes' favor to leave SR on both sides rather than remove them. We might see QT play into this, as Iku doesn't remove consistently vs. Suwako, but can goo Suwako to trade SR and invite city to Defog (if Iku is Levitate then its gaming though). QT needs to break fast as their team is very frail, which is hampered by the fact that Eirin probably walls half the team and Sukuna also checks Cirno. Marisa looks like it gets a kill every time it comes in, but Youmu can immediately threaten her out (with no good answer from QT) so I think cityscapes should be favored. Interestingly, no one likes running slow pivots for Cirno other than Suwako, so I will pray she hits the field more than twice this game.
For leads, QT wants to deny Suwako SR so Cirno, Marisa, Youmu leads would not be terrible. Marisa probably gets a kill vs most of cityscapes lead choices, so Youmu > Suwako > rest for leads I think. If both lead Youmu, I wonder what the line is... I think cityscapes needs Youmu more than QT, so QT can probably aggressively fish speed tie w/ Chilly.
QT leads Suwako as city leads Youmu. city U-turns into Lily immediately on SR, revealing Grassy Surge. 41 from U-turn feels like CB damage, though I'm too lazy to calc. Lily immediately Defogs, deleting terrain + SR as QT goes hard Marisa. I feel like this could have been risky, as Marisa wants HP to dump with Double Edge and Leaf Storm in terrain would have done a lot. I don't think removing SR is a major priority for city, though maybe they disagree. city is forced into Suwako as Marisa U-turns into Suwako. city switches Lily in again on SR, and Defogs them off as Suwako slow U-turns into Cirno. This is very surprising that cityscapes is prioritizing removing SR over getting immediate damage with Lily, as nothing really switches in well to Leaf Storm in terrain (except Iku, but breaking Multiscale is nice). This gives QT a free switch into Cirno, who threatens some good damage. I feel like Marisa pushes more immediate progress, as Sukuna and Eirin can both check Cirno, but it requires some prediction whereas Cirno is guaranteed (kinda, need to hit Blizzard). cityscapes opts for an aggressive Flandre, fishing for miss, as Cirno Blizzards for 65, and is scared out by potential Scarf. Flandre Searing Shots into Iku for 46 + burn. Burn is really unfortunate if this is Multiscale, though no way of knowing for now. Leaning towards Levitate given team's weakness into EQ, and revealed Leftovers. city switches to Sukuna to not waste Searing Shot pp, as Iku Recovers to full. QT then sacs Iku to deal 44 to Sukuna with Fiery Dance, and brings in Marisa.
Honestly, this feels like an issue for QT. Their whole team is so frail that it's extremely difficult to switch into anything so the moment Suwako took chip, it no longer handled Sukuna and QT is forced to sac. To play around this QT needs to aggro and get kills early, but now they are down on sacs which is very dire. Even if Marisa claims 1 here, Youmu or Flandre come in after to revenge something, and it's difficult to regain an advantage.
QT opts to throw a Flare Blitz as cityscapes goes Suwako, saving the Dynamax. QT goes Suwako as city's Suwako Scalds, and sets SR as city U-turns to Lily. cityscapes pulls the trigger on Leaf Storm, sniping Suwako and going up 6-4. QT decides to go Cirno, though imo now is not the time and they need to commit Marisa since they are behind. city goes Eirin to tank a Blizzard and manages to dodge, forcing Cirno out to Seiga as Eirin uses Idef. city decides to go Youmu to save Eirin HP for Cirno, as Seiga clicks NP. This was a nice switch to deny Seiga from making too much progress, and possibly also a Trick scout. cityscapes U-turns into Flandre to sac her, bringing Seiga down to sash, then U-turns again to finish Seiga off. It's a bit odd that Flandre was sac'd here instead of Lily, who seems like dead weight, since Scarf Flandre can still probably trade with someone, maybe win, but it' not important since cityscapes is so far ahead. QT's remaining are Youmu, Cirno, Marisa. cityscapes can afford to sac 1 if they are able to force 1:1 trades 3 times. I can't really come up with the line, but its OK... there was def a line with Scarf Flandre, but w/ever...
cityscapes goes Sukuna and forces Marisa in from QT. Marisa uses Flare Blitz as cityscapes switches in Suwako, and fires off a Scald for 55 into Cirno. Cirno misses a Blizzard as Suwako clicks SR in a sac attempt. Cirno kills with second Blizzard, and Eirin comes in to Idef. Blizzards are missed, Eirin sets up to +2/+2 and 1v1s Cirno and Youmu. Marisa breaks Eirin with crit Flare Blitz but runs out of HP and dies killing Youmu.
I kinda trolled not realizing Marisa Scarf, as no U-turn on T11 kind of telegraphed it. I think what this game shows is that Blizzard w/o Snow really sucks (70% accuracy moment) and Cirno really wants slow pivot support. imo Cirno teams should have 2 of: (Eject Button, Suwako, Teleport Lily, Flip Turn Iku [Levitate]). I think Marisa being Scarf kinda didn't work out here since Youmu + Suwako trolled it, but maybe if Double Edge was aggressively clicked to snipe Suwako early then QT could have won.
DripLegend vs fififlutters
fifi has a standard looking team with Suwako (SR), Chimata, Flandre, Iku, Sukuna, Youmu. Drip has a Sun offense team with Cirno-Tanned, Tenshi (SR), Chimata (Defog), Rumia, Clownpiece, and Junko. I'm not really sure if fifi using standard Physdef Defog Chimata, but it feels likely to improve Sukuna MU here. I'd expect something like Scarf Flandre + SD Youmu, standard Multi Iku + Sukuna from fifi. For Drip, Cirno, Tenshi, Clown are pretty limited in movesets. I'm not really sure what Junko is doing (maybe CM?), and one of Rumia / Chimata is scarf.
For hazards, Tenshi loses pretty hard to Suwako and probably loses to Chimata as well, so it seems difficult for Drip to keep up SR (mostly for Flandre). Chimata vs Suwako is usually a bad MU for Chimata, but it's kind of playable here if Sun is up to weaken Scald. I can really see Scarf Chimata on Drip's build so Rumia can run some other set (idk what, maybe BU to take advantage of Moonlight in Sun?), and that set can cripple Suwako with Trick, so we might see fifi play conservatively around that MU until item is confirmed. Cirno on Drip's team is a major threat, especially since TAxel can nuke Iku through Multiscale and Weather Ball + Grass STAB threatens the whole team with OHKOs except Flandre, and is only outsped by Flandre / Youmu. For fifi, the plan seems to be to pressure down Chimata with SR/Suwako, Youmu, and Sukuna, then pressure down Clownpiece with one of Flandre or Youmu so the other can win, but the window for this is very small given Cirno. The critical turn will be the first turn Suwako is in, whether Drip aggressively switches in Cirno or not, and if fifi calls this or not.
It feels like fifi should lead Youmu or Flandre to not explode to Cirno. If Youmu has U-turn, she is the most consistent lead, as she can immediately U-turn to gain momentum that can't be outplayed by Drip. If Youmu is SD, this is more awkward. Drip can always try Cirno lead, but will obviously get counterled. I think Clown is not a terrible lead, though immediately invites Suwako which is bad. If Chimata is scarf, she is ideal lead I think, otherwise Clown is OK but loses to U-turn Youmu into Suwako. Drip probably accepts losing momentum in early turns because I see no way out.
fifi as expected leads Youmu, as Drip leads Cirno. Drip is forced out into Clown, as fifi goes hard Suwako, indicating no U-turn. As mentioned before, this is the critical turn where fifi needs to guess if Cirno will hard in to SR or U-turn. She opts for SR as Cirno comes in; this has a nice value floor as at least Flandre can be pivoted in once (unless Jump Kick... lol). Cirno clicks Growth as Chimata comes in for fifi. I think this doesn't confirm scarf Chimata, as it could just be an attempt to stall some Sun turns, but it is highly suspicious so Drip switches Chimata in on Make it Rain and reveals Leftovers (I think this confirms Scarf Chimata, so maybe no Scarf Flandre). fifi takes the free switch into Flandre as Drip Defogs as expected, and fires off a Searing Shot into Clown for 47. This feels like Specs damage, though I am too lazy to calc. fifi goes Suwako on Moonlight, and clicks U-turn this time fearing Cirno as Drip chips Suwako with Moonblast for 25. I think Flandre being non-Scarf here is annoying for fifi, as she cannot switch in and outspeed the Cirno, and fifi's options to outspeed cannot switch in. This puts a lot of pressure on fifi to not let in Cirno for free, which is pretty hard. fifi goes back too Flandre and clicks Scorching Sands for 83 as Clown scouts with a Recover, then fifi goes hard Suwako predicting Chimata, but Drip makes a great midground into Cirno, covering the stay-in and the Suwako play. Cirno now reveals Icicle Crash, dealing 31 to Chimata (this feels defensiiveE). This actually makes life easier for fifi as they know they can check Cirno with Multiscale Iku in lategame. fifi Volts into Flandre as Drip switches to Chimata, and takes advantage of Sun to fire off a boosted Searing Shot, doing 77 + burning Tenshi. fifi decides to scout Scarf and switches to Chimata, while Drip goes Rumia (no Dark Aura). Rumia clicks Knock, revealing Chimata's Helmet, as Chimata Moonlights to full. Chimata Volts to Flandre again as Drip switches in Chimata, does 60 to Rumia on the switch (Dark Border lol...), then Drip sacs Tenshi to go Cirno.
I am kind of surprised Cirno is the option here instead of Clown or Junko. I assume this indicates Junko is not EQ, though I fear Junko loses to Youmu (should beat rest 1v1 if BU?). Clown lets in Suwako to set SR, which is terrible for Cirno. Cirno coming in reveals the last move must be Jump Kick, which means Cirno doesn't beat Chimata (sad). Drip confirms this as fifi takes the safe switch to Chimata (didn't go Youmu LOL), and gets a free Volt into Flandre as Drip goes Clown. Flandre somehow outspeeds and claims Clown with Searing Shot, and Drip goes Cirno after. Chimata comes in on Growth, and takes 62 from Crash, dodging the flinch, and killls Cirno with Make it Rain. I think the game is basically done at this point, as Youmu probably wins the lategame (Chimata can stop Youmu temporarily, but rest of mons lose to her so nothing to be done). Drip revenge kills Chimata with Junko Ice Beam, and Youmu comes in, dealing 54 to Chimata with Sacred Sword (surely this is CB). Youmu now wins by spamming Sword into the remaining mons, and fifi wins.
Cirno was really threatening on preview, but ended up doing nothing because it was the wrong set. In fact, Cirno likely sabotaged Drip, as sun enabled Flandre to hyper nuke her check in Clownpiece, setting up Youmu win. I think Drip's Chimata was also SpDef, as I don't think Physdef Chimata takes 54 from Youmu, even if CB, so Youmu was always going to farm after Clown took any damage vs. Flandre, which was inevitable. Overall, I don't really know what Drip could have done in this MU, seemed pretty doomed.
fiish vs big tony 2014
big tony has a thematic team with Seiga + Yoshika combo, Suwako (SR), Chimata (Defog), Clownpiece, and Iku. fiish has a standard balance with Nemuno + Soga breaking core, Kanako (SR), Chimata (Defog), Komachi, and Sukuna. big tony's Iku looks like standard Multiscale, Seiga might be scarf, and Yoshika is... Bulk Up? Yoshika is very cryptic, worst SpDef of all time does not make for good BU bot but movepool just doesn't work for Scarf. Maybe there is some Toxic or TSpike set here, though imo Eirin or Medicine are better for that. For fiish, looks like SD Komachi + Specs Soga + Scarf Nemuno, though who knows... I would scout since Soga could always be CM.
The hazard situation is standard Kanako Chimata vs Suwako Chimata. This means fiish has easier time setting but harder time removing, though both teams aren't super weak to SR so its mostly OK to trade and leave SR up for some turns, though neither team is bootspam so fiish should be a bit favored by being able to set earlier, though not by much as Chimata defogs for free. big tony's Clown looks like a major threat, as she mostly forces in Komachi, though most of fiish's team can trade down with her if needed. Iku is also a big threat since she can trade with basically anything on fiish's team. Seiga is hard to switch into as well with 4A set (though I don't expect it), though can be pressured by Soga. For fiish, Nemuno is pretty threatening, but Scarf is slightly awkward as Suwako + Chimata can wall her. Soga is a threat that forces in Suwako, who can be abused by Kanako, who in turn is walled by Chimata who is abused by Soga. This means there is potential? for momentum vortex, though I don't think its too possible since Kanako always gets Defog'd on by Chimata. Instead, I expect Soga to try whittling Suwako down with Shadow Balls until she can break, and beat the rest of the team (or get lured by Scarf Seiga and die).
For leads, tony doesn't really want to lead Suwako into Kanako. Seiga seems like a solid lead here to immediately threaten an Ice Beam or Trick or something into fiish's team, or Chimata can be led to throw an immediate Volt for momentum. For fiish, I think Kanako is OK if she has Glare to para Chimata, but otherwise lead Soga to try to make Shadow Ball progress ASAP.
big tony leads Seiga as fiish leads Kanako. Unlike me, big tony clicks Ice Beam ASAP and collects the kill, as fiish failed to read Seiga's movepool. fiish goes Sukuna, who should tank Flamethrower at full, forcing out Seiga. fiish sets a Spikes as big tony switches in Yoshika. It is interesting that Chimata is not the immediate answer; I think this indicates non-physdef Chimata? LO Tpunch is a concern for physdef, but Sukuna does not look like LO on this team so I don't think it is worth worrying about. Yoshika clicks BU as fiish switches to Soga. I'm not sure BU is really worth, considering Komachi's existence and fiish's lack of Ghost resists, but I'm not sure what the 1v1 interaction of Sukuna vs Yoshika looks like so maybe its correct. fiish is pressured to click Electric move (or Psynoise), so big tony should have a free Suwako pivot, but opts to stay in and Shadow Claw as Soga volts out to Sukuna for 76 and takes 42 in return. I think this is Specs damage... Yoshika is surely running 252SpD on this set. big tony still does not go Chimata, opting to give up the Yoshika sac to bring in Clownpiece. As mentioned before, Clown is a major threat to fiish's team, and fiish switches in Nemuno to apply maximum pressure as big tony clicks a free Wisp. Wisp hits everything and is basically risk-free, so no reason not to click it here. Personally, I think Encore Clown is pretty crazy, but Wisp definitely has its MUs and here it completely farms. Nemuno is completely crippled, and big tony goes Chimata to tank a Mighty Cleave which does 23 (this is a lot when burned). fiish goes Soga on Make it Rain, taking 58, so this Chimata is definitely offensive, probably scarf. Suwako comes in on Shadow Ball taking 38, and gets a free U-turn into Iku as fiish switches in Nemuno. Iku seems fine to trade down now, as Seiga and Clown both look broken in endgame for big tony.
Here, I really do not know what fiish can do to make progress. Clown spams burns everywhere for free, and fiish has a low HP Soga + 4 physical attackers slower than Clown. I think this game is basically over, unless Soga goes crazy and gets every turn right, blowing up Suwako and magically killing rest while somehow avoiding dying to Chimata (impossible).
fiish pivots in Sukuna as Iku reveals Dragon's Ascent, revealing Physical (DD?), big tony goes Chimata on Spirit Break, and tricks the Scarf as fiish smartly goes Nemuno to waste the turn. Nemuno dies to Make it Rain, and Soga comes in since she can barely tank a -1 Make it Rain. Soga clicks Shadow Ball again, as big tony calls this correctly and goes to Seiga, barely avoiding a 2HKO and avoiding the drop (luckily it was boots). big tony throws off an aggressive Tbolt (not Flamethrower maybe?) as Sukuna comes in, and goes Chimata on the Dynamax turn and volts out into Iku on Tpunch. Iku misses the KO with Dragon Ascent (did this not have Elec STAB?) and dies to Spirit Break, and Chimata comes back and cleans up with Make it Rain, which seems wrong as Sukuna is in range of Volt and Make it Rain gives Komachi and Chimata entry afterwards. Volt into Seiga seems correct to me, but big tony is up a sac so it might not matter. Komachi comes in after, and clicks Liquidation as big tony goes Seiga, living on 2% (luckily it was boots) before killing Komachi with a crit Dark Pulse. Chimata comes in, takes only 54 from Tbolt, and kills Seiga with Volt, bringing in Soga. I'm pretty sure big tony's best answer at this point is Suwako, as she should kill Soga with Scald at 42 and survive Shadow Ball, and Chimata loses the 1v1. However, big tony decides to go Chimata instead. I think Volt is also a winning line for big tony, and maybe Make it Rain is OK too, as Suwako can come in if Chimata is pivoted in. Overall, big tony is majorly favored.
big tony indeed makes the Volt play, as fiish switches in Chimata. Clown comes in, clicks Torch Song twice, and wins the game. (Also, why did Clown outspeed Soga...)
The pace of the game was basically set on T1 when Kanako instantly died. Afterwards, fiish simply could not pressure big tony efficiently, and slowly lost the value war vs big tony's team. Its always hard to switch Sukuna in there since I was suspecting Trick Scarf Seiga, but maybe it is the play that needed to be made... I think Chimata in is also not terrible. fiish also did not have a good switchin for Wisp Clown, so things just looked very dire all around. I don't think Nemuno (unburned) could have broken Chimata + Suwako fast enough regardless (maybe with SR up and a lot of correct reads) but the earlygame did basically seal fiish's fate (even tho Yoshika is really bad and did nothing).
This is like half as long as last time... lol
A few of the games were pretty straightforward (esp. big tony one, DripLegend one a bit too) so that contributes to it.
I think the most fun part of these is trying to guess sets off team composition and gameplay. I think I'm pretty good at guessing stuff like Levi Iku (and it might be a bit overused, feels like it's there to patch holes but often isn't enough), but I keep hallucinating Scarf when it's not there. Maybe if I play this tier more I'll get a better sense of these things...
Spammernoob vs ChrisPBacon
I told Chris in tests that I thought Glare Kanako was super broken, so I was expecting something to blank it, maybe DD Levitate Iku or Soga. To combat this, I... loaded another team with Glare Kanako. My team is a balance team with Keine "breaker" + Rumia support, Kanako (SR), Iku (Spin), Eirin and Takane. Chris has a BO with Kanako (SR), Soga, Mokou, Sukuna, Iku, and Yukari. For my team, I have Glare + Hurricane Kanako, Spin + STABs + Recover Iku, and Metal Coat Keine. Red Card Takane is a troll set I made to scam Sukuna out of their item, but can be used to phase a setup sweeper in a pinch. Rumia is standard scarf, and Eirin is defensive Toxic (Max Def, +SpDef nature). For Chris, I expect one of Mokou or Yukari to be Scarf here, and likely CM Soga to take full advantage of Kanako. Wood Hammer Kanako looks nice here for Chris to cleanly deal with Suwako,
In terms of hazards, both are Kanako SR + Iku removal. I expect Kanakos to trade SR early, and Iku removes at some point if given a chance. Both teams are not super weak to SR, so kinda fine with them sitting there for a while. For Chris, Mokou looks very potent, as I need to preserve Iku + Fighting resist to not explode to her lategame. Sukuna is annoying, esp. if Ice coverage for Kanako, so I rely on Takane for her. Iku is handled by Eirin, though it is difficult for Eirin to do much into Sukuna which is a problem. I don't actually have a good answer for Yukari other than Rumia or pray, so that might be a problem. For me, Keine looks nice to click Tachyon or EP once Soga is pursuited by Rumia. Other than that, I rely on Kanako to make progress, as once Soga is gone, Hurricane + EQ should have solid MU into remaining team if Iku is not Levitate.
For leads, Kanako is not bad for either player. I notably rely on my Kanako to beat other Kanakos, so Chris has a very easy Kanako lead. However, I also slightly fear Levitate Iku or Soga lead, so I decide to lead Eirin, as I have a safe Kanako switch even if I guess wrong, at the cost of momentum.
Chris leads Kanako as I lead Eirin. I know that EQ is not coming out when I have an easy Kanako switch, so I click Toxic as Chris reveals Glare. Knock feels risky here, so I take the Kanako oswitch as Chris sets SR. I click SR as Chris Glares again, but get full para'd so I have to set SR on the next turn as Chris takes a free switch into Soga. I expect Chris to predict Rumia and Volt, so I stay in with Kanako to Hurricane but get full para'd again. In hindsight this was kind of a bad play, as I am pretty sure Soga was CM and no Volt, so Glare was better (not that it mattered). I want to preserve HP on Kanako for Mokou endgame, so I pivot Takane on Ice Hammer, phasing Sukuna out into Yukari and stealing the AV. Yukari was probably the worst pull here, as Takane probably takes less damage from anyone else and slow U--turns for momentum. Yukari does 48 with Dark Pulse, revealing Specs, as U-turn only does 26 (4x btw), and I send in Rumia. Chris later said that Yukari is Bug Buzz, which would have killed and denied a sac but let in something like Keine. Instead, I bring in Rumia, who brings Yukari to 10 with Knock and takes 30 in return. Chris preserves the sac, going Sukuna on another Knock, and I sac my Takane to Prough to bring in Keine. I have a feeling Sukuna is not Sacred Sword, so I click EP as Chris sacs Yukari to SR to bring in Soga.
Here I troll with Keine by not clicking Volt Switch. I'm pretty sure Keine can tank 1 hit + Volt into Rumia, which is winning here. Instead I hard Iku as Chris clicks Shadow Ball. I'm pretty sure my best sequence is Recover spam to full, trade 1 Rev Dance for Shadow Ball / Tbolt, then hard Rumia, but instead I troll and trade down my whole Iku for Soga, which is really bad since now I have basically a dead mon in Rumia in the back, and my Iku can no longer stop Mokou Flare Blitz spam. I send in Kanako after, and click Hurricane as Chris sends in Kanako, but get full para'd. I Hurricane again as Chris sends in Iku, but get full para'd. I trade 50% of my Kanako to break Iku's Multiscale with EQ, to set up for Keine. Realistically, if I didn't get full para'd there, Iku dies and I'm up on sacs which would be nice (but Chris would get a Sukuna switchin, which is not nice). Chris sends in Kanako as I EQ again, and I know Wood Hammer is coming out so I aggressively switch in Keine. If I got this turn wrong, I probably insta-lose, but now Keine collects a kill on Kanako with Tachyon and transforms. Chris sends in Mokou, who is obviously Scarf, to revenge.
To be honest, I should have calced here, as Flare Blitz is a roll in my favor so I should expect CC and go Kanako. Instead, I sac my Rumia to go Kanako and take the Iku sac, as Chris brings in Sukuna. I know Ice Hammer is coming, so I go Keine and luckily dodge. I then forget Dynamax exists and EP into Sukuna for 30 and explode. Sukuna cleans up the rest of my team sadly. If I instead Volted there, I sac either Kanako or Eirin, Keine forces a kill with EP, and I pray I don't get full para'd with the remaining of Kanako / Eirin (ngl I would've gotten full para'd and lost).
To be honest, I kinda threw that w/ Iku toss + not volting with Keine, but I also got tilted by full paras on Kanako. Really I should've been more willing to toss Rumia into Soga early, given that she does nothing else, and I needed Iku for Mokou lategame. Also, not calcing T23 is hyper troll, but I was probably hyper tilted from full paras. Para is and always will be broken. Spam Glare until it's deleted. o7
cityscapes vs QT
QT has a very aggressive Cirno team with Youmu for Snow, Suwako (SR), Iku (Spin), Seiga, and Marisa. cityscapes has a much bulkier team with Suwako (SR), Lily (Defog), Youmu, Sukuna, Flandre, and Eirin. Youmu feels like one of those mons that lets you get away with no Scarfer, so I don't really expect scarf on either team (esp. not QT's since Cirno is also there). I am really curious what Seiga set is, as that mon has a lot of nice utility moves. Note: I saw this game live, and I tested with cityscapes beforehand, so I have an idea of some sets, and also know the war crime strat Eirin is about to pull.
For hazards, both sides have Suwako SR, which means they probably trade SR. Lily Defogs on Suwako very freely, but it is actually in cityscapes' favor to leave SR on both sides rather than remove them. We might see QT play into this, as Iku doesn't remove consistently vs. Suwako, but can goo Suwako to trade SR and invite city to Defog (if Iku is Levitate then its gaming though). QT needs to break fast as their team is very frail, which is hampered by the fact that Eirin probably walls half the team and Sukuna also checks Cirno. Marisa looks like it gets a kill every time it comes in, but Youmu can immediately threaten her out (with no good answer from QT) so I think cityscapes should be favored. Interestingly, no one likes running slow pivots for Cirno other than Suwako, so I will pray she hits the field more than twice this game.
For leads, QT wants to deny Suwako SR so Cirno, Marisa, Youmu leads would not be terrible. Marisa probably gets a kill vs most of cityscapes lead choices, so Youmu > Suwako > rest for leads I think. If both lead Youmu, I wonder what the line is... I think cityscapes needs Youmu more than QT, so QT can probably aggressively fish speed tie w/ Chilly.
QT leads Suwako as city leads Youmu. city U-turns into Lily immediately on SR, revealing Grassy Surge. 41 from U-turn feels like CB damage, though I'm too lazy to calc. Lily immediately Defogs, deleting terrain + SR as QT goes hard Marisa. I feel like this could have been risky, as Marisa wants HP to dump with Double Edge and Leaf Storm in terrain would have done a lot. I don't think removing SR is a major priority for city, though maybe they disagree. city is forced into Suwako as Marisa U-turns into Suwako. city switches Lily in again on SR, and Defogs them off as Suwako slow U-turns into Cirno. This is very surprising that cityscapes is prioritizing removing SR over getting immediate damage with Lily, as nothing really switches in well to Leaf Storm in terrain (except Iku, but breaking Multiscale is nice). This gives QT a free switch into Cirno, who threatens some good damage. I feel like Marisa pushes more immediate progress, as Sukuna and Eirin can both check Cirno, but it requires some prediction whereas Cirno is guaranteed (kinda, need to hit Blizzard). cityscapes opts for an aggressive Flandre, fishing for miss, as Cirno Blizzards for 65, and is scared out by potential Scarf. Flandre Searing Shots into Iku for 46 + burn. Burn is really unfortunate if this is Multiscale, though no way of knowing for now. Leaning towards Levitate given team's weakness into EQ, and revealed Leftovers. city switches to Sukuna to not waste Searing Shot pp, as Iku Recovers to full. QT then sacs Iku to deal 44 to Sukuna with Fiery Dance, and brings in Marisa.
Honestly, this feels like an issue for QT. Their whole team is so frail that it's extremely difficult to switch into anything so the moment Suwako took chip, it no longer handled Sukuna and QT is forced to sac. To play around this QT needs to aggro and get kills early, but now they are down on sacs which is very dire. Even if Marisa claims 1 here, Youmu or Flandre come in after to revenge something, and it's difficult to regain an advantage.
QT opts to throw a Flare Blitz as cityscapes goes Suwako, saving the Dynamax. QT goes Suwako as city's Suwako Scalds, and sets SR as city U-turns to Lily. cityscapes pulls the trigger on Leaf Storm, sniping Suwako and going up 6-4. QT decides to go Cirno, though imo now is not the time and they need to commit Marisa since they are behind. city goes Eirin to tank a Blizzard and manages to dodge, forcing Cirno out to Seiga as Eirin uses Idef. city decides to go Youmu to save Eirin HP for Cirno, as Seiga clicks NP. This was a nice switch to deny Seiga from making too much progress, and possibly also a Trick scout. cityscapes U-turns into Flandre to sac her, bringing Seiga down to sash, then U-turns again to finish Seiga off. It's a bit odd that Flandre was sac'd here instead of Lily, who seems like dead weight, since Scarf Flandre can still probably trade with someone, maybe win, but it' not important since cityscapes is so far ahead. QT's remaining are Youmu, Cirno, Marisa. cityscapes can afford to sac 1 if they are able to force 1:1 trades 3 times. I can't really come up with the line, but its OK... there was def a line with Scarf Flandre, but w/ever...
cityscapes goes Sukuna and forces Marisa in from QT. Marisa uses Flare Blitz as cityscapes switches in Suwako, and fires off a Scald for 55 into Cirno. Cirno misses a Blizzard as Suwako clicks SR in a sac attempt. Cirno kills with second Blizzard, and Eirin comes in to Idef. Blizzards are missed, Eirin sets up to +2/+2 and 1v1s Cirno and Youmu. Marisa breaks Eirin with crit Flare Blitz but runs out of HP and dies killing Youmu.
I kinda trolled not realizing Marisa Scarf, as no U-turn on T11 kind of telegraphed it. I think what this game shows is that Blizzard w/o Snow really sucks (70% accuracy moment) and Cirno really wants slow pivot support. imo Cirno teams should have 2 of: (Eject Button, Suwako, Teleport Lily, Flip Turn Iku [Levitate]). I think Marisa being Scarf kinda didn't work out here since Youmu + Suwako trolled it, but maybe if Double Edge was aggressively clicked to snipe Suwako early then QT could have won.
DripLegend vs fififlutters
fifi has a standard looking team with Suwako (SR), Chimata, Flandre, Iku, Sukuna, Youmu. Drip has a Sun offense team with Cirno-Tanned, Tenshi (SR), Chimata (Defog), Rumia, Clownpiece, and Junko. I'm not really sure if fifi using standard Physdef Defog Chimata, but it feels likely to improve Sukuna MU here. I'd expect something like Scarf Flandre + SD Youmu, standard Multi Iku + Sukuna from fifi. For Drip, Cirno, Tenshi, Clown are pretty limited in movesets. I'm not really sure what Junko is doing (maybe CM?), and one of Rumia / Chimata is scarf.
For hazards, Tenshi loses pretty hard to Suwako and probably loses to Chimata as well, so it seems difficult for Drip to keep up SR (mostly for Flandre). Chimata vs Suwako is usually a bad MU for Chimata, but it's kind of playable here if Sun is up to weaken Scald. I can really see Scarf Chimata on Drip's build so Rumia can run some other set (idk what, maybe BU to take advantage of Moonlight in Sun?), and that set can cripple Suwako with Trick, so we might see fifi play conservatively around that MU until item is confirmed. Cirno on Drip's team is a major threat, especially since TAxel can nuke Iku through Multiscale and Weather Ball + Grass STAB threatens the whole team with OHKOs except Flandre, and is only outsped by Flandre / Youmu. For fifi, the plan seems to be to pressure down Chimata with SR/Suwako, Youmu, and Sukuna, then pressure down Clownpiece with one of Flandre or Youmu so the other can win, but the window for this is very small given Cirno. The critical turn will be the first turn Suwako is in, whether Drip aggressively switches in Cirno or not, and if fifi calls this or not.
It feels like fifi should lead Youmu or Flandre to not explode to Cirno. If Youmu has U-turn, she is the most consistent lead, as she can immediately U-turn to gain momentum that can't be outplayed by Drip. If Youmu is SD, this is more awkward. Drip can always try Cirno lead, but will obviously get counterled. I think Clown is not a terrible lead, though immediately invites Suwako which is bad. If Chimata is scarf, she is ideal lead I think, otherwise Clown is OK but loses to U-turn Youmu into Suwako. Drip probably accepts losing momentum in early turns because I see no way out.
fifi as expected leads Youmu, as Drip leads Cirno. Drip is forced out into Clown, as fifi goes hard Suwako, indicating no U-turn. As mentioned before, this is the critical turn where fifi needs to guess if Cirno will hard in to SR or U-turn. She opts for SR as Cirno comes in; this has a nice value floor as at least Flandre can be pivoted in once (unless Jump Kick... lol). Cirno clicks Growth as Chimata comes in for fifi. I think this doesn't confirm scarf Chimata, as it could just be an attempt to stall some Sun turns, but it is highly suspicious so Drip switches Chimata in on Make it Rain and reveals Leftovers (I think this confirms Scarf Chimata, so maybe no Scarf Flandre). fifi takes the free switch into Flandre as Drip Defogs as expected, and fires off a Searing Shot into Clown for 47. This feels like Specs damage, though I am too lazy to calc. fifi goes Suwako on Moonlight, and clicks U-turn this time fearing Cirno as Drip chips Suwako with Moonblast for 25. I think Flandre being non-Scarf here is annoying for fifi, as she cannot switch in and outspeed the Cirno, and fifi's options to outspeed cannot switch in. This puts a lot of pressure on fifi to not let in Cirno for free, which is pretty hard. fifi goes back too Flandre and clicks Scorching Sands for 83 as Clown scouts with a Recover, then fifi goes hard Suwako predicting Chimata, but Drip makes a great midground into Cirno, covering the stay-in and the Suwako play. Cirno now reveals Icicle Crash, dealing 31 to Chimata (this feels defensiiveE). This actually makes life easier for fifi as they know they can check Cirno with Multiscale Iku in lategame. fifi Volts into Flandre as Drip switches to Chimata, and takes advantage of Sun to fire off a boosted Searing Shot, doing 77 + burning Tenshi. fifi decides to scout Scarf and switches to Chimata, while Drip goes Rumia (no Dark Aura). Rumia clicks Knock, revealing Chimata's Helmet, as Chimata Moonlights to full. Chimata Volts to Flandre again as Drip switches in Chimata, does 60 to Rumia on the switch (Dark Border lol...), then Drip sacs Tenshi to go Cirno.
I am kind of surprised Cirno is the option here instead of Clown or Junko. I assume this indicates Junko is not EQ, though I fear Junko loses to Youmu (should beat rest 1v1 if BU?). Clown lets in Suwako to set SR, which is terrible for Cirno. Cirno coming in reveals the last move must be Jump Kick, which means Cirno doesn't beat Chimata (sad). Drip confirms this as fifi takes the safe switch to Chimata (didn't go Youmu LOL), and gets a free Volt into Flandre as Drip goes Clown. Flandre somehow outspeeds and claims Clown with Searing Shot, and Drip goes Cirno after. Chimata comes in on Growth, and takes 62 from Crash, dodging the flinch, and killls Cirno with Make it Rain. I think the game is basically done at this point, as Youmu probably wins the lategame (Chimata can stop Youmu temporarily, but rest of mons lose to her so nothing to be done). Drip revenge kills Chimata with Junko Ice Beam, and Youmu comes in, dealing 54 to Chimata with Sacred Sword (surely this is CB). Youmu now wins by spamming Sword into the remaining mons, and fifi wins.
Cirno was really threatening on preview, but ended up doing nothing because it was the wrong set. In fact, Cirno likely sabotaged Drip, as sun enabled Flandre to hyper nuke her check in Clownpiece, setting up Youmu win. I think Drip's Chimata was also SpDef, as I don't think Physdef Chimata takes 54 from Youmu, even if CB, so Youmu was always going to farm after Clown took any damage vs. Flandre, which was inevitable. Overall, I don't really know what Drip could have done in this MU, seemed pretty doomed.
fiish vs big tony 2014
big tony has a thematic team with Seiga + Yoshika combo, Suwako (SR), Chimata (Defog), Clownpiece, and Iku. fiish has a standard balance with Nemuno + Soga breaking core, Kanako (SR), Chimata (Defog), Komachi, and Sukuna. big tony's Iku looks like standard Multiscale, Seiga might be scarf, and Yoshika is... Bulk Up? Yoshika is very cryptic, worst SpDef of all time does not make for good BU bot but movepool just doesn't work for Scarf. Maybe there is some Toxic or TSpike set here, though imo Eirin or Medicine are better for that. For fiish, looks like SD Komachi + Specs Soga + Scarf Nemuno, though who knows... I would scout since Soga could always be CM.
The hazard situation is standard Kanako Chimata vs Suwako Chimata. This means fiish has easier time setting but harder time removing, though both teams aren't super weak to SR so its mostly OK to trade and leave SR up for some turns, though neither team is bootspam so fiish should be a bit favored by being able to set earlier, though not by much as Chimata defogs for free. big tony's Clown looks like a major threat, as she mostly forces in Komachi, though most of fiish's team can trade down with her if needed. Iku is also a big threat since she can trade with basically anything on fiish's team. Seiga is hard to switch into as well with 4A set (though I don't expect it), though can be pressured by Soga. For fiish, Nemuno is pretty threatening, but Scarf is slightly awkward as Suwako + Chimata can wall her. Soga is a threat that forces in Suwako, who can be abused by Kanako, who in turn is walled by Chimata who is abused by Soga. This means there is potential? for momentum vortex, though I don't think its too possible since Kanako always gets Defog'd on by Chimata. Instead, I expect Soga to try whittling Suwako down with Shadow Balls until she can break, and beat the rest of the team (or get lured by Scarf Seiga and die).
For leads, tony doesn't really want to lead Suwako into Kanako. Seiga seems like a solid lead here to immediately threaten an Ice Beam or Trick or something into fiish's team, or Chimata can be led to throw an immediate Volt for momentum. For fiish, I think Kanako is OK if she has Glare to para Chimata, but otherwise lead Soga to try to make Shadow Ball progress ASAP.
big tony leads Seiga as fiish leads Kanako. Unlike me, big tony clicks Ice Beam ASAP and collects the kill, as fiish failed to read Seiga's movepool. fiish goes Sukuna, who should tank Flamethrower at full, forcing out Seiga. fiish sets a Spikes as big tony switches in Yoshika. It is interesting that Chimata is not the immediate answer; I think this indicates non-physdef Chimata? LO Tpunch is a concern for physdef, but Sukuna does not look like LO on this team so I don't think it is worth worrying about. Yoshika clicks BU as fiish switches to Soga. I'm not sure BU is really worth, considering Komachi's existence and fiish's lack of Ghost resists, but I'm not sure what the 1v1 interaction of Sukuna vs Yoshika looks like so maybe its correct. fiish is pressured to click Electric move (or Psynoise), so big tony should have a free Suwako pivot, but opts to stay in and Shadow Claw as Soga volts out to Sukuna for 76 and takes 42 in return. I think this is Specs damage... Yoshika is surely running 252SpD on this set. big tony still does not go Chimata, opting to give up the Yoshika sac to bring in Clownpiece. As mentioned before, Clown is a major threat to fiish's team, and fiish switches in Nemuno to apply maximum pressure as big tony clicks a free Wisp. Wisp hits everything and is basically risk-free, so no reason not to click it here. Personally, I think Encore Clown is pretty crazy, but Wisp definitely has its MUs and here it completely farms. Nemuno is completely crippled, and big tony goes Chimata to tank a Mighty Cleave which does 23 (this is a lot when burned). fiish goes Soga on Make it Rain, taking 58, so this Chimata is definitely offensive, probably scarf. Suwako comes in on Shadow Ball taking 38, and gets a free U-turn into Iku as fiish switches in Nemuno. Iku seems fine to trade down now, as Seiga and Clown both look broken in endgame for big tony.
Here, I really do not know what fiish can do to make progress. Clown spams burns everywhere for free, and fiish has a low HP Soga + 4 physical attackers slower than Clown. I think this game is basically over, unless Soga goes crazy and gets every turn right, blowing up Suwako and magically killing rest while somehow avoiding dying to Chimata (impossible).
fiish pivots in Sukuna as Iku reveals Dragon's Ascent, revealing Physical (DD?), big tony goes Chimata on Spirit Break, and tricks the Scarf as fiish smartly goes Nemuno to waste the turn. Nemuno dies to Make it Rain, and Soga comes in since she can barely tank a -1 Make it Rain. Soga clicks Shadow Ball again, as big tony calls this correctly and goes to Seiga, barely avoiding a 2HKO and avoiding the drop (luckily it was boots). big tony throws off an aggressive Tbolt (not Flamethrower maybe?) as Sukuna comes in, and goes Chimata on the Dynamax turn and volts out into Iku on Tpunch. Iku misses the KO with Dragon Ascent (did this not have Elec STAB?) and dies to Spirit Break, and Chimata comes back and cleans up with Make it Rain, which seems wrong as Sukuna is in range of Volt and Make it Rain gives Komachi and Chimata entry afterwards. Volt into Seiga seems correct to me, but big tony is up a sac so it might not matter. Komachi comes in after, and clicks Liquidation as big tony goes Seiga, living on 2% (luckily it was boots) before killing Komachi with a crit Dark Pulse. Chimata comes in, takes only 54 from Tbolt, and kills Seiga with Volt, bringing in Soga. I'm pretty sure big tony's best answer at this point is Suwako, as she should kill Soga with Scald at 42 and survive Shadow Ball, and Chimata loses the 1v1. However, big tony decides to go Chimata instead. I think Volt is also a winning line for big tony, and maybe Make it Rain is OK too, as Suwako can come in if Chimata is pivoted in. Overall, big tony is majorly favored.
big tony indeed makes the Volt play, as fiish switches in Chimata. Clown comes in, clicks Torch Song twice, and wins the game. (Also, why did Clown outspeed Soga...)
The pace of the game was basically set on T1 when Kanako instantly died. Afterwards, fiish simply could not pressure big tony efficiently, and slowly lost the value war vs big tony's team. Its always hard to switch Sukuna in there since I was suspecting Trick Scarf Seiga, but maybe it is the play that needed to be made... I think Chimata in is also not terrible. fiish also did not have a good switchin for Wisp Clown, so things just looked very dire all around. I don't think Nemuno (unburned) could have broken Chimata + Suwako fast enough regardless (maybe with SR up and a lot of correct reads) but the earlygame did basically seal fiish's fate (even tho Yoshika is really bad and did nothing).
This is like half as long as last time... lol
A few of the games were pretty straightforward (esp. big tony one, DripLegend one a bit too) so that contributes to it.
I think the most fun part of these is trying to guess sets off team composition and gameplay. I think I'm pretty good at guessing stuff like Levi Iku (and it might be a bit overused, feels like it's there to patch holes but often isn't enough), but I keep hallucinating Scarf when it's not there. Maybe if I play this tier more I'll get a better sense of these things...
