Welcome, one and all, to mine and BugManiacBob's Warstory! Firstly, apologies for the lame title. Secondly, this warstory took place on the Suspect ladder. Thirdly, there is no third point 8D
INTRODUCTION
Having become part of the competitive battling community (or Smogon at least) just after the banning of the supposed Ultimate-Tyrant-Threat-Dragon-BestdoubleSTABsinthegame that is Garchomp and having missed out on the chance to test-drive him in OU during the first stage(s) of Suspect Testing I had vowed to myself when I heard the news that the jet/shark/thing was to be retested to build a suspect team and see what he was really made of. After having quickly built a team I jumped onto 'Salac Berry', an alt of mine, and hit the 'Find Match' Button. After promptly losing my first two battles, I was losing hope and said to myself that if I didn't win the next battle I'd quit Suspect as soon as I had started it - I never liked Garchomp's back sprite anyway. Little did I know that a battle with the MSpaint Master was about to unfold in a less than subtle manner!
I was just finishing off my deeply important history coursework that would probably be the deciding factor in whether I got a good or bad grade, when I was suddenly seized with a desire to ladder on ShoddyBattle. Abandoning the trappings of pre-1923 Weimar Germany, I grabbed my usual team and clicked 'Find Match'. Suddenly a message came up - wondering if I had been bestowed with a great honour, I peered closer to the screen and read: "Manaphy is banned on this ladder". Slightly abashed, I meekly changed the ladder to Suspect (after banging my head on the desk a few times) and, sure enough, before I knew it, I was on a losing streak. I was about to call it a day and return to the various social improvements brought about by Gustav Stresemann when a battle window came up. The name of my opponent was 'Salac Berry', a mystery to me, but then he introduced himself as 'Alchemator', who was known to me on the forums. Thinking that this would be an interesting battle to end on, I prepared myself for combat.
THE TEAMS
Salac Berry's Team:
So, the team. After having skimmed through many a Suspect Metagame analysis post I concluded that a few members were almost necessary. Garchomp, a counter to Garchomp and Scizor. I had never used a Mamoswine lead and so chose him, apparently Magnezone was a good partner for Garchomp and Gyarados was mainly to cover resistances. Slaking? I'm mad like that. Being a self-confessed fan of the large, powerful but somewhat slow pokemon I enjoy creating teams that beat their assumed 'counters' through brute force - since special attackers have no real way of getting past certain fat blobs without dying I decided to go on the physical side of things. And here we are! (Bask in its uselessness!)
bug maniac bob's Team:
Ah, yes, my first attempt at creating a team for the new Suspect era. Bear in mind that this team is not, at least not yet, designed to win games as much as possible. This team is, simply put, a way of tasting the way the metagame is working in as many different ways as possible, so that I am learning more about it as I play. My first impressions are that yes, I adore this new metagame and the challenges it brings. But on to the team - All three suspects are here, partly because they're good together, partly because of SEXP requirements, partly because of a way to learn more about them together and partly because I don't have the memory space to create teams for each of them. The remaining three spaces are dedicated to support for each - Metagross is my favoured lead in this metagame, generally out of habit, and Tyranitar is there because I needed it or Scizor, and have been testing both in turn. This battle involved Tyranitar. Mixed Infernape... now you may say I'm crazy (gibber gibber oink oink my old man's a mushroom etc.) considering that it is beaten by most incarnations of all three suspects, but I have found that, actually, if you can get rid of the suspects on your opponent's team (easier said than done) Infernape almost completely destroys teams, considering the lack of preparation for him, and all the Skarmorys and Blisseys and every other foul thing cropping up to deal with the suspects, as well as the fact that a lot of people tend to be remarkably blasé about the way they use their suspects. Thus, my team, in a nutshell. Let the battle begin!
THE BATTLE
bug maniac bob's comments will look like this.
Salac Berry's comments will look like this.
other text will look like this.
Nicknames will be removed.
Leftovers recovery will be removed (Pokemon with Leftovers: Manaphy, Magnezone)
Life Orb recoil will be removed (Pokemon with Life Orb: Mamoswine, Infernape)
Sandstorm will be removed.
Scores will be shown after each KO.
Rules: Ladder Match, Sleep Clause, Freeze Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Clause, Species Clause, Strict Damage Clause, Soul Dew Clause
bug maniac bob sent out Metagross.
Salac Berry sent out Mamoswine.
- 100%
- 100%
Quote:
Salac Berry: 'tis bmb!
Salac Berry: <-- Alchemator, though I suppose you wouldn't remember me
bug maniac bob: ahh
bug maniac bob: he of the line art
Salac Berry: indeed
Metagross, the 2nd most used lead in standard OU yet again makes an appearance in suspect – this Mamoswine (a Life Orb variant of the lead) handly OHKOs them however. The question is does he know this? Probably not, early game is too early for prediction wars. This move is a no brainer:
Ah, I am welcomed to the fray by what looks like a mammoth but sounds like a giant pig. Which is odd because, as far as I am aware, pigs and mammoths are rarely comparable. Can’t say it’s a bad choice of lead, what with all the Garchomps floating around. Still, each to his own, and each of us is quite capable of doing massive damage to the other. The difference being that standard Adamant Mamo will never OHKO Metagross with Earthquake, and often misses the KO with Ice Shard on the next turn, whereas I comfortably OHKO with Meteor Mash, putting Mamo out of harm’s way with respect to my Garchomp, Tyranitar, Latias, and just about the entirety of my team really.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Metagross lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Metagross fainted.
(5-6)
---
- FNT
- 90%
It went exactly as planned, and this pleases me – although only one member of my team is weak to Stealth Rock it can still be a nuisance to my many neutralities to the entry hazard since I switch a lot (who doesn’t?).
Oh, fiddles. That went a little… badly. One of the things you really, really don’t want to do in a battle is lose a Pokemon on turn one due to a miscalculation. I have a feeling that Metagross’s absence will make this battle much, much trickier, especially given Metagross’s bulk, which is always a plus in a heavily offence-orientated metagame. Now, after thinking this through for a bit, I analyse my options. Garchomp will eat an Ice Shard and probably fail to OHKO, Tyranitar will eat an Earthquake and die, Latias will be upset badly by Ice Shard (and I don’t want to try my semistall Latias out yet, it’s far too early in the game), and Infernape needs to be kept a secret until I establish the rest of his team. So, Manaphy it is.
bug maniac bob switched in Manaphy.
Being new to the Suspect Ladder (and having never seen a Manaphy during my short and fruitless spells in Ubers) I have no idea how to handle a Manaphy. Of course, from lurking in Suspect Testing discussion threads and habitually reading its analysis I can envisage the type of set it might be carrying – Tail Glow apparently being very popular. Thus I assume that it is a Tail Glow set (what else was I supposed to assume?). I decide to switch in the most controversial member of the team who was mainly thrown on for general testing purposes despite giving me a large fighting weakness. Yes if you paid attention to the team summary you will have guessed it – Slaking. I run a Scarfed variant so there is no doubt it will outspeed and OHKO with Thunderpunch after switching in on the Tail Glow. Yet, if worst comes to worst I’m sure Slaking can survive a Surf coming from an unimpressive base 100 Special Attack. Or at least I hope so…
Haha, yes, it is indeed a Tail Glow set (muhahaha and other generic evil laughs). Naturally, however, I’m not going to waste my time trying to set up on Mamo. You may think I’m an idiot, and yes, I know that he’s bound to switch out. Firstly, I can’t lose another Pokemon to miscalculation so soon after losing Metagross (or at least, that was my train of thought), so I should play it safe and maul him while I can. Second, If he switches, he is in all probability going to be switching in a Manaphy counter, who will then force me out, and I’ll look like more of a chump than all the six million people on Youtube setting themselves on fire combined. Logic, therefore, dictates that I should nuke whatever comes in with my strongest attack.
Salac Berry switched in Slaking.
Manaphy used Surf.
Slaking lost 50% of its health.
---
- 100%
- 50%
Worst case scenario here, but it isn’t catastrophic. For some reason, however, I overpredicted here (as usual) and predicting a Garchomp switch-in to my Thunder-Punch (it’s reasonably safe to assume that Garchomp is on BMB’s team, it’s on pretty much everyone’s’!) I first think about Ice-Punch – but if I don’t predict correctly it could spell doom for the lazy-ass monkey. Lacking Return (and STAB) on the set, I decide to go with what some argue is the best attacking move in the game: Earthquake.
Slaking? At this stage of testing? I’m gobsmacked to say the least. What if it’s a new, super duper, SubSalac version that will take the metagame by storm in a few month’s time? Horror of horrors!
…meh, Manaphy’s plenty bulky anyway, especially considering that I run a 252 HP variant, and if it has to take a Return, so be it. A quick KO next turn will make the score even, and then we can get on with the game. Overprediction will often be your downfall, especially if you try it too often.
Slaking used Earthquake.
Manaphy lost 47% of its health.
Manaphy used Surf.
Slaking lost 49% of its health.
---
- 59%
- 1%
I foolishly overpredict and Slaking only survives by the skin of its teeth. The Leftovers recovery shows that Manaphy must be some sort of bulky variant – bad news for my team which doesn’t have the immediate power to batter it down. I decide to let Slaking die or scout out a switch (though I can’t see why he would at this point).
Now, what was that I was saying?
We have a mixed bag of fruit here. On the one hand, I failed to OHKO Slaking. On the other hand, if he stays in he dies (Truant), or I get a free switch, and I establish that it is clearly Choice, given lack of LO recoil or Leftovers (BUT… what if it’s a Salac version? I can’t take the pressure!). Now, I could send in something faster, to take the free switch and KO Slaking… but if it’s Scarfed, I lose potentially a great deal of health. I’ll play it safe with resistances and switch in Latias. Bear in mind that he has no idea what it does yet… so this should make for a nasty poser.
bug maniac bob switched in Latias.
Slaking is loafing around!
- 100%
- 1%
Balls. Mamoswine can’t take any attack, Garchomp is a no-go for obvious reasons, Gyarados can’t risk a Thunderbolt and Scizor or Magnezone might well be 2hkoed. Even though I’m locked into Earthquake I decide to stay in and die (finally).
DURP
Interesting… so he didn’t switch? Another costly overprediction, though I suppose he would have expected me to kill his Slaking there and then, given the circumstances and the move choices I had used up until that point. The reaction of most people to Latias on Suspect is usually “OMG DRACO METEOR ABUSE NOOB WRAGH GRUNT OINK SQUEAK CEMENT CROCODILES COMPLICATED INSURANCE FORMS”. And sometimes it isn’t. The second reaction is generally to send in Scizor to take down Latias with U-turn. In any case, I have a free turn, and he expects me to use Draco Meteor or a move of that nature. Ergo, I will begin setting up now, while I can. Reflect is my standard first-turn move, so I stand by that decision.
---
Latias makes ground moves miss with Levitate!
Slaking used Earthquake.
Slaking's attack missed!
Latias used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
---
Quote:
Salac Berry: ^fail
- 100% REFLECT
- 1%
I summarise the situation perfectly, it’s the same as last turn but Latias now has a Reflect up which renders the assaults of my mainly physical team virtually ineffective. I decide to risk a switch to Garchomp. I don’t know why D:
A fail indeed – so much so that I believe it goes beyond the usual realms of failure. As failures go, it is as pathetic as a Machamp with no gentleman’s region, whose trainer nicknamed him ‘Spunky’ and who was defeated in its first competitive battle by a trainer named ‘fredburger999’ and used a team consisting entirely of Pokemon used in the anime by Ash Ketchum. In short, it goes beyond Miley Cyrus levels of ‘fail’.
Still, enough about me. There is basically zero chance of him staying in now, and I have serious consideration to make about my choice of moves.
I could:
a) Dragon Pulse the switch-in for added damage
b) Use Wish just in case I have to switch
c) Use Roar to scout the opponent’s team.
Dragon Pulse has barely any investment to it and is there simply for coverage purposes, and is no help against the most likely switch-ins, Tyranitar and Scizor. Roar would be the most practical in the short-term but has a serious possibility to go wrong. As I hate having the fates decide my battle strategy, I have to go with Wish. I await the unfortunate meeting of head and desk in a few short moments…
Salac Berry switched in Garchomp.
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
---
- 100% REFLECT WISH
- 100%
This is even worse, but I need to get Magnezone in safely so Slaking FINALLY has to die (I’m serious this time, it’s going to die).
Curious, curious… So he brings in Garchomp? That seems to indicate that it is a Choice Chomp, but I can’t believe he would try to take on Latias while it had both Reflect and Wish waiting. If he tries to Outrage, I will survive thanks to Reflect, heal with my Wish and easily 2HKO with Dragon Pulse. Here’s hoping…
Salac Berry switched in Slaking.
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Slaking lost 2% of its health.
Salac Berry's Slaking fainted.
(5-5)
The wish came true!
---
- 100% REFLECT
- FNT
I suppose that went ok… Time to bring in Magnezone, but again I overpredict and substitute in case he switches in an Infernape or something similar that is resistant to the ‘obvious’ incoming HP Ice.
I suppose I should have foreseen that he would switch Slaking in, but it makes no difference. If I hadn’t attacked, Slaking would have crippled me, which would have been deeply irritating. Now he has a free switch, and my Wish was a waste of a turn. However, I still have the monopoly, given a high-health Latias with healing potential, and still with an element of surprise over my last moveslot. He won’t be switching Scizor in yet because of this, I’m certain, but something that will coax the last move out. Hmm…
Salac Berry switched in Magnezone.
Magnezone, eh? How nice. An almost guaranteed partner to Garchomp these days, if the significantly louder people in the discussion thread are ever to be believed. This surprised me at first, given how neither of Maggy’s STAB moves have much effect on Latias, who is specially bulky regardless. The trouble is, I can do nothing back. Hidden Power Ice is the best he can hope for, but even that won’t do much (I hope) given Latias’s excellent Special Defence, unless it happens to be a Specs variant (which would be sheer idiocy given the number of Garchomp about these days). Roar is my best option here, as he’s going to do something sneaky, and I don’t intend to let him do it.
Magnezone used Substitute.
Magnezone lost 25% of its health.
Magnezone made a substitute!
Latias used Roar.
Salac Berry switched in Gyarados.
Gyarados's intimidate cut Latias's attack!
---
- 100% REFLECT
- 100%
I suppose BMB’s Latias was significantly specially bulky – However, as he has no Stealth Rock this shuffling is merely a minor annoyance. This Gyarados, being a SubBounce version, can probably take Latias on (as it seems to lack Thunderbolt). Not willing to risk Dragon Dancing or Substituting for fear of Roar, I immediately go for the bounce and the hopeful paralyzing that ensues.
I completely… forgot… about Substitute. My head is throbbing badly now (it and my desk appear to have got… engaged to one another) but I’m still relieved – by a complete fluke, he wasted a turn and a quarter of his HP, and I meet another member of his team, Gyarados. The bad news is, he now knows for certain that I don’t have Thunderbolt. The good news, however, is that I can probably stall him out with Reflect, Wish and Dragon Pulse. But he’s got to know that… so what will he do?
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
Latias's reflect wore off!
---
- 100% WISH
- 100% BOUNCE
Oh. BounceGyara. And I’ve lost my Reflect. Cue the cycle.
Latias used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 26% of its health.
The wish came true!
Latias restored 26% of its health.
---
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 32% of its health.
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
---
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 26% of its health.
Latias's leftovers restored its health a little!
Latias restored 6% of its health.
---
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 37% of its health.
Gyarados used Dragon Dance.
Gyarados's attack was raised.
Gyarados's speed was raised.
The wish came true!
Latias restored 20% of its health.
---
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Latias's reflect wore off!
---
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 68% of its health.
Latias is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 30% of its health.
Salac Berry's Gyarados fainted.
(5-4)
The wish came true!
Latias restored 50% of its health.
Latias's leftovers restored its health a little!
Latias restored 6% of its health.
---
- 88%
- FNT
After a long cycle of Bouncing, Latias has never been better Health-wise. However, I eventually got the paralysis I wanted and needed. This means that a certain familiar face can safely switch in and wreck havoc. Having not played Suspect for very long, but having heard that Magnezone support Garchomp very well (I use that combo, it works ok) I thus assume that Magnezone must be rather common. U-turn will kill Latias if it stays in, and avoid Magnezone if Latias switches out. The damn Scizor basically gets a win-win situation here.
I knew I’d be lucky as hell to escape without paralysis, so I’m not too concerned when it arrives at last, indeed had it occurred any sooner I would have been in a bit of a dilemma about stalling out Gyarados. Good fortunes aside, although Latias is in excellent health, I have a feeling the next switch-in will not be behaving too kindly. I also have a feeling that I know who is coming out next.
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
Ah, Scizor, my bad-luck buddy. A fickle friend at the worst of times, I’m curious as to why he didn’t turn up sooner, but nevertheless here presents a problem. Paralysis means that I cannot save myself with Reflect or Wish, and he will be U-turning out – that much I am certain of. Tyranitar, Manaphy, Garchomp and Infernape are my options – Tyranitar would die painfully, Manaphy can’t take another hit due to its already low health, and Garchomp and Infernape need to remain unseen – neither can afford, really, to take a U-turn, despite the ape’s quad resistance. I decide that there is nothing for it but to let Latias suffer pain of death, given that it is the most useless member of my team at this point. More to the point, I will be able to see what he brings out next before switching my own Pokemon in, giving me the immediate advantage. You did your job, now be free.
Scizor used U-turn.
It's super effective!
Latias lost 88% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Latias fainted.
(4-4)
Salac Berry switched in Mamoswine.
---
- FNT
- 90%
Oho? Mamoswine again? He seems to be trying to make the most of the free turns, so I’ll just do what I did before – and this time he has no Slaking (heh).
Having still not got rocks up despite my early lead, I send in Mamoswine to do the job. However, to my horror (but not so much surprise):
bug maniac bob switched in Manaphy.
D: and we’re back to this situation again. Last time I switched to Slaking, but of course this time he’s dead. However, seeing as I now know this must be some bulky variant I risk a switch to Magnezone – I mean, surely it can’t do that much with base 100 Special Attack?
Now at this point, since we’re back to the beginning again, let’s do a recap. I have a Manaphy out, and he has a slower Mamoswine, or so I gather by the way he switched out on the second turn. He has, by now, lost Slaking and Gyarados, and has a Garchomp, Scizor, and a Magnezone waiting in the wings. None of whom can take a Surf at all. My move, then, seems obvious; Surf will do at least half damage to all the Pokemon he could switch in (possible exception of Garchomp, but then he may have something he needs Garchomp for that requires large amounts of health…), but then again Tail Glow could potentially set me up for a win, provided Mamoswine switches out AND Garchomp does not switch in. I am sure that Manaphy is faster than both Scizor and Magnezone (since Scizor is clearly Choice and Magnezone clearly isn’t, owing to its use of Substitute), but if Garchomp comes in I lose Manaphy. Surf is in my best interests now, since I have the reassurance of knowing that, unless his Garchomp is Choice Band, I will beat the switch-in.
Salac Berry switched in Magnezone.
Manaphy used Surf.
Magnezone lost 58% of its health.
---
- 65%
- 42%
There. He switches in Magnezone, which is a shame, as I realise that if I had used Tail Glow I would probably have been able to take down two or three Pokemon with ease. Despite this unfortunate backfiring, I can make the most of the situation – Magnezone has been deeply troublesome for me, and now I can get rid of it. If he switches, I get health back, and he weakens another member of his team. Simples.
Manaphy used Surf.
Magnezone lost 43% of its health.
Salac Berry's Magnezone fainted.
(4-3)
---
- 71%
- FNT
Well that went well, now the only Pokemon on my team that can (hopefully) survive a Surf and hit back hard enough for the KO is Scizor, so in goes the annoying metal bug:
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
Scizor, eh? Well, it was a better decision than Garchomp under the circumstances, I’ll give him that. I cannot OHKO, and he’s going to do a ton of damage with U-turn. There’s no other choice but to let Manaphy die. Then I can scout his switch, and chop and change appropriately. This game is still very much open, even as it moves into the late stages.
Manaphy used Surf.
Scizor lost 50% of its health.
Scizor used U-turn.
Manaphy lost 65% of its health.
Salac Berry switched in Mamoswine.
---
- 12%
- 90%
Well, it didn’t KO but 12% is enough for Mamoswine to kill it once and for all!
That Scizor is starting to get on my nerves. If it wasn’t for the fact that I am concerned about winning the ‘Best Gimmick User’ award at the Smogon awards 2009, I’d call it mildly annoying. But I won’t. Anyway, I know which move is coming, and I honestly don’t like it one bit. But I can’t afford to switch Infernape in, him being too frail to take even an Ice Shard, and I need him healthy for the final push. Garchomp and Tyranitar are no-nos for similar reasons. Plus the fact that Manaphy is now so low on health that it really is not needed, even for sacrificial duties. I have my battle plan, and I know exactly how to put it into operation.
Mamoswine used Ice Shard.
It's not very effective...
Manaphy lost 12% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Manaphy fainted.
(3-3)
---
- FNT
- 80%
I’m glad that’s out the way, but he still has three mystery Pokemon. I still have no rocks either.
Alright – now, in comes the demon monkey.
bug maniac bob switched in Infernape.
I decide to stay in, as I’ve been overpredicting all through the game and Mamoswine doesn’t serve much use to me now. Although it doesn’t really matter, I selected Earthquake.
Now, he has three Pokemon left, all of whom are mauled by Close Combat – even Garchomp. If he stays in with Mamoswine, it’s good news for me – I know the value of Scizor and Garchomp to him, and they are his most valuable Pokemon as of now, simply because of reputation. Remember, he doesn’t know that my last two Pokemon are destroyed by Mamoswine. Which is good news for me.
Infernape used Close Combat.
It's super effective!
Mamoswine lost 80% of its health.
Salac Berry's Mamoswine fainted.
(3-2)
Infernape's defence was lowered.
Infernape's special defence was lowered.
---
- 90%
- FNT
I’ve ran HP Ice on Infernape myself before, and it works wonders – therefore it would be no surprise if this particular Infernape was also running HP Ice to counter a metagame filled to the brim with Garchomp. However, mine packs a Yache Berry and so should survive (you’ve got to hate chomp’s bulkiness)! In goes the superior Dragon/Ground for the kill with Earthquake.
Salac Berry switched in Garchomp.
Bugger. I'd forgotten about Monster Mash here. But that’s all okay – I mean, he’s underwhelming, right? Right?
I haven’t seen his Garchomp in action yet, but there are two distinct possibilities – he could be a Choice Scarf or a Swords Dancer. The latter is good news for me, as I can attack with Hidden Power before he moves. If the former – If he locks himself on Earthquake I can attack with Garchomp, and if he locks himself on Outrage, I can leap into the fray with Crunch. Both Crunch and Outrage from Tyranitar and Garchomp respectively can 2HKO Scizor if he predicts my attack, and thus three scenarios result:
1. He kills Infernape with Earthquake. I leap in with Garchomp and attack with Outrage, as unboosted Dragon Claw cannot OHKO. If he switches out to Scizor I take him down with two Outrages. If he subsequently attacks with Dragon Claw on Garchomp, I switch out to Tyranitar and end him with Crunch.
2. He kills Infernape with Dragon Claw. I leap in with Tyranitar and attack with Crunch. If he switches out to Scizor I take him down with two Crunches. If he subsequently attacks with Earthquake on Garchomp, I switch out to Garchomp and end him with Outrage.
3. Infernape attacks first and somehow fails to OHKO with Hidden Power (Yache maybe?). I switch in Garchomp and attack with Dragon Claw or Outrage. From there I kill everything in his team. Job done.
In simple terms:
Of course, these plans are far from perfect, and have a lot of elements of chance attached – but they’re the best I have, and I feel confident about a win here.
Now, where were we? Oh yes – Infernape’s imminent assault on Garchomp…
I believe studying the Schlieffen Plan has considerably changed his thought process 8D
Infernape used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
Garchomp lost 61% of its health.
The Yache Berry weakened Hidden Power's power!
Garchomp used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Infernape lost 80% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Infernape fainted.
(2-2)
---
- FNT
- 39%
Excellent – this makes matters much easier. My Choice Scarf Garchomp can easily outrun his Garchomp, given that Infernape was able to outrun it. And, another bit of good news – he doesn’t know that yet.
bug maniac bob switched in Garchomp.
Garchomp takes quite a hit, but still manages to get rid of that problematic flaming monkey. My previous thoughts on BMB packing his own Garchomp have been confirmed, and it’s back to theorymon. Apparently, Scarfchomp is reasonably common in Suspect and this would concur with his switch-in here. However, (here goes my overprediction again) he might just be bluffing a scarf to gain a Swords Dance and try a late-game sweep. Since Garchomp isn’t too valuable to me at this point I go for the Dragon Claw in the hopes of a kill.
Garchomp’s on 40% of its health, but I’m still not sure if that’s enough to kill with. I’ll go with Dragon Claw, just to be safe. If he switches in Scizor, I can always revert back to the Earthquake strategy by sacrificing Tyranitar, but I’m pretty sure he won’t switch, given the circumstances. Plan C go!
Garchomp used Dragon Claw.
It's super effective!
Garchomp lost 39% of its health.
Salac Berry's Garchomp fainted.
(2-1)
---
- 100%
- FNT
Scarf? I don’t know, it may have been a speed tie and this puts me on edge. Scizor is my last Pokemon, and it’s surely KO’ed by Earthquake. The question is, will I KO with Bullet Punch?
Perfect. He has a Scizor out on half his health, and neither of my final two Pokemon (Tyranitar and Garchomp) are OHKOed by Bullet Punch, both can kill in one hit and both are on full health. Scizor’s good, I’ll admit, but not THAT good. GG, Alchemator, this was a fun game!
Now, the formalities… I could attack with Dragon Claw on Garchomp, let Scizor 2HKO me to bring Tyranitar in unscathed, then kill with Earthquake. Factoring in critical hits, this plan has about a 90% chance to win me the game. The other option is to switch Tyranitar into Bullet Punch, activating Sand Stream, then letting Scizor KO me, then killing with Garchomp’s Earthquake. This plan has, factoring in critical hit rate AND Sand Veil, a 99.5% chance to win me the game. So, let’s finish this.
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
bug maniac bob switched in Tyranitar.
Tyranitar's Sand Stream whipped up a sandstorm!
Scizor used Bullet Punch.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Tyranitar lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Tyranitar fainted.
(1-1)
---
- FNT
- 50%
As a note of reference, I doubt that crit really mattered as even if Tyranitar had survived I’m sure BMB wouldn’t have risked a switch back to Chomp who would have been 2hkoed with Tyranitar. Initially this switch astounded me, why switch Tyranitar into something it is hands down beaten by?
Firstly, to activate Sand Stream, and secondly, to let Chomp switch moves to Earthquake. I smile inwardly at this point for some reason – perhaps simply because, had I left Garchomp in, Scizor would have OHKOed, and then Tyranitar would have been unable to OHKO with Earthquake (and I really, really don’t trust Stone Edge’s accuracy issues), giving Alchemator a far greater chance to win the game.
bug maniac bob switched in Garchomp.
Quote:
Salac Berry: lol
Salac Berry: chomp hax
Then it dawned on me, another reason that Garchomp was banished to Ubers was its Sand Veil ability. In Platinum it was lowered, but the chance of Bullet Punch missing was still enough to just put me on edge. I still have no idea whether Bullet Punch can OHKO, but then there was a slight glimmer of hope – why would BMB bother getting Sandstorm up if he wasn’t worried about Garchomp being KO’d? The next move is simple – BULLET PAAWWWWNCH!!
That was a very fun game. I suppose in one way we’re both winners – but technically there can only be one, final winner. The King of all Suspects faces down the King of OU. The King of Dragons versus the King of Steels. The King of Hax versus the King of Unsubtlety. One primed for battle, one on the verge of death. Good game, Alchemator, and I hope to be able to battle again someday.
Scizor used Bullet Punch.
A critical hit!
Garchomp lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Garchomp fainted.
(0-1)
Salac Berry wins!
- FNT
- 50%
Quote:
Salac Berry: :O
Salac Berry: gg
bug maniac bob: ...
bug maniac bob: so much for chomp, king of hax
Salac Berry: yeah lol
And Garchomp goes down to a critical hit, nicely summarized by BMB. Good Game, although it was an unfair win on my part!
…Oh. Something told me that would happen, but… two crits in a row. A 99.5% chance to win the game. But, hey, I guess it’s just one of those things.
Now I’ll just go put a bandage on my bleeding head, and get some tools to repair the desk. Then I’ll have to make a better team.
But first…
FINAL WORDS
...where would a warstory be without its Props and Slops?
Props
Now, my ‘Props’ and ‘Slops’. Of course, because I’m a toff, I prefer to use ‘Digs’ and ‘Scels’.
Digs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
Having become part of the competitive battling community (or Smogon at least) just after the banning of the supposed Ultimate-Tyrant-Threat-Dragon-BestdoubleSTABsinthegame that is Garchomp and having missed out on the chance to test-drive him in OU during the first stage(s) of Suspect Testing I had vowed to myself when I heard the news that the jet/shark/thing was to be retested to build a suspect team and see what he was really made of. After having quickly built a team I jumped onto 'Salac Berry', an alt of mine, and hit the 'Find Match' Button. After promptly losing my first two battles, I was losing hope and said to myself that if I didn't win the next battle I'd quit Suspect as soon as I had started it - I never liked Garchomp's back sprite anyway. Little did I know that a battle with the MSpaint Master was about to unfold in a less than subtle manner!
I was just finishing off my deeply important history coursework that would probably be the deciding factor in whether I got a good or bad grade, when I was suddenly seized with a desire to ladder on ShoddyBattle. Abandoning the trappings of pre-1923 Weimar Germany, I grabbed my usual team and clicked 'Find Match'. Suddenly a message came up - wondering if I had been bestowed with a great honour, I peered closer to the screen and read: "Manaphy is banned on this ladder". Slightly abashed, I meekly changed the ladder to Suspect (after banging my head on the desk a few times) and, sure enough, before I knew it, I was on a losing streak. I was about to call it a day and return to the various social improvements brought about by Gustav Stresemann when a battle window came up. The name of my opponent was 'Salac Berry', a mystery to me, but then he introduced himself as 'Alchemator', who was known to me on the forums. Thinking that this would be an interesting battle to end on, I prepared myself for combat.
THE TEAMS
Salac Berry's Team:
So, the team. After having skimmed through many a Suspect Metagame analysis post I concluded that a few members were almost necessary. Garchomp, a counter to Garchomp and Scizor. I had never used a Mamoswine lead and so chose him, apparently Magnezone was a good partner for Garchomp and Gyarados was mainly to cover resistances. Slaking? I'm mad like that. Being a self-confessed fan of the large, powerful but somewhat slow pokemon I enjoy creating teams that beat their assumed 'counters' through brute force - since special attackers have no real way of getting past certain fat blobs without dying I decided to go on the physical side of things. And here we are! (Bask in its uselessness!)
bug maniac bob's Team:
Ah, yes, my first attempt at creating a team for the new Suspect era. Bear in mind that this team is not, at least not yet, designed to win games as much as possible. This team is, simply put, a way of tasting the way the metagame is working in as many different ways as possible, so that I am learning more about it as I play. My first impressions are that yes, I adore this new metagame and the challenges it brings. But on to the team - All three suspects are here, partly because they're good together, partly because of SEXP requirements, partly because of a way to learn more about them together and partly because I don't have the memory space to create teams for each of them. The remaining three spaces are dedicated to support for each - Metagross is my favoured lead in this metagame, generally out of habit, and Tyranitar is there because I needed it or Scizor, and have been testing both in turn. This battle involved Tyranitar. Mixed Infernape... now you may say I'm crazy (gibber gibber oink oink my old man's a mushroom etc.) considering that it is beaten by most incarnations of all three suspects, but I have found that, actually, if you can get rid of the suspects on your opponent's team (easier said than done) Infernape almost completely destroys teams, considering the lack of preparation for him, and all the Skarmorys and Blisseys and every other foul thing cropping up to deal with the suspects, as well as the fact that a lot of people tend to be remarkably blasé about the way they use their suspects. Thus, my team, in a nutshell. Let the battle begin!
THE BATTLE
bug maniac bob's comments will look like this.
Salac Berry's comments will look like this.
other text will look like this.
Nicknames will be removed.
Leftovers recovery will be removed (Pokemon with Leftovers: Manaphy, Magnezone)
Life Orb recoil will be removed (Pokemon with Life Orb: Mamoswine, Infernape)
Sandstorm will be removed.
Scores will be shown after each KO.
Rules: Ladder Match, Sleep Clause, Freeze Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Clause, Species Clause, Strict Damage Clause, Soul Dew Clause
bug maniac bob sent out Metagross.
Salac Berry sent out Mamoswine.
Quote:
Salac Berry: 'tis bmb!
Salac Berry: <-- Alchemator, though I suppose you wouldn't remember me
bug maniac bob: ahh
bug maniac bob: he of the line art
Salac Berry: indeed
Metagross, the 2nd most used lead in standard OU yet again makes an appearance in suspect – this Mamoswine (a Life Orb variant of the lead) handly OHKOs them however. The question is does he know this? Probably not, early game is too early for prediction wars. This move is a no brainer:
Ah, I am welcomed to the fray by what looks like a mammoth but sounds like a giant pig. Which is odd because, as far as I am aware, pigs and mammoths are rarely comparable. Can’t say it’s a bad choice of lead, what with all the Garchomps floating around. Still, each to his own, and each of us is quite capable of doing massive damage to the other. The difference being that standard Adamant Mamo will never OHKO Metagross with Earthquake, and often misses the KO with Ice Shard on the next turn, whereas I comfortably OHKO with Meteor Mash, putting Mamo out of harm’s way with respect to my Garchomp, Tyranitar, Latias, and just about the entirety of my team really.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Metagross lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Metagross fainted.
(5-6)
---
It went exactly as planned, and this pleases me – although only one member of my team is weak to Stealth Rock it can still be a nuisance to my many neutralities to the entry hazard since I switch a lot (who doesn’t?).
Oh, fiddles. That went a little… badly. One of the things you really, really don’t want to do in a battle is lose a Pokemon on turn one due to a miscalculation. I have a feeling that Metagross’s absence will make this battle much, much trickier, especially given Metagross’s bulk, which is always a plus in a heavily offence-orientated metagame. Now, after thinking this through for a bit, I analyse my options. Garchomp will eat an Ice Shard and probably fail to OHKO, Tyranitar will eat an Earthquake and die, Latias will be upset badly by Ice Shard (and I don’t want to try my semistall Latias out yet, it’s far too early in the game), and Infernape needs to be kept a secret until I establish the rest of his team. So, Manaphy it is.
bug maniac bob switched in Manaphy.
Being new to the Suspect Ladder (and having never seen a Manaphy during my short and fruitless spells in Ubers) I have no idea how to handle a Manaphy. Of course, from lurking in Suspect Testing discussion threads and habitually reading its analysis I can envisage the type of set it might be carrying – Tail Glow apparently being very popular. Thus I assume that it is a Tail Glow set (what else was I supposed to assume?). I decide to switch in the most controversial member of the team who was mainly thrown on for general testing purposes despite giving me a large fighting weakness. Yes if you paid attention to the team summary you will have guessed it – Slaking. I run a Scarfed variant so there is no doubt it will outspeed and OHKO with Thunderpunch after switching in on the Tail Glow. Yet, if worst comes to worst I’m sure Slaking can survive a Surf coming from an unimpressive base 100 Special Attack. Or at least I hope so…
Haha, yes, it is indeed a Tail Glow set (muhahaha and other generic evil laughs). Naturally, however, I’m not going to waste my time trying to set up on Mamo. You may think I’m an idiot, and yes, I know that he’s bound to switch out. Firstly, I can’t lose another Pokemon to miscalculation so soon after losing Metagross (or at least, that was my train of thought), so I should play it safe and maul him while I can. Second, If he switches, he is in all probability going to be switching in a Manaphy counter, who will then force me out, and I’ll look like more of a chump than all the six million people on Youtube setting themselves on fire combined. Logic, therefore, dictates that I should nuke whatever comes in with my strongest attack.
Salac Berry switched in Slaking.
Manaphy used Surf.
Slaking lost 50% of its health.
---
Worst case scenario here, but it isn’t catastrophic. For some reason, however, I overpredicted here (as usual) and predicting a Garchomp switch-in to my Thunder-Punch (it’s reasonably safe to assume that Garchomp is on BMB’s team, it’s on pretty much everyone’s’!) I first think about Ice-Punch – but if I don’t predict correctly it could spell doom for the lazy-ass monkey. Lacking Return (and STAB) on the set, I decide to go with what some argue is the best attacking move in the game: Earthquake.
Slaking? At this stage of testing? I’m gobsmacked to say the least. What if it’s a new, super duper, SubSalac version that will take the metagame by storm in a few month’s time? Horror of horrors!
…meh, Manaphy’s plenty bulky anyway, especially considering that I run a 252 HP variant, and if it has to take a Return, so be it. A quick KO next turn will make the score even, and then we can get on with the game. Overprediction will often be your downfall, especially if you try it too often.
Slaking used Earthquake.
Manaphy lost 47% of its health.
Manaphy used Surf.
Slaking lost 49% of its health.
---
I foolishly overpredict and Slaking only survives by the skin of its teeth. The Leftovers recovery shows that Manaphy must be some sort of bulky variant – bad news for my team which doesn’t have the immediate power to batter it down. I decide to let Slaking die or scout out a switch (though I can’t see why he would at this point).
Now, what was that I was saying?
We have a mixed bag of fruit here. On the one hand, I failed to OHKO Slaking. On the other hand, if he stays in he dies (Truant), or I get a free switch, and I establish that it is clearly Choice, given lack of LO recoil or Leftovers (BUT… what if it’s a Salac version? I can’t take the pressure!). Now, I could send in something faster, to take the free switch and KO Slaking… but if it’s Scarfed, I lose potentially a great deal of health. I’ll play it safe with resistances and switch in Latias. Bear in mind that he has no idea what it does yet… so this should make for a nasty poser.
bug maniac bob switched in Latias.
Slaking is loafing around!
Balls. Mamoswine can’t take any attack, Garchomp is a no-go for obvious reasons, Gyarados can’t risk a Thunderbolt and Scizor or Magnezone might well be 2hkoed. Even though I’m locked into Earthquake I decide to stay in and die (finally).
DURP
Interesting… so he didn’t switch? Another costly overprediction, though I suppose he would have expected me to kill his Slaking there and then, given the circumstances and the move choices I had used up until that point. The reaction of most people to Latias on Suspect is usually “OMG DRACO METEOR ABUSE NOOB WRAGH GRUNT OINK SQUEAK CEMENT CROCODILES COMPLICATED INSURANCE FORMS”. And sometimes it isn’t. The second reaction is generally to send in Scizor to take down Latias with U-turn. In any case, I have a free turn, and he expects me to use Draco Meteor or a move of that nature. Ergo, I will begin setting up now, while I can. Reflect is my standard first-turn move, so I stand by that decision.
---
Latias makes ground moves miss with Levitate!
Slaking used Earthquake.
Slaking's attack missed!
Latias used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
---
Quote:
Salac Berry: ^fail
I summarise the situation perfectly, it’s the same as last turn but Latias now has a Reflect up which renders the assaults of my mainly physical team virtually ineffective. I decide to risk a switch to Garchomp. I don’t know why D:
A fail indeed – so much so that I believe it goes beyond the usual realms of failure. As failures go, it is as pathetic as a Machamp with no gentleman’s region, whose trainer nicknamed him ‘Spunky’ and who was defeated in its first competitive battle by a trainer named ‘fredburger999’ and used a team consisting entirely of Pokemon used in the anime by Ash Ketchum. In short, it goes beyond Miley Cyrus levels of ‘fail’.
Still, enough about me. There is basically zero chance of him staying in now, and I have serious consideration to make about my choice of moves.
I could:
a) Dragon Pulse the switch-in for added damage
b) Use Wish just in case I have to switch
c) Use Roar to scout the opponent’s team.
Dragon Pulse has barely any investment to it and is there simply for coverage purposes, and is no help against the most likely switch-ins, Tyranitar and Scizor. Roar would be the most practical in the short-term but has a serious possibility to go wrong. As I hate having the fates decide my battle strategy, I have to go with Wish. I await the unfortunate meeting of head and desk in a few short moments…
Salac Berry switched in Garchomp.
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
---
This is even worse, but I need to get Magnezone in safely so Slaking FINALLY has to die (I’m serious this time, it’s going to die).
Curious, curious… So he brings in Garchomp? That seems to indicate that it is a Choice Chomp, but I can’t believe he would try to take on Latias while it had both Reflect and Wish waiting. If he tries to Outrage, I will survive thanks to Reflect, heal with my Wish and easily 2HKO with Dragon Pulse. Here’s hoping…
Salac Berry switched in Slaking.
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Slaking lost 2% of its health.
Salac Berry's Slaking fainted.
(5-5)
The wish came true!
---
I suppose that went ok… Time to bring in Magnezone, but again I overpredict and substitute in case he switches in an Infernape or something similar that is resistant to the ‘obvious’ incoming HP Ice.
I suppose I should have foreseen that he would switch Slaking in, but it makes no difference. If I hadn’t attacked, Slaking would have crippled me, which would have been deeply irritating. Now he has a free switch, and my Wish was a waste of a turn. However, I still have the monopoly, given a high-health Latias with healing potential, and still with an element of surprise over my last moveslot. He won’t be switching Scizor in yet because of this, I’m certain, but something that will coax the last move out. Hmm…
Salac Berry switched in Magnezone.
Magnezone, eh? How nice. An almost guaranteed partner to Garchomp these days, if the significantly louder people in the discussion thread are ever to be believed. This surprised me at first, given how neither of Maggy’s STAB moves have much effect on Latias, who is specially bulky regardless. The trouble is, I can do nothing back. Hidden Power Ice is the best he can hope for, but even that won’t do much (I hope) given Latias’s excellent Special Defence, unless it happens to be a Specs variant (which would be sheer idiocy given the number of Garchomp about these days). Roar is my best option here, as he’s going to do something sneaky, and I don’t intend to let him do it.
Magnezone used Substitute.
Magnezone lost 25% of its health.
Magnezone made a substitute!
Latias used Roar.
Salac Berry switched in Gyarados.
Gyarados's intimidate cut Latias's attack!
---
I suppose BMB’s Latias was significantly specially bulky – However, as he has no Stealth Rock this shuffling is merely a minor annoyance. This Gyarados, being a SubBounce version, can probably take Latias on (as it seems to lack Thunderbolt). Not willing to risk Dragon Dancing or Substituting for fear of Roar, I immediately go for the bounce and the hopeful paralyzing that ensues.
I completely… forgot… about Substitute. My head is throbbing badly now (it and my desk appear to have got… engaged to one another) but I’m still relieved – by a complete fluke, he wasted a turn and a quarter of his HP, and I meet another member of his team, Gyarados. The bad news is, he now knows for certain that I don’t have Thunderbolt. The good news, however, is that I can probably stall him out with Reflect, Wish and Dragon Pulse. But he’s got to know that… so what will he do?
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
Latias's reflect wore off!
---
Oh. BounceGyara. And I’ve lost my Reflect. Cue the cycle.
Latias used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 26% of its health.
The wish came true!
Latias restored 26% of its health.
---
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 32% of its health.
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
---
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 26% of its health.
Latias's leftovers restored its health a little!
Latias restored 6% of its health.
---
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 37% of its health.
Gyarados used Dragon Dance.
Gyarados's attack was raised.
Gyarados's speed was raised.
The wish came true!
Latias restored 20% of its health.
---
Gyarados used Bounce.
Gyarados bounced up!
Latias used Wish.
Latias made a wish!
Latias's reflect wore off!
---
Gyarados used Bounce.
Latias lost 68% of its health.
Latias is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Latias used Dragon Pulse.
Gyarados lost 30% of its health.
Salac Berry's Gyarados fainted.
(5-4)
The wish came true!
Latias restored 50% of its health.
Latias's leftovers restored its health a little!
Latias restored 6% of its health.
---
After a long cycle of Bouncing, Latias has never been better Health-wise. However, I eventually got the paralysis I wanted and needed. This means that a certain familiar face can safely switch in and wreck havoc. Having not played Suspect for very long, but having heard that Magnezone support Garchomp very well (I use that combo, it works ok) I thus assume that Magnezone must be rather common. U-turn will kill Latias if it stays in, and avoid Magnezone if Latias switches out. The damn Scizor basically gets a win-win situation here.
I knew I’d be lucky as hell to escape without paralysis, so I’m not too concerned when it arrives at last, indeed had it occurred any sooner I would have been in a bit of a dilemma about stalling out Gyarados. Good fortunes aside, although Latias is in excellent health, I have a feeling the next switch-in will not be behaving too kindly. I also have a feeling that I know who is coming out next.
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
Ah, Scizor, my bad-luck buddy. A fickle friend at the worst of times, I’m curious as to why he didn’t turn up sooner, but nevertheless here presents a problem. Paralysis means that I cannot save myself with Reflect or Wish, and he will be U-turning out – that much I am certain of. Tyranitar, Manaphy, Garchomp and Infernape are my options – Tyranitar would die painfully, Manaphy can’t take another hit due to its already low health, and Garchomp and Infernape need to remain unseen – neither can afford, really, to take a U-turn, despite the ape’s quad resistance. I decide that there is nothing for it but to let Latias suffer pain of death, given that it is the most useless member of my team at this point. More to the point, I will be able to see what he brings out next before switching my own Pokemon in, giving me the immediate advantage. You did your job, now be free.
Scizor used U-turn.
It's super effective!
Latias lost 88% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Latias fainted.
(4-4)
Salac Berry switched in Mamoswine.
---
Oho? Mamoswine again? He seems to be trying to make the most of the free turns, so I’ll just do what I did before – and this time he has no Slaking (heh).
Having still not got rocks up despite my early lead, I send in Mamoswine to do the job. However, to my horror (but not so much surprise):
bug maniac bob switched in Manaphy.
D: and we’re back to this situation again. Last time I switched to Slaking, but of course this time he’s dead. However, seeing as I now know this must be some bulky variant I risk a switch to Magnezone – I mean, surely it can’t do that much with base 100 Special Attack?
Now at this point, since we’re back to the beginning again, let’s do a recap. I have a Manaphy out, and he has a slower Mamoswine, or so I gather by the way he switched out on the second turn. He has, by now, lost Slaking and Gyarados, and has a Garchomp, Scizor, and a Magnezone waiting in the wings. None of whom can take a Surf at all. My move, then, seems obvious; Surf will do at least half damage to all the Pokemon he could switch in (possible exception of Garchomp, but then he may have something he needs Garchomp for that requires large amounts of health…), but then again Tail Glow could potentially set me up for a win, provided Mamoswine switches out AND Garchomp does not switch in. I am sure that Manaphy is faster than both Scizor and Magnezone (since Scizor is clearly Choice and Magnezone clearly isn’t, owing to its use of Substitute), but if Garchomp comes in I lose Manaphy. Surf is in my best interests now, since I have the reassurance of knowing that, unless his Garchomp is Choice Band, I will beat the switch-in.
Salac Berry switched in Magnezone.
Manaphy used Surf.
Magnezone lost 58% of its health.
---
There. He switches in Magnezone, which is a shame, as I realise that if I had used Tail Glow I would probably have been able to take down two or three Pokemon with ease. Despite this unfortunate backfiring, I can make the most of the situation – Magnezone has been deeply troublesome for me, and now I can get rid of it. If he switches, I get health back, and he weakens another member of his team. Simples.
Manaphy used Surf.
Magnezone lost 43% of its health.
Salac Berry's Magnezone fainted.
(4-3)
---
Well that went well, now the only Pokemon on my team that can (hopefully) survive a Surf and hit back hard enough for the KO is Scizor, so in goes the annoying metal bug:
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
Scizor, eh? Well, it was a better decision than Garchomp under the circumstances, I’ll give him that. I cannot OHKO, and he’s going to do a ton of damage with U-turn. There’s no other choice but to let Manaphy die. Then I can scout his switch, and chop and change appropriately. This game is still very much open, even as it moves into the late stages.
Manaphy used Surf.
Scizor lost 50% of its health.
Scizor used U-turn.
Manaphy lost 65% of its health.
Salac Berry switched in Mamoswine.
---
Well, it didn’t KO but 12% is enough for Mamoswine to kill it once and for all!
That Scizor is starting to get on my nerves. If it wasn’t for the fact that I am concerned about winning the ‘Best Gimmick User’ award at the Smogon awards 2009, I’d call it mildly annoying. But I won’t. Anyway, I know which move is coming, and I honestly don’t like it one bit. But I can’t afford to switch Infernape in, him being too frail to take even an Ice Shard, and I need him healthy for the final push. Garchomp and Tyranitar are no-nos for similar reasons. Plus the fact that Manaphy is now so low on health that it really is not needed, even for sacrificial duties. I have my battle plan, and I know exactly how to put it into operation.
Mamoswine used Ice Shard.
It's not very effective...
Manaphy lost 12% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Manaphy fainted.
(3-3)
---
I’m glad that’s out the way, but he still has three mystery Pokemon. I still have no rocks either.
Alright – now, in comes the demon monkey.
bug maniac bob switched in Infernape.
I decide to stay in, as I’ve been overpredicting all through the game and Mamoswine doesn’t serve much use to me now. Although it doesn’t really matter, I selected Earthquake.
Now, he has three Pokemon left, all of whom are mauled by Close Combat – even Garchomp. If he stays in with Mamoswine, it’s good news for me – I know the value of Scizor and Garchomp to him, and they are his most valuable Pokemon as of now, simply because of reputation. Remember, he doesn’t know that my last two Pokemon are destroyed by Mamoswine. Which is good news for me.
Infernape used Close Combat.
It's super effective!
Mamoswine lost 80% of its health.
Salac Berry's Mamoswine fainted.
(3-2)
Infernape's defence was lowered.
Infernape's special defence was lowered.
---
I’ve ran HP Ice on Infernape myself before, and it works wonders – therefore it would be no surprise if this particular Infernape was also running HP Ice to counter a metagame filled to the brim with Garchomp. However, mine packs a Yache Berry and so should survive (you’ve got to hate chomp’s bulkiness)! In goes the superior Dragon/Ground for the kill with Earthquake.
Salac Berry switched in Garchomp.
Bugger. I'd forgotten about Monster Mash here. But that’s all okay – I mean, he’s underwhelming, right? Right?
I haven’t seen his Garchomp in action yet, but there are two distinct possibilities – he could be a Choice Scarf or a Swords Dancer. The latter is good news for me, as I can attack with Hidden Power before he moves. If the former – If he locks himself on Earthquake I can attack with Garchomp, and if he locks himself on Outrage, I can leap into the fray with Crunch. Both Crunch and Outrage from Tyranitar and Garchomp respectively can 2HKO Scizor if he predicts my attack, and thus three scenarios result:
1. He kills Infernape with Earthquake. I leap in with Garchomp and attack with Outrage, as unboosted Dragon Claw cannot OHKO. If he switches out to Scizor I take him down with two Outrages. If he subsequently attacks with Dragon Claw on Garchomp, I switch out to Tyranitar and end him with Crunch.
2. He kills Infernape with Dragon Claw. I leap in with Tyranitar and attack with Crunch. If he switches out to Scizor I take him down with two Crunches. If he subsequently attacks with Earthquake on Garchomp, I switch out to Garchomp and end him with Outrage.
3. Infernape attacks first and somehow fails to OHKO with Hidden Power (Yache maybe?). I switch in Garchomp and attack with Dragon Claw or Outrage. From there I kill everything in his team. Job done.
In simple terms:
Of course, these plans are far from perfect, and have a lot of elements of chance attached – but they’re the best I have, and I feel confident about a win here.
Now, where were we? Oh yes – Infernape’s imminent assault on Garchomp…
I believe studying the Schlieffen Plan has considerably changed his thought process 8D
Infernape used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
Garchomp lost 61% of its health.
The Yache Berry weakened Hidden Power's power!
Garchomp used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Infernape lost 80% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Infernape fainted.
(2-2)
---
Excellent – this makes matters much easier. My Choice Scarf Garchomp can easily outrun his Garchomp, given that Infernape was able to outrun it. And, another bit of good news – he doesn’t know that yet.
bug maniac bob switched in Garchomp.
Garchomp takes quite a hit, but still manages to get rid of that problematic flaming monkey. My previous thoughts on BMB packing his own Garchomp have been confirmed, and it’s back to theorymon. Apparently, Scarfchomp is reasonably common in Suspect and this would concur with his switch-in here. However, (here goes my overprediction again) he might just be bluffing a scarf to gain a Swords Dance and try a late-game sweep. Since Garchomp isn’t too valuable to me at this point I go for the Dragon Claw in the hopes of a kill.
Garchomp’s on 40% of its health, but I’m still not sure if that’s enough to kill with. I’ll go with Dragon Claw, just to be safe. If he switches in Scizor, I can always revert back to the Earthquake strategy by sacrificing Tyranitar, but I’m pretty sure he won’t switch, given the circumstances. Plan C go!
Garchomp used Dragon Claw.
It's super effective!
Garchomp lost 39% of its health.
Salac Berry's Garchomp fainted.
(2-1)
---
Scarf? I don’t know, it may have been a speed tie and this puts me on edge. Scizor is my last Pokemon, and it’s surely KO’ed by Earthquake. The question is, will I KO with Bullet Punch?
Perfect. He has a Scizor out on half his health, and neither of my final two Pokemon (Tyranitar and Garchomp) are OHKOed by Bullet Punch, both can kill in one hit and both are on full health. Scizor’s good, I’ll admit, but not THAT good. GG, Alchemator, this was a fun game!
Now, the formalities… I could attack with Dragon Claw on Garchomp, let Scizor 2HKO me to bring Tyranitar in unscathed, then kill with Earthquake. Factoring in critical hits, this plan has about a 90% chance to win me the game. The other option is to switch Tyranitar into Bullet Punch, activating Sand Stream, then letting Scizor KO me, then killing with Garchomp’s Earthquake. This plan has, factoring in critical hit rate AND Sand Veil, a 99.5% chance to win me the game. So, let’s finish this.
Salac Berry switched in Scizor.
bug maniac bob switched in Tyranitar.
Tyranitar's Sand Stream whipped up a sandstorm!
Scizor used Bullet Punch.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Tyranitar lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Tyranitar fainted.
(1-1)
---
As a note of reference, I doubt that crit really mattered as even if Tyranitar had survived I’m sure BMB wouldn’t have risked a switch back to Chomp who would have been 2hkoed with Tyranitar. Initially this switch astounded me, why switch Tyranitar into something it is hands down beaten by?
Firstly, to activate Sand Stream, and secondly, to let Chomp switch moves to Earthquake. I smile inwardly at this point for some reason – perhaps simply because, had I left Garchomp in, Scizor would have OHKOed, and then Tyranitar would have been unable to OHKO with Earthquake (and I really, really don’t trust Stone Edge’s accuracy issues), giving Alchemator a far greater chance to win the game.
bug maniac bob switched in Garchomp.
Quote:
Salac Berry: lol
Salac Berry: chomp hax
Then it dawned on me, another reason that Garchomp was banished to Ubers was its Sand Veil ability. In Platinum it was lowered, but the chance of Bullet Punch missing was still enough to just put me on edge. I still have no idea whether Bullet Punch can OHKO, but then there was a slight glimmer of hope – why would BMB bother getting Sandstorm up if he wasn’t worried about Garchomp being KO’d? The next move is simple – BULLET PAAWWWWNCH!!
That was a very fun game. I suppose in one way we’re both winners – but technically there can only be one, final winner. The King of all Suspects faces down the King of OU. The King of Dragons versus the King of Steels. The King of Hax versus the King of Unsubtlety. One primed for battle, one on the verge of death. Good game, Alchemator, and I hope to be able to battle again someday.
Scizor used Bullet Punch.
A critical hit!
Garchomp lost 100% of its health.
bug maniac bob's Garchomp fainted.
(0-1)
Salac Berry wins!
Quote:
Salac Berry: :O
Salac Berry: gg
bug maniac bob: ...
bug maniac bob: so much for chomp, king of hax
Salac Berry: yeah lol
And Garchomp goes down to a critical hit, nicely summarized by BMB. Good Game, although it was an unfair win on my part!
…Oh. Something told me that would happen, but… two crits in a row. A 99.5% chance to win the game. But, hey, I guess it’s just one of those things.
Now I’ll just go put a bandage on my bleeding head, and get some tools to repair the desk. Then I’ll have to make a better team.
But first…
FINAL WORDS
...where would a warstory be without its Props and Slops?
Props
- Mamoswine, for being a generally amazing lead although it only managed to do one thing - murder the other lead! 8D
- Scizor, for being Scizor.
- BugManiacBob, for being a fantastic opponent, a better player than me and finally (but somewhat annoyingly) doing most of the formatting in this warstory that I was going to do >:(
- Slaking, for doing nothing
- Magnezone, for doing nothing either D:
- SubBounce Gyarados, for... I'm not going to type out five lines of this xD
Now, my ‘Props’ and ‘Slops’. Of course, because I’m a toff, I prefer to use ‘Digs’ and ‘Scels’.
Digs
- Latias, for keeping Alchemator on his toes on its own
- Manaphy, for general carnage
- Scizor, for beating most of my team
- Alchemator, for being a good opponent (naturally)
- Metagross, for dying immediately
- Infernape, Tyranitar and Garchomp (both teams) for doing comparatively little
- Me, for rubbish predictions when I could have caught him on the run.
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