2012-02-09 17:50:49 MST -- Judgment Day

obi

formerly david stone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Battle between david stone and Technical Machine started!

Mode: Singles
Rule: Sleep Clause
Rule: No Timeout
Rule: Species Clause

david stone sent out Hippowdon!
Technical Machine sent out Hippowdon!
Technical Machine's Hippowdon's Sand Stream whipped up a sandstorm!

I am fighting Technical Machine with it searching to a depth of 3. It looks like we have a mirror-match: stall vs. stall. Alternatively, you can see the replay here.

We both start out by setting up Stealth Rock, and then I decide to try for Spikes. However, Technical Machine switches in Rotom-W at the same time, forcing Skarmory out before it can lay down Spikes. I bring in Blissey and take a Thunderbolt for 11% HP.

Then things start to go downhill for me.

Technical Machine sees that Rotom-W cannot win, and so it goes to Skarmory to set up its own Spikes. Meanwhile, I Wish as a safe move, letting Skarmory come in for free. This allows Skarmory to set up Spikes as I use Flamethrower, taking Skarmory down 52% (and it does not have Leftovers). Technical Machine now has Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes down, while I only have Stealth Rock. If TM is smart with keeping my own Skarmory out of battle and can keep his Rotom-W in against my Tentacruel, that advantage will build up over the course of the battle.

Technical Machine then makes the confusing switch to Hippowdon, taking a Flamethrower for 20% HP. Blissey uses Toxic, which hits, as Hippowdon uses Slack Off. I'm now in a somewhat strong spot, because at least Hippowdon can't safely stall against any of my Pokemon.

Technical Machine wisely continues to set up by switching to Tentacruel as I Wish (I should have probably switched to Skarmory here, but I was worried about getting worn down by Stealth Rock).

I switch to Rotom-W to either block the Rapid Spin or threaten with Thunderbolt. Tentacruel uses Toxic Spikes, but that's not such a big deal with my own Tentacruel waiting to absorb them. However, it does mean that it's dangerous to switch in my own Hippowdon before then, and it weakens my Blissey and Celebi temporarily.

I know that Technical Machine is not going to try to beat Rotom-W in offense, and it's too risky to set up another layer of Toxic Spikes, so I immediately bring in my own Tentacruel. This absorbs the Toxic Spikes and gives me a chance to Rapid Spin. Technical Machine switches to Blissey as I do this, which is good. Blissey is the ideal enemy Pokemon for Tentacruel at this stage in the game (no offensive threat at all). Later on in the match, Tentacruel prefers Skarmory out, because it can do something with Surf, but right now it's all about setting up.

I make my first serious misstep in the match at this point. I should predict TM to think like I did and go to Rotom-W, providing an offense + defense combination, and so I should Surf to weaken it.

Start of turn 11
Technical Machine called Blissey back!
Technical Machine sent out Rotom-w! (Rotom-W)
Pointed stones dug into Technical Machine's Rotom-w!

Tentacruel used Toxic Spikes!
Poison spikes were scattered all around the feet of Technical Machine's team!

The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

I don't know why I did this. I already have Hippowdon hit with Toxic, and there is no one else on the team that can be permanently hit by it. Technical Machine still has Tentacruel out, so my Toxic Spikes are easy to absorb. Rotom-W is the key Pokemon in this battle for both sides. It threatens every Pokemon except Blissey and protects the valuable entry hazards just by being in battle. I have no choice but to switch to the defensive here.

Start of turn 12
david stone called Tentacruel back!
david stone sent out Blissey!
Pointed stones dug into Blissey!
Blissey is hurt by spikes!

Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Thunderbolt!
Blissey lost 73 HP! (11% of its health)

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 13
Technical Machine called Rotom-w back!
Technical Machine sent out Tentacruel!
Pointed stones dug into Technical Machine's Tentacruel!
The poison spikes disappeared around Technical Machine's Tentacruel's feet!

Blissey used Wish!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

My plan is to Wish so I can bring in Tentacruel and heal it from the previous beating it took from SR + Spikes (* 2 since it will have to switch in again). I figured Technical Machine would go to Tentacruel, but as long as I got my own Tentacruel out, I should be in a good position (since I'm behind a layer of entry hazards, a Tentacruel vs. Tentacruel match-up is to my favor, because I have less to lose). Technical Machine is 100% predictable in battle (it has no random elements in its decision-making, as long as you don't tell it to play entirely randomly). It used Toxic Spikes last time, so it should be safe to not go to Rotom-W.

Start of turn 14
david stone called Blissey back!
david stone sent out Tentacruel!
Pointed stones dug into Tentacruel!
Tentacruel is hurt by spikes!

Technical Machine's Tentacruel used Rapid Spin!
Tentacruel lost 15 HP! (4% of its health)
Technical Machine's Tentacruel blew away Stealth Rock!

Blissey's wish came true!
The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Oh boy. Now I'm really behind. I guess Technical Machine realized that it doesn't want me to be able to heal Tentacruel with Wish, so it played this move to either keep my Tentacruel at 50% next time it comes in or else I lose my Stealth Rock, giving Technical Machine the advantage of two entry hazards.

I don't bother trying to reciprocate by using Rapid Spin, I know what's coming.

Start of turn 15
Technical Machine called Tentacruel back!
Technical Machine sent out Rotom-w! (Rotom-W)

Tentacruel used Surf!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w lost 28% of its health!

Summary:

Me:
Hippowdon - 100%
Skarmory - 87%
Celebi - 100%
Blissey - 63%
Tentacruel - 96%
Rotom-W - 100%

Technical Machine:
Hippowdon - 93% PSN
Skarmory - 35%
Celebi - 100%
Blissey - 87%
Tentacruel - 75%
Rotom-W - 46%

I think this next part of the log speaks for itself:

Start of turn 16
david stone called Tentacruel back!
david stone sent out Blissey!
Pointed stones dug into Blissey!
Blissey is hurt by spikes!

Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Thunderbolt!
Blissey lost 73 HP! (11% of its health)
Blissey is paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 17
Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Thunderbolt!
A critical hit!
Blissey lost 133 HP! (20% of its health)

Blissey is paralyzed! It can't move!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 18
Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Thunderbolt!
Blissey lost 48 HP! (7% of its health)
Blissey fainted!

Score: 5-6

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
david stone sent out Celebi!
Pointed stones dug into Celebi!
Celebi is hurt by spikes!

Start of turn 19
Technical Machine called Rotom-w back!
Technical Machine sent out Celebi!

Celebi used Calm Mind!
Celebi's Sp. Att. rose!
Celebi's Sp. Def. rose!

The sandstorm rages!
Celebi is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Celebi is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Celebi restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Celebi restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Then both of us use Calm Mind up to the max and spam Psychic.

Start of turn 25
Celebi used Psychic!
It's not very effective...
Technical Machine's Celebi lost 14% of its health!
Technical Machine's Celebi's Sp. Def. fell!

Technical Machine's Celebi used Psychic!
It's not very effective...
Celebi lost 45 HP! (11% of its health)
Celebi's Sp. Def. fell!

Start of turn 33
Celebi used Psychic!
It's not very effective...
Technical Machine's Celebi lost 18% of its health!

Technical Machine's Celebi used Psychic!
It's not very effective...
A critical hit!
Celebi lost 347 HP! (85% of its health)
Celebi fainted!

Score: 4-6 Technical Machine

And now I'm in serious trouble. I am up against a 6 CM Celebi with my Celebi and my Blissey fainted. Every other Pokemon dies in one hit.

Start of turn 34
Technical Machine's Celebi used Psychic!
It's not very effective...
Skarmory lost 252 HP! (75% of its health)
Skarmory fainted!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Celebi is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Celebi restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
david stone sent out Rotom-W!
Pointed stones dug into Rotom-W!

Start of turn 35
Technical Machine's Celebi used Psychic!
Rotom-W lost 266 HP! (87% of its health)
Rotom-W fainted!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Celebi is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Celebi restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
david stone sent out Tentacruel!
Pointed stones dug into Tentacruel!
Tentacruel is hurt by spikes!

Start of turn 36
Tentacruel used Sludge Bomb!
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Technical Machine's Celebi lost 47% of its health!
Technical Machine's Celebi fainted!

The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine sent out Blissey!

I should have started with this one, but I forgot that Tentacruel and Celebi are just as fast.

Score 2-5 Technical Machine.

I have left only Tentacruel and Hippowdon. This means that if Technical Machine brings in Rotom-W, I'm toast, unless I can get another CH with Tentacruel. This also means that Tentacruel is my only hope, so there is no point leaving it in to a slow death vs. Blissey.

Start of turn 37
david stone called Tentacruel back!
david stone sent out Hippowdon!
Pointed stones dug into Hippowdon!
Hippowdon is hurt by spikes!

Technical Machine called Blissey back!
Technical Machine sent out Tentacruel!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Hippowdon restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 38
Technical Machine's Tentacruel used Surf!
It's super effective!
Hippowdon lost 218 HP! (51% of its health)

Hippowdon used Earthquake!
It's super effective!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel lost 75% of its health!
Technical Machine's Tentacruel fainted!

The sandstorm rages!
Hippowdon restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine sent out Blissey!

Score 2-4 Technical Machine.

I recover with Slack Off as Blissey Wishes. I do not want the low HP Skarmory or mid-HP Rotom-W getting healed, so I decide to Roar. It pays off, as Technical Machine brings in Skarmory and Roar brings Blissey right back out. After that, I foolishly use Earthquake as Blissey spams Softboiled. I should have used Stealth Rock here, but at this point I forgot that Stealth Rock was no longer down.

Start of turn 47
david stone called Hippowdon back!
david stone sent out Tentacruel!
Pointed stones dug into Tentacruel!
Tentacruel is hurt by spikes!

Technical Machine's Blissey used Softboiled!
Technical Machine's Blissey regained health!

I follow up this switch with a Surf, just in case Blissey thinks of going to Rotom-W or something. It just stays in and uses Flamethrower, so I know my days are numbered. I'm looking at the following dismal line-up:

me:
Tentacruel - 41%
Hippowdon - 100%

Technical Machine
Blissey - 92%
Hippowdon - 93% Toxic
Skarmory - 35%
Rotom-W - 47%

I decide that my only hope here is a Tentacruel sweep. If I can some how take down Blissey, then Tentacruel beats Skarmory with a Surf, 2 Surfs (or a CH Surf hopefully) for Rotom-W, and then 2 Surfs or a CH Surf or Toxic Stall for Hippowdon. My only hope in reality is to get Blissey hit by Toxic Spikes (level 2) so I can stall it out and force something to switch into Tentacruel's Surf. If I can do that, I can win (in theory).

Start of turn 49
Tentacruel used Toxic Spikes!
Poison spikes were scattered all around the feet of Technical Machine's team!

Technical Machine's Blissey used Flamethrower!
It's not very effective...
Tentacruel lost 19 HP! (5% of its health)

The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 50
Tentacruel used Toxic Spikes!
Poison spikes were scattered all around the feet of Technical Machine's team!

Technical Machine's Blissey used Wish!

The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Blissey is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Blissey restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

OK, this is not good. As I said, it would take two Surfs to take down Rotom-W, but if Technical Machine brings in Rotom-W, then I lose that opportunity. It will be about 3 Surfs away instead, which I cannot afford. I can only hope Technical Machine does something foolish like stay in or switch to Skarmory / Hippowdon.

Start of turn 51
Technical Machine called Blissey back!
Technical Machine sent out Rotom-w! (Rotom-W)

Tentacruel used Surf!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w lost 28% of its health!

Blissey's wish came true!
The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Now I'm in trouble. I'm facing down a 68% HP Rotom-W with a Tentacruel and a Hippowdon that can't hit Rotom-W. I decided that I would bank on the 30% chance for Sludge Bomb to poison. My new strategy was this: Poison Rotom-W so that I can spam Slack Off with Hippowdon. Rotom-W dies. Hippowdon can then defeat the enemy Hippowdon because it is Toxiced, can try to catch Skarmory on the Roost with an EQ, and combine Toxic + EQ damage to take down Blissey. It's a long shot, but it was the best that I had.

Start of turn 52
Tentacruel used Sludge Bomb!
It's not very effective...
Technical Machine's Rotom-w lost 12% of its health!

Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Shadow Ball!
Tentacruel lost 72 HP! (19% of its health)

The sandstorm rages!
Tentacruel is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Tentacruel restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Huh... Not Thunderbolt. I guess Technical Machine felt there was some sort of risk of me switching to Hippowdon and absorbing a Thunderbolt, but with SR + Spikes down, that would not be a very safe move. Oh well, it means I have another shot at Sludge Bomb poisoning.

Start of turn 53
Tentacruel used Sludge Bomb!
It's not very effective...
Technical Machine's Rotom-w lost 11% of its health!

Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Shadow Ball!
Tentacruel lost 61 HP! (16% of its health)
Tentacruel fainted!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
david stone sent out Hippowdon!
Pointed stones dug into Hippowdon!
Hippowdon is hurt by spikes!

And now my only hope is some sort of PP stall strategy, but with me only having a Hippowdon that's been used enough as it is, my chances of a victory are nearly 0. Rotom-W hits me with a Shadow Ball and I Slack Off. OK, new plan: Stealth Rock and kill them with Roar.

Start of turn 55
Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Hydro Pump!
It's super effective!
Hippowdon lost 234 HP! (55% of its health)

Hippowdon used Stealth Rock!
Pointed stones float in the air around Technical Machine's team!

The sandstorm rages!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w is buffeted by the sandstorm!
Technical Machine's Rotom-w restored a little HP using its Leftovers!
Hippowdon restored a little HP using its Leftovers!

Start of turn 56
Technical Machine's Rotom-w used Hydro Pump!
It's super effective!
Hippowdon lost 212 HP! (50% of its health)
Hippowdon fainted!

Technical Machine won the battle!
Technical Machine: http://doublewise.net/pokemon/

Technical Machine's analysis of the battle to follow.
 
What have you unleashed on this world?

Wow, TM is looking pretty good. I haven't had a look at its source yet, but how easy is it to modify its battle style (aggression, cautiousness etc)?
 
There is a text file showing how much it values various things. Changing TM's play style means just changing some values in that text file. It doesn't require recompiling or even restarting TM. Note that "aggressiveness" is not as straightforward as it may seem. For instance, if you put entry hazards very high, you may think that TM would value stall more and would play more cautiously. However, it also means that TM will do whatever it takes to keep the foe from putting it up. If you put that value too high, it will lead to TM always using Thunderbolt against Swords Dance Rhyperior because it is trying to keep Tentacruel and Skarmory out.
 
Wow, this is some really amazing stuff. Do you have to change its values based on the team type that it's using, and if so, do you foresee TM being able to analyze a team and set its own priorities in the future?
 
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