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Best starter?

The only way Metagross ever wins against Scarfchomp is with a Choice Band Meteor Mash while surviving Earthquake or something. Scarfchomp also isn't remotely useful against all these threats I named either.
 
Gallade @ Any item that reduces Speed
Trait: Steadfast
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
IVs: 0 Spd
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
-Trick Room
-Hypnosis
-Focus Punch
-Will-o-Wisp/Thunder Wave

In my opinion, the best Trick Room setup in the game and an incredible lead. Gallade's surprising defenses can take the hit it needs to before Trick Rooming, then sleeping the opposing lead. Focus Punch obviously comes next, but if, as most people do, the opponent expects double status, they still get hit hard by Focus Punch. If they do switch, just use your fourth move on the weakened Pokémon. Presto, you've already screwed up about a third of their team and have Trick Room up.

Meh, falls to ghosts etc, but is still great.
 
You can't switch if there's only one Pokemon to begin with, and neither can the opponent. You could use Lum as an item so you beat sleepers that don't have a Lum as well, and then use Close Combat and Night Slash instead of Focus Punch and the status move. You should beat Smeargle, Breloom (beware of 30% miss), and generally sashers easily.
 
That is true, seeing as I use Thunder Wave myself and often find it messing up TR speeds and weakening Gyro Balls from other members of the team. In most cases, I would just switch to another Pokémon to cover any weaknesses that pop up rather than making a 100% effective lead, even though that isn't exactly the point of the thread.
 
^^^
arent we talking for a 1v1 situation?
anyway this is what i would run

Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Nature: Adamant
Trait: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake/Avalanche
-Sleep Talk
-Rest

Anyway, Mamoswine is immune to hail and sandstorms, giving a free EQ while surviving their first hit with sash, and then using ice shard to knock off the other sash users. Rest is needed to remove status and help outstall the stallers. I'm not too sure on the EV's though... maybe more Sp. Def... Sleep Talk is there for Breloom/Yanmega/Crobat purposes.
 
I like the sounds of Yanmega and Breloom...

The one thing about Yanmega is that it is predictable. Often times you can sneak in an agility or something while they protect on first turn, then lay into them with some nasty attack. Ice shard, which is very common, makes Yanmega its bitch.


Breloom sounds amazing...make sure to run Jolly/max speed. Focus sash and prey they don't hit you hard enough to activate it IF they have an auto weather guy.


Just another thought, but:

Hippowdon @ lefties
Impish (or + Sp def Nature)

Slack off
Ice Fang
Earthquake
Curse

Give EV's to Sp Def and HP, then start cursing right away. If they put you to sleep, I suppose you just hope for the best!!

OR

AL GORE ambipom or perhaps jolly technition hypnosis Persian?
 
FFMaster said:
^^^
arent we talking for a 1v1 situation?
anyway this is what i would run

Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Nature: Adamant
Trait: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake/Avalanche
-Sleep Talk
-Rest

Anyway, Mamoswine is immune to hail and sandstorms, giving a free EQ while surviving their first hit with sash, and then using ice shard to knock off the other sash users. Rest is needed to remove status and help outstall the stallers. I'm not too sure on the EV's though... maybe more Sp. Def... Sleep Talk is there for Breloom/Yanmega/Crobat purposes.
Click to expand...

Go with 252 HP instead of Def. This set is good, but will fail at the first Infernape/Heracross/Weavile/non-FP Breloom you find
 
Crobat. Substitute, Hypnosis, Toxic, Air Slash/Aerial Ace/Whatever with Focus Sash. Beats Sleepers (as they can't carry Scarf), anything that can't take Hypnosis, Stuff that would wall him with Toxi-Stalling (use Hypnosis to sleep them, set up a Sub, ToxiStall them when they wake up), Priority move users due to Sash (only when Hypnosis hits, obviously), and I'm sure I'm missing something =]

The only thing that totally walls you are any Steel Types =/ That may sound bad, but considering that most are defensive and don't fit all that well into this metagame, it's not as much of a worry. You can always run HP Fire or Something.

Well, that's what I'd use, anyway, or something like it (I'd do some more research first). But otherwise, Mekkah summed it all up pretty well. The only thing I'd add would be Sleep IMMUNE Pokemon, like Honchkrow or Banette. More likely Banette. With Insomnia, It's immune to all sleep attacks, FP, and has a powerful STAB Shadow Sneak to work with. If you run in to something you can't kill. . . Not sure, but its sure to screw over all the sleep users out there.
 
Maybe, Bannete could work with Fighting Nature Power, but that way, it's still easily countered by stuff Focus Sashers like P-Z/Gengar, who takes a hit and OHKO back with Dark Pulse/Shadow Ball.

On 1vs1, the winner is decided before the battle starts, depending on which pokemon each trainer choose.
 
gabriel said:
Maybe, Bannete could work with Fighting Nature Power, but that way, it's still easily countered by stuff Focus Sashers like P-Z/Gengar, who takes a hit and OHKO back with Dark Pulse/Shadow Ball.

On 1vs1, the winner is decided before the battle starts, depending on which pokemon each trainer choose.
Click to expand...
I quite agree, the only way you could win is if you get lucky and not run into an opponent that counters you. like Mekkah said, its just rock paper scissors.
 
Ah, thank you all so much for the help. But I forgot to mention that sleep isnt allowed. (stupid, yes.) That's why I'm thinking of going with either counter-Bliss, counter-Gengar, or my trusty Weavile. FEAR is to predictable, that's not realy my style.

Also, Al GORE Ambipom? lol
 
Ambipom @ focus sash
Jolly, technition

Shadow Claw
Double Hit/Return
Fake out
U turn

U turn not so much in this case though. Technition fakeout hurts, persian and ambi FTW.
 
EDIT: I forgot this is a 1 vs 1 situation, ha. >_>

I would just run an Infernape with a Lum Berry. Nice coverage, kills and possibly outruns most of the other mentioned starters, and Lum Berry absorbs sneaky status. Close Combat vs. Mach Punch is up to preference, but I'd use the latter due to the prevalence of the Sashers. And laughs at the inevitable, widespread use of Breloom.
 
I would go choice scarf Tyranitar, not sure what moveset but it will probably beat most things. Certainly Ice Beam, for one.

Maybe Focus Sash Heracross with something like Reversal, Megahorn, Sleep Talk (edit: if Sleep was allowed) and Counter?

Just tossing up ideas really.
 
No sleep definitely makes it...a lot different. You'll mostly be wanting anything with Focus Sash then. It's more like rock paper scissors infinitely then though because there's many more possibilities with Smeargle, Breloom etc out of the picture.

HP Fighting Banette is going to suck even if Sleep is allowed by the way. Hidden Power is a Special attack.
 
syzygy said:
Mew is uber. I would maybe use a sashed tyranitar. It sounds stupid, but it can work extremely well.
Click to expand...

I think that would only work if Tyranitar would be OHKO'd by their attack which isn't the most likely scenario a lot of the time, since Tyranitar has good stats all around.

Of course if it would be OHKO'd it would come in handy in two situations, the first being that it can OHKO back (somewhat likely), the second being that it 2HKOs (likely) and is faster than its opponent (unlikely). Unless you pick a set that has really nice coverage on everything, you should be careful.

I am not saying that it couldn't make good use of Focus Sash, but I believe a more appropriate item could be chosen. But thats just my opinion. There are definite and well pronounced advantages of using Tyranitar (Sand Stream and the awesome stats), but I still stick by my suggestion of Choice Scarf, (not only to beat the fast sleepers) but also to outspeed for the 2HKOs that Tyranitar can and will get.

edit: Ignore the sleeper thing.

edit2: OK, without sleep I guess focus sash dragon dance beats even more of my arguments so ignore parts of my post that would ignore the fact that t-tar gets DD.
 
FEAR dies if they also have a priority move. im going to assume most will have one since mekkah predicts that most will use focus sash, making those moves the obvious choice as a finish. this means that speed will also be important when both use a priority move for the finisher.
 
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