PICTURES:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHdJbdFZpxs
Soon after the Japanese rules were official, I began my preparations for this year's VGC because I wanted to make it to Hawaii after having been to San Diego in 2009. The Bavarian crew decided to join the preparation for the 2010 VGC at a very early stage, possibly in early October 2009 and so we had two bootcamp tournaments, one mid-October and one at the end of that month. The team at both bootcamps was like this; I don't remember exact spreads though.
Rayquaza: Extremespeed, Dragon Claw, Protect, Overheat
Metagross: Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Explosion, Protect
Kyogre: Water Spout, Thunder, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump
Ludicolo: Grass Knot, Ice Beam, Protect, Leech Seed
I also had stall-oriented Lugia and Cresselia with them in a team of 6 but it was soon clear that stall wouldn't work as well as it worked in 2009. Scarf Kyogre was really a favorite of mine and still is. I wasn't sure about the rest though, to be honest they were just a bunch of Pokémon I wanted to test at the time. I tried several different leads and found Groudon + Zapdos to be a really nice Scarf Kyogre set-up at the time, dealing enough damage with their field moves to have Kyogre clean the field singlehandedly. Well, you guys know the rest of the metagame cycle, eventually everyone figured that the Pressure dragons and Kyogre have to be in every team to be successful, as well as people needed weather changers to be in control of the weather and some Trick Room checks. Fast forward to April, my team looked like this:
Giratina: Shadow Force, Dragon Claw, Safeguard, Stone Edge @ Scarf
Infernape: Fake Out, Protect, Overheat, Close Combat @ LO / Sash
Abomasnow: Blizzard, Protect, Ice Shard, Wood Hammer @ Sitrus / Sash
Palkia: Spacial Rend, Earth Power, Protect, Thunder @ Haban
---
Kyogre: Water Spout, Blizzard, Thunder, Muddy Water
Metagross: Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Protect, Hammer Arm
I was still searching to twist and improve that team and the most important thing for me was variability here - to be able to build and use a team that sweeps bad players as well as having the option to shift around items and use different squads against better players or players who I know. I was still looking for a Metagross replacement, simply because I felt that he gets killed too fast by special attacks and generally because steel has poor typing in Ubers. I tested Hitmontop before Zerowing used it in Seattle but was never too fond of it. Then he swept Seattle with it and I had my Metagross replacement. It gives me a really great deal of variability for my six and so it found its way into the final team for the European qualifiers.
The team:
Giratina @ Lum Berry / Sitrus Berry / Haban Berry / Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd (in Lyon changed to 156 HP, 252 Atk, 100 Spe)
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Safeguard
- Dragon Claw
Scarf Giratina designed to lead with Infernape and Shadow Force + Close Combat things into oblivion while also checking Smeargle. Shadow Sneak was the best 4th move because it gave me the option to use it non-Scarfed and it also renders Hitmontop completely useless. I used Scarf Kyogre in basically every match in Cologne which is why I gave him a slightly more bulkier spread for Lyon.
Infernape (M) @ Focus Sash / Life Orb
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 164 Atk / 212 Spd / 132 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Close Combat
- Flamethrower
- Protect
- Fake Out
Outspeeds Garchomp, the rest of the EVs is designed to make some important kills with the Life Orb attached.
Hitmontop (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Detect
- Fake Out
- Mach Punch
- Feint
Pretty basic Hitmontop. I didn't like Sucker Punch because it cannot touch Giratina anyway and Mewtwo still dies to Spout + Fake Out whereas Feint was an option to absolutely secure a kill.
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf / Sitrus Berry
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Protect
- Thunder
- Water Spout
Protect was on the set for the case that I don't equip the Kyogre with a Scarf. I rarely used it, though.
Abomasnow (M) @ Sitrus Berry / Focus Sash
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Atk / 164 SAtk
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Blizzard
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Specially defensive Abomasnow takes special hits like a champ. Wood Hammer OHKOs Kyogre after hail damage and deals significantly more damage to SpDef Tyranitar in Sandstorm while still providing a 2HKO on Groudon.
Palkia @ Haban Berry
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Flamethrower
- Protect
- Spacial Rend
Basic Palkia. In Cologne I had Hydro Pump over Blizzard but I never used it whereas Blizzard came in handy in Lyon once or twice.
Germany, Cologne, June 5th 2010
Battle #1 vs Garchomp,
,
,
He had a random team with two random Ubers on it and I had Scarf Gira + Sash Ape. I don't remember much more than that and I wouldn't probably have remembered his Garchomp if his Quick Claw didn't activate three times in a row. I already feared the worst, random Outrage CH could have killed Giratina. Then I see the animation... "digs underground". I targeted the partner, he targeted Giratina with Dig and he got 3-0ed in the end.
Battle #2 vs Groudon, Zapdos,
,
Not sure anymore but once again I led with Scarf Gira + Ape and proceeded to kill the Zapdos before it could Discharge. Earthquake brought Ape down to the Sash, I won the match 2-0 in the end... I probably mixed it up but I believe he was from the Netherlands.
Battle #3 vs Groudon, Gyrarados, Lugia,
Forgot the last Pokémon but that girl seemed to be good. I had Giratina (non-scarfed), Hitmontop, Kyogre and Aboma. Gyarados was pesky but what I did was essentially Shadow Force the Gyarados into Water Spout range and finish the match with Scarf Kyogre and this worked, with Lugia taking heavy damage from Water Spout as well.
Battle #4 vs Slaking, Mewtwo, Scizor, Kyogre
I talked to that guy in the queue and he seemed to know a lot more than the others I talked to there, the exception being Giochi, a fellow Skarmbliss lurker
This match was on the screen and somebody filmed it but I'm describing the match anyway. I wanted to go 'zero-mode' and so I led with Top + Ogre. Fake Out Mewtwo, Water Spout kills both, 4-2 and the guy making a sad face while the crowd cheers on me. He sends out Scizor and his own Kyogre. I Feint + Water Spout to secure the kill on Scizor. It didn't Protect anyway but I still Spouted it to death, his Kyogre also taking damage, thundering mine and paralysing it. The turn after that I Detect Hitmontop, he Thunders Hitmontop and I get off a (weak) Water Spout. Then I swap Hitmontop for Aboma to take the Thunder coming to it. Kyogre gets off another Waterspout and after that Kyogre gets switched for Hitmontop and I Wood Hammer him for the 4-0.
Battle #5 vs Dialga, Kyogre, Dunsparce, Tyranitar
Got paired with Clemthor, a friend of mine from Bavaria. I knew his team but didn't choose to counter him. He had Scarf Ogre, TR Dialga, Dunsparce and SpDef Ttar. My four were Infernape (Sash), Giratina (Scarf), Palkia (Haban), Aboma (Sitrus). Turn 1 he Water Spouts + Protects while I protect Ape and vanish with Giratina. Turn 2 he switches Kyogre for Dunsparce to take the suspected Shadow Force but I double-targeted Dialga with SF and CC - for a combined 99% damage -_- (DMG Range 90-105% so roughly a 1/3 chance) and Dialga concludes the turn with setting up TR. Y'all know what happened after that. I didn't have priority so I swapped Infernape for Aboma to kill it off with hail damage, only to see how his Dialga chesto-rests. Game. Over and out.
Semifinal match between Sanchan and Kedavra
France, Lyon, 12th June 2010[/b]
After the loss in Cologne, I wasn’t too sure if I am able to go to Lyon. Then windie, an old Smogon netbattle player, a good friend of mine decided to do a carpool and after having Flame, Misaki and Picollo join the party bus we really decided to go because the costs were like 65 euros for all of us which is really cheap. The drive wasn’t that exciting until we were shortly before Freiburg, which was the last stop we planned in Germany. But things never go according to plan.
Shortly before we hit the border to France we passed road works and the highway was restricted, directly in front of us were two trucks and a normal car. Since the car only was driving 60 km/h instead of the allowed 80, windie overtook them. But suddenly, one of the trucks lost a big piece of baggage and directly hit our car. We lost our number plate but apart from that nothing happened. After a 10 hours drive we arrived in Lyon.
My team in Lyon was basically the same I used in Cologne. I wasn’t too comfortable with Infernape anymore so I swapped it for a Metagross. Not that it mattered, I never used it. I also agonized over a new Giratina spread but yeah. I completely switched to Zerowing mode for this tournament and only used Kyogre, Hitmontop, Palkia and Abomasnow. To keep it short, it worked like a charm for me and would I not have been haxed, it would’ve taken me to semis.
First two matches are completely a blur due to the fact that they both were 4-0 in two turns. The third round match almost drives me crazy, you can watch it here . Very good game, TaQ!
After that, I advanced to the finalists’ lounge where, after a short break, the procedure of handing out green or orange cards to the players begins. I got an orange card and then got paired with a girl wearing an Ash hat. She didn’t look like it but she was one of the better players there. She led with Garchomp and Focus Sash Weavile. Turn 1 she flinches my Kyogre and I flinch her Garchomp. Turn 2 I cancel Weavile’s Sash and kill both Pokémon with Water Spout. Enter Palkia and Kyogre. I swapped my own Kyogre for Abomasnow and Detect with Hitmontop while she apparently double-teamed Hitmontop. I proceed to play it safe and win the match 2-0 from there. I also talked to froggy25 after this win and we were pumped because we were both one match short of the DSi (and the invite).
So I got paired with my quarterfinal opponent. I uploaded that match on youtube and I will let it do the talking for me . All I can say is that I realized that his Zapdos was scarfed because I was able to see it when Palkia and his Zapdos came out at the same time (although theoretically it could also have been a speed tie with both being base 100 timid Pokemon) – but I never thought people would go to such extreme measures as to timid Scarf their Zapdos. All the hax in the match also didn’t matter but the last paralysis on my Kyogre cost me the game because I wasn’t able to sweep his back anymore. The approximate 60% water spout would still have killed his Electivire.
Props:
+ the Location in Lyon was really nice
+ both Cologne and Lyon had really good players attending
+ we’re still alive
+ Lyon is a beautiful city
+ meeting Last_Requiem, froggy25, galooks and RubeNCB as well as some other Spanish people, it was really fun to meet you
+ cool drive to Lyon, despite some major up-and-downs
+ enormously beautiful view of the Alps
+ the BPE is known all around Europe
+ my results, despite not having qualified for Hawaii are good in such a hax-determined mode
- French and Swiss border patrols don't even speak English
- missed
- flinched
- confused
- paralysed
- fully paralysed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHdJbdFZpxs
Soon after the Japanese rules were official, I began my preparations for this year's VGC because I wanted to make it to Hawaii after having been to San Diego in 2009. The Bavarian crew decided to join the preparation for the 2010 VGC at a very early stage, possibly in early October 2009 and so we had two bootcamp tournaments, one mid-October and one at the end of that month. The team at both bootcamps was like this; I don't remember exact spreads though.
Rayquaza: Extremespeed, Dragon Claw, Protect, Overheat
Metagross: Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Explosion, Protect
Kyogre: Water Spout, Thunder, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump
Ludicolo: Grass Knot, Ice Beam, Protect, Leech Seed
I also had stall-oriented Lugia and Cresselia with them in a team of 6 but it was soon clear that stall wouldn't work as well as it worked in 2009. Scarf Kyogre was really a favorite of mine and still is. I wasn't sure about the rest though, to be honest they were just a bunch of Pokémon I wanted to test at the time. I tried several different leads and found Groudon + Zapdos to be a really nice Scarf Kyogre set-up at the time, dealing enough damage with their field moves to have Kyogre clean the field singlehandedly. Well, you guys know the rest of the metagame cycle, eventually everyone figured that the Pressure dragons and Kyogre have to be in every team to be successful, as well as people needed weather changers to be in control of the weather and some Trick Room checks. Fast forward to April, my team looked like this:
Giratina: Shadow Force, Dragon Claw, Safeguard, Stone Edge @ Scarf
Infernape: Fake Out, Protect, Overheat, Close Combat @ LO / Sash
Abomasnow: Blizzard, Protect, Ice Shard, Wood Hammer @ Sitrus / Sash
Palkia: Spacial Rend, Earth Power, Protect, Thunder @ Haban
---
Kyogre: Water Spout, Blizzard, Thunder, Muddy Water
Metagross: Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Protect, Hammer Arm
I was still searching to twist and improve that team and the most important thing for me was variability here - to be able to build and use a team that sweeps bad players as well as having the option to shift around items and use different squads against better players or players who I know. I was still looking for a Metagross replacement, simply because I felt that he gets killed too fast by special attacks and generally because steel has poor typing in Ubers. I tested Hitmontop before Zerowing used it in Seattle but was never too fond of it. Then he swept Seattle with it and I had my Metagross replacement. It gives me a really great deal of variability for my six and so it found its way into the final team for the European qualifiers.
The team:
Giratina @ Lum Berry / Sitrus Berry / Haban Berry / Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd (in Lyon changed to 156 HP, 252 Atk, 100 Spe)
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Safeguard
- Dragon Claw
Scarf Giratina designed to lead with Infernape and Shadow Force + Close Combat things into oblivion while also checking Smeargle. Shadow Sneak was the best 4th move because it gave me the option to use it non-Scarfed and it also renders Hitmontop completely useless. I used Scarf Kyogre in basically every match in Cologne which is why I gave him a slightly more bulkier spread for Lyon.
Infernape (M) @ Focus Sash / Life Orb
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 164 Atk / 212 Spd / 132 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Close Combat
- Flamethrower
- Protect
- Fake Out
Outspeeds Garchomp, the rest of the EVs is designed to make some important kills with the Life Orb attached.
Hitmontop (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Detect
- Fake Out
- Mach Punch
- Feint
Pretty basic Hitmontop. I didn't like Sucker Punch because it cannot touch Giratina anyway and Mewtwo still dies to Spout + Fake Out whereas Feint was an option to absolutely secure a kill.
Kyogre @ Choice Scarf / Sitrus Berry
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Protect
- Thunder
- Water Spout
Protect was on the set for the case that I don't equip the Kyogre with a Scarf. I rarely used it, though.
Abomasnow (M) @ Sitrus Berry / Focus Sash
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Atk / 164 SAtk
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Blizzard
- Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Specially defensive Abomasnow takes special hits like a champ. Wood Hammer OHKOs Kyogre after hail damage and deals significantly more damage to SpDef Tyranitar in Sandstorm while still providing a 2HKO on Groudon.
Palkia @ Haban Berry
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Flamethrower
- Protect
- Spacial Rend
Basic Palkia. In Cologne I had Hydro Pump over Blizzard but I never used it whereas Blizzard came in handy in Lyon once or twice.
Germany, Cologne, June 5th 2010
Battle #1 vs Garchomp,
He had a random team with two random Ubers on it and I had Scarf Gira + Sash Ape. I don't remember much more than that and I wouldn't probably have remembered his Garchomp if his Quick Claw didn't activate three times in a row. I already feared the worst, random Outrage CH could have killed Giratina. Then I see the animation... "digs underground". I targeted the partner, he targeted Giratina with Dig and he got 3-0ed in the end.
Battle #2 vs Groudon, Zapdos,
Not sure anymore but once again I led with Scarf Gira + Ape and proceeded to kill the Zapdos before it could Discharge. Earthquake brought Ape down to the Sash, I won the match 2-0 in the end... I probably mixed it up but I believe he was from the Netherlands.
Battle #3 vs Groudon, Gyrarados, Lugia,
Forgot the last Pokémon but that girl seemed to be good. I had Giratina (non-scarfed), Hitmontop, Kyogre and Aboma. Gyarados was pesky but what I did was essentially Shadow Force the Gyarados into Water Spout range and finish the match with Scarf Kyogre and this worked, with Lugia taking heavy damage from Water Spout as well.
Battle #4 vs Slaking, Mewtwo, Scizor, Kyogre
I talked to that guy in the queue and he seemed to know a lot more than the others I talked to there, the exception being Giochi, a fellow Skarmbliss lurker
Battle #5 vs Dialga, Kyogre, Dunsparce, Tyranitar
Got paired with Clemthor, a friend of mine from Bavaria. I knew his team but didn't choose to counter him. He had Scarf Ogre, TR Dialga, Dunsparce and SpDef Ttar. My four were Infernape (Sash), Giratina (Scarf), Palkia (Haban), Aboma (Sitrus). Turn 1 he Water Spouts + Protects while I protect Ape and vanish with Giratina. Turn 2 he switches Kyogre for Dunsparce to take the suspected Shadow Force but I double-targeted Dialga with SF and CC - for a combined 99% damage -_- (DMG Range 90-105% so roughly a 1/3 chance) and Dialga concludes the turn with setting up TR. Y'all know what happened after that. I didn't have priority so I swapped Infernape for Aboma to kill it off with hail damage, only to see how his Dialga chesto-rests. Game. Over and out.
Semifinal match between Sanchan and Kedavra
France, Lyon, 12th June 2010
After the loss in Cologne, I wasn’t too sure if I am able to go to Lyon. Then windie, an old Smogon netbattle player, a good friend of mine decided to do a carpool and after having Flame, Misaki and Picollo join the party bus we really decided to go because the costs were like 65 euros for all of us which is really cheap. The drive wasn’t that exciting until we were shortly before Freiburg, which was the last stop we planned in Germany. But things never go according to plan.
Shortly before we hit the border to France we passed road works and the highway was restricted, directly in front of us were two trucks and a normal car. Since the car only was driving 60 km/h instead of the allowed 80, windie overtook them. But suddenly, one of the trucks lost a big piece of baggage and directly hit our car. We lost our number plate but apart from that nothing happened. After a 10 hours drive we arrived in Lyon.
My team in Lyon was basically the same I used in Cologne. I wasn’t too comfortable with Infernape anymore so I swapped it for a Metagross. Not that it mattered, I never used it. I also agonized over a new Giratina spread but yeah. I completely switched to Zerowing mode for this tournament and only used Kyogre, Hitmontop, Palkia and Abomasnow. To keep it short, it worked like a charm for me and would I not have been haxed, it would’ve taken me to semis.
First two matches are completely a blur due to the fact that they both were 4-0 in two turns. The third round match almost drives me crazy, you can watch it here . Very good game, TaQ!
After that, I advanced to the finalists’ lounge where, after a short break, the procedure of handing out green or orange cards to the players begins. I got an orange card and then got paired with a girl wearing an Ash hat. She didn’t look like it but she was one of the better players there. She led with Garchomp and Focus Sash Weavile. Turn 1 she flinches my Kyogre and I flinch her Garchomp. Turn 2 I cancel Weavile’s Sash and kill both Pokémon with Water Spout. Enter Palkia and Kyogre. I swapped my own Kyogre for Abomasnow and Detect with Hitmontop while she apparently double-teamed Hitmontop. I proceed to play it safe and win the match 2-0 from there. I also talked to froggy25 after this win and we were pumped because we were both one match short of the DSi (and the invite).
So I got paired with my quarterfinal opponent. I uploaded that match on youtube and I will let it do the talking for me . All I can say is that I realized that his Zapdos was scarfed because I was able to see it when Palkia and his Zapdos came out at the same time (although theoretically it could also have been a speed tie with both being base 100 timid Pokemon) – but I never thought people would go to such extreme measures as to timid Scarf their Zapdos. All the hax in the match also didn’t matter but the last paralysis on my Kyogre cost me the game because I wasn’t able to sweep his back anymore. The approximate 60% water spout would still have killed his Electivire.
Props:
+ the Location in Lyon was really nice
+ both Cologne and Lyon had really good players attending
+ we’re still alive
+ Lyon is a beautiful city
+ meeting Last_Requiem, froggy25, galooks and RubeNCB as well as some other Spanish people, it was really fun to meet you
+ cool drive to Lyon, despite some major up-and-downs
+ enormously beautiful view of the Alps
+ the BPE is known all around Europe
+ my results, despite not having qualified for Hawaii are good in such a hax-determined mode
- French and Swiss border patrols don't even speak English
- missed
- flinched
- confused
- paralysed
- fully paralysed
