DP Wobbuffet

Caelum

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So, I was looking at the Wobbuffet analysis today since it's now solidly uber just out of curiosity. I found the analysis a bit lacking, particularly since it's now being used in uber. No mention of Screen support to help it take hits (this is almost mandatory for Wobbs in ubers), the line about Tickle being banned was irrelevant now because of the Smogon server, no mention of CB Tars Pursuit under "counters", no mention of Toxic Dugtrio under counters, no mention of a faster EV spread that can really screw over stall teams that rely on slow things like Blissey, Forretress, no mention of Dragon Claw Giratina in counters, etc. There aren't significant changes to this but I thought that this stuff constituted more than just "small subjective changes" so I just decided to add these details into the current analysis. Hope thats alright.

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/wobbuffet

[SET]
name: Oh no, it's Wobbuffet!
move 1: Encore
move 2: Counter
move 3: Mirror Coat
move 4: Safeguard / Charm
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm / Bold
evs: 28 HP / 228 Def / 252 SpD


[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The one and only set for Wobbuffet. With little prediction, or none at all if Encore is used, Wobbuffet can guarantee at least one kill. Choose Counter if your opponent is clearly a physical sweeper or Mirror Coat if it's special. If it's mixed, simply use Encore and proceed from there since your opponent can't switch out. Encore can also work to your benefit if the opponent chooses to use a stat up move as this will allow a free switch-in for one of your Pokemon and at least one turn of set up. Encore can also be used to PP stall if it comes down to that. Forcing a Pokemon to repeat a move while preventing them from switching is one of the most sadistic, and effective, strategies in Pokemon. Both Charm and Safeguard can come in handy as your last move. Charm can annoy physical attackers that attempt to set up on you and is particularly effective if they have been Encored. Safeguard is obviously there to prevent Wobbuffet from being crippled by status ailments and can support the team at the same time. The only downside is that Wobbuffet is very slow and will most likely be statused before it can use Safeguard. For this reason Wobbuffet works best with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell support. One of the main factors that prevents Wobbuffet from being a top tier uber is its lack of a recovery move, so having a teammate to support it with Wish can ensure its longevity. Also, because of the powerhouses that dominate ubers, Wobbuffet will struggle against hard hitters such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza or Choice Specs Kyogre, as such, Light Screen and Reflect support allow Wobbuffet to perform its job significantly better.</p>

<p>The given EVs are fairly obvious with its massive base HP and poor defenses. The 28 HP EVs allow Wobbuffet for maximum Leftovers recovery and with a Calm nature allows it to survive a Modest Kyogre's full powered Water Spout and OHKO back with Mirror Coat. Calm is emphasized over Bold because of the concentration on special attackers in Ubers, however, Bold can be useful to better handle Groudon, Rayquaza, and other physical threats in the Uber metagame.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Wobbuffet's large and diverse move pool consists of a whopping 8 moves. Besides the absolutely useless Splash, the only moves not covered above are Destiny Bond and Tickle. Destiny Bond may seem like an appealing options since it allows you to take one more opponent down when you're low on heath, but Wobbuffet does not have the Speed to pull this off effectively and should only be used on Trick Room teams. Tickle can be employed very effectively with Encore to weaken a defensive Pokemon and then have Choice Band Tyranitar use Pursuit against it. While overall less effective in ubers, it is still a viable strategy. For reference sake, this strategy was discussed at length and can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41455.</p>

[EVs]

<p>Wobbuffet has the third highest base HP of any Pokemon, but its defenses are terrible. Similar to Blissey, who needs maximum Defense in order to take physical hits, Wobbuffet needs to pour almost all of its EVs into both Defense and Special Defense so that it can take hits without losing too much health in the process. A much faster EV spread with a positive Speed nature can also be beneficial to Wobbuffet if you are careful with what you leave it in on. If you sacrifice one of your defenses and invest in Speed Wobuffet's slightly faster Encore can now help shut down pokemon like Blissey, Skarmory, Forretress, Bronzong, and other popular choices on slow stall teams. Wobbuffet, with a positive Speed nature, will require a minimum of 236 Speed EVs to outrun zero Speed Skarmory.</p>

[Opinion]

<p>Despite its tiny movepool, a lot can be said about Wobbuffet. It jumped straight into the Ubers tier in the Advance generation mainly because of its unique ability, which utterly shatters the concept of switching and countering. Nintendo changed Shadow Tag around in D/P so that two Pokémon with this same ability will be able to switch if both are sent out. This means the dreaded scenario of two Wobbuffet facing each other will no longer end in a draw. However, Shadow Tag is still a ridiculous ability and the abundance of Choice items limiting Pokémon to only one attack makes Wobbuffet's job even easier. The only thing that prevents Wobbuffet from being a complete god among Pokémon is the lack of a recovery move, which can be rectified by surrounding it with Wish support. While Wobbuffet isn't able to take some of the hardest hitters in the uber tier such as Sword Dance Groudon or Choice Specs Kyogre, Wobbuffet's ability to turn the game in your favor by eliminating that problem Pokemon or allowing you free turns of set up should never be underestimated.</p>

<p>Wobbuffet's May 30, 2008 movement from the Limbo tier to the OU tier was a direct result of no conclusive evidence of the Pokémon overwhelming the standard metagame arising after three months of testing on Shoddy Battle's Official Server's Ladder. It was decided overwhelmingly through a "bold voting" process (voting <strong>UBER</strong> or <strong>OU</strong> with a detailed argument) at the end of June 2008 that Wobbuffet belongs in the Uber tier in DP.</p>

[Counters]

<p>By definition, a proper counter must be able to switch in against whatever it is they are trying to counter. As mentioned, Wobbuffet's ability prevents the opponent from switching if they lack the moves Baton Pass or U-Turn or aren't holding a Shed Shell, which means it essentially has no real counters. So if you should meet this Pokémon during one of your battles, what can you do against it?</p>

<p>Taunt is probably the most effective defense against the blue blob. It will completely shut down Wobbuffet for a few turns, and all it can do is Counter and Mirror Coat for no damage. Sleep moves are also a temporary solution. By putting it to sleep, you can force it to switch out, use the opportunity to stat boost, or simply hit it with your strongest moves and hope you can score a KO before it wakes up. The Trick + Choice item strategy is also effective since it will limit it to only one move and therefore ruin its usefulness but this strategy is seldom seen in ubers. Toxic will help only if Wobbuffet is the last Pokémon on the team. Otherwise, it will simply Encore your Toxic and switch out to a cleric or one of the many Pokémon immune to poison. Finally, Roar and Whirlwind will force it to switch out although it will still come back to haunt you later in the battle.</p>

<p>As mentioned, Baton Pass and U-Turn are the only moves that have the ability to allow users to escape from Shadow Tag's grip. U-Turn is super effective, but if you use it and Wobbuffet Counters in the same turn, the Pokémon that gets switched in will receive a pretty nasty dent. Shed Shell also allows you to switch, but Skarmory is the only Pokémon this item is practical on.</p>

<p>Since Mirror Coat is a Psychic move, it will not affect Dark-types which means Dark Pokémon can pound Wobbuffet with special attacks without fear of getting Mirror Coated back. Darkrai and Dark-type Arceus are particularly good choices for this when battling in Ubers. Tyranitar also falls into this category but it must be using Dark Pulse and special Tyranitar isn't as useful in ubers as it is in standard. Choice Band Tyranitar can also use Crunch or Pursuit against it. Likewise, Ghosts are unaffected by the Fighting-typed Counter and can hit it with physical moves. Giratina using Dragon Claw can wear down Wobbuffett. Spiritomb, being both Dark and Ghost-type, is completely immune to both Counter and Mirror Coat; however, it is unlikely that any intelligent trainer will leave their Wobbuffet in against a Dark and/or Ghost Pokémon. Dugtrio with Toxic can also turn the tables on Wobbuffet as Wobbuffet will be unable to switch out and will slowly die off from Toxic damage. Extremely hard hitters like Specs Deoxys-A or Choice Band Ho-oh can bring Wobbuffet down, but if Reflect or Light Screen are in play Wobbuffet will probably come out on top.</p>

<p>In the end, you will probably lose one Pokémon to Wobbuffet simply because you weren't expecting it. Don't worry if this happens, as Wobbuffet is not one of those Pokémon every team should be prepared for. It's not used much in ubers because it can't take any real offensive assault.</p>
 
[SET]
name:Oh no, it's Wobbuffet!
move 1: Encore
move 2: Counter
move 3: Mirror Coat
move 4: Safeguard / Charm
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm / Bold
evs: 28 HP / 228 Def / 252 SpD


[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The one and only set for Wobbuffet. With little prediction, or none if Encore is used, Wobbuffet can guarantee at least one kill. Choose Counter if your opponent is clearly a physical sweeper or Mirror Coat if its special. If its mixed, simply use Encore and proceed from there since your opponent can't switch out. Encore can also work to your benefit if the opponent chooses to use a stat up move as this will allow a free switch-in for one of your Pokemon and at least one turn of set up. Encore can also be used to PP stall if it comes down to that. Forcing a Pokemon to repeat a move while preventing them from switching is one of the most sadistic, and effective, strategies in Pokemon. Both Charm and Safeguard can come in handy as your last move. Charm can annoy physical attackers that attempt to set up on you and is particularly effective if they have been Encored. Safeguard is obviously there to prevent Wobbuffet from being crippled by status ailments and can support the team at the same time. The only downside is that Wobbuffet is very slow and will most likely be statused before it can use Safeguard. For this reason, Wobbuffet works best with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell support. One of the main factors that prevents Wobbuffet from being a top tier uber is its lack of a recovery move, so having a teammate to support it with Wish can ensure its longevity. Also, because of the powerhouses that dominate ubers, Wobbuffet will struggle against hard hitters such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza or Choice Specs Kyogre, as such, Light Screen and Reflect support allow Wobbuffet to perform its job significantly better.</p>

removed "none at if" and just put none if (thats what you probably meant). "its" not "it's", you make that mistake several times. Fixed small grammar issues.

<p>The given EVs are fairly obvious with its massive base HP and poor defenses. The 28 HP EVs allow Wobbuffet for maximum Leftovers recovery and with a Calm nature allows it to survive a Modest Kyogre's full powered Water Spout and OHKO back with Mirror Coat. Calm is emphasized over Bold because of the concentration on special attackers in Ubers, however, Bold can be useful to better handle Groudon, Rayquaza, and other physical threats in the Uber metagame.</p>

Much better here, although Special attackers is not capitalized. It should read "special attackers". Capitalize "Ubers".

[Other Options]
<p>Wobbuffet's large and diverse move pool consists of a whopping 8 moves. Besides the absolutely useless Splash, the only moves not covered above are Destiny Bond and Tickle. Destiny Bond may seem like an appealing option since it allows you to take one more opponent down when you're low on heath, but Wobbuffet does not have the Speed to pull this off effectively and should only be used on Trick Room teams. Tickle can be employed very effectively with Encore to weaken a defensive Pokemon and then have Choice Band Tyranitar use Pursuit against it. While overall less effective in ubers, it is still a viable strategy. For reference sake, this strategy was discussed at length and can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41455.</p>

"can be found here" is a lot better than "in this thread". Fixed a bit of grammar and spelling here. type out Choice Band, don't leave it as CB

[EVs]
<p>Wobbuffet has the third highest base HP of any Pokemon, but its defenses are terrible. Similar to Blissey, who needs maximum Defense in order to take physical hits, Wobbuffet needs to pour almost all of its EVs into both Defense and Special Defense so that it can take hits without losing too much health in the process. Although not recommended, Wobbuffet can run some Speed EVs to outrun some of the slower Pokemon in the uber tier such as minimum speed Blissey, Forretress, or Bronzong which can be nearly fatal to slow stall teams.</p>

...Players? Use Pokemon, not players. Speed should be capitalized. "which" makes the sentence sound correct, not "and".

[Opinion]
<p>Despite its tiny movepool, a lot can be said about Wobbuffet. It jumped straight into the Ubers tier in the 3rd generation mainly because of its unique ability, which utterly shatters the concept of switching and countering. Nintendo changed Shadow Tag around in D/P so that two Pokémon with this same ability will be able to switch if both are sent out. This means the dreaded scenario of two Wobbuffet facing each other will no longer end in a draw. However, Shadow Tag is still a ridiculous ability and the abundance of Choice items limiting Pokémon to only one attack makes Wobbuffet's job even easier. The only thing that prevents Wobbuffet from being a complete god among Pokémon is the lack of a recovery move, which can be rectified by surrounding it with Wish support. While Wobbuffet isn't able to take some of the hardest hitters in the uber tier such as Sword Dance Groudon or Choice Specs Kyogre, Wobbuffet's ability to turn the game in your favor by eliminating that problem Pokemon or allowing you free turns of set up should never be underestimated.</p>

<p>Wobbuffet's May 30, 2008 movement from the Limbo tier to the OU tier was a direct result of no conclusive evidence of the Pokemon overwhelming the standard metagame arising after three months of testing on Shoddy Battle's Official Server's Ladder. It was decided through a "bold voting" process (voting UBERor OU with a detailed argument) at the end of June 2008 that Wobbuffet belongs in the Uber tier in DP.</p>

You don't have to bold Uber or OU. Don't capitalize "tier"
 
I'll change those right when I get back (have to go right now), but I want to here from someone else like Great Sage to come along since the bold thing and the capitalization of "tier" is the way it is currently in the analysis.
 
Really? I didn't know the bolding was used in the analysis. I might have messed up on the tier thing but you labeled it as:

Limbo Tier to the OU tier

One of those "tiers" have to be changed.
 
Made the changes that KD suggested. Any other nitpicks, additions, or sets (lol)?
 
With little prediction, or none at all if Encore is used, Wobbuffet can guarantee at least one kill.

Choose Counter if your opponent is clearly a physical sweeper or Mirror Coat if it's special.

If it's mixed, simply use Encore and proceed from there since your opponent can't switch out.

Thanks have a nice day.
 
I originally had the its = it's but KD24 told me otherwise :/. Changed back and edited in Servant's fixes (I'm going to hire Servant to proof read my english papers).

I don't think there is too much more here since I just added little bits to improve it and Wobbuffet doesn't have too many options. No one commented on the slight change to the current EVs so I'm assuming they are alright?
 
Thanks Great Sage. And I forgot it had to be in all HTML format (why I would think otherwise is beyond me) so I fixed the bolding part.
 
Wobbuffet can also be used effectively on offensive teams, although he's played much differently. The Wobbuffet in your analysis receives substantial team support and is tailored to stick around for a long time. It's probably best suited for a defensive or balanced team.

These are my experiences from using Wobb on an offensive team. He receives little to no support (on my team, weather control and SR damage were the only support he got). The user needs to know that he may only get one switch-in (although this is rarely the case). His primary goal early-game is to pick-off prominent threats to your team that could stop your sweep as they appear. If your opponent is running a more defensive team, you may instead be switching Wobbuffet into whatever he has to throw at you and Encoring them to throw off their pace and to buy a free turn for one of your sweepers.

The fourth move has a drastic impact on how effective Wobbuffet is later in the game. On my most successful offensive team, I ran Destiny Bond. I never found good use for Charm or Safeguard. (If anyone has any experience with them when using Wobb on an offensive team, please share.) It can be used to revenge kill healthy choiced users, but I use it more often against certain key pokemon that I've paralyzed (and in many cases even sacrificed another pokemon specifically so that I could Destiny Bond him).

Sorry that's not organized better. It's very late at night here; I'm very tired.
 
Wobbuffet can also be used effectively on offensive teams, although he's played much differently. The Wobbuffet in your analysis receives substantial team support and is tailored to stick around for a long time. It's probably best suited for a defensive or balanced team.

These are my experiences from using Wobb on an offensive team. He receives little to no support (on my team, weather control and SR damage were the only support he got). The user needs to know that he may only get one switch-in (although this is rarely the case). His primary goal early-game is to pick-off prominent threats to your team that could stop your sweep as they appear. If your opponent is running a more defensive team, you may instead be switching Wobbuffet into whatever he has to throw at you and Encoring them to throw off their pace and to buy a free turn for one of your sweepers.

The fourth move has a drastic impact on how effective Wobbuffet is later in the game. On my most successful offensive team, I ran Destiny Bond. I never found good use for Charm or Safeguard. (If anyone has any experience with them when using Wobb on an offensive team, please share.) It can be used to revenge kill healthy choiced users, but I use it more often against certain key pokemon that I've paralyzed (and in many cases even sacrificed another pokemon specifically so that I could Destiny Bond him).

Sorry that's not organized better. It's very late at night here; I'm very tired.

You play this offensively in ubers? In my experience Wobbuffet just isn't that useful without a lot of team support since it's not taking on the heavy hitters that reside in the uber tier. Really, Wobbuffet is going to have trouble revenge killing any Choice Band/Choice Specs user in the uber tier since they just hit too hard without screen support. There is no way Wobbuffet can take on a Choice Band Ho-oh or Specs Kyogre without a lot of team support so I'm curious if you could elaborate a bit more on how you use this offensively. I've always felt that Wobbuffet worked best on defensive teams, in uber battles (remember this analysis is now geared towards ubers exclusively), but I'm willing to here you out if you could provide a few shoddy logs of success with this on an offensive team (you can PM them to me if you don't feel like posting them here) and I'll consider rephrasing it.
 
[EVs]

<p>Wobbuffet has the third highest base HP of any Pokemon, but its defenses are terrible. Similar to Blissey, who needs maximum Defense in order to take physical hits, Wobbuffet needs to pour almost all of its EVs into both Defense and Special Defense so that it can take hits without losing too much health in the process. Although not recommended, Wobbuffet can run some Speed EVs to outrun some of the slower Pokemon in the uber tier such as minimum speed Blissey, Forretress, or Bronzong which can be nearly fatal to slow stall teams.</p>

I would personally put more emphasis on the Speedier, Jolly EV spread. Saying that a spread that can singlehandedly destroy the dreaded skarmbliss is "not recommended" is silly. The speedy Jolly EV spread should be given more credit than that. JollyWobb screws over Skarmory too and thats worth a mention. In my experiences with Wobbuffet, the fast set has actually been more useful than pumping up both defenses and I would recommend it to anybody over the unneccesarily defensive spread.

Changing what you have to something like "a much faster EV spread with a +Speed nature can also be beneficial to Wobbuffet if you are careful with what you leave it in on. If you sacrifice one of your defenses and invest in Speed, Wobuffet's slightly faster Encore can now help shut down pokemon like Blissey, Skarmory, Forretress, Bronzong etcetc" and it should probably have its own paragraph in the EVs section.
 
I'm well aware of the benefits of a Jolly or at least speedy Wobbuffet when it was an OU threat, but have you used in ubers with success? I wasn't sure if you were just referring to OU play. If you have I'll rewrite it right away and add some more comments in the EV section (do you have a particular spread you could recommend?, I can't seem to find the one on my comp. that I used before it was uber >_>). I actually struggled with this a bit but several people were skeptical of a speedy wobbs in ubers so I left it as "not recommended" but I'm entirely willing to flip if you cant testify otherwise.

Edit: Added Jrrr. comments, other thoughts guys or is this all done here?
 
this post is for jrrrrrrr's and Aldaron's purposes...

don't delete site doesn't have this updated version of the set's explanation
 
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