Introduction
Baton Pass chains were a fairly common strategy in the third generation of Pokémon. Because there was nothing faster than Jolteon or Aerodactyl,
you (replace with 'one', the use of the impersonal sounds better here) could spam Substitute and easily take care of threats.
But (replace with 'However,' ) this once frequent strategy has almost taken a back seat in Diamond, Pearl,
and Platinum. The introduction of new
hard hitters in Garchomp and Lucario (replace with 'moves and Pokémon'; this makes it seem like Garchomp and Lucario are the only factors to blame), the improvement of the move Taunt (which now last
s 3-5 turns), new phazers, and item Choice Scarf
were(replace with 'are') most likely the causes for this shift.
However, in the right hands, (replace with 'Despite all of this,' it has better flow) Baton Pass teams can still be extremely deadly. While there may be more phazers in D/P/Pt, many of these Pokémon forgo their phazing move for more 'useful' options. Knowing how to play the chain and designing your team carefully can throw off an opponent who isn't familiar with Baton Pass teams. A Baton Pass chain can still get victories. They aren't as
good (replace with 'easy to pull off') as they were in Advance,
though, (omit) so this guide will help you
to make a
great (replace with 'successful') Baton Pass team for Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
What does the move Baton Pass do?
Baton Pass is a 40 PP (64 with PP Max) move that allows the user to switch out of battle with normal priority. The user
is then able to pass (replace with 'also passes'; it sounds like you have a choice to make here when it's actually automatic) any stat boosts, or other conditions, to the Pokémon that comes in as a result. Baton Pass also allows the user to escape from the effects of Shadow Tag, Magnet Pull, and Arena Trap.
Know The Baton Passers
Here is a list of the viable Baton Passers in D/P/Pt, and how they can support a Baton Pass chain. All of them have access to Substitute, but
I just mentioned (omit, it sounds more professional when it's impersonal)the ones that can make bulky Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss, also known as 101 Subs._(replace with 'those that can make sturdy Substitues, which are also known as 101 Subs, recieve a special mention for their ability to survive a Seismic Toss.'; there was slight word confusion)The goal of
the_(replace with 'a Baton Passing') team is to pass enough boosts to a receiver, who will
kill (maybe replace with something like 'vanquish' or 'proceed to trample' seems a little too harsh) all of your (replace with 'the'; again, the impersonal sounds better) opponent's Pokémon. Each of them has the Pokémon's name, notable moves that Pokémon has to support a Baton Pass chain, and a description
(Insert 'of their strengths and weaknesses', or something to that effect; describe what the description will cover).
______________________________________
Building A Team
Now this is the tricky part. In D/P/Pt, there are some threats that
you actually have (replace with 'one has', perhaps an emphasis on has) to be able to counter, or
your (replace with 'the') entire chain
might (replace with 'will') fall apart. Team design, right down to
your (replace with 'a Pokémon's'; I sure hope the reader isn't a Pokémon!) EV spread, is crucial to the success of your chain. Overall,
it (replace with 'a good Baton Pass team') should contain 5 passers that contribute to the Baton Pass chain, and one receiver (the role of the receiver will be explained
in more depth (insert) later in this section).
A good Baton Pass team (replace with 'It') should have a way to beat common phazers such as Swampert and Skarmory,
and (omit) be able to deal with Haze, Taunt, Encore, Sleep Moves, and
maybe (omit) even Trick Room.
The Lead
The lead should be able to scare away or outspeed most users of the move Taunt. The fastest common Taunt user is
Crobat (
replace with Aerodactyl), but Deoxys-S can also use Taunt effectively
(Omit Deoxsys if we are talking about OU only here. Or should we also reference UU and Ubers?). The best leads for the Baton Pass chains are Agility / Rock Polish passers: namely Ninjask, Gliscor
, and Zapdos. While Ninjask does have a problem with phazers, Mr. Mime can protect him
self from Roar. If Skarmory Whirlwinds him and Smeargle comes out, Skarmory won't be phazing
the chain much longer
(explain why he won't be phazing much longer; the reader may not know how Smeargle will stop Skarmory). Gliscor is a solid choice due to his ability to counter Tyranitar leads, and he is able to
both Taunt and Stealth Rock. Zapdos sports Thunderbolt and possibly Hidden Power Grass, which beats most phazers. He is pretty bulky from both sides of the spectrum, and only has two weaknesses, both of which can be eliminated
by using Roost. Less bulky Pokémon such as Blaziken, Ambipom, and Scizor can work well as leads, simply because they are commonly known as strong attackers.
If you do use a Pokémon that can't take a hit too well, just concentrate on getting an Agility or a Rock Polish off and getting the hell out of there. (Replace with 'Fragile Pokémon should just concentrate on getting an Agility or a Rock Polish off and making a quick exit.'; it sounds more professional)
But with the addition of a new threat, adjustments are required. This new threat to Baton Pass teams comes in a form of a new popular strategy in leads.(Replace with 'Precautions are required to account for a particular threat to Baton Pass leads.') Commonly called "suicide leads",
these Pokémon use a combination of
their speed, Focus Sash
, and Taunt
to prevent their opponent from setting up Stealth Rock, and then they
use Stealth Rock themselves.
Taunt also blocks the use of Agility, Rock Polish, and Baton Pass, effectively shutting down a chaining strategy The most popular suicide leads are Azelf and Aerodactyl, who are both fast, fragile, and powerful. It is also important to be aware that most lead Azelfs pack the deadly Explosion in their movesets.
There are certain ways that a Baton Pass team can get around a fast Taunter. One idea is to use a Fake Out user that learns Baton Pass, such as Ambipom, to eliminate the usefulness of Focus Sash quickly. Perhaps the best way to beat this new generation of leads is to pretend that you are just using a normal team, and worry about beating the lead before you start Baton Passing. An example: I lead with Zapdos, and my opponent is leading with Azelf, Aerodactyl, or Deoxys-S. Instead of trying to Agility and falling to a possible Taunt, I can simply attack with Thunderbolt. Most of these Pokémon are 2HKOed by Thunderbolt, while Zapdos gets Taunted and Stealth Rock is set up. Next, switch to a Pokémon that a standard team of the format and my Baton Pass team has in common, such as Vaporeon, Scizor, Togekiss or Celebi. Then, pass a Substitute back to your lead, get Agility or Rock Polish off, and continue your chain. With this method, suicide leads are more of an inconvenience than a gamebreaking start for your opponent. (This whole section is way too extraneous when you're essentially describing only one method of dealing with taunters, and that's simply to go on the offensive to eliminate the suicide lead and continue with your chain. The Ambipom example is also inadequate, as the most popular suicide leads are Azelf and Aerodactyl, which still outspeed and Taunt after the Fake Out. I'd suggest something like:
Prediction is key when dealing with such suicide leads, and depends on appearances. Think of how an opponent using a suicide lead will percieve your team's lead; if they feel your lead, such as Scizor, poses an immediate offensive threat, they will usually use Stealth Rocks and forgo the risk of Taunt. This leaves you free to use Agility or Rock Polish in the meantime, and Baton Pass to a more suitable counter as they waste their next turn with a Taunt.
However, if the lead you use is renown as a Baton Passer or for its supporting role, such as Ninjask or Lopunny, there is a higher chance the opponent will Taunt you. The risk of you starting a chain surpasses the advantage they would gain from setting up Stealth Rocks. In this instance, it would be wiser to go on the offensive and try to knock out or disable their suicide lead, instead of wasting a turn and letting your opponent set up Stealth Rocks. You can always switch to another, more suitable Pokémon on your team to restart the chain.
The Chain
As for the rest of the team, two
certain Pokémon are
invaluable: Smeargle and Mr. Mime. These
Pokémon prevent phazers from
hampering a chaining strategy. Smeargle is the only Pokémon that can pass Ingrain, whereas Mr. Mime has access to Soundproof to block Roar and Perish Song.
These Pokémon are excellent supporters for any Baton Passing team as they are second to none when it comes to securing the team's boosts. Mr. Mime is not as necessary as Smeargle, but he is strongly recommended.
Pokémon that sport the Spider Web / Mean Look and Baton Pass combination are extremely useful to have on a Baton Pass team, but are by no means required.
Trapping an opponent's Pokémon (such as a wall or a support Pokémon like Blissey) that is powerless to stop your chain will make sweeping significantly easier. Umbreon, Smeargle, Absol, and Ariados are the only Pokémon that sport this combination.
The rest of the team should be used to counter the threats that could destroy your chain, while contributing to the chain themselves. Defense boosts help keep your Pokémon alive, and could make an opponent fail to break your Substitute
s. Attack boosts should correspond to the type of sweeper you are trying to set up
: use Nasty Plot for a special sweeper, and Swords Dance or Belly Drum for physical sweepers. If you
r receiver is mixed, use Swords Dance / Calm Mind for predominantly physical sets, and Nasty Plot / Bulk Up for mostly special attackers. However, you might find it easier to just rely on one stat to increase the
efficiency of your Baton Pass chain.
Should the Pokémon on your team be extremely bulky or speedy? In ADV, fast Pokémon were preferred because there was nothing faster than Aerodactyl or Jolteon in OU, save something with Agility or Dragon Dance. Here, faster Pokémon could put up a Substitute to prevent from being statused, stop most damage, and would force your opponent to limit their switches. However, the introduction of Choice Scarf in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum has made this benchmark useless.
The fastest Pokémon in the game, Deoxys-S, is also legal in OU for now. (Omit) Bulky Baton Passers are much more valuable then they were back then, and should make up a good majority of your team.
The Receiver (You referred to it as the receiver for most of the guide, no reason why it should change now)
One Pokémon on your team should be your
receiver. When this Pokémon gets +6 in the attack stat
you want to use (or some mixed sweeper equivalent), it should be able to OHKO every single Pokémon with 100% accuracy moves. Your receiver should not be 4x weak to any priority move. It might be helpful for your receiver to also have Baton Pass, but trying to OHKO every single Pokémon you need to can be difficult with only three moves. If your team is pretty offensive, then this might not be as big of an issue.
Cutting down on residual damage is important, so resistances or immunities to things like Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic, Toxic Spikes, Sandstorm and Hail are a big plus. Don't let your receiver hold Life Orb unless you must - if it does need to use it with +6 attack stages to net important knock outs,you probably should consider a different candidate for the job.
Example Team
In order to make sense of the explanation, an example team should help put everything in context, and give you ideas for your own Baton Pass team.
Here is one team that has yielded consistent success:
Ninjask (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Atk / 184 Def / 24 Spe
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Protect
- X-Scissor
-----
The first thing I wanted in my team was a lead that was virtually immune to Trick. And in the BP world, there are only two
Pokémon that can accomplish this: Ninjask and Lopunny. Lopunny isn't actually a joke: Magic Coat stops Taunt and Status, Switcherooing Flame Orb stops DD leads I have so much trouble with, and it has good defensive stats (better than Starmie). But for this team, it's the super bug, modified for my
purposes. The EV spread helps me against those
priority attacks, and only takes around 75% from a Weavile's Ice Shard. Protect is actually key on this set: it makes sure
Ninjask is faster than all Trick users, so I can put up a Sub to stop Trick. And while Ninjask is much more vunerable to Taunt than Lopunny, at least it has
X-Scissor, which takes care of Azelf. Using Ninjask means I can reduce the speed EVs on the rest of my team, since I will have more than an Agility's worth of Speed.
(going to be rewriting comments for these two)
Gorebyss (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 150 HP/108 Spd/252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Amnesia
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Surf
---
What. Is. This.
Gorebyss is something I added onto my team after I tried my chain in Ubers. Amnesia passing (which is what my Mew does) is so nice for stopping those Special threats. Gorebyss is the best at doing that outside of Ubers. Its a perfect Heatran counter, and much like I did against Garchomp in D/P, it helps the rest of my team counter those Special threats that hit in such diverse ways. Gorebyss is what I pass to against Aerodatcyl leads, and it the Sub that I pass it doesn't break on the switch, your in for a world of (not) hurt.
Scizor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/130 Def/128 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Iron Defense
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Bullet Punch
---
Same old Scizor, different
purpose. Of course, Scizor is the best at defense passing (tied with Vaporeon). But Scizor is unique, because... it is my Scizor counter. After Amnesia comes into play, I can bring it in on Boltbeamers and make them switch. Bullet Punch is great to have some
priority and because not having Bullet Punch on Scizor is illegal in my state.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/98 Def/160 SDef
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
- Taunt
- Baton Pass
---
Gliscor's primary purpose is to pass Attack boosts to Lucario. The main reason to use Gliscor over Celebi is Taunt, as my team is pretty weak to phasers and Perish Song users like enemy Celebi. I will bring in Gliscor after Vaporeon and Hypno provide some Defense boosts, making Gliscor's Substitutes hard for even the strongest attackers to break. The Special Defense EVs help Gliscor deal with Hidden Power Grass Zapdos in case Hypno is too weak to wall it.
Smeargle @ Shed Shell
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs: 92 HP / 120 Def / 40 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
~Ingrain
~Spore
~Substitute
~Baton Pass
Smeargle is necessary for every Baton Pass chain: it is the only Pokémon that can set up Ingrain, which will prevent phazing and also help heal your team. Get this in with a bulky Substitute from one of the other members of the team, and use Spore. Substitute will prevent you from being hit by a Sleep Talker or another switch in, and then Ingrain and Baton Pass out. Smeargle needs all of the bulk it can get while being as fast as possible, and the EV spread accomplishes this. Shed Shell is there because this Pokémon is the most vulnerable to Taunt, so it might need the help to switch out without using Baton Pass.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 196 Spe
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
~Brick Break
~Crunch
~Ice Punch
~Bullet Punch
My finisher. Once I have enough boosts in store, Lucario comes in to destroy my opponent. As far as recipients go, Lucario is one of the best: sporting immunity to Sandstorm, immunity to Toxic Spikes, resistance to most priority attacks, and a movepool that will OHKO every Pokémon legal in OU with 100% accuracy. Cresselia and the Rotom-appliances die to Crunch, while Gliscor, Hippowdon and Tangrowth fall to Ice Punch. Brick Break is your STAB that deals with everything else, and can destory any screens in your way from sweeping. You outspeed everything with an Agility from Lopunny, save Scarf Aerodactyl (which you can beat with Bullet Punch anyway). Life Orb is used because the boost is necessary, and Ingrain helps make up for the 10% loss of health after every attack. Bullet Punch is to kill other priority users such as Weavile and Mamoswine, and it also allows you to kill Gengar if you lose your speed boosts.
Playing the Chain
Playing a Baton Passing team is all about knowledge and planning. You should have a good idea about how you are going to switch when
the most dangerous threats come out.
How would your team be able to handle them? This is an important question that you need to be able to answer, especially if you don't have a Substitute up when those threats switch in.
Speaking of Substitute, it is recommended that you keep a Substitute up as often as possible when you get Ingrain up. Substitute will protect you from critical hits that can cut through your defense boosts.
It also prevents status and
the effects of the move Trick. When you don't have Ingrain up yet, you should be more
cautious so you don't lose your boosts when your opponent uses Whirlwind or Roar.
One of the most difficult Pokémon to get out happens to be
one of the most important to the success of your Baton Pass chain. Smeargle is extremely fragile, and if it faints you might be out of luck. Predicting to get Smeargle in against
something like a Choice Specs Shadow Ball is too risky to be effective. The best way get Smeargle out is to either bring it out against a wall like Skarmory or Blissey, or pass a bulky Substitute that won't break on the switch. An early Ingrain is ideal, but it is often not worth the risk. The best way to ensure you get the Ingrain off is after you have a few defense boosts and a Substitute to pass to it. Smeargle is also the most vulnerable Pokémon in a Baton Pass chain to the move Taunt. If you aren't carrying a Shed Shell and you have Ingrain up, a well-timed Taunt can leave you trapped and force you to Struggle. Don't take any unnecessary risks to get an early Ingrain or Spore; most of the time it isn't worth it.
Beating Baton Pass
It can be extremely difficult to beat a well-made Baton Pass team. While it is harder to pull off
a chain in D/P/Pt, in some ways it can be easier. In ADV, people were well aware of the threat of Baton Pass teams, and made their team accordingly. While D/P/Pt increases the number of Pokémon that can screw up a Baton Pass chain, many forgo those options due to a decline in their popularity. This "counter" list will help the maker of the team more aware of the threats they might face, and can teach someone else how to beat one.
Roar: A very common way to attempt to stop Baton Pass chains by phazing. Stopped by Ingrain and Soundproof.
If a Baton Pass team does not use Mr. Mime, and the Roarer is faster than and strong enough to kill Smeragle, there is not much the Baton Pass team can do. Common users: Swampert, Donphan, Hippowdon, Suicune, Zapdos, Steelix, Vaporeon
Taunt: Taunt is a very deadly weapon against Baton Pass teams. Now that it lasts 3-5 turns, it can stop your entire chain. The only way to beat Taunt is to sleep their Taunter, scare it away before it can use Taunt, or Taunt them before they can Taunt you. Most Taunters are used as leads, so your lead should be able to stop them. Common Users: Crobat, Gyarados, Heatran, Floatzel, Gliscor, Spiritomb, Azelf, Aerodactyl
Whirlwind: It is only stopped by Ingrain, so it poses much more of a threat to a Baton Pass chain than Roar does. Common users: Skarmory, Hariyama, Drapion, Snorlax, Crobat
Encore: If you don't expect it coming, Encore can really screw you over. It can make you lose your boosts by forcing you to switch. If you are Ingrained in and you are Encored, you might lose one part of your chain, and from there the entire game. The way to beat it is to keep Baton Passing until they switch out or run out of Encore PP. A Pressure Pokémon such as Zapdos is extremely helpful in this process. Common Users: Shuckle, Wobbuffet, Clefable, Togekiss, Alakazam, Jumpluff, Raichu,
Infernape
Haze: Elimates all status changes. It can be gamebreaking if pulled off, but it is extremely rare. Common Users: Weezing, Dragonite, Vaporeon, Muk, Quagsire, Blastoise, Tentacruel
Perish Song:
Causes Pokémon in battle to faint in three turns, and thus is effective at forcing switches. It is blocked by Soundproof. Common Users: Celebi, Mismagius, Gengar, Lapras
Exploders: It can eliminate one of your Pokémon, and therefore your boosts.
It often guarantees to break your Substitute, and leaves you vulnerable to the next switch in. It is stopped by keeping Substitute up, or
by passing to a Ghost type Pokémon such as Drifblim. Common Users: Bronzong, Gengar, Azelf, Snorlax, Metagross, Magnezone, Heatran, Lickillicky
Toxic Spikes: A new threat this generation. One or two layers of Toxic Spikes will limit the success of your team, and the amount of time you can use to get all of your passes off. The best way to counter Toxic Spikes is to have Taunt on your leader,
use a Poison type Pokémon like Ariados to absorb the Toxic Spikes, and make sure your receiver is immune to them. Try to limit the overall number of Pokémon on your team that are affected by Toxic Spikes if possible. Also note that if you Baton Pass a Substitute, the Pokémon that switches in will not be poisoned.
This, however, is not the case on Shoddy Battle. (OMIT) Common Users: Roserade, Tentacruel, Cloyster, Drapion, Forretress
Priority Moves: These moves
bypass the Speed boosts
from Agility or Rock Polish, and can end up
knocking out one of your Pokémon or forcing a hard switch if you are not careful. Common Users: Metagross and Scizor (Bullet Punch), Lucario (Extremespeed, Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch), Dugtrio (Sucker Punch), Breloom and Hitmontop (Mach Punch), Arcanine (Extremespeed), and Mamoswine, Weavile, and Abomasnow (Ice Shard), to name a few.
The common SubPunch strategy can be difficult to beat if you cannot break their
Substitute.
Generally, something fast can come in and sweep you if you are not prepared. Be able to deal with a lot of the major threats on your Baton Pass team and you will be good to go!
Conclusion
In short, don't overlook Baton Pass Chains in D/P/Pt. They can really cause some serious damage if they are used by a skilled player, and you
often don't see them coming. A Baton Pass team can be a nice change of pace from a standard team, and if designed and played well they might even get more victories. Thanks for reading!
