Hello everyone, welcome to another (late) Smogon Doubles Player of the Week! This project is for newer people to be more acquainted with some of the most knowledgeable players of Doubles.
Featured Player: Level 51
Favorite Playstyle: Goodstuffs
Most known for: Using gimmicks that actually work... sometimes (And having a really cool IRL name)
Signature Pokemon: Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Skill Swap Gengar
For the third week, I am interviewing Level 51. He's been playing doubles since before it was official, and helped push for its becoming an official metagame. He is hosting many of the Doubles Circuit minitours, an avid user of gimmicks. He's also a PS Mod (@).
Tell me a little about yourself:
Hi! I'm a full-time student hailing from the sunny island of Singapore. While I do a lot of weird stuff, I'm actually not very good at anything I do. Among these things are memorising pi, competitive Math, competitive Pokemon and trying to fit in.
Why did you join the doubles community, and what was the first team you made?
The first tier I played with any competence was Balanced Hackmons, where I peaked at #1 on a very, very bad ladder filled with plenty of Pikachu- and Charizard-wielding players. After trawling the OM forum for a while, a Doubles thread popped up. I joined the IRC channel, and it just so happened that Pocket was online. I challenged him to a battle using a VGC team I had been using for shits and giggles on the VGC ladder; he wrecked my face with an almost bog-standard Rain team. He liked my team, though (it was After You + Eruption / Water Spout), and asked me to write a short post on it in the Doubles thread; I complied, and somehow I ended up becoming a regular there! The first team I built specifically for Smogon Doubles was a neat Hail team, which I lost horribly to Arcticblast in the first Smogon Doubles minitour with (here!). From there, I turned to gimmicks, starting with Gravity Hypnosis + Zap Cannon and moving on to Skill Swap + Intimidate + Levitate + Flash Fire. I suppose this cemented my position as Smogon Doubles' resident purveyor of gimmicks :P! On another note, I'd just like to share one of my earliest memories of a doubles format—when VGC was first released on Pokemon Showdown!, I remember Joim (who was a mere PS! Voice back then) telling me how jealous he was that I got to help test it pre-release!
What major contributions to the progression of the doubles tier have you made?
I pushed for Doubles' official status a bit. Other than that, I don't seem to recall anything much besides hosting a few minitours. Oh, and I was the first user to be newly modded for Doubles. What gave you the impression that I actually did something?
What are some of your favorite elements of the Doubles metagame?
Doubles teambuilding is by far the best thing ever. Not only does it place a greater amount of emphasis on cores and pairs that work well in tandem, it requires you to be much more specific with your Speed numbers since you may or may not want your ally to outspeed you under certain circumstances. Have you ever seen anyone use 14 Speed IV Metagross in Singles? Thought not.
I also like the huge emphasis Doubles places on mobility, since switches occur almost every turn. This creates a neat challenge since your cores generally have to account for the fact that at any one time (except endgame) your opponent will have two threats on the field, and thus your core has to be pretty solid in order to be able to deal with both.
What is one thing about the current rules (banlist, metagame structure) that you would want to change?
I'm usually always in favour of diversity, but in this case I think the Doubles metagame is about as good as it gets currently. Maybe we can just ban PerishTrap, that'd work!!
What are some Doubles players you think are good examples for newer users to look up to?
I think Mizuhime and Pocket are actually good examples for newer users (and no, not because they happened to be featured players #1/#2). Apart from playing Doubles pretty well, I think the important aspect both of these users share is that their real lives are also progressing fairly neatly. NixHex is another good example—he was a good doubles player while he still played it, and he showed dedication in C&C; however, when it was time for him to quit, he had no qualms about favouring real life over Pokemon. Which is always a good thing. :)
What do you think is the most successful Pokemon, core, and strategy in the current meta?
I think Semi-TR is pretty dang good in Generation VI. The first thing that comes to mind is that Escavalier got Drill Run. In addition to its Base 20 Speed—matched only by Ferrothorn and Torkoal—Escavalier has become really, really dangerous under Trick Room. Furthermore Aromatisse, Slowbro and Slowking with Safety Goggles are almost guaranteed to get Trick Room up past the Fake Out turn, and we got all these wonderful Pokemon that work great under Trick Room, like Mega Ampharos/Abomasnow/Venusaur, not to mention Sylveon, Gourgeist, Trevenant and even Talonflame with its priority Brave Birds. I think the team Zach used in his SPL match against Joim is almost a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Can you give some advice to new doubles players?
Use a solid team. Take one of the sample teams and go with it if you can't make your own. Remember that Doubles by nature is a very nonlinear metagame, so don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Above all, though, practice a lot. Practice lets you see holes in your team, which you can then patch up. Take note of Pokemon you have trouble dealing with, or cores that you lose to continually.
What strategies do you dislike playing against?
I hate PerishTrap with a passion; see Pocket's feature for more details on why PerishTrap is a bitch to fight. Other than that, I don't see anything much in the meta that I dislike to the same extent. Maybe remove Evasion Clause and ask me this again.
Can you provide a sample team with explanation on how to use for new players?
(Also like the OP, I could always use more likes)
Featured Player: Level 51
Favorite Playstyle: Goodstuffs
Most known for: Using gimmicks that actually work... sometimes (And having a really cool IRL name)
Signature Pokemon: Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Skill Swap Gengar
For the third week, I am interviewing Level 51. He's been playing doubles since before it was official, and helped push for its becoming an official metagame. He is hosting many of the Doubles Circuit minitours, an avid user of gimmicks. He's also a PS Mod (@).
Tell me a little about yourself:
Hi! I'm a full-time student hailing from the sunny island of Singapore. While I do a lot of weird stuff, I'm actually not very good at anything I do. Among these things are memorising pi, competitive Math, competitive Pokemon and trying to fit in.
Why did you join the doubles community, and what was the first team you made?
The first tier I played with any competence was Balanced Hackmons, where I peaked at #1 on a very, very bad ladder filled with plenty of Pikachu- and Charizard-wielding players. After trawling the OM forum for a while, a Doubles thread popped up. I joined the IRC channel, and it just so happened that Pocket was online. I challenged him to a battle using a VGC team I had been using for shits and giggles on the VGC ladder; he wrecked my face with an almost bog-standard Rain team. He liked my team, though (it was After You + Eruption / Water Spout), and asked me to write a short post on it in the Doubles thread; I complied, and somehow I ended up becoming a regular there! The first team I built specifically for Smogon Doubles was a neat Hail team, which I lost horribly to Arcticblast in the first Smogon Doubles minitour with (here!). From there, I turned to gimmicks, starting with Gravity Hypnosis + Zap Cannon and moving on to Skill Swap + Intimidate + Levitate + Flash Fire. I suppose this cemented my position as Smogon Doubles' resident purveyor of gimmicks :P! On another note, I'd just like to share one of my earliest memories of a doubles format—when VGC was first released on Pokemon Showdown!, I remember Joim (who was a mere PS! Voice back then) telling me how jealous he was that I got to help test it pre-release!
What major contributions to the progression of the doubles tier have you made?
I pushed for Doubles' official status a bit. Other than that, I don't seem to recall anything much besides hosting a few minitours. Oh, and I was the first user to be newly modded for Doubles. What gave you the impression that I actually did something?
What are some of your favorite elements of the Doubles metagame?
Doubles teambuilding is by far the best thing ever. Not only does it place a greater amount of emphasis on cores and pairs that work well in tandem, it requires you to be much more specific with your Speed numbers since you may or may not want your ally to outspeed you under certain circumstances. Have you ever seen anyone use 14 Speed IV Metagross in Singles? Thought not.
I also like the huge emphasis Doubles places on mobility, since switches occur almost every turn. This creates a neat challenge since your cores generally have to account for the fact that at any one time (except endgame) your opponent will have two threats on the field, and thus your core has to be pretty solid in order to be able to deal with both.
What is one thing about the current rules (banlist, metagame structure) that you would want to change?
I'm usually always in favour of diversity, but in this case I think the Doubles metagame is about as good as it gets currently. Maybe we can just ban PerishTrap, that'd work!!
What are some Doubles players you think are good examples for newer users to look up to?
I think Mizuhime and Pocket are actually good examples for newer users (and no, not because they happened to be featured players #1/#2). Apart from playing Doubles pretty well, I think the important aspect both of these users share is that their real lives are also progressing fairly neatly. NixHex is another good example—he was a good doubles player while he still played it, and he showed dedication in C&C; however, when it was time for him to quit, he had no qualms about favouring real life over Pokemon. Which is always a good thing. :)
What do you think is the most successful Pokemon, core, and strategy in the current meta?
I think Semi-TR is pretty dang good in Generation VI. The first thing that comes to mind is that Escavalier got Drill Run. In addition to its Base 20 Speed—matched only by Ferrothorn and Torkoal—Escavalier has become really, really dangerous under Trick Room. Furthermore Aromatisse, Slowbro and Slowking with Safety Goggles are almost guaranteed to get Trick Room up past the Fake Out turn, and we got all these wonderful Pokemon that work great under Trick Room, like Mega Ampharos/Abomasnow/Venusaur, not to mention Sylveon, Gourgeist, Trevenant and even Talonflame with its priority Brave Birds. I think the team Zach used in his SPL match against Joim is almost a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Can you give some advice to new doubles players?
Use a solid team. Take one of the sample teams and go with it if you can't make your own. Remember that Doubles by nature is a very nonlinear metagame, so don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Above all, though, practice a lot. Practice lets you see holes in your team, which you can then patch up. Take note of Pokemon you have trouble dealing with, or cores that you lose to continually.
What strategies do you dislike playing against?
I hate PerishTrap with a passion; see Pocket's feature for more details on why PerishTrap is a bitch to fight. Other than that, I don't see anything much in the meta that I dislike to the same extent. Maybe remove Evasion Clause and ask me this again.
Can you provide a sample team with explanation on how to use for new players?
Cresselia (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Psyshock
- Trick Room
- Protect
- Helping Hand
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Protect
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Blizzard
- Energy Ball
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Togekiss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Follow Me
- Protect
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Claw
- Protect
Hitmontop (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Fake Out
- Feint
- Wide Guard
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Psyshock
- Trick Room
- Protect
- Helping Hand
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Protect
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Blizzard
- Energy Ball
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Togekiss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Follow Me
- Protect
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Claw
- Protect
Hitmontop (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Fake Out
- Feint
- Wide Guard
- (Cresselia) The bulkiest duck you've ever seen. Although it lacks the offensive presence that other TR setters, like Chandelure/Reuniclus/Slowking, it lends Heatran and Abomasnow a Helping Hand under TR to mop up the opposing side. Cresselia also helps me not exacerbate my weakness to Terrakion, and also scares away Hitmontop which may try to Wide Guard on Heatran's and Abomasnow's spread moves.
- (Abomasnow and Heatran) The twin beasts. Between Abomasnow and Heatran, just about the only Pokemon I have trouble with are Talonflame, Dusclops and Cresselia (off the top of my head). There isn't really much explanation to be done here; both Abomasnow and Heatran carry simple 252/252/4 TR spreads and movesets including a few of their most powerful moves. To note: Abomasnow is carrying Energy Ball so it can laugh at Rotom-W which try to Will-o-Wisp it.
- (Togekiss) Togekiss is amazing. While Follow Me is no longer in the same priority bracket as Fake Out, Togekiss still provides invaluable support, saving Heatran from opposing Heatran's Earth Powers, as well as Abomasnow from Flare Blitzes and Brave Birds. Oh, and it floats so Garchomp can Earthquake without consequence.
- (Garchomp) TogeChomp is a very nice lead combo when I don't feel like going straight for the TR. Garchomp in particular helps to deal with this team's weakness to Talonflame, letting the recoil damage pile on and also dropping Rock Slides now and then. Landorus-T can also be used in this slot to provide additional Intimidate support, while at the same time also helping out with Rock Slide and taking even less damage from Terrakion.
- (Hitmontop) You can't go wrong with Hitmontop. Between Fake Out, Wide Guard and Feint, not to mention Close Combat to put dents in Terrakion and Rotom-W, Hitmontop rounds off the team with valuable Intimidate support. Wide Guard is extra-useful since it stops Earthquakes, Heat Waves and Muddy Waters which threaten Abomasnow and Heatran; most of note, however, is that Hitmontop's Intimidate lets Mega Abomasnow survive a CB Brave Bird from positive-natured Talonflame, allowing Abomasnow to retaliate with its own Blizzard. I'm considering using Quick Guard over Wide Guard or Feint, though, since Talonflame is still a problem even under Trick Room.
(Also like the OP, I could always use more likes)
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